by Susan Johnson (Author)

"Ouverages de Dames: Alphabets from 19th Century Paris" is a collection of pages reproduced from antique needlework booklets in my private collection. 40 pages of patterns, plus basic counted thread embroidery stitch techniques and a page of reproducible graph paper to aid you in creating your own designs.

Eight different line-drawn alphabets in three sizes are suitable for most embroidery techniques. Charted designs consist of 20 alphabets, 7 sets of number and 20 borders or motifs, including several crowns. The borders in particular, have a distinctly "lacy" appearance. An interesting feature is that many letters and motifs can be worked in a single color "silhouette" style, or two colors to create a dimensional shaded effect.

As is typical of many 19th century alphabets, the letters "I" and "J" are considered interchangeable and only one is included.

No specific projects are included, although many of the pattern plates would make charming samplers on their own. Antique needlework patterns assume the stitcher already possesses a high level of skill and typically do not include instructions, color or thread suggestions or stitch counts.