Free patterns · 1840s to 1920s
Grandma's pattern books, open for everyone.
Knitting, crochet, lace, embroidery, and quilting, straight from the original books. Read them page by page, or start with a pattern rewritten for today's yarn and hooks.
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Each section is filled with patterns and the books they came from.
Knitting
Stockings, shawls, mittens, and baby wear, plus all 54 receipts from Cornelia Mee, 1846.
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Crochet
Doilies, edgings, and baby shoes from Godey's, Little Folks, and Home Needlework.
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Lace
The Art of Modern Lace-Making, Palliser's History of Lace, and how to identify old lace.
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Embroidery
Crewel, whitework, and art needlework from L. Higgin's Handbook of Embroidery, 1880.
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Quilting
Quilt history, color plates, and quilting designs from Marie D. Webster, 1915.
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Tatting and More
Tatting, netting, spool knitting for children, and basketry.
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Pattern of the month
Featured pattern
Crochet Guipure Lace
From Thérèse de Dillmont, Encyclopedia of Needlework
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See the whole library →Fiber festivals
Sheep, wool, and a whole lot of yarn.
Sheep and wool festivals, fiber arts fairs, and knitting retreats in the United States, Canada, and beyond. Upcoming events will appear here as organizers list them.
Speak fluent 1850s.
Old patterns use words that have changed meaning or vanished. The Vintage Terms glossary gives the modern word for each one.
Open the glossary- Receipt
- An older word for a pattern or set of instructions
- Pins
- Knitting needles, in many 1800s British patterns
- Berlin wool
- A soft, fine wool yarn used for knitting and canvas work
- Mignardise
- A narrow looped braid used as a base for crochet lace