As soon as I found out that Penguin Classics was going to reprint Emma, The Secret Garden, & Black Beauty, as part of a line known as Penguin Threads I knew that I would have to have them. What makes them unique, is that the covers are seemingly embroidered. While the on-line photos are lovely, they really do not do them justice. In person, each of these books is really something special.
Not only do they look embroidered, they "stitches" are raised so that they feel embroidered. It is not only the front cover either. The spines & back covers are equally well done. Even then, I did not fully appreciate the attention to detail until I showed them to my mother. She was much more thorough in her examination than I had been. Thanks to her deft exploration, we discovered inside flaps, in the front and back, that were every bit as gorgeous as the outside covers. Next she pointed out the piece de resistance, the inside covers are done to look like the back of an embroidered piece! How is that for attention to detail?
These stories are what they are. You either like these authors or you do not. However, if you, like me, appreciate fine workmanship, attention to detail, and a, long overdue, nod to our craft community, then these books would make a terrific addition to your bookshelves whether you actually read them or not. I loaded each of these on my Kindle, but have no regrets over buying the "real" books.
Does anyone know if there are patterns for these? I would love to re-create them for myself. As it is, I have been thinking about how cool it would be to embroider the cover of a favorite book. With that in mind, I was thrilled to come across this blog where some extraordinary needle-workers are doing just that. I am so impressed and inspired.
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