Country Crafts and Food
Better Homes and Gardens
1983
This is one of those craft books around a theme. It’s less about craft instruction and more about style. The pictures are carefully composed to create a look as opposed to focusing on a particular item. This runs the gamut from decor to clothing to cooking. This probably runs closer to design or home decor rather than straight up crafting. Soooo what Dewey number do we give this item? Most were in the 745 range but a significant percentage went with 641. This kind book really bugs me, because I do want to stick it in both 745 and 641. I did a lot of buying of craft books a few years ago and whenever the books mixed and matched topics like this, it made me a bit twitchy. To be totally honest, I really avoided this type of book since it really didn’t do either topic justice. But I digress.
Aside from my catalog anxieties, this is really just a pretty little set piece and in my special world this would probably in the 700s and I would learn to live with a twitch for the recipes. I mean, who wouldn’t want to sit around in ridiculous clothing eating a cucumber ring supreme?
Mary
Hmmm A little bit country? Marie? Donny, how about a little bit rock n’ roll?
Treasury of Rock n’ Roll Crafts and Foods from stronger homes and gardens?
“Country?” Looks like homage to Victoriana to me, in a lot of places. I don’t see anything countrified about Artichokes Parmesan, frankly.
Yes, I was thinking artichokes are NOT at all country as we’d think of it.
This is a lot of faux-Victorian decor, clothing, and food. The Cucumber Ring Supreme would have been very Victorian with tea.
I remember 1983 pretty well — I was in my first apartment and I can tell you I’d have thought this stuff was overblown and tacky at the time. Can you imagine how much dust this would collect? Which I suppose is fine if you’re actually Victorian and have a maid to do that.
The ribbons descending from the woman’s headband crack me up. She doesn’t look thrilled about it, either.
I would stick it in neither 745 nor 641, but in the recycle bin or book sale.
A little bit country goes a way looooooong way. I love tole painted ceramics but you know, “just a sip please AND no seconds”.
person on p. 57 looks like she may ascend to the throne of the queen of the May while the sweaters on pp. 212-213 look quasi Nordic/Celtic without those designs that truly show craft.
Country Crafts all over the world and the burbs.
My mom had this book, and I remember gazing longingly at the Victoriana on pp 54-55 and wishing I could live my life more graciously!
Details details everywhere and all of them to make cleaning take up the time needed to enjoy your grace full ness.
^^I think you mean classification anxiety. Pedantry aside, I suppose this might linger in a library collection because it long ago slipped through the inventory list and just sat quietly…er, elegantly.
That poor kid on page 213 looks like she’s going to die of terminal embarrassment.