This sweet 1954 Swedish sewing book, Hemslöjdens Handarbeten by Maja Lundbäck, Gertrud Ingers and Eva Ljungkvist is one of my all-time favourites.
At first, I couldn't understand any of the text but a bit of googling revealed that Hemslöjden is the 100+-year-old National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies and this is part 2 of its hand sewing (Handarbeten) guide or directory from 1954.
Despite not being able to actually read it, I love this book for the images, which are incredible from the cover onwards - not least this embroidered piece on red wool...
Here are some more of the beautiful colour plates within:
The black and white pages aren't bad either:
I found my copy 10+ years ago at Greenwich Clocktower market in London, but it's quite easy to find an edition online if you'd like to check it out for yourself.