When you first open this book, you think you have gone back in time; the Kliots have set up the type to look like it was in the late 1800’s. This is a delicious book full of endearing patterns that are romantic and lovely.

Some of the patterns are from The Book of Bags No. 2 which is great since if you had to purchase the original book you are looking at over a hundred USA dollars in expense if you can even find it.

Terminology and explanations are in the language of the time, however, we knitters, crocheters and beaders can sift our way through and figure out the how-to of it all.

The patterns are various and offer many motifs and shapes for purses. Most patterns also include a full size graph that can be converted to loom weaving, cross-stitch and embroidery. The Sphinx No. 604 is knitted, however, I cataloged this exact pattern at one of the museums and it was loom woven. Yes, we beaders have been experimenting for a long time.

This book offers many purse shapes that are not found in previous edited books by the Kliots. Some are bottle shaped, some in quadrants, others "V" shaped. There are more variety of patterns in this book than I have seen in a long time.

This book is an idea stimulator for me. I may not make any of the patterns in the book, however reading how they were made will help me in my current design process.

After you have gone through pages and pages of purses, you will come to ropes and chains, some woven, crocheted, then to beaded lamp covers and more ropes and beaded chains. Many of the beaded chains seen in bead magazines today derive their beginnings from these old patterns.

At the back of the book are instructions for bead couching and embroidery, smocking with beads, edging with beads on net, beaded trimming and beaded fringe There are some ornate feather forms that are created on netting with embroidery techniques. Ornaments of most likely jet and old black glass are on pages 106 through 108 using beading techniques. Beaded fringe, beadwork on canvas and beaded cuffs are displayed with instructions.

The last page has an interesting bead mosaic crated using two pieces of cardboard with perforated holes to separate the pieces and is made by weaving beads between the two pieces of cardboard.