Íslensk sjónabók - Ornaments and patterns found in Iceland

Finally - We have got a copy of this book. It was released in 2011 and we have tried to get a copy ever since but could not find it for sale anywhere. Now, due to a tip from a friend, we have bought it - and it arrived this week.

780 + pages with old patterns that were used for various forms of needlework. It is a reference book of the old Icelandic sjónabók manuscripts that dates from the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries.

It is a collaboration between the Icelandic Handicraft Association, the Department of Design and Architecture at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts, and the National Museum of Iceland. The opening chapters are short but contains interesting information. They are written in Icelandic and English. The rest of the book contains charted patterns from the ten sjónabók manuscripts that have been preserved.

I have only browsed it but it seems very interesting - I will set aside more time during Christmas to study it. I think that this is such a fantastic initiative and I do hope that other countries will be inspired to similar publications.