SOPHIE LACROIX
Here are the booklets I know of from Sophie LaCroix's self-published series. Reviews are of the books of the series that I own. She was a prolific and talented designer primarily in Crochet, but also published Tatting, Quilting, Knitting, Smocking, Hardanger, and Beadwork. She published during a time period(1910's and '20's) when there was a lot of competition from other great designers like Anna Wuerfel Brown, Adeline Cordet, Emma Farnes, Mary E. Fitch, Virginia Snow, Anna Valeire, and the innovative Anne Orr - all self-published and master designers of several needlearts. Ms. LaCroix wasn't big on putting copyright dates on her booklets, so the publication years are approximate.
Becky Clark came up with this information:
Sophie Tatum LaCroix (October 17, 1862 – July 16, 1949) was an American handcrafts designer, editor, and author of 18 books on crochet, tatting, beadwork, quilting, needlework, and embroidery in the early 1900s.
Life and family:
LaCroix was born in Belleville, Illinois to Rene M. LaCroix, a Canadian merchant, and his wife Mary, née Hopkins, from Virginia. She had at least five siblings, including Susan (born c. 1845), Laura O. (born c. 1848, a teacher), Cornelia (born c. 1858, a store clerk), Estella (born c. 1860) and Maurice D. (born c. 1866, who worked in a printing office).
LaCroix never married and died at her home at 5726 McPherson Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri from Myocarditis, a condition she had been suffering from for a number of years.
Career:
Librarian Gilbert Witte has catalogued LaCroix's Old and New Designs craft series, which was published by the St. Louis Fancy Work Co. in the early decades of the 20th century. First edition copies are now part of the collection of the Tennyson Library of Crochet & Related Arts, part of the University of Illinois Rare Books & Manuscripts Library.
Quilt historian Barbara Brackman writes that LaCroix's 1915 book of quilt patterns Martha Washington Patchwork Quilt Book 'captured the cultural confusion American needleworkers faced' and was one of the few that 'attempted a new recipe for the American melting pot'. While LaCroix's name is credited on the book's cover, the Quilt Index, a joint project of partners including the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, attribute the quilt designs to Ann Conway, also of St. Louis, with LaCroix as editor.
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Bibliography Entries
Old and New Design in Crochet Work: Book No. 1,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1913)
Notes: 31 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Crochet Work: Book No. 2,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1913?)
Notes: 32 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
No tatting patterns in this one, also my copy is missing the back cover...
Old and New Designs in Crochet Work, Bedspreads: Book No. 3,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1914?)
Notes: 30 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Tatting and Crochet Braids: Book No. 4,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1914?)
Notes: 32 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Crochet- 100 Christmas Novelties: Book No. 5,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1915?)
Notes: 32 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Smocking: A Treatise on Ornamental Shirring: Book No. 6,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1915)
Notes: 32 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
I was able to fix the date because they had a testimonial from their printer on how many times their books had been reprinted since 1913...
Cross Stitch Designs: Book No. 7,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1914)
Notes: 8 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Crochet Work: Book No. 8,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1915)
Notes: 36 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Crochet Corset Covers and Nightgown Yokes: Book No. 9,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:no copyright date)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs In Hardanger Embroidery: Book No. 10,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:192?)
Notes: 36 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Tatting: Book No. 11,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Martha Washington Patch Work Quilt Book: Book No. 12,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: ?? pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs In Crocheted Towels, Pillowcases, Sheets: Book No. 13,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Crochet: Book No. 14,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
This booklet is crochet patterns only
Old and New Designs in Crocheted Centerpieces, Lunch Sets & Alphabets: Book No. 15,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Crochet- Seamless Yokes, Hats, Baby Yokes: Book No. 16,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
This booklet is crochet patterns only
Plain and Fancy Knitting: Book No. 17,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:no copyright date)
Notes: ?? pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs in Crocheted Edges: Book No. 18,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
This booklet is crochet patterns only
UNKNOWN: Book No. 19,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:no copyright date)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
Old and New Designs In Beadwork: Book No. 20,
by Sophie T. LaCroix (TPB:1920ish)
Notes: 15 pages; Country: USA; Publisher: St. Louis Fancy Work Co., St. Louis, MO; ISBN: None;
