Making beautiful things from books: ‘BiblioCraft’

What do you get when you combine a rare books librarian with an avid crafter? “BiblioCraft,” out now from Abrams Books. It’s the first book from Jessica Pigza, who blogs as the Handmade Librarian and cohosts crafting salons at the New York Public Library that use its resources for unique embroidery, knitting, beading, sewing projects and more. The books themselves are safe; they serve only as inspiration. In “BiblioCraft,” Pigza showcases an array of designs by master craftspeople and artists that were all inspired by the holdings at the New York library — referencing the originals, of course — and includes instructions so you can make your own. Here is a sampler of what’s inside.

— Carolyn Kellogg