Although Flora is probably best known for her “Flower Patch” series, I first became interested in her when I came across “The Home Art Crochet Book” on eBay while searching for older crochet books.

The book is full of patterns for lace borders and filet crochet.  Imagine my delight when I discovered that this was only the first in a series of fascinating books.  The designs in all of these books are elegant and intricate. They can be adapted to today's lifestyle which makes each design timeless and well worth the time and effort to produce a crocheted masterpiece.

Emily Flora Klickmann, to give her her full name, was born in London on January 26th, 1867. She had graduated in music when she was a girl and wanted to be a concert pianist, but a due to a heart weakness was advised to give up her plans.  She began work as a music teacher at the age of 21.  A move into music journalism started her long career as a journalist, author and editor.

In 1908, she was appointed editor of the Girl's Own Paper (later known as The Girl's Own Paper And Woman's Magazine) - a highly successful periodical aimed at girls and young women.  Flora replaced Mr. Charles Peters, who had been the editor since the first issue.  She was very innovative and introduced new themes such as careers advice for girls, advice on style and dress, photography competitions and crafts, all of which proved popular with the readers.

In 1912 she suffered a breakdown through overwork and stress.  While remaining as editor, she spent a period of convalescence at a rented cottage close to Brockweir in the Wye Valley, an area in which her grandparents had lived.  But no improvement meant that she was taken to London, where she was operated on in 1913, entirely successfully.  However she was starting to spend a lot more time at her retreat, and by the late 1920's she was essentially a long distance editor.

She married Ebenezer Henderson Smith, in 1913. He was one of the executives at the Religious Tract Society who had been instrumental in getting the 'The Girls Own Paper' up and running. Her married name was Emily Flora Henderson Smith. Although she had lived mainly in South London, Flora had rented cottages in Brockweir over the years. As a wedding present, Ebenezer purchased 'Sylvan View', a house in Brockweir.

In 1916 she published the first of a series of books of written sketches of life in her country cottage at Brockweir based on articles which she had originally written for the Girl's Own Paper. In later years the stories grew to involve her household and the local people, combining nature description, anecdote, autobiography, religion, and humour. In all, seven Flower Patch books were published, over 32 years.

She also published novels, advice books, children's stories and non-fiction on many topics including gardening, cooking, and needlework techniques, some of which have been republished in recent years.

The "Home Art" series of books were published while she was editor for "The Girl's Own Paper and Women's Magazine" and "Stitchery", a quarterly paper published as a supplement to The Girl's Own Paper". This was consequently published in annuals containing the four issues.

Ebenezer died in 1937 and was buried in the Moravian Churchyard in Brockweir.  Flora joined him on November 20th 1958, aged 91.

The "Home Art" series

The Home Art Crochet Book was published 1912 in London by “The Girl's Own Paper and Women's Magazine”. The front over says, “Containing entirely new designs for Lingerie, Edgings & Insertions, Borders for Tray Cloths & D'oileys, Deep Laces for Table Cloths & Valences, Motifs for Inlet Work & Irish Lace.”  For anybody interested in thread crochet, this book is full of delightful inspiration.

 The first section is for the “Average Worker”.  However, the average worker at that time was far more accomplished than the average worker now.  The instructions for the “Rosette Edging” look very complicated in my view.

We have to remember that girls were taught to be accomplished needle workers at a young age. Today’s crocheter would think that half of the patterns are missing - as can be seen from this section of filet pattern for a Boat.

This is how patterns were written then, in a way which reflected the way girls were taught. Nowadays, we expect every single action to be explicitly detailed for us.  In Victorian times, women instinctively knew how to turn at the end of the row and how many chain were needed to turn.

The second book in the series is “The Home Art Book Of Fancy Stitchery”, also published in 1912 and “With new ideas for applying Crochet to lingerie and napery bead-work and fancy stitches for dress trimmings, Feather-stitching, Smocking, Hardangerwork, Darned Filet Crochet, Knitting, Macrame Work, Darned net, Cross-stitch, Irish Crochet, Embroidery on Flannel.”

Although this book is not dedicated to crochet, there are some more fascinating patterns in there. This “Venetian Crochet Centre” is one of my favourites. It is made with Cleavers ”Grass-bleached” Linen and Hicks, Bullick and Co’s No.42 Irish Lace Thread, with a No. 6 crochet hook. There are detailed instructions for the centre motif and those around the edge.

In the third book of the series “The Craft of the Crochet Hook”, we are actually given some lessons in both Irish crochet and “Plain Crochet”. She suggests a “rather course hook - No. 4 will suit” for these lessons. I rather think he idea of “course” is some what different from ours. The “No. 4” which she suggests is about a 1.00mm in metric.

This book is the best yet for intricate patterns. The “Flower basket” is a pretty motif which has a variety of uses.  The Irish Crochet motifs are among the best I have ever seen.

Ten more books followed between 1912 and 1921, although only another four are dedicated to crochet.  They all give a unique insight into the craft work of the era.

Containing entirely new designs for Lingerie, Edgings & Insertions, Borders for Tray Cloths & D'oileys, Deep Laces for Table Cloths & Valences, Motifs for Inlet Work & Irish Lace.

This book was reprinted by Pastime Publications as "Crocheted Edgings, Insertions & Fancywork; Crocheters' Historical Pattern Series Vol 3".  These pdf scans are from the original.  Dozens of laces of all difficulty levels, and many of them are unusual and beautiful. Also filet charts, Irish Crochet motifs, and patterns for crocheting with manufactured braids and rickracks.

The Home Art Book of Fancy Stitchery
Edited by Flora Klickmann

Scanned and Donated by Enfys 2006

Scanned and Donated by Enfys 2006

The Modern Knitting Book
Published 1915

Containing Directions for making Brussels Duchesse Lace, Cluny Lace, Torchon Lace, Maltese Lace, and a variety of designs for decorative embroidery stitches.