I think the collar is just asking for machine embroidery or even ribbon embroidery! Great project!

I'd be interested in a kit or at least where to get a painted face -- I have lots of stash to make up a bag. Really cute! Good luck with your kit sales.

My favorite is my 1940's Complete Book of Needle arts. It is complete, lovely illustrations. Includes sewing and remaking clothes in the beginning and then every kind of needle art you can imagine, embroidery, tatting, knitting,crocheting, lace making and so on... each with great patterns and projects. I have spent many happy hours reading this book and remembering my grandma who taught me to sew.

I also have many of the books mentioned by you ladies in my personal collection and in the bookstore my husband and I own. I love the vintage trims and such too. I just acquired a sewing stash of a 100 year old lady who moved to the nursing home. I even got her working treadle sewing machine. She used this machine to make clothes for her family and many, many wonderful quilts. It was never electrifies. It has an interesting set of attachments too! Included in this collection were vintage patterns from the early teens To the 1980s. I don't know why she had so much, but I also got probably 200 packages of rick rack, some priced at 5 cents a package. A recent issue of one of the sewing magazines had an article about people who collect rickrack, maybe she was a collector -- me I use it cant beat that real cotton rick rack.
I love estate sales you never know when you will hit the mother lode. lol!
Boblynn