I have that Good Housekeeping book on needlework. I just used a pattern in it for a baby sweater. I bought it brand new in the '70's. I also have Better Homes & Garden sewing book from the '70's. It's a 3-ring binder like the cookbook. A few years back, I used that to make a slip cover for a chair for my daughter's apartment when she was in college. The instructions worked just fine.

Yes, these books may be old but they work. I am glad others hang on to theirs as well. I also check my library's used book sale. You can find things in there from 25 cents to a dollar and help your local library out at the same time.