Lily

Step back in time with our Lily Mills Publications—a rare collection of authentic, original vintage pattern booklets from one of America’s most beloved thread companies.

Lily Mills Company was founded in 1903 in Shelby, North Carolina, by John Schenck as the Lily Mill and Power Company. Located in the heart of cotton country, the mill produced premium mercerized cotton threads and yarns (including the iconic Daisy line) prized by crocheters and fiber artists for decades. To showcase their beautiful threads, Lily Mills began publishing elegant instruction booklets and numbered Design Books in the 1930s, continuing through the 1960s. These charming, illustrated publications featured heirloom-quality crochet patterns for doilies, table linens, bedspreads, kitchen sets, pot holders, novelties, and more—helping generations of makers create timeless pieces while promoting the company’s yarns.

Today, these original printed booklets are true collector’s treasures. Each one is a piece of crochet history, filled with mid-century elegance, intricate motifs, filet crochet, and classic American craftsmanship. Because they are vintage originals (not reproductions or digital scans), supplies are extremely limited—we currently have only a small selection in stock and are actively hunting for more to expand the collection.

If you love authentic vintage patterns, heirloom crochet, or building a library of rare fiber-art ephemera, this is the collection for you. Browse our current offerings, add your favorites to your cart quickly, and check back often as we source additional Lily Mills publications. Each booklet is a window into a golden era of American crafting—perfect for experienced crocheters, collectors, and anyone who treasures the real thing.