her first books, in the later 1840s, were collections of crochet patterns for clothing and decorative items for the home. she created over 50 illustrated fancy needlework designs for the short-lived "drawing-room magazine", with associated lessons offered in a london showroom, and contributed patterns to "family friend". the "drawing-room magazine", which she probably edited herself, contained fiction, poetry and informative articles, as did her later magazine "timethrift", which survived for just six issues.