Sashiko: Traditional Japanese Quilt Designs [Paperback] Review

I love sashiko.For years, this was the only book I owned about it.It's a slim volume, but packed with stitching diagrams.It only has a few projects, but as a reference book for those who like to design their own, it's great.Now I also own the "Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook"and I'd say that with these two books, one has all one needs to design and sew beautiful sashiko.

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Quilt Artistry: Inspired Designs from the East [Hardcover] Review

Yoshiko Jinzenji has made a beautiful book showing her magnificient quilts and pieces of fabric arts.

The book itself, photos, paper, printing, writing, style, is a piece of art. A book you will be happy to own, no matter if you are a quilter or just a book lover. A perfect coffee table book for any home, though this one is so much more than a coffee table book. This book deserves to be read and be looked through again and again.
Yoshiko Jinzenji has been a quilter for a lifetime, and during these years she has developed her own unique and perfect style. We get to know Jinzenji through the pages of the book, both through words and through pictures. We meet her and her quilts in Kyoto, and we meet her in her studio in Bali. The book also have a section on how to make quilts, easy to read, easy to follow the step by step instructions. Jinzenji makes her quilts from ancient fabric collected from around the world, and she makes her quilts from natural dyes in light, clean colors. But no matter what the fabric is, her vibrant quilts all stand out and have all their own story to tell
The highlights in the book though are the pictures. The somewhat clean and stylish picture of a Small Modern Amish quilt displayed on the wall in her Kyoto home, the fantastic puzzle of an uncountable number of small Mandala quilts put together to form a universe in colors, cloths and patterns, the collague of many pictures from scenes around her studio in Bali as inspirations for future quilts.
The way the writing and photos in the book are put together shows the reader a new way to look at the surroundings, and through that a new way to look at life. Or to say it with the words from the foreword of the book, written by textile designer Jun'ichi Arai; I am convinced that Yoshiko Jinzenji's achievements in establishing a new genre in quilting will never be forgotten.

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The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook: Patterns, Projects and Inspirations [Paperback] Review

Please pardon the review title. This book deserves it. It's interesting, clearly organized, and easy to use. You can read through it for enjoyment or ideas, or you can use the clear headings, the big color photos, or (if you're more of a words person than an images person) the very navigable table of contents or index, to find exactly the information you want in no time flat.

That's another nice thing about this book. It's jam-packed with information. It has a good history of sashiko. It has some historical info on different sashiko patterns. It has photos of sashiko through the ages. It has good explanations. It has loads of stitch patterns, all with full-color examples, reasonably idiot-proof directions, and suggestions for use so that you can design your own projects. It has a good variety of sample projects, plus a gorgeous gallery of what stitching experts have done with sashiko. It even has suggestions for what to use to get the right look if traditional Japanese tools and materials aren't available where you live.

If you want to learn sashiko and can only afford one book, this is the book to get. I'm very impressed with it.

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Product Description:
Sashiko, the traditional Japanese technique of needlework quilting, uses simple running stitch to create beautifully decorative patterns ideal for patchwork, quilting and embroidery. Sashiko (pronounced shash-ko) means 'stab stitch' and refers to the small running stitch that is worked to build up distinctive decorative patterns, of which there are hundreds. The book begins by exploring the origins of the technique to strengthen clothes and to make them warmer. Getting Started describes everything you need to begin stitching, including selecting suitable fabrics and threads, marking out patterns on the fabric, as well as the stitching technique itself. Ten project chapters show how easy it is to use sashiko patterns to make beautiful items for the home. The sashiko patterns are described in step-by-step detail in the pattern library, showing you exactly how to achieve each individual pattern with ease. Finally a gallery of work by contemporary Japanese textile artists provides extra inspiration.

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Japanese Country Quilting: Sashiko Patterns and Projects for Beginners [Paperback] Review

Traditional Japanese country clothes were quilted for warmth. The quilting patterns on the natural indigo dyed hemp or cotton are called sashiko and often take the form of repeating, geometric patterns.
Karen Matsunaga gives a nice background into the daily life of her Japanese family, and also the history of some of the traditional patterns.
The book has five complete projects, plus sashiko stitching pattern. The patterns are printed on grids, with helpful directional lines to show the direction in which the stitching should take place. Recommended for anyone starting out in sashiko quilting

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Product Description:
The perfect introduction to a Japanese sewing craft. Step-by-step instructions for stitching patterns inspired by natural motifs, including 60 traditional patterns, and suggestions for basic sewing projects.

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