Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14311 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

Synopsis
An introduction to the art of Japanese zakka sewing describes how to create a variety of hand-sewn items for domestic use, featuring detailed instructions for twenty-five different projects, ranging from a simple appliqued pot holder and flower-shaped coasters to a more complex camera cozy and pair of comfortable padded slippers. Original.

Customer Reviews

Lovely book
I think Zakka is very like Arts and Crafts; it's not enough for something to be functional, it has to be beautiful, too. Here in the UK it's very hard to find Japanese craft magazines (and, quite difficult to understand the patterns, too, apparently - well, they are in Japanese!), so to have access to some patterns and ideas that we can actually make is very exciting.
This is a lovely book. There are some very simple ideas, like placemats, but there are also some quite complicated projects, such as the camera bag, which is super-cute and probably worth the price of the book alone. The projects are graded as to difficulty, and there is information about the designers and the projects. The projects themselves are all very tasteful and beautifully designed.
The book suggests top quality felt or linen for the projects, as the Japanese prefer to use natural fabrics (even interfacing!), and I think it's reasonable to say that nothing in here is going to look particularly great if it's made up in that nasty acrylic felt which is mostly what is available here. But that's just a good excuse to go to the fabric shop, I guess!

More like this please
Finally someone has realised the need for this book! I love the Japanese zakka style of sewing. Everything is beautiful in this book and I know at some point I will make all the projects as gifts. I have already managed to make the placemats, tote bag and fabric box/container. The instructions are easy to follow, easy to customise with different fabrics that you have on hand and so unique that you won't be able to wait to make more. I wish there was more books like this. I do have 3 Japanese craft books which I can just about guess what to do by the pictures but to have one in English is amazing. Please do some more!

Can't wait to get started!
I am so glad I found this book. I want to make some Christmas presents this year and was getting so dishearted at all the ugly sewing patterns out there. So many are not beautiful or something I would like to give to someone as a gift. I love all the projects in this book and there is a great range of levels. I'm a novice at sewing but there are quite a few projects I can begin at and work my way up to the more difficult ones. The projects are very stylish and modern, there isn't one project I don't like. The instructions seem very clear although I have yet to start a project as I only got the book yesterday.