Sashiko for Beginners: An Inspirational Guide to Japanese Quilting

by Freya Gates

Once you start, you’ll keep on going.
Nothing can compare to the art of sewing.

First developed in Edo-era Japan circa the 1600s, sashiko, or ‘little stabs’, is a form of decorative embroidery that looks as fantastic today as it did four hundred years ago. Merging traditional patterns and modern twists, this ancient artform offers everything one could hope for in a hobby: relaxation, endless fun, and, ultimately, perfect presents. Seamers, dreamers, pros, and newbies: welcome to a world of fun! We know that YOU can sew . . . 

Inside, you’ll learn:     

The fascinating history of sashiko . . . The “ins and outs” of stellar stitching . . . Pattern options: mainstays and the process of creating new ones . . .  Everything there is to know about your standard sewing gear . . . Advanced techniques (made easy) . . . Fresh accessories . . . AND MORE!

Bombarded by the white noise of modernity, it’s growing increasingly important for everyone, young and old, to find creative, quiet outlets.

Drop the devices . . . pour a warm drink, and discover your hobby today!

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts

Unknown Binding

About the author

Freya Gates is a teacher with a decade of experience working with children with special needs. She currently lives in Florida ... 5 Steps to Raise an Emotionally Intelligent Child is her debut book. Since then, she has created The Mindful Child Series and The Creative Art for Beginner Series.

She is currently blessed with having a personal project of her own named Logan who is 2 years old and counting.

You can follow Freya here:

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Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was all over the place: poorly thought out, endlessly repetitive, and despite of the title, mixing up the sashiko style and technique, with the completely different (in intention, scope and execution), Japanese appliqué techniques. The author even quotes her source to be Susan Briscoe’s much better book. All she did was to summarise (badly), the other book, referenced below.

I downloaded this on kindle after downloading and returning another book on sashiko that was even worse (same price for only 22 atrociously written pages). For this reason alone, this one gets too stars and not only one: at least it had some pictures of the different styles of sashiko embroidery.

If you really want a good resource on sashiko, get the book by Susan Briscoe: The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook. That one is packed with useful information and patterns, and can be kept for reference.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not As Good As Her Other Crafting Books

I have read a few of this author's other beginner crafting books, and I thought they were well done. Unfortunately, I do not find this book to be as well done as those. I thought there should be more pictures at the beginning of the book so a quilter or crafter unfamiliar with the specifics of sashiko could at a glance understand what precisely this form of quilting and embroidery is. I also thought that the introduction and the first two chapters were a bit repetitive, which wasn't a problem in the other books. The author repeated herself, sometimes verbatim, in describing what sashiko is and recounting some of its history. I do not feel that the author gave enough information about how to work on the projects that are in the book, especially as they increase in difficulty. The book is supposed to be for beginners, so extra explanation is needed, especially as the difficulty level goes up. The book is logically organized, covering rudimentary information like materials needed and basic technique early on before getting into more advanced specifics like having a dedicated sashiko sewing machine. All in all, I was a little disappointed by this book for the reasons mentioned above, but if this is a form of crafting that interests you, you may enjoy the background and projects in this book.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Wendy DeWachter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an Applique book

There are a few sashiko patterns but not the woven ones you hope to find looking at the cover. Most of the book consists of Asian beginner Applique patterns.
I was hoping to find the colorful stitches and woven designs I see on Pinterest.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitive and not carefully proof- read or edited.

[Liz Etnyre · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing book. More applique than sashiko. Poorly organized. Leaves you with more questions than answers. References Susan Briscoe's books - and you should probably start there if you want any actual information on how to do sashiko. (Her The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook, and Sashiko 360 are both excellent.) I got this book for free - and I paid too much.