A Yoko Saito book

This is the last of my purchases for a while.  (I hope these are not famous last words.)

Yoko Saito's "Beautiful Bags, Pouches & Quilts".

I have been a fan of her work for years and I love the way she combines quilting, applique and embroidery in her work.  Last time I was in Houston her work featured on display and it was beautiful.  Also at that time she was talking to Martingdale Publisher and a number of great videos went up on You Tube.  All her work is done by hand and she is so fast. 

There is also a good video of her technique. 

Her applique stitching is so well considered and she is able to see in layers.  This simple design of wheat heads is given such definition by the use of simple embroidery.

And that little bird applique sitting in the tree on the book cover is so small and perfect.

I may never stitch any of these projects, although I hope I do.  However, the pleasure of just looking at such beautiful work is worth the purchase price.

Whilst in hospital...

I came home to find that the book I had ordered had been delivered and it is even better than I had at first thought.

The threads used are actually the theme of the book.  I hadn't thought about the difference between Tapestry and Crewel Embroidery wools before  and their use in embroidery, especially when combined with DMC  embroidery cotton.  It really gives a nice effect.

The other thing I hadn't considered was using metalics on their own, not just as a highlight.

Now what am I going to make from this book?  I think that I will use a part of some of the designs to make brooches.  There was this example in the book but I can see so many other ways I could use this.

It is a danger to my wallet this being ill.  I sit and surf the internet and buy books!

For the collection

I decided to buy this book for my collection from the Book Depository.  Now I just have to wait for it to come.

I like Yumiko Higuchi's designs.  They remind me of my time in Denmark back in the distance past. 

I am off to hospital today for some more tests.  Hope this lot will resolve some of my health problems.  I am so sick and tired of being ill all the time.

Sitting around again

I am back on the hospital round - about again.  Firstly my husband and then I had to have lots of tests, again, with still more to come.

You should see the weird looks I get as I sit and embroider!  But sometimes these waiting rooms are not well lite and I turn to my books I keep on my Ipad.  This time I got to finish the 6 book series "Death of Kings" by Bernard Cornwell.  Not deep reading and a bit "boy's own action" but still enjoyable to pick up and put down.

These are all set in the time of Alfred the Great and the wars between the invading Danes and the Saxons.  They keep pretty much to historical fact with a far dob of fantasy to make the story interesting.  But now that I am finished I can see that these events also had an effect on George Martin and his "Game of Thrones" series.  The times,  the events, the kingdoms, all seem to hang on that same framework as the times of Alfred the Great.   (Even the sighting of dragons flying over Northumbria. AD 793)   Once you get back to these times there isn't a lot of written evidence. The "Anglo-Saxon Chronicles" seem to be the source that most writers refer to.  It was an official record written by the church so is pretty heavy on bias.  Still, a good read.

New Book- book7 Tombland

I bought this book for a number of reasons. 

1. I have read the 6 previous novels in this series and loved them.
2. I have a Doctor's appointment today and I wanted to take my mind off what might happen.
3. I have a deep interest in History.

It didn't disappoint. I loved the book but I think you would have to have an interest in this period of history to appreciate it.  I also loved the historical essay at the end on the book.  That has given me a lot of leads to do more research.  But as for taking my mind off the appointment, that didn't work.  I got so taken in by the story that I sat up until dawn reading until it was finished. 

The appointment is today and I have no book to read!

New Book - Bowl Me Over by Debbie Busby

I am always on the look out for different ways to teach children embroidery.  This book is an inspiration on how to use stitching and words.

I'm sure there are lots of adult stitchers who would like it as well and it could be an endless source of ideas for small Xmas presents just using your scaps.

Non of the designs are difficult and you could sew everyone by hand and forget about the sewing machine altogether.

These little pincushions use stitching and a white gel pen to gain that washed out look.  I think that you could also get the same result painting the inside of that lettering with bleach.  I will have to give that a trial.

I also see there is a notice to teachers that the publisher encourages teachers to use the book for teaching purposes,  (within it's guidelines.)  I have bought an E Book Version.  The hardback hasn't hit the stores as yet.

One of those Ebooks

I was saying in my last post that I had bought an Ebook of patchwork patterns.  Well this was it.

I haven't got around to sewing any just yet, but I will because there are some great patterns in there.

The cost of the hands on book was ;

The eBook was only $8.00 and it only takes up space on the computer not on the book shelf!!

BARGAIN!!!

The book has arrived.

The Ultimate Kogin Collection by Sue Briscoe.

Available from the Book Depository.

This book has everything in it I would put into a book about Kogin.  In fact I had been working on something like this so I know how good it is.  Her sources are the same ones I would have used,

with some added extras when it comes to suitable fabrics and threads. 

I was interested to read that it has been difficult to source fabric and threads in Japan as well as outside of it and the list of fabrics has given me some other alternatives.

The methods of stitching are Japanese.  (The western techniques are different and require just a little adjustment.)

The charts are clear and concise and have addressed the issue of reading where the thread goes by showing the woven threads.  (Other commercial patterns block out square like a cross stitch pattern making them hard to read for someone who hasn't used this technique before.)

There are no other books on this technique in English so it is a wonderful addition.

It is back to the drawing board for my book.  But remember that the full 700 Hishizashi even count patterns are free to download on this blog along with a number of free projects.

Thinking about Xmas

I was serious about that "thinking about Xmas" quote.  I really do need to start on some simple projects that I can use as Xmas gifts.  I normally stitch something for my ex teaching colleagues and I don't want to repeat anything that I have already done. 

Then I remembered that Mary Corbet had an eBook of small projects so I hopped over to have a look at that.

Besides being quite charming there are a few finishing ideas here that I haven't used before.  These will make great little projects for stitching at the Guild.  Easy to carry and stitch and I can always change the image selected to stitch.  So I bought the book, downloaded it onto my computer and have printed out the first project to start this week.

Waiting

I am waiting, not too patiently, for the arrival of my new book by Sue Briscoe.

(Image source: Book Depository)

There was reference and one project in her original book (2005)  on Sashiko Emboidery to Kogin Embroidery, but this was omitted in the later editions.

(Image source: Book Depository)

So I am keeping my eye out for the mail person to call.  Please Hurry!!