You, my dear friends, are getting the benefit of all this cleaning/purging/mending/organizing craziness that’s going on around here. I’ve been sorting through my props pile, and came across some lovely Sashiko related items and since I have duplicates of nearly everything, I wanted to offer them up as a giveaway.
The image above is an outtake from my upcoming book, Sewing Happiness. I have a Sashiko section that I included, and though this particular image didn’t make the cut, I like it a lot. The confection you see up there is a sakura mochi — a sweet treat made out of pink sticky rice filled with red bean paste, wrapped in a pickled cherry blossom leaf. I realize it doesn’t sound sweet from that description, but it is. Very sweet. So yummy. With the explosion of cherry blossoms happening in Seattle right now, it seems like an appropriate image to include.
Also, because I didn’t want to take any of the items out of the wrapping, the image of the actual giveaway items leave something to be desired and I wanted something prettier headlining the post. But the items themselves are awesome.
We have:
An Olympus indigo cotton with Sashiko markings for the Juuji-Tsunagi pattern
Interested? I hope so!
As for the giveaway question…well, feel free to leave any comment, but right now I’m in planning mode for marketing and have craft books on my mind so I’m curious to know which craft books are your favorites? I’ll leave the giveaway open until this Sunday, March 6th and will announce the winner on Monday! Open for international entries as always — good luck!
Oh, I just love the look of Sashiko!
My favorite craft books, the ones that I seem to turn to for inspiration and to make a few well-loved favorite items are: Denyse Schmidt Quilts, Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin, and my collection of japanese sewing books– I have never made anything from any of them (still intimidated by the language barrier!) but I love to page through them.
I actually do not own even 1 craft book! There are many on my wish list on Amazon but I can never decide which one to buy first. ? (All of them are sewing related).
oo, lovely! My fav craft book is Oliver and S Little Things to Sew, I’ve used it for so many things!
Oooh exciting! I really love Alicia Paulson’s books. Handknit Gifts was also one of the first beautiful craft books I ever owned. I wanted to crawl into that world.
Very nice giveaway! Right now my favorite book – though not on all around crafts, just stitching, is Slow Stitch by Claire Wellesley-Smith. So thoughtful and inspiring!!
I would love to give Sashiko a try. Though I own several Japanese craft books my favorites are two with “Dear, Sweet Home” in the title. I guess they would be considered part craft, part lifestyle. Thank you for the giveaway!
Hello from Berlin!! I don’t have any craft books, but I am on Pinterest on a regular basis to get my fix on inspiration. Also I love your blog, your taste is just so nice, clean and fresh!!
Thanks for the giveaway..
Great giveaway! I love craft books! I have a lot of sewing books. But my favorite kind of book has beautiful photography (another interest I have). I love hand stitching but don’t have any books on it although I am looking for some.
How lovely! My current favourite craft book is Hexagogo by Tacha Bruecher (I’m making the Union Jack quilt). I also really like the Sublime knitting books (the square white ones) as they have such wearable patterns.
I recently got the Merchant & Mills Workbook – I’m so drawn to their aesthetic – but any projects will have to keep til after the frenzy of my cross-country move.
Oooh, I would love to try sashiko! As to craft books – for sewing I love the Lotta Jansdotter book for inspiration and the first Stylish Dress Book (Dress E being a favourite); for knitting i have Swoon Maine, and Home and Away. I haven’t gotten into knitting anything from them yet but they will be my go to for knitting sweaters!
Thanks for the offer.
I think my daughter would love sashiko… so that would be a fun set to get 🙂 I have to say that the Crafty Chloe kids books are really fun. I just love checking out different books on sewing/crafting from the library so I’m not sure which is a favorite.
I’ve been wanting to learn Sashiko. I also enjoy the Stylish Dress Book and both of Amanda Blake Soule’s books.
I’ve been trying to get around sashiko! Favorite books… it’s hard to choose, but Oliver and S Little Things to Sew; Simple Sewing from Lotta Jansdotter and She wears the pants are some amongst them… Thank you for the giveaway!
I’d love to enter! The red bean paste mochi sounds really tasty! Unfortunately I can’t recommend any new craft books though, I’m in the middle of writing an essay for my degree and haven’t read anything leisurely for months!
How very cool to see you in motion and audible in your Furoku video! Keep it up, I love each month, and I’m salivating for your book. 🙂
I am absolutely in love with Printing by Hand and just recently acquired The Craft Companion that is probably the most stunning and in depth craft book I’ve ever seen. I’m including a link to purchase, because it’s just that stunning and I think everyone should purchase it.
http://www.handmadelife.com.au/pre-order-craft-companion/
Nice giveaway! I’ve never tried sashiko before but it looks really beautiful? My favourite craft books are sewing craft books, closely followed by interior books that include diy instructions and knitting craft books. My favourite sewing craft books are the first Coletterie book, the 2 first Gertie books, the “Design it yourself clothes: pattern making simplified”. I also really like the ” Alabama sewing” books ?
Very pretty! I don’t find myself using craft books as much since Pinterest was invented.
I feel so much as a “technical” sewist since I never properly learned to sew by hand! But sashiko is so beautiful I really want to try it! And for craft books i’d love something about embroidering by machine, there’s just so many stitches to try a book about it would be awesome! With your gorgeous styling of course!
What a lovely giveaway! My favorite craft books are sewing ones, specifically I’m working through Noodlehead/Anna Graham’s ‘Handmade Style’. I also love zakka style books 🙂
OOooh pretty!! I’m usually not into embroidery but I always wanted to try sashiko. I had no idea they were sold in kits. I think it could be a great project while traveling.
I used to buy ALL the sewing books, seriously, all of them. But after several moves and Konmari-ing all the things I tried to keep only the ones that I actually refer too or the ones that I find exceptionnally pretty. I like technique intensive books with a very clean presentation (the current Laurence King publications like Draping, Sewing for Fashion Designers, etc. match that pretty well). Also I cannot let go of any Japanese pattern book, I find them to pretty!!
Hello lovely Delphine! The Sashiko items actually don’t come as a kit, but I put together one out of the supplies I have — but now you’ve given me an idea!! Thank you 🙂
I’m in love with Linen, Wool, Cotton Kids at the moment. I scored some delicious linen at a great price, so have already made a beautiful dress and blouse for my daughter, although it will be years before she’s a size 4! It’s just so inspiring I couldn’t wait!
I love Alicia Paulsons books. The instructions and photos in her books are great! Thanks for the giveaway!
My first craft book love went to waldorf style toy books. Then I used to be a lover of Japanese kids sewing books. But now my daughter is out of all the cute ones (she’s a bit over 140 cm) and while I have kept my favorites, I rarely turn to them. Instead, I spend a great deal of time contemplating Alabama Chanin books. I took the first three from the library so many times! Now I have two of my own and I still love looking at them. It is curious that the style compels me because I actually almost never wear embellished clothes, not even a t-shirt with a picture of words, only plain. I have hand sewn a couple of simple solid colored AC garments and loved it.
I love my craft books to have beautiful pictures. I recently enjoyed The Modern Natural Dyer for exactly the pretty picture reason, although it lacked in some nitty gritty details. So I’m searching for a more thorough dying book that includes more specific plant examples( when best to harvest, which parts to use, etc…).
I’m looking forward to your book!
Great giveaway! My favorite craft book is The Art of Gift Wrapping by Wanda Wen. I love wrapping gifts and she has a wonderful natural aesthetic that incorporates found objects/materials. Thanks for sharing your goodies w/ us!
I think that my favourite craft books are probably the Japanese sewing books that I keep hoarding. They’re so pretty! I love the typically Japanese minimalist aesthetic in all things, and I love sewing—so Japanese sewing books are just the best! (:
My favorite craft book is Paper to Petal! The instructions are fairly clear and modifications are easy to make. There is so much room for customization!
I have been wanting to try sashiko. Although I don’t own any, I love the many Japanese embroidery books I see on Pinterest. I love just about any embroidery book! Thank you for sharing the results of your decluttering.
Mochi is so yummy! I think my favorite craft books are the 1 yard wonder books. Being made from one yard, the projects can usually be made from my stash and thus satisfy that “need to make something right now” itch!
Oh, another book sneak preview! Keep ’em coming!:) Late April can’t come soon enough (though neither do I want to wish away my days . . . ). Craft books . . . I love them so much! The past few I’ve purchased I have all loved. I have tried to be a little more discretionary in my purchases as the book shelf was running out of room and I”m trying to get over the “need to have” syndrome. That being said, I will certainly be making room for yours:) Four that I find myself re-reading since purchasing are Lotta Jansdotter’s Everyday Style, Anna Graham’s Handmade Style, Anna Joyce’s Stamp Stencil Paint, and Krista Fleckenstein’s Beyond Cotton. Can’t go wrong with any one of them!
I’m retired & now have the time!!!! I have the hope that I can conquer sashiko because it’s just running stitches right? (she says hopefully). Though I’ve dabbled in a lot of crafts ( there’s still the 20 yr old Mr & Mrs Santa needlepoint ornaments stuck in the drawer), I’m the master of none. My last effort was Hawaiian lei weaving—beautiful but the next day I had seriously painful wrists. My current “inspiration” book is FABRIC PICTURES by Janet Bolton. Already, I realize these pared down pictures are the work of a skilled artist but nonetheless wonderful to contemplate by a beginner like me!
I love all the Alabama Chanin books, and the Palmer Pletsch sewing books.
I don’t have a favorite craft book since there is so much information on the internet these days. But I have two reference books that are useful for sewing and knitting/crocheting questions: Practical Sewing by Ann Ladbury and Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework.
My fav craft books are those that are beautifully photographed and inspirational. I mostly get back to my pdf sewing patterns for the actual sewing, but the professional photos are always a pleasure to look at…
My favourite book I always turn to is Simple Modern Sewing by Shufu To Seikatsu Sha. I love the beautiful simplicity of each design and have made quite a few garments from it so far. I am attempting to master the art of circular knitting so the Circular knitting Workshop book by Margaret Radcliffe is a gem. I also love imple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter. I could go on, craft books are my weakness, I love them so much!!
What a great bunch of things for a giveaway! My SVE partner has inspired me with her sashiko, so my sewing resolution for 2016 is to give it a try. I guess that means I should be hunting out some sashiko books, but my favourite craft books are my Japanese sewing books 🙂
I have just gotten back in to sashiko again! Looking forward to your new book.
My favorite craft books seem to be the stc ones. I love the A. Chanin books, Made by Hand and the new Lotta Jansdottir. I think it’s the photography.
I fell in love with Sock Knitting: The Master Class by Ann Budd. I’ve really gotten into sock knitting the past year and a half, and this book opened my eyes to many new techniques. It has gotten me out of my comfort zone and inspired me to knit some really cool socks.
Thank you for the generous give-away. My favorite craft book is also Little Things to Sew by Oliver & S. I always flip through it for baby shower or toddler presents. The toddler backpack from that book is so adorable when wore that I must have made a dozen by now for every toddler I know.
I have wanted to try sashiko for some time now so would love to win! My favorite craft books are ones that are filled with things to actually make and don’t contain chapters about basic sewing techniques etc. There is so much info on the Internet about different techniques I want to instructions on specific projects only.
I got a sashiko kit at the Fancy Tiger Craft birthday party last year and it was so much fun! I turned the two squares into coasters. I enjoy Amanda Blake Soule’s books, Alabama Chanin’s as well. And a few quilt books. I am looking forward to Amy Gibson’s quilt block book coming out – I have learned a lot from her. I have books about dying fabric and knitting. I need to read less and make more. ?
I would love to have a try at sashiko, it looks beautiful. I have loads of craft books but always forget to look at the, when I’m looking for a pattern and almost always find them online! I love flicking through them now again though ?
I would love to give shashiko a go. I love Japanese sewing books, especially when sewing for my little girl.
I have recently discovered Alabama Chanin and finally took the plunge of getting one of the sewing manuals they publish. The basic running stitch has echoes in so many traditional embroideries of the East, Sashiko and Kantha techniques come to mind. I have plans for making a set of Sashiko inspired cushions some day.
The Homemade Home is my favorite. I think you’d like it. Lots of white and lovely styling 😉
I have two quilting books that I turn to for inspiration: A Fine Line by Melody Crust and Heather Waldron Tewell. The second is The Painted Quilt by Linda and Laura Kemshall. Thanks for your great blog, which is also inspiring!
I had to look up what Sashiko is. It’s beautiful!
Well, my favourite craft book… That’s a hard one. Not sure if sewing books qualify, but anyway, my favourite sewing books are Power Sewing and More Power Sewing by Sandra Betzina. I stumbled upon them at a sewing fair with my Mum. They were a revelation. I knew there was so much more to know about sewing than what patterns told me. And that’s when patterns were better than they are now. I love those books!
Am looking forward to reading all the comments and finding out about others’ favourites.
Lately I have been loving Printing By Hand by Lena Corwin and Artfully Embroidered by Naoko Shimoda, Both have such neat projects. This giveaway looks like a lot of fun, I am a huge fan of navy and indigo shades, Sashiko is so beautiful!
My favorite craft projects feature simple things to sew. If I have to trace a million pattern pieces, I am unlikely to ever sew the project. Simple kids clothes or accessories. Simple gifts. Simple crochet projects. There’s definitely a pattern.
Wow, I’ve always wanted to try sashiko but could never get around to collecting all the bits and pieces to start! I just recently started tatting so I’m currently pretty interested in tatting books. There are some lovely Japanese ones!
I have lots of craft books that I love! I LOVE all my Japanese books. Sometimes I just thumb through them just to see the sweet photographs. I also love Jotta Jansdottir”s book
I learn so much from your blog. I have never heard of this type of needlework before–looks elegant. Would make cute bodices for the clothes I make. Would you like my copy of I Am Cute? They look like patterns that you might like. Interesting necklines, etc. I do not really sew for myself. Have a great day!!