Great Scott! I’m not usually one to go around exclaiming “Great Scott!” but I feel like the occasion warrants it. I did it, my friends! I finished all the interior illustrations for my third book, and though I still have to wrap up the cover, for all intents and purposes, I’m done with the hardest part. I’m not supposed to talk much about it right now, but wow, it feels great to cross that off of my list. As you may have noticed, I put everything else on hold to get the illustrations done in time — yesterday was my deadline and at about 8:30pm, I did a little celebratory jig of completion.
So I am going to have a restorative weekend, and in the meantime, I wanted to do a little giveaway. The book you see above is not the one I just completed, but one that I translated from Japanese many months ago.
It’s a beginner-friendly quilting book, focused on totes, bags, purses and pouches called Patchwork Quilted Bags by Reiko Washizawa, published by the lovely Tuttle folks.
I’m not much of a quilter myself, so this was a very educational project for me. I’m discovering how much I love learning through translating. It uses a very different part of my brain and in some ways, I seem to absorb information better by trying to figure out how to convert the words from Japanese to English.
This book was text-heavier than the other ones I’ve worked on, and I really enjoyed learning more about the author and her career trajectory. Although she discovered quilting in her late twenties, she didn’t truly launch her career until her late thirties, and she’s still going strong in her seventies. Very, very inspiring. She even taught her husband how to quilt! These are her favorite quilts that she’s created to date:
The book contains adorable, small-scale projects that are very accessible while incorporating traditional quilting methods in refreshing ways. These were the ones that immediately caught my attention, but there are about 20 projects total to tackle (I’m especially smitten with the strawberry pouches):
I have an extra copy for one lucky reader, and to enter the giveaway, please leave any comment. If you’re stumped for what to write and are a quilter, perhaps you could recommend a blog or website or even a book with quilting resources, techniques or inspiration?
I’ll leave the giveaway open until next Friday, September 23rd, and will announce the winner the following Monday. International entries are always welcome, of course!
OK! Time to catch up on some housework, return some emails, pay attention to my family and friends…then it’s back to deadline mode because guess what? I’m translating another book. This one’s a good one too!
This is an adorable book. Very inspiring. I would love to have it! My favorite quilting site is Jen at In Color Order. i am glad you are getting your deadlines over with–such a good feeling.
The mini yo-yo pouch is adorable! My WIP is a spiral periodic table quilt because I love chemistry and sewing! My favorite site for fabrics is Pink Chalk. Thanks for the chance to win this lovely book!
Love the strawberry pouch! Kaffe Fassett books are all inspirational, especially Quilts in Sweden. I’m a little afraid of color, but he makes me see the beauty of exuberant color.
That book looks like a lot of fun. I love the purse on the front!! I’m quite a novice quilter myself, so I’m not sure I can recommend many quilting resources, though I did learn a lot by working my way through one of the free Craftsy block-of-the-month classes, so I can recommend that.
Beautiful! I love the videos on “mygirlfriendsquiltshoppe.com” for simple projects. Favorite blog is Cluck cluck sew – hands down.
What a brilliant project! My Aunty was born and raised in Japan before meeting my Uncle in Australia – and I am very lucky because they sometimes send me Japanese quilting or sewing books from their hometown near Tokyo! (And usually I can muddle through with diagrams but it’s handy knowing translation is only a Skype call away!) This is a quilt pattern I have been using to make my first big quilt – http://averyfinehouse09.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/french-market-medallion.html?m=1 it’s by a lovely Australian designer 🙂
I love this book! I keep trying to quilt, but I think my projects are always too large in scale. Something like the projects in this book looks like the perfect way to get quilting fast.
I love the strawberry pouches too. They look really cute. I wish I could win this book. Thank you for the chance. I would recommend the blog pinkpenguin by ayumills. Her quilting creations are very pretty. 🙂
I would really love this book! I just started quolting and need some new ideas .)
What a lovely book – those strawberry patches are superb! I’d love to enter 🙂
How fun to come here for my first visit and get to enter for a chance to win such an adorable book. I came here to say hello. It doesn’t seem like the first visit though, as I feel I know you already because I just finished reading your “Sewing Happiness” book. I loved it. I understand you. How wonderful to learn you are wrapping up your 3rd book! Hugs to you!
I recommend MySewingHaven. A Toronto sewer/quilter who has great color sense. I am making denim aprons from your book. The fabric is from my mother’s faded denim jumpers and skirts from the ’80’s and ’90’s. She is 92. Sentimental stuff for family. Thanks.
I’m such a fan of yo-yos. I’d love to get a close-up look at those pouches.
What a lovely book! My sister use to live in Japan and she would always find sewing books for me. I just love the way they put them together. I always wished for a translated version though! Congrats on finishing your third book! What an a accomplishment!
Congrats on the book finish! I am more of a wanna be quilter than an actual quilter. A small scale project is probably more realistic for my life right now than a full size quilt!
Never a dull moment in your life, Sanae – from one translation project to another, with illustrating and writing your own book thrown in for good measure:) Just wanted to congratulate you on completing, for the most part, the illustrations of your latest book. I’m sure the feeling of accomplishment feels so liberating, and I hope you had the wonderfully restorative weekend you hoped for. Oh, to have seen that celebratory jig!:)
That looks like an excellent book to win. I love your book as well. It got me into sewing again after 10 years.
Love the strawberry pouches – Just. Too. Cute. ?? After years of a quilting hiatus, while lying in bed with the flu for a week, I stumbled on the Missouri Star Quilting Co site – https://www.missouriquiltco.com/ A new tutorial video every Friday. It renewed my interest in quilting, and provided technique refreshment – particularly in some of their early videos where they actually demonstrate each step of block construction.
I would really like this book! One book I think you’d like is Tula Pink’s City Sampler. I made all 100 blocks and refer back to it often to make some of my favorites from the book. It’s a beautiful book with great picture tutorials. It’s my favorite!