Amazon.com
As a highly skilled fiber artist raised and trained in Japan but residing in the United States for the past decade and a half, Kumiko Sudo brings an interesting combination of Eastern and Western sensibilities to her work. She draws on the ancient Japanese motif of the kamon, or family crest, utilizing these varied designs as the basis for a collection of one-of-a-kind quilts. Yet she fashions them out of materials that, though they have a very Japanese flavor, are actually contemporary American fabrics (and therefore easily approximated by modern stitchers). She provides color photos, setting diagrams, brief basic instructions, and full templates for 30 gorgeous quilt blocks. Quilters seeking a vibrant new take on the traditional Western quilt block should enjoy making these lovely designs. --Amy Handy
Book Description
Presents 30 extraordinary quilt designs derived from crests dating back to more than a thousand years. Centuries-old designs are combined with new, rich color choices and contemporary fabrics for an effect never seen in quiltmaking. Each block is accompanied by the story behind the design and step-by-step instructions.
Customer Reviews:
Perfection!.......2006-05-18
This book is full of beautiful ideas. Most of the projects are small so the "fear of applique" is tempered by the fact that you can make one crest, frame it with beautiful fabric borders and you have a terrific piece of art without having to commit to a huge applique project. But the journey is well worth it - everything I've made with Ms. Sudo's inspirational direction has turned out perfectly. I'm anxious to get started on more!
Circles Of The East.......2005-09-03
This is a great quilt book with wonderful pictures and great instructions..it arrived in plenty of time and in good shape
Wonderful!.......2003-07-17
I saw this book at a quilt store a couple months ago, and IMMEDIATELY fell in love with it. I'm not a big quilter (I also cross-stitch) but I like applique and now I'm doing a queen size one with fifteen of the patterns in this book! It's great!
This book wakes up the artist within........1998-06-25
To say that Kumiko Sudo's Circles of the East is inspirational is an understatement. It is a beautiful book to read, even if you never make one quilt block from it's pages. The whole history of Japanese Crest designs is entertaining enough, but the fact that I could actually replicate Kumiko's art is incredible. I made the Gingko design using my machine with great results although all Kumiko's work is done by hand. Her templates are exact, but she does not include full size placement diagrams. I dreaded getting to the placement part of sewing my block, but it was way easier than I thought...The most interesting aspect of her work to me is her seemingly complete disregard of grainline and total obsession with placement of fabric motifs...it gives her blocks stunning symmetry that I haven't seen anywhere else...really exotic!
The most beautiful & inspiring quilt book I have ever seen........1998-03-20
I accidentally found this book in a quilt shop. I could hardly wait to get started. The photos are awesome, the workmanship is unparalleled and the use of fabrics is inspirational. The book is well written and the instructions are clear.
There are no instructions for Kumiko's method of binding these quilts.
Book Description
Combines the traditional arts of origami, sashiko, and flower arranging to achieve dazzling, three-dimensional effects never seen before in quilting. These quilt blocks capture the beauty of the morning glory, camelia, dogwood, and two dozen other flowers. Flowers can easily be combined into a stunning quilt, or simply serve as an inspiration for quilters who want to create beautiful flowers of their own. Includes step-by-step instructions for 30 quilt blocks and assembly instructions and templates for six full quilts.
Customer Reviews:
lyrical, elegant and inspiring.........2005-05-14
From the lyrical title "Fabled Flowers" to the elegant designs displayed, Kumiko Sudo has demonstrated artistry and exquisite taste.
Combining techniques first used for paper origami the author/artist employs every trick using cloth & stitching to create divine quilt patches which are enhanced with the Japanese quilting technique known as Sashiko.
Sashiko quilting began as a means of reinforcing work wear, and also stitching layers of padding for the cloth armor of the Samurai. It evolved into an intricate and breathtaking art of fabric enhancement and is employed herein for detailing on the small squares constructed by Kumiko for this book.
30 quilt blocks are featured, in gorgeous colour and detail deliciously folded fabric in different flower folds from complicated Hydrangea to glorious Pomegranate and sweet Morning Glory. I lament only the lack of Peonies, as a personal favorite.
The guides for folding the origami effect flowers are realtively simple and easy to follow, while the detailing on the Sashiko quilting is heavenly inspiration!
All necessary templates are included at end of book as well as clear instructions for assembly.
These quilt patterns are much more applique than patchwork although some is included in the design - a little bit of everything for everyone.
Great inspirational book and definately worth the price.
As a extra snippet, a cute fable is included with every flower.
kotori May'2005
Fabulous Flowers.......2004-10-24
Another excellent book from Kumiko. Clear, precise directions and diagrams. The coloured pictures are worth buying the book for.
Best of Kumiko Sudo's books!.......2001-07-16
In this book, Kumiko has included the most fantastic flowers for applique based on origami, unique designs, and sushiko quilting designs. There is enough variety for even beginners, and several designs that are advanced or intermediate too. Her fabric choices are very artistic. With each design, Kumiko also includes her inspiration for the piece in the form of poetry or a story. This helps one to really feel a part of the design. There is room for much creativity. One can make a single square or a small quilt, or even full size if desired.
Inspiring, creative, lyrical, harmony through fabric art.......1999-04-21
The life-experience fables that accompany the creative expression of this fabric/quilt artist add to the wonderful texture of the final product. This book opens up new dimensions and levels of creativity using fabric as a vehicle and providing a serene pleasue for even the casual quilter. The directions are easy to understand. The patterns are complete. The process is great fun.
Applique with a unique look!.......1998-08-05
I love this book. I wanted to do something floral, I did want to do some applique, but didn't want to do a Baltimore album style quilt. This was the answer. It's beautiful, less work than regular applique, and very unique and visually interesing. I'm working on the hydrangea block.
The blocks are big (mine is 17 inches) and 3 dimentional. Some of the folded shapes are tacked down.
Book Description
Modern Japanese quilting blends Eastern and Western techniques to create quilts of extraordinary style and beauty. Using designs borrowed from a rich decorative arts heritage, and often incorporating traditional kimono fabrics, Japanese quilters have developed a distinctive style based on
unusual motifs and striking color combinations. With Japanese Quilted Blocks to Mix and Match, any quilter can create exquisite and unique works of patchwork art in the Japanese tradition.
The book presents more than 125 different block patterns, each with complete instructions and a color photograph, representing a variety of pattern sources: kamon (family crests), Hakone yosegire (parquetry) and traditional textiles, such as kasuri weave. Each 9-inch block includes a full cutting
guide and fabric palette; suggestions for use, either mixing and matching or adapting to an all-over design; and icons indicating techniques and skill level. The blocks on each spread are related in design and technique.
In addition to the Block Directory, Japanese Quilted Blocks to Mix and Match features an Inspiration Gallery, showcasing examples of finished quilts from leading quilters. Using these examples, author Susan Briscoe explores such topics as color ideas from traditional Japanese textiles and quilts,
motifs, and recommendations for combining fabric patterns and block designs. An extensive section on technique, as well as several pages about the fabrics themselves and a listing of suppliers and organizations make this volume as practical and informative as it is beautiful.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Best Books.......2007-09-13
Susan Briscoe's Japanese Quilt Blocks book must be one of the top ten quilt design books ever. I had been searching for a long time for a way to make simple elegant 9-inch patches that are not the same old traditional American items.
Briscoe's book has so inspired me on to creating little 9-inch patches that I simply cannot wait to sit at my work table each day to play with further fabric combinations and designs. The extraordinary way she has combined her patches into quilts give me great pleasure and encourage me to do the same. The directions and color photos in the book are excellent. And the rating of each of the 122 designs by difficulty helps, too.
I treasure this book.
Also, it is the first quilting book I have felt inspired to buy in 20 years!
Awesome Book........2007-08-04
This book will get your imaginative juices running. A very detailed book and so easy to design from.Great colour images and templates to use.
A must for any quilter who wants to explore their own skills.
Great Book ! Well Organized & Beautifully Presented.......2007-07-10
I just received this book and I'm really impressed with it! The blocks are beautiful and well presented. Some of the piecing procedures can be done a little easier than is shown, but basically this book is a real find! I love Japanese motifs and have done a bit of sashiko so this book is a real inspriation for me!
Gorgeous book.......2007-05-25
Susan Briscoe has produced a gorgeous book, full of unique designs and patterns. Many of the patterns are simple; others, especially the appliques, a complex. The photos are beautiful and show how Japanese fabrics can be utilized in striking ways. In addition, Briscoe offers plenty of tips on color, block construction, design, piecing, sashiko stitching, etc. If you have any Japanese fabrics in your stash (or even if you don't), you'll enjoy this book.
Japanese blocks to make are..........2007-04-11
The book,Japanese Quilt Blocks to Mix and Match, is beautifull illustrated.The instructions are clear and instructive. The applique patterns are truely unique, ranging from easy to more advanced.There are also pieced patterns and Sashiko patterns.The book gives instruction in Sashiko.I rated this book 4 stars. It lost a point because all of the applique patterns have to be enlarged 200%. Since my preference leans toward applique ,I find it frustration to have to wait untill I can get to Staples to have the patterns enlarged. That aside,this hard covered,color- illustrated book is a must if you have or want to have a keen interest in quilting Japanese blocks.
Book Description
Classical elegance. Loose-fitting comfort. Versatility. Functional design. These are just some of the reasons why traditional Japanese clothes have captured the imagination of modern fashion designers and stylish dressers around the world.
Making Japanese clothes is surprisingly simple. Patterns consist of virtually all straight lines, and the non-body-conforming shapes require no darts, buttonholes, or zippers.
Here, in this creative sourcebook, is all the information you need to sew authentic Japanese clothes or to design your own Japan-inspired fashions:
o Step-by-step instructions for making 14 select traditional garments, from the luxurious wedding rove and the classic kimono to the informal hanten jacket and practical field pants
o Detailed patterns that can be adjusted to fit any size
o An introduction to the basic building blocks-sleeve shapes, collars, hems, linings, and padding-so creative sewers can design their own fashions
o Over 40 sketches with many more suggestions for modern variations on the classic garments
o A choice of authentic Japanese techniques or simplified methods that achieve the same look
o How to use any width fabric, whether narrow Japanese fabric or standard Western widths
o Sources of Japanese fabric and sewing accessories
o Care and storage guidelines
o Fabric suggestions, ideas for creative wear, historical information, and much more!
Customer Reviews:
hard to find information in a usable format.......2007-09-27
The author clearly is a scholar and brings his special knowledge to this interesting and rare book. I especially liked the illustrations that drew on ukiyo e woodblock traditions. I passed it on to a friend who has the skills to utilize the information.
Very helpful!.......2007-08-07
I bought this book, as well as "The Book of Kimono," to learn about kimonos and how to make one for a Halloween costume. He gives you all the information you need to make one and it's accessories, but there is a lot of measuring, as well as cutting and sewing. Since following his book would take a lot of time, I plan on using the information to modify a commercial pattern (Simplicity pattern 5839) to make it more authentic. For example, embroidering a "family crest" on the back as a good luck symbol. (Mine will be an origami crane since I folded a thousand of them as a wedding gift once.) I will also be following his instructions for the obi and how to tie it since the pattern's isn't quite authentic enough. Overall, I learned a lot and am very pleased with the book.
A very useful book!.......2007-05-26
I read other's comments about this book,I suppose mine will perhaps make someone else buy it,and maybe be annoyed with me if they wish they paid attention to the "nay" reveiws...
No, the book has no patterns.
You have to pay attention to the fact that fabric comes in standard widths.The diagrams,are exactly all that a person needs....it so simple,really.This book shows you approximate yardage lengths,and where to fold those lengths, and what straight lines go where in making a robe, trousers, whatever.
I found it a great book,when I looked at the diagrams, it was a bit like the most basic geometry,made even easier by the "Ah-haas,that the diagrams seemed to do for me.
If I were an instructor in fiber arts and wearable artmaking, I would strongly recommend this book to any student who wanted the most basic and straightforeward information in simple garment construction.
Don't let the cover fool you!.......2007-05-13
Yeah, the cover is funky, and there are a few "huh?" photos in the middle, but this really is a serious book about making kimono. As mentioned by someone else, there is almost no direct information about wearing a kimono in this book, just making them. The only direct wearing information you get is how to tie a helper chord to pull the sleeves back when you are working, how to tuck the kimono hem up when you are traveling or working, and how to tie the men's basic obi.
An average or beginning sewer is going to be intimidated and overwhelmed by the detail of information in the book. As already mentioned, there are no patterns in the book per se, but that's because the Japanese have a set pattern that they work with. The book describes the pattern and has drawings to help you mark out your own. It talks about how to cut cloth from the traditional Japanese bolt, or how to work with the bolts of cloth that you might find in Europe or America which are a different width. If you are actually making a kimono, I suggest you read through the entire instructions, mark the parts you need, and before you so much as touch a needle and thread or scissors, read those parts *again* to make sure you have all the information in mind. It's easy to accidentally miss some rather important bit of information.
This book has information on making all of the parts of the kimono (though, I agree with a previous reviewer that some of the organization is ... interesting), including how to make obi and tabi (the socks). It does not show how to make hakama *HOWEVER* it does show how to make mompe - which are very similar to hakama, just shorter and gathered at knees or ankles instead of full length and full cuff.
There are several suggestions tucked in random locations about how to make more modern versions - how to add pockets to the mompe for instance - but you do sort of have to hunt for them and all of them are for making a new outfit, not updating an older one.
I mostly used this book for information on how to *repair* my kimono, and this book had all the information I needed. It showed me how to do the hand sewing (in an easier way than *I* was trying to do it), and how to do the special knots and double-backs needed for the kimono to lay properly and stay in place. The book made it so clear for me that once I matched up the styles in the book with my kimono, I redid all of the stitching on my kimono in less time than I had expected just the sectional repairs to take.
Making Japanese Clothes........2007-03-08
The book is well written and very complete in the detailing of Japanese clothes. The title is a bit misleading though. It implies that there are patterns in the book although this is not the case. There are instructions on how to create your own patterns. While this may not be too difficult for an experienced seamstress it may be a bit disconcerting for a beginner.
Book Description
A recognized classic of cultural anthropology, this book explores the political, religious, and economic life of Japan from the seventh century through the mid-twentieth, as well as personal family life.
Customer Reviews:
Guide to occupying forces.......2006-05-02
While I lived four years in Japan, I read many cultural books. Most authors referenced the work done by Ruth Benedict. It's my understanding that the military needed her ideas about the enemy to help win the war, and to effectively occupy Japan following WWII.
Japanese survivors from WWII have universally told me that American soldiers, following the war, were very kind, respectful, honorable, and helpful to the poor, defeated Japanese in their home country. They seemed genuinely interested in getting Japan back on its feet, and today's elderly Japanese feel a great respect and indebtedness towards those occupying forces from America.
American occupying policy was put together fairly quickly. Decisions were made, including whether and in what form the Emperorship should continue. A cornerstone for guiding these decisions was Ruth Benedict's book, "The Crysanthemum and the Sword."
Steps taken and structures put in place by America in post-war Japan were consistent, well-thought, and extraordinarily successful.
As Americans, we really needed a Ruth Benedict to analyze Iraq and inspire our leaders to put together an occupying strategy there that would acknowledge the strengths of Iraqui culture and re-shape them for success. Instead, we seem not to have a clear plan of who Iraq is or what to do with them.
How could we have done so well in the 40's and so poorly now?
Anyway, read Ruth Benedict's remarkable book and marvel at the skill of her analysis.
Explains the riddle of Japan.......2006-02-19
This classic of anthropology commissioned as a study by US military during WWII and completed after the war was over, is a remarkable study of Japanese ethos. Benedict had no direct access to the culture of Japan because of the war situation, so she uses historical, literary, anecdotal data to construct the ethos of Japan and explain why Japanese fight so hard and surrender without hatred, why they dislike anyone showing them a favour, and why they went to war till the emperor chose peace.
She bases the bulk of her analysis on the concepts of Japanese 'indebtedness' - giri and gimu. She states that Japanese do not follow a fixed catalog of common values nor do they have a fixed idea of character but have clear cut ideas about the hierarchy of duties based on the Japanese social structure.
These duties make life very hard for an average Japanese person, but they bear it, because clearing the debt is very important for a Japanese. And debt includes debt to one's name, which is cleared through revenge in the Samurai tradition.
Benedict's analysis correctly explains why the Japanese sought to conquer and rule other countries, why they fought so hard and bitterly, and yet accepted peace so easily.
It also explains much that happened after the book was written - the rise of Japanese industry, management and technology. Japan cleared the debt to its name (due to its loss in war) through commerce.
Her other insights are generally in harmony with other writers on Japan from management theorists explaining Japanese personnel culture to cultural theorists like Geert Hofstede, who rate Japan as the most masculine of all cultures.
Over-Idealized, spawning what later became myths.......2006-02-17
While this book covers many aspects of Japanese culture and behavior, making some of the seminal distinctions (e.g. shame v. guilt culture), it also adds up to a misleading picture in my opinion. Beautifully written, Benedict throws around abstractions and generalizations that I found added up to mythmaking, and ultimately popularised misleading notions about the honor, dignity, etc.
Perhaps I have a skewed view, having lived in Japan when many thought it permanently at the pinnacle of the capitalist world (how quaint does that seem today?), but I saw virtually none of the stuff that Benedict claims is the underlieing reality of life there. I would guess that, since she did not live in Japan and do her work on-site, it was inevitable that she constructed an ideal world and hence ignored the banalities and ugliness that I witnessed every day there. All the stuff about Samarai codes and delicate intimacies, in my opinion, are peripheral - to be sure, they can be found, but the everyday reality there is far darker, far bleaker, than this study implies.
As such, this book reflects about as much reality in Japan as Disney or the cartoon Rex Morgan would for the US. It obscures as much as it illuminates and a lot of people have wasted time trying to base their understanding on it rather than what their eyes told them. There is far less underneath than we would care to admit - perhaps, just perhaps, Japan is as ugly as it appears.
Seminal anthropological study on Japan and its people.......2005-08-15
Those reviewers saying that this book is outdated have obviously never "set foot in Japan" (as one reviewer criticizes the author). Even though I have dozens of friends who live and work in Japan while loving, laughing, crying and living with Japanese, there are still some things about Japanese behavior and society that utterly confuse us as a group. Many Japanese of today who participate in our discussions are also unable to satisfactorily explain their way of thinking to us.
To my surprise, several of these mysteries were explained in great detail here, in a book several decades old! As many students of sociology know, societal change takes time. While Japan's advancement has been remarkably fast, the motivations and analyses laid out in this book still apply to most Japanese today. At the very least, they form the bedrock of the convictions for the middle-aged Japanese of today who dictate political and social policy in the power circles of Japan.
This book is value not only because of how it showcases differences (this is done only for illustrative purposes) but for how it defines and contrasts the Japanese way with what we know, and in doing so allows us to understand them to a higher degree. Very highly recommended.
Briefing to American leadership during World War II.......2005-05-27
The Chrysanthemum and the Sword describes clearly and succinctly how the Japanese lived and thought in the 1930s and 1940s. The book developed from research into Japanese society conducted for the American leadership, civilian and military, during the Second World War.
Benedict describes social customs and traditions found in Japan at the outbreak of WWII. For instance, Japanese love bathing and the eldest male gets to go first and women having their period go last; everyone uses the same water but this is no worse than everyone sharing a pool because bathers wash >>before
<
< getting into the tub. Another tradition is that women usually control the family purse with the husbands handing over their wages to their wives and getting an allowance. This is still largely true today.
For over ten years I avoided this book because it was written by someone who had never been to Japan and also because I avoid books that "explain" the Japanese. So when I picked up a copy lying around at a coffee shop and began skimming, I was very surprised at how insightful it was. Benedict was unable to do her research in Japan because of the war, so she obtained all her material from interviews with Japanese POWs and also with second generations Japanese-Americans interned in American concentration camps.
It is still worth reading today. Things have changed in Japan, as they have everywhere else in the world, but her people are still basically the same.
Book Description
A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns is a fundamental learning tool for all students of the Japanese language, whether they be unblemished beginners or scarred veterans. With both types of struggling student, as well as for all the gradations that fall in between, there is a strong tendency, in the heat of battle, to lose sight of the essential nature of the Japanese sentence. It is for just such people that this dictionary has been created, to help them keep their eyes fixed firmly on the target and not be led astray. The dictionary contains fifty of the most fundamental Japanese sentence patterns as well as sixty-nine variations. This number covers all the patterns that are needed for levels 3 and 4 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Each pattern and variation is clearly defined by a formula given in Japanese, romanization, and English. Each is exemplified by sample sentences (both in single sentences and in dialogues), and each is represented in both polite and informal usage. By means of this approach, the essential nature of the Japanese sentence is clarified, and once that has been done, the many patterns and variations fall easily into place. The simple, undisguised truth is that there are only three types of sentence in Japanese, and all of the convolutions and complications that distract and bemuse the student are nothing more than modifications of these three fundamental types. The study of the Japanese sentence need not be as difficult as it is seems. A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns may be used as a reference book to look up individual patterns for the purpose of learning, confirming, or reapproaching them, or it may be used as a textbook to be read from beginning to end, providing an overview of the Japanese sentence while buttressing the student's grasp of individual patterns.
Customer Reviews:
A good reference.......2006-12-17
Since a search that brought up this book probably also brought up Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication: A Self-Study Course and Reference (same publisher) and at first glance one might be tempted to just buy whichever is cheapest at the time. It's worth noting that they are very different books.
A Dictionary... is indexed for a reader that encounters a strange construction. It is formatted in a way to facilitate looking-up strange new sentences. Japanese Sentence Patterns is indexed for someone that wants to say something in Japanese.
Thus, If you want to tell someone in Japanese that one thing would be better to do than another, Japanese Sentence Patterns will tell you how to say it. On the other hand, if you see or hear "Yukkuri tabeta hou ga kenkou ni ii yo." Then A dictionary... is better for figuring out what the person meant.
In all, both books are very much worth getting. Both serve completely different needs, they are definitely not duplicates of the same book. I gave a 3 star because I find the indexing system a bit unwieldy, not for lack of content.
Great book for beginners.......2005-03-11
This is a very good book for beginners, but you still have to sit down and practice the basics with it... it's very good.
Just not quite enough.......2004-09-13
A basic dictionary is right. This book can be used to help one deconstruct simple sentences, but any complex structures involving one or more patterns just isn't there. You won't be able to learn Japanese from this book, nor construct more realistic, complex sentences.
The book spends too much time with routine analysis of each sentence pattern and not enough really useful, complex examples that use one or more patterns together. Most of the examples for the polite speech are fairly routine and what one would expect in a text book. However the casual sentence patterns that are also provided give a more detailed look at real conversation. But these complex examples are few and far between, and sometimes quite complex to understand.
I also found the reference section of verbs and adjectives at the back lacking in detail. There were many verbs used in the book that just weren't there.
So, in all, I read it. It was okay. I wouldn't buy my own copy if I had borrowed it from someone else.
A solid reference book for beginning/intermediate students.......2004-09-06
This book is exactly what it says it is, "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns." Like all dictionaries, it is a reference book designed to supplement other methods of language learning, rather than being a text book on its own. After all, you don't learn English by reading the Dictionary!
As a reference book, it is excellent. It breaks down the Japanese language into 3 basic sentence patterns (Nominal, Adjectival, and Verbal), then shows possible variations. As it is a grammar reference, the book assumes that one is fluent in grammatical English as well, and that the readers know a participle from a predicate. Along with the basic patterns, the book demonstrates how formality/informality and men's/women's languages can influence the shape of a Japanese sentence. There are many example dialogs, showing the same conversation from a few viewpoints.
As with all decent Japanese texts, it uses Japanese kana, in this case complete kanji, when writing Japanese, then provides a romaji translation. I don't think that this is a good reference for learning new vocabulary, but a few words might be picked up here and there.
All in all, "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns" provides a good resource for what can be a confusing element of the Japanese language. Sometimes having something explained in a different manner can help it to click, and even when deciphering longer sentences, it is good to know that they will fit the variation of one of the three patterns.
Good as a side book.......2004-09-02
This was my first book to learn about the Japanese language, and I find this pretty good once I understand it's pattern. I had to re-read several times. And this is really just about learning sentence structures, not on learning vocabulary.
What I like about it is that it also includes the Japanese language and not just the English Romanji.
Book Description
Japanese-inspired textiles and fabrics are now more popular than ever, but their large-scale motifs can be challenging to use in quilts. Award-winning quiltmaker Kitty Pippen shares her expertise and enthusiasm for Japanese textiles with eight exquisite quilt designs and 40 glorious photos of quilts that showcase the beauty of these fine fabrics.
• Contains gorgeous patterns for quilters of all skill levels, from simple linked shapes and mosaics to Japanese octagonal designs and Crazy patchwork
• Get a comprehensive introduction to Japanese textiles, such as Indigo, Kasuri, Yukata, Shibori, and Aizome
• A special section on Sashiko quilting will add incredible richness to any pieced quilt
• Includes special adaptations for common quilting techniques, such as machine piecing, paper piecing, and appliqué
Customer Reviews:
VERY SATISFIED!.......2007-07-31
I was so happy to receive this NEW book at a great price. Vendor was timely in getting it out to me. I'd definitely buy from them again.
Love Asian design, get this one........2007-01-14
I have lost count of the books I have now. This book I have gone back and looked at many times. This book is presented very well.
Blue.......2007-01-10
As a collector of Japanese fabrics this book is a great inspiration. I originally learned of this book when Kitty Pippen appeared on H>V.
Quilting with Japanese .......2006-03-18
What a wonderful book lots of ideas and patterns and a great knowledge of the japanese fabrics and sashiko. Love the book.
I sent you an email when I order this book about the cost, Iwas unaware if was in American dollars and not Australian. Nevermind it was still a great buy. Keep me informed of any other quilting books.
Thank you very much, I will get manyh hours of enjoyment from this book.
Regards
Very informative........2006-02-24
I have just developed a love for Japanese fabrics and needed some guidance. This book provided it. The fabrics and pictures are stunning and the directions are very good. I highly recommend this book.
Book Description
Got a passion for exotic fabrics? Feature the fabrics of Japan, Polynesia, and Hawaii in your next quilt! This talented mother-daughter team shares their love of unusual fabrics in one-of-a-kind designs.
• Learn the best ways to use beautiful, bold fabrics in nine step-by-step projects
• Break the traditional rules of design by playing with asymmetry, space, and movement
• Get creative by combining several fabric styles, from elegant kimono silks to colorful tropical prints
Customer Reviews:
Asian Elegance: Quilting With Japanese Fabrics .......2007-09-24
Beautiful condition as promised. Gorgeous book with fabulous ideas and illustrations! Anyone interested in fabric or quilting would love this book!
Deb
Elegance for the Eyes & Ideas.......2006-11-01
Kitty Pippen broke new ground with her first book, Quilting with Japanese Fabrics, and I consider it a "must have book" for anyone with more than a passing interest in Japanese fabrics. Ms. Pippen and her daughter, Sylvia, have pushed the boundaries further with this book, Asian Elegance, which incorporates polynesian and Japanese fabrics, design elements and ideas. Well done Pippens!
Since her first book, many of the Japanese fabrics that were so readily available are rare. Many traditional Japanese fabric makers are no longer manufacturing, or have modernized or moved to other countries. The quilts in the new book reflect some of these changes. Fabrics are more contemporary, embrace polynesian elements, and generally are available at most quilt and fabric stores or from resources listed in the book. All in all, this is a book to inspire, and grow your ideas. The elements of graceful design are timeless. It's worth the investment.
Asian Elegance-Quilting with Japanese Fabrics and more.......2006-03-18
Also a great book along with Quilting with Japanese Fabrics which I purchased at the same time. I will get a great deal of pleasure from the many ideas in the book. It's a pity I didnt realise that is was in american dollars and not australian but nevertheless it was a great purchase.
Thank you and keep me informed of any other great quilting books to buy.
Thank you very much once again.
Beautiful!.......2005-09-09
This is a beautiful book - even if you don't make the quilts as presented here, they inspire you to bring simplicity and calmness to your quilting designs. The directions are logical and easy to follow and the pictures speak volumes! Give it a try!
Get the other one instead.......2004-06-15
I love Kitty Pippen's first book, Quilting with Japanese Fabrics. This book is nice, but I don't think it covers a lot of new territory. If you can buy both her books, great, but if you can only buy one, I'd recommend the other one over this.
Book Description
An indispensable tool for acquiring basic communication skills in a limited amount of time.
With Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication, even absolute beginners can learn to communicate in Japanese in a matter of days. Designed specifically for native-English speakers approaching Japanese as a second language, this book presents 142 essential Japanese sentence patterns,
first by giving equivalents in English, then following with Japanese translations. Each pattern is accompanied by a concise, easy-to-follow explanation and several Japanese example sentences that demonstrate its usage. In addition, practice sections for each pattern allow the student to test his or
her understanding of the material presented.
Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication is organized into twelve chapters according to communicative function, including such tasks as making simple, declarative statements about people and things in the world; making comparisons; talking about events in the past, present and future;
expressing desire, conjecture and intention;
stating causes or reasons; making requests; asking and giving permission; and using the passive and causative-passive voices. Extensive charts at the back of the book outline the rules for inflecting and conjugating adjectives and verbs-essential to fluent communication.
Customer Reviews:
japanese swan.......2007-09-05
The basic expressions appear in English and represent ideas or patterns to be expressed in Japanese. They are arranged from easiest tý most difficult. Each has a Japanese translation, highlighting the pattern to be learned then pattern is explained with example sentences. A big leap for novice birds to get wings for advanced flyings. Enthusiastically recommended. Hotondo kanzen ni (almost perfect).
Complete enough to be your 1st standalone introduction to Nihongo .......2007-04-25
This little gem packs in a lot of information. The sentences are written in kanji, romaji and English and the typeface and layout are easy on the eyes. I only know 300 kanji and this is a great way to review the old ones in context as well as learn new ones. Im using this (in addition to JAPANESE STEP BY STEP and GENKI) to prepare for my 1st college level Japanese class and Im happy with it.
Great Book!!!.......2007-02-17
This book gives examples of sentence structures in every shape and form. Its useful for looking up structures for speaking and writing. One thing that I must point out; it contains a lot of Kanji without furigana. But don't be afraid because all examples are also written in romanji. Another point that I'd like to stress to any beginner is that you MUST learn the Kana's very early in your studies. Also, every book, dictionary, workbook, or program that you are interested in assumes that you have a solid grasp on English Grammar. When I say English Grammar, I'm not talking about your conversation skills; I'm talking about the elements of the English language. Do you know the difference between a transistive and intransistive verb? Or what about nouns, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives, subjects, objects, synonym's, or antonym,s? I couldn't remember all that junk from school so I had to buy a little grammar book to learn English before I could really begin Japanese. Oh well, to make a long story short; get this book because it really helps. It's easy to read, has lots of practice excersises and has tons of info in the back. Have Fun Gang!!!
A wonderful yet concise book for beginners and intermediate students.......2007-01-03
This is an excelent book. Having gone through a course in elementary Japanese, I wanted a book to quickly review the basic grammar and speech patterns. This little book does a marvelous job. It explains all the main patterns concisely, yet sufficiently. The organization and clarity of the book are its main assets. There is a detailed index at the beginning of the book, containing key examples of the pattern. That way you can jump right to the page you need. At the end of the book there are handy appendices (with examples) on counters (some 25 of them), plus charts on adjective inflections and verb conjugations. All in alphabetical english order. Every pattern, or variation, is clearly explained with 3 examples. This is followed by 3 more examples for you to try. Then, the answers are given in smaller print. All examples are given in Japanese characters plus romaji transliteration. Every unit has a few new words of vocabulary, which are then used in the examples that follow. I admired the economy of this book. Nothing is superfluous. And yet, everything is sufficient, within the constraints of its size. It is published by Kodansha International, not Oxford University Press as the Amazon description says. Very few books on Japanese language instruction are suitable for self study. This one clearly is.
Excellent........2006-06-21
Out of necessity, much of this is a copy of my other review because it is a direct contrast.
Since a search that brought up this book probably also brought up A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Sentence Patterns (Kodansha Dictionary) (same publisher) and at first glance one might be tempted to just buy whichever is cheapest at the time. It's worth noting that they are very different books.
A Dictionary... is indexed for a reader that encounters a strange construction. It is formatted in a way to facilitate looking-up strange new sentences. Japanese Sentence Patterns is indexed for someone that wants to say something in Japanese.
Thus, If you want to tell someone in Japanese that one thing would be better to do than another, Japanese Sentence Patterns will tell you how to say it. On the other hand, if you see or hear "Yukkuri tabeta hou ga kenkou ni ii yo." Then A dictionary... is better for figuring out what the person meant.
In all, both books are very much worth getting. Both serve completely different needs, they are definitely not duplicates of the same book. I do consider this one a bit more useful than the other, it is certainly easier to use. Even a complete novice can use this to create sentences. The exercises help cement new knowledge and the use of kanji can reinforce an intermediate student's reading ability.
Book Description
An important, but often overlooked, part of the world of Japanese arts and crafts is the array of beautiful, stylized motifs that have traditionally been used to decorate a huge range of objects. Snow, Wave, Pine takes a close look at some of the most classic of those patterns, enabling the
reader to recognize and appreciate these motifs wherever they appear, and providing inspiration to anyone interested in design or arts and crafts.
The first half of the book introduces seventy-five important patterns, as depicted on a variety of objects. Seeing the "lotus blossom" or "flowing water" patterns, for instance, on antiques including brocaded kabuki robes, lacquerware trays, and metal sword guards throws into relief the patterns
themselves, rather than the objects, making possible a new level of understanding and enjoyment. The informative text describes how each pattern arose, and the significance it had in terms of art, religion, and even politics. The reader has a sense of being empowered to look at any Japanese art,
craft or design form with a new and educated eye.
The second half of the book shows a rich and dynamic selection of more than one thousand family crests. Crests are very stylized motifs whose variety and artistry are remarkable. With a minimum of lines, they are able to express the essence of such forms as a pair of facing crows with wings
outstretched; the rounded back of a monkey viewed from behind as it sits hunched over, alone; or the elegant single counter-clockwise whorl. Despite being hundreds of years old, they are extremely modern in their sensibility.
Lavishly illustrated with over 450 color plates, and with text and photos alike by experts in the traditional Japanese arts, Snow, Wave, Pine is a treasurehouse of information for anyone interested in design forms or in Japanese culture.
Customer Reviews:
Marvellous.......2007-09-07
The book is wonderful! Reach in picture and well structured. There is little research, but i'm proud i've bought it. It's really useful to my study.
The beautiful traditions of Japan........2005-11-06
Mr. Hibi and Mr Niwa, wrote this book,which has fantastic pictures of a variety of patterns used in Japanese Designs. I have used this book as reference for my students, and I strongly recommend this book for Japanese artist lovers. It has more pictures than detailed written research.However all in all it is a great package.
Nice, but..........2003-10-01
The photographs are wonderful, the book is classy. The text is kept short to not interfere with the pictures.
A bit too compressed, in my opionion. I would have liked more than four lines of text telling me that something is often depicted.
It's a wonderful book to have it displayed on a table, and to show off a little bit, but that's not the reason why I buy books...
Beauties to Behold.......2002-09-08
This eye-filling book clearly illustrates the rich symbolism of Japanese design. Though not meant as an all-inclusive guide to Japanese arts, the pictorial choices are wonderful. Each design "theme" is accompained by brief but highly informative text. There is also a generous selection of family crests (mon), which would be of particular interest to kimono enthusiasts. This color-saturated album is a joy to look at and would complement Merrily Baird's more complete and scholarly tome, "Symbols of Japan," which, though awesomely researched, has rather weak illustrations in several sections.
Books:
- Color Design Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Using Color in Graphic Design
- Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition
- Color Drawing: Design Drawing Skills and Techniques for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers, 2nd Edition
- Complete Price Guide to Watches
- Concurrent Programming in Java(TM): Design Principles and Pattern (2nd Edition)
- Confronting Images: Questioning The Ends Of A Certain History Of Art
- Corrective Lighting, Posing & Retouching for Digital Portrait Photographers
- CREATIVE LICENSE, THE: GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE THE ARTIST YOU TRULY ARE
- Digital Image Processing (2nd Edition)
- Draw 50 Horses (Draw 50)
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Applique
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Kake-Jiku: Images of Japan in Applique, Fabric Origami, and Sashiko
Quilting With Japanese Fabrics
Asian Elegance: Quilting With Japanese Fabrics and More (That Patchwork Place)
Harmonies & Hurricanes : Color and Line in Japanese Quilts
Kokoro no Te: Handmade Treasures from the Heart
