The Embroidered Garden: Stitching through the Seasons of a Flower Garden (Make Good: Japanese Craft Style)

I collect needlework books and don't know if I more like the old classics or brand new books like this that may be bound to become a classic. Very many books are being published by Japanese designers recently and their perspective adds a different dimension to our Western ways. Omigosh! I just learned a new word: atelier. (I have a BA in English so I have no business not knowing this word!) It's first mentioned in the Introduction where author Kazuko Aoki relates that her first interest is her garden and from that stemmed her desire to capture its beauty in needlework. It's the ever-changing plants and flowers of the season that keep this endeavor always fresh."Atelier" means an artist's or designer's studio or workshop and Ms. Aoki encourages us to begin with a journal or diary of plants and flowers we like and translate them into potential drawings and then needlework designs. We are first presented with a pretty photo of her Garden Diary which is covered with embroidered linen with images of several plants, a spade, topiary, watering can, and garden boots. She says she began keeping this diary when she first started gardening and she uses it to reminisce on what she's done, to memorialize what she is currently doing and to make notes on what she would like to do in the future. She explains how to make this journal later on in the book. (A huge problem, though, is that she gives no clue about the pages of the journal. She doesn't talk about covering a printed book and I have no idea if all the pages are made of linen like the front and back cover where she practices stitches or if they're paper upon which she writes and draws. It's probably the latter but it's not good that she doesn't display the inside of the journal and the list of materials gives you no clue.)The book is very well laid out: she begins with Spring and each season is covered over 8 to 10 pages. Each season has a paragraph discussion of what flowers excite her for that season and pictures 7 embroidered flowers on the left-hand page and then a larger picture of a wreath of completely different flowers also of the season on the right-hand page. Spring and Summer also have a picture to stitch with a bunch of flowers together and every season has not only individual stitched pictures on linen but also cute projects like frogs or bugs on throw pillows or a linen-covered cork board with pockets for notes and letters and bands to hold other paper. You could also pin paper onto the board.She shows detailed photos of how she get inspiration from her garden and translates them into sometimes 3-D designs. (Again, though, she shows a bunch of butterflies with raised wings and I can't tell if that's stumpwork or not. The whole back of the book is the patterns for all the projects which could have been improved if they weren't so fine and with quite small-font labels and directions.In her stitch "catalog" (as opposed to guide), she diagrams 19 different stitches: although they cover only two pages, they're remarkably easy-to-follow.The most unusual part of the book though is "Kazuko's Stitch Lessons" on pages 49-52. These begin with standard Material's and Tools; then Basic Techniques of transferring designs onto fabric and using a hoop; then Extra Techniques like how to use applique and needle felting; and finally Lessons on Finer Points like how best to make French knots, weaving stitch, and work with ribbon embroidery.The single best thing in the entire book to me is the "Secret Finishing Techniques" on page 51. The displays how she finishes framed pieces: sprays them with a very fine mist of water and uses a wet Q-tip to "fix" the stitches by carefully smoothing them down, gently enough not to make them fuzzy. She shows that this is the best way to make satin stitches be perfectly parallel and neaten all other stitches. Finally, if you have drawn the pattern onto the linen, the water will erase any errant marks.This book is in line with other recently published books and in combination, I think they'll be very useful to expand my vision of designing for myself or at least better stitching others' patterns:Rebecca Ringquist's Embroidery Workshops: A Bend-the-Rules PrimerSecret Garden Embroidery: 15 Projects for Your Stitching PleasureShakespeare's Flowers in Stumpwork (Milner Craft Series)

I especially like the wreath designs.

This book is well titled. The important part to me is the clear flower and insect patterns which are divided among the four seasons. The photographs of the completed work are lovely, and clear enough to see the original stitches. The directions to replicate the work are clear and complete. It is important to me that the directions also include the DMC thread numbers so that if the directions are followed the work actually looks like the photographs. OK. my needlework is not that as exquisite as Kazuko Aoki's but at least the shape and colors are true to the photographs. Directions for each stitch are also given in bold and easy stages.I embroidered a row of delicate flowers along a pillowcase for my pre-teen granddaughter and she loves it. I practice on pillow cases just above the border because I hate to practice on scraps and then toss it. This time I may have to place a row of the delicate flowers along several plain white cases because every kid in the family wants one. I am so happy to find this book. It is different from the color drenched Elizabethan things I've beendoing.This book is perfect for beginners and for the really experienced.

The designs in this book are excellent. The directions are clear. I love her stories of her own design process in her books.

I wished that there had been a bit more to this book. It does have nice colour photographs of Miss Aoki's pretty work, and a little of her garden. The embroidery is pretty simple and easy instructions, and it would be a really nice book for someone just learning to embroider.

I love her work. Got two books and plan to get one more.

Wow! What an amazing book! The pictures are inspiring and the directions are very straight forward. I really appreciate the concept of embroidering what is here in our gardens; breaking out of the stuffier pictures I often see in books. The information is very accessible, well laid out, and so very beautiful. Highly recommend!

A wonderful book of inspiration and ideas. Ms. Aoki adeptly shows you how to go from the garden to the sewing room to create some really beautiful works of art. Her approach and designs are simply gorgeous. I combined a few of her designs and stitched them onto a garden apron for a friend, and she was so delighted! Because the designs are simple, yet impactful, it was really quick and easy to take something from ordinary to extraordinary.