Today I share a craft book preview with you. This craft book is very special to me, as I help Eline with a few projects for this book. I got to know Eline trough the Blogging Your Way e-course we both attended last winter. We met in person on the Sunday market last Easter. We talked about our businesses and projects and from one came the other :-)

The book is due this October and is accompanied by a range of fabrics and haberdasheries. In the book you will find all kinds of DIY projects to decorate your home.

Workhops

I plan to organise workshops after the book has hit the stores. During a Sunday afternoon we will work together on a project from the book. The book will be included in the course fee and off course Eline’s fabric and haberdasheries will be available to work with. If you are interested, you can put yourself on the mailing list, so you will be the first to know when the dates are available.

Go and check out Eline’s blog to read more about this exciting book project.

This book I find just awesome… (could anyone let me know some other english words to describe something that you like so much you keep going trough the book and each time your heart skips again because you like it so much?)

It are the colors that are used, the pictures, the simple crochet ideas that I all find do-able. Even it’s a Japanese book, because of the diagram style patterns it’s readable for anyone, you only have to familiarize yourself with the diagram language. You can find a very good explanation here.

I bought the book from Pomadour24, and got a super-fast delivery. She has an Etsy and eBay shop, I bought it trough eBay, because there she keeps a larger inventory, and paid the extra $5,- for fast delivery.

I have a passion for craft books, maybe even an addiction. When I’m traveling or visiting a city, I can’t rest before I have bought at least one craft book from the local bookstore. This book, ‘Japon au point de croix’ I bought in Paris last October. My eye caught it because of the style of pictures, the subject is Japan and because I love French cross stitch and embroidery books in general.  (Please reference my other blog posts, here, here and here)

I haven’t started a project yet, I only take the time to stitch when I have a long vacation. For me stitching is a ’slow’ craft, so only do-able when I’m relaxed and have a lot of time available. Other times I’m more opting for the little-time-great-result projects, like sewing and crocheting flowers.

I can show show you my favorites from the book though, I think this summer I will sure start one of those. Like the carp or maybe a lucky charm cat.

There’s also a Japanese stitching technique, sashiko. In may 2008 I traveled trough Japan with M. In the open air museum near Takayama, this lady was patiently working on her sashiko stitching. She reminded me of my grandmother, she looked like her, and my grandmother loved the domestic arts as well.

(Picture by Maarten Boerma, please see his blog for more Japan photo’s)

Since I’m locked in the house, I have ordered books and fabrics via internet. One of the books I liked the most, it was filled with lovely embroidery and cross stitch patterns that I instantly wanted to try. I chose this heart with the bird for my best friend, because when I saw it I wanted to make it for her.

I did send her this card with a letter written on my lovely Cath Kidston mix and match stationary. But misfortune happened… the envelope never dropped on her doormat, I think it got lost in the mail…

The pattern is from the book ‘Rose : Motifs de broderie traditionnelle et au point de croix’ it is full with lovely and cute pink patterns. In the same series you have ‘Rouge’, ‘Blue’ and ‘Blanc’ which off-course I needed to have too. I found out you have an English version with these three books in one, and it’s the price of one French one!