Kanzashi in Bloom: 20 Simple Fold-and-Sew Projects to Wear and Give [Paperback]

Diane Gilleland (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 21, 2009

Kanzashi tsumami is the Japanese art of folding delicate squares of silk into three-dimensional flower petals. In the United States, the online craft culture has sprouted a renewed interest in making Kanzashi with American crafters devising simplified ways to create these gorgeous fabric flowers and incorporating more user-friendly materials like cotton and synthetic fabrics along with the traditional silks.

Kanzashi in Bloom takes the American interpretation of Kanzashi a step further, presenting modern, more easily executed flower designs as elements in a variety of fun, fashionable, hip craft projects. Kanzashi in Bloom offers advice on materials, three petal-folding styles, and techniques for assembling a Kanzashi flower. You’ll also find instructions for 20 projects to wear and give as gifts, including:

• Tiny blossom earrings
• Flowers-in-your-hair clips
• The happiest belt buckle ever
• Elegant floral gift topper

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Diane Gilleland showcases the Japanese art of Kanzashi with craft projects that have an updated, modern style. You’ll find lots of creative ways to use up your scrap fabrics to make quick gifts for family, friends, or yourself!"
—Natalie Zee Drieu, Senior Editor, CRAFT magazine

"Diane Gilleland’s charming flower embellishments instantly bring the simplest accessory, garment, or decoration to life. Best of all, her beautifully photographed how-tos and helpful tips encourage us to add our own spin to these inspiring projects, for a lovely and very personal result."
—Susan Beal, author of Bead Simple and Button It Up

"Kanzashi in Bloom is a must-have book that does a fantastic job of demystifying this ancient Japanese art form for the modern-day crafter. The colorful projects will have you wondering what you can adorn with flowers next!"
—Jenny Ryan, Contributing Writer, CRAFT magazine

About the Author

DIANE GILLELAND produces a popular blog and podcast, craftypod.com, and diyalert.com, a calendar of craft classes and events in Portland, Oregon. For more about Diane’s work and Kanzashi, visit kanzashi-in-bloom.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft; Original edition (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823084817
• ISBN-13: 978-0823084814
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 0.4 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Decorating
  • #81 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Jewelry & Beadwork > Jewelry

More About the Author

Diane Gilleland, known in crafting circles as "Sister Diane," describes herself as a "big crafty geek." As a blogger and podcaster, she seeks to share craft projects, interesting crafters, and ideas from all over the crafting community. Her work has been featured in CRAFT Magazine, CraftStylish.com, Sew News, and several craft books.

In addition to her first print book, Kanzashi In Bloom, Diane also publishes ebooks about crafting and blogging. For more information, visit www.CraftyPod.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars beauty and clarity in a portanble package. August 8, 2009

By Hl Nesmith

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Kanzashi- beautiful flowers made from relatively small pieces of folded fabric and a few stitches. Meditative, a bite size craft- uses up the boxes full of fabric labelled "scraps too small to keep" (you have one too, admit it)- instant gifts or embellishments, instant creative satisfaction.

In this beautifully produced book, Diane Gilleland takes the reader step by step through the process of creating lovely kanzashi. If you are familiar with Gilleland's instructional style from her blog and podcast ([...]), you will be as happy as I was to find the same kind of clear, unambiguous written instructions, and accompanying images.

One of the biggest attributes that sets this author's instruction apart from many others is her ability to explain things in a way that can't be misinterpreted, and to choose photographs or diagrams that show exactly what they need to show. This is actually harder than it sounds, and so many publications fall short.

Too many craft books are really about the author. They showcase the work of the author and their friends, and the teaching aspect seems really secondary- even unto leaving key points out of the instructions, like a cook who gives you her special family recipe, but you KNOW she left something out because you can never get it to taste quite the same. That is NOT the case here- you will be whipping up your own beautiful flowers in no time, and there is no reason why they won't be as perfect as the ones in the book.

The other big unique strength of this book, as in all Gilleland's work, is her casual, sisterly way of empowering the reader to take the skills she shares, and then go and make them their own. For many of us, the first step in creativity is a 'baby step' of trying the same thing in a slightly different colour or material, and Gilleland always leaves me feeling like it was my own idea. Her almost offhand suggestions like 'these would also look great as a..." really are the first push many of us got in the direction of daring to think creatively ourselves.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Blooming beautiful August 17, 2009

By J. A. Dickson

Format:Paperback

I absolutely loved this book. The history behind the flowers is very interesting. The instructions and diagrams for making the flowers are inspiring and easy to follow with good detsil to possible problems that many be encountered. My Mom (90) and I have just spent the weekend making the Kanzashi flowers. Mom really made beautiful flowers and we have more projects planned. It is one of the nicest craft books I have ever purchased and I'll found lots of ideas and techniques in it. Highly recommended to the crafty who likes something simple but beautiful to add to their collection. Only criticism is I don't know how to pronouce Kanzashi!

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much variety December 30, 2009

By mi

Format:Paperback

I bought this book because I was interested in kanzashi after seeing so many beautiful flowers a a website called kanzahi core. Don't get me wrong, the book is a good step by step guide for 2 or 3 basic petals and flowers. I was looking for instruction on creating different flower types like the chrysanthemum, wisteria, iris,kusudama etc.

The main flower creating parts of the book is very small (only about 20 or so pages of actual flower creation). From page 39 to the end of the book (141) is all about applying the kanzashi to belts or bags,brooches, and other items.

I can think of a million ways to put a kanzashi somewhere without a book! Gimme some more flower varieties!