Customer Reviews

Kokoro no Te: Handmade Treasures from the Heart

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kumiko Sudo repeats her flair with fabric and fabulous books.

This book, like all her others (and I have most of them!), is such a treat to read and gaze at, even if you do not actually make any of the items. Similar in substance to her earlier book "Omiyage", this text offers many diminutive wonders, but adds the new elements of felt, beads, craft beans, and batting to the projects.

Projects include: tiny jewelry caches, an eyeglass or cellphone cozy, accessories to be worn on the wrist, a CD caddy (holds one), Japan-chic fashion pins (to put on hats, sandals, books), several sewing accessories (kits, thimbles, a pin-cushion, and a needle booklet), temari and juggling balls, tiny kimonos and hula dresses, and several caches or pouches in animal shapes (fish, cicada, dragonfly) and flower shapes (camelia, bird of paradise, posy, wisteria).

If you are a cookie-cutter fabricist and like to crank out volumes of strip-pieced projects, this book will definitely convert you to a hand-sewer of one-of-a-kind treasures. There are almost 30 projects here, with Sudo's signature style that includes useful techniques and her etherial commentary on what motivates her as an artist.

However, take note that like all her other books, odd written English errors appear here and there, and her instructions really require you to do some careful extra thinking beyond what she provides. And don't think that "miniature" is synonymous with "fast"; it took me 2 whole days to complete a project from her Omiyage book (the project was the Conpaito bag which when finished is the size of a hand ball). The instructions can be truly cryptic and the illustrations are not always, well, illustrative. For instance, if a project has 6 steps, she provides only 2 or 3 illustrations. I don't know about you, but I could really use an illustration, maybe several, for each of her steps. But please do not let this deter you; her books are a wonder to behold and I am happy to accept all of Sudo's contributions as they are.

Also note, if you do make any of her projects (and trust me, you will want to), she suggests you can use any 100% cotton quilting fabrics with Eastern themes. I discovered, unfortunately, after working on that Conpaito bag for 2 days using cotton from my fabric stash, that the finished bag did not have the same weighty and lustrous appearance as her example. So, I would strongly recommend that you start collecting true Japanese fabrics such as silk and chiremen crepe and use these to make the projects. As good as cotton quilt fabric is these days, it just can't compare to real Asian textiles, and Sudo's projects definitely deserve the very best materials. As she says in Kokoro No Te, you will not need large amounts of fabrics to complete these projects, often using less than an eighth of a yard.

Of the title "Kokoro No Te", Sudo says "when a gift is made by hand, and given with the heart, good wishes and good fortune are extended from one person to another in loving harmony". When I discovered this book on the shelf at the bookstore, my heart literally skipped a beat, and I gladly and quickly accepted Sudo's gift from her heart. I felt the love! And the harmony!! Kumiko Sudo is a master of fabric and text, and this book is one more dialog in what will hopefully be a very long conversation from this rare but accessible artist.

This is the second of Kumiko Sudo's books I have purchased and fallen in love with. There is sure to be a special project that will appeal to your senses and compel you to spend the hours creating just that perfect piece! The projects are small, and require patience and careful attention to detail. That said, the hand sewing can be done in front of the television or while riding in the car.

Items evoke a delight when given as gifts and are perfect for those who have everything. These patterns seem a bit more difficult than those in the Omiyage book and require a bit more imagination to fill in the steps not illustrated. If you enjoy challenging projects, you will love this book.

The Temari balls have become an bit of an issue at my house. I make them for my children and our Siamese cat grabs the balls and runs with them from the kids! So if you have cats or want to make a very special gift for a friend with cats, you could make a Temari ball with a bit of catnip inside!

If you enjoy sewing by hand, or want to learn how, this book provides sophisticated, useful, chic and beautiful tiny projects. Filling the book are excellent close-up photographs. You can easily see beading, edging, pom-poms and other three-dimensional embellishments. Kumiko uses her highly patterned Japanese prints in interesting ways which make it appear that more piecing was done than actually was. They look complicated, but aren't. Although small in size, they make a big impression. There are no quilts in this book. Sewing kits, wearables and pouches of various types make this book fun and useful to a sewing and fabric enthusiast.

Each of the projects is so beautiful in its own right. I truly love planning to make the items in this book. I can spend hours thinking over what to make until I decide, because they are all so interesting and each has a way of lending itself to what you are looking for. The author truly has a talent.
That said I was disappointed by a couple of things. This being a "craft" book the instructions/patterns were lacking in some places. This is especially important because the projects are so detailed and time consuming. Missing a step here or there means tearing out hand stiching and possibly beading. Not fun. I agree with the other poster about the fish. The first time I made it I was about the start sewing step 3 when I realized that I should have turned the template backwards for the fabric template A so that when I tried to put them together the fabric would be on the outside (and also not inside out). Because I hadn't I was forced to rip out hand sewing and recut. I also missed template C, because it just isn't there.
As an experienced sewer I can muddle through. I would worry though if I had less experience. For almost $20 I expected more.

Kumiko is a master of her craft and her book shows some of her cutest work. While the patterns are fairly simple. she leaves out important hints that make recreating her projects difficult if you aren't paying attention. Pay close attention to the weight and type of fabric that she uses but does not mention in her directions. If you use a heavier fabric than what she used, you may need to adjust the pattern to make it work. I wouldn't recommend this for a complete beginning sewer. Otherwise this is a great book full of fun projects.

I love the book, and love making all the cute things in it. However, the first time I made the fish, her instructions referred to part C (or maybe D?)of the fish, and the template for the part was nowhere to be found. I was able to make my own template, but it was irritating.

This book would suit those seeking a range of little projects that nevertheless give a great deal of satisfaction when completed. The pattern set for each object takes no more than a single page so they are quite small. They are all in a Japanese style and are essentially decorative with a nominal use implied in their names. They would make a very personal small gift to a close friend.
The book is very well illustrated and a pleasure to own. Instructions are clear but don't expect to complete each project in just a couple of hours.
If you have not yet purchased "Omiyage : Handmade Gifts from Fabric in the Japanese Tradition" by the same author that might be a better first choice.

As a 75yr.old. Beginning Crafter, I found Kokoro no Te: Handmade Treasures from the Heart excellent. It has been more than 50 years that I have done any sewing whatsoever and this book turned out being a Godsend for me. Inside of a few short weeks I have turned out nifty items that will be presents for friends and family members Christmas and other special occasions.

I purchsed this for my wife. She is an artist and loves artistic items from Japan - ever since visitng Japan last year. She loves this book andf keeps it on our coffee table in easy reach. The instructions are excellent and the presentation is of high quality.

Thank you. The book I ordered was advertised as a used book. But when receiving I found that it was new. That has happened with other books I have ordered from Amazon. I will continue to order from Amazon when I want a book. Thank you.