Japanese Fabric Flowers

Sylvie Blondeau is a French artist specialising in craft, illustration and costume design for theatre. She is based in Val-de-Marne in France where she teaches sewing classes and tailoring.

Kanzashi flowers are a traditional Japanese craft originally used as a hair ornament. In this collection, French costume designer Blondeau presents the basics of kanzashi making, including designs ranging from simple to complex. Basic kanzashi flowers require simple supplies that most sewists will have on hand—fabric scraps (medium-weight fabrics such as cotton poplin or raw silk are ideal), fabric glue, and a hand sewing kit. As the flowers become more complex, kanzashi flower makers, which are plastic templates in five different shapes corresponding to a specific petal type, are used. Flowers can be finished with beads or buttons and incorporated into numerous projects, including jewelry or handbags, or used as an embellishment or an accessory. Step-by-step directions for sewing 16 different kanzashi are provided; 12 projects supply ideas for using the finished flowers as well as further variations. VERDICT Crafters with an interest in embellishment or in traditional Japanese crafts will enjoy this collection.