Like others have already said, this book is a keeper for its beautifully artistic designs. As I easily feel cluttered, designs that use simplicity to showcase color combinations and subtleties of shape are a breath of fresh air. Higuchi's style allows one design to be the center point so that it can be fully appreciated, which is a nice contrast to the type of embroidery designs I usually see in craft stores.

I found these patterns easy to replicate (and cheap!) despite being a beginner. It was also obvious that my first attempt did not live up to the pictures, but they were inspiring enough to keep me going and I quickly noticed improvement. There are only 8 types of stitches used in this book, which contributed to ease of learning. I thought the repetition of the same stitch over and over in a pattern quite lovely.

All of the small sewing projects that showcase these patterns were things I would make to gift or use. One thing I greatly appreciate is that each pattern is made up of several smaller pieces. That way you can choose how much time you want to spend embroidering and do, say, one flower or a whole collection. They are also easily replicated on household items you would like to personalize (tea towel, canvas shoes, tote ect.), even if you don't want to do the small sewing projects.

*Review copy courtesy of Roost Books*

lovely book of designs which are simple, modern and stylish. There are many projects, showing the use of embroidered motifs on different types of crafts such as clothing, bags, homewares and much more. I must say I had never heard the term 'Zakka' before, but nevertheless this book is well worth a look for anyone interested in textile and needlecrafts. Ideal for both beginner and more advanced stitchers, there are easy step by step instructions and templates to follow.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher in return for a review.