My Japanese Craft Book Library

Well, as I'm sure you all know - I love traditional Japanese crafts, especially chirimen zaiku. I have a small collection of various craft books and while I don't actually do that much sewing from them (although, I really should) I get so much inspiration and ideas just from looking through them.  If I'm in a craft slump, normally browsing through my books helps me recover in a jiffy!

In the spirit of Crafting Japanese website - I've decided to create an online library of the books I have. I have posted the cover outside of a live journal cut - but the additional 3 photographs for each book will be under the cut.  I still need to take photographs of various other books I have and add them in addition to these to start with.

I'll be adding this to my memories, and I'll also continue adding new books here as i get them :)


ISBN: 4-14-031100-2
内藤乃武子のちりめん手芸


My bingata kinchaku and thistle pouch derived from this book.












ISBN: 4-529-03898-x
小さなパッチワーク―かわいい小ものとソーインググッズ
Tiny Patchwork



I haven't made anything from this yet, but it is filled with the  most amazing tiny patchwork stuff!












ISBN: 4-579-10494-3
ちりめんのお細工物



This book was published in 1990 and I believe it is out of print.  It has a lot of beautiful projects in it and very good and easy to follow instructions along with a big removable sheet with pattern pieces on it.












ISBN: 4-14-031060-x
ちりめん細工―伝承の布遊び



This is another out of print book, published in 1994.  It has many gorgeous projects in it - and has some of the best photo diagrams of certain elements used in various projects (like stitch diagrams, best way to put stuffing in, how to tie knots, etc.)












ISBN: 4-418-00414-9
空き箱で布の飾り箱―文箱・宝石箱・針箱…大切なものを入れて 家庭画報クラフト



This is a fantastic book showing how to cover boxes and containers.  Whilst the author uses boxes that seem to be packaging materials for merchandise in Japan - you could easily make your own boxes or use the ideas to boxes you already have. 












ISBN: 4-8347-2058-6
ちりめんの袋物と小物 レディブティックシリーズ―ソーイング (2058)



An adorable book with a wide variety of great projects ranging from contempoary to traditional.












ISBN: 4-14-927545-9
和布で遊ぶほのぼの手芸 別冊NHKおしゃれ工房―手づくり百科



This is a great book containing projects in 8 distinctly different styles.












ISBN: つまみ細工とちりめん小箱
Tiny Patchworks - sweet little goods & sewing accessories



This book has a whole bunch of super cute projects in it ranging from kanzashi to covering boxes to making bags!











ISBN: 4-89396-616-2
亘正幸の縫いつまみと組編み―和の手仕事・布遊び レッスンシリーズ



This book contains how to make cute flowers and to do strip weaving with kimono fabrics to make pouches, boxes etc.

My green pouch and my blue pouch were from the instructions in here.












ISBN: 4-579-20126-4
ちりめんの手芸 手づくりの暮らし



This is an out of print book originally published in 1980.  Although old, the colour combinations in here are really quite contempoary and fantastic - I think it is why I love it so much.












ISBN: 4-529-03629-4
内藤乃武子のかわいいお細工物



This is a sweet book with lots of cute projects in it.  I made my blue and white bird from the project in here.












ISBN: 4-7662-0271-6
伝承のちりめん細工―明治・大正・昭和の女の手の技を今に伝える



I love this book because it contains many photographs of vintage chirimen items -   really like looking at older crafts - they inspire me.  The patterns in this book seem to be based on the original vintage patterns. I made my tiny little cicada pouches from here.












ISBN: 4-277-55205-6
想い出マスコットアルバム



What can I say?  This book is filled with uber kitschy animal stuffies!  I made my deer based on a pattern in this book.












ISBN: 4-14-031088-x
ちりめん細工で遊ぶ四季



This is filled with tons of cute projects including chilli pepper pouches! 












ISBN: 4-14-031121-5
ちりめんのちいさな佳きもの



Even more super duper cute projects - this book is a nice companion to the green one with the two flower princesses and the orange one with the ducks.