Quilted Throws, Bags and Accessories: 28 Inspired Projects Made with Patchwork, Paper Piecing & Appliquè Paperback – April 1, 2018

**Please note this is a 2018 English-language release by Zakka Workshop (printed in China) of a Japanese edition originally released in 2014 by Nihon Vogue.**An English translation of a book by Sanae Kone? Click. Submit. Done. I suppose there is a world in which someone might not do that instantly, but I could not live there.The broad span of 28 projects includes 14 bags/pouches/totes, 12 quilts/mats/tapestries, and 2 pillows.As with most Japanese-to-English translated books, each project is featured in the first section of the book, in color, along with general instructional elements. Detailed instructions then appear for each project in the latter half of the book. Here, steps are outlined with drawn illustrations, not photographs. Many readers find this disjointed and disappointing at first, but the initial colorful array of gorgeous projects will certainly win over many new Japanophiles.Sanae Kono has supreme color sensibility, an enviable tolerance for fussiness in piecing, and a keen eye that balances quilting lines with pattern and texture. I am reminded of many old Quilt-Gate And Yuwa fabric lines. Quilted Throws Bags and Accessories surpasses the many taupe-related books released in the last decade or so. Steely blues, mink toiles, Broderie Perse, florals, and textured embellishments produce a subtle romantic effect without effusing femininity.More difficult to procure will be certain accoutrements such as the exact handles for hand bags, leather tabs, and leather pulls. Provided at the very back of the book is a tear-out section of full-sized templates.Hand-sewing is expected for all piecing and joining, while machine stitching is “allowed” as part of the sandwich and binding process.Books such as Sanae Kono’s Quilted Throws Bags and Accessories become treasured by hands that long to handle every centimeter of fabric for a one-of-a-kind project. It’s a lost art hoping to be rediscovered by enough fans to warrant more English translations.