Minki Kim - Zakka from the Heart: Sew 16 Charming Projects to Warm Any Home

Publisher: Amy Marson Creative Director: Gailen Runge Acquisitions Editor: Roxane Cerda Managing Editor: Liz Aneloski Editor: Karla Menaugh Technical Editor: Debbie Rodgers Cover/Book Designer: April Mostek Font Designer: Minki Kim Production Coordinator: Tim Manibusan Production Editor: Jennifer Warren Illustrator: Linda Johnson Photo Assistant: Rachel Holmes Cover photography by Minki Kim; interior photography by Minki Kim, unless otherwise noted Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 Dedication For Dad and Mom and my sister and brother in Korea. I miss you each day. Acknowledgments I am very grateful to the following: Roxane Cerda and Amy Marson, who always listen to my ideas and support me from the beginning to the end, and Karla Menaugh, for her help and for making the book easy to read. All my Riley Blake Designs family, Alex Veronelli and Erin Sampson from Aurifil threads, Lindsey Grand from The Warm Company, Sara SJ Kim from Dailylike Canada, Annie Unrein from ByAnnie, Yvonne Busdeker from OLFA Craft North America, Raymond Choi from Byhands Hand Craft USA, LECIEN, Alice Voss-Kantor from BERNINA USA, and Leslie Routson from Taylored Expressions. I truly appreciate you trusting me and supporting me without question.

My little Claire, who always plays around me, keeps me company, and loves everything Mom makes. And my Chloe and Caylin, who always share the most honest feedback that helps me to try another and another. My husband, Alex, for being my best pal. introduction I remember the very first handmade item gifted to me from my mom and dad: a gray indoor shoe bag for my first day of first grade. When I was a child in Korea, my classmates and I had to change from outdoor shoes to indoor shoes before entering the classroom. Everybody wore the same white cloth indoor shoes, and every Monday our teacher checked to see if we had washed them during the weekend.

Most kids brought a store-bought shoe bag with colorful cartoon characters, but mine was my parents collaboration. My dad sewed the bag with handles and my mom hand appliqud a bunny from an old blanket to decorate the plain bag. I used it until I wore a hole in it. (Eventually I lost a pair of shoes through that hole!) Whenever I think of my shoe bag, I realize how much my parents loved me and how a young married couple tried to give a special gift to their first child. It took me 30 years to come to that realization. Time has passed, and I have three children, just like my parents.

Now I see myself in my daughter. She changes her lunch bag whenever I make a new one. Her best friend expects to receive something handmade on her birthday. Sometimes she even hints to my daughter about what she wants: I want the same pencil case you have. I think making things by hand is a very healthy habit that nurtures our busy lives. And I have found that giving handmade gifts is addictive in a very good way.

In this book, I have tried to include projects that are both inspirational and informational. I have included as many step-by-step photos as possible for beginners. For advanced sewists, I tried to introduce a variety of projects and details that you can adapt to your own style. It is my hope that you will flip through this book whenever you are searching for a project idea, a quick handmade gift, or just some simple hand sewing to calm your busy mind. Many projects are simple and can be finished in an afternoon, yet each of them has unique details. I believe that attention to one little detail makes all the difference.

I hope you turn the pages over and over, twist a bit of a design, or mix and match for another new project, like an appliqud strawberry drawstring bag or embroidered zipper pouch. The imagination is endless, and I hope we can stitch what we see in our everyday lives uniquely and kindly together. Downloadable Patterns All the full-size patterns for the projects are located on the pullout. You can also download and print any of the patterns at tinyurl.com/11356-patterns-download. Make sure you print the images at 100%! LITTLE TOWN COASTERS Finished coaster: 6 6 Whenever someone visits my home, the first thing I do is to pull out my handmade coasters and serve coffee or tea on them. It always makes my guests smile and feel that they are specially treated.

These little house coasters are a quick project that will sweetly dress up your teatime. Materials and SuppliesDimensions are written width height throughout. Linen: 7 7 for coaster front Backing: 6 6 for coaster back Fabric scraps for houses Cotton batting: 7 7 Thread: Neutral (ivory) and beige and gray embroidery floss CuttingFor the house motifs, see the Little Town Coasters patterns (pullout). Fabric scraps: 4 squares 2 2 Instructions Seam allowances are unless otherwise noted. REVERSE APPLIQU THE HOUSES Using a pencil or temporary marking pen, trace the houses onto the linen square, 1 from the bottom and 1 from the right side. With a pair of scissors, clip the center of each house and cut out the linen, leaving a seam allowance inside the house. Clip into each corner for easy folding. Fold the seams inside and press. | A & B Sew 2 fabric scraps together.

If you want to use the print on the fabric as a window or door, mark the roofs sewing line on the house fabric before adding the roof fabric. Lay each house on a piece of batting. | C Place the linen square from Step 2 on top of the scraps on the batting. Make sure the roof is in the right place. Press. | D Pin the linen to the batting and place a running stitch around the houses, using 2 strands of gray embroidery floss.

Stitch right through the linen and batting. Trim to 6 6. | E tip You can also machine stitch around the houses using dark thread. Draw additional designs as you desire. I added a television antenna to one house and a little window to the other. Turn. Turn.

Hand stitch the gap closed. Topstitch around the edge of the coaster by hand (using 2 strands of embroidery floss) or by machine. tip When topstitching by hand, pull the thread just a little. This creates nice wrinkles that add a handmade charm.