Embroidery Garden: Artful Designs Inspired by Nature By Yanase Rei
Opening
As this is my first book review, I hope you won’t judge me too harshly. The book was published by Schiffer Publishing.
When I first looked through Embroidery Garden, I had some doubts. It seemed to me that there wasn’t enough text, and I wondered whether it would provide enough guidance for someone who was just learning to embroider. However, after reading the book carefully, my opinion changed. I found it very clear and easy to understand, logically organized, and, at the same time, not overloaded with explanations.
In the preface, Yanase Rei writes about the changes that can be observed in a garden throughout the day. I found this idea particularly appealing. I had never thought about how the time of day could be translated into embroidery design, or how differently we might perceive the same garden, plants, and colors in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
I also liked the author’s “greatest wish”: that readers would not simply recreate the designs she suggests, but use them as a starting point for learning to create “their very own embroidery gardens with personalized flowers.” This immediately changed the way I perceived the book. I began to see it not simply as an embroidery book, but as an invitation from the author to observe nature around us more closely and find inspiration for our own ideas.
Inside the Book
One of the details I found especially appealing is the use of small captions beneath the photographs. These are not ordinary captions: they also include the author’s tips, observations, and little insights. I really like this approach. The book communicates with the reader not only through text, but also through photographs, captions, sequences of images, and clear diagrams, which do much of the explaining.
The section called Delicate and Light is filled with photographs of embroidery, both monochromatic and colorful. Sometimes both approaches are used within a single work, although they remain visually distinct.
In the What Do You Like? section, Yanase Rei not only presents her work but also shares her own experience of developing a design. In this way, she encourages readers to think about their own preferences and what they would like to create themselves.
Another particularly interesting section is The Grace and Beauty of Black. Monochromatic embroidery, and black embroidery in particular, is one of my favorites. I clearly remember a black hat decorated with black embroidery and a small touch of gold. A limited palette does not make a piece any less expressive; on the contrary, it allows the texture and details to stand out even more clearly.
The author begins discussing the technical aspects with Color Preference, which I find very logical: once we have a design, we need to decide which colors to use. The photographs and accompanying explanations provide helpful examples and guide us in choosing the colors that best suit our own vision.
In The Progression of Embroidery Work it’s explained how to arrange and place individual details within a design.
Dynamism and Presence allows us to take another look at the author’s works. I still remember one piece that used a wide palette of colors against a dark-green background. Although there are many different colors, they coexist in perfect harmony. I believe Yanase Rei has a remarkable talent for combining colors, which is why her multicolored embroideries are particularly expressive.
Her designs featuring birds and animals feel warm and gentle, reminiscent of sincere, heartfelt children’s drawings. By this, I don’t mean that they look simple or easy to make. Rather, they convey a sense of freedom and kindness. The images of birds and fish spread across a single page, like illustrations from a fairy tale, are captivating in their delicacy, choice of colors, and combination of details. They are truly extraordinary! I was also particularly interested in the embroidered bookmarks. I have made bookmarks before using cross-stitch, beadwork, and needlepoint, but after seeing this book, I felt inspired to try making one in the author’s style.
The final major section of the book is Instructions. The sections covering materials, tools, basic stitches, and transferring designs are written clearly and in an accessible way. In my opinion, there is enough information here for even someone with no previous experience to get started. For most of the designs, the information is presented across two pages. On one page, the stitches used are shown directly on the design, while the thread numbers are provided on the other. Because these two layers of information do not overlap, the diagrams are much easier to read and follow.
The book also presents single motifs — plants, animals, and other elements — that can be used separately or combined to create your own compositions.
The Book as an Object
Embroidery Garden is not just an art book — it’s a book you can use while working. That’s why I want to note the advantages of this edition. The paper is pleasant to the touch and of great quality. But for me, as an embroiderer, it’s even more valuable how convenient it is to use while working. When opened, the pages lie almost flat, so you don’t need to hold them while working with the diagrams. I also liked the front cover: it has a relief texture, and the stitches stand out and are pleasant to the touch.
The quality of the photos deserves special attention. The images are sharp, and the colors look natural. Some pieces are photographed from different angles, which allows you to get a better look at the surface of the embroidery, as well as individual details and stitches. I like the placement of the photos throughout the book. Some of them take up almost the whole page, while others have some space around them. This sequencing creates a kind of visual rhythm and prevents the book from becoming monotonous. The font is not too large, but at the same time, it is fairly legible. It works well with the general visual concept of the book: the text contains all the necessary information, but doesn’t dominate the embroidery.
Who This Book Is For and What Inspired Me
I believe this book will interest even someone who has no experience, as the material is presented in an easy and understandable way. At the same time, Embroidery Garden can be of interest even for more experienced embroiderers, especially those who want to try a different approach to embroidery and design, the one which gives more freedom. An experienced embroiderer, I think, will value the opportunity it gives to take a fresh look at the well-known techniques - through color, composition, combination of motifs and Yanase Rei’s creative approach.
After reading Embroidery Garden I got a desire not only to recreate one of Yanase Rei’s designs, but also to try to see nature as a source of inspiration for my own design. I kept thinking about the idea expressed in the preface about how different a garden looks at different times of the year. As a result I had two ideas of my own. One of them is to embroider Hibiscus mutabilis at different times of the day. When its buds open in the morning they are pure-white or cream color, during the day the petals turn pink, and by the evening, they become bright red or crimson. The other idea is to choose a tree, a bush or a garden nook and embroider it 4 times: the way it looks in the spring, summer, fall and winter. The composition could stay the same and be recognizable, but the color, texture, stitch density and mood would change with each season.
The Author
In the My Creations section, Yanase Rei shares a little about herself. After reading it, I became curious to learn more about her, and I thought it would be interesting to give readers of this review an opportunity to get to know the author a little better as well.
I read an interview with Yanase Rei for Brother See Sew, and I particularly liked its title: “Because I started late, I can enjoy embroidery with a free and creative approach.” Before embroidery became such an important part of her creative life, Yanase Rei dreamed of becoming an illustrator. She moved to Tokyo to study at the Setsu Mode Seminar. After graduating, she worked for a company that created accessories, while also working on accessories for stage productions. Later, she began working independently.
Yanase Rei came to embroidery shortly before turning forty and largely taught herself, including through embroidery books. At first, she couldn’t even imagine that embroidery would become her profession. I felt a certain personal connection with the author here, as I, too, came to embroidery without any formal training in the field. Another small and unexpected connection is our shared love of Marc Chagall.
Yanase creates not only works intended for exhibition, but also pieces that can be used in everyday life: bags, purses, framed works, embroidered accessories, small embroidered horses, and more. Her embroidery on clothing and bags, created in collaboration with Encole and Fabric, is particularly beautiful.
She often incorporates floral designs into her work because they allow her to “express her individuality.” Flowers and plants hold a particularly important place in her creative work. Yanase says that she grew up surrounded by flowers. At the same time, she does not try to reproduce plants realistically in her designs. Floral motifs give her the freedom to alter real-life shapes and colors and interpret them in her own way.
I really liked her idea of organizing an informal crafting group — not a traditional class, but a space where people could work on crafts together, talk, exchange ideas, and inspire one another.
In addition to her own book, Embroidery Garden, Yanase Rei was also a co-author of two collaborative books: Plant Embroidery Encyclopedia and Upcycle Note.
Final Thoughts
When I opened this book for the first time, I had some doubts - does it contain enough information? By the time I finished reading it, the very aspect that had raised this question had become the book’s main advantage. Yanase Rei succeeded in creating a book which teaches and inspires at the same time, after reading it you want not only to look at the author’s works or recreate the suggested designs, but also to start thinking about your own projects. She gives the reader a practical foundation, shows her own process and shares her experience, but she does so in a light and unobtrusive way. I guess, for me the best indicator of how inspiring the book is lies in the fact that, after reading it, I came away with new ideas for my own work.
I’m grateful to Schiffer Publishing for providing a copy of Embroidery Garden Artful Designs Inspired by Nature for reviewing.
To buy a copy of this book, you can click on the link below which leads to Shiffer Publishing:
Schiffer Craft creates books and kits that celebrate heritage crafts for modern makers. www.schiffercraft.com
