Maison Sajou Sewing Book: 20 Projects from the famous French Haberdasher

Exceeded expectations . . . wonderful ideas & designs that are relatively easy & quick to do . . . elegant, but not so difficult or challenging that a busy person can't find time for them.

This book has many nice photos and diagrams for sewing various small projects. If you know someone who loves to sew and enjoys all things French, then you should consider giving this book to them.

LOVE the book. My only problem is that I would love to purchase the material that is highlighted in the book, but it all must come from France.

Maison Sajou is a French haberdashery that sells beautiful supplies for hand embroidery and sewing. I have quite a few of their items and was excited to preorder this book the moment I heard of it.The book starts off with a discussion of materials and basic techniques. The projects are mainly for embroidery and hand sewing, although some parts can be sewn on a machine. (The only stitch used is a straight stitch, so any machine will do, even my 1939 Singer.) The bulk of the book is the section for projects, followed by full-sized patterns for tracing. It wraps up with a brief glossary and a few blank pages of graph paper.The projects are mostly beginner/intermediate level hand embroidery, and none require complex sewing. There’s a range of techniques, including cross-stitch and various other embroidery stitches, as well as drawn thread techniques. The style of the patterns is loosely drawn, like a sketch, and the stitching shown on the finished pieces is also very organic. If you like a lot of precision and tightly spaced stitches, this book is not for you. There are some beautiful traditional motifs, including strawberries, a running rabbit and a decorative alphabet for monograms. One thing I liked was that for some projects they show the original inspiration, such as old botanical prints.The photography is beautiful, but I felt the book design was too busy. I also felt that some of the patterns could use a little more detail. For example, the motif for the rabbit pillow is just an outline, but it requires quite a bit of shading. While I don’t expect them to mark every stitch, some indication of darker/lighter areas would have been helpful.If you love beautiful sewing supplies, be sure to have a look at Maison Sajou, whose items are becoming increasingly available outside France. Amazon’s selection is lacking, but there are always items on Ebay, and there are several official retailers online. However, you don’t need to use Sajou supplies for any project in the book. In my experience, Sajou stuff is beautiful and of great quality, but not much different from what you can buy for a much lower price almost anywhere else. If you want a taste of what they offer, I recommend their sturdy thread organizers, which are usually around $14. (Warning: this may turn into an addiction…) I like to buy the more decorative keepsakes from Sajou and shop elsewhere for actual project supplies.

I really like this bbo. All about bringing back a shutdown sewing goods businessin France. Lovely items and projects for the sewer.

This is s beautiful book. Reminds me of French General's beautiful books.

Just as described, delivered on time. thank you

A lovely book of beautiful projects - most on my to-do list now !

Fabulous book with loads of inspiration, from items to make to the stitches you need. The photos on the website do not do it justice. The hardcover of the book itself is so lovely, and very tactile. Highly recommended.

Looking forward to doing some projects from the book.

Beautiful book, from its cover to each page. The tradition of a name in beutifull pictures, with easy to follow instructions plus patterns. It will be a perfect gift to someone who love to sew and embroider as a big task.

I am always looking for ideas to sell in aid of various charities that I support and was delighted to find this. Lots of das, good for anyone who loves sewing but doesn't want to mak anything that takes too long

This is a lovely book full of practical information and tips. I bought it for myself to cheer me up but it would make a lovely gift.Maison Sajou is a beautiful shop, such a shame there aren’t more like it.