French General Home Sewn
Author – Kaair Meng
Photographs by Jon Zabala
Publisher – Chronicle Books
Copyright 2008
ISBN – 13-978-0-8118-6403-9
Hardback – 176 Pages
The author of French General Home Sewn, begins her book with a dedication to her Parents. Her dedication that she writes, and I quote, “A Creative Life Begins at Home.”
It took over ten years of gathering items and information for Meng to begin writing her book. She gathered old convent sheets woven from hemp, red striped cotton ticking and floral patterns at flea markets in France. Meng and her family, also collected objects seldom seen in the United States. The family stocked their treasures in a small barn on the Hudson River in New York. Friends and family would come to see their goods and soon they had acquired a large enough following to move their collection to a retail store in New York City. Their collection became a life style for Meng and her family.
In 2003, Kaari Meng moved her retail store to Los Angeles where her shop was surrounded by Lavender Plants. Lavender was a favorite of Meng and added to the ambiance of her collection. Her inventory in her shop included French Textiles, fine linen sheets, summer hemp sheets, Nineteenth century glass beads, buttons and baubles.
In Meng’s book, French General Home Sewn, she explains her techniques with fabric. Her book includes unusual color combinations, hand covered buttons, embroidery and vintage trims. Mengs teaches her readers how to make simple projects into vintage projects.
Kaair Meng teaches her readers how to set up a sewing basket with buttons, needles, magnets, pincushions, floss, pinking shears, scissors, seam ripper, threader, tape measure, and thread. The book includes beautifully well done patterns which are attached to the inside cover of the book in a vintage envelope. A few of Meng’s projects that she teaches the reader are Organic Lavender Hearts, basket liners, bread bags, totes, organizers, and natural sheets.
I personally find the patterns in French General Home Sewn to be very challenging but yet rewarding. The projects are rewarding because of the fact they are so different and vintage. The author explains the patterns and directions well. I would highly recommend this book not just because I enjoyed it but because the patterns are so unusual.
Book Review
Carole Walsh Scott
