"Sashiko has become such a popular design element and you'll see it used masterfully in many award winning quilts. Not just a design for hand sewing, machine sewing with the right threads and needles (See Sarah Ann Smith's book) is quite stunning. Yet, the author encourages machine quilters: '...Try hand Sashiko. You might be surprised at how fast it goes and how calming it is to sit down and stitch a beautiful Sashiko design.' But Sylvia is not satisfied to let the beauty of Sashiko stand alone. She paired it with applique and added a tropical twist. Here in Florida Asian and tropical go hand in hand whether it be clothes or decor or art and Sylvia and CT Publishing hit a homerun with the pairings and projects featured. Not only does Sylvia offer her own designs to reproduce, including full size patterns, but helps readers to take the steps to make their own innovative quilts. For example, she writes "My favorite design tools are my digital camera, a photocopy machine, and a bit roll of tracing paper." She adds that another way to create compositions is to cut flowers and foliage and arrange them on a dark fabric background. Then photograph them. She provides every bit of information needed to make stunning applique and exquisite Sashiko which means this book can stretch to cover more than one technique you may want to try. And I can't think of a more visually alluring book than this one. Eye candy and inspiration abound..."

– Dawn, Subversive Stitchers: Women Armed with Needles

“Learn how to hand stitch six quilts inspired by tropical designs…a fine quilting guide that covers both turn-under and fusible appliqué. Even more valuable-create designs from your own photos: a skill that can transfer beyond the tropical theme. With its collection of full-page patterns and tips on hand embroidery embellishments, this teaches how to choose appliqué fabrics to create Sashiko designs.”

– The Midwest Book Review

“In Sylvia Pippen's new book “Paradise Stitched” Sylvia encourages the reader to try a particular style of hand embroidery called Sashiko. Sashiko means “little stabs” in Japanese. Sylvia also combines appliqué using her press-over Mylar method but does encourage the reader to try differed appliqué techniques as each technique offers their own unique advantage. Sylvia says “The Mylar method also makes it possible to appliqué some flowers in hand using preformed shapes instead of working petal by petal on the background fabric. A completed flower, fish, or bird can also be embellished with embroidery before appliquéing it to the background fabric”. The book covers materials you will need, including recommended fabrics and has a good section on the basics of Sashiko embroidery. There are six beautiful quilt project patterns included in the book with option for both turn-under and fusible appliqué. Sylvia's quilt gallery will inspire you to create designs from your own photos and embellish your quilts using embroidery. There is a good resource file in the back of the book to help you locate supplies, many available from Sylvia's own website.”

– The Appliqué Society Newsletter

“Traditional Japanese Sashiko (simple running stitches worked into lovely designs) combines with vivid appliqué motifs in the six innovative quilt projects included in this appealing book. Insightful design info, a gallery of quilts, and full-size pullout patterns are included.”

– American Quilter

"Sylvia Pippen was introduced to Sashiko, the art form practiced in Japan for centuries, by her mother, who was raised in China. Shasiko, which means "little stabs" in Japanese is a running stitch done in white thread on indigo fabric. Today Sylvia uses Shasiko and adds appliqué designs to complement the traditional designs. In this book she suggests using a variety of applique techniques, including her favorite, which is the press-over heat-resistant Mylar method that allows her to form crisp intricate pieces. Once you've learned both the appliqué and Sashiko technique, Sylvia offers six projects that combine the two plus embroidery.The book includes a nice gallery of work and full-size pull-out patterns. A plus is Sylvia's discussion on choosing fabric; she includes photos of a variety of fabrics and shows you exactly where to cut to get the right shading and light for your pieces."

– Morna McEver, Professional Quilter Online

"Paradise Stitched by Sylvia Pippen has a very bright, eye-catching cover that entices and intrigues you to find out more about the marriage between Sashiko and Applique.The book begins with a description of traditional Sashiko, which originated in Japan, giving examples and traditional patterns along with a comprehensive list of materials needed before moving onto the techniques involved for marking and stitching a design. The next chapter looks at appliqué methods using Mylar and paper templates then moves on to the fabric requirements for the flowers and birds in the quilts. Sylvia comes from Hawaii and her quilts are influenced by the Polynesian styles of quilting – she explains how she designs a quilt then introduces the reader to embellishing the quilt with embroidery. There is a short section on methods of finishing the quilt and a gallery of quilts made mainly by Sylvia but also from other members of her family and friends. The second half of the book gives patterns and instructions for completing 6 quilts using the methods described in the first half combining sashiko and appliqué. I found this book inspirational and a fresh approach to appliqué."

– Vicki Parsons

I completed some pre printed sashiko pillow blocks and was searching for a unique way to combine them in a quilt. This book presents a very interesting technique of combining appliqué and sashiko. It contains: a short history and tutorial for sashiko, a tutorial for three appliqué methods, a quilt finishing primer, a small gallery of quilts, some design suggestions, six projects and a pattern/template pack, plus common sashiko designs. That’s a lot of information packed into approximately 100 pages. I found the tutorials and project directions to be concise and easy to follow. The author presents alternative approaches to sashiko, appliquéing and fabric choices which I appreciate as I like to make my own decisions on methodology. I gave the book four out of five stars as I would like to see more design suggestions and a larger gallery of completed quilts. If I had been looking for a quilt project, I would have rated it as five out of five stars. I think this is a great book for a beginning to intermediate quilter with a love of sashiko and Hawaiian flare. It has given me some great ideas for my quilt. Now I just have to get started.

– Sandy Hatfield

I completed some pre printed sashiko pillow blocks and was searching for a unique way to combine them in a quilt. This book presents a very interesting technique of combining appliqué and sashiko. It contains : a short history and tutorial for sashiko, a tutorial for three appliqué methods, a quilt finishing primer, a small gallery of quilts, some design suggestions, six projects and a pattern/template pack, plus common sashiko designs. That’s a lot of information packed into approximately 100 pages. I found the tutorials and project directions to be concise and easy to follow. The author presents alternative approaches to sashiko, appliquéing and fabric choices which I appreciate as I like to make my own decisions on methodology. I gave the book four out of five stars as I would like to see more design suggestions and a larger gallery of completed quilts. If I had been looking for a quilt project, I would have rated it as five out of five stars. I think this is a great book for a beginning to intermediate quilter with a love of sashiko and Hawaiian flare. It has given me some good ideas for my quilt. Now I just have to get started.

– Sandy Hartfield