3 ways to transfer a sashiko design to your fabric

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Three methods for transferring sashiko designs onto your fabric, the first of which is heads and shoulders above the rest. Try it, you’ll see.

No matter what your craft, there is always the preparation, and getting that right can make such a difference to enjoying the rest of your project and having it turn out well.  I’ve been meaning to get this information on this site for some time. When I first encountered sashiko stitching I loved the look, but the problem transferring the design onto dark blue fabric almost made me give it up!

Directions I found back then amounted to actually graphing and drawing the design onto your fabric directly using a ruler and chalk pencil. Not only was that painfully not fun, the design rubbed away before the stitching was done.   Then iron away white pens seemed a solution, but I still couldn’t abide the graphing part.

So I made some full size sashiko patterns and discovered the following method.

Method 1

Begin with your sashiko design, a permanent ink fine tip pen, some white featherweight fusible interfacing (pellon) (non-woven is best), tape and a ruler.

Tape the pattern to your table. Tape the interfacing glue side (the rough side) down over the pattern. Tape it to the table.  Using the ruler and pen trace the design onto the interfacing.

Now lay the interfacing, glue side down, over the back of your fabric and using a medium heat iron, fuse the interfacing to the fabric. (The glue heats, melts and fuses the interfacing to the fabric) Begin in the middle of your design and iron gently toward the edges. I lift and set my iron, rather than sliding it. This helps to keep the interfacing from pulling out of shape.

Now your design is securely on your fabric. It won’t rub away as you do the stitching, it will stay easy to see, and it will stabilize the fabric a little without changing how it feels.  You will leave the interfacing on the fabric when you are done, there is no need to remove it, it will be covered in your finished project.

One more detail: you will be stitching from the BACK of the fabric.  Try it before you agree with yourself that you can’t do it.  It’s actually just as easy to stitch this way plus  you have better control when you are turning corners and crossing over open spaces. Remember to make your long stitches on the finished side tho!

Method 2.

Okay, say you hate method 1 for some reason I can’t imagine (or because you are stitching on a finished garment and can’t put interfacing on the back)  I think your best method for transferring the design in this case would be to use white sewing carbon.  Lay it over your fabric, waxy side down. Position your pattern over it and trace over the design lines. Check at the beginning to make sure the carbon is showing up on your fabric as you trace.

This method is quick and good for small area, but rubs away if you are stitching a large area.

Method 3.

So here is another option, tho its really an expanding of the second method. After you trace the design onto your fabric using the sewing carbon, trace over it again with an iron away marker.  Now it will stay put while you do the stitching.

Sorry,since I never transfer by either of these methods I have no pictures!

Cheers

Susan

 

6 thoughts on “3 ways to transfer a sashiko design to your fabric”

  2. Believe it or not, I found the best instructions on YouTube…I plugged in ‘spinning cotton’and just took off from there. I am waiting for my lap charka (the kind invented by Ghandi), but the more I research, the more I am leaning towards just upgrading from my home-made Takli spindle. The trick to cotton is a faster spin, since the fibers are shorter, and require more twist. Quite fun, and meditative, really.
    I love your site and blog! I will definately keep you posted on the WIPs ;-)

  3. Hi Silver,
    Turned out the cotton I was trying for was too expensive- actually it was the shipping that was too expensive, about 3 times the price of the cotton. I do some weaving so I know about drop spindle spinning, tho I don’t spin. Never saw it done with anything but wool tho. Where did you find lessons for spinning cotton? I hope you’ll keep in touch, I would love to see/hear how it goes for you. Maybe if you have some to spare eventually you would sell me a skein?

    Ho! I know about the cat problem! I have to fight mine for the right to my threads and fabrics. She likes to nest on top of them like a protective mother hen :-)

  4. Just a note…Desperation can be the mother of imprvisation ;-) ! I had a piece of black fabric, and tons of embroidery floss, and an impatience to try a piece. BUT, how to get my pattern to show on the black? Well, I tested what I had on hand, and suprise!!! A ruler, a lot of stopping and starting and a white Pentel Gel pen was the solution. I used it to draw a grid, and then added the alternating cross hatching ( putting | in the first square, then –in the next, and doing the opposite in the next row,etc). Voila! A sashiko pattern (can’t remember the Japanese name of it) that I am happily stiching away on, using your ‘stich from the back side’ technique! The gel pen stays nicely without rubbing off, and DOES wash out. I DO recommed TESTING on every fabric…I may have just gotten lucky. Thanks for all the tips. I will send a pic when it’s done.
    Thanks,
    Silver

    • Hi Silver,
      Way to go! Some of my best discoveries have been made by wanting to do something and figuring out ow with what I have! If you have some crochet cotton around, it will work better than embroidery thread because the strands won’t separate. I’m just working on getting some hand spun cotton to try, Fingers crossed, I’m very excited. I don’t know that I have ever even seen hand spun cotton that wasn’t already woven into something.
      Cheers
      Susan

    • How funny that you mentioned hand spun cotton! I am waiting for my supplies to learn how to spin it. I live in Arizona, so spinning wool is not too practical, although I do use it to knit Socks for Soldiers. I found YOUR site when looking up fun things to try with the cotton thread I will soon be spinning on my new lap wheel. It IS also possible to hand spin very fine cotton thread on a small ‘drop spindle’ type gadget that doesn’t drop to the floor, but rather into a small dish (I believe the tecnique is actually Japanese, as well). It is a bit time consuming, but the resulting cotton thread is lovely, and dying turns out fabulous. I have spun some from that pure cotton that comes in LONG strips-in-a-box from a beauty supply shop. The only real drawback with this tecnique for me was my cats ;-)