a little more sashiko history….
White cotton thread and sashiko stitching
By the 1800s there were cotton fabric manufacturers in southern Japan, but in the colder northern part of Japan where cotton couldn’t grow, the working classes continued to use the handwoven and rough hemp. During this time merchant ships traveled the coast line of northern Japan. One part of their cargo was cotton rags, which they sold to farmer and fisher men’s wives. The wives being often too poor to purchase bundles of rags individually would group together to purchase, clean, sort and sashiko stitch the rags together to make clothing, bedding and household fabrics. It is around this time that white cotton thread appears in sashiko stitching.
Indigo blue cloth and sashiko stitching
Japanese Indigo (Polygonum tinctorium) from which blue fabric dye is extracted is a leafy plant which thrives in hot, sunny, humid climates. This made blue dye readily available to the peasant class who grew and used it to dye their handwoven hemp and cotton cloth.
Later, when manufactured cotton cloth became available, the peasant class continued to use indigo to over dye their sashiko stitched garments and bedding. The indigo strengthened the cloth, and no doubt gave coherence to the pieced and patched garments and household linens.
by Susan Fletcher
www.sashikostitchers.com