Tag Archives: sashiko stitching

Sashiko stitching as an embellishment on other projects

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It’s been so long since I posted you will think I forgot I have this blog, but not so!   I think of you often!

I thought I’d show you a few samples of sashiko stitching used as an embellishment on other projects today.   I use sashiko thread and stitch a few random lines on prints and plain fabrics quite often just to add texture and interest.  The thing to remember when doing it is to make your stitches  – I know you know the rest of this sentence! - about the length of a grain of rice on the top and about 1/3 that length on the back.  This spacing keeps your brain, and therefore your eyes, interested. It is easy for your eyes to understand it as a solid line, yet it is more interesting than an actual solid line.

Here are examples of sashiko stitched lines used on pieced print fabrics. The projects would be good enough without the stitching, but it gives them just that extra bit of interest.

Another option is to use sashiko stitched lines to give interest to a plain fabric like this linen bag

You get the idea.

Sashiko thread comes in 20 colors, plus about 6 variegated colors. I think I explained how to cut and braid the thread before you use it somewhere else in this blog. This keeps the skeins from becoming tangled messes!

Okay, one more picture – this is my new needle book kit (there are only a few). You can find it on A Threaded Needle, along with the bag handles, sashiko threads, metal purse frames and kits (including the taupe clasp purse with the two little birds), and some of the fabrics in these pictures.  The metal frames come with patterns and are surprisingly easy.

If you are in the Vancouver area, A Threaded Needle (me) will be at the North Vancouver Lion’s Gate Quilt Show June 8 and 9. Its in the Delbrook Rec. center. We would love to see you.  We will also be going to the Edmonton Creative Stitches and Crafting show in September this year.

Talk to you again, soon maybe :-)

Cheers,

Susan

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

 

Six Sashiko Circles Runner Project

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Our next e-mail sashiko teaching project from A Threaded Needle

This large runner (it could also be used for a bed footer) is going to be our next  e-mail sashiko project.  Some of you have done this with us before.  It works like this: you sign up to get our newsletter at www.athreadedneedle.com and that gets you the information you need to sign up and for buying your materials for the project.

Then you get a series of e-mails (these are free) with step by step photo directions for making the project as we all make it together.  This is a bigger project than some we’ve done, so I would guess there will be about eight e-mails over about eight weeks, the first to show piecing the runner top, then one each showing the sashiko stitching for each new sashiko  circle, then one more to show putting it all together.

This is a good way to learn sashiko stitching. Its also a good way to be part of a group if you live in a rural area.

When the project is done your name will remain on our general e-mail list so you will know when we do another project, but we don’t send weekly, let alone daily e-mails! I try for monthly, but that doesn’t always happen either.

Did I give a start date? How about early April?  But if you are interested sign up for the newsletter now so you get on the sign up list and get the supply list.

This will be fun!

Cheers,

Susan