Tag: sampler

Sashiko #5 – Second Color

After waiting a few days to get some red cotton sashiko thread, I went ahead and finished up sashiko sampler #5. I really like this bright red, as it rather glows against the denim, and is nicely balanced by the creamy white threads of the grid.

The goal here was to create a geometric pattern in colors. Patterns which have a rhythm to them are more appealing – I am not sure why! The red threads are designed to create a plus sign (+) in the center of each square, and some do, some do not. It doesn’t really matter all that much to me in some ways as I like the imperfection of the stitches. Despite that, the pattern does work overall. If you nitpick and look at each square and plus sign, you will see mistakes and uneven work. The center of each grid was drawn in freehand and then sewn, and I worked to see the center of my work rather than following lines.

Below is the reverse of this pattern. I worked the stitching from the front of the material. Sashiko #6 will be worked on the reverse side of the fabric as I have read and seen it done that way, too.

Sashiko Pattern #3

The other day I practiced straight stitch – running stitch – sashiko. Holding a long needle and a palm thimble is a bit of a challenge. Yesterday I decided to try to draft a round pattern to practice stitching in curved lines. I used my pre-washed denim, a circular lotion tin, and a yellow chalk marking pencil I use in sewing. The big problem is that the fabric is very soft from washing – the sizing is gone – and I wonder if I should use unwashed denim or perhaps add a starch to make the fabric stiffer and easier to draw upon for design. When I was drawing the circles, the fabric slid around and some of the circles got squished up. You can see my sampler below!

Sashiko actually stitches up a lot more quickly than I thought it would. My stitches vary a lot, and that is something to work on, and I think how I hold the needle and thread in my right hand and manipulate the fabric with the left will help even things up. You learn as you go, for sure!

Below is the backside of my sampler.

One thing I do enjoy while working on sashiko is listening to audiobooks. It is a great way to sit outdoors, have some coffee, stitch and listen. Even better on a beautiful summer day!