During the early 1990s, as a member of Area 2 of the Northern New England Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, I prepared a series of five monthly lectures that centered on the culture, history, and needlework techniques of Japan. One type of stitching that was new to me, at that time, is called “Sashiko.” This type of needlework had its roots in the utilitarian need to mend and reinforce everyday clothes by using a large running stitch. Soon, Japanese women were creating family crest designs, depictions of cranes, and foliage like Ghingko leaves and Cherry blossoms. Typically, thick white thread was used on an indigo background because cloth dyed with indigo was the material from which laborers’ clothes were made.

Within the last 20 years, Sashiko has seen a tremendous revival due to the number of books that have been written about the technique. Perle cotton #8 is the preferred thread. The challenge is in finding a needle with a large eye that will accommodate the thread and feel “just right” in the hand. , who is based in North Carolina, is a Sashiko teacher who is working with the Colonial Needle Company to offer a Sampler pack of needles, specifically geared toward use in stitching Sashiko designs, as revealed yesterday on Pat Sloan’s “creativetalk” Internet show: . The needles should be on the market soon.

I hope to do more Sashiko embroidery in the future. Sometimes called the “Big Stitch” technique, it is very enjoyable. Here is a sample of a miniature quilt I completed some time ago. The alternate blocks are fish “batik” fabirc and the border is a Momen House (Japanese) print, the gift of a friend.

Quilt made by / photo by

Last week, Jim and I visited a display of quilts by a New England quilt artist who came to this country from her native, Tokyo, Japan, twenty years ago. She incorporates Sashiko into all of her work, and certainly utilizes more colors than just white. I would happily provide a link to her website(s) but I have subscribed to an automatic alert system that indicates when a site has been hacked and is considered dangerous because of a potential virus transmission. I was unable to access her articles or her ordering page for kits. I have alerted her and when the coast is clear, I will post a link at that time. By the way, her work is lovely.

If you are looking for a new-old technique, Sashiko might be just the type of embroidery you’ll love. Personally, I love Japanese design. Although I own a huge stack of books on the subject, I will recommend one that was published not too long ago and is sure to be available.

Enjoy the day!

Pat