Sashiko

So I was surfing the web this morning and came across Pat Sloan talking about Sashiko... She said very much what I have been thinking of late... This is her discussion about Sashiko from Quilting Galleries. Do you personally challenge yourself to learn something new in quilting every so often? I do! This year I’ve become interested in not only learning more about embroidery but also taking a dip into the world of Sashiko quilting. I don’t know much about this.. but I have friends that do! Today I’m going to give you a little overview... What IS Sashiko? Wikipedia says “Sashiko (literally “little stabs”) is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching (or functional embroidery) from Japan. Traditionally used to reinforce points of wear, or to repair worn places or tears with patches, this running stitch technique is often used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery. The white cotton thread on the traditional indigo blue cloth gives Sashiko its distinctive appearance, though decorative items sometimes use red thread. Many Sashiko patterns were derived from Chinese designs, but just as many were developed by the Japanese themselves. The artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) published the book New Forms for Design in 1824, and these designs have inspired many Sashiko patterns.” Source Sashiko is an embroidery pattern you put on the top of the fabric, just like the crazy quilting and regular embroidery. I’m drawn to the traditional navy with cream thread, it’s so beautiful! I can’t wait to try this! If you can’t wait and want to try Sashiko now.. there is a nice tutorial at Purlbee. Here is more info at About.com with some freebies to download. Off to get ready to go to work... Thanks for stopping by :) Ciao for now! J :)