Colourful Sashiko

Blue and white dominate the color palette for traditional Japanese sashiko, a running-stitch embroidery known for its sharp geometric designs. Meaning “little stabs,” sashiko was primarily used to mend clothing items decoratively. Now, as sashiko artist Sashikonami shows us, anything goes, especially when it comes to color (though materials tend to stick to linens and cottons). The author’s distinctive sobriquet (also her Instagram handle) indicates a fascination with the craft. She begins her text with 47 designs—persimmons, coins, flowers—applied to small items like coasters, washcloths, and mini-totes, that will give beginners immediate gratification. Many U.S. readers/crafters might find the layout somewhat unfamiliar, as patterns lead, followed by a workbook (the how-tos), design charts, and then directions for finishing the different projects. Pair with a title like Susan Briscoe’s The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook, more styled for American audiences, for maximum, colorful sashiko fun.

A beautifully presented, unique book which should inspire and challenge you.

I loved the colours throughout […] l would also recommend it to newbie Sashiko sewers as it is such an enhancement in your book stash.

Small Steps: this is what Sashiko means in Japanese, and this is exactly what this book is all about.

It illustrates embroidery using small stitches, mainly all in rows, giving easy-to-follow instructions with amazing results. Patterns are usually followed from grids and therefore you could design your own.

The book contains 49 designs and 67 different Sachiko patterns to follow. There are also some ideas shown in the pages that these lovely designs may be used on.

The book itself is robust and contains 95, almost glossy pages. All information is given to you on what you would need and the best way to proceed with starting this craft.

I found the book very interesting and will enjoy giving this very easy and effective embroidery a go.

Sashikonami combines her love of piecework with sashiko, with her designs worked in a spectrum of coloured threads and fabrics as opposed to the traditional indigo. Comprising 49 projects and more than 60 geometric patterns, shapes and combinations, try your hand at floral motifs, baketweave, musical notes and more. The practical, pretty project items include dish cloths, purses and mini tote bags, coasters, pouches, face masks, sponge bags and glasses cases. Detailing both the basics and more intricate stitch patterns, the title spans experience levels.

I was initially attracted to the designs on the front cover, as they were so different to the style of Sashiko I currently do. The book shows a range of clear and colourful photos of designs in the first pages then some projects to make using the designs. Then general instructions followed by tips for working various projects. Then there are stitch patterns for each design showing how to do the stitches, and different variations of the design. Then pattern templates for the projects.

I have done some Sashiko but found there are different styles shown in this book. So far I have completed 3 of the designs in different styles from this book.

Kaki-no hana (persimmon flower), hana zashi (flower) and kugari Zashi (stitching and weaving). The stitches are simple, and once the design starts to grow you get into a flow and it grows quickly.

This book contains 49 colourful sashiko designs as opposed to the normal blue and white. The book takes you through the designs from a grid so will be helpful to beginners to use these or adopt their own designs. There is a workbook section detailing all you need to begin and ideas for how to apply the designs to small projects. Great for anyone beginning sashiko and wants to take up a hobby that can be taken anywhere and done with little outlay and equipment.

For anybody who has a love of Sashiko stitching, this book is a beautiful edition, showing many different designs and the use of colourful thread work.

I like the pictures in the book for their clarity and simplicity. The texture of the paper has almost a matt feel to it and gives a clean and almost minimalistic feel, which I found very appealing.

[…]

For anybody starting their journey with Sashiko, there is a lovely section in the beginning of the book explaining the fabric, threads and equipment you need. It shows you how to use a ring thimble (a must for anybody doing a lot of Sashiko, I find it invaluable). How to prepare your thread, how to knot and how to finish. This may sound simple but Sashiko has a special way of doing all these things, so it is important to learn them well before starting.

There is an extremely good chapter on making a sampler, which I would recommend to anyone starting out to do. […]

If you are a beginner, don’t feel overwhelmed by this book but sit down and read it through first before starting, then give it a go.

For the more advanced Sashiko sewers it is a lovely edition to your library for your stitching and projects.

This book as well as being inspirational and informative would also make a wonderful coffee table book, because of the beautifully created applique pictures which look like ‘ethereal watercolours’.

You can easily get lost amongst the pages of this lovely book.

What I like is the amount of detailed information on the first several chapters of the book, from the best materials and equipment to use to learning how to over-dye your fabrics.

Abigail takes you by the hand on how to set the scene of your picture; how to cut out your templates and then informs you on the best threads to use for free motioning your templates on. A nice touch is the suggestion on not hemming your templates but leaving them to fray slightly, giving them a vintage feel.

The combination of diverse designs, practical projects and clear instructions make this a valuable resource for anyone interested in traditional Japanese embroidery, with a vibrant modern twist.

Another very fun book for my collection! This is Colourful Sashiko by Sashikonami, and I think my favourite thing about it is how the sections are laid out - First, you get to see all the stitch designs, and then you refer to different sets of pages in the book to set your project up, stitch the base pattern, and add variations, instead of laying out each project step by step. I found this really made me think about how I could add my own twists at each stage.I made a little sampler using the “juji hana zashi (flower cross pattern)”, including a variation, and it was so fun! It also made me think about what to do with the samples of all the embroidery techniques I want to try, and I have an excellent plan for that which I’ll share soon!

Sashikonami is a popular crafter living in Tokyo, specializing in colourful Sashiko, a type of embroidery used to embellish cloth or clothing. Her work is particularly trendy among Japanese crafters between the ages of 30 and 40. She is a popular Instagrammer with over 82,000 followers and sells her works online. She has co-authored books and been featured in magazines. Colourful Sashiko is her first standalone title as author.