Sashiko, A New Technique for a Quilter-And Welcome Fall

Terri's Sweet Little Pouch I have been fascinated with Sashiko for some time. This utility type of quilting has evolved in the last decade or so within the traditional quilt world as a decorative art form. While many of us admire the craft, few of us advance to learning how to work the myriad stitches into a functional or decorative design. Most often seen on denim, the contrasting light thread adds dimension and texture. Baby Lock makes a Sewing Machine that duplicates the stitch. It is much like a traditional machine but has a different feed/stitch system that lengthens the stitch and then shortens it to create the Sashiko look. The hand stitch style is so much more traditional and artistic. I have mentioned that one of the ladies in our Ladies of the Cloth group, Terri, is an artist who happens to quilt. Terri has a creative sense that translates to quilting and other stitching. She recently took a class to study the Sashiko technique. I am sure this is only the beginning of her Sashiko journey 👀 While I have read about different techniques used, this class taught how to use a very lightweight fusible interfacing with the pattern drawn to that. This requires stitching from the back side of the fabric. This photo shows the inside of the finished pouch where the interfacing has been applied. Because it is so lightweight it does not add any stiffness to the fabric. A very interesting concept. About the Baby Lock Sashiko Machine    This is a small excerpt from Wikipedia if you are interested. I met a lady, years ago, who did traditional work. She explained that this stitch was used on Japanese fishermen work coats as a mending technique. Using many different configurations, the stitcher's applied patches and joined fractured seams to prolong the life of fragile, precious and worn fabric.

Sashiko stitching on a reversible fireman's coat (hikeshibanten) with ginkgo leaves (top), interlocking circles (bottom), and kanji characters, paste-resist dying and hand-painted pigment on plain-weave cotton, from the late Edo-early Meiji period (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

Sashiko (刺し子, 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.^[1]
Sashiko embroidery was used to strengthen the homespun clothes of olden times. Worn out clothes were pieced together to make new garments by using simple running stitches. These clothes increased their strength with this durable embroidery.
Mostly geometric patterns are used to make this work. The common motifs used are waves, mountains, bamboo, bishamon, key fret, double cypress fence, arrow feathers, seven treasures, pampas grass, overlapping diamonds, linked diamonds, lightning, linked hexagons and persimmon flower. The embroidery uses special sashiko thread and needle. Modern day sashiko stitching is not restricted to the traditional indigo coloured fabric but uses a variety of colour combinations, and it is considered a beautiful surface embellishment for fabrics.
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