Friday, June 19, 2009

sashiko embroidery


I recently became fascinated with sashiko embroidery and splurged with some samplers and supplies from Purl Soho.
I find this to be a very meditative craft and as I work I can think through the day and things in my head and just let myself become entranced by doing the same stitch over and over.

This here is a close-up view of my first one. I am already at work on another and plan to do 3-5. I will either make these into pillows or frame them
as a grouping when I am finished.

The supplies for this type of embroidery are sashiko thread, needle and thimble. Since I was using a sampler I didn't need to purchase fabric. A cotton/linen blend would be perfect.

It is a bit different then embroidery in that you do not need to use a hoop or separate the strands. This is good project to bring along to the park and is really quite simple. The one I am working on presently looks more complicated but, is made easier with a chart letting me know which direction to work first. I think that tension is a challenge here not to get puckering which I can see I did get a bit of. Also, an accurate stitch length. It would also be nice to add a touch of this type of embroidery to something you already have. A pincushion and wool skirt come to mind.

It is a concerted effort for me to relax so it is nice to have some crafts which allow me to do this.

4 comments:

Denise said...

very pretty. I've been thinking like crazy about embroidery lately, wanting to break out of knitting a little bit.

Also, I purchased the last of your felt brooches today at Mackey Blue as a birthday gift for my sister. It's so adorable I might find myself keeping it.

lili scratchy said...

Hello Nancy!
Thank you very much for your visit
and your so friendly commentary!
Yes I can sell some pieces,the little tasse you saw are at 50 € piece.
If you're interested I will send you more photos.
I'm very happy to have discovered your blog too!
Have a nice day,

Bird Bath said...

hello! I've been interested in sashiko for a while too, this year I've made little attempts at it. I like it's rhtythm and simple pattern.

Anonymous said...

It's really beautiful. I love the idea of being able to do it all day, thinking about things, meditating. Lucky!!!