Though my thread looks white in the pic, it is actually baby blue. I just have to stitch the border. The stitch lines are printed on. I think my stitching looks better in the photo than in real life, ha ha.
May 2012: I first heard about Sashiko at PR Weekend 2012 in NYC. Diana Rupp was one of the guest speakers. She had patterns with McCalls that featured Sashiko, in particular a tunic with Sashiko on the bottom.
August 2012: ATP and I go to Perl Soho so I can buy Sashiko supplies (needle, thread)
(some other date): I buy some Sashiko coaster kits at The City Quilter in NYC
June 2013: Velosewer and I go to The City Quilter. I buy this book.
Tonight: I find myself with 90 free minutes and think, should I sew a pair of UW (yes, it really takes me 90 min to sew a pair of UW) or start a sashiko kit?
You can see my choice.
Wow, it is a *lot* different from cross stitching.
The book recommends a special thimble I don't have, ha ha, but I could see how it would be super useful.
The instructions with the kit are in Japanese so I don't know how many strands I'm supposed to use (in cross stitch there are 6 strands in the floss and typically 2 strands are used--though its been ages since I've done cross stitch--maybe it was 3 but I think it was 2). Based on the amount of blue thread in the kit, I figured it was to use the entire floss, not to split it, but it is so hard to pull the needle through that I had to use my pliers. It makes me think the floss should be split into strands.
Have you ever done Sashiko? Any recommendations for books or videos???
15 days til my work project goes live. Then there's the stabilization period. Then let the sewing begin again!!!
Leafy green richness in Princeton this afternoon, with my dad, on Nassau Street.
Be well!
