Archive

An archive of past Sashiko or Sashiko-inspired works and ongoing projects.

 

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Sashiko - An Info Capsule:

Sashiko(刺し子) is a hundred-year-old traditional Japanese folk textile method developed since the Edo period(1603-1868) in the North of Japan.

Directly translated as "little stabs", sashiko is mostly used by the working class to strengthen worn-out garments: by stitching them with simple running stitches employed by repeating or interlocking traditional Japanese geometric patterns. For that reason, sashiko is considered a “folk textile” because it was produced and used by the working/peasant classes compared to more delicate and luxurious fabrics like silk. Sashiko was what women in farming or fishing families do during the wintertime, utilizing the technique to extend the life of beaten up fabrics through mending and thickening objects from clothing to everyday items such as tablecloths and bento wrappers.