The materials you need for a Sashiko project is a pretty short list:
- Sashiko needle and Sashiko thread,
- a sashiko pattern,
- some cotton or cotton/linen fabric,
- and for transferring the pattern, some featherweight fusible non woven white interfacing and a permanent ink fine tip pen.
You can find these supplies on this website.
Before you do anything else, wash, dry and press your fabric in the same way you intend to after the project is finished and in use. (If you have a pre-printed fabric DO NOT wash it - your design will disappear!)
While you are waiting for your fabric to dry, you can transfer the design.
While you are waiting for your fabric to dry, you can transfer the design.
You will need the Sashiko design, a fine tip pen, preferably one that is permanent so it doesn't rub off on your thread as you stitch, a straight edge (ruler, quilting square...) and some tape. Oh, and the white featherweight fusible interfacing!
1. Tape the corners of the Sashiko design to your worktable.
2. Lay your interfacing over it with the glue side (the rough side) down and tape that to the table also.
3. Using the straight edge, trace the lines of the design onto the interfacing.
We are going to trace the design onto the interfacing and then fuse the interfacing to the back of the Sashiko fabric.
Here are the steps to follow:
Important Note: the interfacing I used in these photos happened to have yellow grid lines on it- they have nothing to do with transferring the design so please ignore them!)
4. Lay your (now washed, dried and pressed) fabric on your ironing board wrong side up, if it has one.
6. Un-tape the corners of the interfacing and lay it over the wrong side of the fabric. Using your iron at a medium heat steam setting, fuse the interfacing to the fabric.
Begin in the centre of the design and work toward the outside by lifting and setting your iron, rather than sliding it. This will keep the interfacing and your design from pulling out of shape!
Now your project is ready to start stitching.
Simply gather the fabric in your hand and start stitching as you would if you were stitching from the front of the fabric. This works because the sashiko stitch is the same simple straight line on the front and the back. The only difference in stitching from the back is that all the 'ugly stuff' is on the side you are working on. It may feel a bit strange at first, but it is an advantage when it come to managing tension and carrying thread.
Option: You can start with a small knot because it will not show for projects that are going to be sewn with a backing or lining when they are finished.
Also, you can be a bit more relaxed about carrying threads from one part of the pattern to another because they will also not show (but it is still best to follow the continuous lines of the sashiko pattern and carry only short distances).
The most important thing to remember is that the stitching will tighten up more when you are stitching a large area of fabric so be careful to remember to leave slack in any thread you carry across a distance as well as those (approx 1/4") loops where you turn corners, and every 6" (give or take) in any long straight lines of stitching.
These will not show on the front and many will disappear as your project stitching continues. It gets pulled in to the fabric to help the fabric stay flat, which is the reason for doing it. Any that does remain will stay hidden inside the finished project.
- how to start your stitching without knotting your thread,
- how to manage your stitch length,
- and how to decide what your length should be.
- Also how to hold your fabric, load stitches on the needle and turn a sharp corner.
Enjoy your stitching,
Susan