Sashiko Blog

Making a Japanese Pin Bowl


Japanese pin cushion bowls have become popular recently and as it turns out, despite their tiny cuteness they are functional.
Plus they have that Wabi-Sabi (happy-imperfect) handmade zakka (heart-smile) quality about them.

Making Summer Cushions Wabi Sabi Style
Making summer cushions wabi-sabi style
...every spring I have a new(ish) pile of stitchings and part-projects that were never made into anything.
They start as a tidy stack back in the winter, fall over and quietly slide onto the floor by spring.
"Ah ha!" I say to myself when the return of spring wakes my brain, "the time has come to get some of these used up!"...

My Boro Stitching & Thoughts for Other Stitchers
My Boro Stitching & Thought for Other Stitchers
.... but thats just how I like to do it. Other people stitch wonderful pieces with parallel lines evenly spaced. It's a matter of what you enjoy plus what is functional for your project. The right thing to do is to suit yourself!

Wagara & Wagara Kasuri Pattern Fabric Collection on A Threaded Needle
I've been buying these wagara fabrics for A Threaded Needle from Olympus Manufacturing in Japan for a few years, and as I am adding a few new ones to the website today, it seemed like a good time to tell you more about them.

So first, what does wagara mean?
and why Olympus fabrics versus less expensive versions of these designs?
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