Month: April 2018

Here is a great deal as Spring Sashiko Sale 2018.

As you may have noticed, we do not offer much sales discount in a year. I am offering this Spring Sashiko Sale 2018 because I will not be able to make a package for the weekend of 4/20 ~ 4/22. All the orders I receive after the noon of 4/19 will be shipped on either 4/23 or 4/24. Instead of saying just “Thank you for your understanding!”, I decided to offer the discount.

 

Deal of Spring Sashiko Sale 2018

It is already started. The qualified items are already discounted. The deal will end on Monday 4/23. There is no requirement to participate in this sales as long as a customer understand these conditions.

• The order, which is placed after the noon of 4/19, will be shipped on 4/23 or 4/24.
• I have a plenty of inventory. However, in case of running short in inventory, I may ask you to wait for extra time or cancel the order.

This is my first time to offer the deal on this website.

I believe that the result will not be significant to the other “Big Sales” we get used to. However, just in case, I would like to mention that I will process the order in “first come first serve” based.

 

Several Events while I am in NYC

The reason I will not be able to process the order over the weekend of 4/20 ~ 4/22 is that I am traveling to NYC & Brooklyn. The regular Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core & Basic) is already full, but there are more events I will be joining.

 

Friday, April 20th | Tinted by Nature & Sashiko Items.

Some of our Sashiko items will be exhibited for purchase in the gallery, GGrippo art+design in Brooklyn.

The opening reception is opened to the public, and I will be there at 6 pm as well. It is a great opportunity to meet many artists who are passionate about Natural Dye. I hope to see you there. Let me know if you come to the reception by reading this article!

Address: 174 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY.

 

 

 

Saturday, April 21st

GGrippo art+design hosts my Sashiko Workshop (with Zen & Mindfulness topics) in their exclusive studio.

It starts at 4 pm. It will be pretty similar to the regular Sashiko stitching workshop. Check out the information!

Sunday, April 22nd

This is an offer for those who graduated our Sashiko Stitching Workshop.

We have a Sashiko Gathering, where the participants can get together and share their Sashiko work, and stitch together. A lot of items will be included to motivate & encourage them to keep enjoying Sashiko. Please consider to join us on Sunday morning, starting at 9:45 in Tribeca.

Sashiko Gathering!

 

 

More to come. Now, enjoy the Spring Sashiko Sale 2018.

I have more updates coming up such as Online Sashiko Workshop and so on. Since I am doing this by myself, it takes a bit of time to catch up everything going on around me. While I sort things nicely and neat, please enjoy a discount on Sashiko Thread & some of our Sashiko supplies.

 

Thank you for your loyalty & Enjoy Sashiko!

 

I have received many questions in my Youtube Videos when I make loops at the corners I change the direction in stitching. I understand the question, and this is my answer to “Why loops in Sashiko Running Stitching”.

A sample video with loops in Sashiko Running Stitching is:

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[Updated – Shorter Version of the Explanation of Why Loop]

Why loops in Sashiko Running Stitching?

The answer is kind of simple. “Just in Case.“

Sashiko is not only about stitching as a movement of the needle using a thimble. It is about making beautiful stitches with the purpose of strengthening the fabric. In order to have beautiful stitches, you need to perform “Itokoki” everytime you pull the needle through the fabric.

Itokoki is a movement of smoothing the stitches by pulling the fabric and pressuring the stitches (thread) using fingers. I may say, “you need to smooth the fabric” in the video, but I realize that it may not be 100% accurate translation. I will start using the word “Itokoki”

A Sample of Itokoki

First, you will make stitching like this. If you do not perform running stitch, there is no need for both Itokoki and loops.

After pulling the needle out, the stitches will look like this. In order to smooth this bumpy stitches, we need to pressure the fabric and stitches together. The movement of smoothing the fabric and stitches are called “Itokoki.”

When we do not perform enough Itokoki, then the stitches on the front side will look tensed. As much as we try our best to avoid it, we sometimes make mistake. The loop is for those “just in case”. When we have a loop at the corner, this kind of error can be fixed easily.

Regardless of the importance of Itokoki, it is very difficult to perform the perfect work.

Since it is “outside of the Sashiko stitching rhythm,” we tend to move to the next stitching without performing it perfectly. In order to avoid re-doing a lot of work, I tend to leave the extra thread on the fabric. It happens to be a shape of the loop, but it is just a thread leftover for “just in case”.

When I make loops

Here are the cases I often make loops. It can be a good project example for “Why loops in Sashiko Running Stitching”

1. A project which has the lining/back fabric.

Sashiko is originally developed as a needlework (technique) to use single layer fabric, both front and back, as the finished side. Therefore, we do not make knots when starting and ending the stitching. However, when we have a plan to put the linning or back fabric on the back side of the single layer of fabric, it is perfectly fine to make the side messy. In these cases, I actually recommend having some loops so we can fix the errors.

2. denim or thick fabric.

Even when you do not plan to put the linning or back fabric, if you plan to not to show the side, I also recommend leaving some loops, just in case.

Especially when I work on the denim, I try to leave small loops so the denim fabric can either stretch or shrink. The small loop will not affect the feeling. However, do not leave the big loops that the toes may stuck at the back side of Denim.

As I mentioned above, some Sashiko projects require both sides to be beautiful.

When I do not differentiate front and back, making loops (leaving extra thread) will not be appropriate.

Do I need a loop in Sashiko, then?

The answer is “No”.

If you prefer to avoid making loops, I have no objection to that. The idea of making loops is merely a wisdom in Sashiko stitching. If I were very careful and attentive, I would not want to make loops. However, I would rather keep some loops than fixing the errors by re-doing everything.

This was my answer to the question of “Why loops in Sashiko Running Stitching?”

Sashiko is as free (&creative) as you can imagine.

Enjoy the process, and be proud of the result. The loops are okay in between fabrics, or back side of denim (hidden).

We are honored to be part of the exhibition “Tinted by Nature” curation of naturally dyed Sashiko thread and Sashiko items. The exhibition is curated by GGrippo art+studio.

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On show from
April 20 – June 10.
Brooklyn, New York
GGrippo gallery, 174 Grand st, Brooklyn.
–
Atsushi will be joining the opening ceremony on 4/20 at 6 pm. Exciting to meet you & see you all.
.

 

The first exhibition for us | Tinted by Nature

This is our very first participation in the curated exhibition in the USA. We are so happy that GGrippo found us, and being a part of this great exhibition. The colors from Nature (natural dye) are something beyond the words. I always try to express how stunning the colors are, but looking at them with your eyes will make a big difference. I hope to see you & meet you at the opening ceremony on 4/20.

 

Sashiko Workshop in GGrippo art+studio

 

On 4/21, I have a plan to offer the Sashiko Workshop in GGrippo art+studio in Brooklyn.

The content of the workshop is very similar to what I usually offer as “Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core & Basic)”. In addition to share the Sashiko technique how to use a thimble and a needle, I will talk about the beauty of Natural Colors in Sashiko. I will also talk about how Sashiko can affect the way of thinking throughout “mindfulness.” The stitching and color from Nature can be very mind-soothing activity. 

 

Please find the details here and purchase your seat.

Registration Page for Sashiko Stitching Workshop in GGrippo on 4/21 at 4 pm. 

 

 

Touch, feel, and enjoy our Sashiko items

Some of our Sashiko items with Natural Dyed thread and vintage fabric will be displayed in the exhibition. They are also available for purchase. Sashiko Bags and Sashiko Cushion Covers will be welcoming you to touch, feel and enjoy the actual Sashiko stitching. Everything is done by hand, and every item is “one of a kind” Sashiko items.