Gradation Color Sashiko Thread with Sample Stitching

07/19/201707/19/2017 atsushijp Leave a comment

Recently, I enjoy making “Thread Bobbins – Itomaki” like the photo below. They are just so cute. Itomaki is a process of preparing to start Sashiko efficiently. However, I kind of enjoy the preparation process than actual stitching for now. Well, both Sashiko Stitching and winding the thread are the great meditation to calm me down. Here are the Itomaki Bobbins I made for gradation color Sashiko Thread.

*I sometimes refer Gradation Color Sashiko Thread to Variegated Color Sashiko Thread

gradation color Sashiko Thread 2

Enjoy the color variegation

Five selection of Gradation Color Sashiko Thread is one of our best selling products on our website. The color variegation adds great charm to the Sashiko project. For example, by using #203 Pink-to-White Color Sashiko thread, you will get the great Sakura (Cherry Blossom) color when you make a flower design pattern on the fabric.

Sample Stitching with Gradation Color Sashiko Thread

I received some requests to untie the Variegated Color Sashiko thread, so I made the sample Sashiko stitching with it. From left to right, #205-#204-#203-#202-#201. I stitched about 3~4 lines for each color. The design of sample stitching is simply the parallel lines with changing the thread by a meter or so. It is beautiful as it is already colorful.

gradation color Sashiko Thread 4

In addition to 5 Gradation Color Selection, we have 15 Solid (Mono) Color Selection, 2 Sashi.Co Original Color Selection, and more than 25 of Natural Dyed (Botanical Dyed) Selection for the Sashiko thread. They are all great for the Sashiko Stitching. As I repeatedly say, I strongly recommend you to get the best Sashiko Thread available for your investment. Sashiko requires you to invest a lot of your time. I want everyone to have a great result, and good quality Sashiko thread will be a good reward.

I will make sample stitching fabric for the other colors I have.

Keep you updated with us. Enjoy Sashiko!

*All of the Sashiko Thread is available in our Etsy Store as well as Amazon Market Place.

Japanese Dressmaker Tracing Paper for Sashiko

07/10/201707/10/2017 atsushijp Leave a comment

I have been introducing the same carbon paper, so-called “Chakopee”, the Japanese Dressmaker Tracing Paper. There is a note written in Japanese on the back of product package. Here is the translation of note on using the Japanese dressmaker tracing paper appropriately. For more information how to use the tracing paper, please refers the video tutorial (listed on the bottom of this article) of “how to transfer the Sashiko pattern”. The package of 5 sheets is available on this website.

The product is available with the Selection of 4 colors is available now. Pick the color which matches to your project.

– White
– Blue
– Yellow
– Pink

Notes on using Japanese Dressmaker Tracing Paper

The Pattern will be erased by washing the fabric with water.

Read it before you use it.

– Please try to use a small piece of fabric (which you plan to use) and the corner of this paper to test if the pattern washed off as you wish, wait until the pattern gets dried thoroughly, and test it.
– When you erase the pattern, please avoid using the Oil-based solvent such as Benzine.
– If you iron the fabric before erasing the pattern, the pattern may stay stronger and get more difficult to be washed away. Please be careful with that.
– If the pattern does not get washed away by just water washing, please try to wash with neutral detergent by hand. Please AVOID DRY CLEANING.
– You may experience the difficulty of transferring the pattern onto the thick and bouncy fabric such as felt. (The thick and bouncy fabric isn’t ideal for Sashiko.)
– After usage, please keep the paper in the bag, and avoid the high-temperature &high-humid condition and direct sunlight. Please reach out from children’s reach.

Personal notes from experience.

– Using a ballpoint pen with good pressure will result in a good transferring
– If you press your hand when you hold the fabric and pattern, the shape of the hand may be transferred as well.

Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List for 2017_S Collection

07/08/201707/08/2017 atsushijp Leave a comment

I am grateful that I received some active reactions to the article I wrote about “why does Keiko create the Natural Dye Sashiko Thread.” After working hard on studying the Natural Dye Thread, we have a Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List for the Summer of 2017. All available for sale. This is the list of natural dye thread we can re-create. In other words, even after they get sold out, we can restock the very similar color (almost identical) Sashiko thread.

They are all available on our online store. The coupon for Sashiko threads (free shipping for a purchase with 5+ threads) is still active.

Summer 2017 | Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List

Gray Color Collection

Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List 2

Each of the beautiful gray colored threads has its uniqueness by adding a hint of other colors such as purple, green, beige, and indigo blue. Although the gray color collection is not as fancy as the pink color collection, the gray color matches to the vintage fabric very well. In fact, these gray colored threads are most often used thread in Sashi.Co & Keiko Futatsuya collection.

#002 Japanese Nutgall	#004 Tangala
#006_Myrobalan	#022_Mountain Peach

Pink Color Collection

Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List 3

Pink Color Collection is our all time favorite. It looks beautiful on any color of fabric, and it adds the colorfulness to Sashiko.

It was challenging to stabilize the pink colors as the re-stackable thread. As you can see, one dye material, such as Lac Dye and Madder, can create several colors based on the condition and dye catalysts. Enjoy the beauty of purple to pink. They are even beautiful to just look at.

#008_LacDye	#010_LacDye
#013_Madder	#014_Madder
#015_Madder

Yellow Color Collection

We learned that our valued customer finds it difficult to use the yellow color in Sashiko. The yellow colors from Natural Dye could be a good substitute (or even upgrade) for the white thread. For example, the indigo blue fabric and yellow natural dye get the result of white looking. Both colors from Mountain Peach and Myrobalan will open up another possibility to your Sashiko project!

Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List yellow

Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List 024 — #024_Mountain Peach

Natural Dye Sashiko Thread List 025 — #025_Myrobalan

Enjoy Sashiko!

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Upcycle Stitches Etsy Store

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Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread

07/07/201707/07/2017 atsushijp 1 Comment

As I repeatedly mention in the website, it is very important to have the good thread when you enjoy Sashiko. In fact, it is more difficult to “find” the best thread than choosing the one. As a group of Sashiko artists, we always choose the thread from Coron Manufacture. However, it isn’t easy to get the color we want all the time, although we have more than 15 variations available. Keiko Futatsuya started dyeing the thread by herself with Natural Botanical Dye after experiencing the challenge in finding the appropriate color thread. They are very beautiful. At the same time, she realized, it isn’t budget friendly to use the Botanical Dye Sashiko thread only on her project. Then, she talked to the manufacturer, came up with this unique colored Sashiko thread. The Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread, which has the similar color to some of the Natural Botanical Dye Sashiko Thread.

Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread 2

Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread 3

Please Visit the page for the purchase of Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread.

Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread for everyone

Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread T1 Beige

Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread T2 Moss Green

We have 2 colors of our Sashi.Co Original Color Sashiko Thread. One is Beige (#T1) and the other is Moss Green (#T2). Both of them have a unique color, which doesn’t look like the synthetic and machine dye. Since ordering the original color required a large amount of thread to dye in the big pot, we needed to spend a lot of our capital to make this happen. Therefore, we are providing the thread with the similar prices as the other synthetic dyed Sashiko thread such as Solid Color Sashiko Thread and Variegated Color Sashiko Thread.

Every kind of thread is the best for the Sashiko purpose. The difference is only the colors. I hope everyone can get an opportunity to try one of our great Sashiko thread.

Enjoy Sashiko!

The First Indigo Dyed Sashiko Thread

06/15/201706/15/2017 atsushijp Leave a comment

Ever since we started creating colors with Natural Vegetable/Herbs for Sashiko Thread, we have been longing for achieving two big goals, dyeing with Indigo and Kakishibu (Persimmon Tannin). We finally took one step to make it happen. Sashi.Co & Keiko Futatsuya now prepares to offer the First Indigo Dyed Sashiko Thread. Although Kakishibu Dyed thread would need more trials and research, Indigo Dyed Sashiko Thread turned out good colors to enough to start selling for the first time, after so many challenges.

First Indigo Dyed Sashiko Thread 2

Deep Blue. Never ending challenges. Just beautiful regardless.

Dyeing with Indigo requires extra attentions in the process. Indigo is very strong that it affect the other Natural Dye. Ideally, the dyeing artist should have a separate room for Indigo Dyeing. Even more, the dyeing studio may be better of if the place is designed exclusively for Indigo Dyeing. We couldn’t afford for the space like this, so it was a challenge to even try. However, after many mistakes, we could finally put color on our Sashiko thread, for the first time.

It has deep, very beautiful blue. We believe the combination of Indigo Dye Fabric and this Indigo Dyed thread would be so wonderful. We are working on it as well.

The First Indigo Dyed Sashiko Thread

Our First Indigo Dyed Sashiko Thread is now in preparation to introduce in the market. In the USA, I would list them on Amazon as well as our online stores. I am so happy to be able to add Indigo Dyed Sashiko Thread to our Natural Dye Sashiko Thread Collection. Every color has a limited number of skeins in stock. Enjoy the beautiful Natural color in your project!

Check the Natural Dye Sashiko Thread on Amazon

Sashiko Workshops in NYC. I want to meet whoever loves Sashiko.

On top of this beautiful news, we would like to re-announce that Atsushi is hosting hands-on Sashiko workshops in NYC on 6/24 & 6/25. If you are around, come and meeet Atsushi!

Sashiko Swatches Collection Third | #007 ~ #014

06/08/201706/08/2017 atsushijp Leave a comment

We have been adding the Sashiko Swatches to the Etsy Store. I feel like I am making a Sashiko Swatches Collection there.

Every Sashiko swatches have its original uniqueness and beauty. Every fabric is hand-stitched, and of course, one-of-a-kind piece. They are a bit expensive (luxury for fabric), but I hope the fabrics will find home or project to be applied.

*A series of introducing Sashiko swatches is consist of many articles on this blog. The previous article is here.