Category: News

Sashiko Shopping Experience Cover

Sashiko Shopping Experience by Keiko & Atsushi

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It is our goal to provide “everything” you need to enjoy Japanese Sashiko. We are still a group of Keiko and Atsushi (A mother and her son), and therefore we do not have enough capital to open a storefront or a physical store. However, we strive to do our best to deliver the best quality and well-thought products & tools for your Sashiko. For you as a customer, the Sashiko Shopping Experience through our website is very important. I hope you would spare some of your time to read this article for better understanding of what we provide. Since more than half of our products and items have “one-of-a-kind” character, such as hand-made and hand-dyed, we are not the same as other mass-produced, big brand, manufacture online store. However it is, our goal is to provide the best Sashiko Shopping Experience available. Enjoy Sashiko!

A choice of Sashiko Shopping Experience

Here is a list of places (websites) where you can get out products and items.

Each media has pros and cons. To provide as many options as possible is my intention to improve the Sashiko Shopping Experience.

Official Site | Upcyclestitches.Com

This is our official website and store is attached to it with using the Ecwid Shopping cart. You can use the credit card and/or Paypal to purchase our Sashiko thread, fabric, tools, and registration for the Sashiko workshop.

Since it is the official website, Atsushi will be on top of the customer service. If you have no preferences of “where” to purchase, please consider using this website for you and for me (in terms of supporting me for Sashiko activity.)

The order usually will be shipped the next business day with the shipping method you choose, and the package should be delivered within 2 to 5 days within the USA. When the order is made during the morning time, the package may be shipped on the same day. USPS pick up the packages around noon on weekday and Saturday.

Upcyclestitches.com is also a great place to purchase the special deal, such as Fukubukuro, which I offered at the beginning of 2019. We believe that the website is informative, and we intend to make the website more informative by adding many articles. Our goal is to motivate you enjoy shopping while you learn about Sashiko without any stress, so any feedback for the website would be appreciated.

I am confident with what I do, Sashiko, but not a good engineer or designer who can make the great website… I gotta learn more and more.

*Since I don’t have option to control the inventory by option via Ecwid, sometimes, it is not so convenient to use the website. For “one-of-a-kind” product (besides the Sashiko Jackets), Etsy Store below may be the better place to shop.

Etsy – Upcycle Stitches Store

We started Etsy store before I established Upcycle Stitches LLC. It was a place where Keiko and I sell something we made, as a craft-creator. In 2019, we provide a wide range of items we use in our Sashiko production.

Since Etsy is a great place to communicate to the other artists, we sell our threads, fabric, tools, and some of our Sashiko items, including “one of a kind” products. Sashiko stitched fabric, Sashiko bags, Boro & Boro inspired patchworks. It is my goal to add more items on Etsy, please follow me there to get the updates.

Atsushi in the USA will be in charge of shipping. Therefore, the same policy will be applied as the official website, upcyclestitches.com. If you make an international order, the order may be shipped from Japan. Either way, I will make sure the customer receive the 100% satisfaction.

Pop-Up Store in East Coast

Very occasionally, Upcycle Stitches offer a Pop-Up Store in NYC or in PA. In 2018, we had a great time with “75-Collective.” in TriBeCa. Please subscribe our newsletter or follow Instagram so we can send the latest information to you.

If you plan to participate one of our Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core & Basic), we usually bring most of the Sashiko supplies and tools. Please let us know when you have specific items you would like to see in the workshop you attend.

Amazon Store, Upcycle Stitches

We also have a storefront on “Amazon.com”.

As of now, it is impossible to ignore the impact Amazon brought to this society. Not only the customers who can get the order within 2 days with Amazon-prime, the retail-shop like us can also receive a benefit that we do not need to make the individual package.

It is our responsibility to offer the options, to receive the items within the time frame the customer requirements. Therefore, I hope you can enjoy the shopping some of the Sashiko items on our Amazon Store Page. There is, however, one favor to ask. When you purchase Sashiko supply, tool, or actually anything you would need, please be attentive to “who is selling the items” before just simply clicking the “Buy” bottun.

Since “anyone” can be a seller in the Amazon, there are many “dealers” who sell Sashiko items without proper knowledge or understanding to the culture. If you find the cheaper price by a lot, it is rational reasoning to purchase it from whomever available. However, if the price is not that much different, please care “who” is the seller.

One of my goal throughout our activities is to save Sashiko industry, which include purchasing the thread, fabric, tools and other supplies from the good manufactures in Japan. When Sashiko is in the trend, many dealers join to the market. Once the trend is over, those dealers will dump the price to clear the inventory and then move onto something else. Can you guess what happen when the dealers dump the price? It could destroy the manufactures, and it lead to the loss of its culture. I have seen it before, and I would like to protect them happening. One thing you can do as a customer is to be attentive who you are purchasing items from, as we used to do in a local store when we purchase an item (pretty much anything from grocery to even a refrigerator). If you see the lower price, please let me know. It is “our” responsibility to be competitive in pricing, and it is “customer’s” responsibility to support the culture.

*Although we are still working on the limited inventory only related to Sashiko, my big picture is to introduce all kinds of Japanese hand-craft to the world. Therefore, I am providing merchandise outside of Sashiko field. The concept is all “Enjoyable Japanese Hand-Craft”. Thank you for your understanding.

Each Media may have different stock of items.

As I mentioned above, more than half of items we sell are sort of “one of a kind”. For example, the Indigo Dye Sashiko Thread (A1) we sell on our Website may NOT the same as the one on Amazon. We try our best to keep the product page & photos updated, and please use these photos for each medium. Please do not cross shop over the mediums, especially when you would like to get the specific color (or stitches) from Natural dye (or Hand-stitching). We do not take returns based on the color difference, simply because it is impossible to provide the exact same color as the photo shows. It is the beauty of hand-dyed with natural ingredients. I appreciate your understanding.

We follow this color chart for the Sashiko thread we provide throughout the Official Website. However, on Amazon, I would like you to refer to the photos which is
on each product page.

For international customers

If you live outside of the USA, the order may be shipped out from (within) Japan. Sashi.Co & Keiko Futatsuya has their own website, and you may purchase items from there.

We try our best to match the colors on the web and the thread we deliver to you, with improving our commitment to the better Sashiko Shopping Experience.

Enjoy Sashiko in Happy Holidays

Enjoy Sashiko in Happy Holidays

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Leaves on trees get colored then fall down. We expect the snow soon and we kind of stay inside more in North East of the USA. It is the best time to sit and stitch. I am happy to announce that the great Fashion designer, Indi Kids, will have me for their wonderful event in December. The Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core & Basic) will be available on December 8th and 9th. I hope you can find the time for your busy yet fun season. Enjoy Sashiko in Happy Holidays.

 

The Detail of Indi Kid Event

 

Sashiko Workshop Schedule

The detail of the workshop can be found on the workshop registration page.

 

  • Dec. 8th, Saturday, 9:30 am to around 1 pm for 3 hours + α | 

or

  • Dec. 8th, Saturday, 3 pm to around 6:30 pm for 3 hours + α |

or

  • Dec. 9th, Saturday, 1 pm to around 5:30 pm for 4 hours + α (Bigger Group)| 

 

I hope to meet you & see you there.

Since this is a day-long event, we are brainstorming the other workshops/offers we can make. Keep eye on our newsletter so you will not miss the information.

 

Enjoy Sashiko in Happy Holidays

Holidays can be pretty busy, too.

At the same time, you may have some time off from your routine days. I hope you will find some time to reward yourself by enjoying Sashiko. Sashiko can be very relaxing, meditative, and mindfull.

 

Sashiko makes great Gift

Enjoy Sashiko in Happy Holidays

 

 

One of the workshop participants who took the Sashiko Stitching Workshop in September shared her beautiful result. By learning Sashiko basic and core, you can make this kind of Tote bag and keep enjoying your own Sashiko projects. There aren’t many techniques you need to master to maximize the Sashiko experience. However, there is some eye-opening technique that I would like to share to enrich your Sashiko project. We hope that all of us enjoy Sashiko in Happy Holidays.

 

 

 

Sashiko Updates Fall 2018

Sashiko Updates Fall 2018 | New Project & Workshops

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I cannot believe it is almost the end of September already. It has been quite eventful early autumn for us. Here is a quick Sashiko Updates Fall 2018 to share what is going on with us. Remember, the best way to connect with us is through Instagram & Youtube Channel. I will share more “Stories” based on your request.

 

New Project!| Sashiko Updates Fall 2018 Vol.1

My passion for Sashiko got certain when I started enjoying Sashiko Mending. I have done quite many Sashiko Denim Mending and found myself without any denim jeans to mend. I didn’t touch the denim for a long time. Then, I realize, I would like to work on the denim. It is not my first choice to cut the fabric out of necessity, for the “repurposing” purpose instead of “mending”, I decided to try the new project. Cut and Patch back the denim with Sashiko Stitching all over.

It is my main project on Instagram & Youtube Live streaming. I hope I can complete the project by the end of October… It will be something new, and hopefully something to inspire some of you.

 

Sashiko Updates Fall 2018

 

Sashiko Workshop| Sashiko Updates Fall 2018 Vol.2

Thanks to many supporters, I can continue offering the Sashiko Workshops. Here is the overview of my workshop schedules.

(Updated: September 27th)

 

September

 

November

 

December

 

Online Sashiko Workshop

I am working on scheduling with the preferences from potential participants. Your feedback with preference will help me to schedule it in October or November.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf_FhpQGLrkh1wZInl4e-uz_uu0GDJrQKPG952TR2UYL_XB7g/viewform?usp=sf_link

 

 

 

Sashiko Stories| Sashiko Updates Fall 2018 Vol.3

 

It was a nice surprise that people are interested in my stories regarding Sashiko. An interesting childhood with Sashiko, I kind of had a barrier that not many people wouldn’t like to listen to my stories related to Sashiko. If someone is waiting for me, I will enjoy updating my stories on Youtube Channel. If you have any topics you would like me to cover, please leave the comment here so I can talk about it as a “Sashiko Story”.

 

Support Sashiko Cover

Support Sashiko | Not only technique but Mindset

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Sashiko is a form of simple stitching developed in Japan. The technique itself is pretty simple. Sashiko become popular because of its simplicity. However, what I want to share as a Sashiko Artist, who is native Japanese born in the surviving Sashiko family, is not only the stitching of Sashiko, but it is the mindset of Japanese people so-called “Japanese culture”. While I was talking to the supporters who keep encouraging me, we came up with one word I wouldn’t come up with by myself. “I would like to educate the society by sharing the culture of Sashiko”. We offer Sashiko art, supplies, workshop, and much more. Thanks to the many Support, Sashiko can be alive in 2018. This is a blog post, asking for your “Support Sashiko” contribution to our activities.

 

I moved to the USA in 2014. In 2017, I started a business named Upcycle Stitches and started sharing Sashiko.

Upcycle Stitches LLC is here thanks to many people who supported me. The business activities hugely depend on the people’s goodwill of “Support Sashiko & Atsushi”. The company is a for-profit legal entity to provide Sashiko art, items, supplies, workshops, and much more, but the support would be very much appreciated to continue our activities.

For example, the Sashiko Workshops we offer in NYC, we wouldn’t be able to offer the workshops with the same pricing & the small class sizing (About 6 participants for each 3+α workshop) without a support from our dear friend, Sharon & her family. I live far from NYC and I would like to share the top quality supplies from Japan. In order to achieve our dream in NYC, the support I get from her was the necessary piece of the puzzle.

 

There are many ways you may support Sashiko & our activities as Upcycle Stitches. Please let me share the methods you may support Sashiko by. We would like to focus on creating more Sashiko items (Arts & Crafts) to inspire the world. The education is another part we would like to focus. We would like to teach and share the technique and culture of beautiful Sashiko. When we need to focus on “Creation and Education”, there are not much left for business activities such as price negotiation or dispute resolution… When I offer the workshop, I always focus on the participants’ satisfaction, yet some people prefer the price over the contents they get.

 

One day, when we have enough support, I would like to disclose everything we do online. It hugely depends on the wish of supporters, but to make Sashiko “open-source” is another dream I have. Your support moves us toward the goals. I sincerely appreciate your time and your goodwill.

 

 

Share articles (videos) and tell people about us.

This is the most important support that I would ask. Please share our activities via Upcycle Stitches & Keiko’s work, Sashi.Co.

You can share the blog posts you liked on SNS. Or you may share the video with your quilting guild where people share the similar passion. You may talk about Sashiko & our activities when you are stitching with your friends. Our goal is to share the beauty & mindset of Sashiko. The more people know about what we do, the closer we are reaching our dream.

 

Please feel free to use the logo to introduce us.

 

 

Purchase Sashiko Supply & Art from us

Sashiko is getting popular in the world. When something becomes popular, many “dealers” jump into the market and start providing the related products. As I wrote a blog post before, I want you to be a “Smart Customer | Know who you are buying from” to support Sashiko. Most of the shops & stores respect Sashiko and I respect them. However, I see the number increasing those who sell just Sashiko item without the deep understanding of Sashiko and its culture.

We carefully choose the suppliers in Japan, which hugely contribute to the Sashiko culture. The quality of our supplies and items are the supreme. We guarantee the best and good satisfaction. When you have a choice, please consider using our stores or parter’s websites.

 

[In the USA | Domestic Shipping]

Upcycle Stitches Online Store

Upcycle Stitches Etsy Store

 

[Respected Partners for Non-USA orders]

Sashi.Co & Keiko Futatsuya

Indigo Niche Australia

 

 

Provide Atsushi a place to do the Workshop or talking

to Meeting the new friends with a passion for Sashiko is the best way to share what Sashiko is.

Please consider providing me and Upcycle Stitches a place to have Sashiko Workshops and/or Sashiko talking. When you offer me a place to do so for a free of charge, Upcycle Stitches will take care of arranging the workshop & creating the registration pages. We may ask you for helping us by advertising mouth to mouth or newsletters, but we will take care of most of the part. It would be so great if you could provide me with a place to stay if the location is far from the Central PA. A room under a roof would be just enough.

 

If you or your organization would like to have me for your business. meetings, events, and other commercial activities, please read the article regarding the fees and condition here. I am happy to adjust my workshop to your need. However, please respect the Sashiko culture.

 

Some individuals and organizations have provided me a place to do so for free of charge, like Sharon I introduced above. If sharing your goodwill to the public help to increase your brand name, I am happy to spend some of my time. I would like to return the support to the precious support I received.

 

Private Sashiko Workshop | Bring Sashiko to your group.

 

 

Be a Patron via Patreon Website

As you know, Sashiko is a hand-stitching craft.

Yes. Everything is hand-stitched and it takes so much time. As much as we would like to spend all of the time stitching & educating, we sometimes need to work for the instant cash to pay the bills. Our first goal is to spend all of our available time in Sashiko instead of working at the part-time job to go through the life.

We would like to make more Sashiko arts & craft, film ourselves in the camera to share more stories about Sashiko, establish the tutorial materials to share & educate people. Your support, as low as $1.00 per month, can help us out to spend more time in Sashiko.

 

https://www.patreon.com/sashiko

 

Send Upcycle Stitches a Donation

Although it isn’t my intention to ask this in the first place, a money (or fabric when we are in need) Donation to our business, Upcycle Stitches, would be very much appreciated. Any form of one-time and/or recurrent donation (Paypal, Check, anything) will be used toward the donator’s will. For example, If a person would like me to use the money toward live-streaming in English, I would purchase the better Webcam for the better video filming and such.

 

Please contact me for the donation here.

 

 

Support Sashiko as the Art

Because of a few reasons, mainly the concept of “Sashiko was an ordinary technique for the ordinary Japanese”, I didn’t consider Sashiko as the Art. Therefore, asking for the support (including donation) was very challenging for me. Recently, I start realizing Sashiko as the Art, especially in the current society. I would need to write another blog post how I “define” Art. It may not be Art, maybe Art.

My point is that there are people who get influenced by what we make, what we talk, and what we do. I would probably call it “Art” and if so, I would like to continue focusing on the people (wealth in emotion) rather than money (wealth in tangible good). Please help us out to balance it. This society isn’t easy to focus on just one part, especially on the Art side.

 

I sincerely believe, by Your Support Sashiko, we can positively impact the society.

Thank you for your time to read this blog post of Support Sashiko.

 

Support Sashiko Keiko

 

Upcycle Stitches LLC

Atsushi Futatsuya

Sashi.Co

Keiko Futatsuya

Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming

Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming | Sashi.Co Channel

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Atsushi & Keiko Fuatsuya host Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming on Youtube. Atsushi is the main host, and Keiko supervises what we teach, share, and make tutorials about regarding Sashiko. The topics in Sashiko Stitching Live streaming include small Sashiko tutorials, stories about Sashiko & its culture, and presentations about what we make and what we make.

 

Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming Front

https://www.youtube.com/c/sashico

 

 

I have a series of Sashiko Workshop to teach Sashiko stitching very effectively and intensively.

At the same time, my goal is to make Sashiko available to anyone in the world.

 

Needless to say, learning from me in person is the best way to learn Sashiko, but I also offer some free Sashiko tutorials and live streaming so you can learn what Sashiko is for free. We are also working on the online Sashiko workshop with a fee, but I believe we can differentiate paid-workshop and free tutorials & live streaming.

 

 

Sample of Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming

It is rare to find Sashiko Tutorials, especially those with actual Sashiko stitching in Live streaming. I am opened to any questions during the live streaming, and I am willing to share what I have as much as I can. Here are some samples of our Live Streaming Archives.

 

 

 

Community of Sashiko & Sashiko’s philosophy

The channel name “Sashi.Co” represent Keiko’s Sashiko works.

When Keiko restarted her Sashiko work from the tragedy, we put a lot of wishes in  “.Co” with several meanings such as “company” “Contribute” and “Community” (Actually more…)

 

In order to make a community of Sashiko and it’s a philosophy we appreciate, we would need to share first. Then people can choose if they like it or not. I want you to be in the community to appreciate. We appreciate what we have by up-cycling and repurposeing for a sustainable society, which leads us to be more mindfulness who we are.

 

It is not a religion, simply a community where we all can share how we love what we have instead of complaining what we do not have.

 

Welcome to the Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming to share your appreciation!

 

Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials

To keep Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials & Database

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Since 2017, I have received many questions and requests regarding Sashiko technique and workshops from all over the world. As I keep mentioning here, my goal throughout “Upcycle Stitches LLC” is to make Sashiko more open-sourced: Available anyone in the world. In order to achieve the goal, and to keep the Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials and Database, please understand that I manage several tutorials & database websites by myself.

It is not my best intention to share this type of notification. However, please care others when you request for something. “Caring” is the core of Sashiko, and sharing the core culture means a lot to me.

Please be reasonable when you ask for the request.

You may be surprised, but I had received some requests which do not respect my time at all. When I offer a workshop, there is a fee for my time investment. For some reasons, there are people who do not understand that logic.

I will not answer those contacts with just saying:

“Teach me Sashiko”

“Describe what Sashiko is”

Those vague requests cannot be done over the emails. Please read this website and/or Youtube videos before you shoot an email to me.

Also, if you receive a reply from me, regardless of the result if I can help or not, replying with gratitude is the form of care we would like to share through Sashiko. I do not expect everyone to read everything I write. I am happy to repeat the same information as many times as I need. However, please respect the time I invest in.

I have several cases which are “on-hold” because of missing the reply from the “possible customer.”

If you are the one who asked for the “free” information, I believe you are obligated to complete the conversation (the email exchange).

Get back to you regardless, but the priority exist.

I am honored to share the culture of Sashiko, including information and the technique of Sashiko. I am happy to be one to share that. However, because of these disrespectful requests, I would need to “choose” questions to get answered. It is so sad to prioritize the order in answering the question, but it is required to keep the Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials available.

When I am busy, I will answer the questions/requests following the order of:

  1. The Sashiko Supporters, including the one on our Patreon Community
  2. Atsushi or Keiko’s Sashiko Workshop Graduates including the Online Sashiko Workshop Graduates
  3. Any Customers who had purchased an item(s) from our website, upcyclestitches.com
  4. Any Customers who had purchased our brand items from Etsy
  5. Any Customers who had purchased our brand items from Amazon Store (Please contact me if you do not get the response with your order number. As much as I would like to help you through any issues, I have limited access to the support for the order via Amazon.)

Regardless of this priority, I will answer every question eventually. If you do not get the answers from me in a month, please contact me. There is a possibility that I am too busy to come back to the question.

Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials: Your support will be very much appreciated.

Sashiko was very ordinal to the ordinary Japanese people.

Over the Japanese economic growth after the War, those ordinary people stopped doing Sashiko. It was not economically smart to keep practicing Sashiko.

My goal is to keep Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials and Database so people in 10 years from now, even 100 years from now can enjoy the Sashiko technique and its culture. In order to keep Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials available, your support would be very much appreciated.

As of 2018, I can operate this mission largely depending on my wife’s support.

I can offer great Sashiko workshop because of my friends’ help, who provide me the place and possible business.

When you sympathize what I am trying to do, please consider to support me through Patreon. It is a community (funding website) to support artists. You can support me from $1.00 per month and it will help me to work on more and more.

https://www.patreon.com/sashiko

Any interest in Sashiko will support me and Japanese culture

I set the price of Sashiko thread, supplies and everything else so everyone in the process of production can make some benefit. I respect those who try to protect Japanese traditional crafting, so many of our materials are expensive in comparison to the competitor.

In other words, any kinds of interest in Sashiko, which lead you to purcase an item from me, will support me and the people I respect.

I believe my pricing is competitive.

However, you may find it expensive in comparison. When you feel it is too expensive, please try to read what we try to do with “hand.” We do not have any assembly line. No machines are doing our works. Regardless, I believe it is fairly reasonable. $13.00 for 145-meter Sashiko thread. You may find $3.00 ~ $4.00 Sashiko thread, but its length is probably about 40 meter.

To make Sashiko somewhat profitable.

I have no idea how to do it… to make Sashiko profitable enough to support one’s life.

Again, I can support my life only because my wife works full-time in other job. If I would need to support my family, then Sashiko wouldn’t be the first choice.

However… a great friend of mine who is in a business school (teaching) told me that:

In order to protect the industry such as Sashiko and any other hand-crafting culture, it is crucial to make the craft profitable. When the people learn the crafting can be profitable, then they will start investing more time and money to make it sustainable… I would need to learn about this theory, but this will be my next challenge to make Sashiko profitable.

I do not wholesale our products for online store owner. I do wholesale our thread to someone who resonates my belief in Sashiko & have a storefront to communicate to their customers.

If you are an artist who would like to be part of this “my next adventure: making Sashiko profitable | which equals to be the Sashiko Artist who lives on doing Sashiko” please let me know. I would like to support you as well so we can make “it (Sustainable Sashiko Tutorials and Database)” happen together.

Sashiko Thread Thanksgiving Weekend Discount

Sashiko Thread Thanksgiving Weekend Discount

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Happy Thanksgiving! Here is the Sashiko Thread Thanksgiving Weekend Discount Deal!

Use the code for “7% OFF” of our Sashiko Thread Collection. The deal expires on Monday 27th at 2 pm. As you know, we rarely issue the discount coupons, so enjoy a small discount on what we are proud of.

The code: BOG66JNLPES0

 

We weren’t sure if it is a good idea to ride on the “Thanksgiving / Black Friday / Cyber Monday” Discount Season. However, we also realize that there are people expecting some discount or great deals for this season (including myself for electronics and such. I could use a new printer… some customers have been receiving the invoice in black & white printing.)

The deal isn’t a great discount in comparison the other huge retail stores, but please accept our effort to appreciate the Holiday Season Specials. Winter is a good season to enjoy Sashiko in a warm house.

 

Since we operate as a very small business, we will try to take some time off on the holiday weekend. Please understand that all of the order will be prepared and shipped out on and/or after Monday 27th. Also, in case of receiving many orders, the inventory thread may run-out. We may ask you for extra days to make a shipment.

Even if the delay happens, you will get the package before Christmas since we plan to re-stock everything before that.

 

Thank you for your understanding.

 

Another Sashiko Thread Thanksgiving Weekend Discount?

 

There is a reason why we don’t offer the great discount for the holiday season; we will not be able to run a business if we discount more than a certain percent.

We may offer other discount deals over Christmas or other holiday seasons, but the discount will not exceed 20% discount. Our goal is to introduce Sashiko to the world “continuously”. We sincerely appreciate your understanding of our policy in offering the discount coupons.

 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Now it is time to prepare the big Thanksgiving Dinner!

 

 

Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018 Cover

NYC Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018

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The Sashiko Workshops in Tribeca (in 2017) was a great success. I have received so many positive reviews, and I get so many requests to come back to Tribeca to offer another workshop. I’ve been talking to a great partner when would be a possible time to offer the next Sashiko Workshops. Here is a Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018 in New York City.

A whole view of Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018

Please register yourself for the workshops in 2018.

As of now, we are thinking to offer one workshop weekend in Spring, and one workshop weekend in Summer. I will most likely offer it in July or August, and possibly offer them in April depends on the needs. Please contact me if you are interested in taking the workshop in NYC, Manhattan Tribeca Area, in April. The more people contact me, the more likely to offer them in April, too.

Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Basic&Core)

  • January 13th, Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm for 3 hours | Great success! Thank you.
  • April 21st, Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm for 3 hours | Sold Out & Great Success
  • April 22nd, Sunday, 2 pm to 5 pm for 3 hours | Sold Out & Great Success.
  • July 21st, Saturday, 10 am to 1:15 pm for 3 hours + α | Great success! Thank you.
  • July 21st, Saturday, 2:45 am to 6 pm for 3 hours + α | Great success! Thank you.
  • July 22nd, Sunday, 2 pm to 5:15 pm for 3 hours + α | Great success! Thank you.
  • Nov.17th, Saturday, 2:30 pm to around 6 pm for 3 hours + α | Sold Out. Thank you.
  • Nov.18th, Sunday, 2:30 pm to around 6 pm for 3 hours + α | Sold Out. Thank you.
  • Dec. 8th, Saturday, 9:30 am to around 1 pm for 3 hours + α | Great success! Thank you.
  • Dec. 8th, Saturday, 3 pm to around 6:30 pm for 3 hours + α | Great success! Thank you.
  • Dec. 9th, Sunday, 1 pm to around 4:30 pm for 3 hours + α | Great success! Thank you.

Hitomezashi Sashiko Workshop (Advanced)

*Prerequisite: Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Basic&Core)

  • January 14th, Sunday, 2 p to 5 pm | 3 hours | Great success! Thank you.
  • July 22nd, Sunday, 9:45 pm to 12:45 pm for 3 hours | Great success! Thank you.

For those who cannot travel to NYC, Online Sashiko Workshop is a possibility. Please fulfill the form to inform us about the preferences. The more preference we have, the easier it is to offer the Online Workshop.

https://goo.gl/forms/DJhnefzmpMLwMCnw1

So much Passion. So Grateful to offer the Workshop.

As you know, Sashiko has been part of my life.

It is so interesting to receive so much passion Sashiko. The Sashiko arts we create are getting popular, and I am so happy that the people would like to learn our technique and culture. Over the Sashiko Workshops in Tribeca, November 2017, we had a TV crew to film a short introduction of Sashiko in the United States. Atsushi will be on TV.

Be part of our Sashiko group (before Atsushi gets so busy… just kidding) by checking the Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018.

Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018 4

Always, the goal is to share the fun of Sashiko

Regardless of the popularity of our Sashiko art or Sashiko culture, the goal is always the same. “We would like to share the fun culture of Sashiko.”

In order to introduce what Sashiko is, we offer the free Youtube Video as well as the articles on this website. However, in order to “feel” the fun of Sashiko, participating the workshop is the best way.

Every time, we get more confident that what we offer can satisfy anyone who is interested in Sashiko, even for those who have some Sashiko experience already. There is no such a thing as “right” or “wrong” in Sashiko. However, there is techniques we developed over time to make it more beautiful, easy, and after all enjoyable.

Please consider our workshop as an opportunity to enjoy Sashiko more.

If you don’t know anything about Sashiko, it is the great way to start. If you already know about Sashiko, then it is a great way to add the technique and knowledge to your art-work.

Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018 7

We had had more than 20 workshops in the previous year, with almost 100 people participated.

There are no negative reviews in our brief “after workshop questioner”. We are getting confident in what we do!!

Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018 | Let us plan more

Since the instructor Atsushi is located in the central PA, where is about 4 hours of driving away from NYC,  we cannot offer the workshops every weekend (We wish we could!). In addition, Atsushi’s main role, for now, is to be a stay-at-home father. Realistically speaking, offering Sashiko Workshops 3 ~ 4 times a year is a reasonable amount to plan the schedule.

However, we are willing to offer as many workshops as possible. Even more than 4 times per year if there is a need.

In order to do so, we need a certain amount of participant in the workshops. We would like to know how many people in the East Coast are willing to join the Sashiko Workshops. Please share your passion by posting comments here and/or registering yourself to our mailing list with checking “Yes” to the workshop notification.

We are looking forward to meeting you!

Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2018 3

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Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming 12

Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming

atsushijp Leave a comment

Online Live Streaming sounded a bit overwhelming to me. I thought I would need a list of good equipment and streaming software. In fact, what I needed was a smartphone. I can film comfortable video enough for people to watch and to comment. So here we go. Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming by Atsushi & Upcycle Stitches.

 

 

Youtube Live and Archives

My free time is during the weekdays, noon to 3:30 pm. I am aware that this is not the best time for the people who are interested in Denim Mending with Sashiko.

Please enjoy the video archives on our Youtube Channel. If you have a specific question, please leave the comment on Youtube with mentioning the time in the video. I will answer the question in the following video I stream online.

 

I do not intend to form this live streaming as the “teaching” opportunity. If you would like to learn the mending techniques and the process intensively from me, please consider participating to one of my Sashiko workshops. I offer workshops/gathering opportunities focusing on Sashiko Mending besides the basic (core) Sashiko Stitching Workshops.

Regardless, I believe you can learn a lot by watching the unedited video with my mending process and reading Q&A.

 

Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming 11

 

Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming with your project

I am now a bit of confident to what I like to do.

Of course, I am proud of my professionals in Sashiko stitching. However, for the Sashiko mending with Denim Garment, I felt as if I was an amateur. Many people gave me the compliment that I should begin promoting myself as the Sashiko artist. Then, I decided to live stream with sharing my specialty.

It is a probably good time to start accepting custom orders. Here it is.

 

Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming 22

 

I will start working on this more closely after my workshops in November, the last workshop opportunity in 2017.

As you know, since everything is done by hands, there are so many projects I can do (possibly one or two per months at the most…?) Also, I set the fee lower than I usually do for the other Sashiko orders. I want to see if I can continue offering the service first. Customer Satisfaction is very important for me. Also, please allow me to use your order on Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming. Many people are interested!

 

Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming

In addition to Sashiko Denim Mending Live Streaming, I offer Sashiko Stitching Live Streaming on Instagram.

This is a simple live video with me just stitching with Sashiko thimble and needle. It is a good opportunity for you to see how actual Sashiko artist makes stitches. For this Sashiko Stitching Live, I talk mainly in Japanese. The comments there would be also mainly Japanese. However, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave it so I can switch the language to answer or to mention regarding your actions.

Viewers say it can be a good practice of Japanese 🙂

 

I also set the time frame for the live streaming. If I need to miss it, I will announce it on the Instagram account.

I will see you, every Tuesday and Thursday, starting around 9 am in Eastern Time Zone for an hour or so.

 

Sashiko Live Streaming

 

Sashiko Road Trip Cover

Sashiko Road Trip | Visiting your city with Sashiko

atsushijp 1 Comment

One of my hopes in future is to plan a road trip in the United States with Sashiko products and Sashiko supplies. Visiting local craft stores and introducing Sashiko to the store owners would encourage the movement of Sashiko stitching. I also hope that I can come up with the idea for the wholesale options when I am on the road. Introducing the Sashiko supplies, talking about Sashiko Arts with actual Sashiko products, and possibly offer the workshops in the local stores would be a fantastic opportunity for me to achieve my goal; to introduce Sashiko to the world.

 

Let me know that You Are Interested

The plan may sound like me being a peddler. Somewhat yes, because I will be someone who travels about selling my products and service.

However, I do not just want to be the salesperson. I would like to introduce and talk about Sashiko, to represent us in the local place to spread what we love about Sashiko. Sashiko isn’t only about stitching or Japanese symmetric pattern. It is about how we perceive our life and how to enjoy (savor) our life.

I would need to set up the numbers for the wholesalers to keep this going, but my priority is the passion of the store owner. I want him/her to share the passion of Sashiko to the local customers. It is the best way to spread what we love about Sashiko.

 

Please contact me to let me know you are interested to have me and talk about Sashiko. I will register you as a destination of my road trip, and when I finally can leave to a road trip, I will let you know that I am coming. There are no fees to register or have me to your store. You don’t even have to purchase anything from me if you decided that Sashiko is not your taste. So, please contact me from the link or the form below if you are qualified as my Sashiko Road Trip Destination.

 

 

Conditions for the basic Road Trip

  • Owns a store(s)/shop(s) of hand-craft, preferably with embroidery, patchworking, and quilting line ups. The Japanese/Asian theme store is also a possibility. You do not have to be the owner of the store if you can involve the owner or a manager into the discussion.
  • Willing to provide me an overnight stay; either in the store or owner/registeree’s place. A room in a hotel would be fine, but I prefer to talk for as many hours as possible in a limited time, so please consider to provide me a room / a place to stay. I will be happy with a regular room temperature (not freezing or heating) and roof/wall to avoid wind and rain.

 

Sashiko Road Trip _ Let's talk about it.
Let’s talk about Sashiko.

 

*I would like to keep the Sashiko Road Trip as my life-work. We don’t have much budget, so your understanding and support would be very much appreciated. A room to stay would help me a lot in terms of saving expense, as well.

*If you do not have a physical store on the street in the commercial zone, please mention that first. It is my intention to spread the beauty and its concept of Sashiko. I would like to visit you with the customized offer to your offers.

 

 

Possible Sashiko Road Trip as of 2017~2018

As I occasionally mention in this blog, my primary job is to take care of my family. I am a home-maker to support my wife and 2 years old daughter. As much as I wish to travel more than a week, like a month of visiting to-be-friends, I would only have a few days of the road trip. The maximum days would be 4 days including the weekend.

Because of this limitation, I set the maximum distance from our house. If your shop is located within about 300 miles radius of Lewisburg, PA (17837), the road trip to your place would be possible.

 

Sashiko Road Trip 300 miles Radius

 

If you would like to have me but reside outside of this radius circle, please consider to have me for the workshops or other opportunities. When the travel expense is paid and will be able to have opportunities to introduce Sashiko, I am willing to invest my time to travel.

Sashiko Road Trip to the world.

 

I limit myself to travel within a small part of the world due to my priorities.

However, my hope and wish don’t have limitation. When I have more time and less responsibility, I am willing to (and more than happy) to make a Sashiko Road Trip at anywhere in the world. I may visit your country, and possibly your city. Please come back to the website from time to time and/or subscribe our newsletter for the latest information. I will advertise the road trip in advance with a good time manner.

 

Hope to see you at anywhere in the world.