Category: Workshop

It is an honor to come back to the beautiful Saori Weaving Studio in NYC, Loop of the Loom, for the Sashiko Workshops in April 2020. It was August in 2019 that I had a privilege to offer the Sashiko workshop in Saori Weaving Studio. It was a great success, and I am coming back to Loop of the Loom with offering the same “Basic & Core” workshop as well as the “Advanced” Hitomezashi workshop. Sashiko Workshop at Loop of the Loom Spring 2020 is coming over the weekend of April 18th and 19th.

The seats are limited. Please visit Loop of the Loom website to purchase your seat.

*Advanced workshop has a prerequisite of the “Basic & Core” workshop.

*Read the article for the previous workshop in Loop of the Loom.

Sashiko Workshop at Loop of the Loom

This Spring, we offer 2 kinds of Sashiko workshops in 2 different locations.

Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Basic & Core)
Saturday, April 18, 10am – 4pm
at DUMBO studio

Hitomezashi Sashiko Workshop (Advanced) 
Sunday, April 19, 10am – 4pm
at Upper East Side studio
*Prerequisite of Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core & Basic)
*This class includes some review of the Sashiko Stitching Workshop.

https://www.loopoftheloom.com/workshop-shop/sashiko-workshop

Atsushi will offer hands-on instruction in both workshops. Since the Hitomezashi (advanced) workshop requires the core understanding of Sashiko (Unshin – the needle movement), all of the participants need to be a graduate of Atsushi’s Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Basic & Core). If you have taken the Atsushi’s full-length Workshop (more than 3 hours) in 2018 or 2019, you may take the Hitomezashi Workshop. Online Sashiko Class is also qualified as the prerequisite. If you have taken Atsushi’s short workshop (less than 2.5 hours), please take the full-length workshop first to join the advanced level workshop.

I understand you may be confident in your Sashiko experience. In that case, please send me a video of your stitching. Since I will not explain the Unshin (needle movement) in the advanced workshop, the participant without the basic understanding may suffer. By looking at the video, I can tell if you would need the Sashiko Workshop (Core and Basic).

Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Basic & Core)

Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Basic & Core) is the gateway of all the Sashiko Atsushi would like to pass down. Sashiko is a simple form of hand-stitching. However, there is a specific posture, form, and movement that one has to learn before applying to the other stitching. It is not difficult, just different from what you may know. Anyone can master it.

The Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Basic & Core) is NOT a type of workshop like “Let’s enjoy Sashiko together”. It is your learning opportunity where I teach and you practice. If you do not know how to make the stitches even with good speed, then you will have an eye-opening experience.

After teaching more than 150 people in person, I am getting more confident in what I can offer. For the detail, please check this page (This is a workshop registration page for those I offer as Upcycle Stitches). The contents will be very similar in taking through Loop of the Loom and Upcycle Stitches. I may add extra content for the Loop of the Loom. However, I will share the core and basic surely.

Hitomezashi Workshop (Advanced)

Many who took the Sashiko Stitching Workshop to ask me when I offer the Hitomezashi Workshop to make “it” happen. Yes, the Jacket with Hitomezashi is very eye-catching. I understand the interest in the Hitomezashi Workshop.

This workshop is indeed the first step to make “it” happen.

Please check the article below to learn what you can learn in the Hitomezashi Workshop.

*You may take the Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core & Basic) on Saturday, and then join the Hitomezashi on Sunday if you would prefer that.

I am very much looking forward to meeting & seeing you in Sashiko Workshop at Loop of the Loom Spring 2020. Please do not forget to register your seats from here.

As I had announced in 2019, I plan to focus on my creative activities (Sashiko stitching) in 2020. Therefore, I may end up offering fewer workshop opportunities in comparison to the last year. However, I will do my best to meet the passionate expectations from the personnel/organization who would like to share the Sashiko with me. Please check the Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2020 below.

Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2020

Loop of the Loom, Manhattan/Brooklyn, NYC

Please check the detail here. It is an honor to come back to the beautiful Saori weaving studio in NYC.

• Saturday, April 18th, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Core & Basic)
• Sunday, April 19th, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Hitomezashi)

Sashiko Workshop in Lewisburg, PA

• Monday, March 16th, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm (Core & Basic)

I received a request to arrange the workshop in Lewisburg on either Thursday or Friday starting at 9 am (for 4 hours or so) in April or May. Please contact me if you are interested with the specific date you prefer. I am happy to arrange one for you. This is the most reasonable & easiest workshop you can join if you do not mind traveling to Lewisburg, PA.

Detail of Sashiko Stitching Workshop in Lewisburg

*Please check the option of “Wait for others to join” – which can be as low as $175.00 USD.

QuiltCon 2020 in Austin, Texas

For the participants of Sashiko Mastery Class in QuiltCon 2020, please check this article before your trip to Austin. If you wish to be on the waiting list, please contact the QuiltCon Admin.

• Friday, February 21st, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Sashiko Mastery)
• Saturday, February 22nd, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Sashiko Mastery)

Sashiko Workshop Schedule 2021

• A workshop is in the planning phase in the State of Florida in Winter-Spring time.

The other opportunities to take our Workshops

In order to offer a workshop in a big city, I need to have 2 factors ready. (1) A good amount of preparation time, and (2) A very understanding organizer for the workshop. I would like to spend a bit more time in my own Sashiko stitching instead of preparing & advertising. However, there is a way to make both (1) and (2) happen simultaneously without much hassle. It is (1) Sashiko Workshop in Central PA visiting your group and/or (2) Sashiko Workshop where I live.

Sashiko Workshop in the Central PA

When you have a group of people and live in somewhere close to Central PA (Zip Code: 17837), inviting me to your place to offer the workshop is a great choice. Since there is no hassle for advertisement and arranging the participants, I am happy to travel to your place and offer the workshop. Please read the detail of what I offer from this (semi) private workshop details.

Visiting me for the Sashiko Workshop

I am happy to offer a private workshop for you if you would like to visit me at Central PA (Zip Code: 17837). I may be able to open up my house for the workshop (if a group is small), or we can talk about the venue for your group.

If you are alone, and worrying about the fee, I can try to advertise the workshop to make it a “Semi-private” workshop so that you can split the fee. For more details, please check the article about (Semi) private workshop details.

Online Sashiko Class

Is it too far to visit Pennsylvania? Please consider taking the Online Sashiko Class. I developed this online course to deliver the exact same experience for those who cannot join the in-person workshop.

Yes, I agree that the In-Person workshop is more attractive than the Online Sashiko Class. I wish I could travel to all of the cities where there are people who would like to learn Sashiko. Instead of traveling, I spent so much energy and effort to build this Online Sashiko Class and will continuously spend more time in it to follow up on your Sashiko learning.

With receiving many numbers of feedbacks from the participants of the Online Sashiko Class, I am confident that I can deliver the same contents of the In-person workshop.

Sashiko is a form of Stitching, but more than a trend.

Sashiko is a simple form of hand-stitching. However, there is a lot more to share & appreciate. I hope you would try to learn Sashiko from us.

Another great opportunity to learn Sashiko Stitching from Atsushi Futatsuya. We are offering the Sashiko Workshop in Gladstone NJ. In a very calm area with beautiful scenery, we will be offering the exact same workshop contents as we do in the center of New York City. Drive up to the beautiful town, Gladstone NJ, and if weather permits, we may be able to have a stitching time outside under beautiful sunlight.

After covering the core and basic of Sashiko (for about 4 hours), I will talk about how we apply the Sashiko technique to a mending project. You may bring your own garment with damage and/or a hole so you can actually apply it while learning the Sashiko stitching from Atsushi.

Join Sashiko Workshop in Gladstone NJ

Date and Time: Saturday, October 19th 10 am to 4 pm

Location: A Maker’s Circle

1150 Pottersville Rd, Gladstone, NJ 07934

Please register your seat from the link below.

https://amakerscircle.com/shop/sashiko-stitching-workshop/

Hand-on Learning Opportunity

As I have been mentioning on this website and SNS, the Sashiko stitching workshop is a learning opportunity. The workshop will be intensive stitching time with Atsushi’s guidance to understand the core and basic of Sashiko stitching. Atsushi will be there prepared for your needs.

How to apply to Mending a garment

Per request from A Maker’s Circle, I will spend about an hour to talk about how I apply the Sashiko technique to the Mending, including the visible mending project. Sashiko gets its popularity over the visible mending and slow stitching, and you will have time to use the technique you learn in the workshop to your own garment in the workshop.

It is a Maker’s “Circle”

When I learned about what a Maker’s Circle does to create a community for creators, I immediately open my heart to them. I made a visit to learn what they do. Creating and maintaining a place where creators, artisans, and artists can get together is our dream. It is our honor to be part of their programs as Sashiko Workshop in Gladstone NJ.

I received a question about types of Sashiko Workshops. With receiving so many requests, we limited the types of Sashiko Workshops by Atsushi. However, you may get confused because of the different locations and offers. Please read this article carefully, and hopefully, I can meet you in one of the Sashiko workshops in NYC.

Only One Workshop to start. Only One.

There is only one workshop for you to start enjoying the Sashiko as we practice. It is “Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core and Basic)”. We offer it in NY/NJ area and Online.

Then, you may think, why are there so many workshop choices (advertisement) sent from Atsushi? I will explain the difference here. However, the baseline is that all of the workshops I teach in NYC provide the same contents. When I do something completely different, I will clearly mention (and most likely, it will have a prerequisite of the Sashiko Stitching Workshop – Core and Basic).

Difference: One type, yet types of Sashiko workshops

One of the biggest reasons I offer the same workshops in different locations is that I do not have a physical storefront in NYC (in fact, nowhere in the world yet). Therefore, I humbly accept the offer from those “thoughtful” organizations who would like to share the Sashiko with understanding my mission and philosophy. Starting in 2018, thanks to the biggest supporter Sharon, I can offer the workshop organized by my company, Upcycle Stitches LLC.

1) – Who organizes the workshop

If the workshop is offered in TriBeCa and/or registration is on our website (https://upcyclestitches.com/), then the Sashiko stitching workshop is offered by Atsushi & Upcycle Stitches LLC. This happens a few times a year, usually in Spring and late Fall.

If the registration page for the workshop is on other organization’s website, then it is organized by the third party, which I respect enough to offer the workshop under. For 2019, I plan to work with organizations below.

• Purl Soho
• Loop of the Loom
• Maker’s Circle (in NJ)

Regardless of who organizes the workshop, the contents are the same. Atsushi teaches with using the exact same materials.

2) – Class Size of the workshop

Another difference is the Class Size. Generally speaking, the workshop offered by Upcycle Stitches will have a smaller class size.

• Workshop by Upcycle Stitches – 6 Participants (Max of 8).
• Workshop by the 3rd party – 10~14 Participants.

Since one of the important parts of the workshop is the individual attention with my hands on your hands, the bigger class size requires the longer workshop, which leads to the difference in duration below (3)

3) – Duration of the workshop

Generally speaking, the workshop offered by the 3rd party have longer workshop time.

• Workshop by Upcycle Stitches – 3.5 hours of duration (no break)
• Workshop by the 3rd party – 6~7 hours of duration (include a break)

The core of Sashiko will be delivered in the first hour of the workshop. Then, with stitching intensively with Atsushi’s individual attention, the participant will get a rhythm in Sashiko stitching. Since I would like to have a room in mind to spend at least 5~15 minutes on everyone, this is the least length for the workshop.

For the longer workshop, I may add some of “more stories” related to Sashiko stitching. Some organizers ask me to plan the “extra stories” in advance, like “please talk about the visible mending”. Otherwise, I will ask the participants for their interests and accommodate the “extra stories”. This will not likely to happen in the workshop organized by Upcycle Stitches because I will be talking non-stop for the 3.5 hours of the workshop.

Other Note to unconfuse you.

• It takes a bit of time to schedule the workshop in TriBeCa offered by Upcycle Stitches LLC. The seats usually get sold out after several announcements. I recommend you fill out the form here to be on the priority email list to get the very first notification from us. We also offer the “pre-paid ticket” which can be redeemed for Sashiko Stitching Workshop offered by Upcycle Stitches LLC (not by the others). This pre-paid ticket also have the limit because of the size of Sashiko workshop (about 6 per session).
• Occasionally, to accommodate the organizer’s request, we offer the bigger size workshop which may limit the individual attention to participants from me. Regardless of the size of the workshop, as long as the duration is more than 3 hours, I will do my best to deliver the same message and technique to the audience.

For Graduates of the Sashiko Stitching Workshop by Atsushi

We occasionally offer another workshop so-called “HitomeZashi Workshop“. This workshop is only available for those who took the Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core and Basic) with more than 3 hours length session.

The workshop description will say the prerequisite of Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core and Basic), so you will know which one is different from the others.

*I occasionally offer the preview version of Sashiko Workshop for the length of fewer than 2 hours. I sincerely believe the participant needs at least 2.5 hours of stitching with the instructor in presence to feel the core of Sashiko stitching. Please understand that those who took the preview workshop will not satisfy the prerequisite for the other advanced workshops.

Also, I started a project of Sashiko subscription throughout the platform Patreon. As the same as the Sashiko workshop, I won’t disappoint you for this journey as well. Please check the Patreon Page and look for “Sashiko Continous Learning” option.

Other Types of Sashiko Workshops by Atsushi (in Past)

• Sashiko Mending Workshop
• Sashiko Denim Workshop

We have done quite a variety of types of Sashiko workshops (in related) in the past. It was fun and a pleasure to share my knowledge and expertise. As of 2019, I only offer the Sashiko Stitching Workshop (Core and Basic) and occasional Hitomezashi Sashiko Workshop to share the core of the Sashiko we practice.

It is my pleasure to announce that I will be coming back to Purl Soho. A happy announcement of Purl Soho Sashiko Workshop Fall 2019. This is our 3rd opportunity to offer the Sashiko Workshop in Purl Soho studio. All of them have been our most pleasure with very good feedbacks from the participants. I will bring “everything about the Sashiko we practice” to you, with passion and details.

Date and Time:

Saturday, September 21st 10 am to 4 pm

Location:

403 Broome Street, New York City

Please register your seat from the link below.

https://www.purlsoho.com/sashiko-workshop-september-21-10-4pm.html

In the center of Soho – where people enjoy making

I share many photos of Sashiko on the Internet, especially on Instagram. As much as I enjoy sharing the beautiful photos, the true beauty (fun) of Sashiko can be communicated over touching and feeling. The workshop is a rare opportunity for me to share the Sashiko collections of I have been adding and enjoying. I also share many “stories” about Sashiko. I believe you will find “what Sashiko is like” from the Japanese perspective.

It is a Learning Opportunity

We call it “Sashiko Stitching Workshop.” However, it is not a type of workshop like “Let’s do Sashiko together.” It is a learning opportunity for you with intensive stitching with Atsushi – the Sashiko artisan who was born in Sashiko family.

If you have not to figure out how to use the unique round-shape thimble in Sashiko stitching, I can promise this workshop will be the eye-opening experience for you.

Join us, Sashiko Workshop Purl Soho

Sashiko is not all about making one perfect stitch. It is about enjoying the process of stitching – we call it “Rhythmical (mindful) stitching”. By joining the workshop, I will teach you everything you need to know (do) to master the Unshin (needlework) movement.

I look forward to meeting you there and sharing the Sashiko we have been practicing.

Other Sashiko Workshop Schedule in 2019

Thank you for reaching out to us for the information about Sashiko Workshop in 2019. To be honest, I wasn’t ready to receive so many inquiries about the Sashiko workshop. Although it is a pleasant reaction and really appreciate it, I would like to spend a bit more time in my creative activity (it is the whole reason that I am not offering the workshop more often). If you are interested in Sashiko Workshop, provided by Atsushi in NYC, NJ, PA area, please fulfill the google form below. We will inform you of the priority when we confirm the details. This is a notification about how to be in the priority mailing list for the Sashiko Workshop in NYC as well as the Sashiko Workshop Availability Update 2019.

*If you have received Atsushi’s reply saying you are going to be in the priority mailing list, there is no need to fulfill the google form. You will receive the email, once we confirm the date and time, by the order I have received the message.

Sashiko Workshop Priority List Form

Workshops are available throughout the year

As I mentioned above, the reason I am offering fewer workshops in 2019 is that we would like to focus on more creating activities to make more of our Sashiko items. As much as I would like to meet you in person sooner, we would like to respect ourselves as the “stitcher” instead of being “teacher.”

It requires a lot of preparation and administrative works to have a workshop in NYC. If you are willing to take the Sashiko workshop (privately or semi-privately) in the city where Atsushi lives, the workshops are available throughout the year, mainly on weekdays from 9 am to 4 pm. The price of workshops depends on the numbers of participants we would have, but we will do our best to advertise so we can offer the lower price. For the pricing benchmark, if you are a group of 3~4, then the pricing will be the same as the one in NYC. Please contact Atsushi with the specific preferences if you are interested in visiting Atsushi in person.

Or, you may simply consider inviting Atsushi to your group. For 2019 and 2020, the weekend schedule is pretty packed and I cannot promise anything, but I am happy to see what we can do if you are willing to have me as the guest lecturer. Please check the conditions and terms for the private workshop managed by you.

Online Sashiko Class

Alternatively, I now recommend the Online Sashiko Class, which I started offering in March 2019. I was nervous if I could deliver the same experience over the Internet. However, the feedback from some of the participants is encouraging me to say, “it is as good as the in-person” workshop.

Although it is online class, I have a limit number of participants for the specific time period so I can sufficiently support the learning process. Please read the article carefully and sign up through the google form and/or the registration page.

So, Sashiko Workshop Availability Update 2019

I look forward to meeting you & sharing the Sashiko we love, in any way of meeting either Online or in person, in 2019 or even after that. Enjoy Sashiko!