As I share my Sashiko practice on Live (No editing to hide or exaggerate), I often receive some compliment on the speed of stitching on top of its evenness. Speed isn’t the priority as one’s stitching speed will increase when they learn the Kata – Form. I barely try to speed-up in regular stitching (exceptions are when I am doing experiments such as speed-run). No matter how fast it looks like I am stitching, it is all hand-stitching after all. Speed is important, but not the most important element in Sashiko. Then, is the Accuracy of Stitching the most important? No, it isn’t. The most important thing in Sashiko (or stitching) is how we “understand” the moment of stitching – Appreciation? Enjoyment? Relaxation, or even complaints? or remorse? Since stitching will require us to spend A LOT of time, I want to share the importance of taking time to be “yourself”. Don’t rush to be Happy. An instant answer provided by someone will be just an instant gratification. I want “You” to find the answer for yourself, one step at a moment.
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No matter how strong my passions are for the “Sashiko Art”, stitching takes time. I can stitch for 24 hours non-stop, but the result isn’t so significant. Therefore, I teach the core of Sashiko – which is the Form of Unshin that we can focus on ourselves, not stitching results. The “(Possibly To-be) Sashiko Art” also requires a long time to complete. To be honest, I don’t know if it will be “completed”. I just will enjoy the process of being there – with new findings of both struggle and appreciation. Sashiko “became” a Hobby, and nothing wrong with that. However, there were people & stories before Sashiko as Hobby. I am sharing the stories & stitching of Sashiko that has not been introduced in English yet.
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昨日の写真、英語圏の皆様から沢山のコメントを頂きました。ありがたいことです。「刺し子はアートなのか？」という”もやもや感”を抱えながらの刺し子なのですが、どうにでもなれという気持ちもあって楽しくできています。好き嫌いはあるだろうなと思いつつ。個人的には自由刺しの風呂敷よりも、よっぽどその前のカラフルな七宝デニムの方が好きだし胸を張れるのですが、反応が大きいのは自由刺しだったりしています。不思議＆難しい。まぁ作家として認められたくて刺し子をしているわけじゃなく、好きで刺しているだけなので、そこはあまり深く考えないですけれど。答えがハッキリしていることが正義で、正解と間違いの線引きが強すぎるほど強い西洋の文化の中で、そこまでこの曖昧さが伝わるか。人生をかけた挑戦です。
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#Sashiko #JapaneseSashiko #SashikoDenim #刺し子 #日本人の刺し子
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