In the Sashiko we practice, we sometimes use the both side of fabric as the finished side (both sides finished beautifully as a single layer). In order to make it happen, Sashiko Itokiri (糸切り) is an important process of cleaning the thread leftover by clipping them.
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Script of Sashiko Itokiri Video.
Please find the script for Sashiko Itokiri video below just in case you have hard time understanding my English. Enjoy Sashiko!
Hello.
Thank you for watching Sashi.Co Channel.This is Atsushi.
In this video, I am going to talk about a process of cleaning the thread leftover after completing the Sashiko stitching, so called “Itokiri” in Japanese.
As you may have learned already, the Sashiko we practice originally use the both side of fabric as the finished side. Therefore, we do not make knots to secure the stitching. Instead of the knots, we make overlay stitching. For more information of this topic, Please check another video titled “How to not to make a knot in Sashiko”.
After completing the Sashiko stitching, we end up with having a lot of thread tales on the back side of fabric. To complete the project, we clean the side by cutting the thread leftover, and it is called “Itokiri”. You may cut anywhere you made overlay stitches. Do not cut the tale or loop if no overlay stitches are made.
In order to do a good Itokiri process, a grip scissor is the must have item.
I made another video explaining how to use the grip scissors. Please find the video for more information.
Here, a quick review of what is a grip scissor and how to use them.
When we clip the thread, we use the tip of blades instead of the middle (or body) of the blades. By gripping the scissors, I feel as if the tip of blades become my finger tips. I sometime wish that I could just pinch and clip the thread leftover with my nails. The grip scissors are a good substitute to having the super sharp knife like nails.
Since the grip scissors do not require a process of opening the blades, we can keep cutting the thread in a reasonable speed. When a master working on a plain fabric, the speed of Itokiri can be something fun to watch by itself.
That’s pretty much about Itokiri.
Another enjoyable part of Itokiri is the sounds of clipping the thread & moving the blades. I needed to mute the sound because I kept talking in Japanese when I was filming this, but you can watch the unedited version, the archive of this live streaming (3/26 Insta Live.)
Enjoy Itokiri in Silence & Enjoy Sashiko.
Grip scissors available in our store
We have grip scissors selection from a long-established Japanese scissors maker, Misuzu. Everything is made in Japan by the professionals. Although we have the entry model (less than $15.00), I strongly recommend getting the better one, possible the one more than $25.00, if not around $20.00. The difference in using (experience) is not subtle.
