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 Artisan, 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 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. 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 a 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.
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]
[Respected Partners for Non-USA orders]
Provide Atsushi a place to do the Workshop or talking
*As of 2019, thanks to many supporters in 2018, we would like to focus on creative activities. Therefore, we may not be able to answer your offer. We will accept the offer to be a lecturer in your workshop, class or event. Regardless, your offer for a place toward the future is very much appreciated. Thank you so so much.
Meeting 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 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.
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 a part-time job to go through 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, 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 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 on 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 society.
Thank you for your time to read this blog post of Support Sashiko.
Upcycle Stitches: Atsushi Futatsuya
Sashi.Co: Keiko Futatsuya
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