Sashiko: "Water Surface" Kit

The sashiko kits we have all have easy to follow patterns which have the stitches printed on the fabric in washable ink.  I chose the traditional sashiko kit "water surface" to show how to do a pattern from beginning to end.  I paired the kit with the Cobalt Blue Sashiko Thread (#10). The fabric has a second side that could be used to cover up the wrong side of the embroidery in a pillow or handkerchief.


 

Before beginning the embroidery, decide how to do the pattern.  Typically, the horizontal and vertical lines are done first (except for the outside lines).  Next, the diagonal lines are stitched.  Finally the remaining shapes are embroidered. Since this pattern does not have any horizontal or vertical lines, start with the diagonal lines, from one end to the other. 

When the first line is finished, start with the next line, but start in the opposite direction to avoid any puckering or skewing of the fabric.   Make sure you have enough thread on the needle to get from one end of the pattern to the other, to avoid having any knots in the middle of the fabric. 

 

After completing all of the diagonal lines, the figures remaining create a diamond pattern. To do this part of the pattern, start at the top, then follow the arrows around the pattern back to the top. 

 

This is how the diamond pattern looks when completed. Work your way from one side of the fabric to the other, just as you did the diagonal lines.  Finally, embroider the outside lines.  The ink of the pattern will come out easily in a cold water hand wash with a little agitation.  Your sashiko sample is complete!

 

Comments

[Debbie]

Hi,
I'm interested in trying this lovely art.I have a question with regards to the pieces of thread. Do you cut a piece for each line, and if so, what happens to the ends of the thread? What do you do with them?
Thanks!

[jen]

beautiful!

[Katie]

I had the same question as Debbie; did you carry the yarn in the back or knot it each time? For instance your first picture with the two paralell diagonal lines? Plus is there any way you could show a picture of the back?
Also do you know if you will be carrying more kits or how would one go about transferring the pattern onto material?
Thanks! It's lovely.

[mari]

Thank you for the kind words! About carrying the yarn, I actually cut the thread each time and do a knot on each end. Typically, the wrong side is not shown and is covered up, usually by another piece of material (like the second half of the kit). There is another method of weaving in the ends but I prefer knotting the ends. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I will have another tutorial up that will show how to transfer a design onto a piece of cloth.

[lori]

Thanks for the demonstration. I've always wanted to try Sashiko and the tutorial makes the Japanese instructions so much more understandable.
Thanks, Mari

[susan]

oh yippee, i have been wanting to try shashiko, but the transferring of the pattern has kept me from trying. i am so glad you have the kits and that you will be doing another tute on transfering. thanks so much

[chocolatehead]

This is beautiful! Really like the pattern, and it seems easy and fun to do :)

[Deb]

Thank you so much! I am scheduled to take 3 hr Sashiko course
and wanted to have a "heads-up" as I am Left handed which sometimes
slows me down in classes...... Now thanks to you I can
draw a simple design and just "practice" a bit........

My mind is "a-swirl" with all of the possible applications
for this lovely method of embroidery......

I have addedd you to my bookmark and will check in regularly
for the kits etc you offer.

Deb

[Junie Moon]

I am really excited about this project and have ordered all everything from your list to try it.

Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial.

[paula]

fabulous!!!

[charisse]

I love your illustrations. I lived in Japan for five years and I love the art of sashiko. Thank you for sharing this with others in order to keep the traditions alive. Have a great day.

[calamitykim]

That was a very nice tutorial. Well done! I am glad to have a place to purchase the thread and supplies necessary when I add this to my list of "things to stitch before I die"!!"
Happy Sewing! calamity kim

[Leila]

Thanks for this lovely explanation. My question is about the thimble. Does it stay at the position shown in the picture? Could you show it in use when you do your follow-up? I can't wrap my mind around how you would use it at the base of your finger :)
Thanks!

[Liz]

I've never heard of this before but now I really want to try it. Quick question...How much thread do I need to buy for one of the kits you guys offer? I don't want to run short, you know? THanks!

[macati]

hi!
wow this is amazing!
great joooob!

[juddie]

Thank you so much for your wonderful site! I browse here often but I'm sure there's still much to learn.....
I love this tutorial and am looking forward to starting my sashiko project :-)

(Blogged at http://flightlessboyds.blogspot.com/2008/06/desire.html )

[marionjoy]

thank you so much for this tutorial..

[Jen L]

I just got a Valdani catalog which mentions this type of embroidery and your blog is the first thing that came up. I'm thinking I'd like to get ahold of one of those kits...;)

I'm going to poke around here a bit and find out more :)

Jen L of Rabid Designs (Hardanger kits)

[moonless]

I found sashiko model in MArieClaire and will try to do with your tutorial thak you so much. I shared both in my blog..
http://kelebeklebizbize.blogspot.com/

[Margot]

É Lindo! Obrigada pelo tutorial.

[anselene]

Where can I order the kit from I would love to try this

[purl bee]

Hi Anselene,
You can find all of our sashiko samplers here:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/accessories_notions_list/112

you can find our sashiko thread and needles here:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/accessories_notions_list/113,111,65

[Sanae]

Oh, sashiko is here !
I was surprised to hear foreigner(for me) talk about sashiko.
I'm Japanese and I used to enjoy sashiko, and have been use as a kitchen towel.
A towel is very useful and it's not become fluffy.
sashiko has many many patterns, (I coudn't remember), from traditional one to a modern.
I love sashiko.

[Kuttuna]

Thank you very much for this great tutorial. It looks really relaxing. I will try it.

[Jool]

Wonderful tutorial, thank you.
I found the following suggestion on www.quilt.com regarding some alternatives to knotting the thread

"...Generally, the beginning and ending thread is never knotted in sashiko. Instead, begin by taking 3-4 backstitches. Then stitch directly over the first few backstitches. Thread ends should be clipped as close to the fabric as possible. If a new thread needs to be started before the end of the design line, 3-4 stitches with the new thread should be layered over the old thread.

However, some people do use a method similar to that used in quilting for hand sewing on multiple layers. After the thread is knotted, the needle is inserted into the fabric at a distance from your first stitch (1/2" to 3/4" is a good choice for most people). If you're using light coloured thread on a dark fabric, the needle should be inserted on the actual design line so that the thread does not show through. Pull the knot through the top layer and bury the knot in the sandwiched layers or batting. The needle should come up at the beginning of the design line."

Hope that is of some help.

[Cheryl]

Your tutorial was very helpful and encouraged me to keep trying sashiko. I'm still confused about a couple of things: do you use a single thread or double it? Can I use sashiko in a quilt?
I initially wanted to incorporate some sashiko blocks into a quilt using different Japanese techniques and fabrics; however, I've read that sashiko is typically not quilted into the batting. This would seem to indicate large areas of non-quilting, which wouldn't make the quilt as durable over time.
Thank you for the help and inspiration.

[ncampbell]

are your water kits still available,
and
would REALLY like to see the tutorial on pattern transfer,
as in " Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I will have another tutorial up that will show how to transfer a design onto a piece of cloth."
as i have some natural linen that i'd like to do some white sashiko on...
and
like another poster, would love to see a demo of the use of the thimble..
i so love the work, and it's wonderful that this electronic system can pass to me what was passed to daughters elsewhere in another language

[sacha]

Can you turn a Sashiko kit into a pillow like the Framed Botanical Pillows that were also a tutorial on this site? Are the kit fabrics study enough- or do you have to transfer to another material?

[purl bee]

Hi Sacha,
You can definitely turn the kit into a pillow. The fabric is quite heavy, either linen or a linen and cotton blend.

[Jennifer Rai]

Love it!

[Mariela]

Your tutorial was very helpful and encouraged me to keep trying sashiko.Quick question...How much thread do I need to buy for one of this kit? I don't want to run short, I'm live in Argentina, so far away ....
REALLY like to see the tutorial on pattern transfer,
as in " Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I will have another tutorial up that will show how to transfer a design onto a piece of cloth."
THanks!

[Deborah]

I love the tutorial. I've heard about Sashiko but didn't know much about it. I swapped some fabric and a quilt magazine with a lady in Japan and she also sent me a little sashiko kit with needles and fabric and said it was easy to do. Now I think I can do it, thanks to your tutorial!

[Jen]

I would love to have his kit. Your tutorial makes it really easy to understand and I would love to try. How much is it? And where can I locate this on your site?

[Liz]

Just found this tutorial and have pulled out my kit to make a start!

[Tori]

I started doing sashiko when I was living in Japan. Super happy to have found this and purl's amazing sashiko supplies~ I won't have to break the bank on shipping stuff to the States!

[Joan]

Thanks for a lovely clear tutorial; i found it very useful. I was interested by the thimble. i have seen a different Japanese thimble in my local patchwork shop; from the picture on the packet it appears to be worn on the outside of the second finger and used to push the needle with the fingers closed, as in a fist. Is this correct?

[Susan]

Thanks to this post, I have been having a lot of fun doing Sashiko embroidery. For anyone who is looking for more designs & inspiration, check out "Sashiko Style" by Joie Staff. It has some great projects & patterns that can be copied onto your own fabric.

[Geraldine Bleakney]

Thank you so much - this is my second time trying it and your instructions certainly helped improved my work.
Geri

[Deb]

Just love this website and blog! I am finding some many things to try and enjoy with my family! Thank you so very much and keep up the beautiful work! God Bless from Kokomo, Indiana!

[debbi in east Texas]

I have discovered a new technique I can't wait to try; thanks for the instructions!

[Ana from Anaheim]

I bought the same kit of the photos at the warehouse that Purlbee has in Irvine. It had a great price and it was so relaxing to make and very satisfying when i saw the finished result. I made a pillow with it.

[lau]

thank you so much for that tutorial !!!
and another one on how to transfer a pattern to another fabric would indeed be wonderful !!

[Nancy]

These are lovely and I'm looking forward to trying one of them. I've never tried embroidery but, this looks like something that I might be able to do.

The tutorial is very helpful... thank you so much. Have you considered doing a video tutorial as well? I was just looking on YouTube and there are a few there. It's helpful seeing it done live.

I love that people find it so relaxing as that's one of things that I love as a beginning knitter as well.

Thank you again!

[Salvora]

This is really nice embroidery.

I am wondering: is there any way to transfer a sashiko pattern into your desired fabric? Or does one always need to buy the fabric with the pattern on it?

[mynta]

Great tutorial, made me want to try out sashiko.
One question: approximately how much thread is needed for one sampler?

[MMax]

Pardon my ignorance, but how is this different than traditional quilting?

[Margaret]

I have only recently become interested in sashiko. You could say I am smitten by its wonderful simplicity and beauty. Finding this site has assisted me greatly as you have shown me so much as to the way it should be worked. I have found it very difficult to purchase the correct thread where I live, however now my problem is solved. I am hoping you will handle orders from Australia.
regards

[Bonni]

I understand how to do the top with the stitching but do you "quilt it" afterwards? If so, do you make your sandwich before you do all the stitching or do you go ahead and stitch the top first and then sandwich it perhaps taking little taking marks to keep the three layers together.

[purl bee]

Hi Bonni-

You stitch the top first and then sew the pillow. It is not quilted.

Thank you for your question!

[Sarah]

That's what I was wondering, Bonni. What if you embroider a sashiko design on a larger area - let's say it's the entire top to a baby quilt. Is it better to embroider just the top, then do the actual quilting after with a thread that matches the fabric? Or Is it better to sandwich all three layers and basically make the quilt sashiko on both sides? All of the sashiko books I've looked at seem to think I want to make a quilt of lots of tiny squares, instead of one larger design area, so they don't address this at all.