winter wear. Some women used the thick warp threads to help align their stitches.
COLLECTION OF CHIE IKEDA, YONESHIMA, SAKATA-SHI
Some unusual pieces of Shōnai sashiko show the influence of textiles made by the Ainu (the indigenous people of Hokkaido), with curved border patterns in chain stitch (see the cushions on page 36). Like Ainu clothing, sashiko on clothes was symmetrical, with more decorative or dense patterns at shoulders, the front openings or cuffs. The Ainu believed these areas needed special protection because they were vulnerable to evil spirits entering the body.
AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Indigo and white colour combinations give sashiko a strong tonal contrast. Migration of indigo from fabric to thread often tinted old sashiko stitching pale ice blue. Blue on blue was also common. Indigo strengthens fibres and the residual smell of fermented indigo and ammonia in the dye was believed to repel snakes and insects.
Cotton has been grown commercially in Japan since the 1600s, first as a luxury fibre, and by the early 19th century it was widely cultivated south of the Aizu region. Patterned cotton fabrics were used for sashiko in some areas. Kasuri (ikat), katazome (stencilled) or shibori (tie-dyed) cloth were popular in Aomori Prefecture, while shima (striped) cotton was used for fishermen’s coats in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures on the Pacific coast.
Sashiko hanten jackets typify fishermen’s traditional clothes, as shown by this ceramic Hakata ningyo (doll) figurine, made in Kyushu, Japan in the 1950s. A simple pattern of triangles, like the first step of asanoha (hemp leaf, page 72), is painted stitch-by-stitch across the jacket’s shoulders. Hakata ningyo are noted for their detailed and acurate costume decoration. Even without his net, this fisherman’s profession can be identified by his clothing.
AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Woven patterns could be used to help align sashiko stitches or be completely disregarded, as in this Taisho era furoshiki (wrapping cloth) from Shikkoku. Tie it to show the corner fan or the variation on shippō tsunagi (page 64). Shima (checks) are less common than stripes.
AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
Stitches like snow
In Shōnai, sashiko is said to represent snow on the ground. The stitches do not represent rice grains, although moyōzashi stitches resemble them. By official order during the Edo era, farmers in Shōnai could only wear blue or grey colours with patterns no larger than a grain of rice or with stripes no thicker than a straw. This could be the origin of the idea that sashiko stitches must resemble grains of rice. Komezashi (rice stitch, page 97, shown right) is so called because it looks like the kanji character for rice.
A treasury of patterns
Since the 18th century, sashiko patterns have been adapted from popular designs, including those of other textiles, auspicious patterns and designs derived from Buddhist motifs. As part of the reforms of the Meji Restoration (1868), old sumptuary laws were repealed. Commoners could now wear large, colourful patterns and tastes changed. Many larger sashiko patterns date from the Taisho era (1912–26), when traditional sashiko reached its peak. Designs were adapted from textiles, paper, ceramics, marquetry and architectural details. Pattern books for textiles had been published since the Edo period and these influenced sashiko patterns too.
Auspicious designs
Stitching fabric, especially for your family, creates something special in all cultures (just think of the reasons for making a quilt). In Japan, takonomakura (five-pointed cross) protected Kyushu fishermen from shipwreck while a pentagonal star and five criss-crossed lines were talismans for female divers in Mie Prefecture. Three, five and seven are lucky numbers, often reflected in sashiko designs. Zigzag patterns were considered protective, as evil spirits cannot follow the zigzag lines (the same belief behind zigzag bridges in Japanese gardens), and diamond points also kept evil away. In Shōnai, certain patterns are stitched to bring prosperity, so komezashi (rice stitch) would be appropriate for a farmer and urokozashi (fish scale stitch) for a fisherman. Paired or double motifs are associated with weddings. See the Pattern Library pages 58–109 for more information.
Hanashijūshi (flower cross, page 100), koshi tsunagi (linked check, page 80) and igeta ni hakkaku tsunagi (special linked well curb, page 79) reflect stripe, check and kasuri ikat textiles respectively. These popular patterns were more complex to weave than plain indigo but sashiko gave a similar efffect.
Sashiko decline and revival
By the 1950s, increased prosperity and the introduction of man-made fibres began to change the way country people dressed, and sashiko declined. Old, worn sashiko garments were not always valued and many were thrown away. Modern redevelopment has taken a toll on the old kura (family storehouses) where sashiko was stored, as have fires and earthquakes. Fortunately, the respect for old cloth led some people to carefully preserve old sashiko and other textiles, which are now prized by museums and collectors as examples of mingei (folk art). A sashiko revival began in the 1970s, parallel to the rise in Western quilting in Japan. As the role of sashiko as a frugal necessity has disappeared, people are appreciating stitching sashiko for its creative, relaxing and even therapeutic qualities. In the 21st century, sashiko continues to evolve.
Patterns used for sashiko inspired by architectural and interior design details include, asanoha (hemp leaf, page 72) and ishidatami (paving block, page 77), as shown in an antique screen panel over a doorway and a modern ceiling woven from thin strips of wood. Ishi-datami is an ancient paving pattern.
Popular early 20th-century patterns. The woman on the right wears a red tasuki cord on her shoulders to keep her kimono sleeves out of the way while resting her bucket on the igeta (well curb, see sashiko pattern on page 79). The crouching woman’s kimono is stencilled with kakuyose (intersecting
