are unlikely to have a steady supply of old indigo cloth for recycling. Machine-made copies of these old hand-woven fabrics are specially made for sashiko, in indigo and other shades (see Suppliers, page 126). Using more colours in sashiko is a fairly recent development and fabric and threads often echo natural dyes. Choose plain weaves and natural fibres with a lower thread count (the number of threads to the inch), slightly thicker than you might normally choose for quilting. Some quilting and craft fabrics, such as prairie cloth and cotton flannel, are pleasant to stitch and look authentic. Practise grid-based hitomezashi (one stitch sashiko, see page 96) on checked fabrics or use woven stripes to line up pattern elements. Asian fabrics made for household textiles are an excellent source of thicker cottons and dress-making fabrics can be used too. Sashiko was originally stitched on cotton, linen, hemp and other plant fibres, so experiment! For a hint of luxury, I used raw silk for the sampler cushions on page 36.
This drawstring bag by Wendy Young, one of my students, has been stitched with asanoha (hemp leaf, page 72). Indian cotton ikat fabrics make good substitutes for old Japanese kasuri.
This experiment by Deborah Gordon, one of my sashiko students, combines hitomezashi as counted embroidery with couching and appliqué on 16-count Aida fabric. kakinohanazashi (persimmon flower stitch, page 100) and zenizashi (coin stitch, page 99) are two hitomezashi stitches that adapt well to counted embroidery.
If the fabric is right but the colour isn’t what you want, you can always dye it – imitation indigo dyes (sold for re-dyeing jeans) are easy to use in the washing machine, following the instructions supplied. Internet and mail-order shopping means it is easier than ever to buy materials suitable for sashiko (see Suppliers).
Old cotton katazome (stencil-dyed), two kasuri ikats, a woven stripe and eight indigo cottons. Skilled hand-dyers used natural indigo to create many shades of blue.
New fabrics, including American prairie cloth, Thai raw silk, Indian cotton, three German checked cottons, two Japanese striped cotton tsumugi and three colours of reproduction sashiko cotton.
Wadding (batting)
If your project requires wadding (batting), mark your sashiko design before tacking (basting) the top, wadding and backing together. Vintage sashiko used two or more layers of old cloth, with the best cloth on top. Today, sashiko is made with two or three layers of cloth or with modern wadding or as embroidery, through one layer only. Here are some points to bear in mind when using wadding or fabric layers:
If you use quilt wadding, you will also need backing fabric whereas an extra fabric layer does not need extra backing.
If you are using dark fabric, remember that white polyester wadding might ‘beard’ through and spoil your work.
The new black waddings, available in polyester or cotton and polyester mixtures, are excellent for sashiko (see Suppliers page 126).
Cotton wadding can be dyed dark blue in the washing machine. It absorbs a lot of dye so use the actual weight of the fabric as a guide.
Select thin cotton wadding (sold as ‘request’ weight) for a similar look to several layers of old cloth, or use layers of butter muslin.
Old linen blouses, tea towels and flannel sheets can be recycled as wadding/backing, dyed darker as necessary.
Test a small sample of your chosen wadding/backing combination by stitching a few rows of sashiko – if it is very hard to get the needle through, use thinner wadding or a more loosely woven backing fabric.
Tightly woven calico is not a good choice for backing sashiko!
Fabric markers
Before you tack (baste) your fabric layers together, you will need to mark your chosen sashiko pattern on the fabric – see page 22 for the various techniques. There are many marker options for the modern sashiko stitcher and some are shown below. Experiment to find your favourite.
Hera This is a traditional Japanese sewing marker made of bone or plastic which scores and polishes a line on the cloth. It shows up well on very dark fabrics and the line washes out. Put a cutting mat or card-board under your fabric when marking or you will score your table!
Quilter’s white pencil This soft pencil is good for dark fabrics, with marks that wash out or rub off. Soft pencils will last much longer if you sharpen them with a craft knife, cutting away on either side and trimming to make a flat point.
Air-erasable marking pen (white) This felt-tip pen marks white and fades on exposure to air. The marks should last for 48 hours but can fade sooner, so it is only useful for small projects. Washing the chemical residue out when work is complete is highly recommended.
White marking pen This pen, recently introduced, is a roller ball that makes a fine, clear white line which takes a few seconds to appear after drawing. The marks can be removed with water or heat (check brand information).
Chaco liner This is a Japanese chalk wheel that makes marks on fabric which brush off easily or wash out. A tiny wheel in the tip picks up the chalk and marks the fabric. Chalk refills are available in white, pink, yellow and blue. I find that white or yellow are best on dark fabrics.
Chaco pencil This is a compressed chalk pencil that makes marks which brush off easily or wash out. It is available in the same colours as the chaco liner, above. See quilter’s white pencil (far left) for sharpening advice.
Quilter’s silver pencil This is best for light fabrics, as the marks can be difficult to see on dark or medium colours. The marks wash out or rub off.
Soapstone
