Japan is obviously still on my mind a lot. So much so that last week I dug out an old sashiko quilting kit I bought there. It's been lingering in a drawer for five years, and now I'm wondering why I haven't picked it up before. It's fun, easy and portable – not something you often hear about quilting.
If you're not familiar with this craft, there's an excellent sashiko tutorial at The Purl Bee. It's an ancient art, used for centuries to transform layers of indigo cloth into warm garments for fishermen and other folks who worked outdoors in bad weather.
The name sashiko means "little stabs" because that's what you do. You stab the needle into the fabric, making a simple running stitch that's roughly the same length on the front and the back of the material. Like this:
(Photo, Mission Control at Flickr)
The stitches follow a traditional pattern of interlocking circles, diamonds or zigzags. They are symbolic, evoking natural objects such as pine trees, clouds or ocean waves, and each has a specific meaning. Some are for prosperity, some for luck, and some evoke more complex things, like inner peace. But any way you slice them, the designs are simple and beautiful. I love the contrast of the traditional thick white thread on dark indigo cotton.
The kit I have makes a wallhanging with pockets you can sort your mail in. (I know, who gets mail anymore?) I'm halfway through the first pocket and itching to get my fingers on the next two panels.
Guess I know what I'm doing at lunchtime today!
