The principle of Sashiko exists in the ordinary.
Unlike some forms of art that require specialized equipment, Sashiko doesn’t require many tools to begin. It doesn’t even require electricity. When I can bring what I need outside—on a sunny day, with a slightly chilly breeze reminding me that fall is approaching—I enjoy stitching outdoors.
So, although it may be the repetititon, in this article, I would like to introduce four essential items for fully embracing the Sashiko we practice.
To make it easier to begin, we offer a set of these essential items as our Sashiko Starter Set (24). The Starter Set also includes additional tools and supplies that are helpful for practicing Sashiko as a whole—not only for stitching itself.
Sashiko Thread
Threads matter in Sashiko.
It is true that one can use almost any type of thread for Sashiko, especially if it is something already available in their craft box. However, I strongly recommend using the threads we use. They are designed specifically for Sashiko stitching by actual Sashiko artisans.
Our thread was developed by a group of Sashiko artisans with the help of a thread manufacturer. In contrast, the majority of threads available on the market are developed by manufacturers, with or without the involvement of Sashiko artisans. Personally, I hesitate to call a thread “Sashiko Thread” when no Japanese Sashiko artisans are involved in its development, as the word “Sashiko” can otherwise become simply a term used for marketing.
I have written many times about Sashiko threads, and I will continue writing about them. I feel a strong responsibility to preserve these threads for the future and to keep sharing this important message:
Threads Matter in Sashiko.
While I share a list of related articles below, perhaps the easiest way to understand my perspective is through my YouTube video explaining one simple question: Why does the thread matter?
(Past Articles)
Palm Thimble
It is fascinating for me to see that the palm thimble has become almost mainstream in Sashiko practiced and taught through videos.
Before 2013, I had hardly met anyone outside of our family business who used the same type of palm thimble we use & the way we use. After I began sharing videos of Sashiko and demonstrating how to use the thimble, however, it gradually became almost “common sense” in today’s Sashiko practice.
Although I teach a specific way to use it, one can, of course, use a thimble however they wish. Today, we can find many types of thimbles made from various materials, and there are also many tutorials showing how to make an original thimble.
The manufactured thimble itself is relatively recent. Let’s say that metal thimbles like the ones we use today have been commonly available in Sashiko stores for only the last 50 years or so.
When Japanese people needed to practice Sashiko as part of their ordinary lives—when they couldn’t simply replace fabric because of harsh living conditions and limited resources—they naturally didn’t have access to manufactured metal thimbles. Instead, they used leftover fabric to make a small pocket and placed a flat stone inside it, creating something that functioned much like the thimble we use today.
In that sense, the thimble we have today is an outcome of their dreams & hopes.
They must have wished for many improvements while working with those primitive forms of thimbles, and today’s thimble carries the accumulated wisdom that came from those wishes.
I sometimes see people choosing a larger thimble, or immediately making their own version, because they find the traditional form difficult to learn. I have a strong opinion about this. By changing the tool before understanding why the original form works as it does, they may be skipping one of the most important elements of Sashiko.
Instead of blaming the tool first, I want them to ask why they are having such a difficult time learning to use it.
The thimble we carry is not only a tool that helps us continue enjoying Sashiko. It can also help us learn something fundamental about how we practice Sashiko.
Needle
For us, the needle is like a friend or partner. Without ”their” commitment, we cannot complete any Sashiko stitching. At the same time, I see the needle more as a helper—perhaps an interpreter or translator—that allows us to communicate with the fabric. Therefore, the needle shouldn’t be something that pushes too much of our ego into the fabric.
This is one reason I often advise avoiding needles with excessively large eyes. A large eye may make threading easier, but convenience alone can sometimes change the relationship between the needle, thread, and fabric—and eventually change the purpose of the Sashiko we practice.
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Our needle has a very specific length, and we use only one size.
We do not change the needle size based on the material, pattern, or personal challenges such as the size of one’s hand. By using exactly the same tools throughout a group of artisans, we can observe how different results emerge through differences in rhythm rather than differences in equipment.
Of course, the results are all different because Sashiko is hand-stitching. Yet by sharing the same needle and a similar mindset, Sashiko can become much more than simply stitching a beautiful pattern.
Fabric(s)
We love the fabric we use, and we would like to protect the industry that produces it—not only for the manufacturers, but also for ourselves as Sashiko artisans.
Fabric made with traditional methods can last for a very long time. Unfortunately, much of the fabric we can easily purchase from large stores today isn’t necessarily designed with that kind of longevity in mind.
There is nothing wrong with using inexpensive or mass-produced fabric. At the same time, I sometimes feel sad to imagine someone spending dozens or even hundreds of hours stitching on fabric that may not last nearly as long as their stitches.
That being said, I always tell people that the fabric can be anything.
If a stitcher enjoys Sashiko with the fabric they choose, that is wonderful. The relationship between the fabric and our cotton Sashiko thread—and the chemistry between the fabric and the needle—is more important than the specific fabric itself.
More Than Just Four Items
All other tools are supplemental: tools for preparing patterns on the fabric, clipping leftover threads, marking lines, and so on. These processes are certainly important, but I the 4 items I share here are the core & fo the [Core & Essence] of Sashiko we practice.
Interestingly, in my honest feeling, the more Sashiko grows as a trend, the more challenging it seems to become to preserve some of the tools and materials we have been using. Sometimes, it is almost frightening to observe these changes. At the same time, they are also part of capitalism and changing markets. I live within this system myself, and I am not trying to complain about capitalism or stop change.
However, that doesn’t mean I need to remain quiet or give up.
I will continue sharing the importance of these four essential items. By doing so, I hope we can preserve not only the practice of Sashiko, but also some of the traditions, knowledge, industries, and relationships behind it.
There is an important saying in Japanese traditional crafts: a culture doesn’t necessarily end when its practitioners decide to stop practicing it.
As long as the tools, materials, knowledge, and records remain, there is still a possibility that someone in the future can revive the practice. Even if the last artisan decides to discontinue their work, another person may someday pick it up again. However, when artisans lose the essential tools and materials supplied by the industries that support their practice, preservation becomes much more difficult. An artisan alone cannot revive something when the materials, manufacturing knowledge, and supply chain that made the practice possible have disappeared.
This is why preserving Sashiko isn’t only about preserving stitching techniques.
It is also about preserving the circulation that supports Sashiko—the artisans, manufacturers, tools, materials, knowledge, and people who choose to use them.
Preserving this circulation is one of my missions, and one of my greatest passions in working toward the sustainability of Sashiko.