Sashiko - How to

Basic materials:
(1) Fabric : Flat-woven, loose-woven Cotton or cotton/Linen.
(2) Waxed carbon paper for transferring pattern (Chacopy© from Clover Co.ltd.,)
(3) Soft Tracing Wheel or Tracer Pen (both from Clover Co.Ltd.,)
(4) Mid-weight sheet protectors
(5) Sashiko needles
(6) Thread: Sashiko thread, or Pearl Cotton #8 or #5

Transferring patterns
1). Lay flat the fabric, right side up, and pin the paper pattern on to the fabric.
2). Insert a waxed carbon in between the fabric and the pattern, waxed side down. You may need to take a
couple of pins out and place the carbon and re-pin the entire layers.
3). If you would like to protect paper patterns and carbon paper from ripping or damaging by a tracing tool, put a
sheet protector on top of paper pattern and pin entire layer.
4). Using a soft edge tracing wheel or Tracer pen, trace the pattern to the fabric. You need to press the wheel
down harder to have a clear marking on to the fabric.
5). Carefully remove the pins. The transferred mark will be erased by dabbing with water.
The transferred mark will become permanent by applying heat, so do not iron until you are done Sashiko stitching
and erase the remaining line with water.

How to handle thread

One skein of Olympus Sashiko threads is 40 meters long (44 yds). Remove the paper band and open out the skein.
Look for the extra loop of thread tied around the skein and cut through all the threads at this point. Hold the
other end of the skein. Cut a couple of 6 inch threads out from a skein to tie this end. Loosely plait the threads
to keep them tidy. Tie the end with remaining 6 inch thread. Draw individual threads out from the top of the plait.
The thread you just pulled out is about 36" long. Cut it in half if you are going to stitch small designs.

How
to thread the eye of

If you use a needle threader, please handle it very slowly and carefully not to damage the eye of a needle. How
How to stitch

Start by taking 2 - 3 stitches towards the start of the stitch line, going in the opposite direction to your planned
route, then turn around and stitch back over your first stitches from the back of the fabric. To end the stitching,
repeat this in reverse - about 1/2 - 1" of overlapped stitches will be enough to stop stitches coming undone. How

To join threads, bring the new thread up from the back of fabric a few stitches before the end of the previous
line of stitching. Stitch along the existing stitches to secure the thread. To end stitching; bring the needle to
the back side of the cloth, and stitch back the last 2 - 3 small stitches.

Use a long Sashiko needle for straight & long line. (Running stitch)

Note: In order to pull out a needle and thread easily, stroke and stretch the fabric gently by fingers. begin

Stitching Sashiko Sampler cloth

When using a packet that has Sashiko pattern pre-printed, follow the printed mark
precisely by using "How to stitch" method above. Which line to stitch first, second
and so on, will be indicated on the diagram in the packet. The printed mark will
disappears by dabbing with water. Do not iron until you've done all stitching or the
mark will become permanent.