Practical Sashiko Projects

Sashiko is an absolutely beautiful art; the running stitches and the shapes and geometry of it all are mesmerizing. Perhaps you've been interested in learning to stitch this way, but have no idea what you would make. Or perhaps you're already totally hooked on stitching, and now you're wondering what you can do with all the samples and patches you've made.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with creating art just for the sake of creating (which is a post for another time). But it's also true that sometimes it's easier to get started making something when you have a purpose or end goal in mind. So today, I wanted to share with you some practical projects that incorporate Sashiko stitching, in case you need a little bit of inspiration.

 
Projects to Stitch and Assemble

The first kind of project I'd like to talk about are the ones that are designed around a Sashiko element. Usually, this will involve embellishing your fabric with a Sashiko stitch first, and then using your newly customized fabric to create something new. 

 Sashiko Thimble

Get my Make a Sashiko Thimble workshop here!

A Sashiko thimble or palm thimble is really helpful in Sashiko stitching because of the way we hold the needle, resting against the palm. By embellishing it with a simple stitch, it's a great project to teach you the beginning steps of the art while also making something you'll continue to use in your practice.

Stitched Needlebook

Get my Needlebook workshop here!

This is another tool you can keep using over and over, while also being super customizable. Change out the stitch on the front, adjust the number of pages, you can even alter the dimensions if you think a different size would be more suitable for you. 

Cat Coasters

Get my Cat Coasters workshop here!

Inspired by our furriest team member, Keiko, these coasters are another easily customizable project. Use fabrics that speak to you, change out the stitch on the cat's tummy, you could even change the shape of the space you're stitching in! Plus, if you're starting to run out of space for your projects, this one makes a lovely gift.

Sashiko as Mending

With Sashiko stitches being as visually appealing and robust as they are, it's no surprise that Sashiko is often used in mending, particularly as part of the visible mending movement. It's a beautiful way to add both strength and personality to your garments, and there are so many stitches and ways to apply them that you can really make one-of-a-kind textiles by fixing them. Here are some of the fixes from our Sashiko Stitch Club members, where we have a monthly Mending Circle.

Jeans Mend by Sharon Raymond

Sharon encountered a couple of holes on the thighs of her jeans, and has used a boro-inspired running stitch as well as a patch stitched with Hemp Leaf (Asanoha) to fix them.

Yoke Mend by Suzanne DeAtley

When Suzanne noticed this threadbare shirt wearing thin and wearing through, she decided to do a tone-on-tone mend using Sashiko stitching. While it may be more subtle than some other mends, the texture it adds it gorgeous!

Cuff Mend by Lynn Hansell 

Lynn's denim shirt had some cuffs that were getting ragged, and she has used the Rice Flower Stitch (Hana Komezashi) to clean it up and give it some extra life.

Sashiko as Embellishment

You may be looking at all of those beautiful mends and thinking, "If only I had some damaged clothing to work on!" Before you get the scissors out, worry not - you don't need a hole to add Sashiko to your clothing. In fact, it was originally used to reinforce textiles before they even tore in the first place, as all the back-and-forth stitching is very strengthening. Here's some embellishing inspiration from our community... Go ahead and let your creativity run wild!

Jacket Yoke by Inge Markussen

Here, Inge has taken one of the Sashiko Stitch Club's monthly patterns and applied it to the back yoke of a denim jacket. She's extended the pattern to fill the space, making a very visually pleasing addition to the jacket.

Denim Shirt by Jodi Courington

Inspired by her mom, who would embroider flowers and other designs onto denim shirts for her friends, Jodi has used some Sasihko stitching to elevate her own denim shirt.

Linen Pocket by Claire C.

Claire decided to stitch one of the Sashiko Stitch Club's monthly stitches on a scrap of linen left over from a shirt she made, then decided to go ahead and add it as a pocket onto the shirt. You could easily do this to add a pocket to a commercially made shirt, too!

As you can see, Sashiko isn't just beautiful, it's practical in all sorts of applications, too. If you've been wanting to start but just aren't sure what you'd do with the stitches, I hope this post prompts you to begin. And if you've already been bitten by the bug and have lots of samples around, I hope I've given you some ideas for what you can do with them!

If you're feeling inspired and ready to start making, my Sashiko Essentials: From First Stitch to Mastery is a great place to start. You'll learn a basic Sashiko stitch that you could apply to any of these projects! Get your copy for free here.