Saturday, May 13, 2006
What is sashiko?
No it's not the name of a Geisha that lived long ago! It's a type of stitching as previously mentioned one of my posts.
Here is a little more information about it. The following information came from
Art to Wear.
Early 18th Century Japanese wives of farmers, fishermen and lumberjacks made warm garments for the men by stitching two pieces of heavy fabric together using fine running stitches throughout the entire garment. At first, the stitching was used for reinforcing and repairing damaged fabrics but later became more decorative. The cotton fabric was dyed very dark blue with the root of a native plant. We know this color as indigo.By the end of the century, this particular style of stitchery was known as "SASHIKO". Around the late 19th Century, sashiko appeared in cities. The style was adopted for warmth but the stitching designs became more elaborate. Patterns were adopted from kimono prints, fabric weaves and nature such as, bamboo, ocean waves, flowers, etc.
