I have talked in previous posts about wanting (needing) some handwork to do at night in front of the TV. If I grab my computer, it becomes the ONLY thing that I can concentrate on so I might as well be in my office. OR, if I don’t have anything to work on, I fall asleep!!

I tried hand applique, and honestly, I don’t enjoy it….but more about that in a future post!!

While at Houston, I passed a booth that sold fabrics for doing Sashiko……

HMMMMM……could this be my handwork??

They had gorgeous fabrics that were stamped with the sewing design and I bought one…..

I also purchased threads and needles…..

If you look closer, the individual stitches are printed so you have a guide to keep them even…..

My first thought was that I could just stab-stitch it. Apparently another customer had the same idea because I heard the clerk say….”Yes ma’am, you CAN stab-stitch it, but it won’t be Sashiko if you do”!!

Okay…..AXE the stab-stitch idea!!

So, I sat down one night and started stitching and it was SO relaxing and SO much fun!! 

HURRAY…..I found my TV stitching!!

The only problem that I had was needing to turn the piece so often to stitch different directions. As I turned it again and again, I noticed that the unfinished edges were started to ravel….

So, I took it up to the studio and cut 4 narrow strips of fabric……

….folded and ironed them in half…..

….and basted one to each side of the fabric…..

So, now the edges were protected….

The other problem that I had was the sheer volume of fabric that I had to hold while stitching. So, I decided to temporarily shorten the piece by folding the long edges in and basting them down…..

When I finish the interior section, I will take out the basting and work on each edge.

Finally, to remove even more of the excess fabric, I folded the other edges in and used magnets to keep them in place.

These are “SewTites”, and this is one of their mini versions…..

They can be bought HERE on Amazon.

They are designed to hold applique pieces in place while you stitch, removing the need for pins that your threads get caught on, but I decided that they would work well here too.

I folded over the fabric that I wanted out of my way and placed the metal backing on the back…..

I moved to the front of the fold and clipped on the front piece….

My Sashiko looks like this right now…..

…and I am excited that I can easily grip the fabric when I resume sewing….

Since taking these photos, I have finished the first block…..

…and am already thinking of other things that I could do with this technique. As a matter of fact, there are a couple of books on my Christmas Wish List!!

I will keep you updated on how it is coming along!!

Have you tried Sashiko?? And, more importantly, what did you do with the pieces once they were finished???

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