Saturday, November 14, 2009

Sashiko Quilting

Sashiko sampler, click to enlarge.To date all of my quilt tops have been sent out to be quilted by a professional on the large commercial quilting machines. I am very pleased with the results and enjoyed getting the tops done. I have little interest in the labor of quilting the top to the batting and backing.

As I contemplate another life phase of quilting I am thinking of doing my own quilting, sewing the top batting and back together, on my Elna. The free motion techniques are not very appealing to me. However, the linear designs of Japanese Sashiko is aesthetically pleasing and feels like the thing for me to do.

My intent is to stick to straight line sashiko patterns and use a sewing machine. There will be 5 to 7 straight stitches per inch with an extremely heavy thread.

Sashiko (刺し子?, "little stabs") is a form of decorative stitching. This functional running stitch technique is now also used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery. My Jujitsu gi has sahiko stitching on it.

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