Sashiko - Research

Sashiko is a Japanese embroidery using running stitch, which was traditionally used to reinforce clothing and also for decorative purposes. Traditionally it is done with white thread on a blue background as seen in these two samples, above and below. 

The firefighters jacket of 1900, shown above, was made up of layers of fabric and would be soaked in water to help protect the fire fighter from the heat

 Sashiko was also applied to the corners of a wrapping cloth called Furoshiki for durability and a decorative purpose.

Sashiko designs by Miho Takeuchi

Here it is used in a contemporary context as an alternative to western quilting, adding surface texture and embellishment.
This idea of patchworking small sashiko designs together as well as using illustrational designs have influenced my own work. In both these samples Takeuchi has moved away from the tarditional white design on blue fabric and has used a variety of plain and patterned fabrics.