Sashiko

I think I'm pretty in love with sashiko. There is something really satisfying about the simplicity of the plain fabric coming to life with the easiest of stitches. The four pieces I made while in Japan in April got me pretty inspired to do more, but what to do with them was a real issue. I like to make practical things, not things that just look pretty. 

So I just added designs to my Pinterest board and wished inspiration would hit. At last it did. 

In my classroom is an enormous wall that has been painted with magic paint to make it a whiteboard. This is all pretty fabulous, except that unlike a normal white board, it's not magnetic. This means having an eraser that just sticks on and is always easy to find is not really an option. I also didn't have any shelving at the white board side of the room, so even storing one was tricky. The kids have spent most of the year (to my shame) using tissues to clean it off. 

Half way through, grid lines are in place,
only need to sew along the circles.

When I was thinking about things that Japanese people initially made with their sashiko stitching, I realised that a dish cloth, for washing up, probably has the same properties that the white board cleaner needs. It's double layered for strength and durability and all the stitches gives it a good texture for cleaning. 

I grabbed out some darker fabric from my stash (figuring that it would be less of an eyesore than if I used a white) and got to prepping. I think this is the last of a dark blue pillow case from Lorraine Lea - you can see it in the first photo here though I can't think where else I've used it! Anyway, I had enough to prep two roughly square pieces. 

All done and looking good!
The threads are slightly different shades of green for the grid vs the circles.
I kind wish they were more different, but whatever. 

The first I did a grid and circles design to help practice getting my stitches the right length and work on curves vs lines. These only took maybe an hour each to sew; I did this one while watching Hidden Figures with the girls and Steve one Saturday arvo.

The second I didn't take any glamor shots of (so much regret now!) before I hung it up and started using it, but it is so beautiful and the design was heavily inspired by this image I saw on Pinterest. Both of these are at school pegged up on my whiteboard wall (pegs are stuck on with blue tack) and the kids who have the job of rubbing off the board say they do a great job (though they are a little surprised I'm asking them to clean with something that looks so pretty). 

I think I'll make more. Maybe a class set of smaller ones for the students to use on their mini whiteboards. 

Do I need to get out more? Perhaps, but even if I did, I'd probably take my housewife and sashiko stitching with me anyway.