Create a stunning sampler of the Persimmon design with creamy white sashiko thread. This kit uses hitomezashi (also called 'One-Stitch Sashiko') which is a form of sashiko stitching where the patterns are designed on a grid system and stitched with a running stitch. The intersecting stitches in hitomezashi touch each other, whereas they don't in 'ordinary' sashiko. Hitomezashi usually takes more thread than 'ordinary' sashiko but the result is a strong, plump fabric with a complex-looking design. This is a super kit for those who love stitching.

The samplers are approximately 33cm x 33cm and include a plain fabric which can either be saved use as a backing, or you can stitch it double-layered, it's up to you. Stitching double-layered gives the fabric a nice, bouncy feel but is slightly trickier in that you have to hide your starting and finishing knots by 'popping' them through the top layer. Sometimes the back of hitomezashi work looks really interesting in its own right, so this is definitely something worth trying

Kit includes:

• Sampler fabric, 33cm x 33cm, 100% cotton
• 1 skein of sashiko thread (100m)
• Sashiko needles

Although sashiko is fairly straightforward the instructions are in Japanese, so for those whose Japanese is a bit rusty, there are some tips to help you get started included in the kit. There are also some fantastic YouTube tutorials on the Olympus channel which are really clear. 

Samplers are approximately 33cm x 33cm and include a plain fabric which can either be saved use as a backing, or you can stitch it double-layered, it's up to you. 

The History of Sashiko

Sashiko originated about 400 years ago and was a way of making clothes warmer and preserving them. By putting two or more layers of cloth together and sewing with a running stitch, it creates small pockets of air in the clothing, which trap warmth. Beautiful, geometric patterns were stitched in an undyed thread to create the classic 'cream on blue' look which we associate with sashiko today. But as well as being beautiful, this was also very practical as women would often stitch sashiko on dark evenings and the contrast meant they could see what they were doing! Dense stitching helped preserve the fabric for generations to come and provided a means of repairing it with patches.