Beautiful Mending with Running Stitch

mend 
verb \ˈmend\
: to make (something broken or damaged) usable again : to repair (something broken or damaged)

Today I would like to talk a little bit about the a Japanese use of running stitch called Sashiko.  

Sashiko (literally "little stabs") is a form of decorative reinforcement stitching from Japan. It originally was used to reinforce points of wear or repair  tears with patches creating "boro" cloth. This running stitch technique became a functional embroidery often used for purely decorative purposes. The white cotton thread on the traditional indigo blue gave Sashiko its distinctive appearance. Today though, Many contemporary embroiderers use colored threads for their projects. 

If you Google the term Sashiko you can find many beautiful examples of this work.  I had the pleasure of taking a little workshop on Sashiko by a local artist, Naoko Konno.  In that workshop, I produced this small sample.

Many examples of Sashiko create intricate geometric patterns where precision is key to a successful piece. Sometimes though, the patterns of stitches are representational. While certainly nothing to write home about, this sample illustrates some of those patterns:  the blue half circles represent waves, the green zig zags represent mountains, the ovals represent clouds and the star shape represents the sun.

I find it truly amazing how such a simple stitch can do so much.  

Have a fun day!
Cynthia