These pre printed panels from Olympus Thread Mfg. Co. are called 'hana fukin' with literally means 'flower cloth'. This one is printed in grey on yellow ochre coloured narrow width traditional sarashi cloth (an easy to stitch traditional Japanese cotton cloth). Each panel is supplied in one piece with a plain area the same size attached, because they are designed to be stitched through both layers and the edges turned in to make a little cloth, but you can stitch the printed layer separately (as I often do). The matching coasters shown in the last photo are available separately as a kit (supplied with six strand embroidery threads, sashiko needle and instructions).
Thread requirements - The (1) on the label indicates that to stitch this all in one colour, just one skein of 20m sashiko thread is needed, but they look great stitched in multicolours too.I'm stitching indigo blue version of this panel at the moment (no stitching photo just yet!) and using 20m Olympus Thread Mfg. Co. sashiko thread #77 for the dragonflies with #72 for the background grid (to suggest water), to use as a cushion panel. It also looks lovely stitched in one colour. I am using the sashiko threads doubled for the dragonfly bodies and the grid for a bolder effect, and singly for the dragonflies' wings, so they look more delicate. It will be bordered and backed with one of the Olympus striped cottons, and made into a cushion.
If you are also buying the hanafukin panel and the coaster kit, and want to coordinate your threads with the coasters, you can either match each of the six strand embroidery threads in the coaster kit to embroidery thread colours in your own stash once the kit arrives, or buy several 20m sashiko threads to stitch both the coaster kit and the hanafukin cloth. The embroidery threads in the coaster kits are light green (#1028), olive green (#274), light purple (#277), purple (#623), russet (#6655) and deep red (#755), so multicoloured 20m sashiko threads #51 or #77 and #73 or #75 would give a similar effect with just two threads, or your can stitch every line with multicolour #74. If you want to stitch with sashiko threads that are as close as possible (but not identical) to the six strand embroidery threads, these would be 20m sashiko threads shades #6 light green, #7 mid green, #24 purplish pink, #19 purple, #15 bright red or #03 mid brown or #04 persimmon orange (there is no true russet in the sashiko range) and #12 dark red.
The hanafukin is 13in (33cm) square approx.
Marks wash out. NB - the marks have less contrast than my pre printed sashiko panels.
Designed and made by Olympus Thread Mfg. Co. in Japan.
100% cotton.
