One for the intermediate sashiko stitchers who are looking for something a bit more absorbing and challenging than our regular range of hanafukin panels. This pre printed sashiko sampler kit from Olympus Thread Mfg. Co. is called a 'hana fukin' (which literally means 'flower cloth') in Japanese. It is printed in grey on almond milk (light warm beige) 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 (as shown in the fourth photo), but you can stitch the printed layer separately and make them into various other items, such as bags, cushions or quilt panels. They also look great framed.
The floral Petunia design, with the paterns arranged in rows, combines three different styles of sashiko - the central band has a gorgeous interlocked floral pattern, a variation on asanoha (hemp leaf) in moyouzashi (pattern sashiko), with a cute top and bottom border of tiny leaves in hitomezashi (one stitch sashiko, stitched in straight vertical and diagonal lines), with the two sections of leaves linked together with a very simple band of kugurizashi (literally 'go through sashiko', where a thread is woven through sashiko stitches). As the kugurizashi stitches are quite long on this sampler, I might be tempted to omit them if I was going to use it for a cushion cover panel, as they might get snagged in use, and perhaps replace them with a similar stitched sashiko diamond design.
There are four different sampler designs in this collection - Snowflake, Petunia, Kasumisou (gypsophila), and Kinmokusei (osmanthus) - and they are available as complete kits (on coloured fabrics), or as panels only (white or colours - the panel only of this design, Petunia, is shown in the second and third photos, with the kugurizashi woven threads shown in red).
This listing is for the full kit, which includes the panel, all the threads needed to stitch it as shown in the first photo, instructions, and a sashiko needle. Instructions are in Japanese, but with excellent diagrams, so you don't really need to be able to understand the text, and you can use the Google Translate phone app to 'read' them for you if you wish.
Sarashi cloth is quite lightweight compared with other sashiko fabrics, but is very easy to stitch, super absorbent and wears well. It is one of the fabrics traditionally used for kimono underwear!
Everything you need is included in this kit, so you can simply start stitching!
Please note, I would suggest that a little sashiko stitching or other embroidery experience is advisable before tackling one of these panels. I would rate the skill level as intermediate.
Finished size approx 13in (33cm) square.
Marks wash out.
Designed and made by Olympus Thread Mfg. Co. in Japan.
100% cotton.
