Sashiko stitching, a Japanese running stitch, is used to strengthen cloth: this is a universal practice, employed by many cultures around the world, and it goes by many names depending where you are.

Today, however, I am showing two distinctly Japanese items: instep guards called kougake and a very heavily stitched. small pad of indigo dyed cotton.  Both of these old Japanese things are stitched using hemp thread.  Very often we think of sashiko stitching being done in white cotton thread against a blue ground: this is quite typical, but hemp thread was also used for mending and reinforcement.

Below is a heavily sashiko stitched pad: it seems the chevron shapes or the “arrow feather” pattern was stitched by counting threads.  At first I thought this was a zokin or dustcloth, then I realized it was probably created to be used as a gusset to reinforce a vest or jacket, as can be seen on an example here. In and of itself it is really beautiful.

Seen close up, in detail, and out of context like the photo above, you’d almost think this was Op Art from the 1960s.

I think that many readers of this blog who are Japanese textile enthusiasts love sashiko stitching and, if you have come to discover zokin, the heavily sashiko stitched pads made of recycled cottons, you probably have been smitten by them.

Each piece in the group that I am showing today is made from scraps of old, indigo dyed cotton and is stitched in hemp thread.  These beauties are all from my personal collection.The stitched pattern on the zokin pictured left, above is called “persimmon flower.”Zokin are used for housekeeping, for cleaning and for dusting: each Japanese child makes one in first grade to help tidy up their desk and classroom.  Very often each child will stitch their name onto the zokin.The hand plied, hemp thread used for stitching is quite raw, very thick and is barely pliant.   These zokin are rustic and are very scratchy.  Imagine stitching with this wiry, harsh thread?The results, though, are indeed beautiful.

I think most people who are enthusiastic about Japanese country textiles have a special place in their heart for the asa or bast fiber cloth of Japan.  Its rich texture and its closeness to nature tap into our primal instincts and connect us to something of the earth.

Here is a neat little stack of some hemp and ramie textiles in my showroom: they are piled atop a small. antique Korean tray table or soban.Under the soban is a very heavily stitched, layered and patched cotton kotatsugake which I use as an area rug.The pieces on the bottom of the stack are dyed in kaki shibu or green persimmon tannin.  Just above them are undyed pieces; above the natural ones are a few pieces of indigo dyed hemp cloth and just above the indigo dyed pieces are those which are first dyed in indigo and then overdyed in a natural yellow dye, either kihada a kind of philodendron or possibly turmeric.

I hope by placing the adult’s indigo dyed cotton tabi underneath the pair of child’s white tabi on the right, you will get a sense of just how tiny these tabi really are.

They’re cotton, and just like the adult’s pair, the children’s version are also worn hard and reinforced with sashiko stitching and patches.

I don’t think that I need to supply much commentary here.  The photos say it all.

Beginning today and for the next two weeks I’ll be in Japan sourcing new textiles.  But I’ll be regularly posting on this blog while I’m gone, so keep checking in as there are some interesting postings in the works.I chose to show this little maneki neko on this farewell posting as he looks as if he is waving good-bye: those of you who know about maneki neko know that he is doing just the opposite: he’s beckoning.
And I join maneki neko in welcoming  you to continue visiting my blog while I’m away, and to tune into my website again on 24 March when I will be updating it with new items.  Until the next time…