The story of sashiko / 03
The story continues in the hands of people who stitch. Old knowledge finds a place in the things we use today.
A living practice · Past to present
A thread
through time
Sashiko is practised and taught today by makers in Japan and around the world. Some preserve regional methods; others explore new colours, materials and uses. Hand stitching can bring the care once given to work clothes into a bag, a household cloth or a much-loved garment.
Boro refers to textiles that have been repeatedly patched and repaired. Sashiko describes stitching that can reinforce or decorate cloth. They can appear together in the same textile, but the words describe different things: the accumulated repairs and the stitching used to hold or strengthen the fabric.
Learning a pattern is a beginning. Learning how makers handle the needle, choose cloth and pass on their knowledge adds depth to the practice. Start with a small piece, notice the weave and give yourself time. The value of a stitch can be in what it helps you keep.
A little guidance
Sashiko describes stitching that can reinforce or decorate cloth. Boro describes textiles built up through repeated patching and repair. They can occur in the same piece, but one refers to the stitching practice and the other to the repaired textile.
How Sashiko helps: For a small repair, the app can help you plan a stitched area and an editable pattern. Check the worn garment and prepare a suitable patch by hand before stitching.
Yes. Sashiko can export editable pattern charts as A4 or US Letter PDFs. Choose Actual size or 100% when printing, then measure the chart’s 50 mm calibration line with a ruler. If it does not measure 50 mm, adjust the print settings before transferring the design.
How Sashiko helps: Set your cloth dimensions and spacing in the app, then export the chart. This helps you plan a pattern for a particular piece of cloth instead of guessing its size from a screen image.
In Sashiko, you can start with an editable study and adjust its cloth dimensions, spacing and repeat settings in the Designer. Preview the layout before turning it into a project or printing a chart.
How Sashiko helps: Choose from Basics, Bands, Rhythms and Symmetry, then adapt the design to a sampler, household cloth or small patch. A visual reference has its own available options in the pattern detail.
Stitch order depends on the pattern and technique. A sequence for a straight grid is different from one for a curved motif, so follow guidance for the particular design rather than applying one rule to every pattern.
How Sashiko helps: Editable patterns in Sashiko include stitch-path previews and needle instructions. These help you follow the selected design; learning how to start, secure and join thread is still part of the hands-on craft.
Save your design as a project in Sashiko and mark completed stitching runs as you work. Saved progress lets you return to the piece and see where to continue after a break.
How Sashiko helps: Use the project’s stitch mode when working on the cloth. Watching a demonstration does not mark your stitching complete; you record completion as you sew.
Sashiko by AE Studio is an iPhone app for exploring pattern collections, designing editable charts, printing actual-size PDFs and recording stitching progress. It includes English and Japanese interfaces, pattern stories and stitch previews for supported designs.
How Sashiko helps: Use it to connect pattern discovery, project planning and your next stitching session. Visit the App Store listing for current availability, device requirements and pricing.
Our pattern collections
Begin with an editable grid study or explore the motif library. Choose a pattern that catches your eye, then make space for your own colour, scale and pace.
Original grid studies you can resize, turn into a project and print as an actual-size chart.
Start with aligned stitches and alternating rows or columns.
Aligned · Alternating rows
Group your stitches into paired, triple or wider bands.
Paired bands · Wide bands
Explore offsets, crossings and three- or four-beat repeats.
Cross rhythm · Three beat
Build a balanced design with mirrored pairs and windows.
Mirror pairs · Mirror window
Look closer at geometric and curved designs, with cloth previews and pattern stories. Each pattern’s detail page shows the editing and stitching options available.
A repeating star of lines and triangles, inspired by the shape of a hemp leaf.
Overlapping arcs build a calm, flowing repeat across the cloth.
Sashiko for iPhone
Explore patterns, make a design your own, and carry it from screen to cloth. Plan your piece, print an actual-size chart and save your stitching progress with Sashiko.