Friday 24 January 2020

Sashiko table runner

The Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival is on this week, so it's probably a good time to show you my finished sashiko table runner.  

I would love to go the Tokyo Quilt Show one day.  In fact I think I'd rather go to the Tokyo show than the Houston show.  The Japanese women love their hand work, and so many of the quilts on display in the Tokyo show are hand pieced and hand quilted.  That's more my style than many of the heavily machine quilted quilts at Houston.  

Anyway, here's some photos of my sashiko table runner - or maybe it will become a wall hanging.  I need to freshen up my home office so I might pop a hanging sleeve on it and hang it in my office.



I did minimal machine quilting on this piece.  I used my walking foot and carefully outlined the circles.  I also stitched just beside the white stitching lines on the grid.  I only did enough quilting to hold the two layers together.  I didn't do any quilting in the open spaces. 









You'll see that I'm a rebel and mixed the colours up.  Purists might say that sashiko should all be done in white, but I love colour, and I wanted it to work well with my dining chairs. The backs of my dining chairs are pink, purple, and gold - as shown in the second photo. 



I was going to put a facing on my sashiko, but in the end I decided it was easier to just bind it and get it finished.  The binding is so close to the colour of the main fabric that it's not even noticeable. 

This panel is from Indigo Niche in Australia and the stitches were preprinted on it.  There are many companies making these types of panels if you're keen to give it a try.



Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  It's your chance to link up a recent blog post and show us what you've been working on. 

I did notice that the links to some people's blogs didn't work last week because they haven't changed their blogs to https yet. Note the "s" for secure on the end of https. 
If you're on Blogger you need to go to  Settings and then Basic.  The third option down in HTTPS.  Turn it on and your problems will be solved. 
If you have a link to your blog from your Instagram account, then you need to edit your profile and copy in the new https link from a browers on your phone or iPad. 


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter


19 comments:

Karen's Korner said...

You have created a lovely piece of wall art.

For the love of geese said...

I've been waiting to see this great finish. It looks wonderful as a table runner but would look equally well on the wall. Whichever you decide it should definitely be shared with all who visit.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I love your table piece - it looks perfect! I too would love to go to the show in Japan sometime. I love all the hand work and so prefer it to the overly done machine quilting that is so popular right now. It is not my thing at all and Paducah is the closest to me so I go to that show every couple years and just love to find the hand quilting quilts and just admire them so much. You can't even find all the hand quilting supplies anymore at the shows as it is all aimed at machine work now and I mainly do hand work other than using a machine to piece

L Parnell said...

It’s lovely, I really like the pattern and the colours you used. Is there a difference between Sashiko and big stitch quilting?

Quilting Babcia said...

Your sashiko table runner is just perfect for its setting! Using the additional colors in your stitching really enhances the piece and makes it uniquely yours. I'd love to visit the Tokyo Quilt Show someday, but in the meantime I love seeing the photos from those bloggers who are seeing it in person.

Cathy said...

Love the sashiko! That's something I have never tried. I have a book with numerous projects and the needles so I guess I should just pick a project and give it a try.

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

What lovely stitching on this piece, Wendy. I have a little kit somewhere for someday perhaps a travel project. Always interesting to see what you are stitching.

Marti said...

This is just beautiful and from here, it looks hand-stitched. I prefer quilts that aren't heavily quilted too. One year I was a scribe at the quilt show and the judge I was with didn't like the heavily quilted either. She would pass over those in favor of another if possible. But she was older than me, so maybe that was part of it.

Susan said...

Wow! That is absolutely beautiful! I would certainly find a place of honor to hang it, and would look at it all the time

FlourishingPalms said...

Oh how I wish you lived closer! On February 10 I'm giving a "Big Stitch Quilting and More" presentation to Central Florida Modern Quilt Guild, and would love to have you share your Sashiko work. What I've learned while researching stitching with pearl cotton is that many of the styles overlap or are at least somewhat indistinguishable from one another. I'm learning about big stitch, of course, but also about Sashiko, Boro, Boho, Kantha, Shibori, and visible mending! They're all similar, though I do think Sashiko has a distinctive design style. Your hand work, as always, is beautiful Wendy.

Jenny said...

Just amazing, Wendy. What a great table runner, congratulations on a wonderful finish. All Ive done in this technique is two sashiko placemats a while ago.

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

What a lovely striking project. It really is lovely as a table runner, but gosh it's also a really wonderful work of art to hand on your wall. The Tokyo Quilt show is also on my bucket list.

Julie Fukuda said...

Oh Wendy, what a wonderful finish! I wish you could make it to the Tokyo Dome show one of these days. I can offer you a place to stay if you come. Gradually machine work is coming onto the scene but there is still handwork that blows your mind. It makes me feel that I can never enter a show here in Japan. Each year I meet up with my blogging friends there and we pick a challenge for the year. This year was "circles" and you would have fit right in.
I often use sashiko patterns for background quilting and you have found a great use as well. Thanks for the post.

Sarah Goer Quilts said...

I'm currently enjoying Kelly Spell's IG posts from the Tokyo Quilt Show. So many amazing quilts! Your runner is lovely. It looks so great with your chairs! Thanks for hosting the linkup.

suesinger said...

It is beautiful when I first looked at it, I thought it was hand quilted.
I was able to find the same panel at road to California quilt show.
Did you use sashiko or pearl cotton thread? The colored threads turn it into a work of art.
You always inspire me to Try something new.

Cheryll said...

It looks fantastic too...
LoVe it...xox

Jenny M said...

such a beautiful table runner/ wall quilt, either way will look so good. PS. just catching up on your posts ~ the Gingerbread retreat is amazing and it looks like you have a whole village, how charming.

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

I love your Sashiko! I am wanting to get into it but am trying very hard to get there. Hubby's hand accident on NY Eve is putting a HUGE dent in my ability to meet my new 2020 goals. This will go on with his rehab through April I am afraid and I just cannot do it all and have the same time for my quilting but guess that is life - where are the Cherries? LOL

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

Love your Sashiko! So pretty! I have that on my 2020 list