Sashiko Bibliography

This will be a list of resources in English regarding sashiko.  

I’m making this list as there is a limited amount of information available in English and there are no cohesive sources for the craft.  This is an attempt to fill that gap.   I have not included books as they are the easiest resource to locate on amazon or other books sellers.

Social Media

Atsushi Futatsuyawebsite (blog & store), instagram, patreon, youtube
Mr Futatsuya shares not only techniques for sashiko that he learned from his family but also provides important cultural context.  He may be the only Japanese person who is sharing the cultural aspect of sashiko in English.  

Watts Sashikowebsite (blog & store), instagram 
An Australian translator who has lived in Japan for several decades and works as a translator.  Her blog highlights her own sashiko work as well as local exhibitions of sashiko.  She also provides (English) reviews for sashiko books published in Japanese.  Unfortunately it appears that she last updated in summer of 2022.  

Xiao Xiao Yarnwebsite, youtube, instagram
XiaoXiaoYarn provides excellent tutorials narrated in English for sashiko techniques from fabric preparation to drafting to sewing.  She also appears to offer classes in Montreal.  

The Green Wrapperyoutube, instagram
Provides captioned but not narrated tutorials.  Their tutorial for beginning sashiko is a standout as it shows ushin stitching very slowly and close up so its easy to follow the motions. 

Articles

Wada, Yoshiko Iwamoto, “Boro no Bi : Beauty in Humility—Repaired Cotton Rags of Old Japan” (2004).
T extile Society of America Symposium Proceedings. 458.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/458

Colin Defant, Noah Kravitz, Bridget Eileen Tenner, “EXTENSIONS OF HITOMEZASHI PATTERNS”
arXiv:2208.14428v2 [math.CO] 31 May 2023

Collections of Textiles

Sri Threadswebsite instagram
A private dealer in textiles with a collection of sashiko garments and other examples.

Seattle Art Museumcollection search
A number of garments and some furoshiki, bags, and other cloth items including some spectacular firemen’s coats.

MET Museumcollection search
The MET museum in NYC has a small collection of garments from the 19th century but has high quality photographs and descriptions for them.  

Victoria And Albert Museumcollection search
The V&A museum also has a small collection but does have two late 20th century pieces including an interesting kimono with white on white stitching.  

Minneapolis Institute of Artcollection search
The MIA has a collection of two dozen examples of sashiko, primarily garments from the 19th and early 20th century.  Firemen’s coats, gloves, and hats are heavily represented but also farmer’s coats.