In this Intro to Sashiko class, participants will learn how to prepare their fabric and stitch both Hitomezashi and Moyozashi stitch patterns. We will also cover how to start and end our stitching without knots, how to make efficient stitches with a palm thimble, how the hana fukin sampler is used in daily life and a brief overview of sashiko as a form of sustainable mending and fiber art. The class is taught by guest artist and instructor, Paula Hyatt.

Materials:

• All materials (including white thread) are provided and will be handed out in class
• Optional: purchase 1 additional Daruma thread color for contrast

Artist Paula Hyatt Bio:

Paula loves all things fiber art and especially Sashiko stitching. Though her formal education and work experience are in finance and business, creativity in finance is not advisable. Thus, Paula’s love of the fiber arts. While looking for a way to repair a favorite pair of jeans, Paula learned about visible mending and Sashiko. With her jeans successfully repaired, she was eager to learn more about this sustainable practice. This journey revealed an art that has centuries of tradition, and a multifaceted history as engaging as the art itself.

Since then, Paula has been practicing Sashiko for close to a decade. Originally self-taught, she later had the opportunity to learn from a Sashiko teacher from Kyoto, Japan. This experience helped her to better hone her knowledge of both the art, its history, and its current uses in daily life.  Paula has taught classes at the Fiber Arts Collective in Ashland and enjoys sharing Sashiko with others.