SASHIKO Disastrous ending? I stitched Hitomezashi without drawing a grid and it didn't go very well

Thank you for watching!
In this video, I stitched a Hitomezashi pattern for a Hanahukin without drawing a grid as I read that people in old times used to stitch that way.
There's nothing wrong about drawing a grid and I will keep using it, but I just wanted to understand how challenging it would be and what I could learn from the experience.
It was much harder than I first imagined, but this piece has become the most memorable piece for me.
The close up photos are on my Insta page:
/ thegreenwrapper
The pattern I stitched in this video is a cross-flower stitch (Juji Hanasashi).
The tutorial video is here:
• Sashiko Cross Flower s...
If you want to learn more about Hitomezashi, I've got a playlist for Hitomezashi videos:
• Sashiko Hitomezashi
Also, I receive a lot of questions about my thimble. It's a handmade and you can make it too. Please watch this tutorial:
• DIY Sashiko thimble ma...
00:00 Introduction
01:57 Practice
03:59 Stitching a Hanahukin

[@xenopanda5]

This piece is gorgeous! 😻 Imho perfection is boring, having some mistakes shows that it's a labor of love rather than mass produced by machines. I'm looking forward to your next attempt!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you so much for your encouraging comment❤️ I really love this piece and I will remember the effort every time I use it😊🪡🧵

[@NataliaNNS]

I love how you’re always challenging yourself to try new things!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you😊❤️🧵🪡

[@christinehowell]

This is a really helpful video and very encouraging. It's reminded me of the importance of careful planning, attention to detail, and being aware of one's limitations when it comes to experience. It's encouraged me to adopt a more thoughtful approach but at the same time be adventurous! That's the best way to learn.

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you😊 It was like when I stitched Sashiko for the first time! I’ve stitched this pattern countless times now, so it was great to remind me of how it was like to stitch without experience😊❤️🪡🧵

[@angelacornell8660]

I love the learning ❤. It is only when our work turns out differently that we can learn 😊. And this is an experiment 😊❤

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you❤️ I just needed to try to understand the world of Sashiko more😊🪡🧵💕

[@katking367]

I'm glad you kept going. It's beautiful.

[@thegreenwrapper]

Oh than you so much🥹❤️🧵🪡

[@marijkeschellenbach2680]

Just plain beautiful!!! I do better with a drawn pattern but often times just want to get stitching and it is more difficult I have to say. You are so thoughtful to show us your struggles and how you deal with them, and trying new things is exciting. It helps my brain🙃

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you as always❤️ How have you been doing? I’ve been thinking about you all week. I hope that things get better💕

[@marijkeschellenbach2680]

Aww, thank you for caring. Things are going well and our attitude is to live well and not dwell on the situation. We are in our eighties so we have had a good long life already and want to make the rest of our life the best we can make it. My husband has a great attitude! And your videos make me happy and help me through it. Thank you.....

[@thegreenwrapper]

❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕

[@chrismalone910]

Still amazingly beautiful

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you🥹❤️🪡🧵

[@user-ix2ju7jq5n]

Thank you! Another great video & a beautiful piece. Your sashiko stitching is masterful! 🤩

[@thegreenwrapper]

Oh, thank you so much🥹❤️💕

[@Nemitsno]

wabi sabi😉💕- It is absolutly beautiful!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you🥹❤️🧵🪡

[@kod8104]

This is most certainly not disastrous, in my view :) The level of consistency you managed to achieve freehand is astonishing. The end result is beautiful and as another commentator has said this was only your first attempt! The back also turns out really lovely as well. And thanks to your videos I did my first visible mending using sashiko yesterday 😊

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you so much😊❤️🪡🧵 It really was like the very first time I stitched a Hitomezashi pattern! I think I learned a lot from the experience and all the comments I received are so nice and encouraging🥹💕❤️ Also, congratulations on your first visible mending👍🪡🧵❤️

[@nicolelast230]

It is BEAUTIFUL!

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you😊❤️🧵🪡

[@creepycutiecrafty]

I feel that in spite of your criticism of your efforts, you’ve made a really beautiful piece. I’m sure that the Sashiko masters in previous centuries would also have had similar results from early creations! The pieces we get to see were kept because they display the mastery achieved after several years of working freehand. They probably because adept at counting the warp and weft of the fabric they worked on. As you say, you need more practice, just like they did. I really like the finished results, and think that maybe working freehand on a much larger piece of fabric could show the almost organic impressions that the patterns achieve. I’m also wondering if as well as folding in half, the fabric could be gate-folded (so the edges folded into the middle line) to create even more of a grid for guidance?

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you so much for your insightful comment🥹❤️ it’s so encouraging! It took so much time to stitch this piece and I was really exhausted and disappointed… When my daughter saw this, she said it’s beautiful and I realised that even those on my books which were stitched freehand didn’t look perfect but somehow very beautiful. I think they do have the organic feel you mentioned. I stitched with a minimal guide this time, but in reality, it would be easier to stitch if I drew some kind of grid such as 5cm squares, or made more creases just like your suggestion. Thank you again for watching my videos❤️😊🧵🪡

[@creepycutiecrafty]

@@thegreenwrapper thank you for sharing your creation!

[@jorgesxbass7606]

Perfeito 100%🎉❤🎉❤

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you as always 😊❤️🪡🧵

[@pamjones3594]

❤

[@thegreenwrapper]

❤️😊🧵🪡

[@marieeaton-smith5168]

I think you are being too self critical 😘

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you🥹❤️🧵🪡 This project was really tough😅

[@jenthulhu]

You are far too hard on yourself. Our ancestors weren't the perfectionists that we are. Take the time to look critically at antique works and you'll see it. I've actually been shocked at how sloppy some of the stitching I've seen on old quilts and so forth. People today are absolutely handicapped by perfectionism and our ancestors did not have that problem. All I see when I look at this piece you made is how beautiful it is! It is made by hand, not by a machine. That makes it special.

[@thegreenwrapper]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment❤️ I really learn a lot from the comments and feedback here. What you said is so true. For people in old times, this was a chore and didn’t have luxury of pursuing perfection like us. Yet, we feel something special from the imperfection as well💕 Thank you for your insight🪡🧵😊❤️

[@jenthulhu]

@@thegreenwrapper It's so easy to lapse into perfectionism--it is emphasized so much in our media and culture. But it's a plague and sucks the joy out of life. As you say, this was a chore in the past--meant to add a bit of beauty to a utilitarian job. They didn't have the luxury of time to rip things back. And while I don't doubt that with time their sense of spacing improved, it would never be as exacting as you have expected from yourself. You did a beautiful job and I think it was a worthwhile endeavor--as you say, it connected you to your ancestors. I always feel that when knitting, spinning, and weaving. It's a wonderful primal feeling. Next time you try this, I hope you'll be more forgiving of yourself!