Sashiko means “little stab”. Although born out of necessity to improve the strength and thermal quality of textiles in Japan, Sashiko creates stunning designs with only running stitch.

Mending with Sashiko technique is a wonderful way to combine creativity, functionality and sustainability. It’s also a great opportunity to slow down, meditate, bond with our beloved clothes, and use them as a tool of artistic expression.

In this class, you will learn how to draw, stitch and customize four traditional Hitomezashi Sashiko patterns to mend a pair of jeans. Selina will walk you through the brief history of Sashiko in Japan, explain mending materials, tools, and how to repair damages like holes and weak areas on jeans.

A PDF file with all four patterns will be shared one week prior to class for participants to print out in advance.

Date
Wednesday, October 16th, 2024

Time
12 pm – 2:30 pm EST

Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before class

*All sessions will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to all those who register following the live session. This link is live for one month after the end of the series for you to watch at your convenience.

Cost
$65 for the individual class, $300 for the series

Class Materials:

• A pair of jeans or other denim items, preferably with damages like holes and/or weak areas
• Patching fabric (at least 1 inch bigger than the area to be mended at all sides): woven fabric in similar weight and flexibility (stretch) as the item to be mended. Wash, dry, iron all fabrics in advance to avoid shrinkage and color bleeding.
• Sashiko needle (Tulip, Olympus, Clover)
• Sashiko thread thick type (Olympus, Daruma) or DMC pearl cotton thread #8
• A pair of fabric scissors
• Small safety pins (around 1 inch in length)
• Appliqué pins or glass head pins
• Ruler (recommended: quilter’s ruler)
• Fabric marker (recommended: heat erasable marker, water soluble marker)

Our Teacher

Selina Ben is a textile artist and mender based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. With a professional background in textile product development, her passion for textiles has existed for as long as she can remember.

Selina is inspired by historical textiles around the world. Her curiosity about why the textiles were significant to a place, what materials were used, and how they were made stimulates her creativity. With her practice, she hopes to preserve disappearing techniques and to honor unknown makers and their cultural heritages.

Witnessing landfills overloaded with textile waste, Selina chooses to work with pre-used fabrics. All the signs of wear and tear on the fabrics are a source of inspiration for her creative process. With her hands, needles and threads, Selina brings the fabrics to a new phase of their lives so that people can start looking at our relationships with textiles differently.

Selina believes stitching by hand is the best form of meditation. The repetitive motions of arms, wrists, fingers, needle and thread bring peace of mind and a sense of accomplishment. As time goes by, the grounded feeling arises, the positive energy grows and a new work is born.

Selina’s practice can be found at www.unwrittenstitch.com and Instagram @selinaam05.