CO West Quilt Guild Sashiko Program

Last night I presented a program on Sashiko to the CO West Quilt Guild.  I am not an expert on Sashiko by any means, just interested in it and have taken several classes over the years.  This quilt, which was based on the "Hop To It" pattern by Edyta Sitar is my first big project including Sashiko and probably why I was asked to present the program last night.  The hand appliquéd blocks are Edyta's design.  I did a lot of embellishing on those blocks with hand embroidery.  They are off-set with several sashiko blocks done on Cherrywood fabrics (I used Daiwabo taupe fabrics for the appliquéd and pieced blocks and they just went really well with the Cherrywood hand-dyes).  The pieced blocks on the side borders and the sashiko blocks are from the book Japanese Quilt Blocks by Susan Briscoe.  I love that book!  She has another one called Japanese Taupe Quilts which is awesome too.

I think the program last night went well!  Hopefully no one got too bored!  I had fun preparing it and learned a lot. Sashiko began as a darning stitch to mend clothes, and make them last longer, in Japan somewhere between 1615 and 1868, in the Edo Era.  One fun fact I learned was that they used to stitch white thread on white fabric, then over dye the whole thing in Indigo. The thread faded faster than the fabric, so the stitching design was slowly revealed as the garment was worn.  That just sounds kind of fun!  I also learned that men and women both did the stitching and it remained quite popular until post WWII, but was revived again in the 1970's and is used today more as an embellishment stitch.

As I presented last night, I talked a bit about the history and origins of sashiko, and how I got started, sharing what I have made using the technique.  I then had any guild members who wanted to, share any sashiko pieces they had made or own.  I made a small kit for everyone so they could give it a try.  My friend passed out the kits while I talked about tips on thread, needles, preparing the fabric, the stitching etc. and then everyone could start stitching if they wanted, or just take the kit home and try it there.  Laura Pedge also came and sold sashiko supplies and she provided a handout with tips as well.  I hope everyone had fun!  That was my goal.

 I snapped a few pictures of Show and Tell.  Some great items were shared.  I always get very inspired seeing others' finished work.

Betty, our program chair, challenged us to make a goal in 2014 to make a quilt or project that we have "always wanted to make".  It cannot be something we've already started because that is a UFO (Unfinished Object) and that is in a different category :)  This has to be something we've always wanted to make but just haven't started it for some reason.  We're suppose to write it down and give it to her at the next meeting.  I'm still thinking.  I have a lot!  I just need to narrow it down to one that I can reasonably do :)

She also encouraged us to work on our UFO's which is one of my goals for 2014, particularly Dear Jane!

These two soft and snuggly quilts were made for children :)

Lorraine presented the Challenge for 2014.  Each year our guild has a challenge.  This year it is "Black, White and Floral all Over".  We buy a challenge packet for $8 which has a black and white fat quarter in it and the rules.  This year, we can add any other black and white and another color, but the color has to be either a floral print, or used to make something floral.  Also something on the quilt (it must be a wall hanging, no larger than 160 inches total perimeter) must be three dimensional.
I bought my packet!  I have an idea!  Now to just find the time to make it.  The challenge reveal will be at the June meeting so we have about six months :)

This picture was Lorraine's inspiration for the challenge.  Oh, and did I mention there will be prizes?



I learned last night that I need to explain our family's Victory Board better!  It is a tradition that we started a few years ago.  We really love to play board games (or any games) when we get together and a few years ago my daughter said, "Let's make a Victory Board!"  So we made a chart and whenever you won a game, you got to put a point on the Victory Board.  Whoever had the most points at the end of our holiday "won"!  A couple years ago we added simple prizes and it has just grown from there.  It's really fun!  Anyway, you earn victory points by winning a game and I think the confusion came in when I mentioned in an earlier post that I should get a victory point for cooking our Christmas Eve dinner.  The reason I said that was because I was busy cooking and couldn't play the game they were playing, so I told them if dinner turned out well, I should get a victory point!  They laughed and agreed but I'm not sure if I got one or not.  My friend last night told me that she thought we gave each other points for doing nice things for one another.  That's not a bad idea either!  So just for fun - go and do something nice for someone today!  And have a GREAT day!