Sashiko's beauty is understandably popular. This book is the first focused on stitching two little-known traditional styles: kogin and hishizashi. Photos of vintage pieces, many rarely seen outside museums, showcase the craft's origins in northern Japan. Japanese expert Keiko Sakamoto—who began her intensive study of them while living in the American Midwest—explains these intriguing decorative embroidery styles.
The book includes 31 projects, with step-by-step photo instructions, ranging from a simple bookmark to advanced wall tapestries. The projects increase in difficulty to satisfy both novices and experienced sashiko stitchers. For ongoing reference and use, the book also includes one of the most extensive libraries of traditional kogin and hishizashi pattern templates to be found anywhere (80 and 200 templates, respectively).