A Little Obsessed with Variegated Sashiko

There’s something about Sashiko that I never seem to tire of.

Perhaps it’s the rhythm of the typical running stitch. The repetition of following a line, one stitch after another, until suddenly a pattern begins to emerge. Or perhaps it’s the way an old garment can become something completely new simply by adding a little thread and care.

Lately, I’ve been particularly obsessed with variegated Sashiko thread.

I’ve been trying out three different colourways with different Sashiko patterns, and it’s made me look at these patterns in a completely new way. I love the little surprises that happen as you stitch. Rather than choosing one colour and knowing exactly what the finished pattern will look like, the thread gently shifts as you work; one stitch might be blue, the next turquoise, then something deeper or softer.

The thread almost does some of the designing for you.

And I think that’s what I love most about it - you can start with an idea, but you don’t completely know where you’ll end up.

Pattern meets colour

While trying out the variegated threads with different Sashiko designs, I found that these two new patterns work particularly well with them:

Urokozashi, often translated as fish scales, has a lovely sense of movement to it, while still feeling wonderfully ordered.

Fish scales are traditionally associated with protection and good fortune in Japanese pattern symbolism, and I love the idea of carrying a little of that meaning into a piece of clothing. There’s something rather lovely about stitching protection onto something you wear and live in.

Then there’s Hishitsunagi, the linked diamonds pattern.I’m particularly drawn to the way the diamonds connect and flow into one another. Nothing sits entirely on its own and each shape becomes part of something larger.

That feeling of connection feels especially fitting for Sashiko. Historically, Sashiko developed as a practical form of reinforcement and repair, strengthening fabric through layers of small, repeated stitches. Over time, these functional stitches became beautiful patterns in their own right. And so much of Sashiko still feels like that to me: connection, continuity and making something stronger by taking care of it.

They’re both very beginner-friendly designs, the stitches follow a continuous rhythm and  there are no complicated crossings to interrupt the flow, so you get to watch the colours move and change across the pattern almost as you stitch. You can create something incredibly intricate, and the variegated thread adds another layer of interest without making the stitching itself any more complicated.

And perhaps that’s what makes these patterns particularly lovely for beginners. You can concentrate on finding your rhythm, following the lines and enjoying the colour changes rather than worrying about complicated stitch directions.

You can sit with a garment, a needle and a length of Sashiko thread and just follow the pattern.

One stitch.

Then another.

And another.

Eventually, the fabric starts becoming stronger and wearable again.

Three new colourways

For these new patterns, I’ve been playing with three variegated colourways:

The fresh green & turquoise reminds me of water, deep and unexpected.

The warm and earthy mustard & blue thread have a lovely contrast between golden yellow and deep blue.

Traditional blue & white is the classic combination that immediately feels like Sashiko, but with the shifting colour of the variegated thread giving it a little more movement.

I honestly can’t choose a favourite. I’m a little obsessed with all of them.

Find the new patterns & variegated threads

The new Urokozashi (fish scale) and Hishitsunagi (linked diamonds) Sashiko patterns are now available in my online shop, alongside the three new variegated thread colourways.

You can choose between the different bundles, depending on what you’d like to stitch. Whether you’re drawn to the fresh green and turquoise, the grounding mustard and blue, or the more traditional blue and white.

Now all you need is a piece of fabric, a needle, and a little time.