Patterns
Sashiko (刺し子, "little stabs") began as a functional stitch in Edo-era northern Japan, where cold winters and expensive cloth made mending and reinforcing fabric a necessity. Farming and fishing families ran plain white thread through layers of indigo cotton to patch worn spots, strengthen work wear, and add warmth — turning a repair chore into a running decorative craft passed down through generations.
Two broad families of pattern grew from this practice. Hitomezashi ("one-stitch sashiko") builds designs from short, evenly spaced stitches placed by a simple on/off rule along a grid — deceptively simple to learn, endlessly variable to look at. Moyōzashi ("pattern sashiko") stitches longer continuous lines that trace a repeating motif — waves, hemp leaves, fish scales — and generally asks for a steadier, more practiced hand.
Sashiko thread is a soft, matte, lightly twisted cotton made specifically for this craft — it sits proud of the cloth without splitting. Perle (pearl) cotton is a twisted, slightly glossy embroidery thread sold in numbered weights (a lower number is thicker: #5 is chunky, #12 is fine) and makes a good substitute. Embroidery floss is different again: six loose, divisible strands bundled together, meant to be separated and recombined to whatever thickness you want.
For floss, strand count is the whole game: 3–4 strands recombined gives a weight close to light sashiko thread, while all 6 strands together approximates a medium sashiko weight. Fewer strands means a finer, quieter line; more strands means a bolder, more traditional look.
This app sets the stitch width on the canvas automatically from whichever thread you pick in Size & stitch — including the strand count for floss — so the preview and printed template always match what you'll actually be sewing with. Choose "Custom" there if you want to set the width by hand instead.
Each pattern card shows a difficulty of one to three filled dots. One dot (Beginner) means a single repeating grid rule and forgiving spacing. Two dots (Intermediate) add a second pass or a woven crossing. Three dots (Advanced) layer several passes or curved geometry that takes more planning to keep even. If you're new to sashiko, start with hitomezashi or yamagata — both are stitched as simple straight or zigzag rows with no jumps.
Sashiko has a characteristic beat: each stitch is roughly one and a half times the length of the gap that follows it, so the thread reads as slightly more line than space. What matters most is consistency — an even rhythm flatters any pattern, even one stitched imperfectly. Load several stitches onto the needle before pulling it through; this keeps tension uniform and speeds up long straight runs.
Switch this app to Guide view and print at real scale to get a clean transfer template — the printed sheet includes a 50 mm calibration square so you can confirm your printer scaled the page correctly. Trace the lines onto fabric with a chalk pencil and ruler for straight-line patterns, or use wash-away transfer paper for anything curved.
Don't pull stitches tight — leave a whisper of ease so the fabric can flex without puckering. Plan ahead for corners and direction changes so a pattern's turns land cleanly on a stitch rather than mid-gap. And press finished work from the back, over a towel, so the stitches stay raised instead of flattening into the cloth.
Grid drafting is how sashiko motifs have always been made: a repeating unit sketched on squared paper, then multiplied across the cloth. Start small — three to six strokes is plenty — and add a mirror or rotation to turn a handful of lines into a balanced design. Every line you draw becomes a straight stitching run, so keep them on the grid rather than freehand.
A motif rarely looks the same twice: try the same lines with a grid, brick, and half-drop repeat before settling on one — the offset alone can turn a stiff design into a flowing one.
Patchwork continues the sampler tradition — many motifs stitched onto one cloth, block by block or stripe by stripe, so a single panel shows off a whole vocabulary of stitches. Overlay is a more modern move: a second pattern, usually in a contrasting thread, layered on top of the first to build a woven, moiré-like composite.
Either way, finish one pattern or block completely before starting the next — it keeps tension even and stops half-finished passes from tangling with each other.
The stitch player draws a pattern the way it's actually sewn — pass by pass, stitch by stitch — so you can watch the true order before marking fabric. It mirrors the numbered pass list under "About this pattern"; watch it once, then follow along with a needle once the order feels familiar.
Start a project when you begin stitching a piece for real — it's a separate, lighter-weight record from your saved designs, meant to follow a single piece of cloth from first pass to last. Check off passes as you complete them and the progress bar and remaining-thread estimate update as you go, so you always know how much is left before you sit down to sew.
Use the notes field to jot down dye lots, needle sizes, or lessons learned partway through — anything you'd want to remember next time you pick this piece back up. Everything lives on this device only (there's no account or sync), so use Export file from the Designs tab now and then to keep a backup you can restore from.
No saved patterns yet — adjust a design above and tap "Save current" to keep it here.
No projects yet — start one from your current design to track stitching progress here.