Monday, September 5, 2011

Looking For A New Style of Rose Quilt?

By Jane Green


If you have never heard of "Sashiko" before, do not feel bad, it's not the commonest of quilt designs out there. While there is a solid following, not everyone has a Sashiko quilt.

To give you a bit of a background, Sashiko is a style that originated in Japan decades ago when cotton and fabric was still extremely expensive. With Sashiko literally translating into "little stabs" it had been a style that was used to mend tears and worn out bits of cloth and making it look nice, while avoiding having to get new material or make a new quilt.

It can be both a pattern and stiched image and is sometimes used for patchwork quilts, which has helped it gather strong support in some quilting circles.

While its traditionally done by hand, it is entirely possible to now get specialized Sashiko sewing machines. There's a good chance that you may not own or know someone that has one, so it might be better to hire the services of someone who does.

There are a number of patterns available, the majority of which feature a range of japanese flowers. One pattern particularly which is a 'plum blossom ' already looks almost all of the way to a rose and with a little modifying, would make a spectacular rose quilt design.

If you prefer to start from scratch, you can always use some of the other patterns as a guiding principle for styles and designs for your rose themed pattern.

If you are not the sort to stitch by hand, you will find that select stores will offer a range of Sashiko designs and patterned material, ready for you to work into a quilt design.

So if you're trying to find a different approach to a rose quilt, rather than the same old traditional design, have a look at some Sashiko designs. You may be pleasantly surprised.




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