Our new friend (from Sashiko Workshop) Loving a Special Sashiko Bag. Her beautif

Our new friend (from Sashiko Workshop) Loving a Special Sashiko Bag. Her beautiful smile after I handed an item we made. It is so powerful to learn that what we do can make someone smile. In my childhood, well more accurately “until 2011”, I did not realize the power of Sashiko. I was not only smiling to myself but I also never thought Sashiko would make someone smile. When I accepted my fate, looked around what I had received, and squatted down to find what I had right next to me, it all changed.
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It took almost 40 years to reach this place. I feel lucky to realize the preciousness of what I carry although I have been through many detours. I can keep sharing stories because I didn’t let anyone define “my Sashiko”. Since I hated Sashiko, I had read so many books. Since I felt alone in Sashiko, I kept thinking & imagining based on the “chat” I repeatedly heard in the ordinary days from Sashiko Artisans. No matter what happens, I will be stitching tomorrow as I stitch today. So does my mother. So do our Sashiko Friends. In an action of “appreciating” the culture, I believe we do not need any “leaders”. A culture is one accumulation of stories who reside within the culture – here Japanese who stitch Sashiko & Sashiko practitioners who care for Japanese culture. Big thanks to those who help me to realize it & Great appreciation to you here who keep encouraging me to share stories with their smiles. I am here to share the “Sashiko Story” that no Western person has shared.
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ご本人に許可を頂いたので、恵子さんのバッグをお求め頂いた時の写真です。刺し子の本質は日常だと普段から繰り返しているし、刺し子とお味噌汁は同列に比較するとわかりやすいと思ってはいるのだけど、このような素敵な笑顔を頂くと、「刺し子の持つ力」も感じてしまうわけです。きっと幼少期から見てきた笑顔なのだろうけれど、一番の最初は大槌刺し子で。その後、自分が刺し子への覚悟を決めたあたりからは直接手を握って。英語圏での刺し子は正解だ間違いだ定義だ答えだなんて盛り上がることもありますが、私にとっての刺し子の正解は、この笑顔であり、日々刺し子を「理由はわからんけれど楽しい」と言ってくださる皆様の気持ち（祈り）です。オンラインが中心にはなってしまっていますが、やっぱり直接会えるのは良いですよね。一日も早く日本帰国＆運針会のオフ会を楽しみにしています。
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2022-07-30 20:48:09

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