Some may strongly disagree, but I believe there is Nothing “special” in Sashiko.

Some may strongly disagree, but I believe there is Nothing “special” in Sashiko. In fact, the essence of Sashiko exists in the ordinary. For some people who look at Sashiko from their own perspective, this much stitching can be “too much”. I receive feedback saying that our Sashiko Pieces are intimidating… which I feel sad that they only value it from one direction.
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Yes, our Sashiko, for example this, has a lot of hand-stitching. It is a LOT of work, and it seems insane work for those who do not like stitching, or still learning “Unshin”. For us, there is no such a thing as “Too many Stitches”. Again, we feel satisfied & accomplished when we stitch a lot – however, that doesn’t mean that we went through only suffering.
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Do you count how many times you breathe per day? Do you pay attention to your breathing? In a specific practice, such a meditation, yes you may focus on breathing. In running, yes you may need to control the breathing. However, in most cases, we do not pay attention to the breathing itself. We do not celebrate the number of breaths at the end of the day because it is our ordinary – however, it is a huge achievement for us to keep breathing for another day, and we can find happiness there.
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Therefore, there is no such a thing as “Right and Wrong” in Sashiko. Of course, there are “forms (Kata)” to accomplish some purpose like learning breathing techniques. For many of our ancestors, stitching was part of their life. A needle & thread – that’s one of the most important inventions that distinguish us (as human beings) from other mammals. I am NOT saying Sashiko is insignificant – it is a significant culture – yet it isn’t so special, or extraordinary. Instead of romanticizing Sashiko for “someone’s profit”, please try to learn what it is. It is a collection of our ordinary, stitch, and pieces of who we are.
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毎月2回、刺し子を通してご縁を頂いた方々とZoomで話をしながら刺し子をすると言う集まりを開催しています。基本、私がワークショップ等でお教えしていることも含めて、何話してもOKと言う会なので、公平を記すために運針会にご参加頂いた方（あるいは参加予定の方）限定としています。気の合う友達と話をしながら何時間も刺し子をする。そんな夢にまで描いていたことが、形にできていて本当に嬉しいのです。運針の型を習って頂くと24時間くらいは刺し子しても大丈夫です。話に集中しちゃう間に手は勝手に動いているのでね。沢山刺すことが正解と言うのではなく、楽しいから沢山刺しちゃうんですよね。
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2022-11-15 11:47:23

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