I want to show you how to use a Japanese embroidery technique of sashiko which was created in the 17th century. I will embroider on cotton fabric with white embroidery floss.

Here I have a pouch with white lining.

Initially was going to make a grid layout on the fabric using a special "write-erase" pen, which evaporates from ironing. But the fabric was always moving and strongly resisting, I couldn't make smooth lines.

So I remembered about an old tailor's method. Take paper or tracing paper with marking, make holes with a pin on the main spaces of the drawing, on the turns and the patterns (in my case the holes are at the same distance to form an even mesh).

Pin the paper to the fabric, the main thing is that it mustn't move from side to side, fix it well.

Carefully draw with chalk on the paper. Rub it directly to the picture to make it clearer.

Here is the result. The dots will be bright enough, provided that in the process of embroidery they are a little bit away from your fingers.

Start to embroider. The pattern is based on combination of vertical and horizontal lines. Let's start with the horizontal lines. Make stitches by rows in a chess manner: the first layer is 010101..., the second layer is 101010...

You must get this pattern. Dashes go diagonally to the sides.

Mark with a chalk a small strip from the top in advance, there will be only vertical lines.

Proceed to vertical lines.

I took this picture for the basis, but in the process I decided to change it.

Select the column that will be the middle. Begin to fill it with vertical lines, also alternating lines in a checkerboard pattern, the first row is 010101..., the second one is 101010... When we reach the middle repeat two lines parallel to each other, do not make chess pattern. We get a stop in the middle of the pattern. The following line after two identical lines starts in a chess manner, but in the opposite direction. That is, the pattern becomes mirrored and starts to climb up. For a full understanding it is better to make a drawing on paper by hand, before starting the embroidery.

A clear picture. (The place where the vertical lines are parallel. This is the middle. Then the vertical lines become mirrored).

You must get this pattern.

It will take you about an hour to make this embroidery if you plan the embroidery pattern in advance and do not waste time making wrong stitches.

I hope my little tutorial will be useful to someone, as I quite clearly described the process!

Happy New Year, full of wonders!