Sashiko Pin Cushion Making Kit - Asanoha

This kit contains everything you need to create your own pin cushion and embroider it with an asanoha, hemp leaf, pattern using sashiko, a Japanese needlework technique. Established in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), sashiko was used to repair and reinforce worn-out fabrics, as well as stitching together layers of cloth for insulation and warmth in the cold winter months. Repeating patterns with motifs from nature such as hemp leaves are often embroidered using the sashiko technique, which gradually became used for decorative purposes. This kit contains instructions in English and Japanese languages as well as a lacquered box made of paulownia wood scraps, obtained from the company’s production of Iwayado Tansu, ornate chests of drawers with origins in the 12th century CE.

Shikoku

The island of Shikoku is divided into four prefectures. All of these can be visited on the 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage around the island. The area is also home to Naoshima, a small island in the Inland Sea, known for its many contemporary art installations and museums while the Tokushima Prefecture is famous for its cultivation of Japanese indigo.