A Small Project (and Beginning Again with Better Tools)

Apr 25
3 min read

Open book showing intricate patterns on a wooden cabinet. Background has bread slices on a blue plate and a cup of coffee on a table.

There’s something about finishing a first piece that changes the way you approach the next one.

Not in a dramatic way. Just a quiet shift in understanding.

Last week’s sampler taught me a lot—what worked, what didn’t, and where I was making things harder than they needed to be.

This week, I’m beginning again.

But a little more thoughtfully.

Choosing a Smaller Beginning

Instead of moving on to something larger, I wanted to keep this next project contained.

A single piece.

Something I could finish in a weekend.

Something that would let me focus on the stitching itself without overcomplicating the process.

So I’ll be making one of the greetings cards from The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook

A small project—but one with a clear purpose.

My brother’s birthday is coming up, and this felt like a meaningful way to make something just for him.

Working With the Fabric Instead of Against It

One of the biggest lessons from last week had nothing to do with stitching.

It was the marking.

The linen I used made it difficult to get clean, consistent lines, and I ended up restarting the pattern multiple times before it finally worked.

So for this project, I’m taking a different approach.

Instead of marking the pattern onto the fabric, I’ll be using a small-scale checked cotton and letting the fabric itself act as the guide.

It’s something the book suggests—and it feels like a natural next step.

Less measuring.

Less correcting.

More stitching.

Gathering a Few Better Tools

After working through that first sampler, I also felt more confident investing in a few tools designed specifically for sashiko.

Not because they’re required—but because now I understand how they’ll support the process.

For this project, I’ve ordered:

a palm thimble for pushing the needle more comfortably
a set of sashiko needles
Olympus sashiko thread in red and off-white
a woven interfacing to stabilize the fabric
and a small-scale checked cotton

I’ll also be picking up a blank card and adhesive locally to finish the piece.

These are small additions, but they feel like a natural progression—moving from “making do” to “making with intention.”

Choosing Color and Pattern

For this piece, I’ve chosen colors I know he’ll enjoy—something that feels simple, but still intentional.

The checked fabric will guide the spacing, and the thread will create the pattern across it.

It’s a different starting point than last week.

Less about building the structure from scratch, and more about working within something that already exists.

A Different Kind of Pace

There’s something about keeping the project small that changes the experience.

It removes the pressure to figure everything out at once.

Instead, it becomes:

one pattern

one piece

one quiet stretch of time

And after last week, that feels like the right way to continue.

Stitching Forward

I’ll be working through this project over the coming week, taking my time with it and paying attention to how these small changes—better tools, different fabric, a simpler format—affect the process.

Next Saturday, I’ll share the finished card along with what shifted from this first sampler to this next piece.

If you missed last week’s post, that’s a good place to begin:

→ A Finished Sampler (and What I Learned Along the Way)

And if you’re stitching along, I’d love to hear what you’re planning to make next.

There’s something steady in returning to the work this way.

Not starting over exactly.

Just continuing, a little more clearly.