Blueberry Park

Harrogate was hosting the Knitting and Stitching Show this weekend, so Manda and I popped along on Saturday afternoon. The show itself was okay. We both wanted to go to get some much needed fabric from Fabrics Galore., which we did with gusto. I'll tell you about that later in the week.

But the highlight was definitely the Sashiko and Japanese Fabrics stand. I have definitely found a new love.

The fabrics there were utterly stunning in their simplicty. They actually had these that I had previously purchased on Etsy. But it was the Sashiko panels and threads that won our hearts.

As you can see the colours are just divine. And their texture is simply sublime. And since I was incapable of waiting to have a go, I tested it all out last night and the threads are just a joy to work with.

There were several different panel designs and after much deliberation I chose this one. It comes with half the fabric printed and the other half plain to then turn it into a cushion cover.

I am totally in love with this process of continuous running stitches building up the design. The needle simply glides through the fabric (oh yes, you have to buy the Japanese needles too). If you haven't experienced the art of Sashiko, you really must give it a try. It is effortless, yet immensely rewarding and I have a feeling that this will be a welcome evening distraction on a regular basis.