Zakka Place

I am moving my blog!

Hi everyone! As of October 1st, my blog will be completely moved to blogspot. Please update your link to:

http://chikagraphyblog.blogspot.com/

In addition to what I've been sharing with you in this blog, I'm planning to show you my work including handmade animals, zakka creations and beyond!

How to make a zokin (cleaning rag)

So here is my version of "how to make a zokin"!

Have an old towel ready (I recommend a towel that is not too large, preferably a hand towel : approx. 15" x 30" ). If you prefer, you can use pretty much any cotton fabric of that size, a long rectangle shape.

Lay the towel flat. Then fold one short end of the towel towards the center.

Then fold the other short end so that the both ends meet.

Fold the towel again in half. I fold it this way to avoid one of the long sides gets too thick to sew.

Pin around the corners and start running / sashiko stitch with a thick thread.

Then stitch the center area of the towel (see design samples below).

Here are some traditional stitch samples for zokin (I use the water-soluble disappearing ink-pen to draw the lines on the fabric) :

Some fun, modern(?) stitches...

...Or you can customize your own zokin stitch design, of course!

Zokin (cleaning rags)

Zokin, (雑巾）means "cleaning rags" in Japanese. They are basically cloth towels to clean any hard surface around a house. Old hand towels and T-shirts shouldn't be thrown away! Please reuse them and make zokins, why waste paper towels to clean hard surfaces? You can use them to wipe clean your tabletop, countertop, furniture, hardwood floor etc, then hand or machine wash and use them again and again. I recommend sewing them by hand -- since hand sewn stitches have less tension than machine sewn stitches do, the stitches won't break so easily.

Japanese children use zokin for cleaning the classroom at school. I remember my mom made several zokins for me when I enter the elementary school. They were folded hand towel, hand sewn around the corners and the middle.

These are some zokins that I made last weekend.

I will post "how to make a zokin" instruction next week!

Squirrel from Finland

Lovely Squirrel Cozy made by Sanna H. from Finland. The cozy was made with vintage felt stock. Take a look at her beautiful blog on her various craft projects (written in Finnish): PUDONNUT SILMUKKA

Thanks, Sanna!

Jeans repair with sashiko

Sashiko is a simple stitch technique that originally used by fishermen and farmers to mend / reinforce their worn clothing. Last week I repaired my husband's jeans with this technique! As you can see in the photo below, it's got a small hole, approx. 1" x 1/2".

First I cut out a small fabric piece from my old jeans that I saved for this very purpose; to patch! The piece should be large enough to cover around the hole. I wanted to give a generous coverage because the fabric around the hole was getting thin-- so I decided to use a piece approx. 3" x 1 1/2". I trimmed the 4 corners round to prevent unnecessary frays (so the patch is now oval / cupsule shape).

Flip the jeans inside out, pin the patch around the hole. Using light blue cotton thread, whipstitch around the edge of the patch.

Using the same cotton thread, I start small sashiko stitch where the patch is attached.

I make sure to fill in the area with a series of sashiko stitch -- including the area around the hole that's getting thin. The more stitch the better. Then... Voila! The hole is now completely covered with sashiko stitch + reinforced with the patch! I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I think it would be fun to use more colorful thread, rather than using simple light blue -- I'll try that next time.

close up...

This is the thread I used this time.

Jeans repair with sashiko

Your version of hand made zakka to share... (Linen Basket by Sara)

Beautiful Linen Basket made by Sara -- I love the combination of the colorful polka dots fabric inside and the wooden button (with snow background). Absolutely cute! Thanks Sara.

New item from Miso Style (Kaoruko Takeda)

My friend Kaoruko Takeda, a crafter / designer who lives in Tokyo sent me a photo of one of her new products for summer 2009. They are hair accessories but can be worn as a necklace as well (the flower part is removable). Silk and linen. Her handmade Handkerchief can be found on page 138 in Zakka Sewing. (Her website is currently under construction but you can still see some of her products.)

Felt Tray

When I was getting ready for my group show last year, I thought I wanted to have some kind of small tray to put my business card -- but I couldn't find anything that perfectly fits my card size (2 1/8" x 2 1/8"). So I quickly made this "Felt Tray" from scratch. It's quite simple yet pretty sturdy (thanks to the cardboard support that I put inside) - I was very happy with the way it turned out. Here is how to make the Felt Tray:

Prepare 4 Sides

(1) To prepare four sides of the tray, cut eight trapezoid shapes from the felt using the pattern A.

(2) Cut four trapezoid shapes from the cardboard using the pattern A'. These cardboard pieces will be used to reenforce the felt tray. (Tip : Use thinner cardboard - not a corrugated kind. Try cereal box)

(3) Sandwich one piece of the cardboard from (2) with two felt trapezoids. Using all-purpose thread, blanket stitch around all four corners. (See illustration below) Repeat the same process to make all four side pieces. Set them aside.

Make Bottom Piece

(4) Cut two squares from the felt using the pattern B.

(5) Cut one square from the cardboard using the pattern B'.

(4) Sandwich the square cardboard from (5) with the two felt squares. Blanket stitch all around the four corners using all-purpose thread. See illustration below:

Construct Felt Tray: connect four sides to bottom

Take the bottom piece and one of the side pieces. Blanket stitch to connect the bottom piece and the shortest side of the side piece. Repeat this process until all four sides are connected to the bottom. See illustration below.

Construct Felt Tray: connect all four sides

Whipstitch stitch to connect all four sides to form a tray.

Optional: If desired, attach a decorative label or small charm of your choice to one corner of the tray to personalize it.

Kyo Uchiwa (Kyoto round fan)

"Uchiwa" or round fan is an icon for summer season in Japan and is a Japanese traditional handicraft. It is made by cutting a bamboo into narrow splinters which are then splayed out in the radial shape of a fan. These in the photo are colorful "Kyo Uchiwa" from Kyoto. Its origin is very old, introduced by Chinese back in The Nara Period (645 - 794). Back then Uchiwa was used not only for cooling purpose but also used as ceremonial accessories by the aristocracy as its designs become more intricate. (Photo: copyright 2009 Sankei Digital Inc.)

Here are some of the beautiful uchiwas I found...

morning glory

bunnies (I love the long wooden handle)

and a black fish -- for kids!