Slow Hand Sewing

I find slow hand sewing calming, soothing, and deeply rewarding. The pleasure of slow hand sewing is undeniable: piecing delicate fabrics together, listening to the thread pull through, and watching tiny scraps create an entirely new design held together with tiny stitches.

Atsuko Matsuyama's fabrics hold a special place in my heart. They, along with a few other designers, mark the very beginning of my sewing journey. Her soft pinks and turquoise, blended with whimsical designs and plenty of strawberries and cherries, are an absolute winner for me. These are the prints that, on the gloomiest of days, can lift my spirits and sprinkle me with joy.

For a long time, I have been eager to try Japanese patchwork, which is done entirely by hand. The method involves tracing the pattern's seam lines onto the fabric and then joining the pieces with a simple running stitch and a single thread. This technique is used to create a wide range of items, including pouches, bags, clothing, and even quilts.

After making this 1" English Paper Piecing zipper pouch, I felt like sewing small squares would be a nice project to start exploring this new technique.

I cut 1.5" squares and marked the seams on the back of all of them.

The next step was to pin the squares together. Using very thin, sharp pins is a must, as they won't pull the fabric. Even for a short seam like this, I used three pins to maintain the accuracy. I paid very close attention to the corners (the star and the end of the seam) to make sure they aligned on both sides.

As always, I used my favourite thread: Gutterman 100% cotton in colour 919. It blend in well with all prints and colours and hardly ever tangles.

Making a knot is a huge part of hand sewing. I know a few methods, but I always resort to the one I observed my Mum use over and over again when I was little. This method does not guarantee a "perfect knot" every time, but I keep doing it anyway because it feels familiar and heartwarming. :-)

You wrap the end of the thread around your index finger and hold it with your thumb. Then you slide your thump off your index finger, making sure to twist the thread, and pull with the opposite hand. If you are lucky, you will form a nice knot at the end of your thread. If not, you might end up with a knot, but it will look quite messy or you might have no knot at all! 😂

Here is another method that will guarantee you to have a nice knot in no time: place the tip of the needle on the end of the thread. Wrap the thread a couple of times around the tip of the needle and pull the needle through. Done! Quick and easy.

Do you use any particular knot methods? I am curious to know.

You can watch a short video how to sew the squares together using a running stitch.

Once two squares are stitched together, I finger pressed the seam toward the darker print. Then opened it and pressed it flat with fingers again. I like to use a Finger Presser by Clover - it's a new tool in my sewing space that I am finding quite useful.

And here you are! A nice, crisp, flat seam made entirely by hand. I love it! It's hard to believe, but traditional Japanese kimonos are sewn by hand using a similar technique. The main reason for using a running stitch for the seams is that kimono can be easily taken apart for cleaning or repair, and then sewn back together. How clever and practical is that!

Once I finish this 4x4 panel, I am thinking of adding some hand quilting and turning it into a coaster. That way it can be a sweet daily reminder for me to slow down and focus on tiny stitches.

Happy slow hand sewing! Larisa xo