Now the process is easy with author Mary Parker's continuous machine sewing technique. Begin by preparing a pattern with heat transfer markers, then simply transfer the colour pattern onto a piece of temporary stabilizer or interfacing and then onto the back side of your fabric. Place sashiko thread in your bobbin and them simply sew over all of the lines in one colour. The patterns will appear right before your eyes!

More than 100 designs are featured in a stitch dictionary, with each one shown as a photograph of a sewn sample and as a colour-coded pattern. The patterns are organized by level of difficulty and are accompanied by fascinating tidbits explaining their history and how they are formed. (Many sashiko designs are created by layering simples designs over each other or by mirror-imaging and/or rotating designs).

The creative possibilities with sashiko are virtually unlimited. Complete, step-by-step instructions for 25 distinctive projects are included, most of which can be customized by choosing different patterns, fabrics, or specialty threads. Create your own custom fabrics with allover sashiko designs and then use the fabric to make unique wearables, or create incredible sampler bedspreads, wall quilts, and table runners using your favourites designs from the pattern dictionary.