Kogin Circle 2025[8]
◆ Kogin Circle 2025[8] March Activities Introduction
Three months have passed since we started the circle, and for those in the Northern Hemisphere, the season has changed from winter to spring! For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the season has changed from summer to autumn. Thank you to all the members who have been with us in our circle activities so far! I think some of you may be thinking about starting to make something soon, but I hope you will take your mood, pace, and lifestyle into consideration before picking up the needle.
◆Items shared on the club account in March
[Production progress sharing] (March 4th)
We share the progress of our members on Stories every day, but on this day, we shared the production process of the members who provided us with progress photos in a post. Several people told us in messages that "looking at the work of the members makes me want to work hard!" It's good to have friends.
[004] Questions from members (March 6th)
The first stitch will be buried and the fifth stitch will stand out, so I want to achieve a beautiful finish.
▶︎Comments sharing experience and empathy continued. In addition to practical comments such as stitching one stitch at a time, carefully threading, and "Even if the row you're stitching feels a little buried, when you stitch the next row it will pull up and the stitch will come out and it will feel like it's floating..." , there were also comments such as "The feel of stitching and the finish will differ depending on the combination of materials..." I think there are some aspects of how the stitches float up that you can't understand without trying it, and stitching with various materials takes time and money, so I thought that discussing these things in a circle would be very beneficial for those who will be enjoying Kogin embroidery in the future. Thank you to everyone who commented!
[005] Questions from members (March 17th)
If I'm stitching without a design, do I need to write down any patterns or anything like that? Please let me know any tips.
▶ One of the themes for this circle was that I had set about embroidering without a design , so when I introduced myself, I received a question about that. Here too, there was sharing of experience, with some members simply letting themselves go with the rhythm of traditional patterns and saying "whatever happens, happens" , while other members shared practical and detailed methods, and commented that in the end, if you take a bold step somewhere, or if you don't create things using formulas, you will naturally need to make things add up somewhere, so it's important to understand that and enjoy it. There was also a practical comment from a member who was currently studying how to "embroider a design using only formulas". In response to just this one question, we received a variety of perspectives and ways of thinking, and I hope that everyone will feel free to try all sorts of different things!
When I embroidered without a pattern and made the pieces fit together for the first time (breaking up the rhythm that had been going on and tidying up), my first thoughts were "Is it okay to do this?" and "Should I do it again?", because I had only ever experienced neat, calculated designs from commercially available kits and pattern books. However, when I tried to overwrite those thoughts by making the pieces fit together with an actual needle and thread, I remembered feeling a sense of growth, such as "I've climbed a flight of stairs," "I've overcome a wall," "I've given up on aiming for 100 points," and "Even if I gave up on making it fit, when you look at it from a distance it's a neat and tidy, beautiful kogin embroidery." It was also a great help to learn that such consistency techniques and playfulness are reflected in old Kogin crafts.
It's easier to give birth than to worry about it. Let's give it a try! Once you give birth, a new perspective awaits you! Let's share it with all the members!
[006] Questions from members (March 24th)
I'd like to create a larger piece, but what other uses can it have besides as a tapestry?
▶Suggestions included tote bags, cushion covers, cushion covers, lap blankets, shawls, etc.
Now that I've started the circle, I've realized that "large" is vague about how big something is. Of course, that's fine, and I want all members to challenge themselves to make something that is "big for them ." I also feel that the meaning of the adjective "big" changes as we grow. At the beginning, one Modoko is big enough, and as you get used to it, a coaster feels small, and a tatami mat feels large, but depending on whether it's a full stitch or partial stitch design, it starts to have a meaning other than "big fabric." The comments from all the members are always sharp, stimulating, and kind, and I'm grateful for them. Let's challenge ourselves to make a big piece of work that is big for us !
[Chat Room 2] March 27th ~
The comments in the chat room have been lively, so we have prepared a second room. You can join past chats, or start a new chat here. We hope that you will be able to interact freely and with peace of mind.
[007] Questions from members (March 31)
I am currently creating a large tapestry, but it has a design. I decided to participate because I was interested in trying to embroider without creating a design, but I don't have an idea of how to proceed. What does it mean to embroider without a design?
▶This is a difficult question, but one of our members left a comment. "When I'm thinking of the overall design, I use a spreadsheet as a memo, and basically I embroider based on that... I check each stitch every now and then in Koginbank's Modoko DB. It's really convenient to be able to search by size, and it's really helpful because it's easy to understand. I don't write out the design, but it feels like I can't embroider completely without it. I'm still trying and erroring, with the help of modern conveniences." It was a very practical comment. Thank you so much for your clear and helpful comment!
I too have been helped by koginbank's Modoko DB, and their interview articles are extremely valuable not only for learning about the background of traditional kogin embroidery, but also for deepening my own thoughts about kogin embroidery.
※ Click here for koginbank's web magazine
I'll also leave my comments here.
"Hello everyone! I'm Satonobo, the founder of this project.
I have received some similar questions to this one, and I'm not sure if I can answer them well, but I'll write down what I can currently express below. I realized that many people participated despite the difficult expressions. Thank you!
"Stitching without a design" expresses the idea of "stitching without looking at a design," "building a design while stitching," or "filling the fabric with thread while combining familiar patterns without preparing a design in advance." For this reason, I think experience with traditional patterns is important.
Imagine the time it took for the women of Tsugaru to create their works without having to prepare designs; I believe there is nothing we cannot do.
As I move the needle forward, imagining, "How did they stitch?", I look forward to seeing what kind of work the members will create. (Of course, you can prepare a design too👍)
I apologize for using abstract expressions, but I will do my best to provide concrete and practical explanations in the future! Thank you in advance.
I'm also looking forward to hearing comments from members who "stitch without a pattern"! I don't think there's any need to do anything difficult (although it may end up being complicated), so I hope you'll try stitching the first row, whether it's from a small piece of fabric or a large piece of fabric 😊
Perhaps we are so used to the designs that we don't realize the flexibility of traditional Kogin embroidery patterns? I sometimes think this way, so I would like to enjoy the activities of all the members of this circle together. I believe that designs are neither enemies nor allies, but are always there and necessary, but I feel that Kogin embroidery can be done without being bound by them a little more.
【others】
Starting in March, we began using the collaborative posting feature on Instagram to share the progress of our work in the posts section. Detailed instructions on how to post are provided on our circle's Instagram account, so we encourage all members to make use of it.
In the next blog, I would like to introduce our activities in April. Let's continue to have fun at Kogin!
◆Request for cooperation
・If you have photos of your progress or works you made when you first started Kogin embroidery that you can share with other members, we would appreciate it if you could send them to us at any time by email (the address is listed in the explanation of how to join the circle below) or by message on our circle's Instagram account.
◆How to join a club
・If you have an Instagram account : @koginsurukai2025
Follow the club account ▶︎The account is here
*This account is private to ensure safety and security. If any suspicious behavior is confirmed, we will block you immediately.
・For those who do not have an Instagram account/participating without using Instagram :
Please send the following information to the email address below: 1) your name (last name or first name), 2) your favorite modoko, 3) what you would like to challenge, and 4) any questions or concerns you may have (optional if you have none).
Satonobo Email address : satonobou0515@gmail.com
Related Articles
Enjoying Kogin Embroidery Patterns 1
◆Reference materials (PDF materials)
PDF page of 1976 "Sashikogin and Diamond Embroidery" from Aomori Prefectural Museum → PDF page here
Please check the PDF file on a computer or other device that can read it.
▶️Materials Research Blog
▶️Shop (currently being adjusted)
▶︎Digital data sales of PDF kit designs and instructions
・Hinamatsuri 2022 minne sales page
・Minne sales page for Kind-faced Goldfish Nebuta
・Minne sales page for the Brave-faced Goldfish Nebuta
▶︎Goldfish Nebuta Kit (Full Set) koginbank Online Shop
▶️Instagram (We share the simplicity and fun of Kogin embroidery through videos, etc.)
Satonobou