Announcement: My Etsy Shop is Now Open
◆Announcement: My Etsy Shop is Now Open
Hello everyone,
It’s already the middle of May somehow! I hope you’ve all been enjoying kogin stitching.
Lately, my days have been busy but happy — baseball with my older son, birdwatching with my younger son, running, and of course kogin.
Today I have some news to share!
As my third year living in the US approaches, I finally started selling my PDF patterns and guides on Etsy, a handmade marketplace.
My Etsy shop is:
Satonobou
I’m also preparing to sell them on my official website in the future (US only for now).
Once you understand the basics, kogin stitching becomes so much fun.
In this PDF, I focused on the Musubi-bana motif and included both pattern variations and basic information for beginners.
◆Looking for Materials That Are Easier to Find
In Japan, there are many kogin materials, books, and kits available. But here in the US, the choices are much more limited, and ordering materials from Japan can make kogin feel less accessible for many people.
Still, through local craft events and social media, I’ve met many people from different countries who became interested in kogin stitching. Recently, I’ve been receiving more and more questions from people around the world.
That made me start thinking that maybe it’s perfectly okay to begin kogin with materials that are easy to find around you.
The question I receive most often is actually about fabric. Looking for alternatives made me realize again how unique kogin fabric really is.
Interestingly, I almost never get questions about thread! Personally, I always thought kogin thread was also very unique, but it seems fabric is the bigger challenge 😊
◆Materials I Recommend
I found some online shops in the US that sell materials from Japanese manufacturers. But for people who have never tried kogin before, ordering special Japanese materials can feel like a big step.
Personally, I recommend Zweigart linen around 20 count as a good alternative. Since it’s a well-known embroidery fabric, even if someone decides kogin isn’t for them, the fabric can still be used for other embroidery projects.
For needles, any blunt-tip needle made for cross-stitch usually works well.
A longer needle is easier for traditional kogin stitching techniques, but if you stitch one stitch at a time, a shorter needle can actually feel easier to control.
When I first started kogin, my mother gave me a needle that we both believed was a kogin needle… but later I realized it actually wasn’t. Since I was stitching one stitch at a time as a beginner, that shorter needle was surprisingly comfortable to use.
Using what you already have.
When I think about the history of kogin, I feel there is something meaningful about beginning with simple materials that are available around you.
I’m still a complete beginner when it comes to embroidery materials outside the world of kogin, but I hope to keep experimenting and sharing what I learn on my blog 😊
◆Shop & Links
Etsy
▶︎ Materials Research Blog
(I’ll be reviewing the automatic translation, so please give me a little time.)
▶︎ Instagram
(I’m still reviewing the automatic translation, so please give me a little time.)
Satonobou