Tag Archives: Embroidery

A Step-by-Step Guide to Stitching Kogin-zashi Through Evenweave Fabric onto Garments

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Got a shirt that’s seen better days (and maybe one too many spaghetti dinners)? Give it a new lease on life—just grab some Colonial Persian Wool yarn and a small piece of evenweave fabric for an embroidery makeover that screams creativity louder than any stain. With this easy project, your favorite shirt, skirt, or pants will be rocking sashiko-inspired style and a fresh story to tell.

The Canvas: Selecting and Preparing Evenweave Fabric

Evenweave fabric is just that… even. The warp and weft threads are evenly spaced, setting you up for precise, symmetrical stitching. Common types— Davosa, Lugana, Aida, Hardinger, ect—come in various thread counts. For this project we recommend a 16–18 count evenweave; it’s just the right size to stitch up crisp geometric patterns. Don’t go out and buy the most expensive you can find… it does not end up in the final product. This is a great way to use up small leftover pieces of evenweave!

Threads and Tools

  • Thread: Traditional kogin-zashi is all about thick cotton threads and floss, but hey, the modern crafter lives for something new—so we decided to give Colonial Persian Wool a shot. Wowzah, were we impressed with the results! It’s toothy and stands out beautifully in the final shirt!
  • Needle: Kogin needles tend to be longer and sturdier than a regular embroidery needle, suitable for thick threads and weaving through heavier fabric. We really like Colonial Needle’s Short Bullion Needles with Tapestry tips for this.
  • Thimble: Colonial Needle’s Palm Thimble is the perfect tool for pushing the needle through both layers of fabric with ease.
  • Hoop: Embroidery hoops were not traditionally used in kogin stitching but are essential for this type of surface embroidery/visible mending. You’ll need a hoop at least 3’’ in diameter for a single motif or larger depending on the size of the spot you’re covering. Don’t worry… Colonial Needle Company has so many types and sizes of hoops, you’ll find what you need.

Modoko

We have provided a simple kogin motif (called a modoko) for you to use below. For more examples of modoko (both small and complex) check out our book Contemporary Kogin-zashi.

Kogin Modoko for CNCDownload

How To Stitch Kogin-zashi:

  1. Center the evenweave fabric on the stain on the right side of the shirt. Next, place the embroidery hoop over both the shirt fabric and the evenweave.
  2. Thread your needle. For this weight of fabric, we thread our needle with 2 strands of Colonial Persian Wool. You might prefer to use more or less depending on how dense or how puffy you like your stitches. Practice the motif of scrap fabric at least once to decide what you best like.
  3. Mark the center of the evenweave fabric to ensure your motif will be centered over the spot.
  4. Count over the number of threads from the center of the fabric to the left or right side of the center line of the motif. Then, working from the back, bring the needle up through both the shirt and evenweave fabric. Be careful to bring your needle up through up through the open holes of the evenweave fabric to prevent splitting the threads. Leave a small tail on the back for weaving in later.
  5. Work all the stitches in one row then turn your work and follow the next row of the pattern. Continue until you reach the top of the motif. Once the first half is complete return to the center row and work the second half in the opposite direction.First half of kogin-zashi design
  6. Continue working row by row until the motif is complete. Secure thread ends neatly on the back.
  7. After creating the motif and weaving in the ends of your yarn cut the excess evenweave fabric away then carefully remove the remaining evenweave by pulling strands of the fabric out one at a time. Once you are done removing the evenweave you will have a kogin motif sewn directly to your garment.
    pulling threads once motif is stitched

Kogin-zashi patterns are worked in horizontal rows, with stitches typically spanning an odd number of threads.  The signature of kogin-zashi is its counting method: stitches pass over and under one, three, five, or seven threads. It’s a simple matter of reading each row of the chart and stitching what you see on it. Each horizontal row of stitches sets snuggly against the neighboring rows to build the solid motif.

Tips for successful stitching:

  • Maintain even tension; stitches should lie flat but not pucker the fabric.
  • Count threads carefully—precision is crucial for the pattern’s symmetry.
  • Pay attention to the pattern’s overall flow and alignment, especially if stitching a repeating band or motif.
  • Use shorter lengths of thread to minimize fraying and tangling.

You can use this same technique using cross stitch patterns and simple embroidery stitches. The evenweave fabric ensures your stitches are straight and the same size every time!

Caring for Your Kogin-Zashi Embellished Garment

Because Colonial Persian Wool is virgin wool, we recommend hand washing with a no-rinse soap and drying flat.

Weaving Old and New

Bringing kogin-zashi to your wardrobe is more than embellishing fabric; it’s about honoring a legacy of ingenuity, patience, and artistry. Whether you stitch for mindfulness, fashion, or the thrill of learning, using kogin-zashi for visible mending a garment offers a tangible connection to history and a canvas for your own story.

So, gather your threads, choose a garment, and stitch a little piece of the Tsugaru spirit into every wear. Each pattern, every careful row, is a celebration not only of the past but of the creative present—one stitch at a time.

Stitch On!

Shannon & Jason

Stumpwork Embroidery & Thread Painting

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We are so excited to announce a guest contributor to our blog this week, Megan Zaniewski! Megan has recently authored a new book sharing her techniques, tips, and tricks for stitching 3D Nature Motifs. This book is an absolute delight and includes beautiful pictures and easy-to-follow descriptions and instructions to create your own thread masterpieces. We are truly inspired by her work and are thrilled to be able to share a digital copy of her book with one lucky winner!

*To Enter: Follow us and Megan on Instagram and be sure to like the contest post. For additional entries, tag a friend in the comments. Each tag = one additional entry so be sure to share the love!

Hi! I’m Megan Zaniewski, author of Stumpwork Embroidery & Thread Painting: Stitch 3D Nature Motifs and I’m guest writing for Colonial Needle today to discuss my favorite needles for thread painting and stumpwork embroidery techniques and share some tips for selecting the correct needle size for your project.

Embroidery tablescape with stitching tools

Why is needle choice important?

Even though the differences between different types of needles and their sizes may seem slight or insignificant, choosing the appropriate needle for your project can make a big difference in your stitching experience and the quality and look of your finished work. 

The type of embroidery you are doing will help determine the type of needle you select. John James Sharps and Embroidery needles are both well-suited, high-quality choices for most hand embroidery with 6-strand cotton embroidery thread, including thread painting and stumpwork techniques. 

What is thread painting?

Thread painting refers to an embroidery style where long and short stitches are used to blend threads, similar to the way a painter blends paint with brushstrokes. Thread painted designs are most often worked in stranded cotton embroidery thread or silk split down to 1 or 2 strands at a time. This blending technique allows the artist to create depth and shadows that render their subjects in realistic, precise detail. This type of detailed embroidery requires a thin needle with a sharp point profile to achieve the best amount of coverage and detail in your work. When thread painting with a single thread of stranded cotton, a size 10 John James Sharp needle is my preferred needle. For 2 strands, I use a size 9 John James Sharp needle. 

A thread painted hummingbird body.
A Hummingbird stitched using Megan Zaniewski’s thread painting technique.

What is stumpwork?

Stumpwork embroidery includes a variety of techniques that produce a 3-dimensional effect. Padded stumpwork and wire slips are two embroidery techniques I use in my work and teach in my book. The John James Sharps needles are my preferred needles for these projects as well because of their sharp point profile. Their thinness and sharpness allow you to precisely couch wireslips in place and stitch through multiple layers of padded felt with very little resistance. Again, I recommend a John James Sharps size 10 for 1-stranded work involving wireslips and padding. The dependably high-quality of these needles will also help ensure your work is clean, consistent, and precise.

A stumpwork pink and purple violet.
A flowery example of Megan’s stumpwork.

How to select needle size

The size of the needle you select in your own embroidery will depend on the number of strands you are stitching with. Follow this general guideline choosing the correct needle size Note: there is some flexibility between sizes. The brand of stranded cotton embroidery floss you are using may affect your needle selection slightly. For example: a size 9 needle can be used for 1 strand as well if you are having difficulty threading it. 

  • 1 strand – size 10
    • 2 strands – size 9
  • 3 strands – size 8
  • 4 strands – size 7
  • 5 strands – size 5
  • 6 strands – size 3

How do I know if my needle is too small?

If you’ve mixed up your needles and cannot confidently identify their size, here are some signs to look out for that might indicate the needle you are using is too small:

  • You have more-than-usual difficulty threading the needle. Smaller needles have smaller eyes to accommodate fewer threads, so if you are trying to thread multiple strands through a smaller needle, like a size 9 or 10, you will find it is very difficult, if not impossible. 
  • You experience resistance when pulling the needle through the fabric. If you have to tug or pull to get your needle and thread through the fabric, your needle is too small. 
  • You lose fabric tension and notice your fabric is denting or puckering around the needle as you pull it through the fabric. 
  • A slight popping sound when the needle pushes through the fabric is often normal and okay, but loud or abrasive sounds as you pull the thread through might indicate that your needle is too small. The hole the needle creates should be large enough to accommodate your thread so that it glides smoothly through the fabric without a lot of rubbing or abrasion.
  • Your thread is becoming fuzzy-looking, breaking, or tangling easily. This happens when the hole is too small for the thread to glide through smoothly, causing the thread to rub excessively against the fabric and wear down with each pass.
  • Sore hands. If you are having to work harder to get the thread through the fabric, the additional strain on your hands can cause them to hurt or tire easily. 

If you encounter any of these issues and suspect your needle is too small, try the next size down (ex. switch from a size 9 to a size 8). Remember, needles get larger as the size # decreases.

How do I know if my needle is too large?

Alternatively, here are some signs that might indicate the needle you are using is too large:

  • Visible holes left in the fabric around the thread are a sign that your needle is too large. The needle should create a hole wide enough for the thread to pass through comfortably without resistance, but not much larger than that. 
  • Stitches that are loose.

If you suspect your needle is too large, try the next size up (ex. switch from a size 8 to a size 9), which will be a slightly smaller needle.

I hope these tips help take some of the guesswork out of choosing the correct needle size for your hand embroidery project. Remember, stitching should be comfortable and fun above all else. If your needle is causing you hand strain or frustration, try out different sizes until you find what works best for you. 

Happy Stitching!

Book Cover: Stumpwork Embroidery & Thread Painting