ABOUT US

Our VISION

About SASHIKO.LAB

SASHIKO.LAB is a small textile atelier in Kyoto dedicated to the practice, study, and sharing of sashiko.

Our atelier brings together three activities under one roof: learning, making, and exploring.

Visitors can join workshops, discover sashiko materials and tools, and experience historic textiles at SASHIKO BORO ARCHIVE, our gallery of vintage Japanese folk textiles.

Rather than treating sashiko as decoration alone, we approach it as a practical tradition shaped by daily life, necessity, and care for cloth.

What is Sashiko?

Sashiko is often described as a form of Japanese embroidery, but at its heart, it is something much simpler and deeper. It is a practice born from everyday life — a way of reinforcing cloth, caring for what is already there, and stitching with intention rather than decoration.

At SASHIKO.LAB, we approach sashiko not only as a technique, but as a cultural practice shaped by time, hands, and lived experience.

OUR STORY

Stitch by Stitch

SASHIKO.LAB began its teaching journey in New Zealand.

In 2017, the atelier’s founder moved to Dunedin with her family, where sashiko was practiced simply as a personal, everyday craft. As family life settled and opportunities arose, she began offering small, home-based workshops, marking the start of its teaching activities.

After returning to Japan, SASHIKO.LAB was founded and began its activities in Kyoto in 2019, offering sashiko workshops and private craft tours. Following the sudden pause brought by the pandemic in 2020, the atelier shifted online, continuing to connect with participants through virtual workshops.

In April 2023, SASHIKO.LAB opened a home-based atelier in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, creating a dedicated space for workshops and quiet making. The atelier became a place to gather, stitch, and share sashiko in a more personal setting.

In June 2026, SASHIKO.LAB moved to a larger atelier near Fushimi Inari in Kyoto. The new space brings together workshops, a shop, and SASHIKO BORO ARCHIVE, a gallery dedicated to vintage Japanese folk textiles. Today, the atelier welcomes visitors from around the world who come to learn sashiko, discover Japanese textiles, and experience a living craft tradition.

What began as small home-based workshops in New Zealand has grown into an atelier where people gather to learn, stitch, and share. While the space has changed over time, the purpose remains the same: to share sashiko as a practice rooted in everyday life, care for cloth, and the quiet accumulation of stitches.

EXPLORE SASHIKO BORO ARCHIVE

meet the INSTRUCTOR

Kazue Yoshikawa

SASHIKO.LAB is led by Kazue Yoshikawa, a sashiko practitioner based in Kyoto.

With a background in teaching, Kazue approaches sashiko as a practice shaped by repetition, attention, and time. In the atelier, guidance is offered gently and at an unhurried pace, inviting participants to focus on the process rather than the result.

Through workshops and shared time, Kazue aims to create a calm and approachable environment where sashiko can be experienced as a living, ongoing practice.