Gifts made with my Babylock Sashiko
 

You may remember I recently bought a Babylock Sashiko machine. I've been making pillowcases for gifts, with Sashiko stitching on the cuffs. Before stitching the single layer of fabric, I backed it with Miracle Film stabilizer. It's a heat-away stabilizer, but it pulls off easily so I never use the iron over it. I attach the Miracle Film on the back of the fabric with a bit of temporary spray adhesive. Each pillowcase has the same poinsettia and holly pattern stitched onto the cuff. I used the Magic Pillowcase pattern, which is so easy! Let's see if I can attach pictures here....

Your pillow cases are very nice and I really do like that stitching. It is enjoying great popularity because of the Japanese influences in our textiles and quilting. I think it is beautiful and can have lots of applications. Thank you for showing us what you have done so far and keep doing projects to use it and keep showing us your work.

Gives a grand touch to your pillowcases!

Great looking. Did you stitch design before folding cuff so back threads are hidden? How is the machine when you have to change direction in designwork, does the needle stay down to pivot? Is the a difficult learning curve is using? Like classes at dealership....

quilterpurpledog, I didn't make these big stitch, though. I wanted it to look like hand quilting, and those berries are small so if I tried it with big stitches they'd have been cubes. On the sashiko machine you can control both the size of the stitch and the size of the spaces between them independently. This is done with the smallest setting on each, so the stitches and spaces are about one twelfth of an inch. I count 6 stitches to an inch.
GeriB, I did stitch it out with the piece unfolded, and before construction, so the backside is hidden inside the cuff. If you ever use the Magic Pillowcase technique and want embroidery, etc. to show up on the outside of the cuff instead of the inside, that part needs to be across the bottom of the cuff piece when you lay it down for layering with the other two pieces. If it's across the top half where you pin, it'll be on the inside of the pillowcase. Ask me how I know this....To answer your other questions, the sashiko machine has a setting for the pressure on the presser foot, so that when you are maneuvering the fabric to stitch curves it's not necessary to raise the presser foot at all. The pressure is light enough that you just guide the fabric all around easily. And you can set the machine for needle up or needle down upon stopping, so for something like this you use needle down. There's really no learning curve, aside from learning how to thread the machine, lol. It's entirely different from any other machine you've ever used. The dealer gave me a "lesson"/demonstration (when I bought the machine) on one of the floor models. I think that's really all that's needed.

Thanks for the compliments! I have more to make, so I'll post those soon. Most of the ones in the pics are pairs; I just photographed one of each different pillowcase.

love your pillowcases. my friend has the same machine and she did a small wall hanging for me. i love the look of the stitch, almost like an emb stitch. great job!

How neat! Thanks for sharing pics.

Very nice pillow cases and the sashiko stitches sure add a super nice touch.

Very pretty...beautiful work on the stitching. Looks like you're learning your new machine well.

Very pretty.