What Needle do you recommend for Sashiko?
 

I want to hand quilt and/or Sashiko with Aurifil thread 12 wt. What hand sewing needle type and size do you recommend?

For sashiko I use either a shorter Tulip sashiko needle or a #4 embroidery needle. I prefer the Tulip needles over the Olympus needles because they're a bit thinner and easier for me to work with.

I prefer a shorter needle so tulip my first choice.

Tulips needles work best for me

I have several black napkins that I would like to try sashiko on. So, tulip needle...good start....I thought a kind of pearl cotton emb thread would do? No? What kind of pattern do you use?

I guess I don't have a feel for the difference in size of the Sashiko thread with Aurifil thread 12 wt. Is Embroidery needle number 4 that you are recommending for Sashiko the correct one for Aurifil thread 12 wt? I don't even know the wt of Sashiko thread, the pkgs dont say. I ordered Aurifil 12 wt because the woman that quilted the Gypsy Wife Quilt on the internet used Aurifil 12 wt, and I want to try it, but I am lost on the needle size.

Geri, perle cotton would certainly work and it would be lovely, but it wouldn't have the same look as traditional Sashiko thread. Perle cotton has a tighter twist and has a sheen to it, while Sashiko thread has a much looser twist and a matte look. To me, it looks more like cotton string.

I just use a running stitch that's longer on the top of the fabric than on the bottom ( look at pictures online to see what I mean.) I love to do Sashiko - it's so relaxing and I love the geometric designs.

Jane Quilter, I think you could use a 4 or a 5 embroidery needle for the 12 weight perle cotton, but it's a bit finer than traditional Sashiko cotton, which I *think* correlates more with #8 perle cotton. But I could be wrong about that.

You can get Sashiko cotton in different weights, but the one that's the most common is by Olympus and is roughly the same weight as #8 perle cotton, IMO.