Sashiko Pattern Maker (Hitomezashi)
Design hitomezashi sashiko patterns and print them at actual size. Pick a pattern, roll a random one, or build your own from 0s and 1s, set the size and grid, and print the stitch chart across Letter or A4 sheets. It also tells you how many lines to stitch and roughly how much thread you need.
1Pattern
Make your own (0s and 1s)
For each grid line, 0 = start with a stitch, 1 = start with a gap. The sequence repeats (for example 0011).
2Size and grid
Enter the area to be stitched, without the hem. Up to 100 cm (about 39 in) per side.
3Pattern chart
The printout is black and white: a light grid, a dotted line every 10 squares, and bold stitches, split across portrait Letter or A4 sheets. Print at 100% and check the 10 mm and 1 in lines at the bottom of each sheet.
How hitomezashi patterns work
In hitomezashi you work a running stitch along every line of a grid, one stitch on and one stitch off. The only choice for each line is whether it starts with a stitch or with a gap. When the horizontal stitches and vertical stitches meet end to end, crosses, squares, steps and diamonds appear. This tool writes that choice as a repeating string of 0s and 1s, so you can explore patterns that are not in any book: change one digit, press Random, or keep both directions the same for a symmetric design.
From chart to cloth
- Choose a pattern and a size. A hana-fukin (dish towel) is usually made from a doubled length of cotton sarashi about 13 in (33–34 cm) square.
- Print at actual size, tape the sheets together if there is more than one, and transfer the grid to the fabric, or use pre-printed sashiko grid fabric.
- Stitch every horizontal line, then every vertical line, following the chart. Sashiko thread is made for this kind of stitching and is usually used as a single, unsplit strand; stranded embroidery floss works too.
FAQ
What is hitomezashi sashiko?
Sashiko is Japanese running-stitch embroidery, traditionally white cotton thread on indigo cloth. Hitomezashi ("one-stitch sashiko") is the style worked on a grid: you stitch along each grid line, one stitch on and one stitch off, and where the horizontal and vertical stitches meet end to end, a pattern appears.
How do the 0s and 1s work?
Each grid line gets a 0 or a 1. A 0 means the line starts with a stitch on the first square; a 1 means it starts with a gap. The sequence repeats across the cloth, so a short sequence such as 0011 makes a regular pattern, and changing one digit can change the whole design.
My printout is the wrong size.
Set the print scale to 100% ("Actual size") instead of "Fit to page". Each sheet has a 10 mm line and a 1 inch line at the bottom so you can check the scale with a ruler. The pattern fits on both US Letter and A4 paper.
How do I transfer the pattern to fabric?
Common ways are dressmaker's carbon (tracing) paper with a tracing wheel or ballpoint pen, or a light box or bright window with a water-soluble marker on light fabric. Another popular method is to print the chart directly onto a water-soluble stabilizer sheet, stick it on the fabric, stitch through it, and rinse it away. If you use fabric with a printed sashiko grid, you can skip the transfer and simply follow the pattern on screen.
In what order should I stitch?
These patterns use only horizontal and vertical stitches, and they never cross, so the order does not change the result. Many people stitch all the horizontal lines first, then all the vertical lines. Leave a little slack at the end of each line so the fabric does not pucker.
Are the pattern names traditional?
No. The names here describe what the patterns look like. Traditional hitomezashi names vary between books and regions, and some traditional patterns also use diagonal stitches, which this tool does not draw.
Is anything I enter sent anywhere?
The pattern is calculated and drawn in your browser, and your settings are not sent. For usage statistics we send only which kind of pattern was chosen and how many times patterns are printed or saved, to Google Analytics.
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