Ana Isabel Ramos | illustration + design + storytelling
I remember seeing a beautiful tiled floor, back when I lived in Panama, and thinking how simple and clever it was and how I should record it in my sketchbook, because one day I would surely use it somewhere. Some time ago (or was it ages ago?) I attended a sashiko embroidery workshop. Sashiko is a kind of functional embroidery from Japan, used to reinforce fabrics while making them prettier, all at the same time. I loved learning about it: its geometry and patterns; the way figures are stitched to use up the floss in the most economical way; the simple rules of how many stitches go into each portion, and how stitches should be the same length throughout the whole project. To tell you the truth, I had been thinking for a while how I wanted to incorporate a bit of its influence into my embroidery. Until this month I stumbled upon the sketch in my sketchbook. Now, don’t get me wrong: the way I stitched is not in the original sashiko fashion of using running stitches. This is not the traditional sashiko from Japan, but I think it shows how much I loved it when I dipped my toes in this amazing Japanese tradition.
