Jane Quilter

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

SherylM

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.

DOTTYMO

I prefer a shorter needle so tulip my first choice.

notmorecraft

Tulips needles work best for me

Geri B

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?

Jane Quilter

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.

SherylM

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.

SherylM

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.