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We have designed this area to give you a better idea about Alderspring Design, and the products you are ordering from us. Scroll down to find the area(s) you are interested in.

About Our Products:

• What is inside our sashiko patterns?
• Why buy patterns rather than pre printed fabrics?
• What is sashiko stitching?
• How to do sashiko stitching (see www.sashikostitchers.com for a good step by step photo essay of how to do sashiko stitching)
• Our easy (and recommended) transfer method for sashiko stitching.
• What is Sashiko Stitchers?
• What is Furoshiki fabric wrapping?
• Some examples
• Sample of furoshiki illustrated direction cards.
• About Furoshiki site, which you may want to pass on to your customers. The more wraps they know how to do, the more fabric they will need to buy from you!

About Us:

• Alderspring Design - the business
• Alderspring design - the designer, a personal note
• What is coming next for this business? (Look for us at the Houston Quilt Market, we are bringing new sashiko and furoshiki patterns, new kits and new pattern cards)
• Publications, Trade and consumer shows, Art shows...

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What is inside our traditional sashiko pattern packages?

Most of our sashiko patterns are professionally printed on sewing tissue.  This allowed us to have the pattern pieces printed full size and to include several projects in each package. The sashiko design for each project is printed on the actual pattern piece to eliminated any need for your customer to re size, or struggle with proper placement. Some of our patterns are printed on 11 x 17 inch paper. This allows us to release them sooner.  As with the tissue printed patterns, they are full size with the sashiko design printed into for proper placement.


Why buy patterns rather than pre printed fabrics?

Our patterns are fully reusable and our easy transfer method makes it possible for your customers to use the designs on any fabric and any color of fabric they choose.

Also in our patterns, your customers will find directions and tips for how to do sashiko stitching, directions for sewing the projects in the pattern package, and of course, our easy transfer method for transferring the sashiko design on to their fabric.

Our easy transfer method makes sashiko pleasant and easy to do.

We recommend that the customer lay lightweight white non woven fusible interfacing over the pattern piece and trace the sashiko design, as well as the project sewing lines, onto the interfacing, then fuse the interfacing to the back of their fabric.  The tracing should be done with a permanent fabric marker.  The project is then sashiko stitched from the back and, as all the projects are lined in one way or another, there is no need to remove the interfacing later. 
 
The great thing about this method is that the stitching lines are durable, so the project can be stitched anywhere without worry about the design rubbing off or fading.  And as the stitching lines are on the back, the customer does not have to be exact in their stitching; no printed bits will be left showing. Further, unlike pre printed sashiko fabrics, the customer can choose the fabric and color of fabric they prefer, and they are able to add pieces (or all) of the sashiko designs on their other projects.



Each person who stitches sashiko will stitch a bit differently, the same as they will hand write a bit differently.  This is to be desired, and customers should be encouraged to view it as a positive thing. Encourage your customers to relax and find the stitch length that feels comfortable for them. What gives sashiko its overall beauty is that whatever the length of the stitch an individual uses, they are consistent in using that length for every stitch (remembering, of course, that the stitches on top of their fabric are longer than the stitches on the underside).

How to do sashiko stitching#

You will find step by step directions, with photographs, for how to do sashiko stitching at www.sashikostitchers.com

What is Sashiko Stitchers?

Sashiko Stitchers (www.sashikostitchers.com) is a website set up to promote sashiko stitching.

The mission of this site is to encourage the practice of traditional sashiko stitching, and to stimulate and explore new and innovative ways to to apply sashiko stitching to modern fibre art projects. Interested visitors are encouraged to register for membership, post photos of their sashiko projects, participate in conversations about sashiko, find links for information and materials, and access free downloads. 



What is furoshiki?

Furoshiki refers to a fabric wrapping technique that can quickly turn a simple square of cloth into a bag, a wrapping for a gift, or a home decor covering by using folds, twists and simple knots. There is no need to sew the fabric, although some may prefer to hem the fabric's edges.  Interest in furoshiki wrapping techniques is increasing as people look for ways to cut down their use of disposable products.

Furoshiki is a Japanese word that translates as 'bath spread' but has come to mean the many styles of tied wrappings made using fabric.  The art of making beautiful gift wrappings using fabric had almost been lost with the seemingly endless amounts of cheap paper wrapping available, but a new trend for environmental sensitivity has revived this art form.  For fabric lovers, the fun that can be had with these techniques is endless. 

Below are some examples of furoshiki wraps:


Our laminated pattern cards sell well, especially during holiday and gift giving seasons.  They are an excellent encouragement for customers to purchase more seasonal fabric.

Below is a photograph of the front and back sides of a laminated furoshiki pattern card.  These cards measure 3 inches by 8 inches.



Alderspring Design - the business:

This wholesale-only website, which currently focuses on sashiko and furoshiki patterns, is part of Alderspring Design, a fibre art design business which began in November of 2005. It is located on the Sunshine Coast, in British Columbia, Canada, in the top floor of an old yellow hand split shingle building with a view of the  Gibson's Landing marina.  (For those who remember it, this is where the television show "The Beachcombers" was filmed) 

Connected to Alderspring Design is Sashiko Stitchers, an online community where sashiko enthusiasts can share their interest and show their work.  Alderspring Design's owner and designer, Susan Fletcher, also writes articles for sewing and crafting magazines, and shows and sells one of a kind fibre art pieces.

As well, we have a site called About Furoshiki which promotes furoshiki as one of many ways to use less disposable products. This site is intended for those interested in environmental issues.

It has been a busy first few years, and it looks like that will not change anytime soon!


The Designer: A Personal Note

I began by making things.  Currently I work mostly with fibre and cloth.

And now I make up directions and drawings and photographs so that other people can make those things too.

I began with an interest in how women manage their lives (hence the sociology degree).

And now I focus on the way in which ordinary busy women who do not (usually) call themselves artists, have created art from cloth.  And still do.

Cloth is a deceptively humble material to work with, it lacks the status of paint or marble or metal. Yet, it is cloth that receives us at birth and covers us at death. It is hard to find a moment in a day when we are not using cloth in some form.

Cloth made beautiful makes art part of our everyday lives.

I believe in ordinary people making things with their hands. I believe it is important to have around us things which were created by people we know and love.  So I began by making things.  And now I make up directions and drawings and photographs so that other people can make those things too.

Best regards,
Susan Fletcher

(Post Script. For anyone interested in the external details, I have a sociology degree from the University of British Columbia 1991, studied Textile Arts at Capilano College from 1997 to 1999, and photography at Vancouver community College in between.  I have adult children and the prerequisite cat! And the photo was taken in 2008.)


What is coming next for this business?

Sometime this fall we plan to add a line of fibre art greeting cards, with the pattern for the image on the card front printed inside.
We think these will be a big hit with customers of sewing and craft outlets.

We will be at the Houston Quilt Market with these, and our new sashiko patterns, as well as furoshiki direction cards.
I would love to meet you in person there.


Below are some other things happening in the near future

2009  Sashiko stitched  project, in Patchwork Comforters, Throws & Quilts (book) DRG Publishing
2009  Furoshiki bags article, Asian Fabrics (magazine)
2009  August. Fibre Art Festival (merchant market)  Gibsons, BC, Canada
2009  August. Fibre Arts Festival (show and sale) Gibsons, BC, Canada
2009  October. Houston Quilt Market (Trade Show) Texas, USA
2009  Fall. Furoshiki article in Quilting Art’s Gifts (magazine)
2010  Summer. Sashiko and applique project in A Needle Pulling Thread (magazine)


These are some other places you can find references to Alderspring Design

2008 The Great Canadian Quilt Hop, Quilter's TV
2008 Patchwork Table Runners (book) DRG Publishing, two projects
2008 New home Living Magazine, December 2008 quoted in article "Wrap Stars, good things come in earth friendly packages"
2008 Condo Living magazine, December issue, quoted in article "That's a Wrap"
2008 Asian fabrics, Issue # 14,  "Why Tie One" by Susan Fletcher, Alderspring Design<
2008 Quilt Market, Portland, Oregon, USA
2008 Fibre Arts Merchant Market, Gibsons, BC, Canada
2007 Fibre Arts Merchant Market, Gibsons, BC, Canada
2007Fibrefest International 2007, Vancouver, BC, Canada




Art Shows
2009  Gibson's Landing Fibre Art Show (Juried)
2009  Station House Gallery Show, Williams Lake, BC “By Our hands” (By invitation)
2008  Gibson’s Landing Fibre Art Festival Show (Juried)
2007  Gibson’s Landing Fibre Art Festival Show (Juried)
2004  Gibson’s Landing Fibre Art Festival Show (Juried)
2004  Gibson’s Public Art gallery (Juried)
2003  Gibson’s landing Fibre Art Festival Show (Juried)
2002  Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, “Come rain or Come Shine” (Juried)
1999  Harmony Festival Textile Show, West Vancouver (Juried)
1999  Community Art Council Gallery, Vancouver, “Telling our stories in cloth”
1999  Community Arts Council Award.
1998  Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver (Student show)