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I get senselessly attached to things and find it difficult to throw stuff away. That’s not to say I don’t get new things, it was always a tragic cycle of adding on more stuff until eventually someone else came along and made the brutal call to throw things out.
Of course, these days I’ve learnt a little more self-control and curbed the habit of adding stuff. But the idea of throwing out old things still makes me jitter, even when they’ve broken down. Cue books on minimalism, thankfulness, and the art of zen.
That’s when Felix suggested I read up on the art of Sashiko. It was an idea/skill that made sense for me to study since it was about extending the life of things and creating imperfect beauty (nice~).
The history of sashiko is one of hardship and resilience but I shan’t bore you with my version of the story since Wiki does a pretty good job summarising it. But there are a couple of books I do recommend. For anyone interested in the history, you might like this or this. Or if you want to just dive in and play, try this ~!
Although born from humble origins, sashiko/boro is undeniably beautiful, and meaningful.
In a time where picking up a new shirt is so easy and affordable, it’s easy to forget to show gratitude and respect to the things we own.
Perhaps the reason why this concept resonates even more strongly with me is because I still own a pillow from my childhood. Unable to give it up, I re-stuffed the cushion and mended the thinning case over and over. It looks a disaster but nothing gives me more comfort than this raggedy bundle as old as me.
Thanks to months of reading and learning how to sashiko/boro, I’ve successfully restored a beloved pair of denim shorts, created new things like coasters and cleaning rags from old clothes, patched curtains wilfully shredded by cats, and saved several pieces of furniture which would have otherwise been hidden away because I couldn’t bear to throw them out.
With this new skill, the reason for hoarding (some) stuff is now legitimate. And I love it~!
Germaine Chong (Shu)
@shu.anonymous