Tenkyoku-NuiSashikoAkiko Goto

Fifty years ago, deep inside an old storehouse,
I encountered a single piece of ancient indigo cotton.
That moment has never left me.

As I began exploring sashiko in my own way,
I discovered a unique technique:
tearing fabric into strips — or cutting it very fine —
and using those strips as thread, stitching them through the cloth.
I named this method Tenkyoku-Nui.

The name was given to me by a Buddhist monk.
I love the harmony that arises from layering
infinite life into fabric through this technique.

Feeling the blessing of being spoken to
by fabrics that have traveled through time —
chirimen silk, merino wool, plain cotton —
I move my needle, stitch by stitch, today as always.