Free printable sashiko patterns
Sashiko is Japanese running-stitch embroidery, traditionally white cotton thread on indigo cloth. Each pattern below is a free PDF template you can print at 100% and trace onto fabric. Every template comes in three sizes, for US Letter or A4, with a 5 cm scale bar to check the print.
Easy patterns to start with
Next steps
How these templates work
Each template is drawn by code to exact millimetres, so the printed lines are where the pattern says they are. The stitch layout follows the usual sashiko rules: even stitches of about 3 mm with 1.5 mm gaps, and no stitch touching another where lines cross. Where many lines meet, such as the centre of an asanoha star, the template leaves a wider gap so the point stays clean.
Sashiko began in the Edo period as a way to reinforce and patch work clothing, and is usually white cotton thread on indigo cloth. There are two main styles: hitomezashi, where each stitch is one grid square, and moyozashi, where patterns are made from long lines of running stitches.
Sources
Updated