zokin dust cloths, 2, plaid and indigo

Offered by Over the Blue Horizon is a pair of charming zokin, or dust cloths, vintage folk textiles from Japan.  Cotton fabrics are heavily stitched together with sashiko stitching to secure the layers together for strength and durability.  There is hardly a half of an inch between stitches throughout these rustic pieces.

 The brown and blue plaid zokin measures 8 by 11 inches.  It has the same fabric on both sides but one side has a small patch.  The indigo zokin has the same fabric on the front and back.  It measures 7.5 by 12 inches.  White cotton thread was used for the sashiko stitching.

 Years ago, many Japanese people not only had to clean everything in the house, but also had to make the cloths to do the cleaning with!  Scraps of worn out clothing or bedding were recycled to make many household items, including dust cloths.  Every precious scrap of fabric and thread was reused, a practice we should consider today.  These primitive dust cloths can be appreciated for their beauty, soft colors, and the pattern of the stitches.