A Very Interesting Zokin: Fading, Piecing, Two Types of Stitching

mid twentieth century
8 1/4" x 12 3/4", 21 cm x 32.25 cm

A zokin is a traditional Japanese dust cloth or cleaning rag; it is usually made from old pieces of cloth and it is usually layered and stitched for durability.   

Along with diapers, zokin are among the traditional household textiles that represent the end of the line where the repurposing or recycling of cloth is concerned.

This example shows a base cloth which is stitched together of faded, commercially produced purple cotton over which is stitched two types of stitching, a block of vertically-oriented white sashiko and a narrower block of stepped or "mountain" stitching.

Really lovely.