
A Little Journey to the Embroidery Factory with Haru
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The other day, I visited an embroidery factory in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture together with influencer Haru.
For about ten years, we have been creating embroidered accessories called Button Hooks, and I invited Haru to join me in seeing how they are produced.
A Button Hook is an embroidered motif with part of the design serving as a buttonhole, allowing it to be attached to a button. It can be worn on the chest or cuffs of a shirt, and even on the collar of a button-down. The stitching is so detailed that it looks just like a painting.
To turn an illustration into embroidery, the first step is to map out the path for the embroidery machine’s needle based on the artwork. Multiple colors can be used, but each color is stitched in a continuous, single stroke.
This time, we observed the process of stitching a penguin illustration created by Anny, an illustrator from Tainan.
During her stay in Japan, Haru once worked at a kimono shop, so she knows a great deal about Japan’s textile-producing regions. Since it was her first time visiting an embroidery factory, she seemed to really enjoy this little trip. Mr. S from the factory is like a walking encyclopedia of embroidery, and he began explaining everything in a rapid flow of Japanese. Haru kept up with him the whole way.
Apparently, Haru makes her own vocabulary notes by writing down words she finds interesting or cute during conversations with Japanese people. Mr. S often uses expressions that are quite difficult even for foreigners, and he speaks at an incredible speed. The fact that Haru could follow along was truly impressive.
Later, when I saw Haru’s vocabulary notebook on Instagram, I noticed that she had added one of Mr. S’s phrases: “至難の業” (an almost impossible feat).
Even at such high speed, it takes about 15 minutes to embroider a Button Hook that’s only around 5 cm in size.
Not only are the gaps filled in neatly, but the color changes and finishing touches are also handled with great care.
You can check out the Button Hooks here.
button hook
Haru, deeply absorbed in the embroidery.
On her Instagram, you’ll find many posts about her visits and reports from various production regions, including this embroidery factory. If you’re interested, please take a look.
Haru’s Instagram