Zoinks for Zokins

A project you can enjoy from the comfort of your couch.

I bristle against self-identifying as an “eco friendly” person. I feel like it’s setting me up for disappointment every time I make a decision that doesn’t perfectly fit that identity. Anyway! I do try to make choices that cause less harm to the environment and my own body a majority of the time. I generally lean towards natural cleaning products and I try my best to use washable towels over paper towels for 90% of cleaning tasks. 

Over the past weekend I took a good look at my current cleaning rags and well... I think they might be doing more harm than good at this point. It was time to clean out the rag bin and replace them. Coincidentally, a video popped up on my youtube feed for Japanese Zokins.

I do love it when my DIY interests intersect with some low/no waste projects. Enter the Zokins! An ancient Japanese practice of using old textile products (clothing, cloth diapers, sheets, etc) and stitching them with sashiko to both strengthen and beautify the fabric. 

This project hit on many levels: giving new life to textile “waste,” the satisfaction of making something by hand, and replacing my dirty rags with cute ones. All with a simple project that I could do from the comfort of my couch. It requires very few supplies and no tabletop surface once you have your lines set up. A win-win-win-win. Now, when I take one out to do the cleaning I feel a little jolt of pride.

They are very fun and simple to sew. It’s an incredibly low-stress project because it is just a cleaning rag at the end of the day. However it’s nice and satisfying to clean with something you made yourself. The satisfaction of making things can’t be overstated (and basically the whole point of my newsletter is to convince you to make more things by hand).

Here’s the original video that caught my attention

And a follow up from the same person with more detailed explanations

Speaking of paper towels

Reminds me of this TED Talk I watched years ago: How to use a paper towel

The concept that the double layer is more absorbent than a single layer is probably the same concept that the Japanese Zokins utilize to make these cleaning rags so efficient at absorbing water.

A few bonus sewing-related links

Speaking of fun and satisfying sewing projects this fish crossbody bag is calling to me, and there’s a Sew-Along you could join this month to make one with a group!

I’m trying not to buy anything extra right now, but this PDF guide: Hand Sewing Clothing feels right in my line of interest right now (pictured above is the print version which is currently sold out).

That’s it for today, see you next week.

Bekka