Chōmusubi

The modern Japanese sashiko pattern chōmusubi 蝶結び means "bowknots" and features tiny ribbons alternating with tiny crosses. It is a hitomezashi pattern that screams cuteness. Especially in pink.

Meaning of the sashiko pattern chōmusubi

I could probably come up with some fun meaning, but as often with these kind of modern patterns, there is no inherent meaning that springs from some ancient Japanese tradition.

Maybe someday in the future, some meaning will have formed??

Stitching directions for sashiko pattern chōmusubi

First, you stitch the vertical lines, then you fill in the roughly 45 degree tails of the ribbon. Lastly, you stitch the bow tie parts zigzagging along. You need two rows of zigzag lines to finish the bows. Don't finish one bow tie in one go, otherwise you'll end up turning your fabric round and round till you get dizzy.

Leave a comment if you are interested in detailed instructions and I will upload more information as soon as possible.