Designer Spotlight: Cohana | Little Fabric Shop Blog

This month we are featuring the Japanese tool brand Cohana. We carry a number of these beautiful sewing notions here at Little Fabric Shop. They are produced by artisans and combine both traditional and modern manufacturing techniques. These special sewing notions make wonderful gifts for the sewist and are a must-have for professional tailors and quilt makers.

History of the Cohana Brand

Cohana is a brand of high-quality handmade tools created through collaboration with local industries in Japan. They utilize the know-how of handicraft product development that has been cultivated over many years since it was founded in 1953. Cohana develops products that are easy to use and highly practical while incorporating creative designs. They integrate the desire to connect traditional techniques and wisdom to the future to revitalize the production area. The Cohana brand is loved not only by sewing enthusiasts, but also by those who appreciate unique and creative sewing tools.

Cohana Sewing Notions at Little Fabric Shop

Needle Threader

This Cohana Needle Threader was created using the ancient knot-tying art called Mizuhiki. The art of Mizuhiki is most often used to decorate envelopes. These special envelopes are given as gifts during holidays, birthdays, weddings, or funerals. The color of the cord is chosen based on the event occasion. Additionally, the Mizuhiki knot art can be found in stationary, jewelry and shaped into animals such as cranes, frogs, fish, dragons, or turtles.

Stiff rice paper cord is used to create the ornate knot design. For this Iida Mizuhiki needle threader, beads are threaded onto the cording and then woven into the shape. The flower shape of the knot is called ume-musbi -or- plum-flower knot. Plum blossoms are thought to be lucky as they bloom before the start of spring, thus overcoming the cold and darkness of winter. The ume-musbi knot represents good luck, tight bonds, and the repelling of evil.

These beautiful needle threaders are a must-have sewing notion for both quilters and sewists alike. The beautiful beads add a little shimmer and sparkle to this handy tool. We carry a nice selection of different bead colors within the Mizuhiki needle threader collection.

Pincushion

The Otaro Kiriko Pincushion is a cut glass container flowerpot with a coordinating needle felted pincushion. This beautiful pincushion also includes 10 color coordinating glass head sewing pins. The pincushion top opens to a lovely bottom pot where small sewing notions and tools can be stored. Cohana worked with three different manufacturers to create this one-of-a-kind sewing notion.

The glass pot is made by Fukagawa Glass Kogei in Otaru, Japan. This area is known for the production of glass art. Kiriko, the name of the cut glass, is shaped in a round, plump fashion to represent an image of flower petals.

The felt ball is made of Hokkaido wool to create the pincushion. Hokkaido is an island in northern Japan. This region produces beautiful wool yarn. Knitters and fiber artists enjoy the high quality of wool yarn from this area.

The glass head pins are produced in Hiroshima, Japan, an area widely known for needle production. The heads of the pins are blown from the same glass as the container and then attached to the needles from Hiroshima.

Mini Scissors

These Mini Scissors are the perfect small sized sewing notion - sharp, travel friendly, and adorable. Simply pinch the scissors lightly and they will easily cut through thread or cloth. These scissors include a genuine leather case for travel storage. The silk tassel is from Tassel Studio Marimo in Fukuoka, Japan. Care and detail are present in every part of this beautiful sewing tool.

When designing these scissors, Cohana worked with the artisans at Hasegawa Cutlery in Seki, Japan. These makers challenged themselves to create the very best scissors in the smallest size possible. These playful mini scissors were truly a labor of love from a company committed to modern innovation and traditional craftsmanship.

Magnetic Spool Pin Holder

The Magnetic Spool Pin Holder is a ceramic creation that includes a strong magnet to store pins, needles, or paperclips. We use this spool in the shop to store our fancy pins. The spool is designed to store the pins vertically so that they can easily be removed with one hand. The inside of the spool is lined with soft felt to protect the pins and needles from coming into contact with pottery base. Cohana Mini Scissors can also attach to the outside of the spool!

Cohana collaborated with the ceramics company Ishimaru Togei of Hasami, Japan to create this ceramic spool. They fire the clay at a low temperature with the aim to create a simple, rustic design. Each spool is coated with a colorful glaze to resemble a spool of thread.

Glass Sewing Pins in Cherry Wood Box

The Glass Sewing Pins in a Cherry Wood Box set is just beautiful. The thirty sewing pins in each collection are topped-off with color-coordinated translucent and opaque glass pinheads. These pins are manufactured in Hiroshima, Japan – a region known for high quality needle production. Meticulous quality control measures are in place to make sure that both the thickness and length of each pin is consistent from one to another.

The wooden box has been created using cherry wood. Cohana collaborated with Daiwa Sangyo to create these handcrafted boxes. Traditional techniques were used to create the beautiful box. The flower-shaped shell button is cut from black oyster which is the shellfish that grows pearls. The attention to quality and detail makes this pin collection extra special for sewists.

Snips with Silk Braid

These Snips with a Silk Braid are stunning. The scissor snips are crafted in Tokyo, Japan by the Shozaburo & Company, Ltd. The techniques of forging Japanese Samurai swords and Japanese scissors are used to create these snips. The handles of the snips are wrapped with Iga silk braids known as kumihimo. Kumihimo braids were traditionally used in samurai armor. Artisans wind and weave silk threads into braids to bring out their luster. The braids are dyed in rich colors and wound around the steel handles of the scissors. These Cohana snips are both beautiful and gentle on the hands.