How to make a sashiko thread sample card
A sample card turns loose thread choices into a reference you can use again. The most useful card shows the thread on real cloth, with enough information to find the same shade later. Small thread assortments, such as the Olympus 20 × 10m thin set or 20 × 5m variegated set, provide separate lengths for sampling; they are thread sets, not pre-stitched colour cards.
In this article
Choose a useful ground
Use a small piece of the cloth you regularly stitch, or make separate sections for dark, light and natural grounds. Thread can look radically different against indigo and white.
Leave room for a few stitch lengths, a short line and a knot or join if those details matter to your project. A single loose strand is not enough evidence.
Record more than the colour
Write the brand, shade number or name, thread range, approximate weight and date. Add whether the sample used one strand, a full sashiko thread or a divisible bundle.
Note the needle and stitch length when you are comparing close options. Those details explain why two samples of the same colour may look different.
Store the card with the thread
Punch a hole or use a ring so cards stay together, then keep the active project samples with their matching skeins. Protect the card from direct light so the reference remains reliable.
Add a small washed sample for colours you use often. The post-wash appearance is more useful than an untested promise when planning a garment or repair.