旦暮庁 TANBO-CHŌ

Yotsu-nui/四つ縫い (‘four stitch’) refers to sewing through four layers of fabric with a single line of stitching¹. In a single step, this accomplishes:

• Sewing the exterior seam
• Sewing the lining seam
• Attaching the lining to the exterior
• Finishing the seam allowance

The following pouch is a simple introduction to the concept, but the method can also be used to make other lined garments such as kosode and hakama.

Right side: the side of the fabric meant to be seen

Wrong side: the reverse

	Stack four layers of fabric as follows: – Exterior right side down – Exterior right side up – Lining right side down – Lining right side up The layers are shown staggered here for visibility, but should be stacked directly on top of one another.
	Sew a line across the bottom. Fold the bottom seam allowance up 2mm outside the stitching (folding outside rather than on the line creates a tiny fold called a kise). Pin. Don’t clip the corners! Historically, fabric was often re-purposed, so cutting was minimized.
	Fold the top edge of each individual layer of fabric toward its wrong side. Pin.
	Sew the sides, securing all pinned folds in place. Remove pins.
	Turn so that the right side of the exterior fabric faces out. Use a pen or similar item to push out the corners. Press so that the crease is 2mm outside the stitching. Aren’t those corners nice and crisp? You can use this method for obi and hakama ties.
	Slip-stitch edges about 2mm in from the fold (this conceals the stitching with kenuki-awase/毛抜き合わせ ‘tweezer joining’.
2	Create a lacing channel using 1mm cord and a herringbone stitch (chidori kagari/千鳥縢り, ‘sand plover stitch’). Run a 3mm cord through the channel.

If you’re ready for a more challenging project, the shitabakama and uchikake in the Patterns section both use yotsu-nui.

References:

栗原弘河村まち子 et al. 時代衣裳の縫い方 : 復元品を中心とした日本伝統衣服の構成技法/Jidai ishō no nuikata : fukugenhin o chūshin to shita. Shohan ed. 源流社 591984.

1. 紅. “長襦袢　袖下　四つ縫い.” https://youtu.be/L1s-t8nCRpY?si=GUy91us25LK-0hf8 Accessed 2/23/24. ↩︎
2. Fall, Cheryl. “Learn Hand Embroidery With Helpful Stitch Instructions.” https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/surface-embroidery-stitches-1177584 Accessed 2/23/24.
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