Japanese Inspired BORO embroidery or Bed Cover Hand embroidered Fabric made from Shibori Indigo From Studio Remains Boro Is a Japanese tradition of manding Clothes , Kimonos and fabrics By Free Hand stitches The result I Made Each fabric By Hand, to create my Interpretation To an Old Japanese Tradition. We Wellcome Custom sizes and and for Home and Public spaces Spaces I work With Decorator and Interior designers Please Understand, that Boro stitching is lot of work it takes it Time.
More from the exhibition at Somerset House. Click on the images to enlarge.
Vintage Japanese Boro Patched Cotton Futon Cover Textile 100% Cotton Homespun, hand loomed fabric Early to Mid 1900s Size 56 X 72 inches 143 X 185 cm Medium-Heavy Weight 1.4 lb, 653g Good Overall Boro Condition with Faded, Spots, Tear, Holes, Patches, Repair (see photos) Lots of fabric here. We have washed this textile. Wonderful old textile to display as wall art, or to make pillows, cut for patchwork, your creative project, etc
. went to the excellent Boro exhibition at Somerset House . I was overwhelmed with each piece ...
こんにちは。とうとう完成しました、女性向けのスーパーボロボロコートです！こちらが途中経過のブログ記事です。先週でこうなっていました。そして、今日完成したの...
One of our favorite vintage boros. This high quality Mid 20th Century boro quilt is one of our favorite finds due to its unique color combinations and heavy weight. The Sunrise Boro Quilt is a traditional Japanese craft created by up-cycling fabrics over generations. The quilts are created by patching and mending layers of handwoven antique and vintage textile remnants. We think of boro cloth as a conversation, a beautiful work of art created with time. We recommend using the quilt as a blanket, on top of a bed or as a blanket for the sofa. This quilt is heavy in weight and is made of many layers with a fill. One of a kind from the 1940s. Origin: Japan Manufacturing: Woven, dyed Material: Cotton Color: Indigo Condition: Good. Vintage. A few small holes, repairs, and stains. Wear and inconsistencies are unique to the original item. Dimensions: 68.00”× 66.00” Recommended dry clean only.
What is Boro Stitching? The raw simplicity and functional beauty of the boro artform is something that I’ve adored for some time. I get a lot […]
Last Tuesday I went to London with Sara and Sam to see the exhibition of Boro at Somerset House. We were somewhat delayed by having a wonderful time playing in the fountains in the sunshine but eventually made it to the East Wing Galleries. Photography was permitted and Sam was given a postcard of one textile to try and find - good thinking. You can see in this photograph how the textiles were displayed. I delayed writing this post as at least one friend is visiting the exhibition this week. I wanted them to be able to make up their own mind, unclouded by preconceptions from my report. I have say I was disappointed with "Boro: Threads of Life". Not with the textiles themselves, but with the manner in which they were exhibited. There were a few items that were exhibited in the way I expected, as the original garments were made and used in Japan. (Apologies for the strange tint to the photographs, it seems to be a result of the exhibition lighting). Most textiles, however, were exhibited like this. As if the exhibition was an art gallery. The pieces were all of similar shape and size. Several pieces appeared to have been mounted on new fabric and all the pieces had been smoothed over stretcher frames or similar. Sara and I were both astonished at how flat and thin the boro was, so much so that I took a photograph of the edge of a piece that wasn't mounted in this style. Nowhere could I find any information about the boro, no origin, age, description, nor on the way they had been mounted for exhibition. Each item had only a number alongside it. The book accompanying the exhibition was simply a collection of photographs of the items. I feel the textiles must have been reduced in many cases to their outer layer, they certainly appeared to have had the guts ripped out of them. Moving closer gave some texture but the overall impression was of a flat, almost lifeless, sea of blue. Am I being too harsh in my disappointment? Maybe I should have been inspired by the innovation of the exhibitors. "They carry with them the evocation of family members, the presence of ancestors" it states in the exhibition guide. It was exactly this that I felt was missing. These historical textiles had somehow been reduced to gallery exhibits (with enormous price tags I later discovered) and their life and soul, their very integrity, had been removed along with the creases, filling and lumps and bumps. I must state that I am not opposed to using old textiles in new ways, nor to individual expression and creativity but this exhibition contradicted itself in using the traditional words to talk about the boro while treating them in a way that disparaged all those words. It was sad and we were glad to get back out into the sunshine and the fountains! For another perspective on the exhibition and more pictures, including some good interior views of the galleries, you might like to pop over to Susan Briscoe's blog post here.
Seeing as the 2 pieces shown in this post are called "Boro Blues" and "Boro Blues #2", let me start off by singing my own blues to you, over the poor quality of natural light which has been hanging around the last few days, (actually it seems like the whole month has been one long cloud). The quality of these photos is not what they should be, so my apologies. To make matters worse, the two quilts shown were photographed in different spots and at different times of the day, (I was trying in vain to go to where the most light was, sort of like my little dog Ellie, who seems utterly lost without a patch of sunshine to lay in). Okay, now about the quilts... most of you know that I am very interested in Japanese Boro, and sometimes use it as a stepping stone for inspiration. The two works here were inspired by the the heavily patched and often erractic and eccentric stitching found in some boro pieces, similar to this absolutely amazing and authentic boro futon cover which you can see here. (How I wish it were mine!) I went back into my scrap bag to make these quilts, and experimented with two different approaches to see what would result... For "Boro Blues" (shown directly above) I started by piecing a background panel, then added various patches whose edges are turned under and appliqued on with a small zig-zag stitch. The machine quilting is done in various stages as the patches were added on, so some quilted lines go over the patches, while others go under. Details of this piece can be seen in the photo above and below, (click to see a bigger image). For "Boro Blues #2" (see below) I experimented with a different approach... I began with a piece of fabric the size of the finished work, and began laying raw edge patches over the surface, zig-zag stitching them in place. I'd do a layer of patches, add some quilting, do another layer of patches, and add some more quilting. This resulted in a piece with a bit more weight to it, and with a more ragged look. (By the way, "boro" means ragged!) If interested, both pieces are currently available in my shop. (Update: Both pieces have now been Sold) Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
If Your heart beats for old Japanese craft then it is going to beat faster with this bag. This is a rustic Zero waste handcrafted Boro bag made with with aged reclaimed fabric and supported with leather straps and wooden closure button. Handmade with old vintage fabrics, the sustainable " Mottainai" bag is a masterpiece of age old japanese craft of Boro mending and stitching using old discarded fabrics. The patchwork and slow stitching displayed is a signature style of Boro stitching and a unique feature of the Japanese craft. Such bags require craft mastery/ skill and involve a lot of slow focussed stitching to create a unique piece that is no less than a stunner. The all purpose envelope bag with cotton lined bag has one compartment and is perfectly sized for travel and daily use. The bag can hold passport, personal diary, keys, mobile, tickets, travel documents and other valuables. WHAT IS MOTTAINAI AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT 'Mottainai' is an age old Japanese concept / thought that shows respect for the environment by encouraging people not to waste valuable resources. According to the thought nothing in this world is to be wasted and every thing has value. It is upto the person to be able to see value in it. In this day and age where everything is moving towards consumerism, the environment is burdened with waste, landfill, water pollution, air pollution and diseases that are directly related to the usage of items made in factories. Tonnes of waste is just dumped into the ocean or sent to 3rd world poor countries for them to deal with it. Mottainai is the answer. The thought is a breeze of fresh unpolluted air where everything can be transformed into useful, beautiful items of use. MEASUREMENTS LENGTH (Full envelope) -11.5 Inches LENGTH ( Flap closed) - 9 Inches WIDTH - 5.5 Inches STRAP LENGTH - 60 Inches ( Full ) ITEM CONDITION The bag is made with aged, old vintage reclaimed fabrics. Stains are natural and part of the look.
Authentic Boro is an historical textile art, but its techniques are plenty relevant today. Here's info and ideas for making your own boro-inspired art.
About 63”×67”/3,5kg/7lbs All cotton and natural indigo dyed You can use as rag or display rag I already washed as is condition View all the photos to judge the condition and quality of this item I can’t accept return and refund any reason
Japanese boro cloth: Sri Threads, Brooklyn
At our 2019 Fiber Forum Retreat we explored “The Influences of Japanese Boro in Contemporary Fabric Art,” and you will get to see the work fromthe participants at our upcoming National Seminar: Gateway to Stitching! The 2019 retreat was lead by Dr. Mary Ruth Smith, a professor at Baylor University and a fiber artist. Boro […]
FEATURE: Reversible Indigo Boro Patchwork Yogi Nightwear Skin Age: (Late 1800s to Early 1900s) Edo-Meiji Period Region: Shikoku, Ehime Prefecture One-of-a-kind (museum quality grade) MATERIAL: 100% Cotton Patchwork, Naturally dyed indigo, antique textile DETAILS: An antique heavily worn, repaired with patchwork, and weathered museum-quality grade boro yogi nightwear skin. A wonderful old but still a strong and great variety of mixed indigo faded patchwork boro, which patched over and over again, generation after generation. Bodoko was oftentimes used as a sheet for child delivery, and in some areas, people make it into a coat like this one and wear it on a daily base as Yogi Nightwear. Often together at night parents & kids would sleep together under the yogi to keep warm. In the early 1900s cotton fabric was hard to come by and people can't afford to throw away any. The villager would reuse the cotton fabric by patching them over and over again. This piece has a balance of aesthetic artfully constructed patchwork which gives it the feel and years of hard wear, tattered ground, and extensive sashiko repair. It is one of a kind item that hardly comes available to the market anymore. It is a unique piece for display at home or office for decoration which creates an incredible atmosphere. CONDITION: Overall excellent Boro condition. Fabric holes, nicks, and boro patched, see pictures for details. Best is used for an artistic decorative display piece. measurement Cuff to cuff 52" Back across 29.5" Back down Length 54.5" Armpit to armpit 29.5" Arm width 23.5" COLOUR: see picture GENDER: Unisex M/F WASHING INSTRUCTION: -We've washed & ironed this garment. It's ready to use as a decorative piece.
Wilt u ook graag boro proberen? Ik hoop dat u deze tutorial handig zal vinden! Voor een workshop met prachtige Japanse stoffen en denim, kijk op de website of neem contact met me op.
Elegant Early 20th Century boro cloth fabric. Boro cloth are a traditional Japanese craft created by up-cycling fabrics over generations. The cloth is created by patching and mending layers of handwoven antique and vintage textile remnants. Layers are dyed with indigo due to their inherent anti-bacterial properties. We think of boro cloth as a conversation, a beautiful work of art created with time. This piece is a one of a kind four panel boro from 1920. The boro has been repaired in multiple locations with contrasting fabrics, creating a one of a kind mix matched collage. The artisan layered up two to three layers of fabric, creating a medium weight textile. Areas of the piece have been shashiko stitched, reinforcing and adorning the fabric. Origin: Japan Manufacturing: Handwoven, mended and dyed Material: Cotton, Hemp, Linen Color: Shades of indigo, Chrysanthemum, Plum, Rust, Grey and Earth Tones. Condition: Great. Vintage. Wear and inconsistencies are unique to the original item. Dimensions: 69.00" L x 46.00" H Note: Fabrics are dyed with real indigo and might rub off onto other textiles overtime. Recommended dry clean only.
I recently taught a three day workshop at Cabrillo Extension entitled: Boro Textiles: Books, Bags, Zokin and Zakka. One of the students brought in this stunning Boro specimen I won't go into too much detail here since one of my students, Gayle, wrote a great blogpost with much better pictures than I was able to take. And, a student's perspective is always different than the teacher's! Here is a link to her blog: Gayleygirl Some of my books brought in for inspiration For almost two years now I have been teaching the Boro Sampler Book Workshop (see previous posts here and here) and just this last year I developed and taught the Boro Bags workshop (previous post here). They have been very popular and students have done such wonderful work that I wanted to give them three days in a row so that they could really immerse themselves in the subject. Student sampler pages before binding On the first day we made sampler books to learn what I call the vocabulary of Boro so that students had the language of the stitching and mending techniques in their hands. Student sampler pages before binding On the second day we were able to dive right into the bags since they already had the language down. This allowed them to explore different iterations of the stitching techniques as well as incorporate some surface design techniques into their bags. And, of course, many of the students brought their own gorgeous textiles like this eco-printed fabric: Student work - on its way to being a bag/tsunobukuro Day three was a free day where students were allowed to revisit anything previously taught or to dive into something new like a garment, zakka items or an art piece! To my surprise many students wanted to continue on their bags which was just fine and that resulted in some stunningly detailed work. This student made a boro-bunny-bear in addition to her sampler book and bag: This fabric was on its way to becoming a vest: The workshop filled so quickly that we immediately planned a second date at Cabrillo Extension and that is coming up in September 2016: information here. It looks like there may be some longer versions of the class in the works and coming up at a couple of out-of-state venues in 2017 and I'll announce those as soon as things are confirmed and posted. Next blogpost will be a Fall 2016 teaching round up so you are sure to know where I'll be teaching in the coming months. (And, I'm working on creating a central place where you can go to see where I'm teaching and what is coming up - possibly on the "workshops" page of this blog - makes sense, right? Working on it!)
