Scrap happy March
marching right along
the background fabric was the end of the warp from last month’s pot holder weaving
the little scrap/boro piece is a pocket I planned to sew onto my favorite shirt
but the shirt had been mended several times and really was falling apart
so I had to let it go -sob!
and pieces of it went into this month’s boro sample book
which is not quite finished – because I can’t see to stitch if I stay up all night
and then it all has to be un-picked the next day
front and back cover
the blue and white stripe is my shirt
all hand stitched with thrums
I cut two pieces 19.5″ x 5.5″ from a shibori/indigo sample fabric
when working straight running stitch I like backing the pattern fabric with a light cotton
making 4 pages when the outside “pages” are folded into the center
one set of 4 pages
and the second 4 – one of which isn’t finished
the lower right page is stitched with bright coloured threads
it has become trendy in Japan and is known as crazy sashiko
Akiko Ike is well known for teaching this style and calls it chiku-chiku ( a word referencing sewing or needlework)
there are wonderful pictures of her work on line
the book is “Cotton & Indigo from Japan” author Duryea Wong
cotton, indigo and amazing Japanese quilters
the plan was to line the cover but as this is meant to be a teaching tool I decided to leave the underside of the stitching exposed
I had been accepted to teach my scrap happy boro at a weekend workshop in April
the Hand to Hand workshops have been cancelled – maybe next year
and if all the crazyness settles down I may teach it in my studio
also cancelled is the Studio Tour in April
which I have only missed once in 9/10 years when I was at a workshop in Japan
to heck with stocking up on t.p. – I’m getting needles and thread and fibre to spin
cash – my Japanese friends always remind me to have cash on hand for earthquake preparedness
and maybe a couple good bottles of wine
stay well everyone
Here are the links for everyone who joins ScrapHappy from time to time (they may not post every time, but their blogs are still worth looking at). We also have a new member: welcome, Kjerstin 🙂
Kate (me!), Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen, Connie, Bekki, Pauline, Sue L,
Sunny and Kjerstin
onesmallstitch.wordpress.com 
ich spinne webe, sticke und nähe und stricke und lebe isoliert wie ihr nun,aber unser wunderbares hobby verbindet uns . wir bleiben voller zuversicht. liebe grüße wiebke
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I love the stitvching and the book. I have seen so many examples of boro recently that I am wondering if I should have a go! And I love your ideas of what to stock up on for a prolonged shutdown! You never know I might actually reduce my stockpile of fabric for re-cycling if I am home for a long time!
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Sue- boro has become very trendy in the Western world and essentially it is not much different than kantha stitching in India. It would be good if we all thought about and respected the roots of this ethnic work – dire need and poverty. We simply think of it as recycling and “art”. Think many of us will be reducing the stash!
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The stitching makes the design! Lovely!
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Claire – and it gives the piece a very nice texture.
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Jane, this is absolutely stunning! What a good idea, I might start something similar in the isolation in which I live now, due to Covid19. I need to cheer up!
Take care, be prudent.
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Blandina – I’ve been thinking about you, hope you are o.k. and managing under the circumstances. It must be very depressing. I hope you have lots of stitching to keep you busy. I went shopping early this morning for the first time in 10 days. Bryan has had to cancel all his Spring classes, I was going to visit him in June but of course have cancelled that. Guess I’ll get lots of spinning, weaving and stitching done. Grand kids all out of school, Iain is doing his university classes online. The world is a very strange place. Hope your situation gets better soon. Take care of yourself, keep in touch so I know you are well. 🙂 Jean
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I may yet have a go at this type of stitching. While I enjoy embroidery, plain old running stitches have never been of interest to me. I can imagine the texture must be wonderful. It can’t be much different from India’s kantha stitching, is it?
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Sue – I started proper English embroidery at the age of 3 – still have the piece – but absolutely love the freedom of just stitching in and out. It is the same as kantha, gives the fabric a lovely texture – like ripples in the sand, and a weight and feel to the cloth that is very appealing.
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so very pretty
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Claire – thank you
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What gorgeous boro work- I’m just learning so it’s wonderful to see your work.
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Cathy – no need to over think it, just have fun and stitch.
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I love your posts. Thank you. I’ve not dne a scraphappy challenge this month. Shared this post on Twitter, x
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Dawn – love your blog too. It is fascinating to learn the details about a craft when I’ve never tried it but love to wear the results.
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lovely, Jean – What a good idea to sew with thrums…I have a huge bag of them!
Keeping quiet just down the hill from you….
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Kjerstin – I always sew with thrums, have the choice of cotton, linen or silk. I’m walking every day for exercise and fresh air and just to say “hello” to people other than that staying home as much as possible. Really sorry the boro class has been cancelled, I know it was difficult to make that decision but think it was the right one.
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Such gorgeousness! I’d pay good hard cash for that, it’s so beautiful. It should make a really aspirational teaching tool.
Speaking of stockpiling, I shouldn’t need to buy fabric for my own projects for, well, ever, really, so long as I don’t work too fast and people keep giving me scraps. I might need a bit more thread, though… And thank you for the well-made point about cash. Worth remembering.
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Kate – my Mom used to hide bills in books, when she died youngest son went through all the books before we donated them. So now I’m doing the same thing. In an earthquake if all the electronics go down you can’t pay with a card. The little book feels really nice in the hand and was fun to make. I’ll post a picture when it is finished.
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We had a similar problem with the bushfires – no-one could use EFTPOS if the phone lines or cell towers were burned down.
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Kate – we live on a serious Pacific Rim fault line and are always being reminded that it is not if but when the BIG quake is coming. good to be prepared.
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Wow, yes… Just as we always have our Cyclone readiness list in case This Time it’s the Big One. The house won’t fall down, but it might blow away!
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Kate – I have a serious emergency kit and a shelf of food and water but who knows if it would be buried in the rubble?? and the island may just sink into the trench. I really don’t worry about it much, what will be will be. We have arranged a place for the family to meet, that’s really all that matters.
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You stay well yourself. The Contemporary Handweavers of Houston canceled their March meeting and closed their Guild House for the rest of March.
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Barb – it’s only for a short time and it protects all the community. I’ve visited a senior’s care center once a week for years and they let me in last week but don’t know about going forward, they are so frail – and lonely. We’ll just have to stay home and stitch.
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I agree it’s for the good of all. I’m the President of the Houston guild and made the decision that it needed to be done.
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Barb – I have just received notice that the Victoria guild has cancelled this month’s meeting. Think there will be lots of spinning and weaving done at home. Too cold here yet to have and outdoor spinning group.
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