Kugurizashi

Tutor: Marianne Helliwell

Lunch: Price includes a hearty lunch.

Level:
All Levels

Typically for a max of 8 people.

Full Day

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Join Marianne for a mindful, relaxing and informative stitching workshop at ArtisOn.

Learn or refresh your skills in Japanese Kugurizashi decorative hand embroidery, a woven variation of sashiko, using templates to create bold stitch patterns.

Sashiko is the age-old Japanese technique of visibly mending textiles by adding dense stitches and patches with decorative patterns, thereby strengthening the finished item, personalising it and adding to its story. From these humble origins kugurizashi developed as a highly decorative and colourful variation, where the thread is woven under background stitches to create a repeating pattern.

Sashiko uses simple straight running stitches which anyone can do, but they can be combined in attractive and intricate patterns inspired by nature and the home to add personal meaning to our belongings.

In this workshop you’ll use templates to transfer a starting grid to fabric, and then Marianne will guide you on the background stitch patterns and woven aspects to create a decorative embroidery. This is a skills workshop in which you’ll practice the accuracy of sashiko stitching and colour combinations to create the intricate patterns. Depending on your skill level and the complexity of your designs you may finish several patterns during the workshop, and everyone will take their sewing home with materials, tools and the inspiration they need to continue. Once finished your pieces could be displayed in a frame, used as coasters, or sewn onto fabric (clothing/tote bag/blanket/etc).

All materials will be provided, but please feel free to bring your own favourite sewing supplies and tools.

The workshop is suitable for complete beginners or those wanting to refresh their hand-sewing skills. Please note, you will need reasonable hand/finger mobility and eyesight.

What to expect

Time at ArtisOn is designed to take you away from it all and provide the environment, the time and the guidance you need to create. You can expect a warm welcome, skilled and friendly tutors plus the chance to meet like-minded people keen to share ideas and experiences. You can even leave us to clear up the mess! There will usually be two workshops going on and we encourage everyone to mingle and be nosey about what the other workshop is up to.

Arrive in time to meet other participants over a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits before beginning your session at the appointed time. There will be a mid-morning break for refreshments and a chance to talk over progress with others. Lunch is usually around 12:45 for about 45 mins – you can expect a homemade 2 course lunch. The main course will be delicious but don’t overdo it as the puds are usually worth waiting for! There will be a further afternoon break with the most wonderful cakes from Roots & Fruits Home Bakery, a North Yorkshire micro-bakery producing handmade bread and cakes. All food and refreshments are included in the price of the workshop.

Finish time is given as a target – there are occasions when the session may overrun so do let us know if you need to be away promptly.

We aim for your day to be a real treat… of course you could always learn a new skill in a shed or a draughty village hall with a curly sandwich, but we want you to have more fun than that! So we make it a day being looked after, with good food, good company and great inspiration!

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