Fall 2019 workshops and looking forward to 2020

Here is a quick look at upcoming workshops for Fall 2019:

Japanese Mending as Utility and Embellishment

A Work of Heart Studio

San Jose, CA

October 13th, 11:00 - 5:00

Boro Sampler Book and Boro Bags

Southwest School of Art

co-sponsored by San Antonio Fiber Artists

San Antonio, TX

November 9th and 10th, 10:00 - 4:00

(class is full - waitlist open)

 

and looking forward to 2020 for those of you planning ahead:

The Boro Aesthetic: Creating Fiber Art Pieces Inspired by Japanese Textiles 
Aya Fiber Studio,  Stuart, Florida
March 21 - 23rd, 2020

The Boro Aesthetic: Creating Fiber Art Pieces Inspired by Japanese Textiles 
Fibre Arts Australia
Ballarat, Australia: June 30 - July 4, 2020
Toowoomba, Australia: July 7 - July 11, 2020 
  

There will also most likely be a February workshop at French General in Los Angeles - we are still cooking that one up - it will be something new! ****update - new workshop is up here**** And, an April workshop at A Verb for Keeping Warm. Keep your eyes peeled for those...

I usually announce workshops first on Instagram and my Wishi Washi Studio Facebook page so join me there to hear about them first. I also list them on my blog - workshop page.

As always my Creativebug classes are available 24/7 from anywhere you have internet access, and my book The Boro Aesthetic is still available from Blurb Books.

Workshop Round-up: Spring, Summer and Fall, 2019

Happy Belated New Year to all.

A little late on this post but here is a round-up of 2019 workshops that I have scheduled so far.

Boro Bag Workshop

French General, Los Angeles, CA

Sunday, March 31st, 2019

10:00 - 4:00

Japanese Mending as Utility and Embellishment

A Verb for Keeping Warm, Oakland, CA

Saturday, April 20th, 2019

11:00 - 5:00

The Boro Aesthetic: Creating Fiber Art Pieces Inspired by Japanese Textiles

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN

Sunday, June 2nd - Saturday, June 8th, 2019


 
Japanese Mending Techniques: Boro Sampler Book and Boro Bags
Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance, Chamblee, GA
June 9th and 10th, 2019
10:30 - 4:30 each day

Textile Manipulations: 

The Boro Aesthetic with Jody Alexander

Tactile Notebooks and the Written Word with Sandra Brownlee

Encaustic Castle, Lexington, KY

Wednesday, June 26th - Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019

Register for both or either workshop - see website for details

The Boro Aesthetic: Creating Fiber Art Pieces Inspired by Japanese Textiles

Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA

Friday, July 19th - Sunday, July 21st

9:30 - 4:30 daily

Japanese Mending as Utility and Embellishment

A Work of Heart Studio, San Jose, CA

Sunday, October 13th, 2019

11:00 - 5:00

note: first two images are bags that I have made and the last four images are Japanese textiles from my personal collection - we look at them, or similar, in all of my workshops.

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Some of these workshop may be full but it is worth it to get on the wait list - life happens and people's plans change.

I often announce workshops earlier on Instagram and Facebook so join me there if you want workshop news earlier. Additionally, I try to keep the Workshop page on this blog up to date, so you can check that periodically, as well.

Thanks for reading and I hope to see some of you in my workshops this coming year.

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{if none of these workshops are convenient for you remember that I teach online book and paper arts workshops on Creativebug and I also have a book entitled The Boro Aesthetic that goes over much of the information I teach in my textile workshops}

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{note: many of you mention to me that they received an e-mail from me when in fact I haven't sent out an e-mail in quite a while - this is because some of you have it set up so that my blogposts go directly to your e-mail - that is great! but, please note that you can change these setting if you want - directions should be included at the bottom of the e-mail. and, if you would like to receive this as an e-mail so that you don't miss anything - there is a box in the upper right where you can enter your e-mail address}

 

Spring Workshops 2018

Happy New Year to you all!

Mending on a large furoshiki found at a Tokyo Flea market

I was so fortunate that my art and teaching took me to so many interesting places where I met such wonderful people in 2017. Teaching took me to Arrowmont in Tennessee, and to the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, New Mexico. Both storied places where artists have been visiting and creating for years. My part in co-curating the MUSUBU exhibit took me to Tokyo where I made many new friends and became even more enamored of that alluring city.

Boro fragment from my personal collection - I take this example to every class

Now here we are in 2018 and I have a number of workshops coming up in the first half of the year that I want to share with you. Here is my teaching schedule through the end of June 2018:

One of my Boro Sampler Book pages

Boro Sampler Books

French General, Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, February 18th, 2018, 10-4

(class is full - get on waitlist!)

Japanese Mending as Utility and Embellishment

A Verb for Keeping Warm, Oakland, CA

Saturday, April 21st, 2018, 11-5

Mending on a large furoshiki found at a Tokyo flea

Boro Sampler Books

A Work of Heart, San Jose, CA

Sunday, May 6th, 2018, 10:00-5:00

The Boro Aesthetic: Creating Fiber Arts Pieces Inspired by Japanese Textiles
Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA
Friday-Sunday, June 1st-3rd, 2018

Boro Sampler Books and Boro Bags
Ashland Art Center, Ashland, Oregon
Saturday and Sunday, June 9-10th, 2018
10:00-4:00 each day

Boro Bags

At the end of June I will be traveling to France to join French General's France Getaway Retreat! I will be teaching in the afternoons after the morning outings and adventures. How can you NOT join us?

Exploring Craft, Textiles and Food
French General's France Getaway
June 22 - 29th, 2018 

detail from one of my teaching samplers

 

If none of these locales are near to you remember that my book The Boro Aesthetic: Books, Bags, Zakka and Zokin is available on Blurb and Amazon. It includes handouts from my workshops, text that covers what I discuss in class, color images and a glossary. It is a slim volume but it includes how-to information from three workshops.

I appreciate each and every time that any of you sign up and take a workshop with me and I hope to see you in 2018!

The Boro Aesthetic: Blurb Book

Ever since I started teaching my Boro Sampler Book and Boro Bags workshops people from afar who can't attend have been asking me for information on these classes so that they can play along, too.

Finally, I have done something about that! I've written a book called: The Boro Aesthetic: Books, Bags, Zakka and Zokin. I used Blurb, a self-publishing platform, to help me create and distribute the book. Follow this link to my Blurb book page.

[Update: The Boro Aesthetic is now available on Amazon, too.]

Heavily patched Japanese textile from my personal collection

 I tried to make the book as much like my workshops as possible with images of my personal collection of Japanese boro textiles, images of class samples, scans of handouts, tool and supply lists, a glossary, and writing the reflects what I talk about in class.

Included in the book are directions on how to get started with projects that are inspired by Japanese boro textiles. This includes the Boro Sampler Book, Boro Bags, and a newer class that I call Zakka, Zokin and Chiku-Chiku.

Boro Sampler Book - instructions in book

In the Boro Sampler Book section I take readers through the various kinds of mending techniques seen in boro textiles. At the end of that section I have included directions on how to bind your sampler pages using the Japanese Side Sewn structure (I teach fancier versions of this binding on Creativebug).

Boro Bag - instructions in book

Next, is the Boro Bags section where I encourage readers to continue practicing the mending techniques on a larger piece of fabric and then make it into a Japanese style bag. Included are instructions on how to make the Tsunobukuro and the Azuma Bukuro.

Zokin inspired coasters - instruction in the book

In the Zakka, Zokin and Chiku-Chiku section I include instructions on how to make hand stitched cloth coasters (and how to adapt to a placemat or table runner) using the techniques learned in the sampler book section.

Throughout are beautifully photographed (thank you r.r.jones) Japanese boro textiles from my personal collection, a couple of images of my artwork, and class samples that I have made.

Boro Sampler Book page

 

I have ordered copies of the book and am very pleased with the reproduction of images, as is the photographer (and Mr. Jones is very particular about that). The book is artist and photographer approved!

Because many of you are from areas outside of the U.S., and I know shipping costs can be prohibitive, I have made an e-book version available (it shows up as "related editions" under the "add to cart" button). It is much more affordable and there are no tax or shipping charges. The e-book option may also be attractive for U.S. readers, too. 

Boro Sampler Book page

Students that have taken my in-person classes are also ordering the book to have it on hand for continued inspiration and instruction. I plan to have copies available at my future workshops, too.

My KEEP: Modern Library exhibit book may also be of interest to some of you since it is a series, exhibit, and body of work that was greatly inspired by Japanese boro textiles. It is also available on Blurb as a physical book and an e-book.

Bias from KEEP: Modern Library series

I hope that some of you find The Boro Aesthetic: Books, Bags, Zakka, and Zokin useful, informative and inspirational.

Happy reading, viewing and making!

Squam Art Retreat

I have recently returned from teaching at Squam Art Retreat and thought I would share a little. What a wonderful place!

After spending a few days with friends in the Boston area I headed north and arrived to this idyllic setting.

What a beautiful and peaceful place.

Each cabin is right on Squam Lake and each has its own dock. And, although it was chilly many of us spent as much time in the water as we could - it was refreshing!

 

The cabins are fairly rustic with no refrigerators or heaters but instead each has an icebox and fireplace. Ice and firewood are delivered daily (the ice is sourced from the lake!)

The icehouse

I was invited to teach my Boro Sampler Book workshop there and was assigned a cabin that would act as our classroom. The main classroom was set up in the living room but we also had an adjoining screened porch where students could sit and stitch.

 

Of course, students did wonderful and inspiring work!

Everyone began by practicing mending stitches, inspired by Japanese Boro Textiles, on their sampler pages.

Although I bring plenty of fabric I always encourage students to incorporate materials that are personal to them, or at least their own palette and aesthetic. 

 

At the end of the class we bound the pages into books using the Japanese side-sewn binding. Students can refer to these sampler books later when tackling visible mending projects or incorporating what I call the "boro aesthetic" into their artwork or other projects.

What a wonderful workshop and experience. And, if you are still wanting to see more Squam scrumptious-ness then check out the blog post that my roommate Rachel Hazell just posted.

Thank you to everyone (Elizabeth, Forrest, students, and fellow teachers) who made the week a successful and enjoyable one! I hope to return to this glorious lake someday. 

Boro Sampler Book Workshop - and more to come

I completed another season of workshops at Wishi Washi Studio with my Boro Books workshop.

Preparing my materials and tools for teaching

 

This is quickly becoming one of my favorites to teach since Japanese textiles are becoming a favorite subject of mine, particularly Boro textiles. 

I'm trying to learn everything I can about Japanese textiles since the history of Boro textiles is intrinsically linked to the history of Japan and the textiles created there.

Boro textile from my personal collection

 

In my Boro Books workshop (a.k.a. Boro Sampler Book) I share my modest but growing collection of Boro and other Japanese textiles so we can examine the stitching techniques up close.

My Boro Book pages in progress

Then we work on "pages" to re-create mending and strengthening techniques seen in Boro textiles. Students are encouraged to bring materials meaningful to them that can include fabric, paper, and other ephemera.

My completed Boro Sampler Book

The finished product is a book, bound with the Japanese side-sewn binding, that can be referred back to for future art or mending projects. It can be added to over time and even used as a needle book! (See post on a previous Boro Books workshop here)

Detail from my current series: KEEP: Modern Library

The Boro aesthetic has inspired my current series: KEEP: Modern Library that will be in my Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship exhibit at the end of this year. I look forward to sharing more of this series in the coming months.

I'll be teaching this workshop twice this summer at Cameron Marks in Santa Cruz on July 11th, and at Handcraft Studio School in Emeryville on July 18th. Come and join us for a day of learning and making!