Today we enjoyed a visit to Japan to make the particular kind of patchwork peculiar to that country. Our own member Isobel had worked very hard to make up kits for us with the strips of fabric already cut out, and she had brought everything we needed to complete a mat made up of four pieces of patchwork.
Each component is made up of stitched and folded bits of material in three different patterns. Firstly two long strips are stitched together along the long side, and four large circles cut out around cardboard templates. The fabric circles are threaded round the edge to draw in the turnover, and pressed. In fact pressing was the key to all of it in order to get everything accurate. Then squares of contrasting fabric were sewn together to fit inside the circle, and with a piece of wadding between, the four circle edges were folded over the square and tacked down, ready for decorative stitching. The squares can then be arranged in various ways to make the overall design, as can be seen below. Isobel had brought a number of items which showed the various innovative ways the squares can be used, such as mats, book covers, spectacle cases and bags, the possibilities are limited only by imagination.
Isobel worked like a Trojan and was very patient, and it was a very enjoyable, if intense, day. I had to leave early, so the pictures of our works are still 'in progress', but it looked as though everybody would be able to complete their projects. Interesting how the same template could result in such diversity of patterns.
Isobel' inspiring items:
The members hard at work:
Works in Progress:
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