Boro Stitching Basics: Sewing an Upcycled Pouch

Japanese Boro Stitching began long ago as a way of mending clothing, but it has evolved into a style of stitching that stands on its own as art. In this course, you will be inspired by these techniques while infusing modern fabric, colors, and patterns into your hand-stitched project. Join textile artist Casey Newman (@cedardellforestfarm) and be transported to her farm in the Oregon forest to learn this beautiful stitching technique, while upcycling material that you may already have at home.

This class is for everyone who loves fabric, color, upcycling, and who want to slow down and create something beautiful amidst our busy, modern lives. If you have never sewn before, you will gain the skills you need to transform your favorite scraps of fabric - new material or upcycled from clothing or other sewing projects - into a richly textured piece of cloth by using simple hand stitching techniques. If you already have hand sewing experience you will learn new techniques to incorporate into your work as well as inspiration to take these techniques a step further.

In this course you will learn how to:

• Select fabric and thread suitable for this project
• Design a patchwork arrangement using your selected fabric
• Use simple hand stitching techniques to add structure, interest, and texture
• Take your stitching a step further by incorporating additional stitched designs
• Finish your fabric and sew it into a beautiful pouch

By the end of this course you will be able to create a beautiful piece of hand stitched art and you will have the experience, tools, and inspiration to incorporate this stitching method into many future projects.

• Introduction
• Class Project
• Supplies
• Selecting Fabric
• Creating a Patchwork Design
• Securing Your Patchwork Pieces
• The Running Stitch
• Boro Stitching 101
• Adding Decorative Stitches
• Trimming Your Fabric
• Sewing Your Pouch
• Final Thoughts