Pins and Needles

I have been meaning to compose a post all about pins and needles for some time, sounds a little strange, I know. It all started when and friend and I went to York for the day where we visited the sashiko exhibition at York City Gallery. Sashiko is a type of traditional sewing technique in parts of Japan. It is created by lines of tiny running stitches through a number of layers of fabric, some of the stitch lines sometimes converge into ornate patterns. The sashiko technique was mainly used to create working clothes for working class people, such as loggers, builders, fishermen etc. The layers of fabric made the garments warm and practical and many examples in the exhibition had been patched several times. The art of sashiko is now dying out in this modern age, so many of the pieces were from early last century, but also there were other examples of modern day sashiko garments created by the designer Tokunaga Miyoko which were absolutely stunning. Heres a picture of a sashiko garment, as they are quite hard to describe with text.



Also in the exhibition was an information panel on the Hari Kuyo Festival. This is a thanksgiving and memorial service for worn sewing needles and pins. It's held in Buddhist temples on 8th Feb every year and holds the belief that both living and inanimate objects have a spirit and soul. As needles are laid to rest in trays of tofu the giver also takes that moment to console themselves by burying secrets too personal to reveal. Even today cloth makers, fashion students and other people regularly using needles and pins take the day off to go to the temple.



....and on that note here's a picture of some new pin cushions I made for the first Running With Scissors workshop. They worked out quite well and what's more they didn't cost a penny being made from recycled tins and scraps of fabric and paper.