Chiku Chiku & Blossom Bag

To book phone us 4464 3387 or scroll down to the bottom of the listing and click to ‘add to cart’. If tickets show as sold out online, please contact us by phone.  Occasionally places do pop up again. We can always place you on a standby list and notify you of anything changes. 

We are very excited to have Shuji and Alison Yamazaki from Wabi Sabi Designs here with us for our second January event. This time called COLOUR + CLOTH.  Read more about last years weekend event Japan in Berry and how it came to be on our blog post here. Read a wrap up of toast year’s event and see pictures of how it unfolded here on our blog.  Read an update and summary of our planned 2022 Colour + Cloth event- also on our blog here.  

This listing is for a very special “one day two projects” class. A relaxing day having fun with Colour + Cloth Japanese style.  All materials are included in the cost of the workshop and all you need to bring is a small pair of scissors. 

Workshop One: Hanabukuro Blossom Bag –   This traditional Japanese bag is a quick and fun project . The blossom shape and sweet blossom-end ties combine to highlight beautiful Japanese fabric. The kit uses vintage kimono silks for a very special gift to a friend or yourself. Once you have the knack, this pattern can be made again and again in different sizes. You’ll learn to make the blossom ends on the drawstring ties which is a super useful and pretty way to finish off a drawstring bag. No machines are used in class which makes it super relaxing. The whole bag is made by hand stitching, in just one morning. A good class for beginners and experienced sewists alike. If you can hold a needle and make a stitch you will be able top make this bag. Last year we had a mother and daughter duo join us. We’d love to welcome mothers and daughters again! 

Workshop Two: Chiku-Chiku Stitched Brooch – This brooch is a lovely introduction to freestyle chiku-chiku stitching. (Which is like boro on steroids!) It honours ‘mottainai’. The ‘too good to waste’ – principle of Japan by reusing vintage kimono linings and wool kimono pieces. Learn a range of simple stitches which you can also use for visible mending and other slow stitching projects. It is a small project and again is suitable for anyone who can hold a needle and make a stitch. You will learn about traditional Japanese customs of mending with stitch, touching on the recently popular Boro and how it differs from Chiku Chiku Stitching. 

Class runs from 10am – 4pm each day with a one hour lunch break.

Depending on numbers, there may be the opportunity to join for one of the workshops only. Please contact us by phone (02) 4464 3387 if you’d like to join in for just the brooch or just the bag.  Each workshop is priced at $80 individually. One will be taught before lunch and one after lunch. I am just waiting for confirmation from Shuji which one is first. 

The workshop is taking place as part of our COLOUR + CLOTH weekend. There will be a display of quilts in the church hall and outside our shop. In the display will be many of Sheenas own designed and made quilts hung alongside quilts made by her students in class. Sheena is a bower bird and loves to mix vintage and contemporary fabrics in projects. Also on display will be some vintage quilts from Sheena and others’ collections that have informed or influenced Sheenas designs or colour schemes. It promises to be a great celebration of Colour + Cloth and an interesting parallel to the Japanese concept of mottainai that Shiji and Alison will be discussing.

COVID 19 DETAILS:  

At the time of making this listing, it is not a requirement to wear masks during the workshop. We will have sanitising equipment onsite and provide enough space for social distancing but it is up to you to assess your personal comfort zone and in this situation, you will be very welcome to wear a mask if you would prefer. 

The workshop will take place in the Uniting Church Hall at 70 Albert Street Berry, across the road from our shop, also in Albert Street. We will organise the hall so that everyone has a 1.5m space and is not sitting all day directly across from anyone else. We will encourage anyone experiencing cold or flu symptoms not to come and will offer a store credit if they can not attend at the last minute or a full refund if we are prevented from running the event due to covid 19 regulations changing.

The Hanbukuru Blossom Bag

The gorgeous effect of the blossom bag from the top.

A close up of the Chiku Chiku Brooch

Alison Yamazaki wearing the Chiku Chiku Brooch

Crossed and Straight-line stitching examples of the Chiku Chiku Brooch.

A colourful version of the Hanabukuru Blossom Bag

Shiji and Alison’s Rice bag class in action in 2021

Mary and Joanie making their bag in 2021

Alison helping Janet choose fabrics in 2021

Alison helping Jen do up her threads in class in 2021

Alison and Shuji Yamazaki of Wabi Sabi Designs

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