Choi Yangsook - Korean Patchwork Quilting: 37 Modern Bojagi Style Projects

KOREAN Patchwork Quilting 37 MODERN BOJAGI STYLE PROJECTS Choi Yangsook Introduction The first edition of Bojagi: Layers of Fabric, the Beauty of Piecework was published in Japan in 2003. Over the years Ive been able to use that original version as a textbook of sorts to introduce the delights of bojagi to so many people. Among those people, many have voiced the desire to learn and know more, and I am filled with gratitude to share this newly updated publication. This book is written for beginners new to the Korean craft of bojagi, as well as for those well-versed in this unique piecing method who are looking to deepen their understanding and skills. Many of the same projects from the original book are featured, but I have also included some of my recent work from the Quilt Japan magazine. Machine-stitched bojagi and small accessories in the Nubi style are also fresh additions to the book.

The concept of machine-stitched bojagi is a relatively new one, particular in Japan. I came upon this idea at a bojagi exhibit in France ten years ago, when I overheard college students commenting on how they found hand-sewing laborious and wished they could use a sewing machine to create bojagi. Coincidentally, my Japanese students increasingly expressed similar desires whenever I taught workshops. I decided to design the popular Moshi style with the Samsul finishing technique as a machine-stitched project. This way, a large project like a curtain bojagi can be quickly assembled. In addition, I have included the Nubi style (and Colored-thread Nubi), which is the Korean equivalent of quilting.

An entire book dedicated to Nubi could be written, but I focused on just a few small projects that will make using the traditional methods easier. These beginner-friendly projects will establish a solid foundation for more advanced techniques for those interested. The more you practice the making of bojagi, the more you will find depth and richness from which to learn. Inherent to bojagi is the appeal of gently wielding needle and thread and fabric in a way that has traversed time and countries, honoring the generations of Korean women finding small moments to create a sense of elegant beauty and self-expression. I hope you too, will find pleasure through this heartfelt needlecraft. Choi Yangsook Thoughts on Patchwork When I became enamored with the art of dyeing, I traveled from Korea to Japan to learn about the various Japanese dyeing techniques.

Over two decades later, I am still here. In my quest to master dyeing, I have acquired many materials and methods and have delighted in the splendor of textiles. As I contemplated how to bring out the best in each textile, I was reminded of the fabrics that my mother and grandmother sewed when I was a little girl. No scrap was too small and nothing was ever wasted. Stitch by stitch, layer by layer, the women in my family created simple yet beautiful piecework filled with gentle love. After many years of living in away from my homeland, I established an atelier in Japan where I was able to gradually incorporate and teach the traditional Korean piecework style called bojagi.

I believe this return to my roots is a gift from my mother and grandmother and the generations before them. The History of Bojagi The custom of wrapping things in fabricsuch as food or tablewareis a deeply embedded one in Korean culture, and the fabric itself is called bojagi. Versatile and multi-functional, historical records show that was also frequently used as room dividers as well as floor and wall coverings. In a typical, small Korean dwelling, bojagi would often be used to wrap bedding or other household goods when not in use. Because bojagi could be quite large when spread out but can be folded into a compact size, it is reminiscent of the Japanese furoshiki. However, furoshiki fabric tends to have standardized dimensions, whereas bojagi can range anywhere between 12 inches (30 cm) square for small items, to about 2 yards or meters square to encase bedding/blankets.

Another differentiation between furoshiki and bojagi is that bojagi often included ties on the corners, which furoshiki dont have. It is unclear when the name bojagi came into being. In ancient literature, there are references to the word (pok), which means fabric with which to wrap. Pok has a Korean homonym that means fortune, so bojagi is considered a bearer of luck, and a home with bojagi-wrapped items would be blessed with well-being and prosperity. In Japanese kanji, the word bojagi translates as (insulator), abbreviated to (po) The kanji is also pronounced mutsuki in Japanese which could be translated to mean a garment for bundling babies. My grandmother affectionately called the ubiquitous patched fabrics po or boja.

Additionally, when the bojagi was used to swaddle babies, she called it bojai (diaper). I imagine that in generations past, as a child grew the scraps and cuttings from his or her clothing became the patchworked bojagi. The application of fabric patches for upcycling clothes and kimonos and creating separate quilts is a long-held tradition in Japan as well, using traditional mending techniques such as hyaku-hagi (100 patches, also knowns as yose-gire, which roughly translates as gathering tears or rips). Gradually, the patches became less random, with planned color combinations and symmetry/balance emerging as part of the mending process. The mender increasingly infused her own tastes and creativity into the patchwork. Similarly in Korea, women incorporated their individual color and design preferences into their bojagi.

Most importantly, by bundling babies in these meticulously pieced together bojagi, there is a deep and resonant wish for children to grow into strong and healthy humans. In both Japan and Korea, giving fabric new life through patchwork and mending is a humble virtue. Ive been struck by how the seemingly simple activities of stitching reveals a spiritual, beautiful connection between people across different countries of origin. Bojagi Styles Bojagi is divided into two main styles: Kumpo and Mimpo. There are subcategories within those two depending on construction methods and application purposes. The Kumpo style is associated with the aristocratic class and the ways in which bojagi was used in court rituals (including mourning) and for preservation of objects, usually made from silk in red hues.