Boro is a Japanese mending technique. Participants will have a couple of vintage fabrics, a plain fabric and an indigo-dyed fabric, which can be used as a base for their Boro piece. Emi provides scrap fabrics from her slow-fashion clothing, including handwoven and vintage/antique fabrics for making patches. Participants are welcome to bring their favourite fabrics for the project. Emi will prepare white/cream and blue fabric. 

Generally, a Boro piece is created over many years, not just within a 3-hour workshop. Participants create the base of their Boro piece in the session and then Emi wishes that they take their piece home to continue to patch and stitch and make their special piece.

About the Tutor – Emi Fujisawa

Emi is a Japanese textile artist and designer based in England who specialises in hand weaving with natural materials and natural dyeing. She launched her slow fashion garment collection in 2021. She is also trained as a Japanese Sukumo Indigo Dyer in Japan and plans to set up a Japanese Sukumo Indigo Studio in England. 

She is also influenced by the study of traditional textiles, techniques and materials inspired by Confucius's words, who said: "We can learn new things from the past". She loves to explore different countries and find traditional materials, techniques and ideas. She has developed her style to express her art, based on a Japanese identity with European influences.

To book, email: handsonheritage@oxfordshire.gov.uk