Continuing with our A-Z of inspiration leads us to B, for Boro. The term originates from the Japanese boroboro, meaning something tattered or repaired and refers to repairing or reworking textiles by patching, piecing and stitching to extend their lifetime.
Back in 2014 we visited the Boro: Threads of Life exhibition at Somerset House in London. Full of beautiful blue hand stitched pieces, each made as a bed cover to protect families from harsh winters in northern Japan, the exhibition showed them in a gallery setting against white walls and the blues hues came alive. We were grateful to learn the craft and history of these expressive textiles.
The bed covers were made between 1850 and 1950 by humble peasant farmers who were forbidden to wear any bright colours. Each piece has a story to tell with different patches, stitching and shades of blue. Most of the scraps of indigo dyed cotton were from work wear from members of the maker’s family which had worn out after being patched several times already. Nothing was wasted. The scraps were pieced together with a home spun bast fibre and reinforced with tradition sashiko stitches, individual to each maker.
Very few Boro bed covers have survived so it was a rare treat to see the collection at Somerset House. Patchworking and sashiko stitching along with natural indigo dyeing have had a revival in recent years and we’re happy to look back and celebrate the work of these Japanese farmers and their ability to make beautiful objects with limited materials and textile knowledge.
Boro Textiles: Sustainable Aesthetics exhibition opens tomorrow at the Japan Society Gallery in New York, read more about the exhibition on our calendar page.
For anyone looking for practical guidance on Boro, Sashioko stitching or darning techniques we would recommend the following titles:
Mending Matters by Katrina Rodabaugh, available from Abrams Books
Slow Stitch by Claire Wellesley Smith available from Pavilion Books
Darning: Repair, Make, Mend by Hikaro Noguchi available from Hawthorn Press