This is free to paid members, and $5.00 to guests. If you are not a paid member and are interested in attending, please contact Linda [email protected]
Pojagi – Traditional Korean textile art
In ancient Korea, most women were socially isolated. Their lives revolved around their homes and families and caring for them. They worked in the gardens, kitchens and sewing rooms.
However, just like their western sisters, they used what they had to create beautiful art. Scraps left over from making the family clothing were stitched together to become pojagi – beautiful wrapping cloths. These wrapping cloths were used to store heirlooms and valuables.
Today, pojagi is having a resurgence, and not just in Korea. People around the world are discovering its beauty. The techniques are being used for many different items and being adapted for other materials.
My Story
I am not Korean, so I don’t have all the cultural background and understanding that Korean pojagi artists have.
I had the amazing opportunity to learn pojagi when I lived in Korea with my young family. Since then, I have continued to research and learn.
When I returned to Canada, I had limited availability for the authentic Korean materials, so I began to experiment with things that were more available to me.
Eventually, I developed window hangings. These are made with pojagi-style reversible seams that are sewn by machine. In sunlight, they glow like stained glass. This is what I am most known for today.