Boro and Beyond October 2018 Workshop Day 1

I had the pleasure of teaching my Boro and Beyond: The Versatile Running Stitch workshop at Artistic Artifacts on October 21 and 22. What a mellow and creative group of 14! In this post, and in the one that follows, I'll share the students' work from this workshop.

Students working diligently on their samplers.

For the two days, we explored a number of ways to use the running stitch. Day 1 focused on line and pattern. I first asked students to look at a list of adjectives and to draw lines that reflected those adjectives (for example: curved, meandering, spiraling, radiating). Students then stitched using their drawings as jumping off points.

We also covered pattern and in particular the difference between Sashiko-style and Pattern Darning patterns. Students experimented with stitching both types of patterns. The first style uses rows and columns of uniform sized running stitches stitched vertically, horizontally and sometimes diagonally.

Pattern Darned patterns are created using closely stitched lines of running stitch where the size of the stitch and the space between changes to create the patterns. A number of students worked on spiral patterns.

The last technique we worked on during Day 1 was lacing rows of running with floss or yarn.

In my next post, I'll show more student work showing how the versatile running stitch can be used to mend, patch, construct and distort.