Creative Corner

Lockdown gives us the opportunity to explore new hobbies and ways to keep ourselves entertained,  as well as to show off and improve our skills. That is why this lockdown SERC is encouraging people to share with us their works of art and crafts, to inspire people to pick up a paintbrush, sewing needle or anything else that gets your creativity flowing. Whether you are a beginner or a master at your chosen art form, making something can lead to better mental wellbeing, as well as being a fun hobby, so let’s get creative!

This week we are looking at a Wiksten Haori Jacket being created by Rebekah Cunningham. 

Rebekah comments, "'I'm using this beautiful Merchant and Mills Indigo cloth and lining it with colourful floral cotton. The thing that will make this jacket very interesting and unique is the Sashiko embroidery I'm doing on it. This is a Japanese type of embroidery."

Sashiko or more properly sash(i)ko as the ‘i’ is barely pronounced, is the term for Japanese embroidery where intricate, typically geometric, designs are made using running stitch, commonly using white stitches on indigo fabric. The contrast between the blue and white works well although other colours are also used. The white stitches on a dark background are meant to represent snow on the ground in the dark, cold months of winter when sashiko stitching was the main indoor activity for Japanese women in rural northern Japan.

"The first step is drawing out the designs with chalk on my fabric after cutting the pieces. That's the step I'm currently at. Next I will use Sashiko thread and embroider all the designs. Once everything is embroidered then I will sew the jacket together. Like sewing I find embroidery can be a very relaxing activity."

You can keep up to date with Rebekah's sewing adventures on Facebook or Instagram, just search and follow SewNo65. 

If you have any paintings, crafts, sewing projects or any other creative and artistic things you would like to share, please contact cdonaldson@serc.ac.uk.