Please read what I have been writing before jumping into the conclusion that “They is so clannish & exclusive”. In fact, I am the very opposite of exclusive… aren’t I? In the previous posts, I ask you to listen to the (silent) voice of people behind the (Japanese) words. It doesn’t mean that I am against today’s trend of (visible) mending. I just ask the world to “learn” before using unfamiliar words.
☆
“Repair instead Replace”. “Hand-cared fabric with mending our feelings”. “Reuse fabric & Care for Environment”. I am a big follower of both in/visible mending in the trend. In fact, I haven’t purchased any clothes for 5 years, so I have been in the social experiment. My message is simple. “Be mindful when you use the words which do not belong to you”. I am NOT saying “How dare you use our words”. I am saying, please be mindful (learn first, then it will lead you to respect more).
☆
I speak up because there are several images crossing the lines with words. “Food on Boro (inspired) piece” is ignorant. Practicing Sashiko with saying “Whatever is fine (because Sachiko’s principal is recycling)” is sad. We have certain Japanese words that even experts cannot translate well, such as “Mottainai” and “Wabi-Sabi”. The experts cannot translate into 1 word, which means the words require the deeper understanding of culture as an “explanation” and often “practice”. A confident voice saying “Look at my beautiful Boro” is culturally strange, but not wrong. I want you to know why “strange”, but I am nowhere to judge. However, some cases (like food on Boro) can over-paint the culture. Please be mindful. The Sashiko/Boro are more than the words, and words do not satisfy the practice (no words can fully explain the practice).
☆
–
–
–
☆
久々の運針会。楽しんで頂けて、僕自身も学びが多い素敵な運針会になったと思います。「刺し子だ、運針だ」と日々言っておりますが、技術そのものはそんなに難しいものではないです。ただ、最初の1時間で「あ、こりゃできないや」となってしまうことはあるようで。そこで諦めると苦手意識がついてしまって諦めちゃうのかな。運針会は、その「できないぞ？」という時間を、「大丈夫だから」と一緒に針を動かしながら祈る時間だったりします。
☆
運針を習得していただいた後は、各々の祈り……というか、針目と向き合う時間です。そこには正解も間違いもなくて、「自分と針目」の空間です。「あっという間の4時間でした」と言って頂ける運針会が継続できている事に感謝しながら。やっぱり運針会、楽しいなぁ！
☆
2020-12-21 10:32:02
Thank you for your posts and words and sharing information. Can I ask, do you have thoughts on non-Japanese people doing stitching/mending that they don’t call Sashiko, but borrowing some patterns that they’ve seen in Sashiko? I don’t want to overstep or be disrespectful, but some of the stitch patterns are so beautiful and interesting to me to try stitching them. Thank you in advance if you do have time to share your thoughts
皆様が良い時間を共有できたことが、これからの居場所にも繋がるのでしょうね🍀
Gracias por transcribir tu pensamiento…así se aprende entiendo yo😊
So well said @sashi.co — In many older cultures traditional (handmade) practices were tied to a philosophical way of living. Abstracting them from those original ideas diminishes both a people and the practice. Not everything patched together is Boro. I wish people would just say “patchwork mat for food” instead of “boro inspired” cultural appropriation is lazy at best, violent at worst.
👏👏👏👏👏
It’s sooo beautiful!!
Hermoso bordado 💙💙💙👏👏👏
Well said! Please don’t spend too much energy on people that make assumptions about you in bad faith — you can only do so much! I love the piece ❤️❤️❤️
👀
I am just curious. Why can you not use boro to craft a place mat or table runner? What about a pot handler? Or a trivet?
Thank you for gently but firmly teaching the thought and history behind what so many may only see as casual art. Your comments have been eye opening!
❤️
You are a marvelous teacher.
👍💕
Thank you for explaining. I’m learning a lot from your words.