Japanese handicrafts: an overview. Japanese terimen toys - masterpieces made from scraps Japanese crafts miniatures

http://web-japan.org/trends01/article/011005sci_r.html
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/polishing-a-turd-minimyth/

Yes... the Japanese, they are like that, they turn everything into absolute perfection with a taste of incomprehensibility. All these things of theirs - samurai, kimonos, sakura, sushi and rolls, anime, haiku and other rock gardens are simply fascinating, as well as the skill of finding harmony in everything, honed to an art form.

Let's try to solve the mystery of the incomprehensible Japanese soul. Let's start with the traditional children's fun of Japanese children - creating shiny balls of earth and water, the so-called dorodango.

Theoretically, the process of creating a dorodango is incredibly simple, earth and water are mixed to the state of plastic mud from which a smooth ball is formed. Next, it is dried and rubbed to a mirror shine, the so-called “hikaru” (“shining”) state. But this is just in words; in fact, it is a very labor-intensive process that requires concentration, incredible diligence and patience. Obtaining the ideal ball shape and the subsequent polishing process takes quite a lot of time, from several days to several months, depending on the diligence and the desired result. And the result is worth it!

Being a good anti-stress remedy, the art of dorodango also pursues other positive goals: one can imagine how inspiring a person can be by the fact that with his own hands he creates something beautiful from such simple ingredients as earth and water. Many orientalists, studying dorodango in the context of cultural characteristics, find philosophical and even religious grain in the very idea of making shiny earthen balls.

Want to try again? Then here it is for you:

A short course on making Japanese dorodango balls.

To make a dorodango, you will need sifted earth (sand is excluded, the balls from it simply crumble when dried), a little water and a lot of patience.

So, remember, the soil can be anything except sand! The color of the future ball depends on the color of the soil.

Add a little water until the soil is moist and form a ball shape with a perfectly smooth surface. Sprinkle the ball with dry soil several times and rub it into the surface.

...sprinkle and rub...

Once we are satisfied with the result, we will begin drying. This is the most critical stage of making a dorodango. To speed up drying, we use this tricky method - wrap the ball in a plastic bag and leave it in the refrigerator for half an hour. The ball should be placed on a soft base so as not to damage the perfect shape of the ball.

During this time, the moisture released from the ball will settle as condensation on the walls of the bag. Carefully take out the ball, sprinkle it with dry soil and rub it.

During the drying process...

The action will have to be repeated many times, because if you do not evaporate all the water, you will get this result.

After complete drying, we begin polishing the ball with a soft cloth. The degree of shine obtained depends on the amount of time spent and effort put in; it can be a light gloss or a truly magnificent shine!

polishing

beauty…

And also admire the result. Dorodango from real masters.

Why isn't it art?

Looks like a huge pearl...

While studying the historical and cultural development of our civilization, scientists discovered, at all stages of the development of human society, the presence of one single subject common to all -. Toys existed in primitive society, and they still exist today - in the developed twenty-first century. In different eras and different peoples there were their own toys - they differed in their appearance and purpose (for example, there were special ones - they were used for serious purposes, and there were also ordinary toys - for children). The only thing they had in common was that these objects were always created with love and endowed with a special meaning.

With the development of industrial production, toys began to be produced in large quantities and lost their individuality. However, people all over the world still take great pleasure in creating toy masterpieces with their own hands, thereby continuing the traditions of their ancestors. This type of needlework is especially popular in Japan. We have already talked about Japanese - a type of toy and decorative item. Today we will talk about no less interesting objects - japanese toys terimen .

Terimen cannot be called toys only. These items perform several functions at once. The first is, of course, an object for play - children love to tinker with such miniature dolls. The second function of the terimen is to be - being a handmade item, tiny terimen are able to bring a touch of coziness to the home. To do this, just place them on a windowsill, chest of drawers, or - and now your house has already been transformed and filled with homely warmth, which only the skillful hands of a housewife can create. In addition, there is no shame in presenting terimen as a gift, or in addition to it - it will add originality and warmth to your present. And, naturally, Terimen is an art, in Japan it is also called fabric sculpture , and one cannot but agree with such a definition...

But we must not forget about one more, no less important role of the theriman, which is connected with the historical past of this object. Initially, terimen were simply bags that were filled with various aromatic herbs, and thus acted as something like a modern one. Such bags were worn both under clothes and hung in different parts of the house to create a pleasant atmosphere in the home. With the development of the perfume industry, the need to “scent oneself” in this way has disappeared. But this natural way to give the air in the room a pleasant smell has been preserved to this day. Therefore, today's housewives are happy to use therimens both in and for scenting cabinets and chests of drawers with linen.

Unfortunately, nothing more specific can be said about the history of the appearance of Terimen. It is only known that this art arose conditionally in the seventeenth century and only women could practice it. However, the last fact is not surprising - since only ladies can do such small and painstaking work - men certainly do not have the patience for such an activity.

We have already said so much about therimen, but we still have not revealed the essence of creating such objects, which is absolutely simple. But everything ingenious is simple. To create a terimen, you will need a minimum of materials: thread, needle, scissors, some accessories, filler (sintepon or fragrant herbs - optional) and, of course, there must be an idea for creating a future toy. It should be noted that Terimen is sewn exclusively by hand - no machine seams !

As we remember, the terimen was originally a bag, so even now the basis of the toy is a bag sewn from shreds (the shreds are selected and sewn according to the author’s idea, depending on what the final result should be). Of course, this does not mean that the sewn piece must necessarily resemble a square or rectangular bag - you can make darts in the right places, leave fabric “tails”, etc.

After the patches are sewn, the toy is turned right side out, stuffed, the hole is tightened with special loops or ribbon (for this, during sewing, appropriate devices are made for tightening the fabric - this technique is a kind of reminder of the “bag” past of the teriman). And now the finishing touches on the toy begin - the eyes are sewn on, the mouth is embroidered, etc. - it all depends on which one you are doing. Most often, the authors of such items create terimen in the form of animal figures (less often men) and flowers. However, no one limits the flight of imagination of craftswomen, and something else can be done.

Despite the fact that making terimen is a purely Japanese style, its popularity is now spreading to Western countries, where many craftswomen are happy to attend classes on creating such toys. Yes Yes! Precisely classes, because, like any type of art, the work on making terimen needs to be learned from specialists - after all, each technique has its own secret techniques. Many Japanese craftsmen claim that, despite the fact that they themselves have been sewing toys for many years, they always have something to learn from their colleagues, which they do with pleasure, thus exchanging the secrets of their work.

Of course, Western craftsmen, including needlewomen from our country, bring their own ideas to such toys - adding knitted motifs, slightly deviating from the classical techniques of making a “base bag”, etc. But this does not spoil the terimen at all - on the contrary, it brings original notes to it.

Japan is an amazing country that very carefully honors and preserves its customs and traditions. Japanese handicraft just as diverse and amazing. In this post I will review the main handicraft arts whose homeland is Japan - amigurumi, kanzashi, temari, mizuhiki, oshie, kinusaiga, terimen, furoshiki, kumihimo, sashiko. You've probably heard about some types, maybe you yourself have started creating using this technique, some are not so popular outside of Japan itself. A distinctive feature of Japanese handicraft is accuracy, patience and perseverance, although... most likely these features can be attributed to world handicraft).

AMIGURUMI - Japanese knitted toys

Amigurumi- translated from Japanese - knitted-wrapped - Japanese needlework, which has become popular in our country. Its essence consists in crocheting or knitting small animals and humanoid creatures. Typically, amigurumi is knitted in a spiral; the hook or knitting needles are chosen to be smaller in size than required by the yarn, so that the knitting is free of gaps and holes through which the stuffing material can peek out. And since the amigurumi toy requires us to knit tightly, then we need to start knitting in a circle so that there are no holes left, for this a method called “” was invented (detailed photo master class at the link). We wrote about it in more detail in an article earlier on the site.

Japanese kanzashi - fabric flowers

Kanzashi - We also got acquainted with this type of Japanese handicraft. I will only add that more and more people have begun to engage in handmade kanzashi creation, and it is not surprising how stunningly beautiful the flowers are from ordinary satin ribbons. Of course, it’s worth mentioning here that real kanzashi are made from silk fabric and held together with rice glue. And satin ribbons and stitching them are already an adaptation to our realities. Kanzashi is similar in its technology to origami.

Temari - the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls

Temari- the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls, which has won many fans all over the world. True, Temari’s homeland is China; this handicraft was brought to Japan about 600 years ago. Initially, temari was made for children using the remains of old kimonos; with the invention of rubber, braiding balls began to be considered an arts and crafts art. as a gift symbolizes friendship and devotion, it is also believed that they bring good luck and happiness. In Japan, a temari professional is considered to be a person who has passed 4 levels of skill; to do this, you need to weave 150 temari balls and study for about 6 years!

Mizuhiki - Japanese art of tying cords

Mizuhiki Another thriving type of Japanese applied art, its technology is reminiscent of macrame weaving, but more elegant and miniature.

So, what is mizuhiki? This art of tying various knots from cords, as a result of which patterns of stunning beauty are created, has its roots in the 18th century.

The scope of application is also varied - cards, letters, hairstyles, handbags, gift wrapping. By the way, it was thanks to gift wrapping that mizuhiki became widespread. After all, gifts are due for every event in a person’s life. There is such a huge number of knots and compositions in mizuhiki that not even every Japanese knows them all by heart; along with this, there are also the most common basic knots that are used to congratulate the birth of a child, for a wedding, funeral, birthday or admission to university.

Oshie - the Japanese art of creating three-dimensional paintings from fabric and cardboard

Osie- Japanese handmade for creating three-dimensional paintings from cardboard and fabric or paper using appliqué technology. This type of needlework is very popular in Japan; in Russia it has not yet gained much popularity, although learning how to create paintings using the oshie technique is very simple. To create oshie paintings, you need Japanese washi paper (which is based on the fibers of mulberry, gampi, mitsumata and a number of other plants), fabrics, cardboard, batting, glue, and scissors.

The use of Japanese materials - fabric and paper in this form of art is fundamental, because washi paper, for example, in its properties resembles fabric, and, therefore, is stronger and more flexible than ordinary paper. As for the fabric, the fabric used here is from which kimonos are sewn. Of course, Japanese craftswomen did not specifically buy new fabric for oshie; they gave their old kimonos a new life, using it to create paintings. Traditionally, oshie paintings depicted geishas, samurai, children in national costumes, and scenes from fairy tales.

If you decide to comprehend the basics of this art, I can offer you, although it is in Japanese, but you can figure it out with photographs.

Before you start working, you need to choose a design for the painting, such that all its elements have a finished, clear look, all the lines should be closed, like in a children's coloring book. Briefly, the technology for creating oshie is as follows: each cardboard element of the design is wrapped in fabric, and batting is first glued onto the cardboard. The batting gives volume to the painting.

Japanese handicraft Kinusaiga - silk paintings

Kinusaiga combined several techniques at once: wood carving, patchwork, applique, mosaic. To create a picture of a kinusaiga, you first need to make a sketch on paper, then transfer it to a wooden board. Indentations, a kind of grooves, are made on the board along the contour of the design. After that, small shreds are cut from an old silk kimono, which then fill the cut grooves on the board. The resulting picture of kinusaiga amazes with its beauty and realism.

Furoshiki - Japanese art of packaging

Furoshiki is the Japanese art of folding fabric, we discussed the history of its appearance and the main methods of packaging in this technique in the article. Using this technique for packaging is beautiful, profitable, and convenient. And in the Japanese computer equipment market, a new trend is laptops packaged in the Furoshiki style. Agree, very original!

Terimen - fabric sculpture in miniature

Teriman(Chirimen craft) is an ancient Japanese craft that originated in the era of late Japanese feudalism. The essence of this arts and crafts is the creation of toy figures from fabric, mainly the embodiment of animals and plants. This is a purely female type of needlework; Japanese men are not supposed to do it. In the 17th century, one of the directions of “terimen” was the production of decorative bags into which aromatic substances were placed, worn with oneself (like perfume) or used to scent fresh linen (a kind of Sachet). Currently, theremin figurines are used as decorative elements in the interior of the house. To create terimen figures, you don’t need any special preparation; all you need is fabric, scissors and a lot of patience.

Kumihimo - shoelace weaving

Kumihimo- one of the most ancient types of lace weaving, the first mentions date back to the year 50. Translated from Japanese kumi - folding, himo - threads (folding threads). Laces were used both for functional purposes - fastening samurai weapons, tying armor on horses, tying together heavy objects, and for decorative purposes - tying a kimono (obi) belt, wrapping gifts. Kumihimo laces are woven mainly on looms; there are two types of them, takadai and marudai; when using the first, flat cords are obtained, while the second produces round cords.

Sashiko - Japanese art of embroidery

Sashiko- simple and elegant Japanese needlework, somewhat similar to patchwork. Sashiko- This is a simple and at the same time exquisite hand embroidery. Translated from Japanese, the word “sashiko” means “small puncture”, which fully characterizes the technique of making stitches. Initially, sashiko patterns were used for quilting and insulating clothing; poor women folded worn fabric in several layers and joined it using the sashiko technique, thus creating one warm quilted jacket. Currently, sashiko is widely used for decorative purposes.

Basic principles of sashiko:

Contrast of fabric and thread - the traditional color of the fabric is dark blue, indigo, the color of the threads is white, a combination of black and white colors was often used. Nowadays, of course, the color palette is not strictly adhered to.
The stitches should never intersect at the intersections of the ornament; there should be a distance between them.
The stitches should be the same size, the distance between them should also not be uneven.

Kusudama - the art of creating balls

Kusudama- translated from Japanese kusuri (medicine) and tama (ball), literally “medicine ball”. The art of kusudama comes from ancient Japanese traditions where kusudama was used for incense and a mixture of dried petals. In general, kusudama is a paper ball consisting of a large number of modules folded from a square sheet of paper (symbolizing flowers).

Individual modules can be connected to each other using glue or threads. Sometimes a tassel is attached to the bottom of the kusudama. The result is a very original bouquet of flowers that can be given as a gift or to decorate the interior. Kusudama balls are considered the predecessors of modular origami. Kusudama is sometimes confused with modular origami, since its elements are not nested inside each other, but sewn or glued together.

Japanese handmade:

osie

The handmade world knows many handicraft arts, whose homeland is Japan: origami, amigurumi, kanzashi, temari, mizuhiki... And this is only a small part of the handicraft techniques that generally exist in Japan, and many of them are popular only within their own country, but otherwise Unfortunately, little is known about them in the world. Like, for example, about oshie - an applicative technique for creating three-dimensional paintings from cardboard and fabric (or paper), a technique that appeared in Japan back in the Edo period (1603-1867), and is still popular among Japanese handmakers.

Mastering ose is not difficult at all. All you need for this: Japanese paper or Japanese fabrics, cardboard, soft non-woven material such as batting, glue, scissors, as well as your accuracy and your patience - creating oshie paintings is not in a hurry.

In Japan, even a child who has just mastered scissors can create an oshie painting. There is everything for this - the necessary paper, the necessary fabrics, and even ready-made “do-it-yourself” kits are available in a large assortment. In Russia, those who want to understand the basics of Japanese oshie will have a bit of a difficult time, but all problems are quite solvable: the necessary paper or fabric can be ordered through specialized online stores, join the appropriate collective purchase, or ask friends from Japan to send everything you need.

Japanese materials are really important when working in this technique, and I will try to explain why. Initially, oshie used scraps of fabric from which kimonos were sewn. The craftswomen simply did not raise their hands to throw them away; for this reason, the art of composing paintings from pieces of cardboard wrapped in pieces of fabric arose. When paper was brought from China to Japan, oshie craftsmen began to consider it as an alternative to expensive fabrics. However, Chinese paper was not suitable for oshie - it was fragile, easily torn at bends and was not flexible. It was only after the Chinese invention was improved by the Japanese that it truly became an alternative (and today the preferred) material for oshie. We are talking about Japanese washi paper - paper, which is based not on wood cellulose, but on the fibers of kozo (mulberry tree), gampi, mitsumata and a number of other plants. Thanks to the fibers, Japanese paper is much stronger and more flexible than traditional paper; its properties are more similar to fabric than other types of paper, which is why it has found its use in oshie. As for the remaining materials - cardboard, batting and glue - they, of course, do not have to be exclusively Japanese in origin.

So, how do you create three-dimensional paintings using the oshie technique? To begin, select a drawing for the painting. It is important that this should be a drawing, all the elements of which have a clear, finished look, closed, like in children's coloring books. Look at examples of finished oshie paintings to better understand the essence of the drawings. By the way, traditionally, paintings using the oshie technique depicted small children in national costumes, geishas, samurai, and fairy-tale scenes. Today these topics are not important, because the main thing here is technology.

The work requires two copies of one drawing: one copy will form the basis of the picture, the second will be transferred to cardboard with a soft pad glued to it and cut into its constituent parts. Afterwards, each piece of cardboard is covered with paper or fabric and glued to the base picture in the appropriate place. It is very important: a soft pad (non-woven material such as foam rubber, uniform in thickness) must be between the cardboard and paper; when pasted, it is this that gives the volumetric effect for which osie paintings are famous. Below is a master class on making an oshie painting, see for yourself - it’s all quite simple. This master class was taken from one of the Japanese sites; unfortunately, I could not find higher quality photographs to illustrate the process of creating a painting using the oshie technique.

A thin layer of foam rubber is glued onto a dense, but not too thick sheet of cardboard. It will stick well to PVA glue; it is important to apply the glue to the entire surface of the cardboard, not missing even small areas. One copy of the drawing should be printed on thick paper.

We need a second copy of the drawing in mirror form. It is glued to the side of the cardboard with foam rubber where the cardboard is located, and cut into parts. To make cutting out parts easier, you can use this trick: transfer all the details onto tracing paper with a marker, but in such a way that these parts are at some distance from each other. Then turn the tracing paper over and place it on the cardboard. Rub something on the back of the tracing paper so tightly that the outlines of the marker remain on the cardboard.

This makes it much easier to cut the picture into parts, even the smallest ones. Make sure that the part numbering is preserved.

Each cardboard piece needs to be duplicated on washi paper. But this must be done with allowances of about half a centimeter on each side. These allowances will need to be carefully folded and glued to the back of the cardboard pieces. The process of gluing paper to cardboard is shown below in more detail.

For each detail, you need to decide in advance on the color and pattern of the paper. For example, floral paper was used for this piece of clothing. The same part was traced along the contour of the part on washi paper, but it was cut out with a half-centimeter allowance. The cardboard part must be placed with the foam side on the wrong side of the paper, falling into the outline, and the allowances must be folded onto the back side of the cardboard and glued.

It will be much easier to do this if you cut the allowances in advance in several places, especially where it will be difficult for the paper to bend evenly - in the corners, on rounded lines, etc. The paper should be cut at right angles to the contour of the part.

When all the parts are pasted over, you need to paste them onto the first copy of the drawing, the one printed on thick paper. In order not to get confused about where each part needs to be glued (especially for small parts, the location of which can be difficult to determine at first glance), numbering helps. The parts need to be glued as tightly as possible to each other. Having glued all the details to the base copy, it should be cut along the contour and the entire figure should be pasted onto the background of the picture.

That's all, actually. With experience comes skill that allows you to create truly jewelry works, but it is better to start, of course, with the simplest drawings. Using the oshie technique, you can create large paintings, or you can include it only as an element when designing scrapbooking albums, when creating postcards, panels, etc.

Let's return to the nuances. The experience of one girl who shared the results of her experiment on the English-language forum Craftster.org speaks volumes about how critical the use of foam rubber is. She neglected to use a soft spacer between the cardboard and the finishing paper, which resulted in a completely different result. However, see for yourself:

Today, such material as cardboard with foam rubber is available for sale in Russia. It comes in two types, but only one is suitable for osie - binding cardboard with foam rubber without a top paper layer. This cardboard is used for making soft book covers, notebooks, diaries, menus, etc. products, you've probably seen it. The thickness of the foam on such cardboard varies, I can’t say exactly what thickness is optimal - everything will depend on how plump the picture you ultimately want to get.

However, this cardboard has one big drawback - it is not sold at retail in small packages, only wholesale at printing enterprises. So, most likely, you will have to glue the layers of cardboard and soft material together yourself, as was shown in the master class.

I will be pleased if the story about the oshie technique inspires you to want to try it out. Perhaps for some it will become the author’s signature, but for others it will simply expand the horizons of creativity. In any case, I wish you pleasant moments and beautiful pictures!

Japan is an amazing country, which very carefully honors and preserves its customs and traditions. Japanese handicraft just as diverse and amazing. In this article, the main handicraft arts, whose homeland is Japan - amigurumi, kanzashi, temari, mizuhiki, oshie, kinusaiga, terimen, furoshiki, kumihimo, sashiko. You've probably heard about some types, maybe you yourself have started creating using this technique, some are not so popular outside of Japan itself. A distinctive feature of Japanese handicraft is accuracy, patience and perseverance, although... most likely these features can be attributed to world handicraft).

Amigurumi - Japanese knitted toys

Japanese kanzashi - fabric flowers

Temari - the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls

In the photo there are temari balls (Author of embroidery: Kondakova Larisa Aleksandrovna)

- the ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls, which has won many fans all over the world. True, Temari’s homeland is China; this handicraft was brought to Japan about 600 years ago. Initially temari were made for children using the remains of old ones; with the invention of rubber, braiding balls began to be considered a decorative and applied art. Temari as a gift symbolizes friendship and devotion, it is also believed that they bring good luck and happiness. In Japan, a temari professional is considered to be a person who has passed 4 levels of skill; to do this, you need to weave 150 temari balls and study for about 6 years!

Another thriving type of Japanese applied art, its technology is reminiscent of macrame weaving, but more elegant and miniature.

So what is it mizuhiki- this art of tying various knots from cords, as a result of which stunningly beautiful patterns are created, has its roots in the 18th century.

The scope of application is also varied - cards, letters, hairstyles, handbags, gift wrapping. By the way, it is thanks to gift wrapping mizuhiki have become widespread. After all, gifts are due for every event in a person’s life. There is such a huge number of knots and compositions in mizuhiki that not even every Japanese knows them all by heart; along with this, there are also the most common basic knots that are used to congratulate the birth of a child, for a wedding, funeral, birthday or admission to university.

- Japanese handmade on creating three-dimensional paintings from cardboard and fabric or paper using appliqué technology. This type of needlework is very popular in Japan; here in Russia it has not yet become particularly widespread, although learning how to create paintings using oshie technique very simple. To create oshie paintings, you need Japanese washi paper (which is based on the fibers of mulberry, gampi, mitsumata and a number of other plants), fabrics, cardboard, batting, glue, and scissors.

The use of Japanese materials - fabric and paper in this form of art is fundamental, because washi paper, for example, in its properties resembles fabric, and, therefore, is stronger and more flexible than ordinary paper. As for the fabric, the fabric from which it is sewn is used. Of course, Japanese craftswomen did not specifically buy new fabric for oshie; they gave their old kimonos a new life, using it to create paintings. Traditionally, osie paintings depicted children in national costumes and scenes from fairy tales.

combined several techniques at once: wood carving, patchwork, applique, mosaic. To create a picture of a kinusaiga, you first need to make a sketch on paper, then transfer it to a wooden board. Indentations, a kind of grooves, are made on the board along the contour of the design. After that, small shreds are cut from an old silk kimono, which then fill the cut grooves on the board. The resulting picture of kinusaiga amazes with its beauty and realism.

- Japanese art of folding fabric, the history of its appearance and the main methods of packaging in this technique can be read. Using this technique for packaging is beautiful, profitable, and convenient. And in the Japanese computer equipment market there is a new trend - laptops packaged in the style Furoshiki. Agree, very original!

(Chirimen craft) - antique japanese handicraft, which originated in the era of late Japanese feudalism. The essence of this arts and crafts is the creation of toy figures from fabric, mainly the embodiment of animals and plants. This is a purely female type of needlework; Japanese men are not supposed to do it. In the 17th century, one of the directions of “terimen” was the production of decorative bags into which aromatic substances were placed, worn with oneself (like perfume) or used to scent fresh linen (a kind of Sachet). Currently theremen figurines used as decorative elements in the interior of the house. To create terimen figures, you don’t need any special preparation; all you need is fabric, scissors and a lot of patience.

- one of the most ancient types of lace weaving, the first mentions date back to the year 50. Translated from Japanese kumi - folding, himo - threads (folding threads). Laces were used both for functional purposes - fastening samurai weapons, tying armor on horses, tying together heavy objects, and for decorative purposes - tying a kimono (obi) belt, wrapping gifts. Weave kumihimo laces mainly on machines, there are two types, takadai and marudai, when using the first, flat cords are obtained, while when using the second, round cords are obtained.

- simple and elegant japanese handicraft, somewhat similar to patchwork. Sashiko- This is a simple and at the same time exquisite hand embroidery. Translated from Japanese, the word “sashiko” means “small puncture”, which fully characterizes the technique of making stitches. The literal translation from Japanese of the word “sashiko” means “great luck, happiness.” This ancient embroidery technique owes its appearance to... the poverty of rural residents of Japan. Unable to replace old, worn clothes with new ones (fabric was very expensive in those days), they came up with a way to “restore” them using embroidery. Initially, sashiko patterns were used for quilting and insulating clothing; poor women folded worn fabric in several layers and joined it using the sashiko technique, thus creating one warm quilted jacket. Currently, sashiko is widely used for decorative purposes. Traditionally, patterns were embroidered on fabrics of dark, mostly blue, tones using white thread. It was believed that clothing embroidered with symbolic designs protected against evil spirits.

Basic principles of sashiko:
Contrast of fabric and thread - the traditional color of the fabric is dark blue, indigo, the color of the threads is white, a combination of black and white colors was often used. Nowadays, of course, the color palette is not strictly adhered to.
The stitches should never intersect at the intersections of the ornament; there should be a distance between them.
The stitches should be the same size, the distance between them should also not be uneven.

For this type of embroidery, a special needle is used (similar to a sewing machine needle). The desired design is applied to the fabric and then a needle and thread are inserted; a small loop should remain on the inside. This embroidery is characterized by speed of work; the difficulty lies only in the ability to apply strokes and mix colors. Entire pictures are embroidered this way, the main thing is to choose the threads to get a realistic drawing. The threads used for work are not quite ordinary ones - it is a special “cord” that unravels during work and due to this, a very beautiful and unusual stitch is obtained.

- translated from Japanese kusuri (medicine) and tama (ball), literally “medicine ball”. The art of kusudama comes from ancient Japanese traditions where kusudama was used for incense and a mixture of dried petals. In general, kusudama is a paper ball consisting of a large number of modules folded from a square sheet of paper (symbolizing flowers).