- This event has passed.
Denim Upcycling and Embellishment with Sue Howie – Online Boro Workshop
Denim Upcycling Online Workshop with sashiko and boro educator Sue Howie: upcycle or embellish your well-worn items of denim (or cotton) clothing through boro-inspired patching and mending.
Learn how to use boro patching and mending techniques to renew or embellish much-loved pieces of denim, such as jeans or jackets. (If you’re short on denim, you can use a cotton tee shirt for the workshop if you wish.)
During this one-hour workshop, Sue will demonstrate the method to give new life to a treasured piece of clothing and extend its usefulness.
The online session will consist of a tutorial, followed by a question and answer session. Session Times: 10.30AM – 11.30AM AEST.
The event will be held via Zoom. After payment and registration and closer to the event, easy instructions will be sent to each subscriber on how to join the online class. This will give you time to have all your requirements on hand and ready to go.
Denim Upcycling with Sue Howie – Online Boro Workshop – 10.30AM AEST, Friday September 19th, 2025
-
- Workshop example of boro-inspired patching and mending applied to a denim jacket
-
- Student workshop denim jacket, upcycled through boro-inspired patching and mending
-
- Denim jacket upcycled by Sue Howie
What you will need to bring
From your fabric stash
-
- A variety of fabric scraps. Ensure there are enough to cover the area you are intending to embellish. You can use left over scraps from previous projects, or be more selective if you have a colour palette in mind.
- A piece of well-worn denim or cotton clothing
Thread
-
- Standard sewing thread for basting.
- A skein or card of no.5 or No 8 sashiko thread or roll of perle embroidery thread No 5 or No. 8.
Needles
Scissors
-
- 1 x pair of small scissors.
- A larger pair of scissors if you have them, or a rotary cutter and mat—something to trim fabrics for embellishing.
Additional items
- A glue pen. (Suggest Sewline or Bohin. Both work well.).
- A Sheet of paper and biro for notes.
One week prior to the first session, attendees will be emailed the above list, and a ‘how to’ for the ZOOM link to attend the class online. Read about my previous online boro workshop here.
About the history of boro textiles
Boro is the Japanese cultural and historical practice of prolonging the use of garments and other textiles through repeated patching and mending. Dating back to the Edo Period, Japanese women from the agricultural classes would extend the wear of textiles such as garments and bed linen by sewing on patches of fabric using “stabbing” or ‘sashiko’ stitches. Over time, this practice has evolved into a form of artistic and decorative expression.
