Textiles West Pojagi/Bojagi Community Project Tutorial

Stitching Community Together

Textiles West invites you and your community to be a part of our first community project! Share your story, your culture or your favorite experiences of the Pikes Peak Region. We are creating a textile installation that represents the diverse culture of the communities. From June 2017 thru Sept 2017 we are creating a textile installation that represents the diverse culture of the communities.

Individuals and small groups will create Pojagi panels using fibers, fabrics, thread, trims and embellishments. We will have community open stitch days, the last Saturday of each month through September for people to come together to build panels. All will culminate with panels being on display at our TACTILE event in October and also at a prominent public location to be determined. Join the conversation let your panel speak volumes!

The Tradition:

A Bojagialso spelled Pojagi, is a traditional Korean wrapping cloth. Traditional Korean Folk religions believed that keeping something wrapped protected good luck. Food was often present under a bojagi cloth. They were also used for transporting items.

Bojagi were originally made from worn out clothing or leftover bits from other sewing. Fibers used were cotton, silk and ramie. Ramie is afiber made from Chinese nettle also known as China Grass. Ramie is older than cotton and was considered a luxury fabric for the working class.Silk and treasured embroidery bits from a sleeve or neckline were often preserved and recycled into these new beautiful wrapping cloths.

The Supplies:

For our project you can use clothing, new fabric, vintage fabric, fiber scraps from any other project. If you need supplies contact us and we will help! Traditionally fabrics used are sheer and crisp but that isn’t a requirement. We encourage the use of clothing and upcycled fabrics.

The ideal size of the finished panels for each group will be 15”-24” wide and 48”-84” long. Feel free to create multiple panels for your family or group.

Plan your Event:

We have a written tutorial available as well as a video tutorial. We can help you with materials and supplies if needed. If you would like someone to come help your group get started let us know. We have ambassadors who can help.

We will have stitch days at our space throughout the summer so check the website for details.

The Process

Cut two pieces of fabric that are the same width, we used a blue and green fabric. For this example our pieces are cut 6” wide. You don’t actually have to measure as long as they are the same width.

With an iron or hera marker, press a ½” fold on one fabric to the back(wrong side) to create a ½” seam allowance.

With an iron or hera marker, Press a ¼” fold on the second fabric also to the back (wrong side) to create a ¼” seam allowance

Place the two folded edges together with the folded seam allowances on the inside. The right sides of the fabric will be facing out.

Knot the end of the thread (only use one strand of thread-not double). Whip stitch the two together.The whip stitch is a small stitch that goes over the edge of the fabric. There is a great tutorial on Wiki How:

Stitch across the entire edge of the two fabrics. You can take a tiny stitch using a fine thread so they are not very visible on the final seam or take larger stitches with a heavier thread so the stitches become a design element. Don’t pull too tight. Consistent stitch size is not important.

Open the seam and press if desired. Seeing the straight stitches is part of the pattern.

Fold the larger fabric seam allowance around the shorter one to enclose it. Press with either an iron or hera marker.

Press the wrapped seam toward the fabric with the smaller seam allowance (green in this case).

Fold the fabric (green) back on itself, press with an iron or hera marker and whip stitch along the entire edge.

Open the fabrics flat and press. You have done your first pojagi seam! You can add another fabric on any edge to make it bigger.