Kinusaiga at the Barn: Lighthouses, Engine Houses and a Tulip
Last week we held two Kinusaiga workshops at the Barn – a Tuesday evening session and a Friday morning one – and we were blown away by what everyone made. Just look at them all lined up together!
What is Kinusaiga?
Kinusaiga is the Japanese art of fabric patchwork mosaic. It was traditionally made with silk scraps from old kimonos, but at the Barn we use ordinary cotton fabric off-cuts. You draw your design onto a wooden board, score the lines, then tuck the edges of each little piece of fabric into the grooves. No sewing at all – just patience, a bit of pushing and a lot of choosing fabrics!
Lighthouses, engine houses and a tulip
Being Cornwall, it was no surprise that lighthouses and engine houses were the favourite subjects. We had a striped lighthouse on a green headland, a bright red one above a deep blue sea, and two engine houses – one against a pink and orange sunset, the other under a summer sky with fluffy clouds.
Others went their own way: a bold red tulip, a soft blue and green butterfly, and a seascape where some wonderfully textured pink fabric became coral and waves. One student even added frayed and textured fabrics to give her lighthouse scene real movement.
Everyone went home with a finished, framed picture ready to hang. Thank you to everyone who came along – it was a joy to see such different pictures from the same box of fabrics.
Fancy having a go?
Our next sessions are Kinusaiga Christmas/Gift Workshops on Wednesday 16 December, either 10am–1pm or 6–9pm, £30 including all fabrics, tools and your wooden frame. Make a festive picture or a handmade gift – no experience needed. Workshop students also get 10% off in the café all day.
