Japanese Silk Embroidery

Sew Much More : Episode SMM-115 -- More Projects »

This 1,600-year-old needle art was originally used to decorate layered silk kimonos worn by ladies of the court. Passed down through apprentices, the intricate work was only to be admired and not learned. Kazumi Tamura's grandfather was one of the first silk embroidery artists to offer his knowledge to interested needle workers.

Kazumi now teaches the art--exclusively done in silk thread on silk fabric encompassing a total of 46 different stitches--at the Japanese Embroidery Center in Atlanta.

Travel with the Sew Much More camera crew to visit Kazumi Tamura and learn the history of this beautiful needle art form, explore the variety of stitches, and discover the process of embroidering on silk in the Japanese way.

Japanese embroidery has roots in Chinese culture. Altogether, there are 46 stitches in Japanese embroidery, and most are quite complicated. The most commonly used stitches are the horizontal stitch, the vertical stitch and the diagonal stitch.

Needle artist Kazumi Tamura works with her mother Masa, teaching at the Japanese Embroidery Center in Atlanta. Her grandfather was a master teacher at a school in Japan and Kazumi picked up this art form at age 5.

Japanese embroidery is done with silk thread on silk fabric. The Tamura mother-and-daughter team try to teach their students that the art has three facets--technical skills, sensitivity and awareness, and spiritual understanding.

The first step is to transfer a pattern onto the fabric.

The fabric is then attached to a frame to be embroidered.

Resources
Japanese Embroidery Center
Japanese Embroidery Center
Atlanta, GA
US
Phone: 770-390-0617
Guests
Kazumi Tamura
Silk Embroidery Artist
c/o The Japanese Embroidery Center
Atlanta, GA
Phone: 770-390-0617
Also in this Episode

Sew Much More : Episode SMM-115
•	Unique Closures
•	Japanese Silk Embroidery

Crafts

Japanese Silk Embroidery

Tools

MOST POPULAR

Crafts

Japanese Silk Embroidery

Tools

MOST POPULAR

Home and Garden Ideas from our sponsors