March with Anita Harrison

 TIMINGS: The class will run in person on Saturday 22nd March from 10:00 - 16:00 at Winchester Quaker Meeting House

This design was inspired by a kimono forming part of the 2024 Kabuki Kimono exhibition, in the Textiles Gallery, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. (The final picture shows closeup of the kimono.) It is worked on a bright red 100% cotton fabric using gilt passing and silk embroidery threads in surface embroidery and goldwork techniques.

The Kabuki Kimono exhibition showcases six kimonos worn by the famous kabuki actor Bandō Tamasaburō V. The kimonos are intricately crafted and feature a range of textile techniques, including weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and hand-painting.
Onnagata is a highly specialised role in traditional Japanese Kabuki theatre, in which male actors portray female characters. The type of characters onnagata can portray include women of all ages, as well as spirits, demons and other supernatural beings. Kabuki performers, particularly renowned performers such as Bandō Tamasaburō V, often play a more active role in shaping the design of their costumes.
Bandō Tamasaburō V has played a substantial role in contributing to the design of each costume, working closely with teams of artisans typically over the course of an entire year. He is well known or his attention to detail, sometimes even supervising the embroidery process to ensure that the artisan accurately captures his precise vision.

The kit includes base fabric with printed design lines, calico backing fabric, threads, needles, wax block, gilt passing and instruction booklet.

The class is suitable for students with some experience.

List of equipment the students will need

A 8 inch bound hoop is required for the main design.

A 6 inch hoop will also be useful for sampling techniques which will be worked on calico.

Goldwork scissors separate to your usual embroidery scissors since these will need to cut gold thread which will blunt them

And you should also look at the EQUIPMENT NEEDED section on the Information page for items you should bring.

The cost of the kit will be paid to the tutor on the day and is estimated to be £52.   ** There may also be an option for a kit using cheaper gold threads since there has been a big increase in supply cost of the original **