Boro Stitching Workshop with Penny Cheuk-Low

Saturday October 17, 10:30am-1:30pm

QFA Museum Education Annex, 112 Morris Ave, La Conner WA

Boro means “tattered” or “scrappy” clothing in Japanese. In the cold rural areas of Northern Japan, old clothing was often repeatedly mended and patched by stitching layers of fabric scraps together for warmth and strength. This style of mended textiles came to be called boro. Workshop participants will be introduced to the historical background and design concepts of boro, usage of a sashiko needle, introduction to a variety of stitching techniques, and hands-on instruction to arrange and stitch a boro-style fabric piece.

Materials List



The instructor will provide a boro stitching packet ($30 supply fee, included with registration)

• A pack of 2 Sashiko Needles
• One skein of Sashiko Thread
• A Thimble
• A package of fabric pieces including some vintage Japanese fabric
• A piece of 11”x12” plain cotton backing fabric

You will need to bring:

• A small thread cutting scissor
• A general fabric cutting scissor

About Your Instructor

Penny Cheuk-Low is a textile artist who creates fabric art with vintage and repurposed fabrics using techniques such as appliqué, Sashiko (Japanese hand-stitching) and Boro (mending with fabric scraps). She combines her expertise in traditional Japanese fabrics and dyeing methods with environmentally sustainable materials to express her daily life in the Pacific Northwest.  

Penny studied traditional fabric dyeing in Kyoto, Japan as a fabric designer and kimono fabric dyer. She also holds a degree in Education and spent over 25 years as a Montessori educator and trainer, traveling and teaching throughout Asia. After retiring as an educator in 2020, she returned to creating art. In 2026, Penny travelled to northern Japan to further study sashiko and boro techniques from renowned artisans and is delighted to share her knowledge with all who are interested. 

Non-Members: Enjoy free admission to the QFA Museum on the day of your workshop!

Class cancellation policy: Refunds minus a 10% processing fee will be given up to two (2) weeks before the workshop. Requested refunds less than two (2) weeks before the workshop will only be issued if the vacancy is filled, or registrant may use towards another workshop within the same calendar year. In the unlikely event that a Workshop must be cancelled by the Museum, a full refund will be issued. Please let me know as soon as possible if you cannot attend the workshop you've registered for!