High/Medium/Low: 12 Pojagi Patchwork Curtains in Shades of Pale
We have seen the future and it’s looking patchy. A while back, we reported on the popularity of pojagi, Korean stitched textiles in artfully irregular, stained-glass-like, patterns. Also known as bojagi and chogak po, these cloths were traditionally handmade using techniques that create flat, reversible seams. From the 14th century to the 1950s, they were treated as hallowed objects put to use for, among other things, wrapping gifts and carrying and storing household valuables.
Pojagi-style patchwork has of late become popular as window curtains in pastels and shades of white that filter light and serve as lovely-to-look-at privacy screens. Be on alert and you’ll start to spot them all over—made by artists who sew inspired custom interpretations and by workshops specializing in home design with a crafty touch. Of course, some canny mass retailers have also begun selling their own versions. Here, a spectrum of offerings.
High
Above: A leading figure in today’s textile movement, Los Angeles artist Adam Pogue has been making his own pojagi-style creations for the last decade. This is an early example that he stitched for himself. He sells his work and takes commissions via Commune Design: email sam@communedesign.com. Go to Crazy Beautiful to see our story on Pogue’s hand-stitched pillows.
Above: Making pojagi was a way of “economizing resources,” and also “an act of affection,” explains artist-fashion designer Christina Kim of longtime Remodelista favorite Dosa. Shown here: Dosa’s cotton and silk Pojagi Scarves, $571 each from Mouki Mou, are “both a reminder of Christina’s childhood in Korea and a beautiful expression of traditional recycling”—and would work well on a wall or in a doorway.
Above: Artist and costume designer Joey Blaha was commissioned to make these pojagi-style textiles at Bread Shop, a bakery and cafe in Santa Fe where he’s a regular. Fittingly for the setting, Blaha used black tea to dye the linen window curtain. Photograph by Krysta Jabczenski, courtesy of Bread Shop.
Above: Blaha often makes use of his remnants collection for his patchwork. He dyed Bread Shop’s bus area curtain with “madder root, cutch, onion skin, and tea tones.” For commissions, contact him at @blaha_blaha_ or JosephSBlaha@gmail.com. Photograph by Krysta Jabczenski, courtesy of Bread Shop.
Above: Textile artist Jessica Yoo of DesignMeem in Seoul, South Korea, is one of many Etsy vendors who offer pojagi. Her Pojagi Patchwork Cafe Curtain, $750, is made of oksa, a traditional sheer silk. Colors and size are customizable.
Two other artists who make standout pojagi: Isabel Farchy in London and Niki Tsukamoto of Lookout & Wonderland in LA.
Medium
Above: Orné de Feuilles of Tokyo’s Original Patchwork Multi-Cloth Lumogi, ¥17,600 ($111.63) can be used as a room divider or curtain; it’s currently sold out and awaiting restocking. “I myself enjoy the traditional patchwork of my home country in my daily life, using it as a sunshade for the skylight in our kitchen,” writes Orné de Feuilles co-founder Kim Hyunsook: see her pojagi in our feature A Modernist Tokyo House for Two Design Store Owners and Their Feline Family.
Above: The White Aesthetics curtain is $131.12 from Patchwork Copenhagen, a mother-daughter-owned studio that offers a range of made-in-Denmark pojagi and patchwork quilts, including custom pieces.
Above: Quiet Town’s new End Bits Linen Shower Curtain, $175, is made in India entirely of European flax linen remnants. Go to Statement Shower Curtains to read about the Brooklyn company and its origins.
Above: By Mölle, a linen curtains and bedding workshop in the Netherlands, uses its translucent leftovers to make bespoke pojagi. Contact By Mölle for details.
Above: French boutique chain Caravane’s Noori Curtain, $159, is made in India of 100 percent cotton.
Low
Above: From Urban Outfitters: the Chloe Patchwork Gauze Curtain is all cotton and comes in six colors. It’s $49 for the first panel; get a second at 25 percent off.
Above: The made-in-India Oulya Embroidered Cotton and Linen Voile Curtain is €119 from French chain La Redoute.
Inspired to make your own? There are many online tutorials, including two videos from the great UK sewing supplies store Merchant & Mills.
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