Japanese Rice Bag Workshop

Edinburgh Mindful Stitchers are running a Japanese rice bag workshop at myBearpaw on Saturday 24 October, with a second date on Saturday 7 November. Both sessions run from 10:30 to 13:00, so it's a morning thing rather than a full day.

The bag itself is called a komebukoro — a square, four-sided bag with a wide opening and a drawstring finish. Traditionally, they were used in Japan for carrying rice, but they've become a modern favourite for their practical shape and the variety of ways you can use them. Over the course of the workshop, you'll make a lined 6-inch square version by hand. You can work with scraps, recycled denim, or sashiko and boro blocks, so it's a good chance to use up those bits of fabric you've been saving. If you're not a fan of hand-sewing every single stitch, there are sewing machines available to borrow on the day.

It's run by Edinburgh Mindful Stitchers, and the session is for over-18s. The cost is £55 for general admission, and it's held at myBearpaw, 50 Lochrin Buildings, in the Leith area. If the 24th doesn't work for you, the 7th of November is the same time and place.