Back to InSaDon

I really enjoyed what I saw at InSaDon and thought Peter would too so off we went today.
We stopped to watch a demo of korean sweet making. It starts with a lump of honey (and lots of cornstarch) which is then pulled and twisted and twisted like chinese noodle making until it is 16,000 strands.


The rolled around a nut mixture into little pillows.

Very yummy except unfortunately when eating it later in my hotel it managed to pull off the top of a crown on a tooth so a trip to the dentist is first on my agenda next week!

We went to a gallery which is devoted to developing high quality crafts. Not only do they have an amazing range of beautiful items for sale, there was a exhibition of a collective of Korean women and the organiser graciously allowed me to take some photos and also gave explanations of some of the work. I love pojagi and all of these were made with fabrics which had been dyed with natural dyes. They were so inspiring. I suggest you also have a look at the website for more beautiful work.
This is a set of wedding gifts including toothpick holders, chopstick holders etc.

Beautiful pojagi made with natural dyed cloth - this one is indigo.






Food of course features high and I was intrigued by this menu outside a restaurant. What is a country ink pig iron plate in proper form or mother hand tasty blue director of a bureau? The mind boggles!

These sweets were being packed into a box for a present.

Recycling is very big in Korea - in fact you have to buy your rubbish bags at the supermarket and it is very expensive to throw things away.

Quilters Meet in Seoul

The internet is wonderful thing which I am sure you will all agree. When I posted that I would be in Seoul I was contacted by fellow textile artist Frances Holliday Alford whose work I have always admired. She was going to be there at the same time so we agreed to meet and spend the day doing stuff. Although we had only met once before briefly at Houston, within minutes we were chatting away like long time friends.

We met up with one of her Peace Corps friends who graciously showed us around the InChaDon area which is full of beautiful Korean art and incredibly stylish clothes with (unfortunately) prices to match. It did show, however, that style and art is definitely alive and well in Seoul. I think I may need a return visit before we leave.

We also (finally) found the bead market although I didn't do my normal damage as although there were many stalls the variety was not really there and prices were similar to those at home so it seems silly to have to buy another suitcase to carry more home. You never know though - I might find something else to load up the already excess baggage.




Also popped down to another floor where there was wall to wall fabric. I didn't know there were so many types of denim.

These men carry bolts of fabric up and down the stairs all day on their backs - even though there are lifts in the building. They looked very hot.

Had a great day with Frances and we talked and talked and talked .........

Korean Kapers

Not really but I wanted to be alliterative.

One of the first things we usually do when we travel is just go for a wander in the neighbourhood. Being Sunday night is was very quiet but we did managed to find a restaurant where the owner not only cooked our food at our table (they usually get you to do it yourself) but she even popped morsels into our mouths. We felt a little self conscious but nobody knows us. I was a bit concerned about the two blonde russian ladies who were brought in by a minder. I think they may have a night job...

Breakfast was sort of toasted sandwiches - this one had egg, ham/meat (I think) pickle, cheese and cabbage and a couple of sweet sauces. Only about $1 and very yummy washed down with a frozen kiwi fruit drink.

Anyway - markets are always a magnet to us and the food market was definitely very different from the French ones. Fish - dried, pickled and just looking very odd were the main provision at this one.
These are tiny dried fish - like whitebait I guess




We seem to be staying on stainless steel street and many of these stores were also manufacturing.

We found the wholesale fabrics and notions area of course. These are just some of the braids we found (and didn't buy)

In an underground market there was a whole area just selling fabrics (and I think making) traditional Korean costumes. I was on the lookout for pojagi but only saw a few small samples.

Can you guess what these stores sell - hand engraved stamps.

And here is our only purchase for the day - extra long gloves for dyeing. Peter found these and is very excited about the possibility of having gloves that don't let the dyes splash into his short gloves. He bought 10 pairs at a bargain price.