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FEATURED PROJECT Tokyo Bunka Kit All Bunka kits come complete with the design printed to fabric, all the threads you will need, stitching instructions, a coloured picture of the finished design which also acts as an excellent guide. Bunka Needles are not included.   Ginnys Bunka JAPANESE BUNKA SHISU It's Like Oil Painting With Thread Ginny "What is Bunka?" must be the most common question I'm asked followed by, 'oh, it's punch needle isn't it?' No, it isn't! And I will admit to getting really cross when people insist that Bunka is punch needle - Once again, it is not! The only thing the two 'crafts' have in common is that you push a needle into fabric, and that's it! I am also going to explain the differences between Bunka and Punch Needle. So, here we go........ One of the most common mistakes people make when taking up bunka for the first time is to stitch using tiny stitches as with regular embroidery. Stitches used in bunka, except for specific purposes such as outlining etc, range from 0.5cm to 2.5cm in length. In inches this is approximately .25 of an inch to 1.0inch.   Punch needle requires small stitches resulting in closely placed loops worked in colours to make up a design. The finished feel of a punch needle item is something like a soft rug.   With Bunka you are limited to fabric that is 100% Rayon, Poly Gaberdine or similar. No natural fibres, no stretch or knitted fabrics.   With punch needle you can use almost any yarn and 'stitch' to almost any type of fabric.   Only 100% Rayon bunka yarn is used in bunka. Avoid getting bunka yarn wet. The yarn is NOT colour-fast and therefore cannot be used on items to be hand washed/laundered/dry cleaned or similar. Bunka yarn also needs to retain its crinkle in order to stay in the fabric.   Any type of yarn can be used with Punch Needle. Colour-fast if the item is to be laundered.   The only time you are likely to punch stitches in the same way as done in Punch Needle is if you were to make a Fluffy picture. Then the closly packed loops are brushed out. The finished appearance of all other Bunka pictures will be of a smooth, three dimensional image, stitched with stitches of varying lengths and types, with the crinkly finish of the yarn being preserved to give the picture a 'painted' look.   When you stitch a punch needle design there are no rules where to start, or in which order the picture should be stitched and the finish is usually consistant with a soft pile.   To be successful with bunka you need to study what it is you will be stitching. For example, the petals of a flower need to be stitched onto an already stitched stem in the same order that nature would have placed them. If there is a leaf behind a petal it should be stitched before the petal is stitched. Reason being is that the petal is in front of the leaf. If you were to stitch the petal first and then the leaf your flower would look odd as the leaf would appear 'proud' of the petal.   Where landscapes are concerned I find the easiest way to advise people on how to stitch a bunka landscape is to ask them to look out of the window. What is the first thing they see? The sky, after that distant objects such as mountains or trees and then perhaps buildings, grassy areas and maybe a river. You work your way from the sky down to the background detail and then forward. That is how we see, that is how we stitch. If a tree or bush is behind a house you stitch that first and then the house. If the bush or tree is in front of the house, you would stitch the house first and then the tree or bush, and so on. Perspective is essential in Bunka. Bunka is more than simply a craft, it also an art form. It is a type of embroidery different to anything most people will have done before and for that reason some may find it challenging. However, I've discovered since starting this website that most of the 'challenges' are created by a lack of understanding on how this craft should be done. Once a person understands what bunka is really about then they begin to make very good progress. It's like everything we do, once you know how, it's a breeze! I now have a DVD available in my shop for those of you who would like a visual introduction to Bunka..... Take care, enjoy your bunka, and if you do get stuck? I am here. Ginny