It was our 3rd Korea Textile Tour and we all had a wonderful time traveling, learning, and sharing textile art and culture with so many people in Korea. In Andong, we stayed at the Hanok, a traditional Korean style house, and learned about Korean culture. We met so many talented and generous people who were excited to share their passion with us. We visited Hanji (Korean mulberry paper) mill, Andongpo (Andong hemp fabric) showroom, Hahoe village in Andong, and we took an eco print workshop. On our way back to Seoul, we visited a 5th generation silk factory to learn about how silk is made from the owners. After we come back to Seoul, we visited exhibitions about traditional costumes, saw a contemporary quilt show, and took fun workshops- OqaMoqa, the colored paper workshop where we got our own pattern, another we learned Korean traditional embroidery, and even silk dye using enzymes and black ink. We also visited Hanbok (Korean traditional clothing) artist, a Saeksil nubi (Korean traditional quilting) master and Bohnchang Koo (prominent photographer). Yes, we were very busy every day! On our final day, a farewell meal was prepared by a good friend of mine at her own hanok! I feel so lucky to travel with this wonderful group of travel companions. And I was very grateful to experience Korean hospitality throughout the time.
After the tour, I spent some quality time with my family in Korea. I was able to enjoy beautiful autumn near Seollaksan. My last week in Seoul was another busy time, meeting with people and make plans for next year's Korea Textile Tour. I am going to announce the dates for 2020 in early December and I hope many of you can join me!