Traditional Quilting Legacy Revived: Passing of Kim Haeja, Holder of Quilting Artisan Title

"Contributing to the Promotion of Cultural Heritage Value Throughout a Lifetime"

Kim Hae-ja, the holder of the National Intangible Cultural Property for traditional quilting (Nubi), who revived and continued the legacy of traditional Nubi, has passed away at the age of 71. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration on the 14th, she peacefully passed away early the previous morning due to illness.

She was a master artisan dedicated to preserving and transmitting the traditional Nubi technique. Nubi is a sewing method that involves inserting cotton, wool, or mulberry paper between the outer and inner fabrics for reinforcement or insulation. Sometimes, nothing is inserted, and the fabrics are stitched together with regular rows of quilting stitches. The needle stitch intervals are categorized as 0.3 cm, 0.5 cm, or over 1.0 cm, requiring meticulous craftsmanship. Domestically, it was widely used after the cultivation of cotton.

Born in 1953, she learned the basics of sewing from her grandmother and mother from an early age. After graduating from middle school, she began learning garment making in the early 1970s. She studied sewing and Nubi from Seong Ok-yeom, a court seamstress who served as a lady-in-waiting in the royal sewing room during the Joseon Dynasty, and from Seonbok, a Buddhist monk.

In the early 1980s, upon hearing that someone was making Buddhist monk robes with Nubi quilting, she stayed in Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongnam Province for 15 years, dedicating herself to Nubi work based on traditional techniques. Recognized for reviving the nearly extinct traditional Nubi, she was designated as a Nubi master holder in 1996.

In 1992, she promoted the beauty of traditional Nubi by receiving the Prime Minister’s Award at the Korea Traditional Craft Competition. She also held several exhibitions in Tokyo, Japan; Paris, France; and Beijing, China. The Cultural Heritage Administration honored her as "a master who led the popularization of Nubi clothing by exhibiting works not only domestically but also internationally," and stated that she contributed her entire life to enhancing the cultural heritage value of Nubi production.

The funeral is being held in Special Room 2 at the Dongguk University Gyeongju Hospital Funeral Hall in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk Province. She is survived by her daughter, Bae Jin-yeo. The funeral procession will take place at 9 a.m. on the 16th, and the burial site is Gyeongju Haneulmaru.