Patched Paper borrows its technique from traditional Japanese brocades (nishiki, karaori), which were woven with wefts composed of thin sheets of metallic foil or gold and silver gilded paper (kinran, ginran) cut into long slender threads called “slit yarns.” Years of apprenticeship were required to master the skill of weaving these metallic elements so that they would lie flat without twisting or folding. In Patched Paper, slit yarns cut from Mino washi, a strong, handmade paper used in Japan for sliding doors, replace the gilded paper yarns of older weaves, while sheer polyester threads replace those of silk that formerly composed the rest of the fabric. Although experienced brocade weavers were employed to produce Patched Paper, the opposite effect of the traditional fabrics is achieved as the paper slit yarns are cut throughout, giving a frazzled, frayed, shredded surface.