Monday 28 January 2013

Blossoming quilts at TIGQF

Next to Tokyo Dome, where the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival is held, there are the beautiful  Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. While waiting for the crowds at the show to thin out I took a walk there. It is still too cold for most flowers but the red Camelias were blossoming beautifully and the yellow Wintersweet has just started blooming. These are the first plum blossoms of the season and don't seem to mind the icy air.

Now inside Tokyo Dome, however, were many flowers - on quilts. Let's have a look. We start with this plum quilt of kimono silk, made by

古川範子 * and titled: 寿ぎの風#3


Later in spring the peach trees will beautify the landscape:
栗原淑子*花桃の里


大久保絹江*桜の香りに誘われて

Cherry blossoms and the falling cherry petals are favourite motifs, and you will always find at least one such quilt. Here Ms Okubo has made a beautiful mix of piecework and appliqué, (while according to the title, 'Being seduced by the fragrance of Cherry blossoms').


高山千代子*あやめ
In early summer, during the rainy season you will see wonderful irises like these, for example at the garden I mentioned at the top of this blog post. 
I just love this stunning quilt. Look at the circles of falling raindrops on the water's surface.


中村ひろこ*古代蓮

This wonderful scene of 'Ancient Lotus Flowers' by Hiroko Nakamura makes me think of the lotus garden at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in Kamakura.

Finally, here are two bed size quilts:
戸津美恵*ひまわりのブーケ
Perfectly stitched!


松村章子*初孫の誕生


Akiko Matsumura made this to celebrate the birth of her first grandchild. How's that for a cot quilt?! Oh, if only my grandmother had been Japanese...

14 comments:

Pippas quilts said...

Thank you so much for all of the photo's of quilts what a fabulous show it must have been. No wonder it got so crowded.

Queeniepatch said...

Quilting is VERY popular in Japan, and the organisers are professional.

margaret said...

more wonderful quilts you have shared with us today, my favourite is the iris one but the last one looks amazing, lots of patience must have gone in to making that. It looked to be a very good quilt show, thanks once again for all the pics.

City Krafters said...

Delightful quilts I really like the first one, the quilts this yar have been spectacular thank you for sharing them with us.

Séverine said...

Thank you for these pictures. These quilts are so wondrful

Queeniepatch said...

It was difficult to pick a favourite. The one I eventually selected as MY Grand Prix I'll show you tomorrow.

Queeniepatch said...

This year the quality was the highest ever.

Queeniepatch said...

Yes, aren't they?!

Marjolein said...

Thank you for sharing these wonderful quilts.

carorose said...

I keep saying I am going to come to that Quilt Show. I have a number of friends who fly up every year. Those quilts are stunning. Thanks for posting them.

Queeniepatch said...

They ARE wonderful, aren't they?

Queeniepatch said...

It would be lovely to see you at the show one day, or two, or three... There are considerably more visitors than quilts, so do pack time, patience, sharp elbows, strong legs (you have to walk up and down the high steps at the stands to reach the baseball field), some (a lot of) cash for shopping and why not your new Canon micro lens to take pictures of some of the immaculate work. Welcome!

Claudia said...

Thank you,Queenie, for sharing all those amazing quilts. I could not select a favourite. It is great to read that the quality is the highest ever.

Queeniepatch said...

I am glad you enjoyed them. Because of language problems, high postage rates and customs clearance a lot of these wonderful quilts will never be seen outside Japan. If I have been able to give some insight into the Japanese quilting world I am happy.