January 26 - Australia Day. Normally spent eating BBQs and pavlovas and meat pies. But this year? What better way to spend it than at the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2013 with Danielle, a new friend from Western Australia! Note - most of the name plates were solely in Japanese but I've named the quilt and quilter where I could!
This was definitely bigger, busier and perhaps better than the 2012 Yokohama Quilt Festival I visited last November. A lot more people, a lot more stalls and a lot more quilts you could photograph!
There was no way I could photograph them all, so I snapped the ones that caught my eye, that were different, maybe traditional, or perhaps a little funny like this one:
Gotta love Engrish!
What really struck me from these two quilt shows was the standard of quilting. Not the piecing as such, although of course that was just brilliant, but the actual quilting. The depth and movement and intricacy of the quilting... Just wow.
These quilters sure know how to use colour in their quilts...
There were a few "optical illusion" quilts which are always fascinating to look at up close!
One thing you notice as you walk around is just how much is hand pieced. So many quilts looked amazing from afar, and when you walked closer, you realised it was all made from hexagons. Or maybe diamonds. Or a mixture! All hand pieced, usually hand quilted. The time it must have taken them!
But then there were ones like this one - machine pieced (and appliqued). Yep, all those teeny tiny squares were pieced in.
As for the shopping? I was very restrained in my fabric purchases. Like at the Yokohama Quilt Festival, it was mostly traditional, but with more Hawaiian stalls and even less modern stalls. Moda Japan was there... selling layer cakes for approximately $50 or jelly rolls for $60! But instead I picked up a couple of traditional Japanese silks, which I will share this Sunday for Sunday Stash.
As for the shopping? I was very restrained in my fabric purchases. Like at the Yokohama Quilt Festival, it was mostly traditional, but with more Hawaiian stalls and even less modern stalls. Moda Japan was there... selling layer cakes for approximately $50 or jelly rolls for $60! But instead I picked up a couple of traditional Japanese silks, which I will share this Sunday for Sunday Stash.
Trying to pick what photos to share here is like trying to pick your favourite child. You just can't do it. But you can see many more quilt photos in my Flickr set!
Happy Australia Day! What a wonderful way to spend the day. Thank you for taking so many photos for us to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWow! Just wow! So much work and time has gone into so many of these! I love the hexagon star and flower x flower, the fussy cut diamonds, the rocky mountains is amazing too. Too many to mention! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteJust took the time to look at all the pictures that you posted on Flicker...blown away doesn't even describe them. Saw so many that I wish I could get patterns for. The time and attention to detail is fantastic. Thank you for sharing your day at the Tokyo International Quilt Festival, what a delight!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if that's my idea of heaven or hell - interesting experience I bet xxx
ReplyDeleteWow! Looks amazing! So many beautiful and inspiring quilts!
ReplyDeleteYou must have looked more Japanese than the Japanese snapping away with your camera! Plenty to admire and astound me in your Flickr set. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteTokyo Dome is HUGE!! What a wonderful experience - the quilts are amazing. Thanks for the photos.
ReplyDeleteSo many talented quilters out there! Wow!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Australia Day! I love that first quilt. That's some intricate piecing. :)
ReplyDeleteHoly moly!!!!! They are amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a huge quilt show! Would have taken forever just to get around to everything. There are some amazing quilts there, loads of inspiration - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! You photographed many quilts I didn't even see! I hope to get back on Wednesday before it closes.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Thank you so much for taking the pictures and sharing them, they're flabbergasting... I love the Escher-like one, and the Let's Go Party, and and and!!!! Wow :)
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteIt was a great show, with too many visitors!, but lots of beautiful quilts. You have some great pictures and I have put a link to your blog on my own blog. I hope that is OK.
I think this show was the best in the past ten years. I was also amazed at the hand work. Also I think this was the first year I saw "jelly rolls" being sold in Tokyo. Japanese fabric shops still prefer their own version of cut fabrics ... each one different.
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