Treasures of Yamagata

I have been to the Autumn Quilt Show at Chilford, Cambridgeshire, today and particularly enjoyed two collections of quilts on display.  First, the Treasures of Yamagata and secondly, the Oriental Fabric Competition entries on the theme of Cherry Blossom and Maple Leaves.  Today I'll share the Treasures of Yamagata, the notes come from the exhibition labels.

Treasures of Yamagata was a collection of quilts created by the Peaceful Heart Quilt Group in Yamagata Prefecture in north-east Japan.  They were set a challenge by Susan Briscoe who also provided three challenge fabrics.  All the quilts illustrate the natural beauty of the area where the quilters live.  It is a major rice producing region with both coast and mountains to inspire.

Sankyo Soko (Rice Warehouses) by Sato Seiko.

I love the cranes, individually appliqued, flying along the river.

Sennen Noki (A Thousand Year Old Tree) by Sakuraba Aiko

This ancient tree stands on Mount Chokai, the fifth highest mountain in Japan.

HaguroZan (Haguro Mountain) by Domon Reiko

I love the movement the three-dimensional applique cherry blossom gives to this quilt.  2446 stone steps lead to the top of this mountain, passing shrines, this waterfall and other holy sites.

Map of Yamagata by Ishikawa Keiko

I had seen this quilt in magazines but didn't realise until seeing it today, in the flesh as it were, that the pieces making up the map are all created with sashiko stitches.  This style is Yuza sashiko on the traditional very dark indigo blue background.  Here's a close-up:

Isn't it wonderful?

Yamadera (Mountain Temple) by Domon Koto

This quilt also included Yuza sashiko, on the paths and the mountain peaks.

Shonai Obako (Shonai Maiden) by Ikeda Chie

The maiden is dressed using the actual fabrics of the working clothes of farmer's wives.  The face mask (hankotanna) and the hand covers (tebukuro) protect the skin from the harsh weather and maintain the beauty of the maiden.  This quilt also included Yuza sashiko:

Later this week I'll post my photographs of the Oriental Fabric competition entries.

More Fabric Postcards

I had a lovely surprise parcel today from Catherine in New Zealand.  I joined her in a PIF and this lovely pincushion arrived today with some pins and needles.  Thanks Catherine, I love it.

Several people have said they are looking forward to seeing the quilt I'm working on for my daughter.  It's not ready to share yet but here's a quick teaser:

Over the past couple of days I've made a set of fabric postcards for the November swap at BQLPC.  The theme was "Something Black and or White" and as I have been working at the cloth weaving online workshop with Jude Hill  I decided to use that technique for the cards.

I'm pleased with the results.  I used a pair of wool trousers and a linen shirt, both from Oxfam, for the fabrics and added buttons and large handstitching.  They were fun to do (except my machine decided to throw a wobbly when I was stitching the edges).

Have a great weekend everybody and enjoy the fireworks.  I'm off to the Autumn Quilt Show at Chilford.

Catching Up Now I'm Home

I'm back from over a week in Norfolk where I had to close up my bach for the winter.

As well as putting duvets in vacuum sealed bags, cleaning the cooker and defrosting the fridge, doing something cold and wet called "draining down" and giving the tiny garden a quick once over I also managed to do some sewing.
I'm working on a quilt for my daughter and will soon be able to share it as I'm at the layering stage.  I've finished all the hand applique and my finger and thumb tips have nearly healed.  I ordered some silicone thimbles online so I'll report back on those when I've given them a workout but I do have a tip to pass on from a quilting friend of mine on Norfolk.  She applies two or three layers of Germolene "New Skin" to her finger tips instead of using a thimble.  It's a liquid plaster.  I bought a bottle and found it quite a success, even for the batik and Steam a Seam handstitching horror.
I've joined a new quilting group in Norfolk - although I'll only be a fair weather member, attending in the summer months.  The group is called Mustard Seeds Quilters and was formed as an overspill group from Dayspring Quilters which had got too big.  MSQ had over thirty members for the first meeting, such is the enthusiasm for patchwork and quilting in the area.  There was a lovely atmosphere in the meeting and I met some very talented people as well as some new quilters so there was a good balance.  I had a lovely surprise when I returned home as I found a package of material waiting for me.  I belong to Norfolk Quilters who have been celebrating their 30th Anniversary and, as part of those celebrations, every member was sent some fabric.   
Speaking of fabric, I made a final visit to Sew Creative, my LQS in Norfolk, for the year and bought one or two things!  I didn't go totally mad as I am going to the Chilford Quilt Show this weekend and needed to save a few pennies for things I might just need when I'm there!
I had a lovely meeting of my local craft group this morning at it was great to see what everybody has been working on (you can see what Georgie was doing on her blog, All Things Crafty
Thank you to all my friends who emailed to ask whether I was okay as I hadn't blogged for a while, I really appreciate your love.
Apologies to anybody who got a spam email that appeared to be from me.  I got back from Norfolk to find my email address had been hijacked.  It's hopefully sorted out now, grrrr.
It's pouring with rain and getting dark so I think it's time for a nice cup of tea.

More Eye Candy

Here's a wonderful treat for the weekend.  Marisa has posted over 300 photos that she took at the Pacific International Quilt Festival.  There are some lovely quilts so make yourself a drink of whatever you prefer, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.  Thanks Marisa.

Pacific International Quilt Festival

An Exciting Day

Today has been an exciting day.  Firstly I saw this:

Yes, it's a baby camel enjoying a drink from her/his mum.  We have an over-wintering circus near us and these are some of their animals.  Cute eh?
Then I had two lovely arrivals in the post.  A parcel I was expecting, which was this gorgeous selection of indigo-dyed fabrics from Glennis at Shibori Girl
To quote from her site the packs contain

a selection of indigo dyed fabric fragments - bits and pieces of vintage and collected textiles. These pieces range in colour from light to dark, cotton to silk, solids to shibori. No two collections are identical although some may be similar. Current collections include some solids, shibori bits include itajime,bomaki,arashi, and indigo derangements. Fabrics include cotton, linen, various silks, chenille, jacquards and more
Fabric sizes range (approximately) from 3" to 24"

Doesn't it look an inspirational mix of fabrics?
The other parcel was a complete surprise.  I entered the 200th issue of Patchwork and Quilting magazine giveaway competition and today received a signed copy of -

so that's my reading sorted out for this evening.  Although it is an introductory book a quick flip through revealed some interesting tips.  I think there's always more to learn anyway.
I've been working on a quilt for my daughter, Sara, today.  It's been quite a well dragged-out project but she has told me she'll be re-decorating her sitting room to match it in the very near future...  Just as well it's been so cold today, just ideal for sitting by the fire and stitching.  What have you been working on?

Sashiko at Norfolk Quilters' 30th Anniversary Exhibition

I just had to share this wonderful sashiko quilt by Christine Allen that I enjoyed seeing at last week's Norfolk Quilters' Exhibition in Norwich. 
Christine was given one of Susan Briscoe's sashiko books for her birthday last year and created this quilt to challenge herself to work on her hand stitching.  I had a lovely chat with Christine and hope to meet up with her again soon.  Her husband attended the exhibition with her and was really enthusiatic and complimentary about her work - and rightly so!
You can see some other quilts from the exhibition at Online Quilting.

Norfolk Quilters' 30th Anniversary Exhibition - 2

My favourite quilts from the Norfolk Quilters' Exhibition include this wonderful kimono.  It was made by Sylvia Allen who was inspired by a quilting friend in New Zealand and helped with developing the idea by her husband.

Isn't it strange how you can look at lots of quilts and then end up selecting two by the same quilter?  These are both by Linda Turner.  The wonderful "Dark Woods" was inspired by these lines from Dante's "The Divine Comedy":

"In the middle of the journey of our life, 

I found myself in a dark wood, 

for the straight way was lost"

It was one of those quilts that looked simple from a distance but then the more you looked the more there was to see and enjoy.

"Trailing Vines", also by Linda Turner, is one of a pair of quilts, designed for a friend who presented her with two FQs in the bitter winter of 2009/10 in Virginia, USA.  I was attracted by the positive and negative design and the colours.

My steward's "station" was directly in front of this wonderful sashiko quilt by Christine Allen.  I found myself  hearing so many lovely comments about it that I had to fetch Christine to swap stations with me so that she could hear for herself what people were saying. 
Christine worked from one of Susan Briscoe's books and was challenging herself with this quilt to do some hand stitching.  This quilt was completed in three months.

Norfolk Quilters' 30th Anniversary Exhibition - 1

Some eye candy from the Norfolk Quilters' 30th Anniversary Exhibition.  Close ups of my favourite quilts to follow tomorrow so don't forget to come back!

The Music Room, in the Georgian Assembly House in Norwich shown above, was a stunning venue for the exhibition.

A wonderful range of styles and techniques was on display.

The quilts and items in these glass cabinets will remain on display for a month.

Finally for today, this is the Norfolk Quilt, mark 2.  The first Norfolk Quilt, which was made in 1981 and donated to the City Library in Norwich, was destroyed in the 1994 fire which also destroyed the library.  In 1997 it was decided to make a new Norfolk Quilt, on similar themes to the original but not a replica, which was donated to the New Millennium Library in Norwich. Eighteen members of Norfolk Quilters created the new quilt which was then quilted by Margaret Rust.

Friday Night Sew-In

It's that time of the month again, it's time for the great Friday Night Sew-In, hosted by Heidi and Bobbi.  I'll probably not be able to post on Saturday morning so I thought I'd let you know what I'll be working on.
Firstly I'll be doing my second Roses from the Heart bonnet.  This one is for Ann Elizabeth Harwood who arrived in Van Diemen's Land in August 1820.  I haven't been able to find out anything more about her but will keep trying.  I'm making her bonnet with the remaining calico from the backing of the quilt I started with Jane Bottomley.  I only have the binding to slip stitch and the label to do and hope I will also have time to work on it at the Norfolk Quilters' exhibition on Saturday if I don't get it finished during FNSI.  This quilt is actually going to be a table cloth and so it is backed but doesn't have any wadding.  I suppose it's not strictly a quilt but a piece of patchwork.  I don't mind what it's called!  In fact I do mind what it's called, I need a name for it if I'm going to get the label done!  It is made using wonderful French General 'Lumiere de Noel' fabrics from Moda but isn't "Christmassy" and will be used all year on the table where Bonni, my lovely vintage Singer machine sits when I'm not using her.  Thinking cap on...
Oh I can't do another post without a photo so here's one of the full set of Global Piecers fabric postcards I received, aren't they great?

Enjoy FNSI everybody.

Fabric Postcards

These are my GP Fabric Postcards hanging at the window of my sewing room, aren't they a great collection?  Thank you to everybody for their great pieces of fabric art.