Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Seeing Double?

(30x38)
I finished the wall hanging to send to our hostess in Japan. I chose an American theme representing traditional blocks.

Using my miniature American Heritage quilt design as the template, I enlarged the blocks, simplified my choices and machine pieced rather than by hand. I densely quilted it by hand.



Since Mrs. Motani has featured fabric wall hangings from Japan and far abroad in their home, it is my hope that this quilt will find a place as well.

Friday, October 8, 2010

JAPAN

I just returned from a trip to Japan with my sister. Our love of all things Japanese was instilled at an early age by our father. He had spent a month in Japan as a aviation adviser during the Korean War. I found a small group tour focusing on ceramics for 2 weeks, staying in Japanese Inns, visiting artists and their studios and traveling in the countryside. It was the perfect tour for my sister, Director/Curator of the American Museum of Ceramic Art and gave me a chance to travel with my best friend. Although most of our time was spent looking at clay, we also experienced the culture, were guests in homes,

ate the food,played with clay,slept on the "floor",


bathed communally, and rode on the fast trains. I also got to shop for old fabrics

and our hostess invited me to cut a stack of fabrics from some "old clothes" (her great aunt's kimonos).


I promised to make her a wall hanging which is in the works.

BOO and HO HO HO

My friend Mary, of 30 years, loves to decorate for the holidays. Since I hadn't quilted something for her, I asked if she would like a reversible table runner. She chose Halloween and Christmas.