The morning always starts with a "show and tell" of the lastest completed projects.
This time, for the first time since I joined, I had a quilt to show off. It was an extra special project because it was a completed UFO (UnFinished Object). Every quilter has their UFOs. Years ago I won a contest in our previous quilt guild (some of those members are in this present one) for having the oldest UFO. (It's still a UFO now too, really, really old)
This quilt was made with fabric I bought in Michigan before we moved. I wanted to have a fabric palette to work on a project in our new home. I pieced it together in the first year or two but I have spent twenty years hand quilting it in fits and spurts. I finally decided it had enough quilting and called it done. (Sorry for the poor photo taken by my friend who didn't frame the whole thing in the shot.)
After this the guild had a guest speaker who has traveled to Japan many times and attended the Japanese Quilt Show, a world renowned exhibit of the finest quilts you can imagine. She gave a slide presentation and talked about how the Japanese teach and learn the quilting art. It is a very involved process. Only highly qualified people are allowed to teach and if a teacher takes a student, she is their teacher for life with a fee paid every month for the service.
The speaker became a quilter in her fifties, after a career in the corporate world. She quickly became extremely skilled in her work. These are some of her quilts made with Japanese fabrics.
This is the back of a quilt.
She also became an importer of Japanese fabrics. She had a selection available for purchase. These are actually vintage, antique fabrics, that were used for making the beautiful traditional clothing that Japanese women wear.
During the slide show she showed photos of a visit to the factory where they hand dye these types of fabrics.
Notice how the fabrics have the pattern on both sides, because they are dyed through and not printed.
As always, the quilt guild meeting was an enjoyable way to spend a morning.
Well, bother. My comment did not post. My i-pad evidently can't send comments.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it started with a WOW! These quilts are always so impressive. Your own is really gorgeous, Pam. and so are those wonderful Japanese fabrics. They are a good reason to visit the country.
Thanks for sharing.