Recent workshops

I'm very busy with a book project at the moment, but here are a few photos from recent workshops.  First, we had a 2 day workshop weekend at The Studio, Loch Lomond - Japanese Art Quilt Boromono followed by Crazy Sashiko.  The photo above is my latest workshop sample for this, a  table runner, and I plan to make some placemats to go with it. Although I had planned to spend a day on each subject, everyone enjoyed their boromono sewing so much, we let the patchworks grow a bit bigger and started our sashiko after lunch on Sunday.  The crazy sashiko is inspired by the very simple sashiko from my old boromono pieces and sashiko workwear, but working with machine patchwork with the possibililty of some later applique patches as the piece grows.

The photo above is the back of the boromono on the right below - it was made from recycled wool kimono fabrics.  Why do quilters always hold their quilts up so high we can't see them in the photos? :-)

Since I started teaching this workshop several years ago, I found the work of Japanese quilter Junko Maeda, who makes lovely boromono, some influenced by Korean pojagi wrapping cloths and others very heavily stitched without marking with very simple hitomezashi (one stitch sashiko) patterns.  They have an appealingly rustic look.  Her 2006 book is one of my favourites and I recently bought another book, 和の布つなぎ (could be translated as 'Harmonious Patchwork?' - literally 'Harmony of linked cloth').  This is an earlier book and shows more pojagi-influenced pieces, but also very interesting.  If you are in the USA, the La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum is going to have an exhibition of Junko's work next summer - click here for more info.  I wish I could see it.  Maybe there will be a catalogue?  I've e mailed to ask.

If you can't wait that long for an interesting boro-inspired exhibition and you will be in Japan later this month, Ginka Niigata's exhibition will be on next week - see this link for more details.  The lovely boromono and 'chikuchiku' crazy sashiko piece is from her blog.


 "Chikuchiku exhibition"
1/23-31 (Sunday holiday)
Venue / Niigata "Ginka Niigata" (Niigata Chuo-ku)
025-222-4395

 「チクチクちく展覧会」
1/23-31(日曜休み）
会場／にいがた「銀花」(新潟市中央区）
025-222-4395

Back to my workshops, we had a Spinning Squares workshop at The Peacock and the Tortoise in Perth in December.  I liked the fabric combination in the last photo so much, I got the same layer cake ('Potluck' by American Jane for Moda) but I'm going to add some of Moda's 'Russian Tradition' paisley fabrics to mine (the last but one photo shows the blocks made with that layer cake).  I hope I get some photos of the finished quilts.