Friday 31 May 2013

NHK Partnership quilt 2014

Last night NHK (the Japanese state run broadcasting company) announced the theme for next year's Partnership quilt project.

You can read what I have written earlier about NHK Partnership quilt here.

Last year it was CIRCLE and I contributed with this block:









For 2014 the theme is FLOWER LANGUAGE.

This is something the Japanese love and is often used in TV dramas, or indeed for quilted gifts between friends. Here is a list of flowers and their meaning.

Be sure I will not make a Lettuce or Cypress block! I might even stretch the rules and make a fantasy flower with a new meaning. After all, language is always changing!

Sashiko, crazy quilt, appliqué, pieced, Celtic bias tape... I am sure anything goes!



Should you wish to participate, then these are the rules:


  • one block per person
  • 22cm x 22cm with a seam allowance of 1.5cm included
  • flimsy block, i.e. no wadding, no quilting
  • your name should be written with pen in the seam allowance of the lower right hand corner
  • your block should have reached NHK by 31st August, 2013
  • enclose a note with your name, address, tel no, email address
  • send to:
Partnership Quilt
NHK Sutekini Handmade
2-2-1 Jinnan
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-8001
Japan

Your block will be joined with other blocks into large bed size quilts and quilted by volunteers. These quilt will be displayed at Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival in January next year, where they will be raffled off.

27 comments:

margaret said...

this sounds good Queenie, will look forwward to seeing all the individual blocks put together to create something that will be unique.

Elizabeth's quarters said...

What a fabulous theme! I love the idea of a new flower/word that reflects ever changing language.

Ulla-Britt said...

Så roligt att du skriver om detta. Ska försöka skicka in ett block.
För övrigt är det roligt att ta del av din kreativitet i din blogg.
/ullabritt.se

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of this theme, I love flowers! It will be interesting to see what you come up with.

Queeniepatch said...

The Tokyo show is always extremely crowded, and I guess at least half of all visitors come to see their own or their friends' block in the Partnership project. You could spend more than a day just looking at all and every one.

Queeniepatch said...

I'm glad to hear that! I come from a long line of gardeners and my great grandfather would be pleased if I crossbred some exotic plant and gave it special 'powers' or meaning. Ha, ha!

Queeniepatch said...

Hej Ulla-Britt,
Det var länge sedan. Jag saknar dina TAST bidrag. Vi är nu uppe i 68e stygnet och det är fortfarande lika roligt.
Appropå Partnership quilt. Skulle det inte vara kul att bidra med ett block med mycket svenskt motiv, applikation typ yllebroderi, eller något från Dala Floda dräktens blommor? Du som är så duktig ska du inte vara med?

Queeniepatch said...

I know you like flowers; they are decorating your cards. Would it be possible to make a 'quilling' applique flower? Why not join in?

Lins Artyblobs said...

I love flowers so I find that a great theme. I look forward to seeing what you do.

JennyPennyPoppy said...

Flower language theme sounds great. Looking forward to seeing what you will design and stitch :)

J Honda said...

thank you for the heads up on this! I had hoped to participate last year...this year, must make the effort to try :) Thank you Queenie!

carorose said...

I think the love of flowers is universal and there is so much to love. There are two little patchwork shops about 2 hours north of Brisbane who put blocks into this show and then some of the ladies travel up to Toyoko for the show. They all love it and their numbers grow each year. Your snow man is great.

Julie Fukuda said...

Each year there seem to be many quilts with all the same blocks. I think this challenge allows more opportunity for variation and should be fun to see. I guess you know I love all kinds of flowers.

Queeniepatch said...

It will be fun to work with.

Queeniepatch said...

It will be a challenge to make the flowers 'speak their language'. Making a flower is easy, but what does it say?

Queeniepatch said...

It would be great if you contributed with a block!

Queeniepatch said...

Thank you.
Yes, every year I see, and hear a lot of Australian ladies both at the Yokohama and Tokyo shows. Good to know that some of them also have sent blocks. The event is beautifully organised and it is easy to identify the maker of each block by reading the chart on the wall next to the quilt.

Queeniepatch said...

When you see quilts made up of the same block I think they were made by some group; the 'sensei' sets a pattern and all students make their block. Hopefully each quilter can make their own blocks this time.

Queeniepatch said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pamela said...

Queenie,
I want to participate too! Surely I can complete a block in the next two months. When in January is the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival? I would like to attend.
Thanks!

Queeniepatch said...

Hi Pamela!
PLEASE do take part. It is great fun to see some foreign names and blocks with an 'international' look among all the Japanese entries.
The show is held in January, usually starting around the 20th and running for ten days. HOWEVER, this year because of the Baseball Classics, the time was cut to six days and the show was CROWDED. As soon as I know the dates I will post them on the blog. Watch this space, as they say!

Julie Fukuda said...

Thanks again for all the information. I watched the show on Wednesday.
I want to try my hand at this. So...Block size is a little hard for me to understand unless I want to make applique in the center. If it is a pieced block, is it 20 cm. before adding the seam allowance?

Reba Ruby Rose said...

I really appreciate your posting about this. I've participated the last couple of years and find it really meaningful to create a quilt block for such an international event. I also found this wikipedia listing for Hanakotoba - the Japanese form of the language of flowers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanakotoba). Looking forward to seeing others post their completed blocks online too!

Queeniepatch said...

Hi!
Good of you to find the Hanakotoba website. The meaning is not always the same in different countries. In Japan it is often part of the clue in a TV mystery drama, a 'dying message' or similar.
I don't know if you read japanese and is able to see this page, but it is all about the details for the Partnership Quilt. http://www.nhk.or.jp/kurashi/hand/quilt/#main_img
If possible let me know what your block looks like.
Happy quilting.

Reba Ruby Rose said...

I don't read Japanese, but luckily Google does! Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone heard of confirmation dates for the 2014 festival??

Queeniepatch said...

Not yet, usually the dates are announced late in autumn. You can check for yourself on this website from time to time: http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/quilt/ Even if you don't read Japanese the dates should be possible to see.