The Japanese National Broadcasting corporation, NHK, has many educational programmes. One of them was called ‘Oshare Kobo’, (now Sutekini Handmade) and featured various crafts. Quilting is one of the most popular, so popular, that NHK together with other organisers founded the TOKYO International Great Quilt Festival in 2002. This festival is held in Tokyo Dome, a gigantic baseball stadium, and draws enormous crowds from all over the world.
The rules changed in 2016, but the ‘Partnership Quilt’ project is ever so popular and a part of the festival where anyone can send in a block, 15x15 cm, made on a set theme. These blocks are then stitched together by volunteers into wall-hangings of 120 blocks each and hand quilted. In 2006 they received a stunning 10.824 blocks which were made into 90 quilts! The quilts are entered into a charity raffle and a lucky winner for each quilt is drawn at the end of the festival.
I have taken part since 2004 and always include a Swedish flag to my blocks to add a bit of true international flair to the event.
Have a look:
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| Swedish Sunbonnet Sue, 2004 |
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| Swedish School House, 2005 |
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| Swedish lone sailor in the South Pacific, 2006 |
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| 2006 the theme was South Pacific and Hawaiian quilting. My block is in the top row, forth column. |
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| Swedish painted basket with cat, 2007 |
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| Swedish Teatime: Seven kinds of biscuits. The pattern on the plate is Rörstrand's Ostindia, drawn in ink, 2008 |
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| Swedish Compass Star, 2009 |
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| Traditional Christmas Tree with Swedish Flags, 2010 |
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| Floral block, 2011 |
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| Squares, (rectangles) and triangles, 2012 |
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| The Swedish flag is outstanding, don't you think? 2012 |
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Swedish snowman (circle), 2013
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| Olive Branch (floral message), 2014 |
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| Swedish mint candy 'polka gris' (sweet), 2015 |
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| Swedish key harp 'nyckelharpa' (music), 2016 |
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| Japanese Bonsai (Gardening), 2017 |
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Round leaves (Tree of Life), 2018
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| The Mushrooms have a Swedish flag on the washing line! (house) 2019 |
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| Cat Nap (My Favourite Animal), 2020 |
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| The Overheated Planet (Love the Earth), 2021 |
7 comments:
some lovely blocks here Queenie, glad I popped over to read more, I think I will try and make a piece but query the size, on here it says 20 x 20 which I presume does not include a seam allowance.I was amazed at how many blocks were made to make into 90 quilts, what a beautiful sight it must have been to see them all at the quilt show.
Hi Margaret,
It would be lovely to see your block on a wall in Tokyo Dome (huge indoor baseball stadium). The finished size for each block is 20x20 cm so you need a seam allowance. Add 1.5 cm all around so the ladies who stitch the blocks together will have plenty to 'play with'.
perhaps this year will give it a try! so lovely to see your blocks throughout the years, and in the quilted final pieces!
What a wonderful selection of blocks you have contributed since 2004 and including the Swedish flag is a super idea. I am tempted to contribute to the next partnership quilt. When is the deadline for 2015?
Hi Queenie, lovely blocks, yes swedish is nice, I think there is only one flagg greater than swedish - the finnish one ;-), best wishes Jaana in Stockholm
Is there an English version link I can find.
For the Partnership Quilt project, no , not yet. It will come later. The official website with regulations for the main contest etc can be found here: https://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/quilt/
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