Blossoming quilts at TIGQF

Next to Tokyo Dome, where the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival is held, there are the beautiful  Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. While waiting for the crowds at the show to thin out I took a walk there. It is still too cold for most flowers but the red Camelias were blossoming beautifully and the yellow Wintersweet has just started blooming. These are the first plum blossoms of the season and don't seem to mind the icy air.

Now inside Tokyo Dome, however, were many flowers - on quilts. Let's have a look. We start with this plum quilt of kimono silk, made by

古川範子 ＊ and titled: 寿ぎの風＃３

Later in spring the peach trees will beautify the landscape:

栗原淑子＊花桃の里

大久保絹江＊桜の香りに誘われて

Cherry blossoms and the falling cherry petals are favourite motifs, and you will always find at least one such quilt. Here Ms Okubo has made a beautiful mix of piecework and appliqué, (while according to the title, 'Being seduced by the fragrance of Cherry blossoms').

高山千代子＊あやめ

In early summer, during the rainy season you will see wonderful irises like these, for example at the garden I mentioned at the top of this blog post. 

I just love this stunning quilt. Look at the circles of falling raindrops on the water's surface.

中村ひろこ＊古代蓮

This wonderful scene of 'Ancient Lotus Flowers' by Hiroko Nakamura makes me think of the lotus garden at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in Kamakura.

Finally, here are two bed size quilts:

戸津美恵＊ひまわりのブーケ

Perfectly stitched!

松村章子＊初孫の誕生

Akiko Matsumura made this to celebrate the birth of her first grandchild. How's that for a cot quilt?! Oh, if only my grandmother had been Japanese...