The 17th Quilt Nihon Exhibition

The 17th Quilt Nihon Exhibition 2023, has come to Tokyo and I went to an art museum in Ueno Park to see the quilts on show.

It was a long time since I saw such good quilts. They showed fine craftsmanship, most of them hung absolutely straight and often had tiny details and unique ideas.

Have a look!

I have written the names of the quilters in Chinese characters, as printed on the signboards. However, as many Japanese names can be read in several ways, I have had to guess how to pronounce and spell the names with alphabetic letters. I am sorry if there are any mistakes.

Chung Soyoung (from Korea?) made this mountain view with layered pieces of fabric and bias tape.

三輪眞里子＊Mariko Miwa used a black kimono with elegant embroidery as the foundation for her intricate quilt.

Look at the close-up, can you see the masses of belt loops from old jeans? They make up this quilt by Korean quilter Lee Mikyeong.

The next quilt also featured something that could have come from old jeans - the rivets or metal studs found on pockets.

Gold and Misery by French quilter Jean Pierre Avonts-Saint-Lager.

For a long time, I and my friends looked at the white sections and wondered if it was plastic, paper or nylon. We guess it was the latter.

Made by Tateo Tiziana

What a beautiful way to celebrate one's 70th birthday.

薬師寺恵美子＊Emiko Yakushiji

武藤操子＊Misako Muto used the typical Japanese tea towel known as 'tenugui' to illustrate her quilt.

There was a lot of embroidery stitches on many quilts, but no quilt had as much embroidery as this one appropriately named 'Kogin' after the embroidery style of Aomori Prefecture in Northern Japan.

柴山みさ＊Misa Shibayama

The spider lily, of Higanbana in Japanese, is a popular flower.

This quilt was made by 坂くに子＊Kuniko Saka.

小和田晴美＊Harumi Owada must have used up a lot of machine thread to make this quilt.

田實恵子＊Keiko Tajitsu used Japanese crepe and kimono silk to cover plastic cups in order to make these dancing flames.

There was a section of miniature quilts with F I N E details!

By 中沢フェリーサ＊Felisa Nakazawa

Another quilter who used up a lot of thread was

Teresa Gai from Italy.

菅谷由希子＊Yukiko Sugaya made this impeccable machine quilted miniature with tartan pattern.

加瀬サト子＊Satoko Kase is a master at making sharp tips!

上原陽子＊Yoko Uehara

Another quilt by Satoko Kase＊加瀬サト子

Redwork by machine!

近康予＊Yasuyo Kon

山本チエ子＊Chieko Yamamoto

上條福左江＊Fusae Kamijo made one of the many Double Wedding ring quilts.

西浦みゆき＊Miyuki Nishiura made a typical 'sweet' Japanese  quilt with little houses and many trees. I loved the river that runs through it.

If there is anyone who can make the tiniest ever quilt stitches I wonder if it is not Yoko Oishi＊大石容子.

It was also the most spotless and brilliantly white wholecloth quilt I have ever seen.

This is a true museum piece!

Here is another quilt that could be in a museum - of old things. This crazy quilt featured a lot of velvet and silk and it absolutely glowed with beauty!

船木久美子＊Kumiko Funaki

Next is an unusual quilt. It contained a lot of wool, crocheted details, wool embroidery and the quilting as well as the motif made me think of Kantha, the Indian embroidered bed coverings.

白石千恵子＊Chieko Shiraishi

A very Japanese quilt. The background has a net pattern resembling Sashiko, the circles are an important design form in Buddhism (mandalas etc), and the circles also represent temaki balls. Each circle contains some form of a nature theme, flowers or animals. Can you see the dancing cranes or the gold fish?

赤池素子＊Motoko Akaike

With lots of small details, yet it hangs as straight as if it had been starched!

嶋村利枝＊Yoshie Shimamura

伊藤裕子＊Yuko Itoh

笠井久仁子＊Kuniko Kasai must have spent a long time piecing all these sampler blocks together.

大塩敦子＊Atsuko Oshio

菅谷由希子＊Yukiko Sugaya

加藤君代＊Kimiyo Kato used Japanese striped fabric to make this fantastic quilt.

 Here is a link to the official website of Japan Handicraft Instructors' Association with photos of every quilt.