The 9th Quilts Japan Contest Exhibition

Last Saturday, I went to see the 9th Quilts Japan Contest Exhibition, which was held at the Crafting Art Gallery in Nakano, Tokyo.

Quilts and bags were on display. Today, I will show the quilts, the bags at another time.

Charming hearts stringed up, ready for the Christmas tree?


若松操

Beware, The Lion King has spotted you!

須藤恵美

Memories from a holiday in Hokkaido.

稲谷美穂

I think this quilt was made with yukata (cotton kimono for summer) fabric.

佐藤志津江

The text is in Finnish (F) and Swedish (S):


TERVEIULOA=Welcome (F)
MOI=Hello (F)
KAHVITAUKO=coffee break( F)
SOKERI=Sugar (F)
MUNKKI=Doughnut (F)
HILLO MUNKKI=Jam doughnut (F)
FIKA=Coffee (S)
SKA VI FIKA?=Let's have a coffee break. (S)
KAHVI & MUNKKI=Coffee & Doughnuts (F)

三浦寿美子

This tapestry was made from kimono belt (obi) brocade fabric, and is laden with heavy metallic thread.

佐藤好子

Intricate machine quilting.
森下千代子

Hexagon log cabin roses.

所靖子

Small hexagons of Liberty Lawn and feminine pastels, hand quilted and framed with lots of embroidery.

稲谷美穂

An intriguing quilt.

The whole quilt is covered with sheer chiffon/net, but underneath... It is either fuzzy-cut hexagon pieces of fabric attached precisely with fabric glue, then layered and machine quilted in a hexagonal pattern, and then embroidered with free-motion stitching. 

OR, the entire foundation fabric is hand-painted or drawn with crayons, then layered and quilted.

Notice the white void around each hexagon shape.

I love hexagons, hydrangeas, purple and green, so this was one of my favourite quilts.

大塚千鶴子

We all smiled at the piggy with a mouthful of rubies!

船場幸子

A tribute to Hokkaido and Ainu culture.

宇都宮伊津子

Going on a cruise has grown in popularity, and there are many extraordinary ships these days.

畑幸子

Except for the deer, this is the view of our local park, fully dressed in autumnal splendour.

河谷晴美

I can almost hear them miaowing.

関谷みよこ

I can almost hear the chorus of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

冨森ちとみ

This saw-tooth edge is nicely done in two sizes.

小林加代子

For the love of paisley.

杉本美津子

Anyone who loves Mola will be charmed by this quilt.

固本佳子

Viva Crazy Quilting. Here with accents of felt flowers.

佐々木直子

This is another of my favourites, of suggestive art. 

Imagine you sit in front of this quilt for a long time, for example, in a waiting room and see what you can see.  

Is it a landscape of forests and snow-topped mountains or a cityscape with white buildings and many windows and green parks? 

Is it the remains of a bombed-out city with fires still roaring and dark smoke billowing up into the sky?

Is it a strip of uncut, old-fashioned film taken at high speed of the same scene? 

Is it a mosaic or a section of a kaleidoscope?

Before you know it, your name is called out in the waiting room. The dentist is waiting with that dreaded drill...

近藤容子

This reminds me of Japanese balls wound with silk thread, 'temari' or crystal glass cut into intricate patterns, 'kiriko'.

大原なつみ

Mt Fuji dressed for Christmas?

内山淳美

It has been a long time since I saw a taupe quilt. A bit of red adds both spice and charm.

竹田ゆう子

Anyone who has read my blog recently knows that I try to follow the idea of SDGs and try to mend or recycle my clothing.

This quilter used her husband's business suit after he retired from work. She turned it into a piece of art to show gratitude for all the hard work the suit has done for them.

The red text in the first picture says: 'Thank you for working so hard for us for so long.'

The quilter made good use of the labels, pockets and the buttoned cuffs of the sleeve, too.

細見久視子

Can you see the movement in this scene? Can you feel the wind on your face?

竹中晴子

Kimonos made out of kimonos!

梅野京子

Sunbonnet Sue in 64 situations of work and play.

I will have to study this quilt in detail to gather ideas to use for my Sunday Stitch School Revision Samplers.

 鈴木美知子

Beautiful water lilies in the pond. The inner border is unusual.

杉本美津子

These cheerful hearts are skipping, jumping and flying around.

北田郁代

Oh, the tropical beauty of Mola. A masterpiece of minute and precise work.

坂根ようこ

There are some very famous baseball players in Major League Baseball. There is even a team of cats! LA Gingers vs LA Tabbies.

所靖子

Here is a quilt full of movement, and in my favourite colours. I don't know if recycled fabric was used, or not, but this could surely be classified as an SDGs scrap quilt with all those small squares...

岸田邦子

Here is another recycling SDGs quilt made of curtains, snippets of fabric, orts (short lengths of thread), thread and buttons.

嶋田悟子

What's hiding under the quilt? A cat!

髙野かづ子

With simple embroidery stitches and intricate patterns, you can make a beautiful collection of doilies, snowflakes and cut paper circles.

田中須美子

The Japanese Zodiac of twelve animals. You can move the animal of each year and place it in turn in the middle. 

The display is for next year, 2026, which is the Year of the Horse.

河村英子

Finally, I will show you a black and white quilt, drawn and painted with ink and outlined with embroidery stitches.
加藤利枝