Quilt National ’13
I was so happy to see how great my Thru the Lens looked in the Dairy Barn!
What a wonderful weekend!! To see the art up close and meet so many fiber artists was amazingly inspirational. Every piece included in Quilt National ’13 is exceptional and it was clear to me that the work of each artist represents the the best of whatever genre and techniques they chose.
Having my quilt on the cover of the catalog for this Show is an extremely high honor.
There are many wonderful blog posts on the web with views that tell the whole visual story. Rather than try to list them here, I suggest a search for “Quilt National 2013″ where you are sure to find them. My “personal paparazzo” was my husband, Robert, and he documented the weekend well. He was almost as talented as my old friend, Randy Karr, a professional photographer, who took the shot of me above. Here are some of Robert’s images:
One of the most wonderful things about teaching in Japan was seeing my words printed up in Japanese! I provided some of my information sheets for the students ahead of time, and the JHIA staff had them translated by my translator, Mariko Akizuki. They also printed a postcard to promote my class! I think the printed Japanese language is beautiful as design whatever ideas it coveys to those who can read it!
transportation to and from Japan along with a week’s accommodations. My classes were in Tokyo and Osaka. The staff at Nihon Vogue was extremely helpful in all ways, and I felt like I was being treated like royalty. What an experience! The students were very enthusiastic and I was told that everyone truly enjoyed my class. The students were quilting teachers who came from all over Japan to take my class in hand stitching on silk. I brought hand painted samples for the students and they added many rows of hand stitching. I was told that this was the first time a quilting class was about hand stitch. I met the head of the embroidery section of the Japan Handicraft Instructor’s Association (JHIA) and when she and her current class saw the samples of my work that I had brought with me, she was very interested in organizing some embroidery classes for quilters in the future. JHIA sponsors the Quilt Nihon Exhibitions and is a non profit branch of Nihon Vogue.
The Japanese Maple trees in November were beautiful, and this is considered the high season in Kyoto. There were many, many buses full of tourists from other parts of Japan at every temple and shrine we visited. The thousands of torii gates at the Fushimi Inari temple just outside Kyoto were spectacular. They wind up and around the hill behind the temple buildings and they have been donated by people successful in business to honor the spirit of fertility and industry. Each gate bears the name of its donor.
We ate sushi from the store and I got to shop at a wonderful outside market that had antique kimono as well as beautiful hand made textile crafts. It was the trip of a lifetime and I one of the greatest honors I will ever receive. I definitely will find a way to return to Japan – it is a wonderful place to visit.
