How to avoid wet feet

Two quilt shows in one month!

the first one was at Odakyu Department Store in Machida.

Being near my daughter's home, we agreed to meet up with both daughter and granddaughter and Norie's Mother-in-law.

Though I took my camera, no photographs were allowed. These quilts were not all new but the works of a number of " Top Quilters" ... which, in Japan, usually are teachers with many followers or "deshi".

The second show was held at Ikebukuro Seibu Department Store. ( the end of one train line that runs from my area into town).

This was the 13th of these shows and it, too was the work of 100 "Top Quilters".

Again there were some quilts I have seen before in other shows, but is was a nice show with a variety of quilts ... the majority hand quilted.

Again no photos other than one small section showing things quilters had created for keeping their tools in order.

There were special pocketed bags for carrying the goodies and storing them.

There were small wall quilts with the display and a roped off area for viewers so as not to get too close.

Of course, though there was a small sign on the wall at each display, the writing was small and one might need a telephoto lens or binoculars to see who made the display and what the comments said.

Between my chatelaine and my thread racks I probably don't need to copy any of these ideas but it was nice to see I am not the only organization freak.

Maybe I need to coordinate my carrying bag with my quilts.



Well, everything I make ends up scrappy so perhaps I am coordinated.

Here we have some nice restful tones.

Seen anything yet that inspires you to get more organized?

Here are some small hangings that suggest seasons in Japan.


Most are summer with fireflies and flowers but I do see an autumn pumpkin and some hina dolls.

No way to make out the sign on the wall.

I guess as an owl-lover I should add this one too.


I have a printed panel with almost this same design only all in blue prints.

One of these days I have planned to turn it into a table runner but If I had wall space, this might also be an alternative.

There were lots of small shops at both shows and it was fun to wander around and check out the goodies for sale. I did see some things I wished I owned but actually do not need or even have room for.


I visited this show at the end of a very busy week with school starting up, there were all kinds of teacher meetings and lots of prep work.

My nine-patch quilting was limited to just one or two blocks a day and some days I half slept as I sat with the hoop in my lap.

Friday I finished off all the quilting around the small nine-patch areas. My next move was to quilt in the ditch around all the remaining two-inch blocks down to the first inner border.

From Yesterday I decided on a design to use in the inner blocks.

Since it was a space only two inches square, I modified the pattern I have been using in the neighbouring blocks.

I am still using the blue thread ... though I may need to buy a new spool before long.

In this photo you can see four different shades of white. Maybe the blue hides the differences a bit but it also shows up the unevenness of my stitches.

At any rate, I doubt this quilt will ever face judges in a show so it is safe.

I have just a few more of these blocks to quilt and then I have to come up with a plan for the ones next to the border.

I am thinking of a diagonal pattern to meet the corner blocks.

Then next will be the triangles in the inner boarder. Those whites are all the same but I will probably use the blue thread there ... at least to the inner border. Maybe the outer triangles could go to white because the outer boarder will be quilted with white and since the fabric pattern is busy, may not show much or at all.

My outdoor plants have been quite happy the last two weeks with lots of rain passing through. Today a typhoon was expected but, as with the last one, it seems to have brushed past our area leaving only the bordering rain and gusts. Since one of my number one hates is wet feet in wet shoes, this is a good excuse to stay inside and catch up on some quilting.