Tokyo Dome Quilt Festival ...3

With this post, I run out of names in English, so any more pictures will take time for getting help.

Over many years I have developed a friendship with Ueno-san through shows at Yokohama as well as Tokyo Dome. For years she was part of a group of international quilters that made a show on certain themes in small wall quilts. She teaches quilted handbags and enters bags or framed quilts or, this year, this large quilt names "Garden Birds".  I was interested to see that the bird print she has used is the same one I am using to applique birds in the tree of my new granddaughter's quilt. I am working by hand but in awe of how beautiful a job she could do by machine.

Here is a close-up.

And another one.

It seems she found this print fabric in a larger size.

The background is perfect to show them off.

This year she also entered the framed category with this colorful giraffe.

I have not translated the names in this category, but included the title cards with the names in Japanese and the description.

The needlework embellishments on this are outstanding. The quilter is "Tanaka"

This quilter put a lot of detail into this Christmas scene.

This colorful bird was made in Mola style by a quilter named Yamamoto.

This piece of work called "Memory" seems to be looking back at school days.

Many of the lovely large quilts with so much detail seem to spend more time folded up waiting for a show. I think these framed quilts make more sense, as they could be hung in someone's house. I am impressed as to how much detail quilters manage to get into such a compact space.

Prize-winners were given credit for their work.

This one made by Kazuko Fujimura won the prize for Original Design.

The second prize overall went to this quilt made by Kyoko Takeda

"Golden Tokyo Tower 2020" by Ritsuko Kuramitsu won third prize in the "traditional" category. 

I wonder what makes this a "traditional" quit.

This is the second prize winner fir the "traditional" quilts.

Made by Noriko Kido

And the first prize for traditional goes to Teruko Uchiya

Titled, "Hamorebi"

"Life IV" by Noriko Misawa took the prize for "Machine Making"

This quilt made by Mayumi Mochizuki won a second prize. I'm not certain the category or if it is overall. 

And the grand winner was this quilt made by Hitomi Mishima.

Honestly, I don't know how the winners were selected. There were so many fine  quilts, and compaed with when the Dome show had its beginnings, creative and original designs with fine quilting and embellishments.  

In addition to these selected for prizes, each category also displayed the top three picks.

A baseball stadium is not a small place and the center display area is surrounded by assorted rows of shops or stalls selling all kinds of quilt-related items. There is a lot of walking to do and a lot of waiting for people to get out of the way so a picture can be taken. In the early days, pictures were not allowed and there was a large book on sale if you wanted pictures, so the times have changed in more ways than one. One thing that never changes is that the end, one has to walk up a long flight of steps to the very top of the stadium to exit, and after hours of walking, that might just be the biggest challenge of all.

I hope I will get some translation so I can show a few more of my favorites.

Tokyo Dome Quilt Festival (well known teacher's quilts)

I have hesitated to post many pictures taken at the quilt show because I wish to give credit to those quilters who have not only come up with creative designs, but must have spent very many hours of work on the details. Following here are quilts made by well-known quilters, probably most of them teachers ... or "sensei". Other than a few foreign quilters, the names on the majority of posted information are still written only in Japanese. I have seen a number of posts on blogs or Facebook that just show pictures without any other data. My friends who can read the names have dutifully included them in their posts.

These cute Song Sparrows seem to be having a party. 

Yoshiko Katagiri os the creator of this gathering.

"Kokeshis' Stories" by Megumi Mizuno

"For You" by Toshiko Imai has a lot of beautiful detail in both the quilting and the applique.

"Combinations" by Sachiko Yoshida  Even with a limited pallet, the arrangement was quite striking.

"In the Afterglow" by Misaki Okabe  I have never seen a sunset like this!

"The Summer Town" by Noriko Fujisawa. 

"The Red Mountain" by Fumiko Nakayama.

Known for her "Mola" quilts, this mola is done in a more modern style.

"Fallen Leaves" by Chiyoko Takayama

Not only a creative arrangement, but amazing detail ...

I didn't get the name of this quilt with an interesting arrangement of black and white mixed with color. It was created by Miki Murakami

"A Quilt of Sky-Blue" by Hiroko Nakazawa

This made nice use of the graded blue background and fine details.

Misako Imamura put a lot of fine detail into this lovely bouquet.

"What Autumn Forest Tells Me" by Reiko Naganuma

Trees over autumn colors ... and the multi-colored border is a fine finish.

As usual, Emiko Toda Loeb has created a two-sided 

hanging, and as is usually the case, a two-sided hanging space has been made for it's display.

And shown here is the reverse side.

"Ancestral Resemblance"

is the title.

"A Chocolate Factory" by Osami Gonohe

One can spend a lot  of time enjoying the details in this quilt,

not just the busy figures, but the teacups and cookies tied within that border .

"Dignified - the Tree of Ressurection" by Noriko Inafune

"Flowers Survived over a Thousand Years" by Hiroko Takita

Tokiko Yanazawa made this elegant Peafowl. What a lot of work!

"An Hommage for DOUSHOKUSAIE" by Reiko Nakahara.

I seem to have started and ended this part of the show with birds. 

Along with the name and title, the posted sign gives some explanation of what the quilter was thinking or intending or representing in her quilt. There were many times I wished I could read the explanations that went along with this fine work.

I hope you enjoyed a small glimpse of the inspiration I enjoy year-by-year.

Tokyo Dome Quilt Festival 2019 (partnership quilts)

 The Tokyo Quilt Festival is having its last day today, having begun last Thursday, January 24th. Even attending two days, it was difficult to get many pictures with so many people filling the aisles between.

The theme for partnership quilts this year was "Houses", and as happens each year at the start when the theme is announced, the teacher who is taking on the assembly that year, will be shown on NHK TV talking about the subject and offering a number of suggested patterns.

There may be classes as well. 


Other than the variety of fabrics used ,
there is little variety in the blocks shown on this quilt.

 This composition seems to have picked out red houses. One seems to have used the idea shown in the first picture and there are a number of traditional "Little Red School-house" houses in the center.
The upper and lower row of blocks may have been made in a workshop where the teacher supplied both the pattern and the fabric, as they look almost identical.

 This assembly seems to have been organized by houses at night. There is also a block shown in the first quilt, only with a dark background. In general, this quilt seems to have more variety of houses.

 This quilt has a few more night time blocks and a more wintery look. The blocks in the center area seem to have been made by a group using the same fabrics.

 And many of these houses appear to represent country style thatched-roof houses ... kind of a more Japanese touch to the subject. I am thinking the majority of these participants came up with their own patterns.

I attended the show on Saturday with my friends and here is "Queenie" (Carin) with her contribution containing a Swedish flag. Many of the houses on this quilt were mushrooms.

And, here is Tanya with her block among a pastel village.

For the past few years, after learning that Carin always added her country flag, I decided to add the Ohio State bird, a cardinal,  to my blocks.


He has appeared in earlier years with a songbook, a nest in a tree, and planting a seed in a garden.



Here he is checking out a birdhouse...
though I don't think cardinals are likely to nest in a house.

This quilt did have a large selection of birds and birdhouses.






There were 66 partnership quilts exhibited. From last year, the required block size became smaller but the number of quilts does not seem to have decreased.

The show was quite crowded and taking pictures without elbows, shoulders, and heads in front was rather a challenge. Though the mob tended to thin out around 4:pm, the body was wearing out as well.

This was the 18th year of the show. Each year I fill out a questionaire before leaving, recommending they put the quilter's name in English. Many viewers were taking pictures and I have seen a few on Facebook with no recognition given to the quilters who must have spent the better part of a year producing a one-of-a-kind quilt.
Other than the teachers' category, only foreign entries had names other than in Japanese. One year I even brought home the questionaire to get help writing it in Japanese, thinking maybe they could not read requests in English. I am now thinking those forms are not even read other than to be used to send out advertisements to those who respond.

Please check out Tanya's and Queenie's blogs for good pictures and better information. I hope to show more later.