Two weeks from now I will be in Tokyo, headed to the quilt festival at the Tokyo Dome. Every year that I attend this show is a privilege, and greatly anticipated. A quarter million people come to this show (!) and it is an experience just being among the 35K-40K who attend each day. This year I saved up all my miles so I could get a free ticket on a direct flight from Denver. Yippee!
Here are some photos I took at a museum outside of Tokyo on a previous trip. The central panel is a detail of a vintage Boro quilt, and on the right are 3 Sashiko stitching sample details. Over the years we have expanded our Sashiko category, after I fell in love with vintage and contemporary exhibits in Japan. Whether you are stitching Sashiko by hand, or using a special machine embroidery stitch to mimic Sashiko, there is something about a plump white stitch on an indigo background that never fails to catch the eye. Here you also see blue Sashiko threads on a red or white background.
I’ve set these photos of stitch samples, among some indigo and red traditional designs, (fabrics currently in stock here at eQuilter.com) that might give you some inspiration for your next quilt project.
Did you know that the original idea for our business was to stock imported Asian prints and Bali batiks in the basement of our house? I thought I’d have a nice little part time business and stay home with the kids… ha! Obviously our business expanded beyond our original vision, but I always hold a special place in my heart for these beautiful Asian fabrics. This is because in my 20’s I lived in Hong Kong, and then moved to New York and traveled to 10 countries in Asia as an import garment designer. I spent every spare minute visiting museums, galleries, temples and historic buildings during those years, and that formed the foundation of my love for Asian art and de sign. Later that love brought us to adopt a little baby girl from China, but that is another story!
My Flickr page has reached a milestone – over 10 million views! If you have not checked out my quilt and travel albums yet, grab a cup of tea and enjoy the tour. (Or better yet, join me on one of my tours to Cuba or Churchill this year.)
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Travel Calendar:
Jan 18-23 – Tokyo Quilt Festival
May 8-15 – Luana’s CUBAN ARTS TOUR! – Registration Open NOW
Nov 15-20 – Luana’s Polar Bear Tour – Churchill
