Today is the 3rd and last day of the Kyoto Quilt Festival, where I have been showing 12 of my art quilts, and sharing the stories of each of these artworks. Many thanks to friends and customers and industry connections who have come from all over Japan to see me here.
Friday night I attended the party for festival staff and artists. There were quilters from not only Japan, but also Taiwan and Korea. The evening was a mix of languages being spoken – English, Japanese, Mandarin and Korean. Somehow we all communicated … if nothing else … in the common language of quilters. There was a hilarious competition of the Asian version of ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ – competing for a vintage silver spoon from Korea. There was much giggling, shrieking, and general silliness. I still say, if quilters ruled the world, we could solve all the problems and live in peace.
I gave my power point talk “International Quilt Trends” on Friday, and gave 2 artist gallery talks on Saturday. I also did some sewing demos which I have not done in a long time, but I had so much fun sharing tips on quilting and free-motion stitching. It was gratifying to have the younger women tell me later, that they were deeply moved by my messages about the environment, human rights, and empowerment of women. That makes the whole trip worthwhile.
Many thanks to Reiko-san for inviting me to participate, and for the several interpreters who helped me. That song I learned in Girl Scouts comes to mind:
Make new friends, and keep the old…
One is silver and the other gold!
sharing your love for fabric,
Luana and Paul
Travel/Lecture Dates:
Feb 25 – Mar 5 – Kyoto Quilt Festival – Luana’s Solo Gallery
March 9 – Public Open Studio – 1-5 pm @ eQuilter
(March 8 – group studio visits by appointment)
Apr 3-6 – SAQA Conference – St Pete, Florida
April 23-26 – Washington DC
April 27- May 3 – Alegre Retreat
Visit eQuilter’s Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok pages for Color and Design ideas.
See Luana’s Artist Blog, Flickr Photo Pages for travel images, comment on our blog, or follow us on Facebook.
Check out our Video pages for interviews and show reviews.
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