Tag: museum

Japanese Quilts

I’ve long been in awe of Japanese quilts and quiltmakers.  I’ve marveled at their precise execution of the tiniest detail in piecing and applique; having seen their work in magazines, at quilt shows and having friends who quilt.  

I own quite a few Japanese publications, and some Japanese fabric as well.  Part of my appreciation for some of the work I see comes from sewing with that woven Japanese fabric they use.  It is a delightful texture, but when it comes time to turn under a tiny edge for applique, it is sometimes tricky.   The success I see in the quilts with this fabric is all the more amazing considering the tiny scale of some pieces. 

My collection of Japanese quilt books.
No, I don’t read Japanese…but I follow graphics pretty well.

I recently went to see an exhibit of some quilts from the Quilt Japan show of 2019 that’s on tour in the U. S.  I wasn’t disappointed.  The Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum in Carrollton, Ga, has fifty quilts from this show on display.  I studied them all!  

I was expecting to see beautiful hand quilting using traditional American patchwork and applique patterns.  The Baltimore Album style of quilts is a favorite among Japanese prizewinners.  I did see this.  But, oh, so much more.  Details are in the captions of each photo.

Flower Spinning by Hana Tsumugu. This is a perfect example of what I expected to see….
This detail shows intricate appliqué, hand quilting and embroidery.
The gallery with a loom from an old cotton mill in Carrollton has several contemporary quilts.
Tomorrow by Sanae Munaraka. The detail in this is very intriguing…
I couldn’t help but wonder…did she plan to use hexagons to make the whale? Or did she just piece together a bunch of hexagons and triangles, then decide that would be good for the whale she needed?
La La La Scribbles was made by Hisako Yamamura whose five-year-old grandson Itsuki had just learned these alphanumeric characters. She loved the mirrored C’s, F’s, and J’s and collected more artwork from him to include in the quilt.
Sumiko Aoki’s Hydrangea, ever-changing was a fabulous example of a contemporary subject.
detail to savor….
Sky in the Dawn by Reiko Saito was an abstract piece that kept me coming back…
and here’s why…

The show is on display through June 22.  If you are a quilter, it’s worth your time to go see these beauties.  And there are some interesting restaurants and shops in Carrollton, too.

Here’s a quilt I made using the Japanese woven fabrics.  The story of this quilt is here.

My friend Toshi gave me some delicious fabrics a few years ago…I shared them here.

And if you type “japanese” in the search bar, you’ll find more evidence of my fascination with this culture and its quilting.

I have many more photos of these beauties…but if you are going to read this in time to visit the exhibit, I have to stop editing for now…Go! I’ll share more later.

Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum…open Tuesdays – Saturdays. This exhibit ends June 22. Their website: https://www.sqtmuseum.org.

Museum in the Country

It was Saturday, the day for adventure.  Our “ride-about” for the day took us to some antique stores; old favorites and a new one, a reliable lunch spot for a bite to eat, and then…

part of a huge hooked rug designed by Steffen Thomas

Then we found ourselves visiting an art museum in an unusual location.  Our car’s navigation system complained, “this destination includes roads with incomplete information”. 

This art museum has an address with Nature’s inspiration all around.

A quilting friend had told me about an exhibit here showing art quilts interpreting some of the work of Steffen Thomas.  The art quilts were nice, for sure.  But the discovery of Steffen Thomas’ artwork, the man himself, the museum, and the docent, Ashley, were all pleasant surprises to add to our day and to our bank of memories.

Steffen Thomas was a German-born artist who spent much of his career working from his home near Atlanta.  His work includes massive bronze sculptures, mosaic tile work, welded iron pieces, and paintings using oil, acrylic, and mixed media. 

I was entranced and inspired by all of his work, some pieces mesmerizing me more than others.  The museum set up allowed me to examine details of his techniques up close.

I wasn’t disappointed in the quilters’ interpretations of Thomas’ work, either.  Interesting textile techniques, materials, and stitching were represented.  I even recognized the names of some of the fiber artists whose work was there.

The month-long exhibit has included lectures and demonstrations on not only fiber arts, but floral arranging and edible flowers, too. 

An informative brochure provided to accompany this exhibit states that “Steffen Thomas was joyful person.”  It shows in his work and in the museum dedicated to his art.  

What a fabulous discovery we made.  Thanks, Kaye, for insisting that I travel to see this exhibit.  

This Arts in Bloom exhibit will be at the museum through May 25, so you still have time to see it.

The website for the Stefffen Thomas Museum is here.

For those who expect to see one of my quilts in a post, here it is.  We did take a couple of small quilts along.  This old brick building and tree beckoned, so I posed Granny Zee’s Baskets on a chair.  The story of this quilt is shared in detail here.