quilt nihon in the pacific northwest

ABOVE: Meet the new Executive Director of Pacific NW Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, Carla Funk.

By Patricia Belyea

LA CONNER, WA My original plan for visiting Seattle was for four days—one day to drive in, two days in town, and one day to drive back.

When I learned about the Quilt Nihon exhibition at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fibers Arts Museum in La Conner, I extended my trip.

Pacific NW Quilt & Textile Arts Museum in La Conner

Quilt Nihon, organized by the Japanese Handicraft Instructors Association (JHIA), takes place every two years in Tokyo. This prestigious international event celebrates quilting and patchwork in two categories: traditional and contemporary.

What a joy! I’m never in Japan at the right time to see Quilt Nihon. Now, without a passport or plane ticket, I was able to view the winners of the most recent competition.

Here are some of the quilts that caught my eye:

Love it!
Keiko Ohno

Love it! A quilt by Keiko Ohno, Publisher’s Award, American Quilter at Quilt Nihon

Flower Spinning (Hana Tsumugu)
Kazuyo Minami

Flower Spinning, a quilt by Kazuyo Minami, winner of the Publisher’s Award~American Quilter at Quilt Nihon

Detail, Flower Spinning, a quilt by Kazuyo Minami, winner of the Publisher’s Award~American Quilter at Quilt Nihon

Hand to Hand, Make a Circle
Toyoko Nakajima

Hand To Hand, Make A Circle, a quilt by Toyoko Nakajima, winner of Honorable Mention at Quilt Nihon

Detail: Hand To Hand, Make A Circle, a quilt by Toyoko Nakajima, winner of Honorable Mention at Quilt Nihon

Octopus Arabesque
Chizuko Kojima

Octopus Arabesque, a quilt by Chizuko Kojima, winner of the Bronze Award in the Contemporary category at Quilt Nihon

Detail: Octopus Arabesque, a quilt by Chizuko Kojima, winner of the Bronze Award in the Contemporary category at Quilt Nihon

Minamata
Kiyomi Ohtani

Minamata, a quilt by Kiyomi Ohtani, winner of an Honorable Mention in the Contemporary category of Quilt Nihon

Detail: Minamata, a quilt by Kiyomi Ohtani, winner of an Honorable Mention in the Contemporary category of Quilt Nihon

The Wind in Baltimore 1 and 2
Kazue Murayama
A full-size and a miniature quilt (detail)

The Wind in Baltimore 1 and 2, quilts by Kazue Murayama. Larger quilt won the Corporate Award~Clover Mfg. Co. Ltd in Quilt Nihon

Detail of The Wind in Baltimore 2, a quilt by Kazue Murayama, winner of an Honorable Mention in the Miniature category of Quilt Nihon

Taro
Sakae Iwamoto

Taro, a quilt by Sakae Iwamoto, winner of the Bronze Award in the Contemporary category of Quilt Nihon

Detail: Taro, a quilt by Sakae Iwamoto, winner of the Bronze Award in the Contemporary category of Quilt Nihon

La La La – Scribbles by 5-Year Old Itsuki
Hisako Yamamura

La La La – Scribbles by 5-Year Old, a quilt by Itsuki Hisako Yamamura, winner of the corporate award~Vogue Gakuen Co. LTD

This exhibit is up for one more month! I hope you get a chance to see it.

What’s shown here is just a glimpse of the exciting quilts on display. And the stories behind the quilts offer endearing insights into the makers’ original ideas.

Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum
La Conner WA

Quilts Japan: The 16th Quilt Nihon
Show extends through SUN October 13
Learn more: qfamuseum.org

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ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria sell Japanese textiles online, host creative quilting experiences, and lead quilting & textile tours to Japan.

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