Sunday 29 January 2017

Sunday Stitch School - Lesson 10: Japanese Darning Stitch

Darning socks, clothes and other textile items was seen as a necessary skill in the past, and samplers were made to show how.
The Japanese stitching crafts of sashiko and kogin were used to reinforce clothing, joining layers together and at the same time embellish what needed to be mended or strengthened. Intricate patterns were created and handed down.
However, the embroidery stitch known as Japanese Darning is a combination of the Running Stitch and the Holbein Stitch and does not feature in the Sashiko or Kogin style.
Or am I wrong? Carorose, Queen of Kogin, is there a connection? Do you know the history of Japanese Darning?

Mattia supplied the French name: Point de trait japonais ou point de reprise japonais, but I have traced no name in Swedish, nor in JAPANESE!!!!!

I found the Japanese Darning Stitch in several of my books, the best illustrations were in The Embroidery Stitch Bible.


This is what Japanese Darning Stitch looks like on my Aida sampler.


Working order:
 First a row of Running Stitches, longer on the top of the fabric than below and over an odd number of holes.


Then add a second (and third and so on)  row where the stitches are placed in a brickwork fashion.

Stitch slanted Straight Stitches to join the rows.
 For clarity I have used a different colour.

 Continue in the second row.

By using two rows you get a zig-zaggy border.
By adding row upon row you can fill a larger area, and

that is the HOMEWORK:
Fill a block on this sampler with Japanese Darning.

Happy Stitch Sunday to all!

Saturday 28 January 2017

16th Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2017 (Wa or Japanese quilts)

'Wa' stands for Japanese and the quilts entered in this category of the contest should have something Japanese, be it fabric, motif or technique.

Wheels of indigo.
 By Tsukiei(?) Hanabusa 花房月栄

Carps and pine needles
By  Yoshiko(?) Uemura 上村義子

 You need a good collection of kimono silk to make such gradation in your quilt.
 By Michiko Ohbuchi 大淵美智子

Reflections in the quiet pond by an old water mill.
 By Kaworu Okada 岡田かをる

 Flower viewing by Ayako(?) Sato 佐藤絢子
 It is a Western patchwork pattern but the fabric is all shibori kimono silk. Fancy collecting all these shades!


 The Asian dragon has no wings but can climb the air nevertheless.
 By Michiko Kitahara 北原美千子




Friday Homework for Lesson 9: Interlaced Running Stitch

I know, I know it is already Saturday, and here is my Friday homework.
It took time to complete, but was GREAT fun to do.

The marbled fabric is not the best setting for these Interlaced Running Stitches, but I am forever trying to use what I have in my stash, and this is what I started on, so had to go on. And on it went, I added line after line, stitch after stitch.

Here are some close ups:






This stitch combination is based on the simple Running stitch and can be laced in a variety of ways, but it is the spacing of the stitches and weight of the tread that determine the outcome.
Give it a try!

Thursday 26 January 2017

16th Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2017 - Framed and Original

My friends and fellow show visitors, Julie and Tanya, have written new reports from the show. Check them out, and I will fill in a few gaps.


Framed category

I don't know of any other quilt show where there are framed quilts. A few years ago this category was added to the contest and it was an instant hit. The area is always crowded, maybe because the small quilts contain many fine details to look at closely. For an embroidery nerd like me it is a constant source of inspiration and awe.

This gold encrusted quilt was heavily bedecked with metal ornaments. The patched pieces were joined in a way you hardly could tell there were several pieces of fabric there.

 Introspection by Kathy Knapp from USA

This picture brought back memories of my brother's butterfly collection. Can you see how the butterflies have been pinned? How the flat pictures looks 3 dimensional? I love the illusion of shadows!


モティールby Sayuri Takao 高尾小百合

For friends of knots, here is a feast!

Perfectly round and even in size and height are the Colonial Knots in this candlewick embroidery.
Lace & Flowers by Takako Koshino 越野多賀子

'Cute' is a good word to describe many Japanese quilts, especially when there are small animals dressed in clothing doing seasonal things, like in this calendar of the year. I only got this detail, there were too many heads and elbows in the way for a full picture.
 By Momoyo Fujimura 藤村百代

Most visitors are well behaved and know they should not touch the quilts, but these smaller items have so many details they probably 'inspire pointing and fingering'. Is that why this sleepy owl is behind glass? Aren't the reflections interesting?  Isn't the quilting lovely?
 Moonlight by Harumi Mukoyama 向山晴美

Let's move on to the Original category

Is this a jigsaw puzzle? Are there letters?
 The Favorite of Young Charlotte by Yuri Ogiso 小木曽由李

Foaming swirl pools.

 Ushihoo by Monya Hiroko 門谷洋子(?)


Entering a quilt in the show is not easy, especially for quilters outside Japan. Some quilters have been successful, though, and here are two entries:
 A mosaic picture quilt called My Father by Haifa Al Mughni from Kuwait.


Finding One's Path by Michal Peter-Anderson
Actually while sitting down for a rest in the stands, I was approached by Michal who recognized me from my blog. She is a bubbly American who lives in Norway. It is so nice to meet the quilt makers in person. This quilt was a masterpiece of curved Flying Geese and all the lines in the border are appliquéd.
Michal, you certainly have found your quilting path!

Many quilters make a series of quilts. I guess this is such a quilt as it has II in the title.
 The Woman II by Kyoko Ochiai 落合京子

Now if there ever was a crowd stopper it was this Christmas quilt.
Everyone wanted a picture of the whole quilt, as well as of the multitude of details, even late in the day when the venue was emptying.

In it you can see 
a Double Wedding Ring border 
where each seam of the rings has been appliquéd with bias tape,
each joint has a pieced star,
each centre is filled with a charming scene from Santa's busy life or things associated with X-mas (candles, cake, presents...)



The inner border is made up of 
Cathedral Window blocks
Inside that border there is another border with 
Pineapple blocks in the corners and
tall fir trees made of Suffolk Puffs/Yo-yos

Finally the middle of the quilt is a
Sampler with various pieced blocks and
an appliqué sashing!
Sorry for the blurred blown up picture, but I think you get the idea of all the work that has been put into this quilt.
What a joy it must have been to make it, to see it being so admired, and from next December onward to display it every Christmas.
I take my hat off to Misako Sano 佐野美佐子 for her Merry Merry X'mas














Wednesday 25 January 2017

WIPW - 100% Harmless and Toothless Snakes in Hibernation

Work In Progress Wednesday

Trinity Green

I am sorry to have frightened some of my readers with the word 'snake' in my last WIPW report. I asure you they are 100% harmless and totally toothless and made of fabric, thread, and their only strength is in the paper they are stitched onto.

Now they seem to have gone into hibernation! I have only seen a ball of three new ones:
I have spent a lot of my free time with the quilt show at Tokyo Dome, but hope to have more progress to report next week.

No Fabric in Focus this time.

Tuesday 24 January 2017

The 16th Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2017 (Traditional and Bags)

Here are a few samples from the quilt contest. First out Traditional category.

This is a difficult colour combination, but I think it works in this quilt.

 Bien du solei by Kazuyo Masago 眞砂和代

A Double Wedding Ring with nice quilting in the centres.

Anniversary by Miwayo Hashimoto 橋本ミ和代

 素敵な未来に向かって (Towards a beautiful future) by Junko (?) Hanaoka 花岡順子 is made up of small hexagons.



 ひだまりby Miyoko Otaka 大高美緒子

 Being wrapped in kindness by Yoko Masuda 増田容子


Happy Quilt by Chieko Ito 伊藤千津子

Next  is a selection from the Bag category.
 Cat rush by Makiko Ishihara 石原マキ子


 恋して、おしゃれ、困ったなあ〜 by Hiromi Hashimoto 橋本ヒロミ


 Party bag by Rie Kato 加藤利枝