Tokyo International Quilt Show 2019

The Tokyo International Quilt Show held annually at Tokyo Dome. It needs no introductions. Last January, I've been very lucky to be able to go and see for the 3rd time  and it still never failed to amaze me. The quilts and the people.

We were lucky to be given free opening ceremony tickets (read in my previous post) and we were there before 9 AM on the opening day! We stayed in Mystays Hotel Higashi Ikebukuro which has easy access to Tokyo Dome. From the hotel, you can take either JR line from Otsuka Station to Suidobashi Station or Subway Marunouchi Line from Shin Otsuka Station to Korakuen Station (This is the fastest!) and great view too. 

It was really amazing experience since  we could see all the displayed quilts before the crowds entered.

look at those bags!!

Without further ado, here are few of my faves! You can see more pictures HERE

Grand Prix 1st Place

Chiyoko Takayama

Winner of Youth Category

And the crowd favorite!

The Kimono Quilt - There are 1500 of them !!

Different Colors and Different Style

Reversible Quilt

Side #1

Side #2

Main display featuring Monet's Garden - my fave!

The Monet's Garden was simply marvelous! The artist's interpretation from the real Monet's garden was simply amazing! 

2 happy girls outside the Tokyo Dome :D

Once inside the Dome, we were lost in the quilt wonderland! Before we knew it, it was dark and time to head out with a box full of fabrics & books and head full of ideas. The quilts, the shopping, the generous people! Like someone wrote on her blog, going to Tokyo Quilt Festival was like watching Olympic . Absolutely right! Quilt Olympic that is! 

Check out the rest of the photos HERE 

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog.

Have a nice day!

- Elvira-

Tokyo Discovery Day 1

Hello March!

I know it's been almost 2 months since I've written my last blog post. Life has been a bit hectic after I came back from my Japan trip. Custom orders, the boys exam, etc. Now the boys are on their way to Delhi for the Cricket Exposure trip and I guess it's good time to catch up on the blog posts and sorting out photos. 

 For those who followed me in Instagram, you must have seen a few stories and photos I shared. 

This time, we decided to be an early bird. Everyday we would go out early and explore as much as we can. We went to visit few fabric shops, parks and museum. 

Here's the summary of my Tokyo Visit (click the link under the photo to see more pictures)

Ueno Park 

 That was me and my luisa bag in Ueno Park. We went early to visit Ueno park while waiting for Amuse Boro Museum to open. 

If you're a textile enthusiast, you must visit this Amuse Boro Museum which is just outside the East Gate of Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo

We spent more than 2 hours in the museum and it was not a big museum! The history behind each pieces that was displayed and looking at hundred years of quilts was just an amazing experience. Let the photos tell you the story. 

Vintage Boro Quilts

Vintage Boro Cloth

There are theatre showing the history of boro cloth too on the top floor and there was exhibition hall/ shop on the ground floor. We passed through the museum during our last visit, but it just didn't strike us that it was the Boro Museum. I mean, when you see sign "Amuse Museum" you will think of something futuristic, right? And on the ground floor being the shop, we thought it was just souvenir shop! 

the view from the Boro Museum terrace 

From Boro Museum we went to have lunch at Halal Naritaya which actually on the opposite gate (west gate), but somehow the google map take us for a ride and we go around from the Sensoji Temple main gate. If you're in Asakusa and looking for halal ramen, you might want to visit it. 

From Asakusa, we went all the way to Yokohama to check out Swany Fabric Store. I will write another blog about our fabric shopping adventures. So stay tuned!!

Swany Yokohama

Yokohama

That was our Day 1 in Tokyo! 

Stay Tuned for the next day! 

Thank you for stopping by,

Have a nice day!

Elvira

Mission Accomplished Part 1 - Meeting Suzuko Koseki

Hello,

Last month, I went to see Tokyo Quilt Festival in Tokyo Japan again with a couple of friends from Indonesia. It was rather sudden decision. My dear hubby asked me if I'd like to go again and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands! ha! I traveled with mbak Belly last year too, so this was our second Japan trip together!

I had 2 missions this time! First, I want to meet Suzuko Koseki again and show my passport wallet I made with her fabrics!! I was so excited (despite having cough and cold).  Suzuko Koseki has a distinct quilt style. Or maybe it's just me. I could recognize her work even before I saw the information written on the special booth.

This year's Theme was Little Women. You can read the details about it in HERE

I love how simple yet attractive her quilts are. 

Thank you mbak Belly for taking this photo for me!

I love how the Japanese make everything so intricately beautiful and beautifully displayed. The quilts displayed are mostly hand quilted and hand applique with uniformly spaced stitches and not a single thread shown on the appliques. One must see closely to see that the leaves are stitched and not glued. 

I then made my way to La Clochette, Suzuko Koseki booth, and I bought quite a few of her fabrics. I did not see her in the booth, so I asked the lady there if she will come back. She could not speak English and tried her best to explain to me where she's gone. 

I showed her my wallet and there was another Japanese lady, who speak quite good English,  told me, that Ms. Koseki was giving lectures in her special booth. Then she sweetly told me to wait, she will take me and introduce me to her, since she's the student of Koseki Sensei. 

I wish I could understand Japanese

We went and listened to her lectures and this generous lady, translated (in general) of what was being said. Generally, Ms. Koseki was explaining the making process of the quilts being displayed in the booth. The most difficult part was to draw the face of the 4 women who each has a distinct character. It certainly took a lot of hard work to be able to capture that in a quilt. 

Thank you!!

Afterwards, I was introduced and interacted for a while with Ms. Koseki. I felt so humbled when she took my wallet and inspected it,  she gave me a thumbs-up and told me to come again next year (I hope hubby will take the hint!!) . I felt like a kindergarten kid who got her first 100 mark LOL. 

The sweet Japanese Lady

I love the hospitality of Japan and how down to earth and humble they are. All the extraordinaire quilters I met in the show this and last year, left me speechless. We can certainly learn one or ten things from them! 

Another best thing was I get to meet Vatsala Kamat of Tsala Studio. A quilt shop owner in Bangelore. I always admired her Japanese style works. I hope to see you soon in India! 

I hope to be able to go back again next year! Maybe I can join a workshop or two or even visit La Clochette store! That would be awesome, right? 

 If you want to see the quilts photos (and some of my weird photos), you can see them HERE. 

Until then,

Happy Sewing,