Quilt Projects Update

I finished my Edgar Allan Poe quilt, complete with a feather pen and his manuscript of Annabell Lee. I made this as the second in my series of poet quilts featuring love poems. 

As I did on William Shakespeare, I hand drew the quilt pattern and made the sections as separate quilts using fusible applique, machine, embroidery and quilting. The purple curtain is pleated and partially loose.

Next I want to do Emily Dickenson! 

 I have all the Bee-autiful Quilt blocks completed and I ordered some fabric for setting it together.

The bunny needs a pom pom tail still.

The bicycle block has been hugely popular. I found bicycle fabric at Hawthrone Threads that had to be in this quilt:

Also from Hawthorne is this honeycomb fabric:

The scale is larger on this honeycomb fabric also from Hawthrone Threads but it will be a great backing fabric.

I am still hand quilting my Austen Album quilt from Barbara Brackman and working on the 1857 Album from Sentimental Stiches. This will take all winter!

I am thrilled to have received a sweet box of review books from Schiffer Publishing!

Sue Reich's World War II Quilts, Don Beld's American Heroes Quilts, and Anne Hermes' Patchwork Pillows.

PLUS Mary Kerr's newest book Twisted and her previous book A Quilted Memory, which already has been inspired to tear into my stash of vintage textiles.

I have also been sorting and organizing my embroidery floss, for some crazy reason, which is taking much longer than I had ever expected!

American Export: Contemporary Quilts in Japan

Japanese Contemporary Quilts and Quilters: The Story of an American Import by Teresa Duryea Wong shows how the American quilt revival sparked a revolution in Japanese fabric arts, and presents contemporary Japanese Quilt Artists who transformed the quilt world.

American quilters well know that quilts from Japan display remarkable technical and creative skills. Wong explains the rigorous and exacting Iemoto system of education. Students learn in a classroom setting under a master teacher. A long term commitment is required as students master the craft, progressing from basic to instructor level. Emphasis is on hand workmanship, a highly valued skill with a long tradition in Japan.

The result of this traditional form of apprenticeship is evident by the many awards taken by Japanese quilters at international venues.

Alternately, some quilt instructors, not certified in the Iemoto system, teach in the 'American' way, allowing students to work at their own pace, acting as a mentor. Long-arm quilting is more prevalent in these schools.

Part One of the book covers:

• Japan's Quilting History: A Heavy Dose of American Influence, including the Whitney Museum pivotal quilt show in 1971 to the American television show "Little House on the Prairie" which showed quilt-making and quilts
• Learning to Quilt in Japan: Two Schools of Thought, the Iemoto system and quilters like Noriko Endo who are 'outsider' artists
• 1990: The Year of the Quilt, the year of Quilt Nihon and the first All-Japanese quilt show
• Japan's Gross National Cool and the J-Quilt

Kabuki by Katagiri, winner of 1st Quilt Nihon Show

Part Two presents eight contemporary Japanese quilters representing various styles:

• Yoko Saito and her Japanese Taupe color theory
• Yoshiko Katagiri who uses kimono silks in her appliqué quilts; see her quilts at Quilt Inspiration
• Noriko Endo who uses 'confetti' fabric scraps to make amazing quilts like those seen here
• Chiaki Dosho whose fiber art pushes the boundary of 'quilt' as seen here
• Yoshiko Kurihara, anime artist turned quilter uses the iconography of Harlequin clowns as seen here
• Keiko Goke whose colorful interpretations of traditional blocks are delightfully 'off kilter.' See her DoubleWedding Ring here

The book is oversized with 200 full color photographs on every page. It is an elegant book, down to the type font and layout.

Altogether, it is an informative and inspirational book that quilters and art lovers will enjoy.

Visit Wong's blog here.

I received a free book from Schiffer Publishing in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Japanese Contemporary Quilts and Quilters: The Story of an American Import
Teresa Duryea Wong
Schiffer Publishing
$34.99 hard cover
ISBN13: 9780764348747

From Ensign's Bars to Colonel's Stars: Making Quilts to Honor Those Who Serve

From Ensign's Bars to Colonel's Stars  is the first in a series called Making Quilts to Honor Those Who Serve. The first volume presents original patterns commemorating commissioned officer ranks: Ensign's Bars (O-1); Lieutenant's Platoon (O-2); Captain's Company (O-3); Major's Gold (O-4); Commander's Flags (O-5); and Colonel's Stars (O-6). Quilt designer and retired service person Renelda Peldunas Harter comes from a family with multi-generational military service.

Strip piecing and easy piecing techniques are utilized. The majority of the quilts are geometric-- made up of squares, rectangles, and triangles. Several incorporate appliqué, and some inspiration gallery quilters used appliqué to personalize their quilt interpretation.

Each pattern is shown in several color ways; the author chose colors to represented different branches of the armed services (red, white, blue, khaki, gray, green, gold, brown), while other quilt makers interpreted the patterns in colors such as pinks, gray and black, brights, and green and aquas.

The military rank insignia which inspired the patterns are explained and their history given.

Clear and detailed instructions for cutting, preparing, squaring, and sewing is offered in a general section as well as for individual projects. The author emphasizes squaring as central to quilt making success. I appreciated her illustrated section on squaring.

I have not tried making a pattern. The instructions include lots of illustrations. The process is explained step-by-step.

Although created for honoring active service persons and veterans, the patterns can be adapted for many uses and the gallery of quilts included in each chapter provides inspiration for other applications, like baby or graduation quilts.The author served over 25 years in active duty and the reserve and she tells her story in each chapter's introduction. She has been quilt making her entire adult life. Visit her blog Quilted Cora. She was a McCalls Design Star finalist in 2012. See her free pattern Scribble Me A Quilt at Windham Fabrics. Read her guest blog post for Purrfect Spots here.

I thank Schiffer Publications and NetGalley for access to the e-book for a fair and unbiased review.

From Ensign's Bars to Colonel's Stars: Making Quilts to Honor Those Who Serve
Renelda Peldunas-Harter
Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
ISBN: 9780764347191
$19.99 papberback
Publication Date: November 28, 2014