Daily Blog

Tokyo Quilt Festival 2018 ~See the Quilts~

Three days after a traffic-stopping snowstorm hit the most populated city in the world, the Tokyo Quilt Festival opened its doors. Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts took oodles of photos from Opening Day so you can vicariously tour the show floor. NOTE: This is only a thimbleful of the quilts exhibited!

Thank you Patricia. She has told us there is more, stay tuned!

Note from Patricia: Most of the credits were listed in Japanese. I have included the artists’ names when they were available in English.

Detail of quilt from Tokyo Quilt Festival

(photo: Patricia Belyea)

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See the Grand Prix Winner of the Tokyo Quilt Festival

Masako Sanada won the Japan Quilt Grand Prix First Place at the Tokyo Quilt Festival 2018. We can't imagine how difficult it must be to pick a winner from the all the stunning quilts in the festival, but Masako's quilt definitely is one.

Thank you to Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts for the photos.

Note from Patricia: Most of the credits were listed in Japanese. I have included the artists’ names when they were available in English.

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"The Spirit of Flowers" by Quilter Mayumi Mutou

There is a lot going on in this wonderful quilt we saw at Houston 2017 by Mayumi Mutou. The Spirit of Flowers uses her favorite blocks and creates curves and circles throughout the quilt. Take a look at the fabrics too. Stand back for just a bit and let your eyes wander around the quilt. Whew! I'm tired just looking.

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Featured Artist: Thomas Danthony

We recently saw work by graphic artist Thomas Danthony. His work has appeared in posters, magazine covers, prints, and original pieces. Yes, blue is his favorite color, but we saw how his techniques of shading, coloring, and perspective could inspire quilters. Do you agree?

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One of Alex's & Kristin's Favorite Quilting Books---We have a 100

Alex wishes she wrote this book and our Marketing Director has used it and loves it. So we got a special deal on them, and we are passing our savings on to you! The New Quick and Easy Block Tool (C & T Publishing) retails for $17.95 and we are discounting it to just $11.99. This is a way to get your blocks to the right sizes without the math. Check out the reviews and hurry, because we only have 100 of them at this special price. (Because of the price of International shipping, we recommend this deal for USA customers who should select Media Mail shipping.)

"What a great book for changing block sizes without measuring. Very clear to understand" - 5 Stars

"Well worth the money, especially like being able to choose my size of blocks from 2/3 inches up to 12 inches!" - 5 Stars

"I love mine so I purchased this one as an exchange gift at our Guild." - 5 Stars

"This little book is so helpful to quilters. I loved mine so much I bought this one for my daughter. Takes all the math out of quilting. Love that!" - 5 Stars

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TQS Show Techniques: Wendy Grande - Show 2203

Name: Quilts as Unique as You
Designer: Wendy Grande

Show 2203: Putting the "T" in T-Shirt Quilts
Begins: January 29, 2018
Price: Free to Star Members
Description: Learn Wendy Grande's method for creating a T-shirt quilt.

You must be logged in as a Star member to download the patterns. If you are not logged in, you will have to login and then return to the TQS Show Techniques page.

Star Members click here to get the pattern.

Become a Star member.

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"Down the Garden Path" by Betty Busby

This quilt makes us think of Spring. It's another visually stunning quilt by Betty Busby.

Star Members can watch Betty in Show 2202: Working with Unusual Materials and Decoding an Antique Block.

Photos Courtesy of Betty Busby

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TQS Puzzle: "Down the Garden Path" by Betty Busby

This quilt makes us think of Spring. It's another visually stunning quilt by Betty Busby.

Star Members can watch Betty in Show 2202: Working with Unusual Materials and Decoding an Antique Block.

DowntheGardenPathbyBettyBusby - 35 Pieces Non-Rotating

DowntheGardenPathbyBettyBusby - 99 Pieces Non-Rotating

DowntheGardenPathbyBettyBusby - 300 Pieces Non-Rotating

DowntheGardenPathbyBettyBusby - 35 Pieces Rotating

DowntheGardenPathbyBettyBusby - 99 Pieces Rotating

DowntheGardenPathbyBettyBusby - 300 Pieces Rotating

Photos Courtesy of Betty Busby

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Alex Learns About the Modern Quilt Guild

In the video below, Alex talks to Riane Menardi Morrison, Alissa Haight Carlton, and Heather Grant about their book, "Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century," the founding of the Modern Quilt Guild, and QuiltCon.

Click here to order the book from the Modern Quilt Guild.

When you purchase directly from the MQG, 100% of the profits and royalties of your purchase benefit the Modern Quilt Guild, a non-profit 501(c)3.

Admire large, color photographs of the best modern quilting has to offer—more than 200 quilts curated by the Modern Quilt Guild. From quilt empires like the Amish and the quilters of Gee’s Bend to the first use of the word "modern” in quilting, trace the history of modern quilts and learn about hallmarks of the genre in a concise retrospective. This collectible, hardcover book honors the genre's past, present, and future.