quilt monday-inspiration
More wonderful inspiration from Japan, this time from Patchwork Quilt Tsushin (#122 October, 2004) again on loan from the amazing library of Kelly (thank you!!) Look at all the teeny tiny pieces in this quilt! It makes my head hurt. I love the asymmetry of the border and the photo in the upper felt uses plaids in a really interesting way (look closer-click on the photo)
Oh happy, happy pin cushions. Gosh, I can't get enough of these. Almost as cute as Hillary's (but not quite.)
These muted/somber colors are not really me, but I really dig this graphic big/small wheel thing here and the whacky plaids cut in any ol' way with fun mixed patchwork blocks around the border.
I love this. Look what you can make from a turtleneck sweater, a big buttoned jacket and a shirt? A pair of slippers and a tote to put them in! I love this for 2 reasons, the rainbow stripes on the sweater and the slipper design on the tote, in case you forget what you put in there. Your slippers. I love accessories that have their own accessories.
Again, not my colors, but again, really amazing use of plaid fabrics.
Now this is a sewing kit. There are so many details in this little kit. It makes me want to make another one. I especially like the green scissors holder with the 2 flowers.
This I love for the way ugly colors of the bag and matching accessories in the top left photo. Wow. It's unusual to see these colors together post 1975, yet here they are, and lookin' great. And after seeing these other bags, all handbags I make from now on (I have made none, well, maybe one, about 4 years ago) will have hanging tags/smaller bags that match the big bag. Like a marsupial thing.
I'm not 100% sure what this page is about, but nice patchwork bag ideas. I like the "sketches" with actual fabric. Okay, enough photos. Please check out the quilts floating around over at Amanda's (she has 2 up right now!) and Lisa's (scroll down, all handmade!), very nice!
OH MY GOODNESS....I love those sewing kits - WOW!! They're so beautifully detailed I just don't know where to look...totally over-stimulated!
Posted by: Kirsten | May 30, 2005 at 07:53 AM
What an amazing array of neat stuff to look at! I LOVE the teensy cube-shaped pin cushion, though! I think I will have to make some of those!
Posted by: *jenny | May 30, 2005 at 08:29 AM
Isn't the stuff amazing?!? And, each issue has a ton of ideas like those... even if the project isn't exactly what I would do, there is tons of inspiration there!
Posted by: kelly | May 30, 2005 at 08:38 AM
Those somber, muted plaids really look fabulous together...you know this appeals to me. But I have periods when I work in a certain color family and then shift;maybe because I have scrap of those colors left over from another project and I can't throw anything away. One day I should just put all the scrap in one black bag, shake it up and sew with whatever I pull out. I think that's what they do for braided rag rugs.
Posted by: Grammie | May 30, 2005 at 08:38 AM
those slippers are so awesome!!! please tell me they are adult size and not that super-mini super-cute japanese stuff?
Posted by: hannah | May 30, 2005 at 08:58 AM
Such great inspiration! Thanks so much.
Posted by: shanna | May 30, 2005 at 11:13 AM
Wow....all such lovely, lovely things to look at. I really dig the sewing kit--so many ideas from those images. Thanks to the Library of Kelly! ;)
Posted by: amanda | May 30, 2005 at 12:03 PM
pretty fantastic. i like the marsupial bag concept... it's a winner. that sewing kit with the two flowers... it's unreal.
Posted by: erin | May 30, 2005 at 01:11 PM
hey, that's one of the few japanese quilt mags I have. I love that one! Is that the same one with this apple sewing kit in it?
http://weewonderfuls.typepad.com/wee_wonderfuls/2005/01/sewing_kit.html
I love those bright crazy sewing kits and those circle flower patterns are great. There's so much good stuff in this issue. I have about 4 of these quilting magazines and this one is my favorite. The others were kinda disappointing by comparison.
Posted by: Hillary | May 30, 2005 at 02:49 PM
ahhhhhhh-I thought that apple pattern looked familiar! oh, well, I hope I didn't repeat too much. it is a rad issue. Kelly said they are all that amazing, but at $32 a pop, or something like that, I'm not sure if I can take the risk. It' so nice of her to let me borrow her favorites-
Posted by: amy k. | May 30, 2005 at 02:53 PM
you gave me lots of ideas :)
Posted by: raquel | May 31, 2005 at 03:50 AM
The quilts, the quilts. Just amazing. Thanks so much for showing us these!
Posted by: Ann | May 31, 2005 at 05:23 AM
what great inspiration!!
Posted by: jenn | May 31, 2005 at 05:25 AM
wonderful inspiration I am going to have to get a copy of that magazine. thanks for sharing
Posted by: tacha | May 31, 2005 at 09:56 AM
I saw a feature in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine about 14 or 15 months ago on Japanese taupe quilts--that's what those muted earthy fabrics are called, taupe. I think they are popular in Japan and gaining in popularity here. Quilt Gate for Robert Kaufman has a new line out called Kasuri Gesiki, and they're printed, but the woven textural plaids are made by Daiwabo and imported to the US by pinwheels.com. It's pricey stuff, somewhere around $17/yd for woven plaids and $12/yd for prints, but boy oh boy is it cool. I am doing a block-of-the-month in the Daiwabo taupes, you can see it on pinwheels.com if you click around a bit, it's not hard to find. I normally love brights, but I felt like this would be an exercise in learning about value. I also have Patchwork Quilt by Keiko Goke, it is an amazing book and very bright and freeform. I got it from borntoquilt.com, but it's not available from there very often.
Posted by: karen | July 26, 2005 at 11:15 AM