Tokyo International Quilt Festival 2017 - Part 1

The view from the top of the Tokyo Dome - it doesn't look very big from up here (but it's bigger than a major league baseball field on the floor level).

Part of the fun of living in Tokyo is being able to easily attend the Tokyo Quilt Festival!  After last year's visit, I follow my own advice and plan to attend for two days.  Unfortunately, tickets are only sold for a one day admission - at $17 each day.  However, I have a friend who has a free ticket, AND it also allows early access on the first day of the quilt show.  Opening day starts late (11:00am) because there are welcome speeches and presentations.  It's all in Japanese, so we don't plan to observe them, but we're able to walk around the retail booths.  Technically, they aren't supposed to start selling until 11:00am, but as of 10:30am they're not turning anyone away.  Japanese people do break the rules, sometimes!

Look carefully behind security - that mob of people are the ones waiting to get in to the show.  The doors don't officially open for another 45 minutes.  What time do they start lining up?!?

Pick a seat, any seat!

It's nice to start with some extra elbow room since general admission hasn't opened yet.  I have to chuckle at the foot massage area - it's empty now, but it'll be full later!

Some of the (many) bag tables.

Last year it felt like such a whirlwind visit, but this year I'm able to pay better attention to what's available.  Purses and bag patterns and kits are very popular!  Sometimes it's difficult to buy just a pattern - it's only bundled with a kit.  If you ask, they can sometimes separate it for you and sell you just the pattern.

One of the favored fabric merchants - those are
fat eighths, not fat quarter bundles!
Look carefully at the size.

Applique projects are always popular in Japan.

One booth has an American woman demonstrating sashiko.  It's nice to talk with her and learn a little, too.  I bought a sashiko kit at the Tokyo Quilt and Stitch Show, but I haven't tried making it, yet.

No knots!  It's easy to tie off your stitches (at least when the instructor demos it).

example of a bojagi quilt

One new item I notice is several vendors selling items to make Korean bojagi quilts.  They are beautiful, like stained glass windows because the fabric is so thin the light shines through.  However, my friend Sandy tells me it's expensive (usually it's silk fabric) and difficult to make.  I probably have enough projects going on before starting a new, costly one.






My bento box from last year is still my all time favorite, and I search for it again, but no luck.  The one I have for lunch today is pretty good, with lots of variety. 

Lunch

After lunch we wander to the "backside" of the displays, and see a large area selling new and used kimonos, obis, and Japanese fabrics.  I think I missed this in 2016!  There are some beautiful kimonos on display.  Mt. Fuji has been hand painted on this one, and I'm told it takes a year to make.  There's no price tag, and no one comes over to help me - I must not look like a valid customer.  But the obis near it are priced at $4000, so I expect it to be over $50,000 (the most expensive one I ever saw was in a department store, for $65,000).

Do you think they'd let me try it on?

Sparkly, expensive obis.

Maybe this will be the wine I like!  (sip)  Nope.

One merchant I never see at the US quilt shows is the wine distributor!  It's nice to rest your feet for a few minutes and try some wine.  Unfortunately, I never really like the ones this vendor has - they must be calibrated for a Japanese palate.  It's still fun to try, though.










And here's my selfie with the Best of Show (or Grand Prix winner, as they name it).  It has a very Japanese aesthetic - very soothing, muted colors.  It's beautiful, but I like a little more "life" to my quilts.  Plus, I've never seen a blue torii gate...

Quilt selfie!

My opinion is that the quilts on display aren't going anywhere, so we end up spending the day shopping.  I bring home a collection of different items.  I purchase indigo dyed fabrics, Japanese fabrics, wonderful zippers, some new needles not available in the US, a couple of patterns, a dye stamp used for batiks, and some ribbon and lace (because maybe I'm going to learn how to sew my own tunic shirt...and use them for trim...maybe).  I try to resist buying US fabric because it's so expensive here, but I fall in love with the Kaffe Fasset pieces, along with a couple of other ones. 

My goodies!

Part 2 will showcase the different quilts from the show.