Tokyo Quilt & Stitch Show 2017

One of my favorite color schemes - black & white with a touch of another color.

Notice the striped fabric is not used for
the entire binding - too overwhelming!

The Tokyo Quilt & Stitch Show looks like it will be a new tradition - this is the second year it's taken place.  It has a different location this time, in Ikebukuro at Sunshine City (a mall-type facility).  It's easy to get there, though be aware the Higashi-Ikebukuro Station is the closest station.  From there, you can walk towards exits 6 & 7, and find signs easily pointing to the underground walkway that connects to Sunshine City.  It takes about 3 minutes to reach the building.  If you take the first set of elevators that you see, you can go right to the 4th floor, where the show is taking place.  (Ikebukuro Station is about a 10 minute walk from Sunshine City.)

This makes me want to dig out
all my pictures of Parisian balconies...

...so I can design my own applique border.

The festival is held in Exhibit Halls A and B.  (It's common in Tokyo for the large malls/department store buildings to have 800-seat theaters and huge conference facilities.)  You would think the two halls are side by side...but they're not!  They are separated by an outdoor walkway and a set of stairs.  It still works out well for the show.  Most of the vendors are in Hall A, and most of the quilts on display are in Hall B.

Very cheerful!

I still haven't determined if there's a contest, or if it's just an exhibition.  There's no apparent ribbons or awards.  At least this year there are signs with illustrations to indicate when you're not supposed to take a picture. (Last year it was only in Japanese text, no English or graphics, so I got in trouble twice for taking photos when I shouldn't have.)  They have several special displays - pieces from QuiltCon in the US, along with the Manhattan Quilters Guild and a small grouping of antique quilts from the Nebraska International Quilt Center and Museum.  For the Stitch component, there are multiple embroidery, cross stitching and lace presentations.

I attend on the last day of the three day show (held Tuesday - Thursday; apparently they don't think the attendees have jobs), and it's busy, but not too crowded.  There's a line to get in at 10:30am, when the doors open.  The workers stop by to tell people there's no line if you want to enter Hall B.  I keep to my philosophy that the quilts aren't going anywhere, but items do sell out, so we visit the vendors first.  Our patience pays off as the line moves quickly and we wait less that 5 minutes to go inside. 

Small quilts are here, too!

Those corner pieces are only 1 cm square!

The triangles are 1/2 cm!

My friend Kathy thinks bias tape is used to make the half
square triangles, instead of piecing. 

My loot - I couldn't resist the girl reading quilting
pattern - my two favorite hobbies together!

There are just over 100 vendors, and I don't see anyone new/different from the Tokyo International Quilt Festival held in January.  It's a more pleasant experience though, because you're not having to force yourself between masses of people.  I'm not looking to buy anything in particular, since a couple of weeks ago I visited my favorite Tokyo fabric/quilt shops for one last shopping trip before we move back to the US (you can click to read about Tomato and Kanda).  I do purchase one cut of fabric, a pattern, and some more hand applique needles (for my project to work on while I wait for my sewing machines to arrive in the US).

One of my favorites from the show!

Nice use of chirimen fabric.

I never would have thought to applique green squares on
such a busy stripe fabric.  But it looks fantastic!

Cool 3-D effects in the piecing.

After spending an hour or so wandering the merchant section, we go over to Hall B to see the quilts.  With less crowds it's easy to view the quilts, but because the aisles are a little narrow it's sometimes difficult to take a full size picture of them.

 

I dislike this background fabric,
but it makes a good impression in this pattern.

Funky diamonds!

This quilt is hung in a prominent position.

The centers are fussy cut.

Kimono fabric can be found in this quilt, too.

I knew I'd seen pictures of this quilt
before!  When I saw the winning Quiltcon sign,
I realized it was in an email from equilter.com

 

The quilting lines do a good job of making it look like a cut diamond.

Another special exhibit is the Manhattan Quilters projects.

I took a class with her at Houston. 
She's a good teacher.

Another quilt I like from the Manhattan Quilters exhibit.

 

Love the "braided" border.

Gorgeous embroidery - every stitch is perfect.

Close up of one of the squares.

At Japanese shows there are always purses.  This is the embroidered purse section.

Close up of the one on the end!

Learning how to make the woven purse.

There are also about 6 workshop alcoves and a stage/lecture area.  Once again, the classes and talks are in Japanese, so I don't try to attend any of them.

After about 2 1/2 hours, we've seen everything.  The third floor of Sunshine City has a variety of restaurants, so it's easy to find a place for lunch.  It's an enjoyable half day, and I'm glad I'm able to attend one last quilt show in Tokyo before moving home.

No best of show, but this quilt was made by individuals who attended the 2016 Show, and is displayed for the first time at the 2017 Show.  They did the same thing this year - an attendee could sew one piece of the quilt (for this one, it's a flying geese unit) right here at the Show.   Afterwards, they'll sew them all together to display at the 2018 show.  Nice tradition!