Old friends

Isn't it great to have quilting friends! I had a wonderful day today with Mrs. Furui and Mrs. Okutomi whom we only see once a year or so. The three of us started patchwork and quilting nearly 20 years ago when we all had kids in kindergarten, but Mrs. Okutomi moved away when our kids hit first grade. It's seems like just yesterday we were chatting about our rambunctious kids and how to raise them and now Mrs. Okutomi even has a grandchild! Besides talking about quilting, our conversation has shifted to situations dealing with our parents and our own health! Yuck! We all have to sew with little granny glasses these days! Although we all started doing patchwork about the same time, Mrs. Okutomi has gone on to specialize in machine patchwork and quilting and she has taught classes and has been featured in Japanese quilting magazines and even on TV. Since I knew she was coming to visit today, I asked her to bring some of her recent works so I have a few things to show you today.

Mrs. Okutomi and her husband love to travel so recently she has been making memory quilts of some of the different places in Japan that they've visited. She has mastered the technique of transfering photos onto fabric so in these two quilts she has transferred pictures, maps and even wrapping paper designs from souvenirs that they bought. She decorated the quilts with little trinkets that she found in gift shops.

This quilt which I love, is Mrs. Okutomi's original design of the Japanese castle in the city of Matsuyama where they lived for quite a few years. She made it from her stash of fabrics plus kimono fabric that she had been given and that had once belonged to her mother. The whole quilt is machine appliqued and quilted. I am inspired again!

A great day! Not much sewing done but lots of chatting!