Catching Up - Quilting Season

Wow, time flies!  It's already the end of October 2015!
Many things happen when I blink my eyes.  And I am struggling between what I want to do and what I should do or have to do.  Have you experienced the lack of energy?  Sometimes I don't feel like doing even what I love to do.

What do you do to motivate yourself?
I found my new (old) love in music.  I always liked  classical music, especially piano sound.  This time, it started with piano sounds again, but it dragged me into J-Pop and K-Pop.  The music gives me energy to keep me going, and it comforts me with romantic lyrics.  Sometimes you can feel the season with the songs.  It amazes me that some songs (I don't say all of them) the melody and lyrics combine together and create the harmony and its own world/scene.  I'm not good at creating the beautiful sentences (as you can see here), but I appreciate them very much.

People are born with senses.  Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Touching, Tasting.  Beyond these five senses, we have feelings, and we can create things.  I am thankful that I can enjoy art & music with these senses.

The month of September, my quilting season starts every year.  I started with Quilting in the garden (in Livermore, CA).  Beautiful outdoor show at the large nursery.  The colorful quilts and the flowers really amused my eyes.

In mid October, we have the biggest quilt show in the area, Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF).  My friend, Kanako's quilt was displayed there.  It is made with PamKitty fabrics.  Isn't this so colorful and cheerful?  Love it!  (photo cropped to hide her identity)

The quilts that caught my eyes this year was the modern category.  I thought I would never be interested in Modern Quilts.  But WRONG!  It is quite interesting!  It is my goal to learn the modern quilt and twist in my own way.  These are the quilts I liked.

A week later, I departed to Houston for the International Quilt Market.  I helped Lecien/COSMO embroidery thread booth.  You can see the booth I helped to set up in the background of this photo.  Ruth Chandler did book-signing at our booth.

 We were able to sneak-view the quilt festival quilts in Houston.  This year is MODA's 40th anniversary and they have displayed many quilts that shows MODA's history.  This show has the highest quality, best of the best quilts from all over the world.  My favorite out of all the wonderful quilts is this one.

Someday, I want to design and make something like this.
My love of quilt-making still continues...

Happy quilting!
-K

Fun Weekend

I went to outdoor quilt show.  This is one of the quilt show I really enjoy every year.  this year I walked around with Pam aka PKM and her friend Deb.  The weather was perfect autumn day, and three of us really had a wonderful day.

This year's featured quilter was my dear friend, Sandy Klop aka American Jane.  She had 200 beautiful quilts of her own displayed at the show.  Wow, Sandy, you are so talented!  Here are some of my favorites from her collection.  You want to see more pictures of the quilts?  Visit Pam's blog here.

Every year, I feel like this is the beginning of the quilting season.  Summer ended, and kids are back to school.  Feeling the cool outdoor air under the huge oak tree, my eyes are deeply enchanted by beautiful quilts and colorful flowers at Alden Lane Nursery.  I'm motivated once again to create something new!

After my son's hockey practice on Sunday, my husband and I have quickly decided to go to the beach to see the sunset.  Wow, what a way of concluding the fun weekend!  I was exposed to plentiful of Autumn colors!

Happy quilting!
-K

New Year's Resolution

The year of 2012 has been started and January was already gone... I thought I had my new year's resolution written somewhere and forgot where I put it. Pretty bad start... you think? Actually, I've been busy as I planned.

My 2012 started with fun events. First, I attended Prairie Queens' Quilt Retreat in ocean front hotel. I arrived there on Friday evening and had dinner with my friends. Then sew and talked till late at night. I finished a quilt top for my mother's best friend who moved back to Japan. She was very nice to my mother so I decided to make her American map quilt as the memory of living in America. We had a wonderful time at retreat and it was so hard to leave on Sunday afternoon.

Next weekend, I went to "Road to California" show in Ontario, CA. It took me about one hour and 15 minutes one way, but it was worth driving. Many beautiful quilts to look at, and so many shops to enjoy! As you know, since we moved last summer, there are no quilt shop in my town, so this was heaven for me! Only downside was I hurt my shoulder carrying my slightly heavy purse.Last weekend of January, I attended "Art of Craft" at French General. This was my second year to attend this event. I took 5 workshops this year, started with bracelet making taught by Kaari Meng, the owner of French General. Jewelry making wasn't my thing, but I love this bracelet. I always thought that Jewelry making was so difficult (well, it is still difficult for me), but hey! I can do it!The second class, Sailor's Valentine, was taught by Pam Garrison and Charlotte Lyons. We created our own versions of the heart inspired by the one created during WWI. This was my favorite workshop! Using ribbons, laces, buttons, ric rac, the imagination of design came endless. I definitely have to make more than one!The third class, Chocolate Truffle Box, was taught by Michelle Jorgensen. We decorated the wooden hinged box with papers and fabrics. Under the glass top lid, we build the layer of beautiful flowers and things, finished by gold German dresden. NO WAY, I'm not going to put chocolate in this.On Sunday morning, my shoulder was hurting really badly. I probably got too excited and overworked the day before. The class was taught by Molly Meng, Kaari's sister from San Francisco. I really wanted to make this "12 month pocket memory book", but I just watched and thought about designs during the class.
The last workshop was "Beeswax Journal" taught by Anna Corba. The journal covers needed to dip in the hot beeswax during the workshop, so I pushed my shoulder pain to design and make the covers. I tried to cut least papers, so it kind of became too simple. But lucky me! I found the floral basket paper precut by someone for me to use. Not bad, isn't it?
Thank you, all the instructors!!! I had an amazing weekend with new and old friends creating something totally beautiful and fun to make!

So, at the end, can you guess what my New Year's resolution was? "To spend more fun time with my friends." Life is too short and if I don't spend "good time" with my friends, I'm going to regret so much later. After the moving away from my friends in SF bay area, I really realized the importance of the friends in my life.

Happy Crafting!
-Keiko

More bags...

Here is a photo of "Madam Butterfly" that one of my students made. So cute! Aren't they? She couldn't stop at one, so she made three. It's fun to use up the fabric you have at home!

And this one is made by Japanese lady. I can make bag out of fabric and I know how to crochet but can't make this bag. So pretty, aren't they?

I went to two quilt show last weekend. One is "Quilting in the garden" in Livermore. Featured quilter was Sue Nickel. I took her class while ago and her work is always wonderful. Another one was Morgan Hill Show. My friends received several ribbons and that made me smile all day long. Beautiful quiltful weekend!