Kawaii Appliqué Quilts from Japan
Kawaii Appliqué Quilts from Japan: How One Country’s Love of All Things Tiny Powers Today's Most Intricate Quilts (With 5 Projects from Top Designers)
Naomi Inchikawa and Teresa Duryea Wong
Schiffer Craft
Quilting can be seen as so many things, it is the chameleon of the textile world.
It can be observed visually via a ‘needed’ item, say a bedroom quilt, or it can be hung as an art piece in one of the most famous galleries in the world. Each country will have its own story of the quilt, this is Japan’s.
The writers focuses on a certain type, named Kawaii, delving into the narrative, the culture.
There are three main areas to this book, Part One focuses on introducing us to the genre in itself and its historical context. Part Two delves into those who use it well, the authors have illustrated other artists work. This makes the book more vibrant to read for me as a non quilter, as I could appreciate the method through the visual variety conveyed. It is a niche area of quilting, but I found it enlightening how one focused area could have so much room for personal input and growth.
What I began to notice, was a definite visual story led through the quilts themselves. There are some which are shapes, and yes beautiful in their own right. However others tell about the place more, for example the piece on Germany by Yoko Sekita. The houses all dotted around and so much to spot all on one quilt….sublime. It had, dare I say it a jigsaw vibe, it was addictive to stare at.
Part Three then brings it down to a personal level, offering us the chance to learn from their experience and begin our own project.
My favourite page? 161, The Hina Matsuri Dollhouse. So many little nods to the place, for example cherry blossom. That says to be comfort, security and pride in place. I also would love to secretly have my own Dollhouse still; so an excuse to be inspired by one? Yes please!
This review sounds a little bland, yet this does not portray how I feel about the book as a whole. I loved the culture, the stories, the way that it becomes so much deeper than cloth. It is a connection to a place for these artists, a celebration of the area they live, who they are. The technique is so detailed, it’s often pieced in tiny parts to then build into the whole quilt. This says to be patience and time - qualities that have to be centred in love.
If you are a quilter, or simply someone who enjoys dreaming of a place you may yet travel to, then this will certainly offer interest.
