søndag, mars 28, 2010

Yoko Saito

A week ago I attended Yoko Saito’s class at the Norwegian Quilter’s Associaton’s annual meeting. It was a class with a master.
P1050115
Despite a rather bad interpreter, we all felt she came across as a warm, generous and humorous woman. When it comes to her enormous skills and artistry: Had quilting been generally accepted as the artform it truly is, she would have been given the title professor a long time ago.
Here are some impressions of the two quilts in the exhibition area. P1050049  The workmanship is astonishing, and the use of motifs shows the mind of a truly creative soul.
P1050052  
Baskets – she told us of her love of baskets, and that she is now studying the making of Nantucket baskets.
P1050046
The “Talking houses” quilt below hung in the class room. Ms. Saito I believe has set a goal – to gently encourage a younger audience to pick up their needle and thread. The houses in this quilt were made during a period when she went to – if I remember correctly – shopping malls across Japan. She had a stand and sewed up a house on each occasion. Her view was that Japanese quilters had come to a level of artistry, that younger people might be “scared off” and think it too difficult an art form and never give it a try.
Full pictures of the three quilts are shown in May Britt’s post here.
P1050144
And some are maybe a bit sceptical to hand piecing. So we were given a kit of wonderful taupe fabrics, told to cut with scissors strips and piece them together to small log cabin blocks. It was such a pleasure to sit with fellow enthusiasts and piece quietly. No buzzing sewing machines, no running back and forth to the ironing boards. Just stimulating conversation all around. And respectful and assertive tutoring from Ms. Saito and her wonderful co teacher Satomi Funamoto.
A picture of our class is shown at the end of Hanne’s lovely post.
Here are my log cabin blocks so far. I love that these humble blocks once assembled and appliqued to each other will make up a beautiful bag.
P1050247
Slowly I am adapting to Ms. Saito’s sewing technique. She is sewing with such incredible speed. 
The technique is demonstraded here by one of her students.
P1050054
Another detail of one of the quilts.
Now I’m back in real life, and I have to run, because my kids are sick. Take care. More later.
Oh, one more thing: Emily was there too! She has written a wonderful report here.

8 kommentarer:

Marit sa...

Beautiful pictures of exceptional quilts! It was fun to follow your quilting adventure, thank you for bringing us along...
; )

Crispy sa...

I am so green with envy!!! The quilts are amazing!! I love how she is trying to bring a younger generation into the quilting world. Thank you so much for sharing this.

I hope the kids get well soon and don't give you the bug too :0)

Crispy

Ravenhill sa...

Oh, you made the most wonderful post! Your photos are marvelous!!! I loved meeting you! That was actually the biggest kick of the event. I hope we can meet up again sometime.
hugs from Emily

Valentina sa...

Thank you, Una, for such wonderful sharing, the pictures really illustrated your points. I just love your log-cabins! So cute! I have doing some of the machine, getting anxious, so what you said really spoke to me... Thank you!

David sa...

Your blog is a great discovery! And so, is this post as i love what Yoko Saito does!! Thanks

May Britt sa...

I am now doing the applique on the second side of yoko's bag. It is so fun working the yoko-way.

Nat Palaskas sa...

Thanks Una for sharing your workshop photos with us. I think I have one of Yoko Saito's book, but it was all in Japanese so I could read her name, but there a photo of her. Now I am going find her blog - Nat

David sa...

I had forgotten this post!!!! Now I remember and had already posted a comment!!!! Makes me even more impatient...