Yukata Table Runner

I have finally finished this latest Yukata cloth table runner. (This striped Yukata cloth is a type of Japanese fabric that is traditionally used to make men's kimonos. You can see other ones that I have made here and here.)


Despite the fact that it is entirely hand quilted with approximately 7000 stitches, (no, I didn't count them all... I do have a life! I just counted one row and multiplied it by the number of other rows.) ...I am still not sure why it took me soooo long to complete. (I've done more extensive hand quilting on other pieces that seemed to take me a fraction of the time.)


With this one, I felt like no matter how much I stitched on it, there were always lots more rows to go. It began to remind me of some nightmare where the hall you are walking down just keeps getting longer and longer, with no end in sight.


Because it was such a bugaboo, I've decided to keep this one for myself. :0)

P.S. That old scale with it's original weights, was just given to me the other week by my aunt. It had belonged to my Greek immigrant great-grandparents who used it to measure out candy in their confectionary shop in Baltimore, Maryland. Pretty cool, huh?!

Table Runner #2

Here's another table runner made from one of the pieces of Japanese Yukata cloth that I purchased the other week at the quilt show.


The cloth is a joy work with. I love how well suited it takes to being stitched, patched and quilted.


This runner has such a beautiful, soft earthy pallet... even though it's new, it feels and looks old, like it has a story of it's own to tell.

Now available in my shop.
(Update - sold)

Japanese Fabrics... Yum, Yum!!

I managed to jump off the hamster wheel this week long enough to attend a big quilt show. While I was a bit underwhelmed by the quilts on display, I was able to get some lovely fabrics...


such as these Japanese striped Yukata fabrics, which traditionally would be used to make a man's lightweight robe. They come in long rolls that are only 14" wide. I thought they would be perfect for making table runners.


Here's one that I just started... will probably add some patches to it, and then bind it and wash it up... I love the washing part as that's when all the texture emerges.

I also found these wonderful Japanese prints...


The texture is like bark cloth, and the fabrics have all these terrific hexagons in various prints, which I am hoping to cut apart and use for hexagon patches.


And just to note, I know I said that I would be listing a few more pincushions for sale at the end of this week, (which it is right now) but I've decided to hold off until I get some of these runners made up and hopefully some more various items as well, as it would be nice to offer a variety again... wish me luck that I can manage to keep my focus and stay off the hamster wheel!