One of the things I really love about my job is getting to see some of the beautiful things that customers create with fabrics from the shop. The pieces in today's post are all recent works handstitched by Barb Saunders an accomplished Hobart quilter and textile artist who has been a customer since well before we even had a shop.
This first piece is a tied patchwork cloth based on old patched 'boro' futon covers and also influenced by the wonderful stitching books by Junko Maeda (unfortunately only published in Japanese). Barb has beautifully integrated original old patches and mends with her own stitching and has lifted it and brought it all together with pieces of red and orange and traditional alternating long and short running stitch. My husband Takashi also loved this piece when Barb brought it in and commented that it has 'good balance - not too much - just enough'. The second photo is the reverse side featuring a panel of Barb's sashiko.
The second piece is a small wallhanging featuring fabric origami and also lots of old buttons that we got from a farmhouse fleamarket in Japan. I love the colours in this and the stripes and checks together which remind me of the stunningly simple design of a humble old Australian 'wagga' as well as the subdued autumn tones that you often see in contemporary Japanese quilting.
I equally love the subtle colours in this drawstring bag made from strips of kimono fabric. This striped design is based on old 'komebukuro' rice bags which were traditionally made from old cotton remnants. I'll write more about old Japanese drawstring bags in future posts.
Many thanks to Barb for letting me share her very fine and inspiring works.
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