It's Cherry Blossom time!

Spring has sprung, and it's Cherry Blossom time around the world.  Hanami (flower viewing) is the Japanese traditional custom; many people visit parks with cherry blossoms and hold picnics beneath the trees (see Sakura-Japan).  In the US, the 2014 National Cherry Blossom Festival (Washington, DC) and the International Cherry Blossom Festival (Macon, Georgia) open this week.  Here are some quilts to celebrate the season !

Cherry Blossoms #7, 58 x 38", by Noriko Endo (Tokyo, Japan)

This quilt was inspired by the cherry blossoms and floating petals in the moat of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, which were "breathtaking....Noriko loves them in full bloom." Noriko's quilt is a fascinating study in contrasts; the delicate, ethereal, dainty pink blossoms are juxtaposed with the strong, massive dark trunk of the tree.

Close up, Cherry Blossoms #7 by Noriko Endo

Noriko is also a traveling quilt teacher who conducts classes in this elegant style of quilt artistry. In addition, she's published a book which looks very inspiring to us, titled, Confetti Naturescapes: Quilting Impressionist Landscapes.

Cherries Jubilee, 35 x 51", by B. Lynn Tubbe,  Georgetown, California

Lynn was inspired by Monet's paintings.  She says:  "This quilt was made for a Mountain Art Quilters' challenge, an amazing group of art quilters in the California Sierra foothills." We love how the green and lavender tints of the sky provide an eye-catching backdrop for the icy rose and mauve tints of the blossoms and the deeper accent colors of the tree itself.

Close-up, Cherries Jubilee by B. Lynn Tubbe

We really liked the quilting pattern of small bubbles in the background which helps the elegant design of the appliqued blossoms and tree branches pop right into the foreground.

Sounds of Coming Spring by Jung Eun Tark, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of  Korea

In Korea, the spring flower festivals are about to begin. Jung notes, "The distant mountains of snow have not melted, so far this winter, but the spring breeze is blowing. A flush of green and blooming flowers foretell the coming of spring with its joyful sounds.  This is a refreshing perspective, as it seems we are looking down from an elevated vantage point on this lovely landscape scene, with its rainbow of colors.

Close up, Sounds of Coming Spring by Jung Eun Tark

Jung's stunning technicque of using thousands of tiny fabric pieces to reflect light reminds us of the late 19th and early 20th century European painters' innovative style of  pointillism.

All for You by Jung Eun Tark, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of  Korea

Jung notes, "As a child, I read The Giving Tree. Nature gives all for us. The tree gives flowers, fruit, and shade to make everyone happy." Look at all the fabulous shades of pink used to construct this tree in what seems to us to be an original, innovative "collaged" look to Jung's work. 

Close up, All for You by Jung Eun Tark,  Republic of Korea

We love the sense of motion and energy that Jung's piecing technique conveys here. It's almost as if a refreshing spring breeze is gently blowing the blossoms and clouds around the sky.  If you look closely, you'll see the pretty spiral quilting of the tree, adorned by shiny crystal beads. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2014 AQS and 2013 Houston IQF shows.