Handmade Quilts from Japan (2)

Quilts that are entirely handmade are rare these days. We marvel at the technical excellence, precision, and patience it must have taken to create these works of art! All were made in Japan by groups of friends, turning hard work into companionship and fun.

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Quilt Village by Kimi Sakamaki with five friends (Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan).  

Quilts are hanging everywhere in this tiny village! Made entirely by hand piecing, hand applique, and hand quilting, it was designed by Kathy Nakajima. Teensy quilts even hang on the clothsline, shown below:

 Regarding the quilt's name, the makers say: "If there is a village where people who love quilts live, we would name it Quilt Village. What kind of scenery would that village have? We created this work while talking about these thoughts."

 

Olive Groves in Italy by Sachiko Miyagawa with 12 friends (Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan)

Made entirely with hand piecing, hand applique, and hand quilting, this quilt too was designed by Kathy Nakajima. The pieced pattern is known as Burgoyne Surrounded, which has a long tradition in American history dating back centuries, uses tiny squares to create a pixelated effects. 

The extensive applique work softens the geometric pattern. Olive Groves in Italy was made by friends who have been growing together for a long time, with olives that bring happiness.

Spring Milky Way by Mutsuko Shindo with 6 friends (Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan) 

The Winding Ways quilt pattern is beautifully overlaid with applique. The star of the show is the appliqued mimosa which sways in the gentle breeze of a spring day.  For the base, we used pieced work with beautifully coordinated colors.  The quilting was carefully hand-stitched to express the softness of the entire piece. We enjoyed the hand quilting (and fun fabrics) which you can see in this closeup photo:

 Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2025 Houston International Quilt Festival.