Anyone is welcome to contribute a 15cm x 15cm block, on a theme announced in May. This year it was 'My Favourite Animal'. The blocks have to be sent to the quilt committee by July 31st, where they will be sorted and arranged into quilts of 154 blocks each. An army of volunteers will then piece the blocks together, sandwich and quilt them.
In previous years more blocks were sent in, but the 8.721 blocks received this time was still an impressive number. So it is my guess that thousands of visitors came to see their own block, and brought with them a friend or two or three...
This is quilt no 1, always a 'showcase' of creativity, skill and originality.
A close-up of some of the blocks. In the tiger block the black markings actually make up the kanji (Chinese character) that reads TIGER.
Tanya pointing to her block, a clever Mola of a cat and a dog.
Julie with her owl and cardinals.
Self with 'The Armchair Cat'
Pamela and her pandas.
As you might have noticed, many quilts had collections of the same animal, others were a mix.
Following are some examples:
A Mola fish
A chirimen (kimono crepe silk) jelly fish.
A Swedish Dalecarlian Horse.
A Kappa, the Japanese water creature
Sunbonnet Sue's true identity - a squirrel?
A very rude crow by the name of Kiyoe-chan and Chiko-chan, from the NHK TV quiz 'Don't Sleep Through Life'.
A penguin in school uniform.
A polar bear eating a shaved ice dessert.
A Japanese snow monkey taking a hot mineral bath.
A Hanging Hina Goldfish Doll
This reminds me, I have to make some new Hina Dolls for my mobile before the Girls Festival in March.
