About 40 years ago, I began attending a patchwork school in Tokyo. At that time, traditional American patchwork quilts, introduced to Japan from the United States, were becoming enormously popular. When the Tokyo Dome Quilt Festival began, we were completely captivated by the world of quilts.
After a long break from quilting due to moving, raising children, and caring for my parents, I eventually settled in Gunma, where I had the wonderful opportunity to meet the American quilt artist Jim Hay.
Seeing his exhibition in Gunma was a revelation for me. Until then, I had known only traditional quilts, and I was deeply shocked and inspired to discover that quilts could be so free and expressive.
I immediately became Jim Hay’s student, and this work was my very first collage quilt.
In one of Jim’s classes, we were asked to draw a card from a box. On my card were four words: clock, tree, sky, and bird. We were then asked to connect these words and create our own story.
There was no pattern and no sample to follow. We simply had to express whatever came to mind. I learned that creating an art quilt requires not only technique, but also a finely tuned sensitivity and the courage to trust one’s own imagination.
This was my first experience creating an art quilt.
I made this collage at that time, but never completed it. Now, many years later, I have finally finished it for this exhibition.
For me, completing this work is also a way of reconnecting with the beginning of my journey into art quilting.

5-8 the story 40×24

sewing machine , hand-stitched , embroidery

cotton, silk, ribbon, beaid,lace, button