Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2008

When Anna and I arrived at the Tokyo Dome this morning for the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival we weren't sure we were in the right place. It looked like the Australian TAB with lots of loitering old men betting on horses. Then we spotted a swarm of middle-aged Japanese women and we followed them to the right place. The fair was huge! As our friend Jo, a Kiwi, commented "there are more women here than the whole of New Zealand!" While I was drawn to the more abstract, contemporary quilts, I was in awe of the incredible detail and craftsmanship on display across all styles. For a more complete picture of the show click here for images from Moving Hands.

Girls' Day Out

Saskia and I visited the Oedo Antiques Fair today, a market that takes place twice a month at Tokyo International Forum. It's definitely worth a visit for people traveling to Tokyo even briefly. Our favourite find was a vendor selling antique kimonos and quilts for dolls, as pictured above. Saskia also enjoyed rifling through colourful baskets of silk kimono fabric, a fortunate diversion from the delicate antique ceramics on display! Afterwards, we walked to the Muji flagship store, often described as Japan's version of Target in the US, but much, much better! They sell affordable homeware, clothes, etc., with a distinctly Japanese minimalist style. Its also a good place to grab a quick lunch in the area.

Weaving through Kichijoji

A couple years ago mum and I took a weaving class at Habu Textiles in New York with an instructor from Kyoto through an English translator. We made a scarf in two hours (see pics) with a very simple Japanese table-loom produced by a company called Avril. After a lot of internet-searching I finally found Avril's website and tracked down their store in Tokyo. I visited the store Saturday afternoon and it turns out they offer weaving classes on this loom in addition to classes in felt-making, knitting, and spinning. I'm excited to start some new projects - they also sell gorgeous yarns!


In the process of finding Avril I also discovered a great Tokyo neighborhood called Kichijoji. Avril is located just off of Nakamichi Dori, a pedestrian-only street with some interesting specialty shops. A surprising find was A-materials, a store selling vintage American fabrics. There was something very Japanese about the selection and the way the fabrics were presented. Another gem was Kanal, a boutique selling beautifully made clothing with a curious mix of Japanese- and Victorian-inspired designs. For fabric-lovers, there's also a glossy new Marimekko store on Inokashira Dori, parallel to Nakamichi Dori.