April 2016 IQSCM Quilt of the Month

Do you know about the International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska?  Each month they have a Quilt of the Month (and you can get an email from them about it each month - sign up for free on their website).  

This month's quilt (above) is called Poetry in Indigo III by Shizuoka Kuroha.  Here's what the IQSCM has to say about it:

Poetry in Indigo III features 168 different examples of kasuri fabric—the Japanese version of ikat.  Ikat is created by tie-dyeing the warp and/or weft threads in a specific pattern prior to weaving. The pattern appears as the fabric is woven. 

Figurative imagery in this quilt includes a crane and turtle, bat, and a cat among others. The crane and turtle motif symbolizes longevity. Bats are good luck symbols that often appear on young children’s clothing.

Artist Shizuko Kuroha is one of the most celebrated quiltmakers in Japan. After learning to quilt while living in the United States in the 1970s, she began giving quilt classes in Tokyo, eventually starting her own school and teaching all over Japan and the world. Kuroha has been the featured quiltmaker at the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival on multiple occasions, most recently in 2014.

Blue and Japanese - you can understand why this one is so appealing to me.  You can check out past QOM on the website too.