Finally Found What I'm Looking For

You would have thought that a city the size of Tokyo would have a patchwork shop. Fabric shops, of which there are many, are good but they aren't the same. They lack the precuts, the notions, the patterns, the knowledge. I spent a morning trying to track down one called Palette last week but to no avail. I widened my search and came across Quilt Party in Chiba.

Image from here on Wikipedia.
Tokyo is area 13 and Chiba is 12, so to get from central Tokyo to central Chiba you have to go all the way around the top of the bay, which takes about 70 minutes on public transport. My point being, this is not my local shop, but was definitely worth the trip! Sadly photos were a no no but look at my haul. First the 'american' fabrics - by which I mean ones I've seen available outside Japan.

Then we have modern japanese fabrics:

And finally the traditional japanese fabrics - these are the ones I specifically went for and that I have seen so much of in quilt magazines and books here.

I had a go at a colour circle.

I love these colours. They are so different from what you get in the UK and elsewhere. I was trying to describe the palette to Noriko, who is pukka Japanese but not a quilter, but knew as soon as I used the word 'murky' that I'd failed. I have in mind a dresden quilt but I am just enjoying looking at them at the moment.

Meanwhile in my more usual colour palette I have finally got the handles attached to this bag.

I finished the patchwork (which is on both sides) aaaaaages ago but had been balking at attaching the lining and handles in such a way as to not cock up either. This is my first time using these solid wood handles (I got these secondhand at the Salvation Army Bazaar a month or so ago) and it took a long time for my brain to work it all out to my satisfaction.

While I was enjoying my moment I realised I'd forgotten to add an inside pocket - but I decided not to cry about it. The lining is these two sashiko-ish placemats I also found at the Sally Army.

I have two more hexagon projects that need finishing but these are much smaller.

My next project awaits though and will use my final purchase from Quilt Party.

This is a completely new shape for me. I tackled clamshells earlier in the year and made my camera pouch from them. I haven't yet decided what the applecores will become but I am sure that something will present itself in due course.