Quilting with Japanese Fabrics

review by Celia Eddy
reviewed 21/06/2001

Japanese fabrics are the flavour of the moment in patchwork so this book, the first publication from the amazing, 80-year-old Kitty Pippen, an award-winning quiltmaker, will be a major inspiration to many patchworkers and quilters. Kitty says this book is her legacy – well, we’re the very fortunate inheritors, although I hasten to add that Kitty shows no signs of fading away from us yet! She was actually born and brought up in China, where her father was a missionary, so oriental style was an early, and powerful, influence even though she has spent most of her life in America. Before becoming involved in patchwork and quilting, Kitty was an amateur water-colour artist and has an instinctive eye for colour which she uses to wonderful effect in using Japanese fabrics to create her unique quilts in Japanese-style designs. She also uses the Sashiko technique in a striking and authentic manner. (‘Sashiko’ means ‘little stabs’ and describes the age-old Japanese quilting technique in which traditional designs are embroidered on to indigo fabric using thick white thread.) If you’re inspired by some of the Japanese fabrics now available, or just want an inspiring eyeful, get this book!

© Celia Eddy