![\"Japanese](\"https:\/\/road2ca.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Tokyo-Quilt-Festival-1-Patricia-Belyea-Copy.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAmerican Quilter Turned Japanese Textiles Aficionado<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"Japanese](\"https:\/\/road2ca.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PatriciaBelyea-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPatricia Belyea began quilting at age 53. She made a baby quilt for a young woman in her design office. At the time, Patricia thought that quilts were made out of old clothes, so she went to Goodwill to buy her \u201cfabrics.\u201d Her project stash ended up including a \u201cpretty\u201d girl\u2019s Gymboree dress, some other clothing, and a striped cotton sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through her church, Patricia met Maurine Noble<\/a>\u2014an internationally known quilting teacher. Not only did Maurine introduce Patricia to a rotary cutter, mat, ruled grid, and some ideas for Patricia\u2019s beginner project, she became Patricia\u2019s friend and quilting mentor. Patricia declares that if she \u201chad not met Maurine, I doubt I would have made anything more than my totally imperfect first quilt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nThree years before Patricia made that first quilt, for her 50th<\/sup> birthday, her husband and she visited Kyoto, Japan for a long weekend. Although their trip was short, the experience proved to be \u201clife changing.\u201d When they returned home to Seattle, their daughters\u2019 high school made a request for families to host Japanese homestay students. The Belyeas \u201cgladly welcomed\u201d Saori into their home for one year and then went on to host seven more <\/em><\/strong>Japanese students.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJapan wooed Patricia and her husband with \u201csweet memories\u201d from their first stay. They returned many times to check in with their \u201cbeloved\u201d homestay students. After Patricia began quilting, their trips gained another focus: treasure hunting for Japanese textiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tokyo Quilt Festival<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Patricia\u2019s first time attending the Tokyo International Quilt Festival<\/a> was in 2010. Her husband was waiting for her in a nearby coffee shop, so she only stayed one hour. Her first impression was \u201cabsolute awe\u201d of the Japanese textiles but also chagrin that she could not stay longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSince that first visit, Patricia has returned to the Festival six more times, allowing ample time to take in all the Japanese Textiles. Thinking of the Tokyo Quilt Festival, Patricia says, \u201cThe three quilt competitions and invitational show exhibit a wondrous array of quilts. But my favorites are the annual retrospectives of famous sensei (honored teachers) and the fabulous feature exhibits. Over the years, different Japanese quilters have begun to recognize me on the show floor. I\u2019ve befriended Sachiko Yoshida, a sensei who specializes in exquisite quilts made with antique kimono silks and visited her home studio.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okan Arts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/road2ca.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/okan-arts-logo-colour-4472-opt_100x.png\")
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nPatricia Belyea began quilting at age 53. She made a baby quilt for a young woman in her design office. At the time, Patricia thought that quilts were made out of old clothes, so she went to Goodwill to buy her \u201cfabrics.\u201d Her project stash ended up including a \u201cpretty\u201d girl\u2019s Gymboree dress, some other clothing, and a striped cotton sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through her church, Patricia met Maurine Noble<\/a>\u2014an internationally known quilting teacher. Not only did Maurine introduce Patricia to a rotary cutter, mat, ruled grid, and some ideas for Patricia\u2019s beginner project, she became Patricia\u2019s friend and quilting mentor. Patricia declares that if she \u201chad not met Maurine, I doubt I would have made anything more than my totally imperfect first quilt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Three years before Patricia made that first quilt, for her 50th<\/sup> birthday, her husband and she visited Kyoto, Japan for a long weekend. Although their trip was short, the experience proved to be \u201clife changing.\u201d When they returned home to Seattle, their daughters\u2019 high school made a request for families to host Japanese homestay students. The Belyeas \u201cgladly welcomed\u201d Saori into their home for one year and then went on to host seven more <\/em><\/strong>Japanese students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Japan wooed Patricia and her husband with \u201csweet memories\u201d from their first stay. They returned many times to check in with their \u201cbeloved\u201d homestay students. After Patricia began quilting, their trips gained another focus: treasure hunting for Japanese textiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Patricia\u2019s first time attending the Tokyo International Quilt Festival<\/a> was in 2010. Her husband was waiting for her in a nearby coffee shop, so she only stayed one hour. Her first impression was \u201cabsolute awe\u201d of the Japanese textiles but also chagrin that she could not stay longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since that first visit, Patricia has returned to the Festival six more times, allowing ample time to take in all the Japanese Textiles. Thinking of the Tokyo Quilt Festival, Patricia says, \u201cThe three quilt competitions and invitational show exhibit a wondrous array of quilts. But my favorites are the annual retrospectives of famous sensei (honored teachers) and the fabulous feature exhibits. Over the years, different Japanese quilters have begun to recognize me on the show floor. I\u2019ve befriended Sachiko Yoshida, a sensei who specializes in exquisite quilts made with antique kimono silks and visited her home studio.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nTokyo Quilt Festival<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Okan Arts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Japanese](\"https:\/\/road2ca.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PBJapanTextiles3-1024x683.jpg\")
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