Join Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts and her tour group as they visit the home of Amy Katoh in Tokyo, Japan. See Amy's collection of beautiful textiles, and revel in the wonderful and intimate experience of a trunk show from the other side of the world.
Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts recently got to do something she's always wanted to do but was never in the right place at the right time. What did she do? She got to view the Quilt Nihon Exhibition at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fibers Arts Museum in La Conner, WA. Why is this a big deal? Well, Quilt Nihon takes place in Japan every two years, so to these quilts outside of the show was an absolute joy for Patricia and she wanted to share that enjoyment with all of you. Take in some of the quilts she saw, and learn about about this amazing international event.
Did the new year bring you or a loved one a new baby into your life? Is there a baby shower in your near future? Well, Victoria Stone of Okan Arts has a perfect gift for any of those situations with a quick and useful project for making Yukata-Cotton-Lined Denim Bibs for the tiny ones.
Victoria Stone of Okan Arts, whose mother and business partner Patricia Belyea was recently a featured guest on The Quilt Show, had the pleasure of visiting the 2023 Quilt Festival Long Beach in sunny Southern California this past week. Take a look at all the wonderful quilts and more that she saw as part of her write-up on the fun-filled event.
We recently featured Victoria Stone's trip to the 2022 Yokohama Quilt Show in Japan to get a look at the amazing quilts on display. Now, we have detailed and up-close shots of some of those quilts for you to view. You'll be able to see the textures and quilting so well that it will be just like you're visiting the show alongside Victoria.
Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts is going to be a guest next year on The Quilt Show. Her experience in quilting has dealt mainly with the Japanese side of things and has herself visited the Tokyo Quilt Show. With there no longer being a Tokyo Quilt Show, the Yokohama Quilt Show has sprung up and taken its place and one of the members of Patricia's Okan Arts team, Victoria Stone, took the trip to Yokohama, Japan to check it out.
Patricia writes, "Often it’s the little things that can be make a big difference to our happiness and success. In surveying my sewing studio, I gathered up a bevy of useful and beloved gear to share with you."
Victoria Stone over at Okan Arts gave herself a challenge, recreate one of the outfits from the Disney film Frozen 2 for her friend's daughter. Spending nearly two years making the dress, the fruits of her labor have finally taken shape and a beautiful garment is now made. Follow along with her process and see how this stunning recreation was born.
Patricia writes, "I had a dream—to include a little packet of Okan Arts Indigo Seeds in every Japanese fabric order going out from our shop at the beginning of the new year."
Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts did something that all quilters would love to do, she created her very own dye! As Patricia explains it so succinctly, "Here’s the gist of my story: I grew a crop of indigo plants and extracted indigo pigment from their bright green leaves."