Author(s): Eileen Campbell

Crafts

The exhibition opened in Tokyo on 28 December 2004 in the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Department Store. It then travelled to venues in Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Sapporo, Kyoto and Takamatsu. Altogether, the exhibition attracted over 105,000 visitors in Japan. In October 2005 the exhibition travelled to Korea where it was shown in the Chojun Textile and Quilt Museum, and Sookmyung Women's University Museum in Seoul. Eileen has travelled to Japan at various times in Summer, Autumn and Spring. The flowers in many temple and public gardens make a stunning display, and she especially loved the Meiji Jingu Iris Garden. These flowers were the inspiration for her quilt. The brilliant colours of the Japanese maples in Autumn overshadowed the softer tones of some of the Summer and Spring flowers so the maple leaves are quilted in gold around the border. Eileen has captured the wonderful colours of Japan in this quilt. Easy to follow instructions have been provided so that the reader can create their own beautiful quilt. However, if one would like to make a single panel of flowers into a quilt or for use on another piece, it can be easily done, with each pattern standing alone.

About the author:
Eileen Campbell worked as a primary school teacher for a total of 22 years. She has an interest and expertise in many crafts including weaving and related textile arts, fabric printing, bookbinding, calligraphy and photography. She began patchwork and quilting in 1984 and since 1993 has been working as a textile artist giving workshops and lectures both in Australia and overseas. Eileen specialises in machine work using applique, embroidery and quilting techniques. Her designs usually incorporate flora and fauna whether from nature or imagination. Her work is often embellished with beads, braids, etc. and machine quilted.