Sashiko Sampler Quilt

This past summer, I made 30 Sashiko blocks. I found a variety of patterns in the two books: "Japanese Quilts Blocks" by Susan Briscoe and "Quilting with Japanese Fabrics" by Kitty Pippen. Some of the patterns I created like the Tori Gate in the water. I had created a complicated 14 inch block, bought the material and then realized that the business in the block pattern would take away from the simple elegance of the sashiko pattern. So, the final quilt was done with sashings in one material to create an overall background of complementary accents. Here is the final result.

Here are some close ups of the sashiko blocks that show the background fabric. The red is a tiny sakura (flower of the cherry tree).

As work proceeded on this quilt, I adopted a lovely cat which needed a new home. Here is Shiro (Japanese for white) keeping me company while I sewed on the binding.