Japanese Fabric

I posted a pic on Instagram a while ago of an economy block I made out of Japanese fabric.  My dear friend piped up and mentioned she had some japanese fabric she'd be willing to give me, if I 'helped' her make a memory quilt.  She lost her mother, Fae, to cancer this year, a few months before she gave birth to her fifth(!) boy.  I loved her mom, so working on this quilt will be an honor and a pleasure.

She and her husband lived in Japan for a few years with the military, and even though she doesn't really sew she couldn't resist picking up a few cuts of fabric.  Can you blame her?  Now she lives back home in So Cal, and we met up while I was visiting the folks (and Jenni!)  

Thought you'd like to see my hand-me-downs:

These pieces are all Shinzi Katoh on canvas.  The top piece says, "a big balloon alone the little monkey twins."  The middle pieces say, "Maybe, you can listen to voice of flower."

This is a light weight cotton with no info on the selvage.  The background is actually pale pink.  Don't you love the little hedgehogs?

The top piece is unmarked, but it's glittery so my girls will love it.  The bottom piece is practically the cutest boy fabric on the planet.  I believe it's called zoo scatter.  

And then there's this- the piece de resistance:

Isn't it wonderful?  The selvage is in japanese, but I'm guessing it's Atsuko Matsuyama.  Does anyone recognize it? I only have a fat quarter, so I must savor every piece.  

So that was a pretty good exchange!  Actually, I think I got the better end of the deal.  We worked together on a design for the memory quilt, and I think I'll be able to make something really special for her newest baby boy.  He's a darling baby and Fae would have treasured him, just as she did the other boys.  My friend recently wrote a sweet post about questions she wished she asked her mom.  It's a tender little post, so bring a hankie.

XOXOX- Pinspot