2016 First Place, Professional Japanese Embroidery

In 1981, as Chairman of the National EGA Convention, I invited Mr. Tamura to teach Japanese Embroidery at the seminar. There was great interest and the class went to lottery. This was the introduction of Japanese Embroidery to the United States. It has since flourished and enriched our embroidery culture with new ideas and techniques.

The class was a success. We then started to bring Mr. Tamura to the United States to teach classes twice a year. We started with the basics which we called Phase I and grew to many Phases.

This purse is one of those Phases. Purple was not one of the Japanese color selections but of course I would want to have a purple purse. I could see the hesitation in Mr. Tamura but he allowed me to proceed. When finished, I proudly carried my purse to an American wedding accompanied by Mr. Tamura. He, in turn, took pictures which he showed to the Master on his return to Japan.

When I returned to Japan to study again with the Master, he lectured me about carrying a funeral-colored purse to a wedding, and that I would bring bad luck to the bride and her marriage. Fortunately that did not happen and I still carry my purse with joy.