About a month a go I had a chance to zip in and talk a quick look around the big Quilt show  in Grand Rapids.  This event draws people from all over the Mid-West.

While a lot of the quilts are too folksy for my taste, some strike me as  fabulous, interesting and creative.  This year I was drawn to a special exhibit of quilts from Caohagan.  Zounds.  Like, where is that?

The quilts were bright, happy, charmingly designed, making me smile as I meandered through the exhibit.  But the question in my mind, was, “Where the heck is Caohagan?”

Turns out Caohagan is an island in the Philippines, described in the brochure about the exhibit as a “small dot between the bigger Cebu and Bohol province.”

It has about 50,000 square meters and is home to 600 people.

So, what’s with these gorgeous quilts?

Junko Yoshikawa, came to the island 25 years ago from Japan, and taught quilt making to the residents using the bright island images and colors.  About 120 people on the island make quilts, providing one third of the island’s total income.

The income has provided for schools and decent housing for the islanders.  The quilts are happy and full of life.  Makes me think I’d enjoy visiting this island and meeting the quilters and their families.

Take a look. Agree?   Don’t they make you smile?

For more about the Caohagan quilts go to the web site www.caohagan.com/store

For my blog post about last year’s quilt show, click here.