Friday, May 5, 2017

Happy Children's day!


When my boys were small, we had  a wonderful display set in our large entry-way of all these items.

It was then called Boy's Day and some of the display, like screens made from arrows standing in a wooden frame, Samurai armour, carp streamers and weaponry had belonged to my husband when he was a child.  This printed banner  has Girl's Day decorations on the back and is a lot easier to take out and set up. Maybe I need to make a quilted version . I do have a printed carp table runner somewhere.

Nikko and I set out in the morning to find real carp streamers flying in the light breeze. As we walked through the back streets of town and peered down each cross street, we found NOTHING. My, how customs have changed over the years I have lived in this part of town where once long strings of streamers were seen flying over fields and above rooftops. 



These are the only streamers we found, flying from a pole inside a temple gate. (among the power lines).

On the way home, we passed the vet hospital and I noticed it was open. I stopped in to ask about Nikko's vaccination I had missed, as the day set for my area, I was at work all day. Usually Nikko goes to the park with me and gets her vaccination for rabies and a registration tag for the year. The vet said if I brought the postcard, she could get her shot and registration right there, so that is what we did. She got tested for heart-worm and was issued pills to take through mosquito season. Dog care is not cheap but nice to know Nikko is in good shape for such an old dog. She is also a better weight now that Paul is not slipping her  treats of people-food.

Since the sun was out, I decided to take my Ohio Star quilt to the park for a picture. for some reason I did not have a digital picture among my collection. 


This is called, "Ohio Star too far east for too long". It is all made out of vintage Japanese fabrics. This was made in 1995 and I notice one of the very light woven fabrics has deteriorated in several pieces. I don't think I can take it apart but I wonder if I could applique some other fabric over the worn spots. What would you do?


The backing is made out of Tenugui ... a lot of Kabuki prints and a few others picked up on travels here and there. 

The rest of the day, I wasted looking for my bagpipe practice chanter. I have not played my pipes since moving back to Toshimaen, as there is no place I might play without disturbing the whole neighborhood. I knew where it was before moving but look as hard as I could, all I could find was dust and more dust. Gee, I would hate to have something happen to me and my children to come here and see such a dusty place. Well, the windows are open and the dust storms are coming in from China. Keeping surfaces clean for even one day is a challenge ... and that dust had been gathering in some of those corners for years. Well, I guess I don't have a dust allergy anyway. (and for all the good it did, I at least wiped the surfaces clean).

Anyway, I really can't think of any other place to look, and I had been asked to play it with a choir piece. I suppose I will now be lying awake at night wondering where that chanter went. Maybe to the trunk room with some other things. I think it was in the piano bench and we gave the piano to the church because of lack of space. I can't recall if the bench went to storage or was given away. I found a gold metal won at a competition and some new reeds given me by a cousin and never used... but chanter is a mystery, and half a day wasted.

Since, when I turned 50, I began subtracting each year, I am now on the brink of my second childhood. Soon I can start blaming my lack of knowledge on my youth.

10 comments:

  1. A beautiful quilt in blues. Can you applique a motif over that worn part, and maybe do another somewhere else, to link them up? Dust, it happens all the time, even down here. I could dust and polish every day and still it would come in.your lost piece will turn up somewhere safe for sure.

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  2. Love your Ohio Star in blues - the touches of pink and yellow/gold really make it sparkle. I would applique another fabric over the worn spots - it might be newer fabric but if the color works, it probably wouldn't be that noticeable - and should protect the worn spots from further damage. Dust - if you ever find a solution - please share - I need a sign - "Please don't write in my dust." - ;))

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  3. I love your quilt and the vintage fabrics, that is gorgeous and such a treasure.
    The banner is a nice piece filled with memories. Glad Niko is doing well,

    Debbie

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  4. To have fewer things where dust can gather I am trying to down-size my home. It is nice for you to have only the double sided banner to display rather than all the dolls and ornaments for Girl's and Boy's Day.
    I put my carp streamers away the first thing I did this morning (May 6th) until next year. I guess these days so many families go away for Golden Week, they don't want to fly the carps any longer.
    To save the Ohio Star quilt, I'd either replace the weak points with appliqué or stitch a thin net on top of those parts.
    Subtracting one's age after 50... hm, that's an idea I need to think about.

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  5. I do enjoy all the different festivals you mention and how they are celebrated. But it is interesting to see that they, like everything else, are changing.
    Good to get Nikko's vaccination out of the way, too.
    How lovely to see your beautiful quilt hanging up. And good luck in your search!

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  6. Nice quilt! I'd applique some fabric over the places that are worn. That way you can save the quilt (well worth saving). I lose things all the time. I put them in a 'safe' place, then can't find the safe place again.

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  7. I find that Ohio star quilt quite inspirational.

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  8. Hi Julie, your Ohio star quilt is AMAZING! We're so glad that you're going to preserve it. And, we can really relate to the issue of dust. It just kinda creeps up on a house without the residents even being aware of it. In fact, that reminds us to get out our Swiffer mop and get to work on these floors, LOL ! 😀😀😀 Hugs and blessings to you, from Marina and Daryl Lynn

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  9. A new piece of information. I didn't know you played bagpipes... or whatever they're called.

    Sure, I'd just appliqué over any frays... I one time appliquéd hearts over a damaged quilt I'd made for Leiya. Cat scratching can be hard on quilts.

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  10. I love your Ohaio star quilt. It's beautiful to see combination of various blue colours.

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