My Quilt Diary

Where did the week go?

2012-02-24T21:27:00.003-08:00

How did it get to be Saturday already? I have no business posting anything, as I have not responded to a single comment during the past week. I haven't been exactly twiddling my thumbs, however. With only four weeks to go, the auction quilt calls.

The wind chimes got in-the-ditch quilting last week. Our plan is to turn the background into a raked gravel garden. At the end of the session we pinned some paper "rocks" in rather empty spots and this week I have been raking the gravel around them. I tried to get a look at the effect by spreading it out on the loft bed but the quilt is much too big to get the total effect on a double bed. I need to have quilting lines marked for the worker-bees on Tuesday and as much of the center areas done so that they can work around the edges. At the same time, I hate to do too much without first checking in with the committee.

This is where living in Tokyo has its "cons". Just as the Scouting group or church group, we are part of a community but we are scattered all over the city. No one is even on the same train line and even if you could get there by car, there is no place to park.

Today our Pack committee had a conference call to sort things out but this would not work very well with quilt designs. My choice is to wait until Tuesday (and possibly get behind) or plug along and hope for the best which is probably what I will do).

Does this look like a Japanese garden to you? (Don't answer that if you need a reply ...)

Gone quilting!

A few minutes of fame (depending on how fast you read)

2012-02-18T02:30:00.001-08:00

This morning's issue of the Japan Times had an article about me written by Kris Kosaka. Perhaps it makes me appear a bit more worthy than I truly am. My kids were cheering me on through0ut the day and a dear friend sent me the best picture of all ... her young son reading the article.

Remember that behind every bit of this piece are countless leaders and volunteers, helping and inspiring. And that includes my blogging friends!

Here is a link to the article. www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20120218a1.html

Some things might be worth the wait

2012-02-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

This year's Auction quilt has been in progress for some time. Back in the fall, when we began, I found it hard to get excited over a quilt that was basically a copy of another quilter's work. Within a few weeks we had gained permission from the Sensei to use her design for inspiration. Then there was a turning point where the picture of her quilt was put away and we began doing our own thing. This week the borders were put in place and we met to do the basting. Luckily, the Early Learning Center could give us space for the task and tables so we didn't have to crawl around on the floor.

An eager group of moms made quick work of the task at hand, removing threads and cat hair and getting down to the basting. Now the quilt is in my care. We have four weeks to complete the quilting. The wind-chimes and cross strips will get in-the-ditch quilting and for the background we plan an echo-style quilting to resemble a Japanese style raked gravel garden.

We have a wonderful group of worker bees ready and eager. We have added our own combination of fabrics and colors and I think the quilting will be distinctive too. Our first "panic point" was the permission. With some luck and some hard work, it will be finished early enough too hang at the School for a few days before the Gala, avoiding further panic.

And today is the birthday of the canine daughter. Ten years ago in May, I received a phone call from my kids who had gone to Nikko for the day. "Mom, we found this darling puppy abandoned outside the community center". (Me) "I don't want a dog"! "But Mom, you just have to see it to believe what a darling dog it is". (Me) "I can't see it over the phone and I don't want a dog"!

So ... what did they do? They put her in a box and brought her home for me to see. "If you don't like her, I'll take her back", says my #4 daughter. Yeah right! And throw her back on the road! Oh, that poor animal, skinny and caked in dirt! Into the bathroom she went. After several washings she turned out to be white. Sitting on the rug by the garden window with the last of the afternoon sun drying her sparkling fur, someone says,"she needs a name". Since she was found in Nikko and the characters for Nikko are "sun" and "shine", it didn't take long to pick a name. Name it ... and it is yours!
A visit to the vet for puppy shots told us she was about three months old. Counting backwards, that was Valentine's day. Ten years ago! I can't believe someone would abandon this dog on the road. She isn't perfect. She has issues from time to time, but a sweeter, more gentle dog would be hard to find. She faces each day with enthusiasm and loves everyone.

My husband loves to take her shopping and when he comes out of the store finds her surrounded by a fan club, getting affection and praise.

Of course, those fans don't have to worry about tons of white hair covering everything in sight. You have only to look at the first picture following a "shampooch" to see some serious shedding.

So ... Happy Birthday, Nikko. Thanks for ten years of dog hair, crumb pick-up, left-over supervision, and quiet companionship. I guess if I had to choose again, I'd take your quiet non-yappy nature and forgive you for all my stuff you have chewed up.

Scout week is for the birds

2012-02-11T00:53:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I began quilting a dragon runner for the bureau in my entry way. Then we moved and the bureau went into storage. The new place has a large coffee table and the "Dragon year" was coming so I thought it might be a good time to finish this runner. Do you think I could find it? It is a complete mystery how anything can hide in a place this small! I found a second panel which has now been re-homed but it took some time to find this creature lurking in a box where it had been shoved to make room for guests.

I had quilted with gold thread around the pattern and at last I began to quilt the waves in the background. I was travelling a long way by train today to meet up with Scouts for a bit of nature study. I should have been able to finish during the train ride ... however ... In the "Silver seats" which are reserved for handicapped, and aged passengers, all but two of the eight seats were taken up by young people (reading, texting, and sleeping). I sat and pulled out my work expecting an hour of progress. The very next stop, two elderly ladies got on. One sat beside me and none of the younger passengers moved. Finally I got up and gave my seat to the other lady. Well, they were probably within a year of my own age but I was in my Scout uniform so I thought I should be setting the example. Next stop, an old man with a cane entered. So much for the example. I am amazed how those young people can manage to sleep, (eyes shut so as not to see those standing), but still jump up and exit when their station arrives.

I took the long way home so the waves are almost done but they could have used that hour trip. I will have to add a border as my coffee table is a lot bigger than the bureau of the earlier plan.

On the wall between my house and the neighbor, I have made a feeder by pounding nails up through a board. Two sides slide down over the wall and I can place apples or oranges on those nails each winter for the birds.

This Mejiro or Japanese White-eye seemed to be saying, "You are going so far to see birds? Whats the matter with right here?"

The group I met in Ueno was made up of Scouts and Cubs and parents from a combination of Tokyo units. We walked up through the park looking at trees, then back down to the pond to check out the birds. There are requirements for identifying "wild animals" in your area but unlike the states where you might see squirrels rabbits, coons, skunks, deer and all kinds of wildlife, in Tokyo, your best bet is birds and the best time is winter when the visiting flocks are in town.

The group was HUGE. I'm glad there are so many kids interested in developing their observation skills. There were at least 30 boys and parents and siblings and leaders doubled the size of the group.

I gave each boy a printout of what we might expect to see and told them how to use the clues to identify the birds. We saw over 20 varieties. The city has not cut back the lotus plants so they were a bit harder to see among the plants. Still, ten was the goal so we did well.

Here is an Eurasian Wigeon.

This was a very aggressive male Shoveler. He was chasing every other male out of the area.

All the while the female scooped up bread crumbs tossed by visitors.

Surprise visit by a turtle. Checking out the sun.

And this immature Black-headed Gull is fetching a ride on a swan boat.

In the trees above the bird-watchers are the people-watchers. There were quite a few bird-watching groups in the area. Many had telescopes and let the kids have a peek. I have a camera with a very good telephoto lens but it is not digital. I have been toying with the idea of getting a digital that can use those lenses. Other than the price, the size and weight are enough to make me wonder if I would use it enough to make it worth buying. Today was a day I wished I had it.

Too bad I didn't get a picture of the real "wild life" ... all those boys! This was a fun way to end Scout week and a group I didn't mind speaking in front of.

Scout Sunday

2012-02-05T00:36:00.001-08:00

Scout week begins with Scout Sunday and lasts through Saturday, Scout Sabbath. During this week Scouting will celebrate its 105th anniversary.

When I consider how many times I have raised my hand in the scout sign and pledged to do my duty to God and my country, I felt it was about time I put my body where my mouth is, and volunteered to give the children's message at our two worship services.

This takes a lot of courage on my part because every time I have to speak in front of a group, I want to run as fast as I can in the other direction. "Panic" would be the right word here. In this case, there is nothing like a security blanket. I know I have showed this quilt before but I put it up again because it is very meaningful to me. I felt my friends were there with me offering their support.

I told the kids that the symbol was chosen for several reasons. The three points stand for the three parts of the Scout Oath, duty too God and country, helping other people, and keeping oneself fit in body, mind, and spirit.

Since this is the symbol for North on the mariner's compass, I showed them my compass and how you can figure out all the directions if you know which way is North and how living by the Scout Law, a Scout is able to point the right way in life.

I compared this to the teachings in the Bible and the words of Jesus that show us the path to take and the way to live. All the while, those friends on my quilt were helping me along. When I looked at those children I was reminded of my own kids, two of whom had left me comments while I was sleeping and I had read with such a warm feeling before leaving home. Our children are treasures beyond measure and worth every effort spent in their behalf.

The quilt has signatures from Scouts and Scouters all over the world, I think at least 60 countries and all of the United States.

The emblem is embroidered with a single thread of embroidery cotton.

BSA and The Scout Association of Japan were the most complicated.

The other emblems were selected for their variety.

The center piece is the World Scout Emblem. Quilted around it is "Scouting is a World of Friends".

When I returned home and opened my computer, there was a message from a long-time friend and Scouter. He had written about a picture I had posted on facebook of the NASA Astronaut, Mike Fossum, an Eagle Scout, who had come to Tokyo only a few weeks ago and wanted to meet with Scouts in Tokyo. Many years ago, John Glenn and his crew had come to Tokyo and done the same thing and my friend remembered that ... about Scouts "giving back". My friend is now giving back too and I hope that today I have made a step in that direction as well.

Setsubun

2012-02-03T04:23:00.000-08:00

Today is "Setsubun".

Sunday, when I was on my way home from a Cub Scout service project, I noticed this fabric "Oni" in a shop window. Then, on Tuesday, in the same neighbourhood, Amy Katoh's Blue and White shop had a lovely quilted hanging in the window. I didn't have my camera but maybe the decorations will stay up a while and I can get a picture.

Setsubun is not really a holiday but it has come to be applied to the last day of "setsu" called "daikan" ("great cold") or the first day of spring in the ancient solar calendar. I can honestly say that this past week has been very cold so the idea of spring around the corner is quite appealing.

On Setsubun, roasted beans are scattered inside and outside the house chanting "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi"!

(Out with demons! In with good luck!)

When my kids were little, they said, of course, oniwa (garden) was soto (outside) and fuku was inside, after all, we had a whole house full of Fukudas. These days, along with the little wooden box of beans, you get two oni masks. It is customary for family members to eat the same number of beans as their age. I have not counted the beans but I wonder if two senior citizens eat the right number of beans, there will be enough to throw at the oni.

Another custom is to eat this big rolled sushi (ehomaki) while facing in the lucky direction. This year that is North by northwest.

Papa gets a bite.

Mama gets a bite.

And Nikko eagerly takes part. (with thanks to some samurai who, 450 years ago, ate the same before racing off to and winning some big battle.)

Today was the meeting of my quilt group and a small mystery was solved. I learned that the quilt in the Dome show that was surrounded by crowds with cameras was made by Yamaguchi, Momoe... A famous actress and singer and married to Miura, Tomokazu...also a famous movie star. The quilt was made using her mother's kimono.

I wish I had remembered my camera. My friends are making very creative quilts. As for me, I worked on the conference banner as it is small enough to carry. I quilted the letters but still need to add two more borders. The auction quilt will be ready to begin quilting very soon and if other years are an example, there will be little time for other things once we begin.

Happy Setsubun ... and hurry spring!

Quilt show part 4

2012-01-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

This is finally the last of the quilt show pictures. What I have covered is only a small part of the show and just what caught my eye. I think that since, I am a hand quilter, I tend to look more closely and appreciate hand work. In truth though, there seemed to be more hand quilting here than in the Yokohama show. I'm glad my husband encouraged me to go back on the last day. I got to see so much more than on the crowded earlier trip. I also had time to have another visit with Mary Haunani Cesar, who is not only a Hawaiian Master Quilter, but the kind of teacher and friend anyone could wish to find. She had a nice exhibit in Yokohama and a small booth among the shops at this show.

There was one section of the show dedicated to the disaster. As in Yokohama, there were quilted items donated for auction to raise funds.

In addition, there was this selection of quilts, roughly translated, "Prayers by Needles" made to encourage those recovering from the March quake and tsunami.

Above is a pieced hinomaru (Japanese flag) entitled With a Single Mind by Misaki Okabe.

Tree of Life - Regeneration

by Keiko Miyachi.

Beautiful Hometown Again

by Mieko Miyama.

Each of the flower prints was hand embroidered with more detail and embellishment.

We Desire to Walk Slowly

by Chiyo Hosokawa.

This was quite a large quilt and I only got a detail

Didn't record the title but this piece was by Emiko Toda Loeb. It was embellished with beads.

Field Wind

by Yoko Sekita.

Here is a detail. This is all hand applique and embroidery.

Considering the disaster was in March, I am amazed at the degree of hand work in these quilts in such a short time. Any of these would take me years and years to complete!

Here are a few other things I found on my camera. I do not remember the category.

This by Okabe had tons of French knots all over.

This is only a detail. I took it the first day, did not get close enough to see title or maker's name but I thought it an interesting conglomeration of cats.

this quilt, too, was lovely but I did not get the name.

It was probably among the traditional quilts.

Many years ago I went to a small quilt show and was amazed with the quilts that were copies of Baltimore Album
quilts. Down to the last detail... you could probably go to a book on quilt history and find the original. That show was so filled with reproductions that I went away thinking Japanese quilters must be obsessed. That was probably 30 years ago and in this time I have seen many changes. There is still wonderful attention to detail but these days quilters are using their own colors and re-arranging techniques to make fantastic original one-of-a-kind quilts. They tell a lot more about the artist than their ability to copy.

And in parting ... I went back to that first picture I took to see what the celebrity quilt was all about. Surprise!

The crowd of fans were still there and though I seem to be closer, I was holding the camera above my head. I never could see more than a tiny section. I think there was red velvet and a heart.

So... That's my take on the show, A lot of inspiring work, a few ideas spinning in my head, stuff in shops to dream about owning, techniques I might want to try, some warm exchanges with friends, and a tired back from all that walking. I took the train the long way around so I could sit all the way home.
Back to my own projects that now seem a bit BLAH in comparison!

Quilt show part 3

2012-01-29T01:44:00.001-08:00

In the large open area there were perhaps ten sections where quilts were displayed. In some of those areas, photographs were forbidden. One area had a big display of Alice in Wonderland theme stuff. I thought it was rather a wasted space. There was some quilted stuff and theme things to buy.

Another area had room-like sections for some well known teachers. Many of those teachers specialize in one style of work
such as Hawaiian quilts or Japanese indigo and the like. Fumiko Nakayama specializes in Mola style quilts and this one was quite stunning.

The first day I went was so crowded and I could only take a few details of things I could get far enough away without including people. I am sorry I did not record the category or the quilters name. This one had some nice stitchery

This is the bottom corner of a very large quilt. It almost looks like a village on a hillside.

Each year there are group quilts. The paper at the side tells the name of the person who made that particular block.

Some were dogs, hearts, houses, etc. but I rather liked these Ohio stars. I do not know the process of how the final blocks were assembled and quilted.

Another group quilt.

And another

More stars.

I do not remember where this quilt was placed either. It might have been part of the original quilts. I have made a number of alphabet quilts but none were this complicated.

Here is a detail of the center.

And another group quilt with lots of hearts.

I still have one more category to cover so there will be one more part to follow.

Quilt show part 2

2012-01-28T15:30:00.001-08:00

Every year at this show there is a selection of quilts made by well-known "Sensei". This year they appeared as framed quilts. Again all the titles and names were in Japanese so not easy to locate the work of one particular artist.

This one by Suzuki caught my eye. I love those Japanese fabrics and though I don't care much for "wall art", this one I found pleasing.

Next few are from the "WA" classification. (Harmony or Peace)

Again titles and names were in Japanese. This forest is by Sawamura.

This is a detail of a quilt using fussy-cut kasuri, a fabric that is woven after the thread is dyed. I love kasuri and can't think of chopping it up into little pieces but this effect was stunning.

Below is the entire quilt.

There are supposed to be 30 cats in this hanging. It was quite popular with the camera crowd. I guess there are a lot of cat-lovers among quilters.

A closer view showed raw edges and machine embroidery.

Naoko Suzuki

Next catagory was "Original Design".

This quilt entitled "Barcelona" seems to celebrate food.

I wonder if Fukushima-san

made a trip.

This quilt made in Mola style shows constellations.

The quilter, Yabe-san, did an amazing amount of work.

This unusual quilt seems to celebrate the artist's pet labrador, Nezi.

The maker, Yoshida, seems to have included various aspects of her dog's life along with a hounds tooth plaid made of patchwork.

When westerners look at the moon, they see a man's face but the Japanese see a rabbit pounding mochi.

This is a detail just to show the number of rabbits that make up this moon in the quilt below.

Again this has an amazing amount of hand work done by Ogura.

With a Halloween birthday, how could I not show this creation?

Fairy Circle is made by Takase and all hand appliqued and quilted.

There were way too many quilts on display to show them all but these are some that caught my eye.

To be continued...

TOKYO International Great Quilt Festival part 1

2012-01-28T04:48:00.000-08:00

Wednesday I went to Tokyo Dome for the quilt show. It was HOT and very crowded. I enjoyed what I could see. More pictures were allowed but it was almost impossible to take any because of all the visitors. Today I went back again and learned something, the last day is less crowded. I was able to take as many pictures as I wanted. Sorry to say, all the names as well as the titles were written in Japanese. I would prefer to give credit where I can so this is my best try. Part 1 is "Traditional". The above is by Gang-Hee Lee, called "Now, here I am happy". It is all in half-inch square pieces!

This is by Takane.

The quilting is in short dashes giving a very interesting effect.

"My Baltimore" by Shimada

uses an interesting color combination.

This quilt by Suzuki has blue embroidered Sun-bonnet Sues in each block.

I couldn't get the title but these animals and people are appliqued all over by Sumi?

"Red quilt filled with love" by Kimura.

This was really more stunning than the picture shows. By Hayashi.

Another 9-patch hexagon called "yorokobi" or Joy. by Sakaguchi.

"Flower Quartet" by Sugaya.

The pale colors gave a quiet feeling.

This is a detail of the one below. The figures are appliqued by machine with raw edges. They did not look very sturdy but they were so cute.

This is by Takemori. (I think)

By Karino

These little angles are by Sato.

Each one is different.

Except for the one machine applique piece, all are hand applique and hand quilted. There were some machine quilted ones, but most were beautifully hand done.

I am not very good at arranging pictures. My friend put them on a slide show which might handle more but I am not that tech savvy. More next post.

A Banner Day!

2012-01-25T20:30:00.001-08:00

Have you ever heard the expression, "Busier than a one-arm paper-hanger"? Well, that seems to describe my week so far. Monday began with the usual wee-hour start for rice patrol, then putting my gear back to the car. ( had put baby seat and camping gear into the house to make room for passengers to the conference). Then a date to meet a friend for most of the rest of the day. Tuesday was a work day on the auction quilt and my English class. Meanwhile, when I returned from the conference, the fridge was making lots of noise and though it stopped or got less from time to time, I asked my husband to call the repairman. The fridge has reached the 13 year point and after 9 years they stop making parts. If we wait too long to have it fixed, we might have to pay to have it replaced instead...so... That visit being set for Thursday, I decided to take in the Tokyo Dome quilt show while I had time to spend.

So, here I am, the week more than half gone, and yet to report on the Conference class.

I am so grateful for the advice and also the encouragement from my blogging friends. The class went fine and you can see on the left, all the work that got done. I didn't count the attendees but it seemed there were perhaps more than 15 or so. Some were real beginners at sewing and maybe some could have taught the class. I let them select any colored strips they wanted to put together. It seems the total effect is balanced enough. We managed to get signatures of all and two borders have been added. I plan to finish off the top and bottom border, binding, and quilting and we will hang it at next years conference.

The day started off with snow and the weekend was cold, gray, and rainy. I usually take advantage of the location to pick "Sugi" flowers. Pollen from the male Cryptomeria flowers is wind borne and responsible for severe allergies each spring. I pick the flowers and make a tea by boiling them. I do not have that allergy but my husband has gone from great suffering in the past, to barely a sniffle, even last year which was a boon year for pollen.

The rain stopped and a hint of sun emerged as we left the conference. Suddenly Fuji-San appeared and I was able to pull off the highway so everyone could get out and snap a few photos.
I must have tons of pictures of Fuji but couldn't resist one more.

Wednesday I set off to the Tokyo Dome. Here is a shot taken from the upper deck where one enters the arena. Look at those crowds!

I found there were fewer restrictions on picture taking this year.

Then, again, look at the challenges faced when trying to get a picture!

How many cell-phone cameras can you count?

I was holding the camera up above the crowd. I never did get close enough to see what they were photographing but a lady in the back told me it was a quilt with a connection to some celebrity.

Although this is supposed to be an "international" quilt show, there were very few labels with any English at all (other than international entries). If I show a picture, I would like to give credit to the artist and some I copied down the names in kanji and will ask my husband to read them for me before I post.

In general, it was a better arranged show than former years. I understand I selected the most crowded day, according to some friends with vendor stalls. It was HOT. (over-heated to the max) There is a lot of walking and though I stayed until the visitors thinned a bit, my back was just too tired to walk another step.

I took the train the long way around the loop just so I could sit on the way home. No view of Fuji, I had my nose in a book on Hawaiian quilts ... yes, I broke down and spent the money my husband gave me for a snack on a book I don't need... quilt history... just jumped off that shelf and I had to pay or get caught shop-lifting.

Great expectations

2012-01-18T23:05:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, not a whole lot was expected of me. In those days there was no such thing as learning problems. To my parents, I was lazy and not trying. To my teachers, comparing me with my talented and gifted siblings, I was just plain stupid, left-handed to boot and too stubborn to change. How many times I was told, "You'll never amount to a hill of beans"! or, "I've forgotten more than you will ever know" ! If I ever did anything to feel proud about, I was told, "Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back"!

Luckily, I grew up. I went to a school where no one knew my brothers and sisters. I didn't have to live up or down to any one's expectations.

Living in Japan, I was just a strange foreigner and expected to be odd, and my in-laws loved me the way I am. My husband accepted me as an odd duck long ago and has given up trying to set expectations for me.

Now, however, I am setting my own expectations and hoping to live up to them. Once I accept a task, I have to plan and prepare to do the best job I can. Panic sets in. Then, bloggers to the rescue!

An idea here, a suggestion there, and the plan falls in place. Now the banner is basted and ready to go. The piano keys are marked and cut. Quilting supplies are being assembled ... I see I need to hunt up the perle cotton...
Hopefully, if I have forgotten something, I will have tonight and tomorrow morning to get my act together. I don't know how the class will go Saturday afternoon, but I have great expectations.

"The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting out aim too low, and achieving our mark".
Michelangelo

The plot thickens

2012-01-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the help of my blogging friends, a plan is falling into place. This past week I have been sewing the three inch blocks together. On Thursday and Friday I marked letters on white fabric and basted them on to the blocks. By Sunday night I was able to snatch enough time to finish appliqueing the letters in place and add a one inch border.

Linda, of "Eat Sleep Quilt" has suggested piano keys for the signature blocks. I have toyed with a few other ideas but I think she is right and that would be easy enough for beginners to do and give plenty of spaces for people to sign.
My plan is to cut the pieces to be used on the border and mark them with pencil.

Next I need to find something in my stash large enough to use as a backing.
I really do not want to make any purchases for this banner. I have found a few pieces large enough but not really suitable...One a big dark blue batik with elephants from East Asia and of questionable colorfastness.

My plan is to assemble the banner with backing large enough to take in the borders, add a thin batting and baste the sandwich. That way, the borders can be added as they are finished and the members of the class can also practice quilting and sashiko. Depending on the size of the group, we can add the borders to sides or just top and bottom. I can finish the remaining borders and binding later. There will be enough done to hang the work in progress.

I am really a plan-ahead kind of person and, until I can see the end in sight,
I become rather anxious. Today is cloudy and dark so the picture, taken on my sliding door, is not as bright as the hanging actually looks.

As to Pack meeting activities, I ended up with two games and, although the turnout was small, those that participated had a blast.

I have had several packs of construction paper on my shelf for many years. It was badly faded and aged to the point that it really had no use as art. Still, I hesitated to throw it out. Then a PLAN fell into place. I divided the group of boys into two teams and assigned each group one adult. Since I had three colors of paper, I made a group of mothers and siblings.

Each group got 30 sheets of paper. The object was to see which group could build the highest tower. No glue or tape, just by folding.
These guys got right to work. Interestingly, the youngest Tiger Cub
came up with an accordion fold which worked so well that the other teams, taking note, followed after their plan didn't work as well.

Here is the last layer going on to the winning tower. Good thing to have a tall dad. The boys celebrated so vigorously they almost knocked it down.

The dark blue group had to re-build several times but came in with a respectable seven layers,

And, the mothers, using a triangular fold did a respectable finish too.

This was really a lot of fun for all and kept everyone engaged. I think we might have a few future engineers in the group.

We really didn't need the second game but tried it out anyway. It involved rolling golf balls to see who could get closest to a target ball. The floor, it turned out, was not level and this would have worked better on a carpeted floor. We may try again later.

I always say running a Pack meeting is something like hanging, it feels so good when it is over. There is a challenge of keeping the boys engaged for an hour. The activity has to be interesting enough to hold the older boys yet safe enough and not too difficult for the younger ones. In my group, language ability can also be an issue. I love the way this group listens to the rules so attentively and eagerly attacks the
challenge. These youth are our future. I really think they are off to a good start.

When is a flower a weed and when is it knot?

2012-01-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

I had an interesting break from my sewing today. In the early afternoon the doorbell rang and when I went to answer, there stood the owner of the local flower shop with a piece of paper in her hand.

On the paper, written in phonetic Japanese was the word "porikonamu".

The week before Christmas I had taken a little flower to the shop to see if anyone could identify it. I know I had seen it sold in one of the local shops. I took it to two shops in the neighbourhood but both said that it was a weed and their shop had never sold it.

At our former home, a neighbor along our street had this flower bordering their drive and I had been given a cutting for my own yard. When we moved back to our own house, I brought some cuttings and planted them along the edge of the wall. Our "street" had been no more than a dirt path for many years. Our "garden" is really a set-back until the time all the homes are rebuilt and the city can get enough of each property to make a real road large enough for a car to fit. The path is lightly paved but with no drains so becomes a shallow pond each time it rains. The flowers not only soften the wall but soak up the water after a rain.

Although they are considered by some to be a weed, they are low growing and very easy to control. They don't mind the hot summers and die back after a few nights of frost.

Guessing at the name from the Japanese, I was able to find the flower with a few clicks of the computer. (I had looked in all my flower books and nature study books with no luck).

Polygonum capitata, or Pink-head knotweed!

The flower shop lady told me she saw it being sold at another shop in the area and remembered that I had asked her.

She had written the name down and brought it to my door.

My husband was most surprised and asked how she knew where I lived.

How funny. Our house has been known as the Gaijin house (the foreigner house)
all the years it has stood here, including those years when it was occupied by my Mother-in-law. Each time I walk out, I have to leave extra time as I am usually stopped along the way. "I saw you going out in your Scout uniform yesterday. Where were you going"? Yes, I did have a Pack meeting. "I haven't seen you for ten days", Yep, I was at Scout camp. From the early '60s I was very careful to be a good American because there were lots of people watching and judging and I felt responsible for any impression I might leave. Oh yes, they not only know where I live but all my kids names and ages and all the grand kids info too. (and I suspect they share info with each other)

Plans for the Conference banner are coming along. Saturday my granddaughter spent the day and helped me go through the 3-inch tin to find bits to put together.

I decided to sew them together as the seam allowance varied quite a bit on the sample blocks.

I spent all of Monday on the copy quilt, thinking the blocks would be needed on Tuesday. As it turned out, they won't be needed until next week but at least they are out of the way and I could begin work on piecing.

After two days this part is together. I plan off-white letters appliqued in the blocks and a one-inch off-white inner border. Then I need to come up with a plan for the outer border that the class can sew together. I am thinking of solid color fabrics that can be signed by those attending the conference. I have no idea of how many people will attend the class or how much might get done but I hope to have something that can be hung the last day and finished up for next year. I might sandwich the quilt and leave space to add the borders. That way we could try a bit of quilting and sashiko in the water area. I will have two days to think over a plan while I am getting ready for the Bible Quilt class and my Pack meeting. I have no idea what to do for an hour with a group of active 6-10 year olds this month but I doubt quilting is an option.

Any ideas for a simple effective border would be welcome ... as well as ideas for boys to have fun. Oh boy, how do I get myself into these things!?#

With a little help from my friends....

2012-01-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

I am sorry I have not responded to comments lately but that does not mean that I am not reading them. To the contrary, I have received some good suggestions and have been figuring out how to make use of them.

Marlene suggested the 23rd Psalm. Yes, "restore" is certainly one of the theme words and the others are also implied.

Sara suggested watery blocks. I am not too sure about new hand-sewers doing curved piecing but I do have lots of blues and greens in my stash. There are straight pieced blocks that look like curves or even paper piecing might work.

Cindy suggested embroidery and writing in the blocks. I like that idea too.

Lis suggested some flowing sashiko. I like that idea too. After all, this is Japan and there are sashiko patterns for water.

I found this book of Colorwash Quilts on my book shelf and that gave me an idea of using some of the cut blocks in my tin. I have lots of two inch but that would be a lot of work because two inches is rather small. Making a grid of three inch blocks 10 x 19 would give a 30 x 57 inch banner and a border would make it respectable size to hang.

I doubt we could put this all together in an hour but if I applique the letters before-hand, it might be possible to assemble the flimsy. I have no idea how many participants there will be and there are many interesting workshops to chose from.

I am also thinking it might be fun to collect signatures for use in the border. I have been attending this conference for many years and most, if not all, of the original attendees have retired and left Japan. It would be so nice to have some memory of those friends that remain. (and it might be possible to collect some messages from past participants).

Karen has encouraged me with the reminder that God keeps his promises always. Certainly He has sent me caring friends, ready to share their ideas.

Two weeks from today I will be on my way and hopefully prepared for a good weekend of rest and refreshment. Any further ideas will be welcome too.

And now, a picture of the national bird of Japan. The Crane!

Yesterday I took my car in for a pre-inspection ... supposed to save money at the real inspection. The Toyota place is in my old neighbourhood so Nikko and I took a walk to the park and back, enjoying the brisk cold day.

It is amazing how quickly the area has changed in three years time. The parking lot that faces the main street had a high fence all around it and signs posted announcing a "mansion" being built on the site. It will be over 28 meters tall ... 8 storeys or so?... and block out all the sun to the south on the street where we were living. I can't figure out how the building codes work in Tokyo. Our own house was subjected to all kinds of rules regarding height and floor space but it is OK to put a huge apartment building right up against a row of single homes. I guess we are lucky to have moved. Although the building to the south of us is blocking most of our sun, it could be much worse.
My "word" for the new year is "priorities". I guess I'd better get off the computer and back to work!

A new year in Japan, with new challenges or opportunities

2012-01-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Last post I showed the wimpy little "Kadomatsu" decorating our gate. If you walk down the narrow street you will see a pair of these on nearly every front gate. (some of the gates on our street are back gates because the homes extend between two streets) Sunday we met at church to serve a traditional New Years meal to the homeless. There were many volunteers to help with the serving and I spent my hours at the sink on wash-up duty. I went to the worship service with the cleanest hands in the congregation , I am sure.

Our church is along a grand shopping street, as I have mentioned, but many shops will be closed for the first three days of the new year. Many items of the traditional meal are things that can be assembled before the year end and are packed into nesting boxes, stacked in a cool place, and brought out to serve family and friends that come to call. Today there are 24hour stores and many stores do stay opened but back in the early 60's, the colorful pickled stuff was what you ate and part of the preparations for the holiday.

The above picture is one of the pair of fancy kadomatsu outside the Oriental Bazaar. This is very traditional and well suited to the store which has a design resembling a temple.The pine is believed to serve as the dwelling place (yorishiro) for the god who brings good luck at the beginning of the year and the bamboo, growing straight, represents consistency and integrity.

Another shop along the street had a pair of decorations that were arranged in an original manner.

This shop had a very traditional kadomatsu of a smaller size but inside you can glimpse "O-sona-e Mochi" This is a very fancy version of what people display in their entry-ways at New Years. It has two stacked mochi (pounded rice) with all kinds of decorations, seaweed or "kobu" representing "yorokobu" (to be joyful) and a big crab wishing you to live a long life until your back is bent like that crab, two green leaves with white backsides showing that no matter what color you show, your mind is pure. Pine leaves are tied straight across to show constancy. I guess after paying for those fancy decorations, you might need a bit of luck in the new year. I came back home in time to rescue Nikko from a scary earthquake, I guess it was lucky it was not a worse one.

I have enjoyed a bit of relaxing quilting. After a large selection of blocks, I treat myself to a few flowers on the border.

All the while I am thinking of some projects and challenges looming on the fringes of the month.

First, there is homework for the auction quilt. We have been given the nod by the sensei to copy her quilt. I wish I could say I am relieved but for some reason I am still not too happy. I know the group needs my help. I love this group of young women and working with them but I just wish the project was anything else.

Next challenge is a new class ... facing the unknown. In 1998, the Women's Conference, a group of Christian women, many of which used to be missionaries, had the theme,"Bloom Where You are Planted". One of the workshops I attended was patchwork evangelism, taught by Sandy Shigeno, who went on to put together a nice booklet on Bible Quilts. Since that class I have made a few bible quilts and hangings. Now I have been asked by two friends to teach a class for women of their church. I think the plan will be to make a bible quilt for a fund-raiser. I have passed on the information about supplies and we will all meet for the first time in just a few weeks. I have taught the quilt-as-you-go style many times using Japanese designs for foreigners wanting to make a quilt of Japanese fabrics and design. This will be a first time to teach Japanese women to make Bible inspired work.

Another spin-off of the 1988 class (Thank You Sandy) is that the Women's Conference has asked me to teach a patchwork workshop this year.
The theme is, "Relive, Revive, Restore". The speaker will be a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing in Hiroshima.

Perhaps there is someone out there who can help me come up with a plan. I do not know how many people might meet for a one-hour class. I will need to make all the plans and take what I need with me to the retreat. I am thinking that rather than have each person try to make something, to do some kind of a cooperative banner that could be hung at future conferences. I have lots of 2 and 3inch blocks that could be assembled into some kind of mosaic design. If I were to have each person make something, what could it be in just an hour of hand-work? I am open to any suggestions that are out there. I just don't want to do something that will be a waste of fabric and time.

So ... that is what January has in store... The comfort of making progress on the batik quilt, overcoming the obstacle of the auction quilt, teaching a new class to new women, and coming up with an idea that will be more fun than challenge by January 20th. I haven't even looked at my calendar beyond that weekend!

New Years Traditions

2011-12-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

Japan is a land of traditions. The language is full of double meanings and rather than making puns into jokes, they are embraced in the ways holidays are expressed. Of all the holidays, New Years seems to get the largest dose of tradition.

These are shown in the door decoration. Over the past 50 years, the decorations have become more commercially made, sold all assembled and wrapped in plastic, ready to hang . I would guess that most of the younger generation would not know how or what (or even why) these decorations are made.

Each little item in the arrangement has a meaning and the decoration itself seems to have a lot of Shinto or Buddhist background.

I find it interesting that my husband, a third generation Christian, is particular about putting out the decorations by the "right" day, or for that matter, taking them down on the "right" day.

Often I think of how poorly Christianity has been accepted by the Japanese and wonder if some of that reason might be that they feel they must throw out all the traditions, many of which have Buddhist or Shinto roots.

My little granddaughter celebrated her "Shichi-go-san" by donning a kimono and being blessed at a temple. Where does religion leave off and tradition take over?

The Meiji Shrine at the end of the decorated boulevard, in my last post, will be crammed with people on midnight December 31st, waiting to rush in at the stroke of 12 and toss a few yen onto the conveyor belt, cap their hands and write their wishes to be left behind or buy a fortune paper (which will be left tied to a tree branch if it isn't positive). The atmosphere will be one of frenzy but hardly with a feeling of much more than tradition fulfilled.

As for me, it is nice to spend some quiet days, curled up under a warm quilt while I work on quilting the small blocks.
Once I have those done, I will figure out how to do the large ones.
I am quilting the border flowers with colored thread to match the flower centers. I am happy to be using my Aurifil thread which I received from Mme Samm.
No Scouts this week. No Choir practice this week. Leftovers in the fridge and lots of happy quilting. Seems like a good way to end the year.

Waiting for the dust to settle and the quilting to begin

2011-12-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

December 22nd

While the rest of the world prepared for the holidays, My Cub Scouts took advantage of the school break to visit the ANA repair facility at Haneda airport. We may have a few future engineers in the group or perhaps a pilot or two.

The hardest part was, "Don't run", "Don't touch",
and "Keep in line".

December 23, the Emperor's birthday, we celebrate with the Japanese Scout Association by pounding mochi.

The Japanese Scouts prepared an introduction in English.

After the official opening ceremony, the SAJ Beaver Cubs showed the BSA Cubs how the rice is made into mochi, giving the names of all the things used.

Our Boys were allowed to pound the rice as much as they liked. The leader on the right turns the rice between pounds so it will come out in a smooth even paste-like lump.

The first boy to pound is already seen on the left eating the mochi smothered in bean jam.

Even this old leader got to take a few whacks. There is a variety of sizes and weights of mallets but this one was very heavy.

Some of the cubs, after trying the light ones, came back and asked to pound again with the heaviest ones. Perhaps I should have asked too try the kid version.

With the evening , came daughter #3 and her able-bodied assistant, ready to put up "the tree".

All the stuff for assorted holidays lives in a tiny cupboard under the eaves next to my sleeping mat. This cupboard has two doors that lift out because they are made to fit a strangely shaped opening. The mat is rolled up and the needed items are extracted. The most difficult part is getting those doors back in place at the end. (shortest time is probably 20 minutes so we had better get everything we need out and the boxes back in before we mess with putting that door back in place)

The assistant followed me around the tree while we put on the lights. Then each little trinket came out, was admired or commented on and hung.

One more box and we will be done.

There! Done!

Nikko is checking to make sure nothing has fallen to the floor.

December 24th.

Our church is located on Omotesando, in Harajuku. This road leads to the entrance to the Meiji Shrine and is one of the fanciest shopping areas in Tokyo.

(Our building has Louis Vuitton on one side and Armani on the other)

The Zelkova trees line both sides of the streets and during the holidays are lit each evening, bringing out hoards of shoppers and sight-seers.

It was just getting dark as I arrived for choir and the streets between the station and church were crammed with young couples and families. Everyone was trying to get pictures with the lights in the background.

After singing two services, the trees were still bright against the darkened sky.

Though I had hoped to hurry home by train, the ticket machine ate the last of my money. I wasted time at the ticket office trying to get it back, but, in the end, I had to walk to the connecting train (about 45 minutes away).

By the time I could stumble up to bed, it was well into December 25th and not a great deal had been accomplished.

A worship service involving the choir right in the middle of Christmas day (plus an hour travel each way) meant a lot of rush, rush, rush. Getting a turkey into the oven in a timely fashion was impossible. Trying to jockey pies and potatoes and other stuff around the turkey was a challenge. Counter space is a piece of plywood over the sink. (Washing up done in installments)

Someone may have taken photos of food and family. I never got near a camera the whole day. Before going to bed, the remains of the turkey had to be dealt with and dishes washed and put away. It was well after midnight when I could turn in.... and today, as every Monday, we had to get up at 3:30 am for onigiri delivery to the homeless.

Now the turkey bones are simmering on the stove and we will begin to enjoy the best part, Peace and quiet and leftovers.... and maybe just a wee bit of quilting.

Nikko picks a winner! (or three)

2011-12-17T23:16:00.000-08:00

Ok! It is time for my assistant Nikko to pick the Blog Hop Party winners. Here is a dog that will work for cheese. I have never felt so snoopervised in my life! She comes to attention when I opened the fridge. Out comes the cheese. First we take the slices and cut them into little squares. Then we get a marking pen and begin to write numbers on the bits. (If you ever want to try this method, forget it. Markers do not write on cheese after the first three or four).

Plan "B", pull out some little sticky dots and write the numbers on those. (After cheese, paper is another favourite diet item). Stick those stickers in the middle of each bit. "Good dog, Nikko, you are paying such good attention"!

Next, arrange the pieces on a bamboo tray and spin the tray. With 96 pieces, they are pretty close together. Nikko may get three in one bite. That would be fine because I could take those out of her mouth and look at the numbers. But, if she only takes two... then three on the next bite...I will be in trouble because I only have three prizes.

But, never fear, Nikko has a brilliant idea. "What if I eat them all but three? I will choose the winners by elimination". Only a very greedy dog would come up with this idea but she is getting a bit eager to begin. OK, Nikko, "Itadakimasu"!

Hey, what's this, Nikko races to the back side to begin, putting herself between me and the tray.

How daintily she selects those yummy bits!

Working her way and turning the tray... "You are almost there ..."

"Stop", "Wait"!

"I need to write down those numbers before you go any further".

Here they are!

#1

#51

#71

"Nikko, what's with the ones" Now I go back to the computer and start counting. There must be a way to put numbers on these comments. Every time I count I get messed up! Well, #1 is easy. That is Cherry Red Quilter http://cherryredquilter.blogspot.comand she would like the dragon. Next is #51. Count again, then one more time. That is Hilachashttp://muchashalachas.blogspot.com. She would like the Matoi. So far, so good! #71 is the last number. That is Quiltaholichttp://hapamomquilts.blogspot.com. She would like the cat panel. "Wow, Nikko, I couldn't have done such a good job myself"! This is such hard work! I need all the help I can get.

As soon as I have some addresses, Nikko and I will jog off to the Post Office and send the panels on their way. Many thanks to all my blogging buddies. I wish you all the best for the holidays and New Year.

The Postman cometh

2011-12-13T22:54:00.000-08:00

When we were designing our house, it was my idea to set the post box in the entry-way wall rather than the usual location of in the gatepost. How nice it is to be able to get the morning mail without going outside, especially on a cold or rainy day.

This morning, however, my husband went out to find the little stone lantern pushed over, the stone lamp part smashed and the top two stones lying in the flowerpots. The largest of the pots was also broken into many pieces and spider lily leaves were crushed and broken, their roots all exposed.

Well, out came the glue drawer and now everything is mended and back together. We are wondering who did this and why. Certainly it was not the paper delivery person. In the morning when the dog was taken out it was fine. Certainly it was not the mail man. He just came after it was all cleaned up. Who else shoves fliers by the hundreds into our post? Maybe I need to look at what fliers have come so far today. People are paid a small fee to go around the streets stuffing fliers in people's boxes. They are never something you are interested in and I keep a recycle bin under the apartment mail boxes for the convenience of the renters.

Only one flier in the post. Domino's Pizza! Could the deliverer of that flier have been the person? Or is there someone in the neighbourhood with an attitude? I have found the pot with the Christmas cactus kicked over several times last week and someone removed the top rock from the lantern and tossed it into the flower bed but smashing things is going a bit too far. Just in case, I moved a few of the pots to another location to make it easier to reach the post.

Then.... The bell rang! It was the postman with things too big to fit in the slot!

Can I talk about "winnings"?

How can this be? I never win, well, not up until this year. Once the newspaper had a contest to win a book and since I really wanted that book, I wrote my response in rhyme. I got the book! Earlier this year I got some lovely fabric from Quilt Inspiration http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com.

Maybe my luck was beginning to change...

Here you see it! a big red package from Madame Samm http://www.sewwequilt.com , a big box from Jan-Maree Ball http://cherryredquilter.blogspot.com, and an envelope from Marjorie Rich http://appliqueaddict.blogspot.com.

And what was inside? Oh, the wonderful set of Aurifil threads that I have been reading about and wanting to try. But, then she threw in so many other wonderful items! Needles and a rotary cutter and even fabric that I have never seen before. Oh My! Thank you, thank you!

And what was in the box?

Two, count them, 2, beautifully wrapped Christmas presents! And two chocolate Koala bears. Since those are not wrapped, can I eat one?

I guess I will be forced to put up my tree and tuck those presents underneath. The red package is soft and lumpy and the blue one is smooth and firm. Hmmm. Do I really have to wait until Christmas?

Last but not least, that flat-looking envelope contained all of this beautiful batik!

I shall have to hurry and finish quilting the batik quilt so that I can begin another. Won't these pieces look yummy? I have an idea just waiting to get out.

Oh THANK YOU my quilting blogger friends for making me feel like such a winner! You have more than made my day and love you all!

Tokyo lights and handwork

2011-12-11T00:45:00.000-08:00

Clear skies and a full moon, plus a lunar eclipse thrown in for good measure!

I was interested to read two posts by my blogging friends. The first was by Linda on Eat,Sleep,Quilt, who shared pictures of a beautiful light show she had visited.
She commented on how difficult it is to take pictures of lights at night.

I could second that! When I went to my Pack meeting at the Tokyo American Club, the moon was just rising behind the Tokyo tower. I hurried up to the top floor to see if I could get a picture of the tower and moon without a thousand electrical wires in between. No wires, and the view was great but the lighting on the tower even without a flash is a bit overdone. Then, as I was leaving after the Pack meeting, the lighting had changed so without going back to the roof, I took another shot.

The Tokyo Tower has been a great landmark for many years. Soon it will be replaced in size, if not importance, by a much taller tower called "Sky Tree".

Both have observation decks where you can get a good 360 degree view of Tokyo and it's surroundings, including Mt. Fuji on a clear day.

On the night of a full moon, we were also blessed with a total eclipse. If you would like to peek at that, you will have to check out Taniwa, the second blog that caught my attention. She and her camera stayed up later than I was able. (Sunday morning comes early, for one thing, and the night was way to cold to be out looking at the moon ... or the earth's shadow). She also commented on taking photographs at night.

With a continuous run of Scouting events in the city, I have added to the growing pile of + and x blocks.

They now total 113, still not enough but getting closer to quilt size.

Here they are piled out on the "ironing board" which lives on top of the dog kennel. I wonder where I would put it if I didn't have a dog kennel.

The train is only crowded in the mornings so I can usually sit on the trip into town. If I sit I can do some piecing. If I stand, I have a book to read.

The trains have "Silver seats" at one end of each car. Those are intended for the elderly, the handicapped, or pregnant women. In truth, they go to those who can shove into the train and grab a seat the fastest. Then, once you are sitting, you a.) sleep b.) read a comic book c.) put on make-up or d,)text on your keitai (cell phone). The cell phone is supposed to be turned off in the area of silver seats and there are signs on every side wall, window, and hand-grip with a picture of a cell phone and a red line across it and the word "OFF", which must not be one of the words taught in English classes. Of course, any of the above activities prevent you from seeing those old people or the guy on crutches or that very pregnant woman clinging to the swaying strap.

Last week I was sitting across from a young father and son about 9 or 10. The boy asked his father if it was really OK to sit in the "Silver seats" because he had been taught at school that those seats were not to be used by kids. The father muttered something like "don't let it bother you" and shut his eyes so he didn't have to look at who might be standing.

Evening trains are all crammed just like rush hour in the mornings. I did find out that there is more chance to get a seat if I go to the front of the train. Thus, I had a very productive week. Now I will have to mark and cut more pieces for next weeks trips. I had set a goal of 140 blocks but I am beginning to think 182 might make a bigger quilt with maybe a five inch border to hold it all together. Marking and cutting all those pieces is not much fun but I enjoy having something to make the train ride and meetings go faster.

I think you can check out those two blogs by going to the side bar. I will try to add a link but I've gotta run out for dog food before the shop closes. Today is "wan wan" (11) day and I get extra points. (Japanese dogs say wan wan instead of bow wow) There are also extra points on "nya nya" day (22) as Japanese cats say nya nya.

Now you know more than you ever wanted to know ... I have been told I am a vast storehouse of useless information!

Blog Hop Party ... can I really do this?

2011-12-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I wrote down all the instructions but trying to follow them is whole new ball of wax.

Here are the panels I have selected to give-away to three of my visitors on December 17.

Each is printed on cotton, about 50cm x 113cm. The first one is a "matoi"

showing the standard and happy coat of firefighters during the Edo period.

The second is a Beckoning Cat or Welcoming Cat. The upper cat welcomes in Good luck and the lower one, wealth.

The third, I selected because next year is "the year of the Dragon" according to the oriental zodiac.

I have enjoyed a year of meeting blogging quilters even though I am challenged technically. If any of these panels meets your fancy, let me know which you would like. If not, enjoy the Hop!

Native Art

2011-12-06T18:57:00.000-08:00

After showing you my button blanket, and explaining a little about the Order of the Arrow, I thought you might enjoy seeing a bit more quilt-related regalia.

This blue item is a "medicine pouch".
My owl and turtle make up the design and this is quilted without batting.

The silver ornaments commemorate the three stages of membership as I passed through Ordeal, Brotherhood and Vigil. Each bead added to the thong represents events such as fellowships, conclaves, NOAC (National OA Conference) and Jamborees.

As with all OA Lodges, we use Native American regalia for our ceremonies. For many years, our lodge had a hodge-podge of mixed regalia as members came and went from different parts of the States using different native traditions.

Finally, about six years ago, we decided to switch to something more Japanese (after all, we are in Japan) and began creating regalia based on Ainu traditions. With a number of workshops, we made perhaps six or so kimono with Ainu inspired designs. They have turned out more user-friendly. (After all, we are talking about teen-age youth). They fold up nicely for transport and storage and after years of dealing with feather headdresses worn in the rain or too near the fire, I am happy with lower maintenance and the one-size-fits-all aspects.

This short jacket is my own piece. I have been known to wear it for other than OA functions. The applique is in the Ainu style.

If you see something peeking on the inside, it is my owl.

The design is not Ainu but North Western. The Ainu use the owl in their designs as well.

I recently went to an exhibition of Ainu art that had many owl representations.

This is the front of the reverse side.

The applique is a native design from my own Ohio woodland tradition.

Here are a few pictures from around our house. The neighbor has this Pyracantha hanging in front. Won't the birds love that all winter!

In the late summer, a very colorful and spiky caterpillar attacked my Toad lilly. I thought I had seen the end of it for the year but it has bravely come back to hold it's place in my tiny garden.

About ten years ago, I rescued these plants from a lot where the house had been removed and it was about to be turned into an asphalt-covered parking lot. I remembered the plants having come up in the front edge every year. When I saw the machinery at work, I hurried home and got a bag and a trowel and dug up as many of the roots as I could locate. Some went home with my daughter and the rest found places around the garden edges. When I moved back to our little house, I divided the roots again and brought some with me to enjoy here. This is a plant that grows well in shade and these flowers beneath my dining room window will last to the end of December.

A Ceremonial Button Blanket

2011-11-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

Today is cold, dark, and rainy, a good day to wrap up in something warm and cozy. What I am showing you is not something I have made. It was presented to me at an Order of the Arrow conclave a few years ago.

The Order of the Arrow (or OA) is the National Honor Society of Scouting. It is made up of Scouts and Scouters who are nominated to the organization for "Walking the talk" or living the Scout oath in their daily lives. I was the first woman elected to the order in 1990 in the Far East Council (though the Lodges in the states had women for a number of years). I am the only female Vigil Honor member in our Lodge as well, and was the Lodge advisor for nearly six years.

For many years, our Lodge was part of the Western Region that included Alaska and Washington State. Each year the OA holds a conclave hosted by one of the Lodges in the area. I have been lucky to attend conclaves in both states and, during my tenure as advisor, the first youth members were able to attend from The FEC. The conclaves are usually held over a weekend and, with travel issues, means missing a day or two of school, thus not easy to attend even with donated airline tickets.

So, what about the blanket? One year I attended a conclave with our District Executive and during a silent auction, he bid on a button blanket without success. A plot then developed between myself and an OA member from Washington named Kathy Anderson, to create a button blanket specially for Derek, the DE. If you are interested, you can see it in the 2005 list of projects. The central crest represents the wearer's heritage. His was a beaver. (As he is of the Woodbadge beaver patrol), we discussed the elements to include and I was tasked with sewing on the buttons. The beaver is a typical NW totem. My blanket, however, is very unusual.

It came as a complete surprise a number of years later. I was called to the stage and presented with this lovely piece of work. It was explained to me that my totem, the owl, is never used as a main totem. (According to NW tradition, when the owl calls your name, your time has come). Instead, the blanket contains the dragon, which is the totem of the Achpateuny Lodge to which I belong. I love the dragon fabrics in the upper and side borders along with the blue that represents sky and sea.

The buttons are abalone shell and on the sides you can see two turtles, the totem of my younger days, formed by buttons alone.
The triangle on the large button is the Vigil symbol.

And on each shoulder, carefully hidden, are ghost owls. Though not the main totem, they are there hugging my shoulders on either side of the dragon.

A peek inside shows how the owls have been added.

There are also loops inside for hands.

The dangling blue piece is for closing the front edges.

I never learned the story behind this presentation but I am certain Kathy Andersen was much involved.

A year later, our OA Lodge was switched to the part of the Western Region that includes Hawaii. I have not attended a conclave there as the dates have been the first days back to school for our youth.
We worked for so many years to build relations with our former Section and it is hard to figure out the advantages of the switch. Still, wrapped in my ceremonial button blanket, my heart and mind go back to my friends in the Great Northwest and I share not only this wonderful design but the joy of friendships that go far beyond the seas which not only separate us but also join us.

Thanksgiving and giving thanks

2011-11-24T23:17:00.000-08:00

It may have been Thanksgiving day in the States but it was "T" for test day here!
After loading up my heart with all the best wishes from my blogging friends, (and advice from my daughter to relax), I set off for the driving school.
I was put in a classroom with five other old folks where we filled out forms and waited for the test to begin. Why did they tell us to come at three if the class didn't begin until 3:40? Luckily, time =piece (and peace).
The first part of the test was to figure out how senile we had become since the last test. They allowed me to write my answers in English (or I might still be writing), and a lovely interpreter came in to tell the testers what I had written. Most of it was so easy I thought I didn't understand the instructions ... like draw the face of a clock and put the hands at 11:10 or write the date and tell what day it is. From time to time they wanted us to guestimate the time ... after making us take off our watches. The instructor was surprised to see I was exactly on the minute.
Next they showed us four sets of four picture cards ... set them out on the board, gave us a minute to look and took them down putting up the next set until we had seen all sixteen pictures. Then we were asked to list the pictures subject matter. A sixteen block quilt. I can still remember them in order now and probably will next week.
When that was over, half the group went out to drive and my half stayed for testing reaction time. That is the part of the test that was worst. It was just as bad as five years ago ... a TV screen, steering wheel, accelerator and brake. Watching the video of the car moving down the street, one had to hit the break when a kid in a yellow shirt came running out between parked cars. For walkers on the side of the road, you were to take your foot off the pedal, and for bikers on the sidewalk,...just keep going. Well, that was easy enough EXCEPT the pedal didn't do anything. The video moved at a constant speed regardless of if your foot was off or on and the angle was such that the foot was flexed at right angles to the floor, hardly normal or comfortable and difficult to figure out whether one was pressing the pedal or not. The road kinked left and right as a means of distraction and the wheel reaction was not anything like real life. Hitting the brake mad your chair slide backwards. I survived and passed that part ... reaction time in the 30 to 40 year old range, other part ... so so.
Then eye test and a video about old drivers hitting bikers when turning and other dangers of age. Funny they didn't mention the distraction of cell phones as I have been hit twice by young people on phones and, because I drive a van, I see down onto cars stopped in traffic and there is hardly an outing that I don't see young drivers texting or reading messages with the phone held in their laps.
The final bit was the actual driving. I was first after the teacher made one loop as demonstration. I think I was the only driver who adjusted the seat height and mirrors. The next guy drove fast and went over the curb on the twisty section. The other guy didn't know how to work the seat belts. All six of us old folks passed and got our certificates.
today I took the train into town and traded in my old license and papers for a new one.
At every 45 minutes or so there was a break and the room emptied as everyone rushed out to the toilets. I am glad to have a hobby that soothes my nerves. I hate just sitting around so now my block count is up to 77.
Since the blocks are only five inches, even with sashing I will need at least 140 for a single size quilt if I add a border.
The computer issues still exist because without the dashboard I can't get to the SlowPoke blogs at all. I am trying to find everyone and follow them in google reader but I am not completely happy with that arrangement. A call from my youngest Son indicates things may get better before too long in the form of an English-speaking computer. Well, HE is the one who got me into blogging in the first place!
Our Church will hold a Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow in the Fellowship hall. The best part of the meal for me is the leftovers. Maybe I should take a little lunch box and bring half my meal home. At any rate, I have plenty to be thankful for. My youngest daughter called today and commented on the kind responses from my blogging friends, saying I must be happy. She got that one right! Thanks to one and all,

Now WHAT!

2011-11-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

Why do I have to be a computer guru to have a quilting blog?

Why do Blogger and Google keep changing things?

Why keep fixing things that aint broke!

My dashboard can no longer be accessed. That is where I go to read blogs I follow. I get a message that I should add Google Chrome but my computer won't let me do that. So now what? Am I the only one with these problems?

As if I didn't already know that I am OLD and not too hip, tomorrow I have to take another OLD AGE driving test. At this point I have become not only old but DANGEROUS. I must get stickers for the front and back of my car to warn the public of that fact.

I did this exercise at 70 so it is not a new thing. I must pay to go to a driving school. There I sit in a lecture about how the statistics show that old people are involved in more accidents. Of course, those statistics also include old people who are passengers on cars (because they aren't allowed to drive) and old people who are hit by cars walking or riding bikes or driving) Forget the fact that this is an aging population so there are just more old people to get in trouble.

The last school had a machine to test your reaction time. It was a cartoon TV screen showing a street with cars parked on each side. A guy in a red shirt popped out between the cars, at which time you had to hit the breaks as fast as possible. Trouble was, the accelerator was only set at off and on. No adjustment of speed was possible. I would never be driving down a street that was one car wide with cars parked on both sides at 40k in the first place. The tester did not like the fact that I kept taking my foot off the gas and making the video stop.

Then there is an eye test. I already went and had my glasses adjusted for the occasion.

Then there is a fake driving course. You can not drive in your own car. That would be just too easy for an old person to drive something they are familiar with. You must drive the school's car over a fake course winding around something that looks like a kiddie course. Other than the fact it is in a strange car, that part is no problem. No trucks or traffic, just follow the yellow brick road, so to speak.

One of my friends said, "Don't worry, my mother passed the test and did perfect on the memory test", Memory test? I'm going to have to memorize something in Japanese? Don't worry?

So, now that my computer will no longer allow me the distraction of reading other blogs, I guess I will just have to sit and cut fabric scraps and try not to worry (and start feeling my age)!

A mixed bag

2011-11-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

As you may have guessed by now, if you have been a reader any length of time, I have a lot of quilted stuff that has never been registered as a "quilt" and this bag is only one of those. I love this Japanese fabric. I don't know the technical term but the base thread is black and the colored thread is woven across. All are either solids or stripe. I made this bag to carry my quilting things when I go to group meetings. The handles can clip to the bottom and become a back pack. Not fancy but serviceable.

However, this post is not about the bag.

This morning, as is custom in Japan, I was sweeping the street in front of my gate. There were persimmon leaves from the neighbor's tree to the North and maple leaves from the neighbor's tree to the South, one bamboo leaf from my own garden and some cigarette butts and drink cans, (our house being just about that far from the cigarette and drink machines). No one would think about where those things came from, only look at the mess and think the house owner to be quite careless as the condition of the street reflects directly on the house owner.

This is an interesting aspect of life in Japan. Thinking people to be very neat and clean, I was horrified the first time I went to cherry-blossom-viewing and saw the mountains of trash left behind. Even on Mt Fuji I was appalled at all the trash dumped along the paths. My husband explains that the farther a person gets from their home, the more anonymous they become, and while they would never drop trash in front of their own home, dropping it elsewhere causes no shame at all.

While I swept the street to avoid the shame, I was thinking of another problem that is not too far removed, this years auction quilt.

You must be wondering what the connection is. The first meetings to decide the theme and design for this project did not include me. The idea was discussed and the fabric was purchased and I met at the given time to help in my usual way. The chosen design and fabrics are truly lovely.

BUT, the problem is, the plan is almost a direct copy of someone else's quilt... at least it is enough alike to recognize where the idea came from.

When I attended the Yokohama Quilt show, there in front of me I saw that same quilt. A member of the committee had seen the quilt at an earlier show and taken a picture and was working from the photo in buying the fabric and deciding the plans.

Doing a bit of research on the quilter, we discovered that she is one of the top "Senseis", a teacher who is probably making a living out of teaching quilting. If I didn't feel comfortable about the copy from the first, you can imagine how I am feeling now. There was much discussion about what to do next and I understand a letter will go to the quilter in English. Well, that is a start BUT, if the contact goes to her school and no one understands what it is about... she may not even see the message... she may not reply... Then, I am still left between a rock and a hard place.

My husband has said he would be glad to write a translation of the letter and he is very good at writing diplomatic Japanese. While, to me, imitation may be the highest form of flattery, the teacher may not feel that way. At the same show I heard how one quilter, who makes her living by her craft, felt about someone she believed was copying her designs.

As my name has been linked with the ASIJ auction quilt since the first one in 2004, I am more than a little concerned. The only quilts I have ever made copying something more than a block design are the two I drafted after seeing those of Lucy Boston, no longer alive at that time and even in my diary I give her the credit though not copies. Yes, of course, the teacher would be given credit but somehow I feel that her blessing is needed too.

I have discussed this by e-mail with some of my blogging friends and have been encouraged to post the issue. Many of us may never face this problem. I have seen famous Baltimore album quilts copied by Japanese quilters down to the last detail and the worry is not about being sued... This is a school where children are taught not too plagiarize their reports but is this any different? If I am involved in this, will my reputation be damaged? Do I have the guts to withdraw myself from the group which I happen to love? Am I worrying about nothing? Have I been in Japan so long that I am worrying about cigarette butts on the street in front of my house?

One thing my paper quilt diary never got was feed-back. Now I do believe I could use a little.

International Quilt Week Yokohama 2011

2011-11-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

How anything that only lasts three days can be called a "Week" is beyond me. Then, again, I have had weeks that seem to past that fast.
This is what greeted visitors at the entrance. Yosakoi-sooran is a form of group folk dance very popular in Japan. This is but a small portion of that large colorful hanging.

There must have been a festival theme because high in the rafters was this composit quilt. The Kanji is "Matsuri" or festival and many small quilts making up this giant hanging depict various festivals around the country.

The reverse side was just as colorful.

As usual in quilt shows I have attended, taking photos is limited to what is on the outer sides of walls to the main exhibits.

There was a display of small "theme" quilts. They do not seem to be a festival theme and I could not find any information on what the theme was. For a show that uses the word "international", there is not a great deal of information in other than Japanese.

Some of these little quilts were quite charming.

Here are a few that seem to have been made using the same game plan

In addition to the show, and of course stalls, there were areas where workshops were being held. There was also a large selection of quilts that had been donated to quake relief and were being raffled or auctioned off. Considering the small size of many of those, it seemed like a good idea. Those donations had come from all around the world.

There were displays of Asian quilts. Usually there is a selection of Korean quilts but this year other countries were also included. There were lectures and talks being given by both Japanese and foreigners with interpreters.

I had a nice conversation with a lovely Hawaiian quilter named Mary Cesar. She had a display of beautiful Hawaiian quilts and has a newly published book of her own designs. I hope to see her next winter at the Tokyo Dome show.

As last year, the halls were filled with miniature quilts on a theme of "hearts".

I think I liked the variety of last years theme of "houses" a bit better.

And, while this has been a VERY BUSY WEEK, straining to fit in all the activities I am involved in, rice project, auction quilt, visit from overseas friend, choir practice, Scout Leaders' meeting, Cub Pack meeting, Cub Leaders Pow Wow (advanced leader training), squeezing in a peek at the quilt show, Church and travelling hours between each thing,.....

Sunday afternoon was a special day with just family.(well, extended family), as my little granddaughter celebrated her "Shichi-go-san" (7,5,3 celebration for girls 3 and 7 and boys 5)

With two sets of grandparents, parents, and great-aunt we set out to a shrine where she received a blessing and a big stick of candy in a long bag.

We tried to find the kimono worn by my four girls but forty some years and three moves foiled those plans. All I could come up with was the hair decoration they all wore.
Then, on a sugar high from that long candy stick, we tried to get pictures. I have determined the only way would be to take a video and then sort the pictures frame by frame. We tried the tripod for a group picture but it is hard for that flashing camera to know when everyone is looking in the same direction,let alone smiling!
Tea and a lovely meal together in a traditional setting ended the week on a happy note. Sharing this special time is both sweet and a bit sad because so much of the family is so far away but for one day we enjoyed what we had.

It was a great way to end the very busy week and begin another.

North Wind celebrates hand quilting

2011-11-06T21:33:00.000-08:00

North Wind was begun the winter of 1994 for no other reason than that I liked that block made of triangles and wanted to see it in a quilt. I limited the colors to red, white, and blue and just pieced blocks in assorted arrangements of those colors. After laying out the blocks in various configurations, I decided I liked them best all pointing one way. Then with all that wind blowing around I thought it needed something to do so I added some sail boats and a mariner's compass to keep them from getting lost.

Once the center of the quilt was pieced, it stalled for want of a border and ended up in the UFO box with other unfinished projects.

Then in 1999. An article in "Quiltmaker" magazine, featured the block and requested pictures. I sent a picture of the unfinished top and it was printed in the May/June issue. Along with a copy of that issue came a suggestion of using a cloud print. I had never seen any in Japan so the top waited back in the UFO pile.

The summer of 2001, on a trip to the States, I visited Keepsake Quilters and bought some water and cloud printed fabric but I still couldn't decide how to use it.

Finally in 1993 I declared it to be the year of the UFO. I was determined not to begin any new projects for a year and just complete the UFOs. This was the last project of the year. The print ran across the fabric and had to be pieced. I added the gulls to cover those seams. Then I used some triangles I had originally thought of using in an outer border. finished size is 72" x 90.5"

I have only made one quilt using a machine and that is because it was a mystery quilt and the instructions were by machine. That quilt, however, was hand quilted.

I guess every quilt in my diary could be used to celebrate hand quilting.

I was very happy to see Caron Mosey of Michigan Quilts suggest a link to other hand quilters. http://blog.caronmosey.com/p/hand-quilting.html I have been trying to connect to that group and hope you will take a look at all the wonderful hand work there. Unfortunately, I am better at figuring out quilting problems than computer ones ... and that doesn't say much if you notice how long this one quilt took me to complete!

Double Crossed meets Bloggers Quilt Festival

2011-10-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

A while back I posted a picture of "Star Crossed", a small quilt I made after viewing a similar quilt made by Lucy Boston and displayed in a Tokyo department store.

I had been so taken by the pattern that I made a sketch of the idea and came home to figure out how to make a pattern so I could try it myself.

That quilt was limited to red, white, and blue. As with all hexagon patterns, all seams were just 2cm and turn, no straight sewing, and a lot of work. I was happy with the results and called that quilt "Star Crossed" because I was destined to make it. At that time I said, "never again"!

Well, you may know how these things work because the possibilities of making one with other colors kept calling me and in 2002 I began cutting and piecing blocks.

The striped fabric is a soft weave used in the little squares and the border. I had only enough for the side edges and since they were not the same, I appliqued a Hawaiian-style edge and finished the corners with blocks.

The size is 88.5" x 106.5" and, being too big to carry along to quilt meetings, took a long time to quilt with other projects forcing themselves into the schedule. It was finished in April 2006 in time to cover the bed during a visit from my American cousin. Twice captured by this pattern, I named the quilt "Double Crossed".

You can see many inspiring quilts at the Bloggers Quilt Festival. http://amyscreativeside.com/2011/10/28/bloggers-quilt-festival-fall-2011/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+amyscreativeside+%28Amy%27s+Creative+Side%29

Mt. Fuji in the rain

2011-10-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was our yearly choir retreat. Every year we take the music we will be learning and will present at "Choir Sunday" in early December and hold a retreat at the YMCA building in Gotemba, at the foot of Mt Fuji.

This year the weather forecast was rain, and indeed, it did begin sprinkling Friday night on the drive down from Tokyo. By Saturday morning we were having off and on heavy downpour. What is usually a very scenic spot was missing the usual fall color and lovely view.

We practiced hard all day Saturday and into Sunday until noon. There are a few very good musicians in the group. Most of us are only those who love to sing good music and will work hard to do our best to contribute to the success of the whole. There is a great feeling of sharing and camaraderie that is hard to find in groups that gather only Sunday morning or show up for a Thursday evening rehearsal once in a while.

I'm sure Mr Vivaldi was smiling down from above at what was happening to his lovely music.

There is a small chapel in the hills with a view of Fuji that might better any attempt at stained glass and we look forward to a small worship service there. But then, Sunday we saw no sign of anything but rain clouds.

Finally we packed up and started down the hill for our return to Tokyo. At the foot of the hill, just across from the YMCA entrance there is a small museum and coffee shop run by Kathy Nakajima. Here in Japan she is well known as a teacher and maker of Hawaiian quilts and other articles using traditional Hawaiian designs. I especially appreciate her work because in this day and age of quickie quilts, all her work is done by hand, and done expertly too. In a show of the 50 top Japanese teachers, many are machine pieced and quilted but I can count on hers to be all hand work and artistically designed. My riding companion suggested we stop for a quick look-see and we ended up sipping some coffee at a little table with hand-made mats as decoration and little quilts on the walls. AND... as we sat, the sun came out and what should appear but Mt Fuji, above the mist.

I had to pull the car over as we left the area toward the expressway to grab a shot. Even with power lines and buildings, Fuji-san can be an awesome sight.

If you recognize Japanese writing, you will see that many of the lines in the quilted block are up-side-down. Although that bothers me a bit, I am now thinking that it is like the rain lifting so Fuji-san will show.

Today the small group met to begin the ASIJ auction quilt and next week we will begin in earnest. Too bad I didn't have a camera with me to document the onset, fabrics laid out on the floor and pieces being arranged and re-arranged until they fell into place.

In this way it is not unlike the choir, each effort and idea combined for an outcome that will bring satisfaction to all. And so may it be.

No more cleaning frenzies

2011-10-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today's post has nothing new. It may be a long, long, time before I have something completed to show and a picture of a few more quilted blocks on the batik quilt might not excite anyone other than the daughter getting it when finished.

The time has come for a bit of washing of the quilt that covers the smaller sofa and since I had no digital picture, I decided to take it to the park for a photo. This is a challenge quilt. One former member of our little quilt group returned to Japan for a visit and brought a gift of five fat quarters to each of the group members. These were, a dark blue star print, a blue and tan figured fabric, a red with small white dots, a red and tan check print and a green and tan check print. The members of our group decided we would add one fabric of our own and make a quilted object.

At that time I had a rather small quilt covering my smaller sofa which is quite worn. This seemed like a good opportunity to add some medium brown and make a larger quilt to take its place.

I had no particular plan in mind when I made the center blocks other than to see how this random arrangement might work out. Since I wanted the quilt to be large enough to be useful, I added a wide border and used the five fabrics in an applique. I did a fairly good job of using all the fabric as there was very little, if any, left over. The blue print with stars has faded in the bit of sun that comes through the window part of the year but it is holding up with the rough treatment that a sofa quilt gets.

The reverse side is a collection of Japanese tenugui in botanical prints.
The island with the camellia is Oshima, not far from Tokyo and famous for the large beautiful camellia trees and products made from camellia oil. Many of these represent seasons. Snow on the camellia, the seven autumn plants, pine, plum, cherry and other less familiar plants.

When I first came to live in Japan, we rented a small "apato" not far from where we live now. It had a small entryway with a kitchen sink on one side and a lavatory on the other and a tiny bit of counter to hold a one-burner stove. (no hot water in those days and no bath or shower). There were two rooms. One four and a half mat room and one six mat room. (One tatami mat is about 3'x6') There was also a closet for storing things. Life was quite simple. We had a small folding table about two feet high and five zabuton which are cushions for sitting on. At night we folded up the table and put out thin sleeping mats which had been stored in the cupboard during the day. The only other furniture I brought from the states was a cedar chest that had belonged to my Great Aunt and a bureau that had come west to Ohio in an ox pulled wagon with Great Great Grandfather when Ohio was still the "Western Region". As was the custom in Japan, and still is today, One entered the house and left one's shoes at the entry. Slippers were used in the "kitchen" and toilet but walking on tatami mats was in bare or stocking feet.

Today one finds fewer and fewer rooms with tatami and a room barely larger than that first apartment contains two sofas, two large chairs, a good sized coffee table, a corner table, a large cabinet with a TV, a dish hutch, a desk, a table with six chairs, a buffet and a bookcase. Also a dog kennel, a highchair, a foot stool, several lamps,...are you getting the picture? The problem is, walking through this house in bare feet ... especially when in a cleaning frenzy... is DANGEROUS.

After the quilt group left I went to the clinic for rehab hoping to see an end to the broken toe saga. Alas, the x-ray showed the toe not yet healed and the one next to it had been broken tripping over stuff while trying to tidy the house. This time there is a half cast and it is a lot less painful but flip-flop weather is over. The house went back to its pre-cleaned state before I returned from the clinic and today I tripped over bags of stuff just carrying the ladder through the house. At least four toes are safely covered with the cast. You may think I am a clutz but in this house.... only Nikko moves with ease.

My birthday is coming. For the last three years when asked what I wanted for my birthday, I asked for a system of putting things away (I don't count things in bags as away) so that the place would be neat and tidy and I could feel free to invite my friends over. My son-in-law made wonderful file drawers where things could be organized and I offered to make labels for the files. My daughter spent a long time over the weekend going through the piles and sorting things into labeled bags so they could be put away, but today there is so much junk piled in front of those drawers you couldn't open them if you wanted to. I fear I will always live in an obstacle course.

On the way to the park to take a picture, Nikko met a neighborhood cat that she would like to have as a friend.

As she stood, tongue lolling, tail wagging, with a eager whimper issuing forth from her smiling face, THIS is the greeting she got.

"I see you. I hear you, but don't you DARE take one step further in my direction or I'll bop you on the kisser"

Yes, Nikko, my mother warned me there would be days like this.

As a further report on the Eagle slide, during the ceremony, the "Eagle Charge" came from a former member of the troop by way of a video as that youth is now in New Zealand. Dressed in his full uniform, that Scout was also wearing an eagle slide. And this week I received notice of one of my former Scouts who is working on his project as the last requirement for the rank of Eagle. Yeaaay!

My non-quilting life

2011-10-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

As some may already know, Scouting plays a rather large role in my life. The Far East Council brings American Scouting to youth in Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Philippines, and Taiwan and although it is much a part of the military program, the civilian community benefits from all Scouting has to offer. I have been in the program as a Cub Master ever since women were allowed to that position and served in many positions at District and Council level. Not all my Scouts are American citizens. Some belong to the chartering organization , some go to international schools, and some are returning boys who joined the BSA while in the States. One thing they all have in common is that they belong to a revolving door community. The usual stay is two or three years.

Scouting has a lot to offer to these youth because wherever they go, there is another Scouting community ready to welcome them and help with the adjustment of moving to a new place. The sad part is that we have to say a lot of goodbyes.

When my boys leave, I tell them that I hope they will find another unit to join and continue with Scouting. I also encourage them to go for the Eagle rank, and, if they do, let me know and I will carve them an Eagle neckerchief slide. Bribe? Could be... Each year I get announcements of Eagle Courts of Honor and have sent slides all around the world. Some of those boys were just little kids when I last saw them. (Sometimes it is a little hard to imagine them as they are now but I am so happy to have been part of their lives during their growing years).Sometime they are brothers of Eagles and at least two families have three slides.

Last week I received a letter with a Singapore stamp on it. It is an invitation to an Eagle COH and it will be held this evening here in Tokyo. The young man is returning to Tokyo to hold his big event with his former troop. For once I will be able to attend. The slide is all made and I will write a note to give with it.

This particular slide is carved from Japanese Broad-leaved Magnolia. I have three kinds of wood that I like to use. This one is not the most beautiful but it carves nicely and takes the paint well.

This is one of two patterns I repeat over the years. I also carve a slide for my Cubs if they meet the "Cubmaster's Challenge". That is to graduate to Boy Scouts having done everything in the book, including the religious award and the environmental patch. (It is possible to earn the Arrow of Light award by doing a certain amount of the advancement requirements) It is interesting how many boys that set their goals to earn my challenge, make it all the way to Eagle and replace one neckerchief slide with the other.

As I was working on finishing the slide, my husband asked how many I had made all together. I have no idea but I hope some day those young men will dig out the slides and put them on and give back to Scouting. They are my legacy and I am proud to have been part of their life.

Quilt group HERE tomorrow

2011-10-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

The librarian side of me is having a big problem reconciling the chaos that is my household. 99% of the time I am living in the midst of the "Giant spoon" syndrome. For you more organized folks, that is when the giant spoon swoops down and stirs everything up.

With my quilt group meeting here in less than 20 hours, that means big-time cleaning.

First the vacuum cleaner to pick up the drifting dog hair. How nice it would be to be able to vacuum the dog. Well, the first picture shows how Nikko feels about vacuums.

Next it is scrub down the floors to remove all the dust and remaining dog hair. And then, oh happy day, a lovely coat of wax.

Quick, take a picture because this will not last very long!

#3 daughter will come following the quilt group. She will appreciate the lovely clean house but may not enjoy the smell of freshly waxed floors. Luckily it is a beautiful day and I can open all the windows but, at least to me, the smell of wax means clean.

The number of meetings at the beginning of each month contributes to my pile of blocks. This is still not enough to make anything of size... even with added sashing. I am still chopping scraps and have not as yet dipped into my stash. It is clear I will need some kind of design wall to get this all organized. Perhaps something I can tack onto a long pole and hang from the ceiling will do.

I have heard of people using flannel and also fleece (polartec?). If I am going to invest in one or the other, what do you think would work best to organize blocks and sashing and keep it in place until I can get it together (which probably means rolling the "wall" up when not in use)? Since I usually make bed-sized quilts, I would want something big enough for a double bed sized quilt.

As I was writing about the smell of wax, and the beautiful October weather, another scent came to mind that is truly a part of early fall here in Japan.

I had never met this evergreen before coming to Japan. Kin-mokusei, Osmanthus fragrans,
can be a medium shrub in a pot or a garden tree up to perhaps 4 meters.
"Sweet Olive" in English, these tiny flowers have an intense sweet fragrance described as a blend of jasmine, gardenia, and ripe apricots. It also comes in a yellow variation called Gin-mokusei. Whichever one finds, you are bound to smell it before you can identify where that scent is coming from... especially walking at night, (when the scent is most powerful), down a dimly lit street.

In another week, the flowers will be gone and likewise my clean house will be history. The phrase,"enjoy it while it lasts" couldn't be more relevant than it is today.

Wild Geese is this weeks theme

2011-09-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

By now you know I enjoy the weekly themed contests that Quilting Gallery holds whether or not I have something that fits the theme. It is always fun to see what other quilters do with similar blocks and patterns.

When I was sorting through my scraps, I found one baggy filled with half square triangles. Most of those are leftovers from a much earlier quilt. Long ago, a friend living in Tokyo ordered fabric from Keepsake Quilters. She had a military address so she could easily have it posted to Japan. From time to time she would receive cut square samples of fabric from which she made her choice and the rest she gave to me, rightly thinking I could use them in a quilt.

Now, I have always loved the geese blocks. Having lived several times in my life along flyways, I love to watch the migrating birds passing through. I recall the first time my daughters experienced clouds of birds overhead, coming to the yard and taking off again into the sky. "Look, Mom, it's raining birds!", my daughter exclaimed. Wild geese went on to my list of future quilts.

So when I had a good selection of fabric samples from my friend, I cut them to make flying geese, using the lighter fabrics to set the geese. At that point I began to look for a nice floral print too use between the rows of geese. I don't recall how long I looked but I just could not find anything that would work.

Finally, thinking I would never find the fabric I wanted, I sat down with a pencil and paper and made a list. The list had the names of flowers from my gardens in assorted places through the years, those that had special meaning to me alone. Then I divided them by season and drew pictures on four strips of paper, one for each season. I added some birds to represent those seasons too, the ones to be found in my garden.

I quilted the background of the panels in a lattice design and in the border are quilted all different leaves, most Japanese trees but some from the States as well. You would be surprised how many friends got involved sending me pressed leaves to use as patterns.

The name of the quilt is "To Everything there is a Season" and, although not a winner, it made a trip to Paducah. (Something I have never done)
Being selected as one of 400 out of over 900 entries was quite an honor and it returned home with the judges compliments.

This was not my only quilt with wild geese blocks but others have flown away as gifts and no digital photos exist. I entered this once before in a flowers theme but it is not a big eye-catcher. Still, it is one of my all-time favorites because of the pieces of my life it represents.

Bloggers, beware ... or celebrate

2011-09-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

Now I place the blame ... or share the glory ... however one wants to look at it.

Lurline http://lurlineg.blogspot.com
flashed these blocks at me and then encouraged my addiction.

Cheryl http://cherylsteapots2quilting.blogspot.com has suggested some sashing to control these wild blocks. Yes, I think that helps but I see that a design wall is what I will need to play around with these scrappy pieces.

Since I am left handed while in my right mind, it took another left hander http://alefthandedquilter.blogspot.com to be able to share the blame. Thank you my dear blogging friends for even caring what I am up to! I appreciate your inspiration and support. If I count all those scraps donated by friends, this quilt will be a celebration of friendship.

The end of summer is here and the plume grass is about to bloom. In a few weeks I will see those soft flowers nodding in the autumn sun.

Here is another thing I enjoy about the grass. Grasshoppers.

One blade of grass can be folded into a hopper. Isn't it cute? This was something I learned while at a Nippon Venture Jamboree. I was waiting at my work station for activities to begin and another Scouter was playing with the grass growing all around.

With a bit of coaching , I figured out how to make one and was told that if I made three and then taught it to someone else, It would be mine forever.

Years later I still have fun playing in the grass. Yes, "make three and teach someone else" has served me well over the years.

I wonder what other tricks there are to learn ... out there ...lying in wait...

Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox

2011-09-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

The day began much too early with the singing of a mosquito. These are not the blood-sucking helicopters of Alaska or the State bird of Minnesota. Japanese mosquitoes are very tiny and, now that the evenings are becoming cooler, they lurk at the doorstep waiting for opportunities to enter and feed. I wish they would just get it over with instead of singing in my ear. Even after turning on the lights and putting on my glasses, they are not easy to find. They can breed in the water standing around flower pots and anything to defend your property is pure tokenism.

The spider lily is one of the harbingers of autumn and in true fashion, one has opened outside the front gate. These share the pot with the pineapple lily
which will remain fleshy messy leaves until it blooms again next summer. Once the flowers all open, the leaves will come up green and thick to gather the winter sun.

Soon it will be cool enough to get back to work on the batik quilt. I want to cut enough scraps to work on the +& x blocks and have decided to add some bits from my stash. I need something for take-along work. The big problem is that I can't seem to stop putting those scraps together as they are cut. I think as more blocks are added, the ugly ones are not so apparent. These are five inch blocks so it will take quite a few to make anything of size and these would still be not enough for a table runner. I wonder what it would be like to make a double sized block and put it along with the rest. Hmmm.... BEWARE! Quilting can take over your life!

WET

2011-09-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

What can a quilter do on a miserable wet day? While typhoon "Roke" lolls along the coast dumping 250mm of rain (to go with the 500mm in the Nagoya area),
the only thing left to do is work along with these blocks. I still don't know where this is going and the scrap box looks as full as it did when I began. Meanwhile, there is a great temptation to go up to my stash and pull out some prettier fabrics to pep it up a bit. It may just be a test of time before I do.

At one in the afternoon it is dark and gloomy. The street outside that used to be dirt has been "paved" for a few years now but probably will not get drains until all the homes have been rebuilt and the city snatches up a few meters from each lot to widen the street. Since that will include my garden strip I will not be happy to see that happen. I do regret that I tossed out my leaky boots and have not found a suitable replacement. That should teach me to be so picky!

Meanwhile, the Mother-in-law's tongue (or snake plant or a hundred other names) seems to have been so delighted with my pleasure over its flowers that it has put out some more.

For a plant that thrives on neglect, it seems to be shouting, "Look at me"!

One more winner is this little orange flower. I have no idea what it is. The leaves are similar to iris in the way it grows and the flower only opens for a day or two. When we moved to our last house, I took a large pot of Cycads my son had started and found a corner where they would get sun but allow people to pass. A few years later I noticed this volunteer in the pot, poking up through the palm-like fronds.

The cycad went off with a few other large pots to my daughter's house and along with it, the mystery flower. But, this summer, in the same relative position to our front gate, a number of iris-looking leaves appeared in a planter that usually holds spider lilies. Can it be that that flower knew how much I loved it and followed me here?

The rain has brought cooler air. We went from a sauna on Monday to two quilts last night. I saw spider-lily buds in the woods, waiting for Friday to open. In Japan they are the official harbinger of autumn. Wet is fine. The plants are happy. Cooler is fine. I am happy. It 's about time to get back to quilting.

Summer Snow visits the Bloggers Theme contest.

2011-09-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

This week's theme is nine patches and certainly that is one of my favorite blocks.

As I mentioned in the previous post,
I have been cutting scraps into 1,2,3,and 4 and a half inch squares and collecting them in tins for later use. Because many scraps are small strips, the one-inch box is always overflowing.

As a way to use some of the pieces I had been given by friends, I made lots of nine-patch blocks using darks and lights. I had no particular plan in mind but I found a white fabric with small flowers that went well as a background and pieced them into snowballs. This is an interesting collection of fabrics both old and new and many are cut with animals, always thinking of napping quilts for a child. (Having been a non-napper myself).

This is one of my earlier quilts made with no purpose other than the fun in making it. I have given many of the quilts from this era away and have no digital photos of them so I decided while I have the chance I will take out a few of what I have left for portraits. As long as this one fit the theme for the week, I thought,"why not"!

This quilt was shown in 'American Patchwork & Quilting' 6/1/94 and also in 1995 Volume 7 'Quilts Japan'.

As I mentioned, I have been cutting little blocks from a box of gifted scraps. This selection is the one and a half inch box. It is crammed to the top and I am wondering how many more nine-patches might come from here. It was somewhat of a relief to switch gears to this + and x block.

The 14th block is almost finished. I still have no plan for them other than, like the snowball quilt, to have fun putting them together. I took them with me to my quilt group on Friday and my friends had fun arranging and re-arranging them and thinking of how they might go together. I'm sure that like those nine-patches so long ago, they will reveal their plan in time.

There are some interesting quilts in this weeks contest. The quilting gallery button will take you there to see what others are showing.

I still could use some suggestions of what to do with the sewed strips. Un-sew them? re-cut them and use them as larger blocks? I will never be able to sew them by machine. Maybe a car seat cover for Nikko?

Have a nice weekend.

Fighting the "BLAHS"

2011-09-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

In the extreme heat and humidity of this Tokyo summer, it is difficult to get motivated to do anything other than sit in the shower.
It is certainly too hot to sit with a quilt in my lap.(The one on-going project calling to me)

Last week as I was searching for the elusive fabric, I came across a box of scraps that was waiting for recognition ... or maybe action.

Some of these scraps had been given me by a departing quilter. They had been sewed in strips and cut in sections.

Along with those were some scraps I had made myself. This pile is one of the reasons I do not like machine piecing. I had made a "mystery quilt"begun in 1994 from Lady's Circle Patchwork quilts and finished in 2003 which I declared "The year of the UFO". You can see the picture and read the story in that section of the diary. These patterns call for cutting strips and sewing them together and then cutting again ... not a difficult thing to do. The finished quilt turned out satisfactorily. The problem is, what does a hand quilter do with these piles of connected strips left over from other projects? Un-sew them and re-cut them? The box under the cardboard box of scraps is Japanese fabrics I have done that with.

This week I began attacking those scraps. Most went into the big plastic case as one-inch blocks. Some were fussy-cut and went into the little containers to add to a special section within the box.

the tins of two and three inch blocks are so full the lid can hardly stay in place.

All the while I was doing this I was thinking what a mindless depressing task. There was no purpose in mind other than getting rid of the contents of that box.

THEN ... along comes Lurline of "Lurline's Place" who suggests I try a block I have been admiring on her blog. Well, why not? As long as I am chopping up scraps, I may as well do it with a purpose, no matter how remote.

Tomorrow is my quilt group and I will need something to take with me.

Here are a few blocks laid out on the ironing board. I am not sure I have the rules for this block figured out and they are far from as pretty as Lurline. I am trying not to get out my fabric boxes but work from the rather ugly assortment in the box that needs dealing with.

I am not even sure what this will turn into. It is a bit wild for a table runner but it probably wouldn't show spills very much. Or my rocker could use a throw over the back.

The most interesting aspect if this activity is that now I have begun, the BLAHS have left to some degree. I am still sitting and chopping up scraps but with even a small purpose in mind, I am beginning to feel a whole lot better. I'm even thinking how this pattern might look in a combination of blues and browns. I told Lurline I might blame her but, in truth, I need to thank her for the little push. I wish I knew how to add a link. Bloggers are the greatest!

Everything but the kitchen sink

2011-09-07T21:15:00.001-07:00

With an organized storage system and a house as small as mine, how hard can it be to find a piece of fabric? I know exactly what I am looking for. I have seen it at the bottom of a box in the not-to-distant past.

This week I was making a mug-rug for a friend. I wanted to put a particular piece of fabric on the back. It is a particular print in English (or rather "Japlish") that I am sure would give her a chuckle. I thought it would be easy to lay my hands on that perfect backing print.

Oh foolish me, I have wasted DAYS hunting through my stash. It was not in the mixed prints. It was not among the reds.

It was not in any of my other boxes in the hall or among the child-friendly prints under the coffee table. I looked everywhere but the kitchen sink as that was full of dirty dishes I had neglected as I searched for that fabric.

Finally, I gave up.

I know it is hiding somewhere.Even as I write it is secretly watching and laughing. It will not get cut up this time. It will not feel the prick of the needle. BUT, it cannot hide forever and I WILL find it.

Meanwhile, nothing much has been accomplished. It has been much to hot to work at quilting and Nikko has eaten half the flower template I was using, I will have to draft another before I can go on.

So as to not feel the whole week has gone to waste, I pulled out this picture of a baby quilt to enter the Quilting Bloggers Weekly Themed contest.

I do not ever anticipate winning anything but it is fun to see what others are making, get a bit of inspiration, and sometimes meet a kindred spirit.

This quilt was made for my youngest granddaughter, Irene, before knowing if it would be for a girl or boy. It has the animals of the oriental zodiac running around the border with her ox at the top center.

The funniest part of the quilt is not easy to spot. Being extremely dyslexic, I have a big problem with numbers and letters. Two of the blocks had to be taken apart and re-done after one of my quilting friends noticed the letters were facing in the wrong direction. Luckily it was while I was sewing the top together. But ... as I was quilting those little one-inch blocks around each letter containing pictures of alphabet words to go with the letters... I discovered all the owls were hanging by their toes. I had sewed the "O" on upside down! Too late. I wonder if that two-year-old has noticed yet.

Not much is likely to get done the rest of this week. Scouts are ready to fill what time is left. Hopefully the plans for Friday's pack meeting will go off better than the plans for this past week.

Japanese mug rug

2011-09-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

OK! Here is my answer to Laura Lochore's challenge, a mug rug from Japan.

The background fabric is actually written in Japanese. Auspicious greetings and phrases are scattered around in gold print. The origami crane is firstly a symbol of longevity but also well known as in a thousand paper cranes made to grant a wish. (I thought one would be enough.)

The background quilting is interlocking circles. It represents my quilting friends, each tied to another through patterns and thread, fabric of our lives, and even blogging.

It is most common in Japan to use trays for serving. This "rug" might be a bit larger than average but it fits nicely on my best wooden tray. Though the serving is of green tea and sembei,(rice crackers) I think a bit later in the day it would be well suited to a cup of coffee and a piece of pie.

Japan's postal service being excellent, the runner arrived the very next day from the afternoon I mailed it. I had a lovely phone call from my Daughter's mother-in-law to tell me it was just right and completely to her taste. I have not mentioned this before, but she is a true wizard with a sewing machine. She is always whipping out darling little outfits for our granddaughter and can just look at something and come up with a pattern.

We are now awaiting a large typhoon and many activities have been cancelled. (Including my quilt group meeting) The TV showed several places getting heavy rain ahead of the storm. During the early summer rainy season, each rain brings hotter weather. Now with the typhoon season, each rain should bring cooler temperatures. Often, the day following a typhoon is cool and dry with beautiful clear skies. I shall be waiting.

I think I'm done

2011-08-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

Even using rather small stitches, this did not take long to quilt. I had planned to do some quilting in the border but one inch is rather narrow to do anything fancy so maybe I can leave it as is.

As I expected, the blocks were easy to sew together since the points of the stars didn't come all the way to the edges. In cutting the pieces there was a bit of waste but this is a pattern I will try again in the coming days. (thank you Jan Marie) I am hoping that Yuzawaya, the place I bought the small packet of fabric, might still have a few of these sets of fabric. I didn't save the selvage but I noticed it is made in Japan and "antique" which I take to mean a reproduction print.
As cotton goes, it was very fine and easy to both sew and quilt.

This afternoon there was a big Ceremony for the Scouts of Kanagawa in a Yokohama park along the waterfront. They were looking for some high mucky-mucks from the BSA and somehow I ended up on the guest list. I was very happy to see that not only some Scouts, but also leaders were wearing the handicraft neckerchief slides made a few weeks ago on the foot of Mt Fuji. Although there was a slight breeze off the water, it was a very hot afternoon and a long ceremony. I understand the Crown Prince was to put in an appearance later on but my little group decided to fore go any more ceremony and check out some edibles in Chinatown nearby.

Tomorrow I need to remember to put a label on the runner ... something I always forget to do. Then I may take on a little challenge as Laura Lochore at Quokka Quilts is putting together "Mug Rugs of the World" and looking for a mug rug that represents Japan. I have never made a mug rug but I have a few patterns and a lot of Japanese fabric I might use. So... what says "Japan"? An origami crane? A torii gate? Mt Fuji? Maybe I'll have to make more than one.

Running with an idea

2011-08-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned this before, but Japan has two seasons in the year for giving gifts. One is in the summer during Obon which has just ended. The other is at Year's end. It is a time to thank the people who are big in your life.

At least in the past, it was a time when companies gave big bonuses. I do not know how things are now because teachers never get bonuses then or now but they do sometimes get gifts. Many years ago I had two English students who were doctors and they were very kind to share goodies from their gift stash because they got so many gifts of food that it would likely spoil before they could consume it all.

This summer I received a surprise. It was a gift of nuts and dried fruit from my daughter's Mother-in-law. I know her husband is retired and not getting a bonus to spend on gifts yet she picked out and sent something she KNEW I would love. Well, I have no money to spend on gifts either but I thought I could at least make something for her so I asked my daughter to find out what kind of space she might have for a runner and what colors she likes.

This weekend, my daughter brought me the above picture of the "geta bako" (shoe cupboard) in their entryway. The dimensions are 39cm by 119cm but I see by the picture that the beautiful wood is left to show. I love that turquoise glazed vase which my daughter says is a permanent fixture.

A plan had already been in my head. I have been watching the progress of Jan, the Cherry Red Quilter, on some star blocks she has been making. I like the fact that the points don't come to the edge of the block. I knew I was going to have to draft a block and make some and this is as good a time as any.

These blocks are six inches so the total now is 12x18 inches. I could add an inch of sashing and not be too big but I rather like the blocks touching each other. I will dig into my stash and perhaps add a small border. Brown and blue is perhaps my favorite combination and I may even have a border print I could add to each end.
As I work on this I am celebrating the joy of an extended family. Like me, my children have selected wonderful in-laws. My other great joy is my blogging family that never ceases to encourage and inspire. (thanks Jan)

The banner is hung and the continuing saga of the bias tape

2011-08-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

With several weeks to go until "rally Day", this year's banner has been hung in the church entry-way. Last year's banner has been moved to the right side of the double doors. You can see by my smile that I am glad.

Today, on my way home from church, I
stopped at the store with the rotten bias tape and this is my report.

Finding a clerk, I showed and explained the problem with the tape. The clerk asked me if I had the sales slip. well, no, how long does one need to keep those slips? I told her that though I had purchased the tape a number of years ago, the store sticker was still on each package along with the bar-code.
She asked me to wait and went off to the office. A while later, she came back carrying the damaged tape and told me I had made the purchase five years ago. I responded, yes, I said I had purchased the tape a while ago and was that tape only expected to last a few years? I told her I had a quilt made over a hundred years ago by my Great Grandmother and the bias binding was still in good condition. I wondered what was the life expectancy of the products they sold.

Well, the clerk told me to wait again and disappeared back to the office. When she finally returned she was carrying four new packages of binding. I had seriously thought of asking for navy blue instead of black but in the end I was feeling a bit sorry for the poor woman having to deal with this unsatisfied customer, and a foreigner, at that. Now I am wondering if I should keep this binding for five years before I use it to make sure that it, too, will not deteriorate. I am hoping the tape will be returned to the manufacturer so they can fix the problem. One good side was that, although the price of the binding has gone up since I bought those packages, the store did not make me pay the difference.

Two wins in one day. AND ... although my poor computer has died at last ... taking my photos along with it, I am working on a substitute that has all different programs, a different keyboard arrangement, and does not speak my language, my husband was able to figure out how to download the picture and store it where I could find it.

Now, I was almost tempted to take a break from blogging and learn the language until I saw him struggling by trial and error to make this computer do his bidding. I think this computer does not speak English or Japanese as much as it speaks computerese.

Back from camp

2011-08-16T02:32:00.000-07:00

I thought my blogging friends would like to see a view of Mt Fuji. From the forested camp grounds it is not too easy to get a view.

The winter is the very best time for viewing Mt Fuji, when the days are clear. At that time it can even be seen from Tokyo.

In Summer, the air is so humid and low clouds sit in the foothills. To get a view, the best time is at sunrise and the view of a "Red Fuji", reflecting the morning sun is quite famous. BUT, You had better find a high place above the surrounding forest and be there just as the sun begins to rise. As you can see, the moon has not yet set and the clouds are beginning to creep up from the valley floor.

So, for my blogging friends, Nikko and I set off in the early morning to catch you all a view. We reached the high spot just as the sun was rising but the clouds were too and the view did not last very long.

When we returned to our campsite, the sun was working its way through the mist of morning and the air was beginning to heat up.

Camp was fun with Scouts from BSA, Taiwan, and Nagoya. There were young Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Venture Scouts.

I was asked to do a craft. The Camp's symbol is an Owl so I had the Scouts make owl neckerchief slides out of wood picked up in the surrounding forest.

I had a number of samples but the kids were quite quick to jump in and do their own thing. Some of the kids even returned another day to try making more, bringing twigs from the camping area.

I cut the larger slices of wood but let the kids cut their own eye pieces and bamboo for the back ring.

They sanded and glued and varnished and came up with not only owls but a few other animals as well.

Even leaders caught the creative bug and were making their own. I was especially happy to see that because it meant they were not interfering with what the kids were doing.

Many were surprised that a craft could be done without great expense by using what is available in nature and that the kids could use sharp saws and knives following my safety instructions. (in my rather crude Japanese, I might add.)

Now it is just over five months since the earthquake and tsunami. It is the season of Obon, when it is the Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of ancestors. It is travel time back to one's home town and the roads resembled parking lots. Because of the early rise for picture taking, I was able to get my gear stowed and be on the road to beat the rush. I found Tokyo just as hot and humid as when I left but Papa was glad to have Nikko back and my toe was glad to leave the shoes in the entry-way.

The banner will get a sash for hanging and I can get on to other things once Vacation Bible School is over. Yea!

All done but the shouting

2011-08-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

The only thing left to do on the banner is to add the sleeves for hanging and assemble some dowels. Now I can go off to camp tomorrow without worrying about when I can finish.

The photo will be used to put on the cover of the booklet that tells about the various ministries at Tokyo Union Church. My husband is in charge of getting the booklet together and I was sure that there would be lots of pressure to get this done well before the actual due date.

I want to thank everyone who suggested the black. I think it was a good choice too. I used sashiko thread for the tower parts and have new respect for those who do this. Making large even stitches is not all that easy. Also one can not use such long pieces of thread as I like.

I ran into the strangest problem when putting on the bias binding. I used a commercial binding because I happened to have some on hand and it would take less time than cutting up the small amount of fabric in my stash.

After sewing three sides by hand, I needed to splice another piece. When it was added, I found that not only that piece but the one I had sewed already, were completely disintegrated and the whole thing ripped off. Luckily I had the package with the name of the store on it so I can take it back when I return from camp.

However, my plan to get this finished had gone "awa". This morning my husband ... hoping to see a finish almost as much as I ... went to the local "button store" (that is what a shop selling fabric in small amounts, notions, yarn, and the like is called in Japan) and tried to buy a similar bias.

The shopkeeper was very surprised. She said there are only two makers of bias in Japan and that one is the best maker so she only buys that product for sale. My husband showed her the two packages and how badly they ripped whichever way they were pulled. She said something must have gone wrong with that lot. She took out a package from her shelf and pulled very hard on it but it did not rip. Therefore, my husband brought home new bias and the banner is all but done.

I went back to my drawer of bias tape and found two more of the same make and age. Both of those were also deteriorated so I will have four to return to the store when I return from camp.

Those packs were not new. They had been in my drawer a few to perhaps five years but I did not expect them to rot in the package. I have not checked other packs and other colors but I do use bits from time to time and that event was totally unexpected. I am wondering if it might have something to do with the black dye. I have noticed on embroidery my mother made, more than 40 years ago, the black thread has not held up as well as the other colors. I have also noted when I hand sew with black thread, the same brand as all my other thread, that it frays out if I use as long a strand as I do white or other colors. I wonder if anyone else has had a similar experience.

It has been extremely hot and humid in Tokyo. The neighborhood PA system has announced for the public to beware of heat related problems each afternoon around 2:30 and 3:00. Usually we only hear one message at 5:30PM telliing children it is time to go home.

This time tomorrow I will be at camp on the foot of Mt. Fuji. I was told I would need a jacket at night. Now, isn't that a refreshing thought!

This is the second camp this summer that I am going off in flip-flops. The toe did not heal and a week ago Monday the Dr. took an x-ray to see why and found the bone way off and too much swelling for it to even meet. It was pulled and set and treated for a week and a half with echo and electric gadgets and taped to it's neighbor. Now, in a pinch, I can put something else on for part of the day. The volcanic soil is a bit un-suited to flip-flops. Looks like big boots and bulky socks might be needed. We shall see.

This hybiscus is in the yard of a neighbor. I just had to take a picture. He has numerous varieties and this is so unusual. is other big one comes out pink in the morning and as the day goes on, the sun turns it to red. In the winter he whacks these all down to stumps but every year they return full of vigor. They will be blooming beautifully upon my return.

I hope my own plants will survive the week without me. I am almost tempted to haul them to the neighbor and beg his care. I hope all my blogging friends have a good week as well. I will surely miss you.

The queen of procrastination bites the bullet

2011-08-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Each year, in early September, our church holds a "Rally Day". After the service, during the fellowship hour, displays of all the assorted ministries of the church are set out so members new and old can see what is going on and perhaps sign up to be part of the action. Thus, several weeks ago, the rally day committee sat down to discuss and pick out a theme. As I did last year, I will make a banner to hang in the front portico for the year.

The first discussion was the scripture. What was selected was Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". Next, the committee wanted to include in the logo, a heart, a cross, a view of Tokyo Union Church, and the stained glass window.

The next week I brought my camera and took some pictures of the window. This window was created by Keiko Miura. She is a Christian artist from Osaka. The full window rises 21 meters and symbolizes "The descent of the Holy Spirit at the baptism of Jesus (Luke 3: 21-22)." (there used to be a baptismal font made from native stone at the foot of the window but that has since been moved)

Assembling assorted photos and sketches of the church, I worked on a logo to present to the committee and a banner design for the entryway.

To be sure, the committee has lots of opinions but they are not artists so what one brings home from meetings are just piles of words.

I made a few sketches but did not make it to the next committee meeting. The only comments came back through my husband who was there and says someone on he committee thought that more of the church building should be shown.

In my opinion, that building has a very distinct tower and anyone would know it seeing only that much. I further think the cross should be the focus rather than the building itself. This bit of a conflict causes me to procrastinate even more.

However ... deadlines weigh heavily and in another week I will be camping on Mt. Fuji with the Boy Scouts. Then comes Vacation Bible School upon return. If I don't get started this week, I will have a big rush at the last minute and THAT is something with which I do not deal well. I guess one of the best parts about getting old is that you find out how to avoid the things you absolutely hate.

Well, the window is truly beautiful and an inspiration with all the assorted blues and purples and greens. I dug out my box of batiks and started pulling out bits of fabric that were big enough to use.

I also drafted sections as seen in the window. I have it partly sewed and the rest kind of laid out. There are a few tricky places around the tower but I was more interested in getting the fabric to work. I think if I baste this stuff in place, it can travel to camp and I will have time to get it far enough along.

Shall I add black around the stained glass blocks and the heart? I will still need to add the Bible verse above and below the heart. I know that will take some time toward the end. I only hope I will not have to do a rush job and that forces me to bite the bullet now. After all, God is watching!

I am wondering what the person who wants more of the building to show will say in the end. I do know what my father would reply, "Here! Do you want the hat?" There was hardly a stampede of people rushing to volunteer for the task.

New beginnings and work in progress

2011-07-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

The first day of the second half of the year is here. Lucciano is celebrating with a clean cage and new tail feathers. He is still working on new wing feathers and I miss his usual amount of singing. I gave him a nail trim and he certainly deserves an A+ in patience. I keep wondering how long this old cage will hold up. I have not seen any like it for many years. Long ago it had a stand that could be moved around the room but for this tiny room, the window is perfect. He has a good view of the wild birds on the feeder and the neighborhood cats on the garden wall.

Over the weekend I did a bit of baby sitting. It felt like old times rocking my little sweetie in my comfy chair and using the time for a bit of quilting.

Leia leaps into life at full tilt, always on the move.(I call her "the blur" because every picture of her shows her in motion... if you can get a picture at all...) Then comes the crash. A few songs and she is out. Ah, to be three!

I still have a long way to go on this big quilt and it is going to have to step aside this month for a banner that has a deadline of September.

I am quilting the flowers in the border fabric with colored thread and repeating the flower in the 8inch blocks. I have yet to decide what to do with the large blocks.

Plan A .. a larger flower

Plan B.. the same size flower with an outer ring of petals

Plan C.. four smaller flowers

Plan D.. a cluster of the smaller flowers as seen in the border

There is still plenty to do while I am mulling this over in my mind. In spite of its summery look, this is a very warm quilt. My daughter knows she will not be getting it any time soon, still, the idea of having a nice sunny quilt on those gray Portland winter days makes me want to push a bit harder.

The Party runner is finished

2011-07-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

The party runner is finished! Not in time to reach Marie on her birthday but in time to send her a picture. This is the last in the series of runners I made for my #2 daughter. The other four were seasonal runners for her small table but when she has guests she puts two cubes together to make the table bigger, thus, the longer runner. She, after some prodding, suggested Japanese indigo fabrics would be nice.

In the early '90s I had gone to the fabric outlet area of Tokyo looking for Japanese fabric and
stopped in a kimono shop to see if they had any sample books to sell cheaply. The books are made up of pieces of fabric from the end of the roll, the width of the fabric (about 13-14 inches) and about the same in length. They are sewed into a pile with one large stitch, maybe 20 or so in a "book".

The store did not have any for sale but took my name and address and telephone number and said they might let me know if they did.

Much much later, a package arrived in the post from that shop and in it were some assorted fabrics and fabric sample books. Now, on many of the samples, as you might see in a wall paper sample book, were scribbled notes with black marker. Many of the prettiest fabrics were so marked but I saved the lot and have found ways those fabrics can be cut around the ink and used in projects. These are what I dug out for this runner.

I drafted simple square in a square five inch blocks and arranged them light on dark and dark on light. After considerable trial and error I finally came up with an arrangement I liked. I had considered quilting this with sashiko stitches but was afraid that might detract from the fabrics but used a typical pattern of interlocking circles for the quilting. I like the result and am thinking some day I might make one for my own coffee table.

I am still reminded of the day Marie was born. It was the year of the "Fire Horse" which was considered the worst possible year for a girl baby to be born. Very few risked having a girl and the maternity wards were rather empty. I was near the window of a 6-bed ward and all the babies were kept down the hall in a nursery. At feeding time the infants were put on a cart and rolled into the ward to be handed out to the waiting mothers. BUT ... Ahead of the cart came a nurse carrying one screaming baby which she placed in my arms. Small but mighty, she was! And the nursing staff always "forgot" to pick her up at the end of the session (or maybe that was intended)

Marie liked to be held. Unlike the doll that closes it's eyes as you lay it down, her eyes would fly open no matter how gently you placed her and the screams would follow. Living in a neighborhood where houses are poorly insulated and only three or four feet apart, I spent the next year and a half carrying that fire-horse everywhere. I learned how to do every task with a babe in arms. I sang every lullaby I knew over and over. I'll bet I have the best repertoire of lullabies of anyone my age. Is it any wonder that that daughter turned out to be musically gifted!
Maybe she was making her own music in self defence. So... one more runner for the birthday girl.

Outside our front gate is this pineapple lily. We had a clump of them in our last house and they were frequently the victims of the plant vandal. Before we moved I separated the group into several bunches and placed them out of reach. I must have brought one tiny bulb with me because I notices the fleshy leaves last year among the agapanthus and gave the bulb a pot of its own. I noticed last week there was a small bud and took this first picture.

Today, when I went to the park to see if I could get a better picture of the runner, I noticed the lily had begun to bloom. I'm so happy to have this reminder of the years spent at the Suginami house. I also noticed when I was there a little more than a week ago, that the plants had buds that were not vandalized. Hooray for small blessings!

and the winner is....

2011-07-24T01:36:00.000-07:00

How could I possibly select a name from among all these kind and wonderful bloggers?
That is what assistants are for. Luckily, this assistant will do anything I ask for a piece of cheese.
Nikko was told to "Wait!" while I wrote the names on slips of note card and taped each one around a piece of cheese. She was very excited at the possibilities of a reward. (in fact, she can hear the refrigerator drawer being opened from any room in the house and comes to check if cheese is being removed)

The word,"Stay!" is a bit open-ended for her to take seriously but "Wait" has the connotation of a reward for being patient. (and patience is something she has perfected over nine years of trial and error.

The objects of desire were then placed in her dish. I tried to get most of the names hidden so she could not read them. I saw Nikko looking over my shoulder at the comments to see who had left her compliments and I didn't want her to play favorites.

The magic word for helping herself to goodies is "Itadakimasu". This is a word that is always spoken before taking the first bite. It means, I am about to partake.

Oh no, Nikko, you greedy dog, you have taken two names! And, how cleaver of you, both those names are people who have left you compliments.

Well, give them to me and you can try again. After all, I have only one give-away.

So, here they are ... Cheryl and Rose Marie. I am not going to tell you which is which but now please try again and only pick ONE!

And... the winner is... Cheryl of Cheryl's Teapots 2 Quilting.

So, Rose Marie and all my dear friends, I still love all your comments and support and help. Thank you for making this a very special year. And, if you are not happy with the results, blame the dog. She is very good at accepting blame.

And now ... back to quilting!

My quilt room/space/corner

2011-07-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

From time to time I get a blogging glimpse of quilter's "studios" or "rooms", their lovely design walls and shelves of organized stash. I see the latest machines that do everything but wash the dishes.

Well, here I am in my chair, my machines connected to my arms (and they also wash the dishes) and my trusty helper at my side. My husband at the shutter saying,"why would anyone want a picture of this!"

But, my friends, THIS is the world's most comfortable chair! And, it has a story.

When I was teaching in the public schools, the Board of Education took money from our scant pay and put it into a retirement fund rather than social security. You can bet it wasn't much since the starting salary was only three thousand dollars a year. In the late 60s when I was back in the States, I checked up to see how much I had in my retirement account and I was told $135.00 and it would never amount to more no matter how long it sat there so I decided to take the money out and buy something I really wanted, a wing rocker. Because of a crooked spine, there are not many chairs I can lean back in but this chair is perfect for me. $134 well spent!

It lived in my bedroom for years and I rocked and nursed babies here. It sat in other rooms in other houses and we piled in with kids to the side and kids on the lap and read thousands of stories. The upholstery wore to shreds and we had it re-covered. This time the foot stool and the arms got some quilted covers to protect them. Now it sits in the corner of my living room. to the right is the entryway. To the left are some drawers for my rulers and sewing things and my Ott light. My quilting waits in the bag I used to carry it to my group meeting on Friday.

The light is special to me too because years ago I quilted a quilt for a friend who said she would pay me. I kept a record of the hours I spent working on her lovely quilt but had no idea what my time might be worth. In the end, I had seen the Ott light advertised in quilt magazines and really wanted a lamp that would give good light for judging color at night.(which was the time of day mothers of large families had for quilting) I cut out the page with the ad and gave it to my friend, who had a APO address and could get things from the states, when I returned the finished quilt. I believe there were three sizes of lamps and I would have been happy with any but she bought me the floor model and an extra bulb. The lamp has lived beside my chair ever since.

For a room so tiny as our living room, this chair is really too big an object but my husband has a massage chair that is even bigger so I feel a bit justified and it is a comfortable place to sew. The only trouble being, since it is by the door, things tend to get piled on it when people come in.

And now for the next project in the lineup. For my daughter's final runner, I wanted to make her one double length size for when she adds a cube for parties. She wanted some traditional Japanese indigo fabrics so I drafted this simple five inch block and alternated dark and light fabrics.

All the blocks are complete so I laid them out on my bed/futon (the only horizontal place in the house of any size without a layer of dog hair) to see if I can come up with an arrangement. I'm still not completely satisfied. Here is where a design wall might come in handy. In this room the ceiling slants down to only about two feet above my pillow, a bit hard to get the whole view.

The typhoon, "Ma-On", is bringing rain to my garden after a long dry spell. It is not clear yet where or if it will land but rain is predicted for the next two days. I wish I could say it has brought cooler air but with the windows shut against the rain, the house is hot and muggy as usual.

A "reversable" runner?

2011-07-15T04:09:00.000-07:00

This is not the last of the runners that I am making for my daughter for her birthday, but it is the last of the seasonal ones. I'm not sure it was much of a success because trying to make it reversible was something like trying to serve two masters at once.

The Christmas fabrics went together fairly well and I was pretty satisfied with the variety of color and size. Since New Years is the big holiday in Japan, my idea was to use a printed panel of the twelve zodiac animals for the reverse side. The sizes of the two were close enough and I thought I would quilt the back with the frames and animals ... so far, so good

I used a gold metallic thread for quilting because there was a thin gold outline on the pictures of the panel.

I started with the frames around the animals but found the outer edges fell inside the green outer border on the Christmas side. Oops. So, I quilted those parts just through the top and batting.

Next I quilted around the writing. Well, it didn't look bad on the other side but it was a bit distracting and I began to think that quilting the fussy details of those twelve animals might not bring the effect I had in mind.

So... I turned the runner back to the Christmas side and quilted in the ditch around the squares, being careful not to go all the way through in the places that might mess up the animals.

This runner might have been a bit better with more quilting but I decided to quit while I was ahead.

Every year I attend at least one quilt show in Japan that displays the work of Emiko Toda Loeb. Her quilts are usually hung at the end of a section so that the viewers can enjoy both the front and the back. Indeed, it would be difficult to figure out which was intended as the front because her work is completely reversible in design as well as quilting. Next time I will have to study her work more closely and see how she does it. So far, she has no competition from me!

I am intending to make one more runner for my daughter to use at partys when she adds a cube to her narrow table. She likes Japanese indigos so that is what I am planning to use ... now that she has put up with the three and two-half runners I have sent. With her birthday a little over a week away, the last one is going to be late. Sorry, Marie, I can't even say,"it's in the mail".

Last week I posted a picture of the first bloom on my prickly pear cactus that Morishita-san had given me. Last Friday I went back to my old neighborhood while my car was having its yearly inspection and stopped at Morishita-san's house to give him the pictures I took. He was so delighted and said he felt like a grandchild was coming home. Here on his porch is the big grandpa cactus. It is almost finished blooming for the season but you can see what an impressive plant my little fellow has to look up to.

As I write this last bit, the table is dancing and the light fixture is swinging and the dog is trembling at my knees because we are having an earthquake.

Turning on the TV, I see the quake was centered to the north of Tokyo near where Tanya (Taniwa) lives and had a magnitude of 5 on the Japanese scale of 7.
There is no danger of tsunami but landslides are always a problem and the trains are stopped until they are all checked. This is not an activity one can "get used to"!

An anniversary give-away for my blogging friends

2011-07-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

Little did I know, or even imagine, a year ago when my son suggested scanning my paper diary and putting it on a blog, what the consequences would be. I could see that the paper book is beginning to fall apart. I could also understand that my kids wanted to see what I was up to.
I knew very little about even the basics like posting a picture and still have not figured out how to get those pictures and writing arranged the way I want them. Beyond my own children, I had no idea of what a "follower" might be and "comments" were what family members wrote about cute pictures of the little ones.

So, my friends, you can see this past year has been a steep learning curve but every step of the way, there has been a dear blogging buddy or a caring child to give me help, coaching, assistance, or a shove in the right direction.

Even my non-quilting readers have commented to me on what caring, compassionate, and supporting people quilting bloggers are as indicated by their comments. Truly I have been richly blessed by you all.

So, as my first anniversary approaches, I have been giving thought as to how I might thank my fellow bloggers and followers. It is not my intention to gain more followers ... I have no idea why people choose to follow other than by how I might decide and I have more than one way of following...

I have gathered together a few things that are very Japanese. I googled Japanese taupes and found pictures of what the internet says they are and the first item in the package is a set of 100 ten cm. square "taupe" fabrics. I also selected 8 rolls of traditional Japanese prints in shades of tan/brown. I'm not sure the size but about 12"x 10 or 12". Then there is a set of ten pieces of "kasuri". They are around 13"x 9", and my personal favorites. The thread is indigo dyed before being woven into the designs and the ones I have selected are the more traditional patterns. These days they are valued highly by Japanese quilters and since they are not being made so much any more, are becoming harder and harder to find without buying antique clothing and cutting it apart. The last items are two printed panels. One is a welcoming cat panel with two cats and the other, the twelve animals of the oriental zodiac.

On my blog anniversary, which is on July 23rd U.S. east coast time, I will draw a name from among those who are interested and send a package out. If you are a follower, I will put your name in the "pot" twice. Please let me know if you are interested in the drawing. I wish I could afford to send more to thank you all.

Grabbing patterns from here and there

2011-07-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

I have seen on, assorted blogs , photographs taken of mosaics in Italy and tiles in Czechoslovakia and wrought iron work and barn sidings and all kinds of designs in nature and thought ... now, wouldn't that make an interesting quilt pattern... Actually, I was rather relieved to see that I am not the only nut out there taking pictures of sidewalks.

So ... as I began to think of the next runner in the season series, I decided to try and make one that is reversible with Christmas fabric on one side and a Japanese panel of the zodiac animals on the reverse side. I wanted to quilt the printed animals so needed something for the other side that might not look too strange with quilting that is rather random. I pulled out my camera and looked back through those assorted pictures and found this one taken in the subway underpass near my church where three train lines meet. It is a very busy station and I remember the reaction of the passers-by seeing this weird foreigner taking pictures of the paving blocks.

A bit of graph paper and a search of the Christmas fabric and I was prepared with carry-along work for last night's long train and bus ride into town and an even longer District Committee Meeting.

Actually, I was rather glad for this bit of work because we had to say good-bye to three Scouters who have been a big part of the Japan District. Saying good-bye is something we do a lot in the ex-pat community here in Japan but it is never easy.

Having a little project helps to keep me together.

I am enjoying the look so far and hope the plan will work as intended.

It might seem a bit funny to be working on something for Christmas in the burning heat of summer but that way it will get done in time to hit the post.

Satisfied.

2011-07-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

The fall runner is finished and ready to mail.
Although there was some advice to un-sew and add more rows of leaves, and I did seriously consider that option, I am not unhappy with the way it turned out.

It would have been possible to do the un-sewing but there was no guarantee that the added leaves would look better since this is a pattern where the arrangement can not be decided by just two, or in this case, three rows but especially when repeating fabrics as I would have to have done. My quilt group liked the result and I am sure my darling daughter will say she loves it, as she has the first two.

One interesting thing that happened makes me wonder if this change of plans was really a mistake. As I came to quilt the end pieces, I found the space was just right to quilt the words from Ecclesiastes, "To every thing there is a season, (and) a time for every purpose under heaven.." As I finished quilting the phrase and added the binding I felt that maybe what I had thought to be a mistake was just an opportunity for something else if only I could keep my mind tuned to higher things than always being in control.

My number three daughter states this would also be a good runner idea in shades of green. At this point I am wondering how my sister managed to make a whole quilt using this pattern. Although I had stated I would never do this pattern again, never is a LOOOOOONG time!

The flowers on the Mother-in-law's tongue, (or any of the other names this plant goes by as certainly my own mother-in-law was the kindest most loving mother one might wish for) have begun to open. Green on green is not so flashy but they are lacy and charming. They also look like they are sweating in the Tokyo heat.

One more plant has blessed us with a flower. When we lived in Suginami Ward, my neighbor across the street had a huge prickly pear cactus on his front porch and every year it was covered with blooms. At one point I asked Morishita-san if, when he was pruning that cactus, he might give me a piece to root. Better than that, one day before we moved, he turned up at my door carrying a pot and plant he had already rooted. I now have several offspring of that plant. (I can't seem to throw away the pieces that accidentally get broken off) The plant sits up on my balcony all year but since this winter was particularly cold, I brought it inside for a few months. It still gets to freezing many nights but it seemed a bit happier than the year before. Now, for the first time, I have been rewarded with this lovely flower. Friday I shall return to my old neighborhood and I plan to take a picture to my friend and thank him again.

When the brain takes a vacation

2011-06-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

OOPS!!

I was so happy to add that last leaf to the fall runner. Tomorrow is my quilt group meeting and I will have a small piece all basted and ready to begin quilting.

Dig out some backing ... plenty to choose from ...

Whole roll of batting to cut ... no problem there,

lay it all out to prepare for basting ... Find the measure to check that it is straight ...

Huh?

The width is right but the length is supposed to be 38 inches. It is six inches too short!

Get out the notebook with the plan to check. Yep, no problem there. I remember how pleased I was to come up with a design that just fit the dimensions but ... oh no, I left off two rows of leaves.

Now, what?

Well, I could leave it as is and just quilt it ... but it would be the wrong size. Or ... I could un-sew the last two rows and add ten more leaves ... but I have done more than enough un-sewing already. Or ... I could just add two borders on the ends ... I have lots of leaf prints.

So I auditioned a few and this maple leaf print in fall colors seemed to fit, but I thought of my blogging friends and wondered what they would do.

Am I the only one who makes this kind of mistake? Does your brain ever melt down in the heat of summer? Can you think of another "plan B" ... or maybe "C" or "D". Ah well, "The best laid plans of mice and men ..." Perhaps the more mistakes one makes, the better one gets at fixing them.

A bit of progress from the quilting Scouter

2011-06-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

Scout camp turned out to be rainy and sunny, hot and cool, fun and work, and a lot was accomplished during (and before) the Scouts' attendance.

Not finding a clean, large, work space, I finally shoved five tables together in the craft room (six would have still been too small an area) and basted the batik quilt. Since the space was too small for the entire quilt it was a bit hard to get the batting pieced to my satisfaction.

For the basting I had to place the top down and struggle a bit with the softer tenugui up on top. I pinned it first and then had to crawl up on the table tops to baste it in sections
I guess the whole thing took about five hours but I was happy that all parts seem to come out flat and even. The room is very poorly lit even in brightest daytime and I used the evening hours when other duties were out of the way.

I also used odd moments during the week to work on the third edition of the table runners. For fall, I decided to use an idea once passed to me by my sister for tessellating maple leaves. I had tried this once before and ended up making it into a bag.

My favorite patchwork is making blocks and then laying them all out and arranging them to my satisfaction. This pattern is the antithesis of that, as each block has to include a piece from two of it's neighboring blocks. Even with the pieces all pinned in groups, I had to un-sew a number of seams as I put the wrong neighbor in several times no matter how carefully I planned. The total will be fifty blocks plus a border so the top is more than half done. With HOT weather setting in, this will be better than quilting the big bed cover. I remember vowing never to do this pattern again after the first time but that is what I said about several other patterns in the past and ended up eating my words.

As for the toe, I got by. Flip-flops were a bit more comfortable. By Wednesday I tried boots and Friday sandals with my Scout socks. Today it was crocks. I have no idea what I will try for tomorrow when I go to school. Whatever it is, we don't wear shoes in the classroom anyway. I am hoping this will not last too long as my back hurts from limping along.

Saturday I arrived home only to dump my gear and head off to an obstacle course with my Cub pack. It is part of our summer program and the rain held off long enough for the boys to have a blast. It was fun to watch the boys try the obstacles so carefully at first and then ,by the time they were playing the closing music, to see them racing madly to try things one more time. If I could capture that energy and sell it I would make a fortune!

My lily was nice enough to hold off for my return. It was tall but still in bud as I carried things from my car to the door but this first picture was taken Sunday morning as I left for Church. I ran (hobbled) back in to get my camera lest it be bashed to bits by someone on a bike while I was away.

When I returned later in the day, I found some string and tied it to the fence. In store-bought lilies used in arrangements, the ends of the stamens bearing the pollen are all removed so the dark pollen will not soil whatever it might touch. I am happy to be living in a neighborhood where my flowering plants are not vandalized.
At my last house we also had plants along the street and someone passing in the early morning ripped off the flowers on almost every plant just as they were about to open. It was very sad and frustrating even when I had tied things back away from the street.

You can see there is still a lot to look forward to on this mighty lily.

Also, there are a few more getting ready to do their stuff. You might also notice the gardenia adding it's perfume to the scene.

Lastly, I was in for another surprise. The plant my Grandmother called "rabbit ears" and others called "mother-in-law's-tongue", "snake plant", or in Japan, "tiger's tail", (Sansevieria trifasciata) ... was sitting in my upstairs window with a flower spike! I have had that plant forever in windows of every house but never seen any sign of a flower. I looked on line to see if that was common and noticed in Chinese it is called "Tiger's tail orchid" and there was a picture of an opened flower, a rather orchid-like spike. I don't advise running out to buy one and waiting thirty years or so for it to bloom unless you have a space that can use a tall bit of green. On the other hand, here is one plant that thrives on neglect and I learned it is also one of the best plants for improving indoor air quality by passively absorbing toxins. That, in itself, is enough but it seems I am to be blessed with flowers as well.

It's in the mail

2011-06-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today is my quilting day but yesterday I hurt my little toe and walking is rather painful. If I go to the doctor he will want an x-ray (not cheap) and put on a huge wrap and tell me to come back every day for the next few weeks. Actually, there is nothing to be done for a broken toe but ice it and possibly tape it to the neighboring toe. I am more concerned as to what I will wear for shoes at camp as flip-flops feel best but are frowned on as camp wear.

Hanging on the front gate is the second installment of the birthday runners for my daughter. A little over a week ago she sent the family pictures of
her beautiful and productive garden in the Boston Fens. Although not overly creative, I was able to come up with enough different fruit and vegetable prints to assemble in four-inch blocks so she will have plenty of food on the table.

I used very thin thinsulate batting and quilted flowers in each block. For the reverse side I auditioned several large scraps and decided on this multi-colored print. Perhaps it wanted to be selected because it was almost exactly the right size.

Out of six children I have a few that go almost to the point of taking over a project ... fabric ... pattern ... even backing. Then, again, there are those who seem to be happy with whatever I come up with.

This daughter seems to be happy with the idea of the series of runners. She has not said to stop or make a different size or asked for different colors so I plough onward and have cut about half of the pieces for the fall edition. These I will take with me to camp just in case I have spare time.

Also going to camp will be the Batik quilt, now waiting in the car. I am hoping that sometime during the week I will be able to find a place large enough and clean enough to lay it out and, if possible, baste it. I plan to use safety pins first in case I don't have time to baste the whole thing. I expect it to take about three hours and might have to pick it up during that time.

The lilies are holding off as it has been dreary rainy weather. I'm not sure if I should wish for sun during camp or hope this weather delays the blooms until I get back.

As a child, my mother loved petunias but I was less enthusiastic because the sticky wilted blooms had to be picked off each day so it would continue to bloom. Modern varieties have changed my opinion as they manage to bloom for two seasons in these hanging pots.

This wall separates my house from the neighbor on the North. Although it belongs to the neighbor, I am using it for my hanging garden. To the left of the pot you can see a section of the wall that is grooved into the post. During the quake, the street-side section slipped out of the groove and I notice a number of cracks in the stucco finish along the street. One of the things you learn in emergency prep is not to run out into the street during a quake as many injuries occur from falling walls. On March 11 the wall several houses down lost big hunks of stucco and another, across the street, chunks of concrete blocks although neither wall fell.

Finally. here is another little bloomer. Since my bedroom is in a greenhouse on the roof and it gets very cold in winter and very very hot in summer, I have been enjoying raising various varieties of cactus. This is the first time that this one has bloomed. I thought it was a gonner over the winter.

Several other varieties have big buds and I expect them to bloom while I am away. Luckily they thrive on neglect so will not miss me in the least.

So ... It's off to the woods with the guys. No currant bushes there. I will miss my friends as much as I do the plants but Nikko sees her food container getting packed and is excited to go. Did you notice that round yellow sticker on the gate? That indicates Nikko is registered with all her shots so if you open the door and she runs out to bite you, no danger of getting rabbies. To tell the truth, you are more likely to get licked to death than bitten.

Perhaps next week I will have a basted quilt to report on?

Pearl and Friends

2011-06-14T01:47:00.000-07:00

I have seen a run on cat quilts out in the blogging world and realized I have no digital pictures of my cat quilt. I may have to wait and try again when the rainy season is over.

Many years ago someone offered my family a lovely black kitten with bright yellow eyes. We were only a week away from leaving for a summer holiday so I said if the kitten was still available when we got back, we would be glad to adopt it. Of course someone snatched it up during the time we were gone but we still wished for a kitten to share our home.

About the end of October that same year, I was working in the library when someone came in and said, "does anyone want a cat?"to which I replied, "I do, but not just any cat. It should be all black with yellow eyes or all white with one blue eye and one gold eye." The lady said the cat was all white with one gold eye and one blue eye, so I asked if it had a nice straight tail. In Japan, as a consequence of in-breeding, many cats have tails with kinks. The lady said, "Just a moment, I'll go and check" and soon she was back carrying a little white kitten with odd eyes and a tail, not quite straight but with a bend in the end". Thus, Pearl joined our family, a birthday gift to myself. Actually, she was an enchanted princess that only looked like a cat

Pearl lived with us for about 12 years and I wanted to make a quilt to celebrate her memory. Starting with squared paper I came up with this design for Pearl and Friends. Finding fabric to use was a bit tricky because each cat adjoins six others. I also discovered that each row moves over by the width of the tail so the sides became crooked. I ended up putting a border with two cats turned sideways and moving the balls into a straight line. I quilted a spool of thread into the border and pinned circles around, quilting around them with one continuous line with a needle at the other end.

Several friends in my quilt group have copied the templates and made full sized quilts using my pattern. Ever since I have been playing with the squared paper trying to come up with a pattern of both a cat and dog. This qult was hung in a quilt show back in the early 90s and though I had thought it might make a cute baby quilt, it is a little small (48.5"x56") and when the time came with a baby in mind, I had another plan in my notebook.

Now, here is another birthday present to myself. The year before last I had some points to spend at the garden shop. Lest they go un-used, I picked out five lily bulbs and brought them home to my little garden. They bloomed for the first time last summer and I had left a camera when I went off to the Jamboree, asking that someone take pictures so I wouldn't miss them. Well, that was not high on any one's agenda and I returned to finished flowers.

This summer I hope not to miss any but this weekend I will be off to Boy Scout camp and I see the first has begun to open and the others are lining up. This one has taken over the spot where the Iris stood a month ago. I am wondering what the other colors will be. My family didn't remember but the neighbors said they were beautiful. Maybe I should leave the camera with them this time?

This one might be next. It seems to be in competition with the Snake-bark maple tree, well over eight feet tall, and above the living room window. I hope I won't miss it!

A test of patience

2011-06-06T04:48:00.000-07:00

Deciding not to spend money on fabric for the back of the batik quilt, I took out the pile of tenugui showing all kinds of children's games. My fourth daughter is an early-childhood teacher and I'm sure she will get a kick out of this collection of tenugui. Friday I made use of the floor space at my quilt friend's house to arrange the selection and began sewing the towels together by hand. There was a bit of a trick to this because the towels are not all the same length or width. Choosing pairs, I sewed them into strips which are close to the same length. This puts the center seam at different points down the center but one of the quilt ladies thought if I press the center seams open, the mis-match will probably not show much after quilting. That seems like the best plan of attack.

After joining the rows, I find that this section is still too narrow for the backing. Rather than add more of the children's towels sideways, I decided to use yukata fabric for the outside edges. I have a lovely floral but it is on dark blue and I think the bamboo on white looks a bit better.

With no place to spread out and arrange the borders, I spread a tarp on the street outside my house so I could figure out a plan. The tarp was too narrow so the yukata fabric is on the street. A light spring breeze kept turning the corners and before I was finished I had to fold it over several times to allow bikes to pass. The section of road behind the camera is only the size of the green tarp, about two meters. For that reason, at least, I did not have to deal with cars.

After looking at the size of the backing, it appears the towel section is too long by about half the width of a row of tenugui. Rather than trim the lower row of children, I decided to remove the second row from the bottom since those children are a bit larger in size. Then I re-positioned the bottom row and added the bamboo to the lower edge as well as the sides. I will not feel as bad about cutting off part of the bamboo as I would spoiling the children in play.

The thing is, now that I sit and look at this picture, I recall the yukata fabric I used for the border of the kaleidoscope quilt (a kind of braided link design) that is just about the width that I need and I bet I have just enough already cut too. Then, again, that might be just a bit too strong a pattern. Un-sewing and re-sewing seams of several meters takes a lot longer by hand so I want to be sure before I go that far. This is the time I really wish for a very large empty room.

Scouting is a World of Friends

2011-05-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the early start to the "rainy season", That is what the weekend held. Because of cancellations of activities after the earthquake, everything got tossed into the pot and the former Cub Scout Family Camping was stretched to include American and Japanese Boy Scouts as well as Girl Scouts. Friday night I set up the craft area and spent the hours until bedtime preparing for ten craft sessions. The craft planned for the cubs was not suitable for Girl Scouts and the older Scouts so there was a hurried cutting of leather for those participants to make wrist bands.

Stations were set up with stamps for letters and numbers as well as decorative stamps, snap-setting station, dying and finishing stations. I went to my sleeping bag thinking all was ready. Alas, during the night came the soft pitter patter of rain. Well, rain is fine for the big guys but Cubs and siblings and Moms and Dads... not too great.

In the morning I got the final count and schedule for the day. We raised the flags in a light mist and set off to the craft area. (or what had been planned as the craft area) I must say there are very few buildings where one can get out of the rain and suddenly there was some kind of a tent building activity squeezed into the craft room as well. Now imagine groups of 15 to 20 kids hammering away on leather and Scout leaders shouting out orders on tent building. Add to that parents yakking and others joining the melee to get in a dry place. Nikko checked out the situation and opted for the space under the finishing table where there would be no hammering. One lucky factor was that I got the world's greatest assistant, a fellow teacher of all age levels, crafty as the day is long and fluent in Japanese. It was a long day but we survived. Well, the patch they issued said "Family Camp Survivoree". No picture but that was truer than fiction.

After dinner we gathered in the light rain to enjoy the campfire. Leading the opening song didn't do a whole lot for my voice but there was still a bit left at the end for the quilt presentation. At the start I told about my friendship quilt and collecting the signatures of friends at various Scouting events, the Scouts from over 60 countries and all of the States. Although I have many signatures from top Scouters, the signature I told them about was one of my former Cubs and Scouts who had signed his name, the date, and "Friends Forever". Nearly 20 years have passed but we are still friends and "Forever" is a long time.

I quoted part of the poem that begins, "I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you". and asked them to think about the friends that bring out the best in them. I also asked them to think about what kind of a friend they were to others

At the end I brought out the wedding quilt as a celebration of friendship and presented it to the couple who had worked so hard and long to put on that event, whom I had known through Scouting long before they even knew each other, and were unselfish in their love and devotion to the welfare of others.
When I left in the evening they were still reading and commenting on the messages written on the leaves. I gave them a sign-pen so they could add more signatures to the blank leaves. I feel very happy I could make the presentation and grateful to those of you who sent words of encouragement.

The pictures here are details of the Scout Friendship quilt. The reverse side has neckerchiefs from many of the events where I collected signatures.

The center has the World Crest with the words, Scouting is a world of friends, quilted around.

I embroidered a few Scout emblems from different countries. The USA and Japan were the most complicated and in order to get the details I had to use only one strand of embroidery thread.

Well, the rainy season that usually begins in mid June got off to an early start and below is the reason why!!! Honestly, why would someone select a design for a T-shirt for Cub camp with thunder clouds and lightening?? It sure looks to me like someone was tempting fate! "Extreme Cub Camps"?? The edge of a typhoon? Maybe we were luckier than we deserved.

Sunday morning, off to choir, but after shouting above the noise all day and leading songs I had very little voice left .

bits if progress, one step at a time

2011-05-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am off to Cub camp where I will be teaching crafts to Cubs, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts. It is always a challenge to take a craft and tweak it up or down to make it easy enough for first graders and challenging enough for the older Scouts. We are expecting rain to add to the challenge.

The big event at the back of my mind will be the presentation of the Wedding quilt. I have asked to give "the Scoutmaster's minute" at the closing campfire. As much as I dread speaking in front of a group, I want to tell the youth about the importance of friendship, picking friends, keeping friends, and being a worthy friend. I hope I can pull it off.

Since that quilt was finished I have been working on several projects. Last year I made a table cloth for my son as a birthday present. This year my giftee is my number two daughter and I wanted to make something quilty for her
but she does not have a dining room table but uses a small coffee table for meals. I thought I might make her a series of runners for different seasons and began with some floral prints and some fabric left from my Son's wedding quilt and a border from one of my first quilts. I like quilted runners in my house because they protect the table from scratches and spills but I was not sure I was heading in the right direction for my daughter's house so I sent this one off and asked if she would like more or for me to make something else. This week word came back that it is a "go" and I will have fun making a series for the year. It makes good take-along work. I have lots of ideas. And, her birthday isn't until late in the summer.

Meanwhile I have been working on the border of the batik quilt. I could not find any fabric I could afford for the border but the floral print is almost like batik. I took scraps left from the blocks and cut assorted circles to applique over the centers of the flowers. I am thinking of using colored or variegated thread to quilt those flowers and quilt bigger flowers into the squares.

One reason I dragged out the tenugui is that my daughter is a teacher and might enjoy the series of children's games if there are enough to cover the back. This is the time I could use a very large design wall! It may take a bit of doing to figure this out but I still have three sides of border to complete before I get there. So... It's off to play Scouts... one step at a time.

The art of the Japanese Tenugui

2011-05-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

In earlier posts I have sometimes shown a quilt backing which has been composed of Japanese tenugui or cotton towels. Indeed, many of the quilts I have made use tenugui either on the back or as part of the design. Sometimes I get questions about tenugui so today I thought it would be fun to show and tell more than you may wish to know about the art of tenugui, and indeed, it is an art.

I have sometimes referred to tenugui to be seen along the lines of postage stamps. Although I was a poor student of history and geography, I loved to collect postage stamps. They were like tiny travel posters showing the nature, historical events, places and people that defined a country.
Each country puts out lovely commemorative issues and they may be used on letters as regular postage or kept as collectors items. We can learn a lot by examining these stamps and they are small enough to be stored in albums.

Tenugui are rectangular cotton hand towels. They were sometimes distributed as gifts by shops or firms commemorating their opening and may contain addresses or the phone number of the shop. The tenugui of yesterday has gradually been replaced by terrycloth towels and handkerchiefs and many of today's tenugui are pure art to be looked at as well as used. We used to have a tenugui of the Tokyo Tower that had been framed and hung as a picture by my Father-in-law. Sometimes they are sewed into bags or cushions or noren, a strip curtain dividing rooms. They are often used as stage props in kabuki, rakugo (comical storytelling), and Japanese dancing.

The process by which these towels are made is as fascinating as the towels themselves. Both Yukata (a cotton summer kimono) and tenugui are dyed as a strip of fabric. That bolt or roll is anywhere from thirteen and a half to about fifteen inches in width. The cloth is stenciled with a kind of paste that works much like wax in batik. It is done in sections and folded back over itself like an accordion. The length might vary depending on the ultimate use but one roll is usually enough to make one yukata with some bit left over.

After each application of paste, the dye is put on top of the pile of fabric over a vat of the same width and sucked through the pile. Then the excess dye and paste are washed out, and the fabric dried and re-wound for further dying or cutting into lengths.

The price can range from around five hundred yen for a two color towel of simple design to thousands of yen for real works of art.
The series of childrens' games on my last post cost around one thousand two hundred per towel a few years back when the dollar/yen was about 100 yen to the dollar.

The small kaleidoscope quilt has five towels on the back. The writing on the red one is a poem or song. The other four show a sense of humor, such as advice on manners and replies to requests and the like.

I have photographed some un-cut towels and you can see how each section is the reverse of the one before. If the design includes writing, one has to be careful to put the right side facing up as it is impossible to tell one side from the other by just looking at the pattern.

The two top towels have a design depicting strips of cloth being stretched out to dry. The blue and white towel can be folded in half lengthwise and then accordion folded to form a cloth book. This piece of art shows the variety of ways to use a tenugui, from a blindfold for a children's game, a head scarf, exercising, fishing, bathing and even picking fruit. The towel with many people is of a festival. The people are carrying portable shrines and they are all wearing tenugui as hachimaki or headbands to keep the perspiration from their eyes. The lower towel with the red character says "matsuri" or festival and that is the type of towel most often worn as a hachimaki.

Here are a few more forms of towel containing writing. The top is advice on how to live a long life. Actually, it is a list of funny excuses to give when your maker comes to call you home. The dark blue is writing by someone having reached the auspicious age of 88. The iris on white is the name of a Sumo wrestler who may have presented these to his fans upon being promoted to a higher rank. The beige towels show some folk art.

This year many of the places selling the towels had a selection of rabbits as this is the rabbit year by the oriental zodiac. Several quilts I have made for my grandchildren feature zodiac animal towels on the back. On one I asked family members to sign their names on their animal.

Just like stash, these towels tend to grow in numbers in dark places. Unlike postage stamps they take up more room. I have a set of three plastic stacking drawers and in true librarian fashion, the towels are folded and placed by topic. They might be festivals like those above, famous kabuki scenes, sumo wrestlers' hand prints, scenes from famous places, flowers of various seasons, and just like postage stamps, interesting bits of culture. Some may find their way to the backs of quilts. Others are old that have been given me by people clearing out their cupboards. I once made a purple quilt for my SIL who loves purple and just went through the pile pulling out any towel with purple for the back. Most of those were from Japanese dance school recitals or kabuki actors assuming a family name.

The cloth tends to be more loosely woven that modern print cotton. It is surprisingly durable and the colors are fast. It is quite soft and less likely to slide off a child's bed. Because of the variety of lengths and widths it is not easy to piece into one large back. It can be pieced along with yukata fabric but is noticeably different from regular cotton prints in texture. I would offer some to anyone interested if they thought they might be able to find a use for it. Then, again, I still have three cat panels looking for a home.

Star Crossed goes to the festival

2011-05-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when I was performing regularly with the Tokyo Piping Society, a small group was asked to play outside a Tokyo department store to draw attention to a "Festival U.K. '98 "that was being held inside. When we had a break, I went inside to see what the "Fair" was all about. Along with British goods there was also a small quilt show and one quilt by Lucy Boston caught my eye. It was all done in lozenge-shaped hexagons and, I think, called "Stars and Crosses". The interesting thing was the variety of patterns that could be made with just one shape. I took out my notebook and made a sketch of the general design before going out for another piping session.

As time went on, that sketch in my notebook kept calling my attention and I decided to try that pattern out. I had begun assembling a selection of red, white, and blue fabric for another quilt I had in mind so decided to limit the color to that just to try out the design.

This pattern was particularly good with striped fabrics and somewhat fussy to do so I only made 20 blocks as a test. I swore at the time this would be my last adventure with hexagons but that was not necessarily the case. I named it "Star Crossed" because I was doomed from the time I first saw it. Later I made a full sized quilt of the same design and named that one "Double Crossed".

The backing was made from Japanese Tenugui, printed cotton towels. These four are of Japanese Children's games. When I showed the quilt to the elderly man who made the towels, he was delighted to sign his name on the lower towel. Since them I have acquired a set of 17 of these towels and am thinking I may again use them for a quilt back.

With Blogger down and my computer having it's dying spasms, I am a bit late to post for the Bloggers' Quilt Festival. I will give it a try but the computer guru came in and re-arranged everything and I'm not too sure I can link in or add the button. The quilts are great and I could spend the whole day looking at other's posts.

(LATER) I have spent a frustrating two hours trying to figure out how to get that button added but nothing has worked so far. You can check them out by clicking on Amys Creative Side on the right side of my blog.

Side-tracked!

2011-05-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

You may think that when a quilt group meets, they quilt. Well, we eat too and when we were sitting at the table, attention went to these dolls sitting on the shelf. I had taken them out for my granddaughter to play with and found they were falling apart. I don't remember how long ago I made them or how old they are now. Maybe one of my daughters will look and comment. (I do know some were still babys because one of the kids bit the nose off the girl doll and it had to be fixed.)The lower arms and legs are carved out of wood and the heads are made of paper mache. The girl doll was made first and her body was made from pigskin. The boy's body was made from deerskin and was first to deteriorate. Neither could take the rigors of play and needed new bodys. Long ago I had bought a piece of peach muslin for that purpose but had not gotten around to making repairs.

I had made my own pattern to make the dolls in the first place and had not saved it. I decided the time had come to get these fixed while we had granddaughters to enjoy them. I began with the boy doll because he had completely fallen apart. You can see beside him the body section. Taking out the stuffing, I traced them to make patterns. I was hoping to get the size about the same so the clothing would still fit.
I dressed him from time to time as I went along to make sure of the length if legs and arms was OK.

After fixing the boy, I was feeling better about taking the girl apart. Now they are both in good repair and waiting for a little girl to play with.

All the clothing was made without patterns and stored in a basket with a button lid. A lot of it needs to be washed. The girl doll is wearing a dress made from fabric I used to make a dress for my eldest daughter so they would match. The night gown for the girl is smocked and the tan striped nightshirt for the boy has a night cap too. There were a number of knit pieces too. The boy's sweater is still in good shape but the vest has moth holes as do many other pieces. The boy has a dress kilt and a tuxedo too. His grey corduroy suit has slit pockets and huge cuffs. Hmmm, when were those cuffs fashionable? The girl has more dresses as she was made first.

These days you can buy Barbie dolls and find a whole selection of clothing on toy store shelves but when I was growing up, your dolls came with only what they were wearing when purchased. I got my first doll on Christmas when I was three. Her name is Alice. She came with a black wig which I didn't like so I played with her very little.

On my fourth birthday she came to my party with a blond wig and can be seen in my arms in frequent pictures from then on. I do not recognize the dress she is wearing in the picture. Probably it is the one she was wearing when she was purchased. It was from this year I began to sew, begging scraps from my mom so that my doll had clothing for every occasion. An interesting note is that the teddy bear my twin brother is holding was intended for me on my first Christmas. There were two and I got the brown one which I still have, dressed in clothing to hide the bare places where his fuzz was loved off.

In those days there were no patterns that I know of for doll clothing. There was the depression and then a war and luxuries were in short supply. If a kid wanted something, you had to figure out how to make it! In many ways I think that was a good life for children. My own children, too, had lots of fun making things and even as adults have kept the creative spirit alive. It is not unusual that during some visit we spend a little time looking over some project one of them is working on and figuring out how to solve some challenge they might be facing.

You have seen the owls. Here is one corner of the doll shelf where Alice sits today. Beside her to the right is "Little Love", my second doll. Both are wearing homemade clothing as are the others. (there are four more shelves ... just like the owls, they tend to gather)

Well, this is a quilting bolg, not a collections blog, and if you look behind the dolls on the sofa, that bit of blue is a quilt I started to make many many years ago for those two dolls. I found it in my fabric box when I was hunting up that peach muslin for fixing the dolls. That was before the days of UFOs. I guess now that the dolls are fixed I'd better finish it up... or maybe get off this computer and get busy on other waiting projects. Strange it is, the things that side-track us!

Quake + 4 weeks and whooooo's counting?

2011-05-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow it is my turn to be hostess to my quilting circle.
That means a lot of serious cleaning ... the yellow dust that blew in from China this week and mega-tons of fall-out from the dog.
So I begin in one area of the house, the front door "genkan" where guests leave their shoes, the slipper rack, the mirror on the coat closet, the wooden stairs that show every particle of dust, and next to that, the lavatory.

This is what took the biggest hit during the first few quakes. What is amazing is that so few of these owls that flew off the shelves were broken. Luckily they fly better than cats.

Last Saturday I counselled eight Boy Scouts in the "Collections" Merit Badge. That is one of my happiest Scouting jobs. I love to see and hear about what teenage boys collect and when it comes to collecting, I am an EXPERT!

I mentioned eight weeks ago my cat collection, how these things tend to multiply when people start to see them in shops and think you need one more... well, that collection is up on the third floor and so has stopped growing rapidly.

On the other hand, one well-placed owl in the powder room is just asking for trouble.
Every guest comes out of there saying, "I see you collect owls."

So, today the owls must all come down to be dusted. There are pottery owls. There are owls that are containers. There are carved wooden owls, Basketry owls, lacquer owls, seed decorated owls, horn owls, cloisonne owls, time-keeping owls, and piggy bank owls.

These owls are bells and whistles. Two of their number didn't survive a fall into the sink.

A printer friend gave me some type cases made to hold lead print. The little owls thought they made fine roosts.

In fact, these owls
are quite happy roosting anywhere or just hanging out on the door or the walls as decorations, pictures, kites, towel holders, and even the TP holder I made last year.

I used to have a seat cover that I quilted but when we moved here, the shape of the seat lid was too wide. That one I gave to my daughter who happily put it on her toilet lid. I wonder if owls will begin to multiply at her house as well.

Lest you think you have seen all of my owls, remember, this is only one room and there is hardly anywhere in this rabbit hutch that you would be un-watched by at least one owl. From the time I was a little kid camping out in our woods in the summer, I have had a special relationship with owls. They are my guardians, messengers, and spirit helpers.

This quilted owl used to hang in our entryway to greet guests. Now I have a carved wooden owl there and this one hangs on the slanted ceiling under the roof where I sleep.

Now, I'd better get back to dusting and cleaning and make a pie for tomorrow's meeting.

Golden Week 2011

2011-05-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

This week brings a whole string of holidays beginning with the former Emperor's birthday on the 29th of April and ending on the 5th of May, Children's Day. (The former Boy's Day). When my children were young, the third day of the third month was the Doll Festival and celebrated by girls with an elaborate display of court dolls and special foods. The fifth day of the fifth day was "Boys Day". The display for that day is a miniature set of armor or a helmet, swords. bows and arrows, and banners.

From a tall pole carp streamers are flown representing the father and sons. Well, for whatever reason you can imagine, the day was declared to be "Children's Day" as the years passed but the displays have not changed even though some of those carp streamers are now representing daughters.

Using a tenugui carp, I made this table runner many years ago. In those days I had a large table seating 16 people so this runner is now running off both ends of my coffee table. The round applique is a wheel with feathers that turns in the wind at the top of the pole.

The printed panel is for boys day and shows Kintaro riding on a bear. I had two panels that were similar and used one of them on the back of my grandson Ben"s quilt. This one is very bold and I shall never use it but if anyone out there would like to have it, just let me know. The size is 33"x43". cotton made by Kanebo

While I am at it, I found these cat panels that were hiding in that same box and would like a new home as well. There are three of the first panel with pink, red and yellow floral borders

and one of the second panel with a green floral border. The individual cat pictures are about 15in. square with the frame and the whole panel of four is about 34"x 44". They might make a cute bag but I have more bags than storage space. The selvage says "designed in the U.S.A. for Erlanger"

And why do I have these if I am not planning to use them? Don't even ask! But if I can find someone who wants them for free... I may have some more stuff to pass along.

And now, blooming just in time for this season is my Iris. Actually, it is my Sister-in-law's iris. Some years ago she planted the bulb in the garden and it came up as a surprise two years ago, one lone flower in the middle of a gardenia bush. Last year it bloomed again and I was thinking I might move it to a better spot when this year it sent up three flowers. Now I am thinking it seems to like it where it is and I'd better leave well enough alone. These Iris open pale yellow and white but as the days go on the yellow becomes more intense and the centers turn lavender. For those who make seasonal Ikebana arrangements, the iris is used on boys day as the leaves are shaped like swords.

Happy Golden Week to all!