One week down, one to go

I do not do well with deadlines.

I have finished appliqueing the hands,  and today I sewed in the white inner borders and cut out the letters. They are pinned in place and ready to begin appliqueing.

I have yet to mark the cross in the center of the circle for reverse applique.

The colors look a bit dark, the picture having been taken at night, lying on the dark carpet. 

My quilt group met on Friday and that helped me to get a lot done. My friend gave me a spool of a bit heavy black thread and I am thinking of doing some kind of an outline stitch when I quilt.

I was thinking of a pieced sashing along the top and bottom using the hand colors. I think that will depend on how fast I work. I am also thinking of using a white bias binding all around.

Friday night, Saturday, and again this afternoon were filled with Scout stuff. Today's program was a disaster awareness training and the fire department set up fun things like an earthquake simulator, a smoke-filled maze, fire extinguishers with targets to hit and knock over, and CPR and AED training. They let even the little kids do the activities and also dressed them in a fireman't outfit and helmet and let them sit in the fire truck to have their pictures taken. Many of my Cub Scouts went through the activities numerous times. The Troop helped with the event and it was a beautiful day, blue sky with sun shining on the Tokyo Tower in the background.

Tomorrow is early rise for rice delivery and then the push to get this banner done. When I get those outlines done, Perhaps you will be able to pick out the left hands.

Celebrating "Higan"

The "higanbana" or spider lily is the harbinger of autumn.

I think it is a good choice, because regardless of the weather we are having, when the equinox arrives, the flowers will be putting on a show.

This one greeted the full moon a few days ago and many can be seen in forested areas around the country. The leaves will not be seen until long after the flowers are finished, so the flowers stand alone in their glory.

At my last home there were pink and white flowers as well but having very little garden space, I only could dig out a few bulbs to bring and those have popped up in three locations but are all red.

Even when you are expecting them, they seem to pop up overnight, an amazing fete since they stand over a foot tall.

This season brings me to another fall "tradition" ... at least, for me. I use that word with tongue-in-cheek because, to me, a "tradition" is most likely an accident that has been allowed to happen more than once.

At the end of summer vacation, our church switches from our summer schedule, back to two services. When that happens, either the last Sunday in August or the first one in September, we hold a "rally day" when all the various activities and ministries set up tables and the congregation can become familiar with... perhaps even becoming involved in ... those team efforts.

The "rally day" team comes up with a logo and a theme, which then gets passed to the Stewardship team to use in the fall stewardship campaign, an effort to encourage pledges of time, talents and money to the work of the church.

Having served as both "elder"and member of that committee for many years, I have experienced all kinds of leaders, those who build a team, and those who take over and do everything by themselves with very little use of the committee other than preparing booklets and posting mail. After one year of seeing a ragged paper poster hanging in the foyer for a year, and having had my husband take over the job of elder, I volunteered to make a quilted hanging or banner to put in the foyer. That happened again the following year, and then last year as well.  But, what that means, is being stuck with a computer generated graphic that is feel-good pretty and has little to do with commitment other than showing up and being a part of the church as a whole.

So, here we go again. Within two weeks, I am expected to turn the graphics into a suitable banner.
So. the time has come to get going and Saturday I cut out some paper to draft a pattern I can work with. I also went to the local "button-ya" (fabric, yarns, sewing supplies in a tiny shop) to buy fabric dye. I'm not sure how this will all go together, but yesterday I tried my hand at dying the fabric to match the graphics.

You can see the results of those efforts along with the graphics (minus the lettering, which says. " Many hands, One body"

(I miss my neighbor's gate and had to substitute the barrier rope surrounding the construction site)

I suppose I will do a reverse applique to add the cross in the center circle ... there is a limit to what tie-dying can do and I think this is it!

When I began drawing those hands onto the paper for making a pattern, the first thing I noticed was that all those hands were right hands. Not a lefty in the bunch!

Maybe I should have gone back to the committee and told them if they wanted all right-handers, they needed to find someone else to make the banner.
Of course, since they were all men, it isn't likely that would work, so I tweaked the drawing to my own liking, and switched out some of those right hands for left.

 So, here is my plan, and I'd better hop to it.

I will put the lettering at the top and bottom and maybe add some kind of a border using whatever fabrics I select for the hands.

With the constant rotation of members, I wonder how many banners I will have to make before we can begin rotating themes.....

Once we rotate ... it just might become a "tradition"!

Monday musings

This summer, at our family reunion, I was greeted by a bed with a quilt. Yes, it seems all the beds had real quilts on them.

The piecing seemed to be very accurate but the quilting... that was another story, this quilt was made in China and the stitches were not quite toe-grabbers, but only two, or at the most, three stitches to the inch.


This morning as I read the most recent post on Marjorie's blog, I thought about the value placed on hand quilting. Indeed, this comes to mind when the women of Tohoku wish to make something they might sell.

I can't help wondering how the quilters were paid for this work ... by hour? or by finished piece?... Is that why the stitches are so large, just to finish up as quickly as possible?

I was once asked to quilt a single-sized child's quilt for a friend. I did keep a record of time spent and quickly figured that no one could afford to pay a quilter by the hour (and I am rather faster at quilting than some). Instead I asked for an OTT light, and let the friend decide the size. It was a good deal because I am still enjoying that floor lamp and would not have been able to have it sent overseas, as she did. I wonder how my blogging quilters would figure out a fair price for something they have made. Do machine quilters charge by time spent?

Today is a National Holiday, Respect for the Aged day.
The other afternoon, a lady from the neighborhood association came to our door bearing a gift of special rice for my husband and me.

Note the festive wrapping.

These packages were made at a local store just for this "festive" occasion.

And here is what was in that wooden box. (actually, there were two boxes, one for each of us ... but neither of us could eat that much in one sitting)

The rice contains red beans and toasted sesame seeds. This is something one eats on auspicious occasions.

I am not all that sure that getting old is something to celebrate unless one considers the alternative.

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, my husband turned the food item into a meal.

The little blue-lidded bottle contains more of the sesame seed and salt.

We celebrated last night because today my husband is off to a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Asian Rural Institute. I left him at Shibuya station at the finish of our rice delivery run. No, those homeless didn't get the fancy rice, though there are probably a few who are older than we.

One more musing to share, is something that greeted me as I walked to Friday's Scout meeting.

Here is a view of the Tokyo Tower.
The sidewalk was obstructed with young people with cameras and cell phones, taking pictures.

There seems to be great excitement over selection of Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics. I remember well, the last Olympics held here in Tokyo. My husband was on the Olympic Organizing Committee. It was a time of great excitement. Now, however, not everyone is thrilled.

The newspapers are full of the designs and plans for facilities, new stadiums, an orgy of infrastructure investment, around 400 billion yen to be spent on Olympics related facilities, including the athlete's village and media centers. A new Olympic stadium will be built in an area where some 200 households, where a third of the residents are 70 years old or older, will have to move somewhere else. Meanwhile, two and a half years after the quake and tsunami, about 290,000 people are still living in temporary housing and no move has been made on re-building.

Since the majority of those people are elderly, I can't help wondering if the government is just waiting for them to die off and solve the problem. Meanwhile taxes and postage are scheduled to go up. Will the Olympic boom bring employment to the elderly and homeless? I seriously doubt it.

I guess it is time to get back to quilting.

Playing with an idea

I may have mentioned that the women up in Tohoku have asked me to return for another quilting class. It has also been suggested that I come up with something that they could make and offer for sale. I have a few reservations about trying to raise money through quilting, especially if it is done by hand.

A few years back, I noticed lovely hand-quilted bed covers on consignment is an American quilt shop and the asking price would not have covered the price of materials, let alone time spent in the process.

When visiting quilt/fabric shops, though I refrain from buying more fabric, I often check out kits and patterns offered for sale. This summer I did take notes and am trying to come up with ideas that might be easy enough for a beginner quilter with small work space and might make a nice gift or item to sell.

Aside from glasses cases and tissue holders/box covers, mug rugs or place mats, I decided to test a new version of an item that is handy to Japanese residents.

If you have never been to Japan, this item might look a bit strange to you, but the holders for toilet paper all have covers. Don't ask me why. We use up these rolls too fast for them to gather much dust. Depending on the maker, the lid flap might be metal or plastic. Since the purpose is to hold a single roll, the size is standard no matter who makes it.

Japanese lavatories being small and lacking in storage space ... often having a small sink at in the tank itself, a spare roll of paper may have to reside on the floor or in another room, resulting in becoming stranded on the throne from time to time.

Since my own throne room has a collection of owls ... perhaps watching out for wasteful use of products ... a number of years ago, I made a paper holder that I have posted before.

This little holder is made up of two and a half inch by five inch blocks, sewed into a strip about 33 inches long. It has a pocket at one end to fit over the flap and ties to join the loop underneath.

I drafted a pattern for the segments and made a test piece using some color-coordinated scraps.

Well, the diagram is a bit hard to see but the pattern pieces are just two triangles.

Each block takes three small triangles  of fabric A and one of fabric B, plus two large triangles of B.

By cutting four small triangles and two large triangles of each fabric, you could put together an interesting strip from assorted scraps.




I used just plain muslin for backing and the thinnest batting would work well enough. I just quilted in the ditch, added thin binding that included a pocket at one end, and, instead of ties, added loops and buttons to the inside.

I suppose the fastener could even be a strip of velcro ...
though I am not a big fan of that product.

This pattern is just made of the blocks but the top lid cover could have flowers or butterflies either pieced or in applique. I think "designer paper holders" might be something people might go for, either as a gift or to buy. I'll bet cute animal faces on the lid area might go over well for a children's bathroom.

So, here is the first design.

What do you think?
It could be made even easier with other block designs. Five inches is a standard measure to work with.

I think I will try a few more patterns.

I am also toying with some kind of item to wear around the neck like a scarf, but with a pocket for glasses or scissors, a pin cushion, measuring tape, or sewing kit ... and maybe a pocket at the neck for a little hot pad on winter or a cool pacl in summer.

Have you ever seen such a thing? Even if it might not sell, it would be a useful thing for hand crafters.

I am always open to ideas and I am happy the women have found pleasure in something I also enjoy.

Playing book club catch-up

I was getting behind with blocks for the Quilter's Book Club, though I had read the book and decided on the block pattern. Wedding Ring, by Emilie Richards is about a quilt made by a  grandmother, quilted by her daughter and being repaired by her granddaughter while they all sort out problems and relationships in their lives. A fourth woman in the story is being taught to quilt and her presence and problems seem to help the other three to face their own.

My plan was to try a wedding ring block, choosing different fabrics for each woman, scrap, vintage, coordinated tone-on-tone floral, and modern. I joined the rings with the "pickle" fabric I am trying to add to each block.
I used a darker tan in the center ... to go with other blocks ... not sure if it was a good idea not.

This is my first time to draft and attempt that pattern. The hardest part was getting those little segments in the right order. (reversing the four little templates or not, on the chosen fabric).

Sewing curves is getting easier but ironing all those seams is not my idea of a picnic.

With a trip coming up, I thought I might get one more block going for this month's book, Between Heaven and Texas, by Marie Bostwick. I looked through several books of block ideas, thinking of twins, or Texas, but most of what I found was either too simple or too complicated. Finally, I found a block that I liked called "Mary's block" and thought that would work with what I have so far.
After I had all the pieces marked and cut, I thought I'd just try sewing a little bit to see how it looked. Well, it must be some kind of addiction because I kept right on going and put the whole thing together.

Again I used the two paisleys plus a red-on-red and some sunflower print to represent Texas.

The tan background has baskets of farm produce.

I have to give a big thanks to my daughter, Julie Alice, who took time out of the busy family activities to teach me how to crop a picture.
(luckily, I took notes or I may not have succeeded).

So, here I am, all caught up with both reading and blocks with a few days left. Good thing too, because now I need to cut something else to work on during the trip!

Owl meets boy ...

and other reunion pictures.

Finally, the owl quilt met it's new owner.

I didn't hear any complaints.

A sign pen and the zodiac list went along so other relatives can sign the back too.

As you can see, this "baby" quilt leaves a lot of room to grow.

Minnesota provided a week of beautiful weather and visits with more relatives than I can remember.

I had a good visit with my younger brother and sisters. Both my sisters are quilters and while one worked on a baby quilt for her newest grandchild, the other helped add quilting to the owl's border.

Four out of six kids made it to Minnesota.

It was fun having this gang together. We missed Ken's gang as he was on fire duty and Norie's remaining in Tokyo.

Maybe in three more years we can make it all together.

In Oregon we hiked and enjoyed nature,



Ben and Ken with Ryden

Naomi in the oak forest.

Irene, Kimie and Ryden....

And all the rest.



Two weeks just flew by.

I got my "book fix" at Powell"s Books.
I finished my book club book and am thinking of a quilt block to make for that one. Meanwhile I finished a second book, "Tallgrass" by Sandra Dallas, recommended by another blogging friend.

The worst of the heat was over when I returned to Tokyo. Construction has begun on the lot across the street. Yesterday was bulldozer work all day and today there is loud vibrations as a machine compacts the dirt and added gravel.

My little flowers seem happy to be getting full sun ... even if they will soon be shaded by a house. They don't appear to be bothered by all the noise.

Tomorrow I will attend a craft show with friends.
Then our choir will leave for Tohoku, where we will sing in a service to dedicate one of our sister churches that we have helped restore. Never a dull moment!

The Owl is ready and waiting

This afternoon, my eldest daughter and I visited a tennis court to hang the owl quilt for a picture.

While in Minnesota, I searched out some interesting leaves to trace and quilt into the empty spaces in the background.  One of my sisters came around to visit several times and put some quilting into the border while we talked.
I think the finished size is about 68"x 84". I hope the little guy will be able to use it a long time, as it isn't too babyish.

While at the family reunion, I had our relatives sign the back side on their zodiac animal. I didn't get signatures from all hundred or so but most of the closest relatives did sign.

I wonder how many Ryden will meet some day.

Maybe next post, there will be a picture of the little guy on this quilt. You never know.....

Check out my daughter's blog for a few close-up pictures here.

Taking a quilting and blogging break

Tonight I leave for a week of Scouting.

The owl quilt will not be going. I may or may not have free time to work on it, but I don't think is is worth the risk. The information we have been given is that there is no electricity in the campsites.
Certainly quilting is not an activity to be done by flashlight in the evenings.

The area has had torrential rains for the past two weeks. It is a land-fill along the coast of South-western Honshu, and we have been told to bring boots and rain gear and expect mud.

The other item staying home will be my laptop. Certainly I will not do any blogging. I have been to other Jamborees where they had a computer center set up and the waiting lines for using the connections were around the block. I can read my e-mail on my "smart phone" (if I can find a place where it can be charged) I have packed a multiple outlet and my charger if I can find an outlet somewhere. (8 years ago, there were outlets in the bathroom for hair dryers and those were all taken up by cell phones).

August 4th, Paul and I celebrate our 50th year of marriage. 16 of those years, I have been away at a Jamboree for the occasion and many other ones, he has been away. I can only remember celebrating out 25th and that was because the kids made it special. It is possible we have spent fewer of those occasions together than apart. Today I heard him complain that I would be away and was a bit surprised he even remembered.  Now I am feeling a bit sad and guilty.

One thing I will not miss is the crashing and shaking still going on. We had a break yesterday because of rain and thunder storms. (well, I did. Nikko has not been happy with either choice).

On a positive note, one old guy living in the apartment  to the North of the activity, thinks that there will be a house built instead of apartments or multiple houses because he saw  a lady taking measurements to figure out where to park a car.

That sounds hopeful. The street is too small for cars to pass or turn around. When I need to put gear into my car, I have to either back in or back out. A garage or parking space at the corner of the property might make it possible to pull in and back into a turn to go out.

Tonight's trip will be by bus to the airport, where I hope to find a chair where I can sit until the group shows up in the early morning. The people who make up flight schedules don't seem to pay much attention to train and bus schedules. maybe they think those who can afford to fly, can also afford a hotel at the airport.

I'll miss all those posts coming my way ... BUT ... I will have plenty to keep myself entertained when I return.  ... and ... I will be looking forward with much anticipation.

Coming up with a plan

The owl quilt is making slow progress.

First, I decided to add the binding so that when I get as much done ... even while travelling ... as I can, it will be suitable to pass to my grandson.

I thought long and hard about quilting in the 6-inch border. I doubt a cable would not show up in the bamboo and would be difficult to mark. Instead, I decided that I will quilt the fabric design along some of the bamboo and leaves.

Along some of the edges, I quilted bamboo leaves into the sky area.

I will probably add more to some of the areas that need filling.

some of the open areas got quilted leaves

It is a bit hard to see but there are leaves over the tree branch too. I used colored thread for quilted leaves and white for the bamboo leaves.

Here is a view of the tenugui on the back.


I have decided while I am at the family reunion, I will have all the relatives sign their names on their animal.

Leia was the first to add her name yesterday.

She had her choice of lots of mice.

Her Papa added a note to his signature.

I think this will be a lot of fun and I hope I will have enough time to put in enough quilting.

As I quilted today, the house was shaking as the wreckers worked on the neighbor's house. I remember when the path between us was un-paved and one could feel the drunk husbands staggering past in the late evening, by the shaking of the ground. With a strip of asphalt o top it has been some time since the house shook other than real earthquakes.

8:am to 5:pm ... loud crashing and shaking. I rather imagine it is going to take several more days before the job is done.

The view around noon from our gate.

The truck getting loaded up.

Measuring takes place every day.

I wonder what they are planning .......
Time will tell.

The neighbor to the north came out and cleaned out his little hole. See it right below our potted Bay leaf tree?

With all the dirt being tossed around, it was filled again by evening.
I am hoping that this neighbor will be the key to keeping construction within the zoning laws ... however, you can see the apartment building to his north-west side. Fifty years ago, that was a field with a huge weeping willow in the middle. My now gone neighbor used to go in every winter and cut off all the hanging branches. I was surprised because those long willow branches were so graceful and swayed with the slightest breeze, making you feel cool on the hottest of days. When I asked her why she cut them all off, she claimed they looked like ghosts. Maybe she was glad to see the apartment take its place. At least the apartment owner allows me to park my bike there behind the light pole. One step forward and I hope there won't be too many steps back.

A sad and troubling time ahead

The current events have nothing to do with quilting but everything to do with life on our block.

Tuesday, in the poring rain, a man came to the door while I was babysitting my granddaughter.
He brought a notice that tomorrow he would begin to tear down the house across the "street".

My neighbor and I both gave birth to daughters on the same day over 45 years ago and have been friends since then. In February she was hospitalized and since being released, has gone to live with her daughter. During that time I have been taking care of her beautiful garden.

Many pictures of my quilted runners and banners have been taken hanging from her gate, now ripped off the posts and leaning against the front window.

I asked the man about the garden and he said everything goes ... the whole lot will be cleared.

I went out in the rain annd brought the potted plants I had been tending over to my garden.
(Though I hardly have room for anything more).

When my daughter returned from her work, we both went out again in the rain and removed some choice plants for her to take back to her yard.

Early yesterday morning, there was the beeping of a truck backing down the side ally and then the sound of a chain saw. Down came the beautiful tree full of kumquats, the gardenia bushes, and the trees and hedges.

Then men began tossing furniture and belongings into the dump truck that had backed in.  Later in the day, my daughter and her husband went into the house and rescued some more treasures from the trash dump. I couldn't bring myself to enter but I saw kimono boxes and bedding and all kinds of things that could have been given to the Salvation Army store or Goodwill. My daughter saw old family pictures being junked. They saved some shoji that could be used. some antique tables and vases and a hibachi as well as kitchen items our son-on-loan can use in his new apartment.  Today the men were back tossing belongings into the dump truck from the windows. Now I hear the sound of crashing walls and am rather glad I will be away at the Jamboree when the garden goes.

What I fear, is another construction like the most recent one on the corner of our street. One house of similar size was taken down and three houses were built on that lot. Those houses are all three stories tall and would block the last of the light to our home were they built on the west , two or three meters away from out gate.

Here is a sample. House #1 is on the corner. House #2 is to the right,

Note the space between the two houses. It might be 30 inches at the widest . The red fence id ine foot wide.

Here is house #3. That space between is also about a foot at the widest. there are windows along those walls but all are with shutters closed. Not much of a view, I would say.

These houses face a street wide enough for a car so include a parking area under a second floor over-hang.

I don't know what might happen on our tiny street. I don't know what would be worse, three or four houses like this, or a huge four-story apartment building like we already have across the street to the east.

Here is Leia with a treasure she picked up before it headed to the land-fill.

Well, it is a bit big for a five-year-old... even one fast-growing girl with one wiggly tooth. With her Papa's help, she got in some road time.

We will have a few treasures to remember our dear friend but right now, I am feeling more than a little bit sad.

Quilt stuff tomorrow.

In the hoop!

My rule #1, If it works, it is the right way.

Since my schedule is tight, I really need to keep this going if I am going to take it to Oregon finished.

In the old days, there was a problem with batting shifting and the need for rather close stitching.

I think the "Thinsulate" batting I have used is really intended for use in clothing and I have never seen evidence of it shifting or pilling no matter how often it is washed.

The owl is a combination of two inch squares and half squares so I used a variety of in-the-ditch quilting. No matter how carefully I ironed and placed the batting, there were still some seams that flipped over. As much as possible, I use a sweep of the needle to right the direction but there are a few that just had to be quilted as they were.

After quilting the owl, I quilted the kanji for Ryden's name, and starting there, have quilted all the appliqued leaves up the right side and am moving down the left.

There will remain several large areas at least six inches across that will need some quilting. My plan is to quilt in leaves. Most likely I will use large compound leaves over the tree branch and behind some of the other leaves.

So far I have used white thread and am toying with the idea of quilting those leaves in fall colors. I still have time to decide and I know white will show up just as well.

Mr owl is relaxing on the sofa, waiting for me to get back to work.

It is a very hot humid day ... not ideal quilting weather ... and more of the same is in the offing. Seven more leaves to quilt and then I will move on to the next problem.

I still am thinking about how I am going to quilt the borders.

In my flower bed, the last of the lilies has begun to bloom.

The garden shop has a "point card" that gets stamped when you purchase something. That is common at many stores in Japan.
(the fabric store gives a discount to card holders, the pet store gives extra points on two days a month ... "1 1 or Wan wan day" (that is what dogs say when they bark) and "2 2 day Nya nya day" (cat language) and those points can be used to purchase something when they reach a certain amount.

The garden shop points have to be used within a certain time limit or they are lost. One October I was buying potting soil or some such thing and my card was filled up. Having lost the credit on an earlier card, I looked around as I was leaving and happened to see a rack with packs of lily bulbs.
I decided then and there to buy five bulbs while I had the chance as a birthday present to myself.

Those bulbs have been giving me pleasure ever since. They have an order of appearance and this purple one is always the last to bloom. It only has a few blooms but it makes up for that in sheer beauty. They don't mind the heat. They thrive on neglect. Who could ask for a better present ... even if I had to buy them for myself1