I Spy quilt ... I Spy Spring

This morning as I ran out the door, I grabbed my old quilt from the sofa and chucked it in my pack. The whole quilt can be seen with my 2002 quilts but I have no digital photos as yet. I guess it might be a good idea to take a few as the fabric is beginning to fade in spots.

To control the scrap department, I take left-over scraps and cut them into squares depending on how much is left, four and a half, three and a half, two and a half, and one and a half inch. Anything smaller than that I throw away. These squares go into a tin sorted by size and get used in projects that come along. If the scrap has some cute picture I often fussy-cut it. The piles in the tin are in baggies by color and wait there patiently for a need to arise. The sofa quilt protects (or hides) the very worn places on our old sofa and was assembled without much thought when the tin got too full.

This morning I was off to school and thought the kids might have fun learning a new game. I was right. We spread the quilt on the floor and the kids sat around the edge. When I said, "I Spy a cat.", all the kids began looking for a square with a cat. When they found one, they put their finger on the square and called "I spy a cat". The first to call got to call the next picture. The children really had fun hunting objects and playing a new game with new rules. The teacher asked me to leave the quilt at school for the rest of the week. She is also a quilter and helped with the auction quilt during rest time when she could get away.

Although we are one week into April, the weather is still cold. Today was the first hint of spring weather but you can see the cherry trees are still in a tentative mood. The two trees on the roof-top playground were holding off and even those on the south side of the road were waiting a bit longer to show their true glory. Along the street the pansies and primroses smiled up at passers-by and the ornamental kale stretched upward after a winter of huddling in its cabbage-like ball.

Next week the petting zoo will come for the children to enjoy so today out came all the animal books and puzzles. As I watched them being assembled on the floor I couldn't help thinking this one might make a cute quilt. Too bad I really don't need another project at the moment.

Quake+3weeks

Three weeks ago my bag was packed with things needed for the running of Pack 51's Pinewood Derby that evening. Even before I had a chance to clean up the resulting mess from the quake, news came that trains had been stopped and the event had been cancelled. The following day's Scouting event at St. Mary's School, including Pack 15's Derby, was also soon cancelled but we were told not to worry as we could run our Derby's during the District event on April 2nd. Well, the Japan District staff has fled to Okinawa and all the District events are cancelled or left up in the air. My car has yet to run. So, too, are the cars made by the Cubs in my unit. Our Pack held a rough-cut day in which those with tools brought them to help the boys make basic cuts on their cars. Our Pack does this to help and encourage the boys to make their own cars. We also include an open competition for parents and siblings (and leaders). I tell the dads to make their own cars and race against me... and IF they beat me I'm sure to hear about it for years. Well, the last time I saw my Cubs they were holding some great cars and I was so looking forward to seeing the finished results. My own little car is in derby limbo wondering how fast it might be.

With much more free time I have been working steadily on the wedding quilt ... well now anniversary quilt?... for my friend. Plodding slowly around the border, there is not really much to show. I decided instead to share another piece of my quilting heritage. This quilt pictured here was made by my mother. She also made quilts for each of her grandchildren for their second birthday but this quilt was made specially for me. When my mother told me she wanted to make me a quilt I was allowed to pick the design and the fabric. The design I chose was "Storm at Sea", even as a kid it was one of my favorites. The color??? , blues and greens have always been my favorites so why the heck did I go for pink! I remember as if it were yesterday going to the store and picking out those pink fabrics somehow thinking something like that would make me feel more feminine than the skinny homely kid I saw in the mirror, dressed in hand-me-downs from my bigger and less skinny cousins. The quilt was a very long time in the making, begun in the 50s and probably was quilted by some church group in the early 60s. The blocks are 8 inches and the size is 80 x 87 inches. I might add that it is much used and loved.

With four daughters it is not likely the quilt story will end here and both my sisters are quilters. At age four I began to sew for my dolls so it is never too early to catch the bug. Could the last picture be part of the next generation of quilters? Leia gives it a try just before her third birthday. With this kind of help I might have a picture to post in another week.

Quake + 14 days

After writing the title I began to wonder how long we in Japan will be counting from March 11. Monday morning at 3:30 AM when I drove into town to deliver rice to Shibuya's homeless, I noticed that, except for intersections, all the street lights on Kannana, a main drag, had been turned off. All gas stations were closed and all the 24 hour restaurants were closed. Also many of those "24hr stores" were closed or operating with limited lighting. Walking around the station I found the lighting limited or off all together. Those homeless who meet me had no trouble finding me as they know me by my big white dog. After 17 years I could probably deliver with my eyes shut. Interestingly, the streets were crowded with young people celebrating their graduation ... out all night as is common in Shibuya.

Thursday night was my first venture by train into town since the quake. It is our regular choir practice night and since I am part of a small group doing some special music on Sunday I felt I needed to be there to practice. It would be hard to explain to someone who does not sing, the pure joy of joining one's voice to others in such beautiful music as Shubert's Mass in G or the Miserere from Gregorio Allegri written to the glory of God. I am probably the most grateful of all realizing that many choirs do not accept a woman tenor and for me alto would not be an option.

Travel by train is not as convenient as we are accustomed to. Arriving at the station, the escalators are turned off and lighting is cut to the bare minimum. The train schedules are running on a curtailed schedule but crowding was about as normal, probably because people are not staying out as late due to closed restaurants or long walks. Omotesando, one of the biggest shopping streets and the location of our church was dark with many shops shut early and every other street light turned off. Even the church entry was dark. Yes, there are the hoarders like the man loading six six-packs of 2l. bottles of water into the trunk of his car but for the most part the public is cooperating to save what power they can. When I was a kid, my dad went through the house turning off lights as he went. I have to chuckle as I find myself now doing the same thing.

For this week I took the challenge from Amy's Creative Side One Week One Thing Challenge :: Link Up 7, to assemble the blocks on the batik quilt before all the pins fall out. With more down time I have got it together already but when I spread it out on the park fence I find I am not so happy with the arrangement. I want to add a border as the total size could be a bit larger than the present 80 inches square. That might mean buying fabric as most of my stash is pieces smaller than one meter.

Meanwhile, the magnolias are blooming and some of the camellias look unreal with such a blanket of flowers. It may be cold today but spring is around the corner and music is playing in my brain.

One week after the quake

It has been one week since the earthquake changed the lives of everyone in Japan.
Today was to be my quilt group meeting but at the last minute it was cancelled. It seems so many things have been cancelled or postponed this past week that without my regular schedule it is hard to even tell what day it is. What had been looking like a very tight schedule suddenly loosened up and gave a bit of breathing room.


Today was the day we decided to arrange the quilt blocks for Kimie's quilt. Our neighbor rice store owner graciously offered the use of her large tatami room to lay out the blocks. She even took out a set of toy blocks for my granddaughter to play with while we worked.

The original plan was one large block and four small blocks in a checkerboard fashion. I made extra small blocks from my stash so the quilt could be made bigger for a full size bed and I may frame the blocks with an outer border.

Before we could finish the plan we had to run off leaving the quilt blocks spread out on the floor as we were meeting my husband's sister for lunch. By the time we returned, it was nap time for the little one. She was tucked in bed but someone needed to stay home. The only way to finish was to take a picture of what we had begun, pick it all up and bring it home and play with it some more on the living room floor.

By the time we had it the way we liked it and began to pin it together the baby was awake and on the run. As I was putting in the last few pins another daughter arrived with her daughter. The two little ones needed that space for play. Poor Nikko was told "Off!" and dutifully obeyed but after all, that small space between the sofa and Papa's chair is her favorite spot and with children running around in the rest of the space she reclaimed it for a nap, reminding me that there are any number of blogs out there with cats lying around on quilts in progress.

Only a day and a half remain of Kimie's visit. It will be so sad to take her back to the airport and although she arrived on a fairly empty plane, I fear going back to the states will be a challenge
with the hoards of people leaving. One more day I can cluck with two chicks and two chicklets under my wings.

I do see some quilting time on the horizon. The Pack meeting was cancelled. The pinewood derby was cancelled. the spring camporee was cancelled. OA was cancelled. The district Committee meeting has been cancelled. Internet connections have been spotty at best. Choir practice was cancelled. Even our pack trip to the disaster center has been cancelled. I feel sorry for the kids if all they have left to do is sit at home and watch the gloomy news on the TV. Then again we had a bright sunny day. The Sweet Daphne is perfuming the air. The Magnolias are beginning to open. It is cold but the wind is blowing steadily in the "right" direction and I am blessed with wonderful neighbors, family, and friends.


All around me are stories of the kindness of strangers rising to meet the challenges of the day, setting aside their own trials to help another in need. I'm glad these deeds are being told to balance the drama being run over and over on the TV.

Even Nikko is counting her blessings. She has gotten her piece of the floor back.

Welcome

In Japan it is not unusual wherever you go to be met by a welcome or beckoning cat. This first cat raises his left paw beckoning in good fortune and long life. He is actually a large piggy bank and fortune comes to him in small change from pockets or from the bottom of the washing machine.

The printed panel is hoping to be made into a table runner.
The upper cat raises his right paw to beckon good fortune and the lower cat, holding a coin is beckoning in wealth. It is not unusual to see the cat with the coin in stores greeting customers.

Cats are not unlike fabric, tending to multiply in corners.

At the top of my step tansu sits a small part of a collection of cats. Oh yes, there are more. For you see, someone coming by and seeing them thinks, "Oh she collects cats". Then, before you know it, suddenly every visitor brings a cat. Well, I do collect owls but that is another story. I think the cats collect themselves.

The one cat I DID collect is not beckoning money or good fortune. He sat many years in my entryway greeting friends and returning family.
I loved his sweet gentle expression and was glad to see him on every return. The last three years he has sat on the shelf beside my sleeping mat wishing me a good rest or a good morning. I'm sure he did not welcome the earthquake when it came and tossed him down the stairs and I do not welcome the thought of tossing these broken pieces into the trash. How sad to get so attached to objects when the world is filled with people who have nothing. Still.....

And here is another welcoming object. The nanohana or rape flowers are one of the harbingers of spring. Their sunny smiles called out to me as I passed them on the way to Church this morning. They, too, will fade but we can enjoy them and look forward to the spring which they so boldly beckon.

earthquake update

For my blogging friends, I thank you for your expressions of concern. Certainly that is the biggest quake I have ever experienced in my 48 years here. Standing in the open doorway with the crashing sounds of flying objects and rattle of walls and windows, it seemed like a never-ending amusement park ride. (and I don't like that kind of ride)

Trains stopped and many people were stuck. Fifty people sought refuge overnight at the church.
Most of the injuries this distance from the epi-center were caused by falling objects. With many activities cancelled today, there will be plenty of time to clean up. For a city the size of Tokyo we got off fairly easy this time and the TV footage makes us aware of how blessed we are.

History and pictures of ASIJ auction quilts

For anyone interested in seeing pictures and reading a full history of the ASIJ Gala Auction quilts, one of my friends and co-conspirators has written an informative post with much better pictures and descriptions than I could ever accomplish. http://tokyojinja.com/2011/03/06/coming-full-circle-a-history-of-the-asij-gala-quilt/#comment-480
Check it out if you want to know more.

Doll festival

March 3rd is Hina Matsuri or, the doll festival. A double three, five, or seven is an auspicious number. When my children were young we set up a very elaborate display of court dolls. On a five tiered step covered in red fabric were the Prince and Princess dolls at the top, sitting in front of a gold screen with lanterns on either side. Below them sat three Ladies -in-Waiting and below them five Court Musicians. The fourth step down had the Minister of the right and the Minister of the left to each side with tables of "food" set between. The bottom step had two little trees on each side, a citrus and a cherry and all kinds of miniature furniture, palanquins, and the like. Fancier sets may have as many as seven or even nine steps with lots to display.

These were set up a few weeks before the date and taken down soon after the festival. On that day special food is served. When my door bell rang unexpectedly I found my neighbor with a dish of the special sushi she has made and brought to us to enjoy for many years, the first being 1965 when my first daughter was a toddler.

These days I do not have room to set out an entire set of Hina dolls. A few Prince and Princess dolls live in a glass case and a quilted runner on my coffee table will have to do. (You might notice that many dolls are paired to represent these two. On the table are even a prince and princess snake and two old bobble headed people.)

Tonight we will have a special treat with my third daughter and my Granddaughter Leia.

Auction quilt - finished and on display

Wednesday we celebrated the finish and hanging of the 2011 quilt. It will be on display in the stairway of the Early Learning Center until next weeks "Gala".

So, what is the quilt worth? Certainly, in the past, the auction quilts have brought in quite a bit of yen to the American School. When that check is written, however, it is written as a donation to the school and that parent would probably be making a big donation anyway with or without the incentive of a quilt.

Each of the quilts we have made is a one-of-a-kind quilt. Each quilt has had a large cast of characters (I say that with a smile) involved in the planning and making. Sometimes we spend money on fabrics and sometimes we dig into our various stashes. It is usually a combination of both.

It would be difficult to count the hours spent as many blocks went home with someone between sessions and not all the work was done in the group. I would be willing to wager that should all the hours be added up, the planning, the shopping, the marking and cutting, the piecing, and the quilting and finishing, and the price figured at the minimum wage x the total of each person's time, no one could afford this quilt.

Then we get into another aspect of values added. Those most certainly include the dedication of the women themselves, organizing, coming to help, offering a place to meet, giving advice or encouragement, and the warm friendships made here.

I once looked at some quilts on consignment at a quilt shop in the states. I was shocked by how low the asking prices were. I could not even buy the fabric in Japan for what was being asked.

Even if they had been pieced by machine, many were quilted by hand and must have taken months to complete. I think of those quilts often when my husband suggests I sell some of my quilts to pay bills. I think of my grandmother's quilt and my mother's quilt. I would rather give them away to someone who would love and cherish them and skip the meals they might buy.

So ... what is the value of this quilt? I'm certain at the end of the auction it will go home with a new owner. Even with a struggling economy it will be enough to cover the fabric and supplies. It will remain a good reminder of someones time lived in Japan and spent at the American School. What else? We never know.

Nature inspires

Well, the kimono quilt has been delayed by a day so today we will have a bit of a nature lesson. This little bird is a Mejiro, or known in English as a Japanese white-eye. A common garden bird throughout Japan, they are easily attracted in winter with a piece of fruit, apples or tangerine skewered on some nails poking up through a board on my garden wall. The applique was my first attempt, not too accurate, but after a number of appearances in quilts has gotten better. The carved Mejiro came out of a scrap of wood at the summer jamboree with no photo reference. I have made several low relief carvings of Mejiro as gifts but have no pictures.

The Brown-eared bulbul or Hiodori is another resident that loves a taste of fruit on the feeder.

At my former house I put out a glass of juice and these birds drank it to the very bottom every day, perching on the rim and reaching for the last drop.

This group of pictures are carved in low relief and painted with acrylics. Other birds are three Sparrows and an Oriental greenfinch. Only the Bulbul has yet to make it into a quilt.

The quilting is done .or. many hands make light work!

Today the last stitches were put into the Auction quilt. Next week we will finish the binding and sleeve and hang it at the Early Learning Center so it can be enjoyed by all for a week before the "Gala" on March 12th.

Although many put their hands to the task of piecing and quilting, these smiling faces were on hand for the final stitches. They are also the reason I enjoy, so much, putting time and energy to this project each year. Each of the group has children in the school and is involved in many aspects of life in not only the school but the foreign community as a whole. This is the generation that will be running the world when I am too old and decrepit to make any difference at all. Rest assured, the world will be in good hands and I am very blessed to have known each and every one.

Soooo, stay tuned 'till next week for the last shot and guess what the final finish will be.

A trip back in time

When I began my quilt diary, the pages of a plain paper book were filled one by one with photographs of completed quilts. That was before the days of digital cameras and for most of my quilts those are the only pictures I have. Some of them left home without a picture and I have no record at all.

When the theme for this week's Quilting Gallery contest was given as two-color quilts I thought it a good opportunity to drag this relic to the park and get a picture. Other than the challenge of submitting a picture I have few expectations. Having looked at previous "winners" I suspect the contest has more to do with the number of friends one can rally to vote than either skill or creativity of the quilter.

If you are wondering about this quilt, it is made of Japanese yukata fabrics. (Except for center and sashings) I drafted the 12" blocks for a quilt-as-you-g0 class. The blocks are made and quilted one-by-one and joined at the sashing. Then the sashing is quilted. This is a good take-along project and ideal for someone without much space as it never has to be laid out for basting in this size. (227cm. square). For the backing it works best to use a non-directional busy print that will hide the seams. This quilt has had a lot of wear and held up quite well.

If you click on the Quilting Gallery logo, you can visit the site and see a lot of very nice two-color quilts. Some are really worth checking out.

A run on runners

Too many years ago to remember when, I was teaching a quilt-as you-go class at my church Women's Society and also at the Tokyo American Club. It was a series of nine or ten weekly classes and included selecting and purchasing fabrics and supplies, marking and cutting, piecing and applique, preparing for quilting, quilting blocks, joining blocks, borders, and binding.

The students were, for the most part, wives of ex-pats living in Japan for a few years and looking to make a quilt using Japanese fabrics and patterns. I had drafted patterns for making 12in. blocks that could be made into any size from lap quilts to bed covers. I encouraged those women to pick a realistic size so they could go through the steps and complete their project. I have many photos of finished quilts and their proud makers.

During this time I usually made a demonstration quilt. Most were single bed size. A few were double bed size and still being used on the "guestroom bed". Some were donated to the church for raffle and some are still hanging out in the closet.
The Ohio star runner was a small demonstration piece. My coffee table at that time was an irregular slice of redwood stump and did not lend itself to runners of any kind. Moving back to our smaller home, the stump was replaced with a real coffee table originally purchased for my Mother-in-law. Out of the box came the runner, a bit small for this table but happy to see the light of day.

Last year's Jan/Feb issue of McCalls Quilting Magazine had a pattern for the heart banner. Thinking that would make a nice table runner I dragged out my stash and changed the pattern around to be made by hand and use a pieced background. (didn't have enough of the fabric I liked) When I saw the Quilting Gallery's Weekly Theme was asking for Valentine quilts I decided to give this runner a bit of exposure. I have only won one contest in my entire life (not a quilt contest either) and don't expect this effort to get more than one vote but it is fun to see what others are making and check out the links to their blogs.

Looking around at all the neat runners you guys out there in blogland are making, I was forced (or shamed) to make a runner for Fall and also the Holidays. Now I have a bit of change on my coffee table and we have come full circle. I have discovered in this tiny house, the coffee table is a good place to put quilt projects. I like small take-along work and have lots of ideas running around kicking in my brain.

This final runner is one I made for Tanya who so kindly made one for me with the Chinese characters for Fukuda and the verse from Psalm 128.2 "..Your fields will produce, and you will be happy..." (I wanted to add a link but it is not working so check my blog list) Anyway, when I was putting my box of batiks away, I came across a long-lost tin of food prints and it seemed to me that, if not my fields, at least my closet had produced and Tanya should get a cut. Thus, a bit of food for her table and some cats to guard it. Not that she doesn't have plenty of real life cats. As an interesting aside, when my son set up my diary into a blog, he went somewhere on the Internet and put some links on the side to do with quilting. Tanya's was one of those so she has been on my blog as long as I have ... perhaps longer since I didn't get involved at all until I returned to Tokyo at the end of the summer.

I wonder if you quilters and bloggers out there have any idea of the part you play in not only my quilt life but my daily life too. Thanks for your in-put, your inspiration, and your encouragement.

Playing favorites

I frequently see bloggers claiming favorites. Favorite fabric lines, favorite colors, favorite patterns, favorite techniques ...so many favorite things out there but not too much mention of needles.

My all time favorite needle is made by S.Thomas & Sons of Studley England. I used to buy them at a place called Quilt House Yama that has closed years ago. Before it closed I went out there and bought up the rest of their supply of my favorite "betweens" is whatever size they had left. Last year at the Tokyo Dome I found a booth carrying that brand and bought one pack. This year I looked and looked but it was just too crowded to see what brand of anything was in those stalls no matter how many times I roamed the aisles.

Yesterday our group met to work on the auction quilt. No pictures to share but being our first quilting day, everyone was dealing with fluffy batting and backing that shows every stitch. (or space where stitch does not go through) This is going to be a big challenge.

We had two packs of needles to select from. One of them broke too easily and the other bent.

Somewhere in that batting is the tip of a needle. My magnetic needle case contains those less favorite needles. The little fish is meant for soy sauce but I carry it in my sewing box to hold all those pieces of broken needles. I have been to a shrine in the Tokyo area where broken needles are brought to thank the Gods for their hard work and sacrifice. Now why would I thank that needle that didn't give me more than two hours work!

Last of the crests

The last three crests are done. My stubborn determination has paid off. These three are fuji or wisteria, fuji cho or a wisteria butterfly, and tomoe or a triple swirl. The swirl was quite easy to quilt. It is part of the Fukuda crest and I appliqued it twice on quilts in 1992 but found it a whole lot more friendly to quilt.

The wisteria was easier than I thought it would be. I had some issue with the butterfly. As a person who tends to straighten pictures on the wall or bulletin board, I was about to make the butterfly straighten up and fly right. When I went back to the source material, I found the tip was intended. It took more than a little strength to leave it that way. Now I am wondering how many people will complain that it is crooked.

Tomorrow I can take the work to school so the hands can get an early start on Tuesday. My next task will be all those triangles around the outer edge. I think we put bamboo leaves the last time we had triangles to fill. I am sure I did not save any pattern so that may end up as my Monday evening work drafting some patterns to choose from.

Certainly I have discovered that setting goals for myself works better than alowing others to set them for me. I have noticed that when I fall short, the most likely reason is that I didn't want it badly enough. Outside pressure and expectations are more likely to turn me off. My stubborn and contrary side is peaking through.

six more done - three to go!

Some of these were easy to do but some were just plain fussy. Here are spatter dock with leaves and tendrils, Pines with snow ring,

wave - coin, waves,

Chinese bellflower, and cherry
Of the three left to do, one is quite easy, three whirls. The other two will have to be completely re-drawn. I think one is a wisteria and the other a wisteria butterfly.

I am beginning to hit my stride. Though I usually quilt about 8 to 9 stitches to the inch, that is not only impossible with this batting but would make the rest of the work to be done by our team look out of sinc. About 5 stitches to the inch is probably a better size and that is what I have been trying to attain although it is a bit harder in the fussy areas. Luckily the group will not use a hoop and will be stitching in-the-ditch for the most part. By the time we reach the border, everyone should be in stride.

I am hoping to finish the remaining blocks by Sunday night so I can take the quilt to school on Monday when I go to teach. That way, I can rest my fingers for Tuesday's meeting and can take a later (meaning less crowded) train.

There is a bit of a joke in finishing because everyone knows what a stubborn hard-headed type I am. When someone says I can't do something I work to prove them wrong. I had not thought about that until the end came in sight but one of the group said,"I'll bet you can never get those blocks quilted in a week", and laughed saying I just might get it done to prove her wrong.

Four more done

Plum, cherry, crane, and palonia are quilted in.
nine more blocks left to go!

This seems to be taking forever...

My fingers want to stop but I keep thinking how good it will feel to have this part completed.

Quilting begun

So, here is what is going into the rest of those blue squares. Each will have a different crest design. Some are fairly easy and a few are quite detailed making the quilting a bit difficult to do

These crests are intersecting cloves, maple leaf, rabbit in the moon, chrysanthemum , cloves of Japanese ginger, and ginkgo leaves. I am still fumbling a bit with stitch length because it is difficult to quilt through the rather thick batting and catch enough of the backing.

Some of the remaining crests are pretty fussy and a few will have to be redrawn.

My hope is to meet the expectations of the group and move the project to a point where we will not face panic at the eleventh hour.