A busy weekend

I thought that once the Gala quilt was finished, I would have all kinds of time to spend on quilting. Silly, foolish me! Do you know the theory of the "Dark Sucker"?  Well, electric bulbs suck light. Anyone who goes camping, knows that when you have a portable dark sucker, it is much less dark next to it than elsewhere.

A candle is a primitive dark sucker. You may notice that a new candle has a white wick. You can see that from after the first use, the wick turns black from all the dark that has been sucked into it. Of course one of the disadvantages of a primitive dark sucker is their rather limited range.

Unlike stationary dark suckers, the portable ones cannot handle all the dark by themselves, and need to be aided by dark storage units. That means that when the dark storage unit is full, it needs to be emptied or replaced before the portable dark sucker can work again.

Dark has mass. When dark goes into a dark sucker, friction from the mass creates heat, thus it is not wise to touch an operating dark sucker. This is particularly true with candles, where the dark travels through a solid wick instead of glass, and therefore generates a great amount of heat.

Also, dark is heavier than light. You can observe this when you go swimming in a lake. It is light just below the surface, but the dark which is heavier, sinks to the bottom so it is darker the deeper you go.  The lighter light floats to the top and that is why it is called "light'.

Finally, it can be proved that dark is faster than light. If you stand in a lit room in front of a closed, dark closet, and slowly open the door, you would see the light slowly enter the closet. But, since dark is so fast, you can't see the dark leave the closet.

Of course these things are easy to understand and explain. What I need to understand is the "Time Sucker".
I am certain there is a working theory out there because my time is getting gobbled up right and left. I don't have  whole lot to show for it as yet.

The blue table runner got itself done. I used yukata fabric for the bias binding and I think I like the end result.

Here it is on the table. It doesn't go all the way to the edge but I think that close will probably protect most of the table.

The next time sucker was my first block for the Quilter's Book Club. If you love to read as much as I, go and check out Starwood Quilter. Our first book was The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas. I really enjoyed reading this book and discussing it with my on-line friends. I read all the time but it is rare for me to have any interactivity connected with reading.

I pulled out a bit of paisley ( Persian pickle) fabric from my stash and made a "Prairie Queen" block.
I thought the corn print would go nicely with the Kansas setting. I made my block 12 inches. If we make a block each month, I think I will have a nice cover for my bed by next year. I am thinking of putting a large friendship block in the center because this book club is just as much about friendship as it is reading and quilting.

Another time sucker is this project. My mom made a quilt for each of my six children for their second birthday. This quilt was made for my son, Ken. Now that Ken will have a son of his own, I thought he might like to have his own baby quilt. The problem, however, is that my mother always bought the cheapest thread she could find and very little of her quilting remains. On the other hand, my great grandmother's quilt still has every tiny stitch, so I know they could make strong thread back 40 years ago.

I have done this on other baby quilts and this is the last one. It will need a lot of help and the binding, which was sewed on by heavy fancy machine stitching, is all fallen apart too. Maybe Ken's wife will be horrified to put this old quilt on her brand new baby. Should I ask her first before this sucks up more time? I still have a baby quilt of my own to make.

Meanwhile,  I have finished quilting one edge of the + and x quilt ... four more sides to go.
I have  spent lots of time with Scouting. My pack had a "rough-cut day" for making pinewood derbies. The kids get a block of wood, four nails for axles and four wheels, and they will turn that into a car to race sometime before the end of the month. Since most families do not have the necessary tools, we bring all the stuff to the meeting place and help the kids get that block of wood into the shape they want. It also helps to prevent the dads from taking over the activity and making the kid's car.

We had one rough-cut Sunday night, another Friday night, and another tonight. I hope that will be a chance for everyone to get their cars done.

 We have an open competition for any leaders or dads or siblings who want to join the challenge. My car got roughed out yesterday Luckily, my granddaughter came for the weekend and brought with her Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". I need to find something to use for the antenna, and now that I sanded it during another Scout Staff training meeting this morning, I can look at Leia's book to put on the paint.
This will not be slow because the caterpillar is hungry for all kinds of things (including VICTORY)!

Meanwhile, in case there is any time left to suck, I am singing with a special group from the choir ... meaning extra rehearsals beyond the regular choir practice... And a very early departure Sunday to sing two services.

Each time I go racing out for one more activity, dragging a ton of supplies up and down hundreds of stairs, I wonder when it happens that the old lady gets to slow down and take it easy. Then I see other elderly people who have slowed down so much they are never coming out of their houses. I think about the joy of singing in a group and am thankful my voice is still holding out. I think about the young kids whose life I am touching, the fun we are having, and how I wish I might know them when they are all grown up. "Back off, time sucker, I still have a lot to do"!!!

And, just to let you know that spring is around the corner, here are some flowers in my garden. Have you ever seen this kind of tree? This is the very first time for this tree to bloom. It came as a seedling in a pot five years ago. In Japanese it is called a "Biwa", the Eriobotrya japonica, is called "Loquat" in English. It is a very fast-growing tree with leaves that are 12 - 25 cm in length. The  fruits ripen in the spring and are edible but are not sold in stores as they do not keep well. They can be made into jam or alcoholic drinks.
Like all the other flowering plants around here, this is late in the season because the fruit should be set by now. I don't know if this will actually have fruit. We shall see what is left when that old time-sucker gets through.

More Team Ten quilts (part II)

I thought you might enjoy a few more pictures from the Team Quilt Ten. This show was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Theater in Ikebukuro. in the fifth floor exhibition gallery. I had been to the concert hall a number of times and didn't even realize they had a gallery. I am more likely to remember when this space was a vast field where we could run with the kids and dog.

Here is "Life, Shine!" by Taeko Shinosaki (or zaki) . She has used lots of embroidery and  fine quilting to give this quilt lots of texture. Notice the congratulatory bouquet down in front.
Below is one more of her works.

" Victorian Flowers and Heart " is rich in texture and embellishments, lace, beads, embroidery, and crazy-quilt piecing.

Here is another amazing piece. This is by Megumi Mizuno. Each of these appliqued wheat grains is braided of three fabrics. To the right, above the flower arrangement, is a quilt calendar that features this masterpiece.

"Road to Roseland " is another of her work as is "Animal Picture Book below.

                  Again the detail and embellishments need to be seen up close to be fully appreciated.

Voyage to Tomorrow by Emiko Yoshino has tons of blue-work showing off these finely pieced compass points. I can't even imagine attempting this fine piecing!
Below are two more of her quilts.

                                                  Flower chain - Rondo

                                                                     Autumnal Message
                             All three have tons of detail and there is quite a variety between them.

Next are two quilts by Chiyoko Umeda. . The first is called "Spring Breeze"

                                                     Forever in Eternity

Then, below, two more quilts by Chieko Shiraishi. Hers was the quilt with the doilies I showed in the earlier post. This, too has crocheted pieces.

                  This one called, "My First Quilt" has cute alphabet blocks running around the border.

Spacial Flower is made by Harue Yumoto. Another of hers I posted at the first part of my last post.

If you were sent to count all these tiny squares set on point, you would probably be there the while show!
This "Around the World" by Tsuneko Shimura  has plenty of detail to look at.,, not just the tiny piecing but embroidery and embellishments.

I see I have only eight out of the nine quilters represented.  I thought I was getting a better representation. I did get one more quilt without remembering to write down the information. That one is seen below.

Shame on me for not getting the details on this taupe-fabric Baltimore Album style quilt. I had to post it because it is just so lovely.

There were also lots of small quilted hangings throughout the show.  That these quilters were all winners, would be no surprise to anyone viewing the show.

All the quilts were nicely hung and spaced. The I took photos without a flash but I think a professional photographer could have showed them better. Spotlights show texture to advantage but there was just so much detail that couldn't be caught.

Yesterday was "Girl's Day". I put out my doll festival runner but spent all day after church out with the boys.
We used the power tools and had a "rough cut day" for making pinewood derbies. Then, I came home and had dinner of traditional festival food with my husband and two other guys. Even in the Church choir I sit with the guys because I sing tenor. So much for girls day!

Friends and a quilt show (part 1)

                  Where to begin?

What a wonderful time I had with my quilting friends!  The time since our last meeting seemed to have slipped away and we were back where we were long ago, telling stories and laughing.



We met at the home of one of our members who has opened a cafe in the lower front of her home. She prepared us a lovely meal  and delicious dessert.

These are the members whose friendship blocks I shared is the earlier post.

I took my paper diary and we shared the memories of those quilters no longer able to come.


After our meal, we all went to a quilt show. Yasuko Kuraishi, in the middle of the group in the upper picture, treated us all to the show.

Team Quilt Ten

As I understand it, this group show was begun by ten quilters who had won at the Tokyo Quilt Festival years ago. Nine of those quilters got together and this show features their winning quilts plus a number more they have created between that first show and today.

Many seem to have been created around a theme.

This is all hand quilted with embroidery on the rings . Made by Harue Yumoto in commemoration of planting of her favorite grape.

Hemp-colored hydrangea by Chieko Shiraishi, has plenty of embroidery too which gives the effect of lace.

These tiny compass points  are way too small to catch in one picture. Probably a close-up would have been better. "In Peaceful Sunshine"  (or something like that) by Suneko Shimura.

Princess Lily, by Chiyoko Umeda also combines tiny piecing and complicated applique along with tiny quilting stitches.

This quilt called "Doily", by Chieko Shiraishi had little crocheted doilies appliqued in the centers between the blocks and embroidered linked rings in the border. You may notice that many of these quits make use of what is called "Japanese Taupe".

Beautiful Spring, by Megumi Mizuno.  Full of tiny applique and embroidery.

Flowers bloom Proudly, by Taeko Shinosaki. (or Shinozaki)?  More applique and embroidery. 

And ... if you are getting tired of all that taupe ... this "Spring - my Primavera", is plenty colorful but just as detailed. 

What the Japanese call "Red Haired Anne" is all embroidered in redwork. Made by Harue Yumoto.

Dated July 2004.

Masquerade, by Toshiko Kurihara..  Can you recognize her style now? 

She told me she uses freezer paper to assemble these quilts. Her work is done by machine. Imagine making a machine behave this well!

Another of Kurihara's ... "Who ate my egg"?

And here she is, Kurihara-san, standing beside another of her masterpieces, "Dream II - on board the Milky Way RR." I asked her how long each quilt takes and she said about one a year. 

Many of these quilts were featured in quilt books and the central room had a table with piles of those books on display. Of course all those pictures were taken by  professional quilt photographers and much better than mine.

I have about 14 more quilts to show, although I hardly got half of them. My camera battery is saying it wants to be charged so I guess I need a break here.

The Gala quilt is done!

Today the binding and the hanging sleeve were added and the quilt is now hanging in the stairway at the Early Learning Center. This picture was taken at the foot of the stairway at the ELC.

The quilt is not easy to photograph in the stairwell, but the lighting shows the fish and quilting off to the best advantage.

Goldie

Peachie

and Spot.

Well, they don't really have names ... and if they did, they should have something a whole lot classier.

Tomorrow morning, the arriving children and their parents will have a surprise where a painting usually hangs. Saturday will be the Gala. Yes, we finished in time! Next week there will be no quilting day but our group will meet to celebrate.

This is our tenth year of quilt making. My husband would like to make a set of all ten quilts on note cards and has begun asking around for printers.

I have no idea how cards would sell but I sure wouldn't mind having a few sets. Each quilt is a reminder of friends made, ideas shared, problems solved and goals met.

Today I had a call from Kuraishi-sensei. This is the block she made for my friendship quilt.

Tomorrow she will come to the meeting with our former member.

Afterwards, she has invited me to a quilt show.

It is going to be a great day!!!

Asayama-san made this Ohio Star block. She is our best member for keeping in touch with those who have moved away. I'm so happy I will see her tomorrow too.

I'm sure Haeno-san will be there too because she is the member who was first to call and tell me about the meeting.

This block called "Nocturne", is the one she made.








Five other members of the group that made blocks for this quilt are still in the area but have not attended for at least a year or more. One member is living in San Jose, California and has returned several times. Another was living in Oregon and some of our group visited her one year for the "Sisters" show.

I have joined the Book Quilt Club and finished the first reading of The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas. One thing I liked about the story was that even when members of the quilt group had issues with the others, they counted friendship and loyalty to the group stronger than little irritations.  No member was quitting because of something someone said without thinking how it might sound to others ... or some other silly reason that needed to be forgiven and forgotten. I wish I could make a gift of that book to five friends.

My blue runner is almost ready to bind and I am sketching a plan for a baby quilt for my coming grandson.
My book club block for February will soon be underway. My + and x blocks are moving ever so slowly. 14 more blocks left to quilt on the first border. While wishing it would go faster, I am enjoying re-visiting all those fabric scraps. Now in the hoop, a block from my son's stash, Fabric from a quilt my daughters and I made for a friend's first baby, two bits from daughter's dresses, several more scraps from grandbaby quilts, batik from my daughter's quilt finished last year and Paul's "big boy" quilt. only a few scraps have never appeared in one of my former quilts. Plenty to do, plenty to enjoy. I hope you are enjoying your days too.

Waiting in the wings.

It's all over but the shouting ... or, in this case, adding the binding and the sleeve. I don't know what kind of a picture I will get next Tuesday after the last stitch is put in so Nikko and I went off with the carp, to the park for a photo shoot. I'm sure the orange silky-looking binding will be the frosting on the cake but I am quite satisfied with what our group has managed to do in such a short tiime.

My oval hoops have returned to their hanging spot and my big round hoop is embracing the last two rows of the + and X quilt ... that I may complete the quilting before the weather warms up. A few more stitches are needed in the blue table runner, then the binding. Tonight't train ride may get that finished.

So.... a new project is waiting in the wings. There is a baby quilt to make ... and a birthday gift ... but...
The thing that really excites me right now has to do with three things I love, quilting, reading, and friendship!

The last post, I shared a picture of the friendship quilt block made by my friend, Linda.  Here is another block from that quilt. The flower basket was made by me. The feature fabric got some fussy-cutting and the color I pulled out was brown and gold.

Along beside the block is friendship in the form of a book. Even though I am the world's slowest reader, I love to read. When Susan came up with the idea of a Quilters' Book Club, I really wanted to take part even though I was not sure I could get the books. While I was still plotting as to how to find the first book here in Japan, friend, June, sends me an e-mail saying she has an extra copy she can send me.

Last night, on my way up to bed, I checked the postbox and found her book waiting for me. I was so excited I could hardly get to sleep. (in fact, I fell asleep with the light on and my head on the book. Now I will be dreaming of the blocks to make for each book. I may make more than one block per book. The only thing I know for sure is that this quilt will not be made for the guestroom bed. It will be made for my semi-single futon on the greenhouse floor! Quilting, Reading, and Friendship! (And the comfort of a finished quilt ... no matter how long it takes or how many interruptions life tosses in).

All My Friends are Stars

    The January 1996 issue of "Lady's Circle Patchwork Quilts", featured a challenge quilt made by friends,
When I showed the article to our International Quilt Circle, everyone thought it would be a fun challenge.

I gave one meter of the above fabric to each member who wanted to participate. She was to add her own fabric, picking up a color from the feature fabric, and make 12 blocks, 10 x 10 inches. A date was set for the exchange and then each member would arrange those 12 blocks into a quilt.

This was a fun project for me and the resulting quilt is most often on the bed in the loft, well used and loved.

My quilt group has under-gone many changes. Of course many members have left Japan. Some have quit for reasons unknown, and only a small core remains. The biggest joy is when we hear from a former member who will return for a visit.

Next week will be one of those joyous gatherings! I am as excited as a school girl! Linda Franlkin will be here and what remains of our group will gather to celebrate an old friendship.

Here is the block made by Linda. After my quilt was finished, I got a package of signature blocks. Some of out group put these blocks into the front or backing of their quilts. I wish I had thought of that. I still have these blocks and am now thinking of how I might use them in a pillow or something to go with this quilt.
The size is big enough for a five inch square. They are a variety of colors and prints.

Since the quilt is a star, perhaps turning each block into the center of a star block using similar colors to what was used in each block??? The interesting thing is, when I selected the feature fabric, I picked a print with basic colors that would not be hard to match up. It seems each quilter picked up a different fabric and the blocks are quite different.

A picture of the finished quilt was shown in "Quilt Presents Sampler Quilts #13" c.1999.

Valentine's day in Japan ... the culture of giving

How a Western celebration has been Japanized

You don't have to live in Japan very long to notice the culture of giving. Many of the traditions go back for centuries to a society based on rice culture. During the planting and harvesting seasons, everyone needed a cooperative effort to get the jobs done. "I help you today, and you help me tomorrow". It is not hard to understand the importance of keeping good relations with your neighbors. 

This continued into the era where there was a  give and take among Warriors, Farmers, Craftsmen and Merchants, and a hierarchy was established in that order. (After all, the Lords were paid off in rice). 

I became aware of the two "gift-giving seasons" soon after arriving in Japan. Among my English students was a class that was made up of a doctor and a dentist and their families and friends. Twice a year, during mid summer and again at the year's end, I was passed bags of fruit and other edibles that had piled up in their houses faster than they could be consumed before spoiling. (The medical profession being rather high in the hierarchy).

Years later, when my husband had manager-type jobs in financial institutions, the gifts began to arrive at our door during those same times of year. I also remember there was a certain number of people to whom we were obligated to give gifts. Even these days, twice a year, gifts, usually of edibles, are exchanged. Right now we are still consuming the last of a box of apples and a box of oranges and a giant salmon that arrived before Christmas. Just as the dentist friend, we take a few of those things to other homes in the neighborhood or to relatives so they can be consumed before they spoil.

So ... what does this have to do with Valentine's Day?  Somewhere in the 50's, a well known Chocolate company promoted valentine's day as the time for a girl to give a box of expensive chocolates to some guy that she wanted to attract. I suppose some attractive guys got lots of chocolate, while others may have been depressed by getting nothing. To even things out, there was also cheaper chocolates for the girl to give to other guys in the office out of obligation. Can you imagine the guy who mistakes the chocolate for a gift of affection? Or the wife, whose husband brings home a big box of expensive chocolate?  Oh yes, every year my husband brings home boxes of chocolate but so far, no one has stolen him away. Now we have guys looking at the value of the gift and wondering the reason behind it. Valentine cards? Forget it. Those are for pre-school kids!

And... since this is a gift-giving culture ... there needs to be a day when those guys can give back. Thus, "White Day" was created a month later, March 14th, when the guys return the gifts. Men are expected to return gifts that are at least two or three times more valuable than what they received. A marshmallow company tried to promote their product but white chocolate and even gifts of jewelry, accessories, and even lingerie are usual. 

The romantic "date night" ? Not on valentines day. That is celebrated at Christmas. 

As an aside, my husband says a survey shows a trend toward more modernization of times in that women are less likely to need a special opportunity to express their admiration or gratitude to men.

What that will mean to the chocolate industry, I have no idea. As of now, they make half their annual sales during this time of year.  Also, I have told my husband that I won't give him chocolates (he is diabetic) if he promises not to get me lingerie. 

So, what is happening in the quilting department? This silk with the stabilizer is layered over other pieces plus the kasuri background. Quilting through all these layers is less than a picnic! The large area of the fish body will need some kind of quilting and I am considering rather large scale scales in random groups.

When I consider all those Tokyo Dome quilts with their tiny tiny stitches, I don't know how those quilters could get such small stitches in this kind of fabric other than stab-stitching. I keep telling my Scouts, "Just do your best and that's good enough". I guess the time has come for me to follow my own advice.

Just maybe a cup of coffee and a taste of chocolate  ... to get in the mood.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my blogging friends! 

Monday holidays

Setsubun

The first Monday in February was not really a holiday ... as in "day off" but was celebrated by households throughout Japan. 

The traditional first day of Spring by one of those ancient solar calendars, is a day for scattering beans (mamemaki) for dispelling demons and welcoming good luck.

This picture is of a shop window where traditional sweets are sold

You can see the shop window at "Blue and White" also got on the mood for the festival.

On Setsubun, beans ... usually roasted soy beans... are tossed out the opened doors, shouting "Oni wa soto", then into the house, crying "Fuku wa uchi".

(Out with the demons! In with good luck!).

My kids had a big laugh over this because O-niwa (the honorable garden) is outside, sure enough. And our home was full of "Fuku", eight of us to be exact.

This lovely quilt was hanging in the window as part of the celebration. Made by Reiko Okunushi.

This traditional face of Lady Luck can also be found in a traditional New Years game of "Fuku warai", kind of the Japanese version of pin the tail on the donkey.

Players take the face parts and try to place them while blindfolded. 

The stacked boxes contain beans and I hear it is tradition to eat the number of beans, one for each year of age. 

I reckon "tradition" is a mistake that has been allowed to happen more than once, and they no longer put that many beans in one container so only Nikko ran around sniffing out the tossed beans.

There is also something about eating a super-big sushi roll while facing South by South-east. Paul and Nikko took care of that one too.

National Foundation Day

Yesterday was a real holiday ... as in "Day off". In truth, that is all it was. The origin was in the traditional lunar calendar when the Emperor Jimmu ascended to the throne on the first day of the first month.

It was designated as a national holiday during the Meiji era when Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar.

Originally called "Kigensetsu", it was intended to bolster the legitimacy of the imperial family over the Tokugawa Shogunate, and was a major holiday.

The holiday was abolished following World War ll. Ironically the day General MacArthur approved the draft of the model Constitution in 1946.

In 1966 it was re-established as a holiday but now watered down to a day to hang out the flag and reflect on the meaning of Japanese citizenship. Sorry, Nikko, no beans!

The carp quilt is moving along. I was glad for a few quiet days to work on the fish and the inner water circles. We have only a few more weeks to get this finished. I planned to get the center mostly quilted so that the group can work around the edges. Today the lovely ladies got a lot done and we had to lay it out on the floor and mark some more circles.

The good thing about those karisma white lead pencils is that they mark very accurately and the chalk disappears as it is quilted. The bad part is that the markings get lighter and lighter while working and often have to be re-drawn. 

No more holidays coming up this month and the fish and I will be battling it out until we meet again next week. 

Here is a look at the back side. It looks pretty good for a group effort. I hope we can keep up the momentum.