Sashiko Started It

Please come with me....

2011-05-11T01:54:00.001-07:00

I have been juggling several blogs and decided that is a bit daft so now I have put them all together in one place. My new blog combines my quilting, including my passion for Japan and Japanese techniques, styles and culture, my travels and the Global Piecers swap group I belong to. There will still be snippets of everyday life here in rural Lincolnshire. I'm still getting it all together and adding links and pictures and I hope that you will be happy to become a follower of the new blog - what's a blog without followers after all? This will be the final post here, thank you for being with me, now please click over to

Piece'n'Peace

and let the fun continue, see you there, hugs, Lis xx

A Letter from Sendai

2011-03-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is another forwarded message that I read on Facebook and just had to share with you. I found it utterly inspiring and such a reflection of the different ways it is possible to view events and what it is possible to take from them.

Hello My Lovely Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you. Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful. During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs and buckets. Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another." Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens are constant and helicopters pass overhead often. We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on. But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not. No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group. There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun. People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking their dogs. All happening at the same time. Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled. The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them silhouetted against the sky magnificently. And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no. They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the country, bringing food and water. Blessed again. Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent. Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all, Anne.

Quilt Appeal for Japan

2011-03-18T02:57:00.000-07:00

I received this forwarded appeal this morning and am copying it here for anyone who can help:

It means a considerable investment in postage if you want to help - but it is a lovely idea and we all know how well it works.

"This morning I received an email from Naomi Ichikawa, Editor of Patchwork Quilt Tsushin Magazine. Naomi lives in Tokyo and her mother and brother survived the tsunami in Sendai.

Naomi asked me to please spread the word about the plea for comfort quilts.

Here is Naomi's request:

Dear Valerie
It is still bad situation now in Japan.
We are still nervous about shaking and radiation,but no way to escape.

I start to announce to the quilters to send us comfort quilts for the
people who are suffered.I would like to do it to the world quilters.
We will deliver the comfort quilts to the people who are very difficult
situation.
Could you please help to announce it to the quilters?

We accept any size of quilts(baby to adult).new or unused.
The deadline would be the end of May or later.

Send the quilts to:
(until the middle of April)
Naomi Ichikawa,Editor of Patchwork Quilt tsushin
Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
5-28-3,Hongo,Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo,

Japan zip:113-0033

(after the middle of April)
Naomi Ichikawa
Patchwork Tsushin Co.,Ltd
2-21-2,Yushima,Bunkyo-ku,Tokyo,

Japan zip:113-0034

I will appreciate if you help me.

Naomi

Earthquake in Japan

2011-03-11T01:48:00.001-08:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598

I was so shocked to wake to the news of a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan this morning. My thoughts and prayers are with everybody affected.

Japanese Malta

2011-03-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

I'm just back from a holiday in Malta and managed to have a couple of Japanese experiences while I was there.
DH and I enjoyed two meals in a wonderful Japanese restaurant, one of which was at the teppanyaki table where the chef amazed us with knife juggling, tricks with eggs, onion volcanoes and flambes as well as delicious food.

We had a fantastic selection of foods for our second meal in Hibiki, starting with miso soup (I'm sure I could live on that), continuing with a great selection of sushi, maki and sashimi, then prawns in chilli and coriander and finally green tea ice cream and green tea pannecotta, all very delicious.

We practised our (very limited) Japanese on the waitresses in the restaurant and they were very kind to us!

Hari-kuyo

2011-02-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

From Susan Fletcher
www.aboutfuroshiki.com
www.sashikostitchers.com
www.alderspringdesign.com
Alderspring Design

February 8 is the Festival of Broken Needles (Hari-Kuyo) in Japan. It is the day when women gather to lay their broken needles to rest in a decorated bed of tofu.

This is a 400 year old tradition, and continues yet. Women will gather to lay their broken needles to rest, and to wish to honor them more by becoming more careful and skilled in their sewing in the year to come.

Why tofu? As far as I can work out it is probably because tofu is soft, so by laying the needles in tofu they are given a gentle resting place after all their hard work.

This festival derives from the cultural respect for the small and everyday objects. Sometimes the resting place for the needles will be three tiers, the bottom containing other small sewing tools, the middle holding the tofu to receive the broken needles and the top containing sweets or baked goods as offerings.

Another idea I encountered while looking for information about this festival was the idea that as women sew they often think about their secret sorrows and hardships, and these thoughts go into their needles. As they ceremonially lay the broken needles to rest, they may also lay these sorrows to rest.

This is an invitation to all of you to join me on Feb 8 in pausing for a little while to honor our broken needles and pins by doing something with them.

On Feb 8 take a bit of time to pause and reflect on the work and the pleasure all your different needles and pins give you, and join us in honoring these simple hardworking tools.

Here are some suggestions for how you might do that:

-make your own broken needle resting place with a block of firm tofu and decorations

-make a small applique or stitchery about (broken) needles, or collage with broken needles

-make a new needle case

-collect together and organize you pins and needles

-simply make an artistic photograph of your needles, pins, pincushions, needle cases...

Whatever you choose to do, take a photograph and email it to me. I will be posting the photographs here until the end of February. You can include a short sentence or two to accompany it.

For links to more about the Festival of Broken Needles go to Sashiko Stitchers and look for the links in the right sidebar.

I am, of course, hoping you will send me photographs to put on the sashiko stitchers site! I will post them until the end of February.

Email them to either address

sue@aboutfuroshiki.com

susan@sashikostitchers.com

Added 7th February 2011 -

This is what I have done for hari-kuyo this year:

I lined a small box with a piece of wadding and then laid my needles and pins to rest on it, thanking them for the work they have done and what they have helped me create during the past year.

I made a small quilt for the pins and needles and covered them with it.

Finally I put the lid on the box and tied it with ribbon.

Kanzashi for Friday Night Sew In

2011-01-22T02:08:00.000-08:00

Last night was the first Friday Night Sew In of 2011, hosted by Heidi and Bobbi. I worked on some kanzashi which I'm making into brooches. I'm getting quite addicted to these although I still need to get them perfect - I always seem to have one petal pointing in the wrong direction with a bit of a twist to it! Maybe I should make this my signature

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

あけましておめでとうございます

I found this lovely account of Japanese New Year traditions at http://www.zuzu.org/japan.html

AKEMASHIE OMEDETO GOZAIMASU! - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
by Achur, age 12 - illustrations by Alex, age 10

The most important and most celebrated part of the holiday season in Japan is New Year's day, known as O-Shogatsu. It's a very busy time between the 24th of December, when school gets out, and the first of January.
Before the New Year, Japanese people clean their houses from top to bottom. Then they put up New Year's decorations, especially Kadomatsu which are made from bamboo, pine branches and strips of white folded paper. When the house is clean and decorated, then everybody gets busy preparing New Year's food.
One of the most important New Year's foods is Mochi. In our neighborhood, we have a mochi-tsuki party every year and make our own mochi. We gather on a Sunday morning in an empty lot. In one corner of the lot, someone starts to cook rice on an open fire. When the rice is cooked, it is placed in a special wooden dish and is pounded with a big wooden hammer. All of the neighbors take turns pounding until the rice mixture becomes a big ball of dough. Then everyone gets involved rolling small mochi balls which are eaten with different kinds of sweet or salty sauces and toppings.
On New Year's Eve, Japanese people spend time at home with their family. They eat, play games, and watch special New Year's shows on television. Just before midnight, people can also watch temple ceremonies on t.v. where a huge gong is stuck 108 times to wipe away the 108 sins of the past year.
Although Christmas cards exist in Japan, most people send traditional New Year's postcards called Nengajyo. Some people sends hundreds of them. This custom is very nice because if you post your cards by a special date in December, the post office will deliver them all bright and early on the 1st of January. When you wake up on that day, your mailbox is full of happy wishes for you.
After New Year's breakfast, people get dressed up in their kimonos to go to the shrine or to the temple to pray for good luck and good health in the new year. This is the first temple visit of the year and is very important. After praying, people visit the temple market. All around the temple grounds, there are booths and little shops set up where you can buy traditional foods, cotton candy, balloons, toys and temple souvenirs.
Daruma can also be purchased at the temple market. These are papier-mache figures that come in many sizes and that have two big white eye spots. Daruma are used for making New Year's resolutions. With a magic marker, the buyer blackens in one of the eyes while making a resolution. If, during the year, they accomplish their wish, they can blacken the other eye to show they succeeded. At the end of the year, people return used darumas to the temple for a special burning and buy new ones.
After visiting the temple, Japanese people return to their homes to eat, play traditional games and just relax. Children fly kites and play with wooden tops. Adults play poetry games and pratice calligraphy.
Probably the most important holiday tradition for Japanese children is O-toshidama. These are little envelopes containing money that children get from their parents and other relatives. Even though the Japanese holidays are very different from holidays in America and Europe, since children are expected to be good all year in order to get O-toshidama, in a way, it is just like Christmas.

Achur, Adam and Alex are from Latham, NY. In 1991, they moved with their family to Tsukuba, Japan, where they are the only foreign students in their small Japanese school. The first year was hard, but now they can speak, read and write Japanese very well. Their little brother Alex, age 4, started Japanes Yochien (kindergarten) this year and loves it!
- originally published in the Holiday 1993 issue of ZuZu

Meri Kurisumasu めりーくりすますメリークリスマス

2010-12-23T02:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting this blog and for all your comments and support over the year.
I would like to send you my very best wishes to you all for a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.
May all your sashiko be perfect.

Artist: Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)
Image Appears In: Christmas Poems and Pictures: a Collection of Songs, Carols, and Descriptive Poems, relating to the Festival of Christmas
Date Image Published: 1864
from www.ReusableArt.com

Deep and Crisp and Even

2010-12-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the Carol Service in our village church and after mince pies and mulled wine came out to gently falling snow. Still such a magical feeling even though the snow is rather more common this year than usual. A very hard frost and freezing fog has persisted all day today and now it's dark. Time to sit by the fire and sew a binding on a quilt.

Oooh, Muji Online, thanks Susan

2010-12-16T02:48:00.000-08:00

Susan posted about her shopping trip to Birmingham and innocently included a link to Muji.

That's me done for after Christmas, I've resisted the very strong urge to put an order in today! I adore that shop and didn't think about looking online for them, but just savoured any (rare) opportunities I had to visit a branch. Lovely things, Japanese utility and design, I love the "in a bag" range, including London in a bag and Japanese garden in a bag, yummy jasmine tea, stationery supplies to delight any addict, take a look, you'll enjoy it.

Ice Crystals

2010-12-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for ages. I've been busy with Christmas stitching and then the snow came down and that stopped most activity except keeping warm! I did get out yesterday and take some snowy photographs though. I love this one of the ice crystals on the bare branches. It reminds me of growing crystal gardens in science lessons when I was younger.

I'm having a giveaway on my quilting blog to celebrate 200 posts, you may like to pop over and get an entry or two.

Cherry Blossom and Maple Leaves

2010-11-09T02:05:00.000-08:00

The Oriental Fabrics Competition at Chilford was for a quilt of minimum 24" square and maximum 84" square and include at least 60% Oriental fabrics. Such a wide brief led to a variety of quilts but I was surprised with how few there were on display. Here they are:

Secret Rendezvous

by Elisabeth Green of Worcestershire.

I took a couple of close up pictures to show the detail of all the applique blossoms and leaves and those wonderful koi.

Kimono

by Christine Davey of Norfolk

This quilt included both hand and machine quilting and I liked the fabrics Christine chose to use.

Madam Butterfly

by Megan Bradfield of Carmarthenshire

This lovely quilt was an "idea" for eighteen months so none of us need to give up on those projects on our to do list. Megan combined hand applique and quilting in her design which was inspired by books by Suzanne Marshall and Kumiko Sudo.

The Last Samurai

by Susan Briscoe of North Wales

A strong combination of Oriental prints with a Japanese craft panel depicting Samurai armour and quotations from 'The Art of War'. The design was inspired by narrow Boys' Day banners and the blossoms and leaves contrast with the armour to show the fragility of the warrior's life. You can read more about the making of this quilt on Susan's blog (at the end of the post).

Geisha Dreams

by Margaret Brett, Kent

This calming quilt is the result of many hours of fussy cutting, hand applique and hand quilting to create a fantasy maple tree bearing cherry blossom. Again I took a close up to show the detail.

Of course I had to have a little retail therapy after admiring all the quilts and being inspired.
Euro Japan Links just happened to have a stand at the exhibition and this is what tempted me:

This gorgeous length of fabric. I bought 2m and am planning ...

A couple of half metre pieces of Japanese cotton fabric that I haven't got in my stash. Those are hares on the indigo piece.

These folded flowers are going to be appearing everywhere when I get the hang of them. I bought two as I was thinking "Secret Santa", I wonder who would appreciate them the most?
That wasn't too extravagant was it? I feel one has to make the most of these opportunities (and there were one or two other purchases on the day which I have put on Online Quilting.)

Treasures of Yamagata

2010-11-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

I have been to the Autumn Quilt Show at Chilford, Cambridgeshire, today and particularly enjoyed two collections of quilts on display. First, the Treasures of Yamagata and secondly, the Oriental Fabric Competition entries on the theme of Cherry Blossom and Maple Leaves. Today I'll share the Treasures of Yamagata, the notes come from the exhibition labels.

Treasures of Yamagata was a collection of quilts created by the Peaceful Heart Quilt Group in Yamagata Prefecture in north-east Japan. They were set a challenge by Susan Briscoe who also provided three challenge fabrics. All the quilts illustrate the natural beauty of the area where the quilters live. It is a major rice producing region with both coast and mountains to inspire.

Sankyo Soko (Rice Warehouses) by Sato Seiko.

I love the cranes, individually appliqued, flying along the river.

Sennen Noki (A Thousand Year Old Tree) by Sakuraba Aiko

This ancient tree stands on Mount Chokai, the fifth highest mountain in Japan.

HaguroZan (Haguro Mountain) by Domon Reiko

I love the movement the three-dimensional applique cherry blossom gives to this quilt. 2446 stone steps lead to the top of this mountain, passing shrines, this waterfall and other holy sites.

Map of Yamagata by Ishikawa Keiko

I had seen this quilt in magazines but didn't realise until seeing it today, in the flesh as it were, that the pieces making up the map are all created with sashiko stitches. This style is Yuza sashiko on the traditional very dark indigo blue background. Here's a close-up:

Isn't it wonderful?

Yamadera (Mountain Temple) by Domon Koto

This quilt also included Yuza sashiko, on the paths and the mountain peaks.

Shonai Obako (Shonai Maiden) by Ikeda Chie

The maiden is dressed using the actual fabrics of the working clothes of farmer's wives. The face mask (hankotanna) and the hand covers (tebukuro) protect the skin from the harsh weather and maintain the beauty of the maiden. This quilt also included Yuza sashiko:

Later this week I'll post my photographs of the Oriental Fabric competition entries.

Sashiko at Norfolk Quilters' 30th Anniversary Exhibition

2010-10-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this wonderful sashiko quilt by Christine Allen that I enjoyed seeing at last week's Norfolk Quilters' Exhibition in Norwich.
Christine was given one of Susan Briscoe's sashiko books for her birthday last year and created this quilt to challenge herself to work on her hand stitching. I had a lovely chat with Christine and hope to meet up with her again soon. Her husband attended the exhibition with her and was really enthusiatic and complimentary about her work - and rightly so!
You can see some other quilts from the exhibition at Online Quilting.

Mitsukoshi Quilt Show

2010-10-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

I read on Julie's blog that she had enjoyed a visit to the Mitsukoshi quilt show and immediately set about trying to find out a little more.
I didn't do very well but this site had pictures of some of the quilts and I was able to use Google Translate to come up with something for some of the Japanese. There is certainly some inspiring work here. I love this quilt illustrating the seasons:

「日本の四季」岡部美咲(千葉)
"Four Seasons of Japan" Okabe Misaki (Chiba)

: パッチワークキルトの文化が日本にもたらされて、おおよそ40年になります。
Japan has been brought to the patchwork quilt of cultures, about 40 years now.

当初は、アメリカのアンティークキルトの模倣から始まりましたが、日本独自の素材と感性によって創られる「和のキルト」は、今や世界でも注目を集める存在となっています。
Initially, the U.S. began with imitation of antique quilts, the original material created by the Japanese sensibility, "Quilt of harmony" has already become the world's attention now.
本展では、日本を代表するキルト作家100人を全国から選出し、「日本の色とかたち」をテーマにした新作を一堂に展覧するものです。
This exhibition, drawn from across the country with 100 leading Japanese quilt artist, "Shapes and Colors of Japan", which is to bring together a new exhibition on the theme.
古くから受け継がれている着物の布地を素材として使用したものや、日本ならではのモチーフを、作家の感性で表現した作品など、奥深く繊細な日本の美意識が再認識できることでしょう。
And was used as the material of the kimono fabric has been handed down from ancient motifs unique to Japan, including works by artists represented in sensitivity will again be able to recognize subtle Japanese aesthetic feeling deep.

「春の海」黒羽志寿子(東京)
"Spring Sea" Kuroba Shizuko (Tokyo)
「波曼荼羅」郡司祥子(奈良)
"Mandala wave" Gunzi Yoshiko (Nara)
「千鳥」沢田淳子(神奈川)
"Tidori" Sawada Atsuko (Kanagawa)

「悠久」宮谷真知子(兵庫)
"Hisa Yuu" Tomoko Makoto Miyatani (Kobe)
「昔のおはなし」矢沢順子(東京)
"Old Story" Yazawa Naoko (Tokyo)
「SYO#43 古人の想いを色に繋げて」
"SYO # colors to tie into the feelings of the ancients 43"
小西春江(東京)
Harue Konishi (Tokyo)

Dragonfly In Blowing Grasses - Sashiko Tutorial Finished

2010-10-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

I am very grateful to Susan Briscoe for her comments on the sashiko I am doing at the moment.
I tried using the order of stitching that she explained and found I preferred it. I enjoyed a better rhythm in my stitching and doing the whole motif in one go rather than returning to do the grasses felt right. I also had shorter jumps across the back of the work.

Mind you, as Susan said, if I'd wanted to do the grasses in a contrasting colour it would have been better to use the original order of stitching.
If you have done this dragonfly over blowing grasses piece I would love to hear how you got on. Susan Fletcher is planning to offer two more dragonfly designs in the near future. Will you be using them all together in a quilt or are you making a set of table mats (there are instructions in her tutorial newsletter for this), or do you have other plans for your sashiko dragonflies?
I hardly dare post a picture of my finished piece. I realised that my dragonfly would be facing the opposite way to Susan Fletcher's original design unless I transferred the image to the "sticky" side of the vilene and decided that I was quite happy with that. What didn't occur to me at all was that the grasses would be blowing in the wrong direction.
Now I'm going to point out that the prevailing winds in Lincolnshire blow from a different direction from those in Japan (probably) and therefore my nowaki are giving my sashiko a locational reference. Hmm, what do you think?

It has made my mind up for me about transferring the design to the back of the work in future. I'm going to investigate marking pencils/pens and work from the front on subsequent sashiko projects. Lovely little design though, thanks Susan at Alderspring Designs.

The Order of Stitching

2010-10-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

If you are receiving Susan Fletcher's email tutorials for this project you will have all this information (and a lot more besides) but here are her instructions for establishing the order of stitching a sashiko design.

When stitching a sashiko design we need to think about the order of stitching. By stitching in the right order we will not waste any precious thread, or waste time, and we will be able to get into a good rhythm and keep our stitches even.
This usually means identifying the continuous lines within a design and following those rather than stitching motifs individually. With this design the first thing to stitch is the line of curves from one side of the design to the other.
So I completed all the horizontal curved lines first:

Note the small loops of thread left when changing direction, these prevent the stitching becoming too taut and possibly gathered up.

If it is not possible to stitch in long lines then we need to make the jumps between stitches as short as possible. Generally speaking, if it takes less thread to cast off and cast on again at the next point then that is what we should do.
With the blowing grasses pattern the next stage in the order of stitching is the small grasses and we can see that they form a diagonal pattern of their own and this is the order in which we stitch.

Dragonfly In Blowing Grasses - Getting Started

2010-10-05T02:16:00.000-07:00

I've got my Dragonfly in Blowing Grasses marked up ready for stitching.
I used an ordinary permanent marker to trace the design - the kind that comes with a packet of labels for ironing onto children's school uniform - it does the job. The last thing we want is for the ink to transfer to the white thread. I'm using DMC Coton Perle in weight 8 by the way.
I'm still not sure I like this method of transferring the design to the back of the work but do like the way the interfacing supports the sashiko fabric. I think for my next piece I will use interfacing on the back and mark the design on the front.
I have a meeting of Crafty Time Out tomorrow (the first one I've been to for some time after my spell in hospital) so I'll take my sashiko with me and should be able to make a good start if I don't chat too much.
So, here goes. If you want to join in with Susan's second tutorial the details are here.

Yoshiko Wada Collection on Exhibition

2010-10-01T02:06:00.000-07:00

Jenny at Romany Quilting (and in New Zealand) enjoyed a great exhibition of kimono from the collection of world-renown Yoshiko Wada, textile and shibori expert. There were also some exquisite netsuke on display. She has shared some photos and a review on her blog which is well worth a look. Thanks Jenny, I wish I could have been there.

Hyper Japan

2010-09-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

From the Transport for London newsletter today...

If you like sushi, manga or sake you’ll love Hyper Japan, the pop culture event that’s taking over the Old Truman Brewery this weekend. It celebrates the best contemporary food, drink and culture to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun, with plenty of chances to sample culinary delights and get involved in the planned activities. Watch the street fashion shows, take part in a manga drawing seminar or get yourself snapped wearing a kimono, or why not browse the many pop-up shops or food stalls. Entry is £5–8. Check the website for details and opening times. Enjoy!

Nearest tube station: Liverpool Street

Second Sashiko Tutorial

2010-09-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

Susan Fletcher's new sashiko project, Dragonfly in Blowing Grasses, starts today, hopefully you have received your instructions by email newsletter and have all your supplies ready. If you just want the pattern you can buy it as a downloadable PDF from the website.
I'm off to transfer the design to the interfacing. I'm hoping to find something just the right size for drawing all those semi-circles rather than tracing them freehand. Then I'll share what I've done. Have fun.

My Furoshiki Bag

2010-09-27T08:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know why it's taken me so long but I finally got around to making my furoshiki bag today.
I worked from this video
http://lisisturningjapanese.blogspot.com/2010/01/furoshiki-demonstration.html
and it took me only a few moments to create this lovely bag from a metre of fabric.

English Sericulture

2010-09-26T03:11:00.000-07:00

Shibori Girl has been discussing the beginning of sericulture and I was reminded of a childhood visit to the Roman villa at Lullingstone in Kent and that there was some link with our own silk industry in England. Thank goodness for Google!

Lullingstone Silk Farm was established by Lady Zoe Hart Dyke, Tom Hart Dyke's paternal grandmother, in the early 1930s and was the country's first such farm. She began the enterprise at Lullingstone Castle, later moving to Ayot St. Lawrence in Hertfordshire in 1956, and was credited with reviving the 'art of sericulture' in the UK. The silk produced at Lullingstone Silk Farm was used in Queen Elizabeth's (the late Queen Mother) coronation robes in 1937, for the current Queen's wedding dress in 1947 and for the robes in her susbequent coronation in 1953.
Read more...

Eye Candy

2010-09-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

There are some absolutely fabulous textiles on this site which Glennis posted about on Facebook:

UROBORO

UROBORO (also spelled OUROBOROS,etc…) represents a serpent or a dragon biting its own tail and forming a circle. It appeared in almost all ancient cultures and had been important in religious and mythological symbolism, but has also been frequently used in alchemical illustrations, and was used to symbolise concepts such as completion, totality and perfection. It can be also seen as a circular never ending process where end meets start. This cyclic motion is typically encountered when collecting antiques. It is a coming and going of objects from the past, situations re-presented, vibrations of déjà vu. Every time such objects changes proprietary, the cycle starts again.

Sit back and enjoy them. Fortunately all the ones I really love are already sold, phew!!

"A wise man climbs Fuji-san once in his life; only a fool climbs it twice"

2010-09-15T02:18:00.000-07:00

The Telegraph newspaper had an interesting article about Climbing Mount Fuji in the Travel section this weekend.
Over at their website there are also lots of links to related articles that I enjoyed reading and thought you might too, here are a few of my favourites:
The Gardens of Japan-earthly paradise
Mount Fuji hotsprings - An Englishman naked in Japan
Kyoto - Zen and the art of Japanese gardens
Tokyo - My kind of town
I'm having to get lots of rest in bed after my recent episode in hospital and it's giving me plenty of time to plan and dream about my next trip to Japan!

Dragonfly In Blowing Grasses - Sashiko Tutorial 2

2010-09-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Sue at Alderspring Design is about ready for the second sashiko online workshop (or to repeat the first one if you are one of the people who had to wait a long time for your supplies). She is also offering a sashiko embellished felt bag workshop which looks lovely. You will need to make sure you are getting the newsletters and then you can sew along and create another lovely dragonfly:

Japanese Style in Unexpected Places

2010-08-29T02:08:00.000-07:00

I bought this Jansport backpack in TKMaxx in Norwich last week and adore the Japanese-style stitchery and origami peace crane decoration on the lovely purple bag. Just had to share! Such simple pleasures make life good.

Rust-Tex Koi

2010-08-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at the Rust-Tex website since enjoying their display at Festival of Quilts and found this lovely piece of work, Koi. Here's the detail of one fish:

I can't seem to find the name of the artist but here are the notes:
During the winter months I am driven from my outdoor dye studio by snow and low temperatures. I spend winter using the fabric I rust dyed in the summer. These koi were stenciled onto a fat eighth of Rust-Tex using a commercially produced stencil. I used the colors Bronze and Pewter from the Lumiere line of Jacquard brand fabric paints. 11"x18"

There is more to enjoy here: http://rust-tex.com/TW/tiki-index.php?page=Rust-Tex
I found this so inspiring I thought you would enjoy it too!

Festival of Quilts 2 - My New Kimono

2010-08-26T05:51:00.000-07:00

This is the kimono I bought from Susan Briscoe at the Festival of Quilts. You can see why I was tempted, it is so "my colours". In fact Susan's entire stand seemed to be draped in the tones of autumn, wonderful golds, oranges and rusts, all shimmery and silky and gorgeous and complemented by Japanese traditional indigo blues. I'm not sure how I escaped with buying so little actually.

The kimono Susan labelled as,
"1930s meisen silk kimono - may be blended with other fibre"
and I'm more than happy to take her word on that! I've found two definitions for the fabric/style:

meisen : The "meisen" style silk kimono was the most popular garment at the beginning of the Showa era. It is very different from fancy Furisode or other formal kimono, but this is one of the kimono which people wore everyday at home. The people over 60 years old feel so nostalgic seeing this kimono. The principal characteristic of meisen is its interesting surface decoration made by pre-dyed threads. As the fabric is woven the surface decoration appears as a shimmering, soft-edged pattern. The technique is related to earlier methods kasuri (ikat), in which threads are resisted before dyeing and weaving, and e-gasuri ("picture-ikat"), a Japanese innovation in which threads are resisted, rather than direct-dyed, with the use of a stencil.
Because of the events such as World War I and the Kanto earthquake( 1923 ) there was an intensified demand for silk garments, and as the result, by the beginning of the Showa period, the production and popularity of meisen kimono was at its height. Meisen kimono were affordable, durable, smart attire for everyday wear loved by everyone.

Meisen fabrics are strong, amazing silks made from the cocoon of the silkworm. Meisen pieces are highly collectible as they were only made from the 1920s -1950s.

This is a length of silk that I could not leave behind. I am thinking of using it as an obi with this kimono, or with the gold one I bought in Tokyo in May. I shall have to have a trying on session and get your opinions, but for the moment I am just stroking it and admiring it. As well as the wonderful colours it has such a great texture, beautiful.

Festival of Quilts 2010

2010-08-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

I've posted about my visit to the Festival of Quilts at Online Quilting, both about the wonderful quilts I saw exhibited there and about the various purchases I made (well, it's rude not to isn't it?) and here I want to share the Japanese goodies I brought home from Birmingham.
My first stop was at Susan Briscoe's stand where I bought some lovely vintage kimono fabric pieces which I am going to use for some fabric postcards, all gorgeous autumnal leaves on a sashiko background (hopefully).

I've never made a doll but I couldn't resist this kimono-clad doll kit from Step By Step Patchwork Centre.

And I negotiated for two free FQs with the purchase, I feel a bag coming on!

There were other trade stalls selling Japanese fabrics but I have to say I was surprised at how much variation there was in both price and quality. It was worth having a good look (and feel) around before settling on what to buy and I'm very happy with what I brought home.

I enjoyed seeing this Japanese-inspired jacket in the exhibition, I hope you can see the detail in the photograph. The garments, "Gifts 'Round the World'" by Elizabeth Shapland included curved piecing, applique, beading, hand-quilting with speciality threads and Japanese-style knotted insert strips.

A great find came at the very end of the day, just as I was heading towards the exit. A stand filled with Japanese fabrics, all half metres, all £3 each. On the stand were a young couple from California who come over to Festival of Quilts each year. A shop in Chichester also stocks some of their gorgeous Japanese fabrics. It's The Eternal Maker and is, of course, on my must visit list now.

It was difficult to select just a few fabrics (and they could only take cash so I was limited) but I was inspired by the indigo and terracotta quilt on display on the stand and so I went for these:

Lest We Forget

2010-08-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

My Visit to Japan - Part 8

Ueno Park (an extremely busy stop on theYamanote Line) is one of the largest parks in Tokyo. The attractions of the park, include the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the Shitamachi Museum, the Ueno Zoo, the Shinobazu Pond and also the park serves as a haven for Tokyo's homeless. We were too late for cherry blossom viewing (April) but this is apparently when Ueno Park is busiest. Having said that, it was extremely busy when we were there, during Golden Week, and was full of Japanese families enjoying picnics, visiting the many attractions and shrines and the associated food stalls and making the most of the holidays.

Among all the hustle and bustle we came upon a particularly quiet area, the Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It seems right to share this at this time.

The sign, photographed below, explains how the flame came to Ueno Park:

The Origin of the "Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki"

On August 6, 1945, US forces dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and another on Nagasaki on August 9 the same year, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in an instant. Even now, many survivors are still suffering from the damage.

Sometime later, Tatsuo Yamamoto went to Hiroshima in search of his uncle, and found a flame of the atomic bomb burning in the ruins of his uncle's house. He brought it back to Hoshino-mura, his hometown in Fukuoka prefecture. He kept it burning in his house as a memento of his uncle and an expression of his resentment. But years went by, the meaning of the flame turned into a symbol of his desire for abolition of nuclear weapons amd for peace. Hoshino-mura village built a torch and transferred the flame to it on
August 6, 1968. It has been keeping the flame ever since as the flame for peace, with the support of the villagers.

"The use of nuclear weapons will destroy the whole human race and civilization... The elimination of nuclear weapons... has become the most urgent and crucial for the very survival of the whole of humanity. There must never be another Hiroshima anywhere on earth. There must never be another Nagasaki anywhere on earth." (From the "Appeal from Hiroshima and Nagasaki" issued in February 1985)

In 1988, a flame was taken from the torch and was merged with another flame lit by the friction of broken roofing tiles of Nagasaki. Along with 30 million signatures collected in support of the "Appeal from Hiroshima and Nagasaki", it was carried to the third Special Session of the UN General Assembly for Disarmament taking place in New York City.

In April the same year, members of "Shitamachi People Association" put forward an idea of lighting the flame at the precinct of Ueno Toshogu Shrine in Tokyo. Rev. Shozen Saga, the chief priest, warmly welcomed the proposal, and promised to set up a monument and work together to keep the flame burning.

In April 1989, an "Association for the Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Lit at the Ueno Toshogu" was founded with the people of wide ranging people. Tens of thousands of people took part in the fund-raising for over one year and the construction of the monument was completed on July 21, 1990.

In commemoration of the 45th year of the A-bomb tragedies, a flame of Hiroshima was taken from Hoshino-mura and lit at the monument on August 6, and a flame of Nagasaki, generated by the friction of Nagasaki roofing tiles, was also added to the monument.

We hereby pledge to keep burning the A-bomb flame, convinced that this monument should contribute to strengthening the worldwide people's movement to abolish nuclear weapons and achieve peace, which is the most urgent task for the people across the borders.

August 1990
Association for the Flame of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Lit at the Ueno Toshogu

Here is an Eyewitness Account of Hiroshima by Father John A. Siemes, professor of modern philosophy at Tokyo's Catholic University:

http://www.atomicarchive.com/Docs/Hiroshima/Hiroshima_Siemes.shtml

Sashiko Journal Quilt

2010-07-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

This piece of sashiko is going to be the "Japan" part of my 2010 holiday set of journal quilts. I've done "Singapore" and "North Island, New Zealand" which you can see in progress by clicking on those two places. The project will also include the miniature "Storm at Sea" quilt that I started at the Timaru Quilters' Gathering.
I stitched this using Susan Fletcher's method of applying the design with vilene on the back of the work, as we did with her "Dragonfly Over Diamond Waves" tutorial.

The journal quilt is very much in the style of Sylvia Pippen, with the flowers appliqued onto the panel after fussy-cutting them from some Japanese fabric.

I wanted to use flowers to represent the wonderful plants and colour we enjoyed in Tokyo (even though we missed the cherry blossom). Here is a picture of the azaleas in bloom at the Nezu shrine.

Yanaka - Shogun Clocks and the Cemetery

2010-07-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

My Visit to Japan - 7

While I was in Tokyo earlier this year I walked through the Yanaka Cemetery. I was heading for Ueno and then onwards for Fabric Town but the journey became a delightful destination in its own right.
This wasn't a morbid fascination with the dead but rather a glimpse of old Edo and Buddhist traditions. It was a scenic walk with wonderful trees, flowers and wildlife.
A sudden crashing in the trees saw an enormous raven (or crow, I'm not sure) picking up a polysytrene tray of leftover food and taking it to the top of a nearby tree where it proceeded to feast on a free takeaway breakfast. People are going to wonder how the tray got into the top of the tree.
Although there were several guided tours taking place in the cemetery it still retained a tranquil atmosphere and a reverent calm and between the trees it was possible to enjoy the cool shadows as the day's heat built up in the city.

Yanaka is one of Tokyo's oldest cemeteries and has approximately 7,000 tombs, including those of very important families and shoguns, and its own police station. The last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, also known as Keiki, is buried there. The central path is bordered with cherry trees which would be a fantastic sight when they are in blossom in April - I was too late sadly. The graves have markers, Sotoba　卒塔婆 , pronounced stupa, which are erected shortly after the funeral and show the person's new, posthumous name. These may be added to on anniversaries or at certain memorial services. They appear to remain in place at the tomb and look (sorry for my irreverence) like giant wooden lollysticks but with beautiful calligraphy.

In the vicinity of the Yanaka Cemetery is the Tenno-ji Buddhist temple and a few shops selling Buddhist religious objects and the amazing Daimyo Clock Museum. Here Al and I felt remarkably brave. It was on our first venturing from our ryokan that we visited this small but fascinating museum. It appeared to be within a private house, reached through the owner's garden and with no signage! At the door was a rack of slippers and we gathered, from watching other visitors, that we needed to change from our outdoor shoes and into a pair of slippers. We would have learned a lot more if we could read Japanese but Al knows enough about old clocks to be spellbound with the display of clocks from the 17th century onwards.
Clock museum shows passage of time | The Japan Times Online

Don't Forget A Hanky

2010-07-24T06:56:00.001-07:00

There is a very interesting post on Ojisanjake's blog
"More Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan"
a fabric installation made of 53, 000 handkerchiefs. I love the textures created by the folding and knotting.

Sashiko Online Tutorial - Finished

2010-07-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days off I finished my sashiko dragonfly at the beginning of this evening's Friday Night Sew-In and so here is a picture of it. I stitched the dragonfly following Susan's instructions and then added the beads. I decided against variegated thread for the dragonfly (although I did buy some) and used the short bugle beads. There are loads of 'mistakes' but I am pleased with my "dragonfly over diamond waves" and would like to thank Susan Fletcher at Sashiko Stitchers for this great tutorial and to all of you for stitching along with me, it's been fun.
When you have finished your own dragonfly please comment with a link to a photo of it on your blog or email me a photo, I'd love to see a weyr of dragonflies. You will have read in Susan's final newsletter on this tutorial that she is planning a new sashiko tutorial in the autumn. I'm going to save my piece in the hope of creating a sashiko "sampler", what will you do with yours?
Please take a look at Susan Briscoe's comments on my previous post, she has given us lots of additional tips, particularly for getting the meeting points correct, thank you Susan. Susan's own work is superb, have a look at her website and her blog, Sashiko and other Stitching.

Sashiko Online Tutorial 3

2010-07-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

My 'diamond waves' are coming along quite nicely and I'm feeling really relaxed while I stitch. If I want to get stressed I could worry that my junctions are not consistent. Sometimes I have a T-junction and sometimes there's a space. All in all I'm quite happy though and while I was stitching (is there such a word as "sashikoing" I wonder )and my mind was wandering, I started to think about beads. Susan has mentioned that we might add beads...
So here are some I am considering:

Not the best photo but it is good enough to see how a scattering of seaspray beading would look above the diamond waves. The crystals are sadly too large as I love the way they reflect the light. At the moment I'm thinking I'll either use the clear glass, silver lined beads (top right) or the square glass irridescent beads (bottom centre). What do you think?
I am also wondering whether I would like to stitch my dragonfly in a variegated thread. I'm using DMC no.8 coton perle in white for the waves. I prefer this to the "proper" sashiko cotton from Olympus as I like the sheen it has and I also find it sews more smoothly. Maybe a variegated dragonfly would be over egging this lovely design...
The most important thing I have learned with today's sashikoing is to leave those little loops of extra thread when I change stitching direction, it is amazing how quickly they get taken up as I smooth my work out. Without those loops my waves would be all puckered up.

Sashiko Online Tutorial 2

2010-07-17T01:37:00.000-07:00

How are you all getting on? I think Susan's tutorials are very detailed, the photos are so useful and I'm really enjoying the extra information about the history of sashiko that she's giving us. In the third tutorial Susan discusses thimbles so, just for fun, I've added a little poll to the right hand bar of my blog.

I've stitched my border:

the back,

with that little extra loop left on the corner to prevent puckering - a really good tip, after stitching carefully to make the corners right the last thing we want is for it to be pulled out of alignment.

The front,

and I have to admit to finding it difficult to work from the back. I kept forgetting the small stitch should be on the back (front, where I was working) and the large on the front (back, where I couldn't see). I'm starting to get used to it though and certainly finding the support of the interfacing very helpful. My stitch lengths vary but I'm hanging on to Sue's comment that

We've got all weekend to stitch the diagonal lines on the 'dragonfly over diamond waves' design and by the time we get the next tutorial and start on the dragonfly I think I'll be very happy with my stitching - practice makes perfect after all. Have a lovely weekend and I'm looking forward to hearing from you all.

Sashiko Online Tutorial 1

2010-07-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't order the whole "Dragon Over Diamond Waves" kit from Susan as I have most of the equipment for the project already. Then, when I read the email that came yesterday with the first part of the tutorial I realised that I didn't have the pattern! I contacted Susan by email who quickly added a download option to her website and within a short while I had a .pdf winging its little way through cyberspace and into my laptop! Clever eh?
This is already proving to be an interesting tutorial as Susan instructed us to trace the pattern onto interfacing and then iron it to the back of our sashiko fabric. Previously I have marked the fabric directly with a white pen. For this method I used a permanent black marker - the kind I use for writing quilt labels (or used to use for writing names in my children's school kit, although things still vanished into the bottomless pit that is either the lost property box or their bedrooms). By using a permanent ink I'm hoping it won't rub off on the white thread and make a mess of my sashiko.

My dragonfly seems to be the opposite way around to the illustration on the tutorial email, not that it really matters but I keep reading through and don't think I've gone wrong already. I'm waiting now for tutorial two and itching to get stitching!

Sashiko Online Tutorial

2010-07-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Have you got all your materials together for Sue's sashiko online class? This is what we need and the class starts on Wednesday. The step by step tutorial comes in a course of emails.
So far Teresa, Patchwork Rose, and Jenni will be sashiko-ing along with Sue and me (and lots of other people signed up to the Sashiko Stitcher Newsletter). It's not too late to sign up here with us or with Sue. Read here for all the information.

the materials list:

-22 x 16 inch piece of 100% cotton, navy or indigo blue
-12 x 18 inches white lightweight fusible interfacing
-#5 perle cotton thread or sashiko thread
-sashiko needle
-thimble (optional)
-seed beads and bead needle (optional)
-scissors, iron, ruler and a dark color fine tip permanent fabric marking pen

As well as the tutorial Sue promises some history and tidbits too, should be fun. See you on Wednesday.

V&A Images

2010-07-09T01:03:00.000-07:00

This lovely image of a woman showing fabric samples is available from the V&A isn't she lovely?

A Delightful Gift

2010-07-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I received a parcel from Jenni in Australia. I knew what it was immediately, see "blogger bearing gifts" and opened the parcel in great anticipation. This is what I found:

As well as sending me a gorgeous kimono Jenni had included some lovely handmade items and the kimono was in its original wrapping. This is lovely Japanese paper which has a fibrous texture and seems to have threads through it. I want to do something with the paper but don't know just what yet.
The kimono was much more lovely than I expected. Jenni's photo on her blog (which is actually a better photo than mine for showing the whole kimono) led me to expect a turquoise and cream or grey fabric but it is actually much more silver in colour, really lovely.

I've taken a few photos to try and show you the fabric and also the amazingly neat handstitching:

The kimono is unlined and a lightweight fabric and I'm going to wear it as a summer robe for a while and really enjoy it. I now need to keep my side of the bargain and parcel up some goodies for Jenni in exchange for the kimono. I'm sending some of the fabric I bought in Tokyo and some other surprises, so watch out for the postman Jenni. Isn't blogging great? I cannot imagine this swap happening in any other way, thanks Jenni.

I recently bought this book in my quest to learn more about Japan and Japanese culture.

I'll share some gems from it when I've read it but at the moment I'm catching up with my reading of Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts novels, far more suitable for a hot summer's day.

Sashiko Tutorial

2010-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have been promising a Sashiko Tutorial for a while and today this popped into my email inbox from About Furoshiki

FREE ONLINE CLASS

Beginning July 14, 2010

NEW: We are beginning an online project to teach sashiko stitching. This is an absolute beginners tutorial, but will be enjoyable for any skill level. We will walk you through making an 11 x 17 inch sashiko stitched project called dragonfly over diamond waves. The tutorial is free. The starting date is July 14, 2010. The tutorial will be delivered through our Sashiko Stitchers newsletter and will include step by step how to, along with interesting history and tidbits about sashiko. Register by signing up for our newsletter at www.sashikostitchers.com or by emailing me sue@aboutfuroshiki.com

Rather than me reinventing the wheel and writing a tutorial I thought it would be a lovely idea if we all followed this one together, it's a gorgeous sashiko design for summer. We have a couple of weeks to get fabric and threads together and don't have to work at the same pace. If you like the idea, sign up below and add the button (right) to your blog. Who's in?

Blogger Bearing Gifts

2010-06-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am so fortunate to be receiving a wonderful kimono from Jenni, we just have to work out the swap details but do pop over to her post and see what will be coming my way soon.

Japanese Cranes

2010-06-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

My Visit to Japan - 6

I've just spent the weekend in Norfolk where I was delighted to read about the successful breeding of a pair of Japanese Cranes (or Red-Crowned Cranes). You can read the whole story from the EDP (Eastern Daily Press) here:
Meet the rare birds with eggs the size of rugby balls - Norfolk News - EDP24
The Japanese crane is a symbol of good luck in Japan and a mystical creature. We were delighted to have origami cranes on our pillows when we stayed in Tokyo recently.

There's an easy to follow How-to fold an origami crane here

There is an ancient Japanese legend that promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted their wish and strings of folded paper cranes are often seen on shrines and memorials such as this one Eternal flame of peace, Toshogu shrine, Tokyo (more about that in a later post).

I also saw strings of origami cranes in Singapore, on the altar at the Changi chapel, and they are recognised as a sign of the worldwide desire for peace.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a non-fiction children's book written by American author Eleanor Coerr and published in 1977.
The story is of a girl, Sadako Sasaki, who lived in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing by the United States. She developed leukemia from the radiation and spent her time in a nursing home folding paper cranes in hope of making a thousand, which supposedly would have allowed her to make one wish, which was to live. However, she managed to fold 644 before she became too weak to fold any more, and died shortly after. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes which was buried with Sadako and build a statue of Sadako holding a giant golden paper crane in Hiroshima Peace Park after she died. Now every year on O Bon Day, which is a holiday in Japan to remember the fallen ones of the bombings, thousand of people leave paper cranes near the statue. On the statue is a plaque: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth."
The book has been translated to many languages and published in many places, to be used for peace education programs in primary schools. (Taken from Wikipedia)

More Eye Candy

2010-06-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Three great posts on blogs today about a visit to Ziguzagu in Melbourne by Lee, Jacky and my lovely friend, Nat and the shop, which specialises in Japanese goodies is on the web here - Ziguzagu

Sashiko Eye Candy

2010-06-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have just found a blog, Sri Threads, with some wonderful examples of sashiko to enjoy. Some of the images loaded a little slowly (or it might be me!) but they were well worth waiting for. I think I need to make a nice cup of tea and sit down with my laptop and go back into the blog archives to view such delights as a sashiko stitched noragi stitching over shibori There are some very utilitarian examples - which is what sashiko was in the beginning after all - and some very intricate, decorative pieces of work, all a joy to behold and a source of infinite inspiration.

Oh my goodness, I've just been clicking around and found that Sri sells things! Go and have a look at their website , as well as books and textiles to buy there is a wealth of background information on Japan and Japanese textiles. Enjoy!

It's Arrived

2010-06-07T01:34:00.000-07:00

The copy of Jill Liddell's wonderful, "The Story of the Kimono" has arrived, all the way from the US of A! I've been trying to get a copy, at a sensible price, for a long time since Jenni Dobson recommended it and am so excited to finally have one. The book was published in 1989 by E. P. Dutton and the ISBN is 0-525-24574-X. Here are a couple of pictures from the glorious inside, when I've read it I'll write more.

The Sewing

2010-05-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

Seeing the lovely postcard on Susan's blog reminded me of this postcard, The Sewing, that I saw for sale on ebay and didn't buy. Never mind, it is lovely though.

Living Crafts in Tokyo

2010-05-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

My Visit to Japan - 5

One of the things I did during my recent few days in Tokyo was visit the Edo Shitamachi Traditional Craft Museum. "Shitamachi" translates as down town (thank you Auberginefleur at Japan Now & Then).
Unfortunately, on the day I visited, there were no craftspeople working there (demonstrations of craftmaking by artisans take place on the ground floor every Saturday and Sunday) but I was able to enjoy the showroom of Japanese crafts which is upstairs in this building at 2-22-13 Asakusa, Taito-ku which is a 12 minute walk (or, in my case an hour and a half wander) from the Tokyo-Metro Asakusa Station and is marked on most tourist maps of the Asakusa (a -sock-sa) area. It is down a shopping arcade that looks very unlikely but if you miss it you'll come out at a large set of traffic lights on the main Kototoi Dori so just turn around a try again! Asakusa is a great area to wander aimlessly and one of the best places in Tokyo to put away your map and guidebook and just see what you find.
The museum is open daily between 10am - 8pm and admission is free. There is also a self-selection video player where you can watch films of craftspeople at work. I enjoyed seeing a video of some very detailed glass cutting but of course the commentary was in Japanese.

The Edo Shitamachi Traditional Crafts Museum displays traditional crafts from a wide variety of materials using skills and techniques developed from the old Edo period. The gallery was opened to preserve and popularize traditional crafts while promoting them as a viable industry. There are approximately 400 items on display from fifty different craft disciplines. These include work in tortoiseshell, lacquerwork, knives, fans, lanterns, brushes, gold leaf work, detailed wooden furniture, and paintings. You cannot buy directly from the museum but the staff are able to direct you appropriate artisans if you are interested and there are leaflets available (in English) giving some information about the crafts and craftspeople.

Kimono

2010-05-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

My Visit to Japan - 4

I was delighted to find that a lot of ladies in Tokyo wear kimono, maybe not every day but certainly not only on high days and holidays. I tried to take some photographs without being intrusive, sometimes with less success than at other times. This photo above was my first attempt. I was delighted to see the two young ladies but not very quick with my camera and only just caught them as they went off down the road.

At the Nezu Shrine there were ladies dressed in kimono for part of the festivities but I caught them "backstage"

and near the shrine there was a shop selling new and used kimono which these ladies were considering to add to their collections:

I love this photograph and the way it shows the traditional and the modern sides of Japan. The lady in her beautiful kimono is using her mobile phone while she waits for the metro train. I hope she wouldn't mind that I took her photo but after that I decided to stop sneaking around behind my camera.

I attended a shamisen (three-stringed instrument) concert where lots of the performers and the audience were in kimono

and there were two beautiful ladies in full geisha kimono dancing and singing

and so I approached one lady and asked if she minded if I took her photograph. Not only did she not mind but she explained that her kimono was decorated with Japanese theatrical masks.

Doesn't she look elegant? She then suggested that we have our photo taken together - hmm, I don't look quite as elegant!

My first post on this blog was about a Quilters' Guild Area Day that I attended in Fleggburgh, Norfolk when Jenni Dobson was the guest speaker. At that meeting Jenni gave a "live insight" into the kimono which was spellbinding and incredibly instructive.

Kimono literally translates as garment and is worn as a series of layers and ties, all with particular significance. Now that Japan has become more westernised kimono are more often worn for festive occasions, to visit shrines and for weddings. I suppose that's in a similar way to the Scots wearing their traditional kilts.

Kimono are made of fabric 13-14" wide and approximately 15 yards long. Kimono are unstitched to be cleaned and to be stored and the Japanese show "respect for the selvedges" - no material is actually cut away during the making and as they are often passed on they can be made larger for the next wearer if necessary. The Japanese also believe that any element used to make the kimono becomes part of the garment and should not be taken away - so any tacking will be found remaining in the finished garment.
I recently found a poignant post about the discoveries made when taking a kimono apart, you can read it on Heather's blog.

It was wonderful on that occasion in Norfolk to have the opportunity to examine some kimono at close quarters and see how they had been stitched. It was even more wonderful to be in Japan and see kimono being worn.

Jenni Dobson recommended "The Story of the Kimono" by Jill Liddell for anyone wishing to learn even more and I have finally tracked down a copy (it's out of print and ridiculous prices are asked for it on the various book seller sites I've tried previously) which is on the way from America at this very moment. I look forward to sharing it with you when it arrives. In the meantime there's a great website with loads of information about kimono that you might like to look at, it's www.japanesekimono.com

Temari and Thimbles

2010-05-23T02:16:00.000-07:00

I had this very exciting package all the way from Japan on Friday - excellent service too as I only placed the order from Chloe Patricia on Sunday 16 May.

Lovely Nat had given me the information about these wonderful Japanese thimbles and also a link to making the bases myself

Making A Thimble Base
and this is what I ordered:

I'm going to make a Japanese silk thimble and a pin cushion. I'm a little bit nervous about it - it looks very fiddley - but the instructions are good and clear. I'll keep you informed with my progress.
In the meantime, if you want to see some gorgeous examples of woven thimbles, go to Temari Train, Debi's work is absolutely stunning.

Temari balls are an folk art form that originated in China and were introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. The balls were originally made by mothers and grandmothers for the children to play with ...http://www.temarikai.com/

The photos of temari above are from the fantastic website http://www.temarikai.com/ which has a wealth of information, illustrations, tutorials and links and is well worth a serious browse.

And the winner is...

2010-05-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Many, many thanks to everybody who visited during the SMS Giveaway Day. I really enjoyed reading all 158 of your comments and I was delighted that so many people signed up to follow Sashiko Started It.
I know some people became followers to gain an additional entry in the giveaway and that's fine but I hope most of you will stay around and enjoy what I've got to share about my journey with Japanese textiles, sewing techniques and the whole of the country of Japan itself.
I would love to hear from you about your knowledge and experiences in those areas too, maybe you'd like to feature as a "Guest Blogger" on here?

Anyway, enough words and on to the results. I asked my scrumptious grandson, Sam, to pick a winner out of my magic sashiko bag

and the name he pulled out is, "Look, Nanny, look...

...it's BEE DAMON!"

Bee Damon said...: Why I'd like to visit Japan? Well, if I had to count all the reasons, we'd still be sitting here without getting any sleep 8D No, really. I've been interested in most Asian cultures since I was a little lad. Among the things I like most about Japan would be the food - as a vegetarian in Germany (Where meat is like... daily food) I found some Japanese dishes to be fresh and tasty for me. So when I finally get to visit Japan, I will eat out and enjoy it. =) And I absolutely love your giveaway! I'm not letting my thumbs go until the 20th! 8D

Congratulations Bee Damon, please get in touch by email and let me have your postal address and I'll get your goodie parcel in the post immediately.
And very many thanks again to everybody who took part, I hope you had a lot of fun even if you didn't win, I know I did. A big thank you too to Sewmamasew too for organising the whole thing so well.

Thank You To Everybody Who Visited Me Here

2010-05-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Note from Lis added 21 May: Please note that my SMS Giveaway (please scroll down or click here to have a look) is now closed and I will be announcing the winner this morning, Friday 21 May.

Thank you to everyone who visited here, left lovely comments and signed up as followers. I have been absolutely blown away with the number of comments I have received, it makes me feel really good inside. I hope I managed to email you all individually to say thank you but I have been amazed at how many visitors I've had and might have missed somebody out or not been able to find an email for you (although I tried even if you were a 'no-reply blogger'). It has been wonderful to read all your ideas about Japan and to read your compliments about my blog, thank you.
I hope you enjoy the things I'll be adding in the future, including more information about my recent visit to Tokyo, the projects I have for the fabric I bought there and something about the traditions and culture of the wonderful country of Japan. Of course I'll also be announcing the winner of my giveaway on 21st May, here on this blog.

Sewmamasew's giveaway day was a lot of fun and if, like me, you've spent a lot of time rushing around the web signing up for all the gorgeous giveaways I hope you'll come back and browse through Sashiko Started It at leisure.

You may be interested to know that I have another blog where I share my non-Japanese quilty work and my musings on life in Lincolnshire, it's Online Quilting. The next big event happening there is the Blogger's Quilt Festival which starts on Friday (which is also Friday Night Sew-In so it'll be a fun and quilty day). A lot of the blogs I've visited during Giveaway Day were fairly new ones so I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage those new bloggers to carry on blogging, it is amazing where it can lead.

Giveaway Day - 17th May

2010-05-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

Note from Lis, added 21 May: this giveaway is now closed.

Thank you for visiting my blog, welcome,

ようこそ私のブログに yōkoso watashi no buroguni

and good luck in the giveaway. Sewmamasew has organised this great Giveaway Day and I'm offering a collection of yummy items as my first ever giveaway on this blog - there's sure to be something you'd like in the parcel of goodies that could be heading your way. See below for up to three chances to be the winner.

The first item in the giveaway is this gorgeous Japanese drawstring bag made from recycled kimono fabric.

I have used beads to make a thimble-keeper for the lucky winner.

I'm sure this stunning Japanese-style fabric from Robert Kaufmann in green and gold with wonderful dragons adorning it will inspire a great project.

Plus

Also included in the Giveaway Goodie Parcel will be a lovely pattern for a 50" x 50" quilt, "Circle Kaleidoscope" from Obsession 2 Quilt www.obsession2quilt.co.nz , a packet of self-threading needles which are very useful for sewing in ends of thread and a selection of other surprises for the lucky winner.

What do you have to do?

My giveaway is open until 20th May and I'll contact the winner after that and post these goodies before 24th May so you'll know when to start looking out for the postman! Don't hesitate to enter if you live outside England, I'm very happy to post internationally.

You could have a maximum of three chances to win:

If you're already a follower you automatically get one extra entry as a special thank you from me.

Leave a comment on this post and tell me why you'd like to visit Japan and you get one entry. Or if you live in Japan please tell me the thing I must do or see when I next visit Japan for one entry.

All the comments and followers will be printed out and then the winner drawn from my magic sashiko bag! Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you.
Thank you for joining me on my blog, enjoy the rest of today's Giveaways and Happy Quilting, love Lis xx

Amazing Artwork

2010-05-15T02:24:00.000-07:00

I was sent these images in an email from a friend and was so amazed I first checked them out and found similar reporting at The Daily Telegraph website (so it must be true!) and then had to share them. Thanks Cyril for the email, this artwork is stunning. Now I have to go to Japan in the summer to see the paddy field art as well as going in the spring to see the sakura blossom!!

Planting rice paddy fields in Japan.

Stunning crop art has sprung up across rice fields in Japan ,

but this is no alien creation.

The designs have been cleverly PLANTED!
Farmers creating the huge displays use no ink or dye.

Instead, different colour rice plants

have been precisely and strategically arranged

and grown in the paddy fields.
As summer progresses and the plants shoot up,

the detailed artwork begins to emerge.

The farmers create the murals

by planting little purple and yellow-leafed Kodaimai rice

along with their local green-leafed Tsugaru, a Roman variety,

to create the coloured patterns

in the time between planting and harvesting in September.

Rice-paddy art was started in 1993

as a local revitalisation project,

an idea that grew from meetings of the village committees.

The different varieties of rice plants

grow alongside each other to create the masterpieces.
In the first nine years,

the village office workers and local farmers

grew a simple design of Mount Iwaki every year.
But their ideas grew more complicated and attracted more attention.

This photo was taken in Inakadate , Japan .

The murals in Inakadate cover 15,000 square metres of paddy fields.

In 2005,

agreements between landowners

allowed the creation of enormous rice paddy art.
A year later,

organizers used computers

to precisely plot the planting of four differently coloured rice varieties

that bring the images to life!

TRULY A WORK OF ART!!

Fabric Shopping in Tokyo

2010-05-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

My Visit to Japan - Part 3

There is a whole area of Tokyo devoted to the sale of fabric and related items. I did some research before my trip to Japan and knew the route to Fabric Town thanks to Marceline and Suzy but when I arrived in Japan on 2nd May I was more than a little worried when a lady in the tourist information office at Narita Airport told me it was Golden Week and all the shops would be closed. She even took the time to look up Tomato (online shop in Japanese at http://www.nippori-tomato.com/tomato/index.html ), one of the main fabric stores in Nippori, Fabric Town, on the internet for me, and confirmed that it would be closed.

Golden Week is a series of National holidays including Otoko No Hi - Boys' Day - when the carp, a symbol of masculine attributes including strength, features in banners and kites - koino-bori. We found that a lot of the shops near our ryokan were open on that first day in Tokyo and a Japanese lady we spoke to suggested that, far from shutting down, shops, galleries and cafes stayed open during holidays to cater for visitors and to show the area at its best. I was mildly hopeful and Alan suggested we head for Nippori the following day and see if anything was happening. Bless him.

To my delight we found that a good proportion of shops in Fabric Town were open. There were shops selling clothes, leather, furnishing fabrics, dressmaking fabrics and notions. There was the most gorgeous button and bead shop off the main street

and there were shops selling kimonos and accessories

and to my relief, shops selling quilting fabrics. In retrospect it is maybe as well that Tomato, which is several floors high and has various satellite stores, was shut as I think it might have be overwhelming. As it was I was able to buy everything I wanted.

Getting to Fabric Town

I picked up a copy of the very useful guide to Fabric Town in Ryokan Sawanoya (I had been surprised that the airport tourist information office didn't have a copy) and found the correct exit from Nippori metro station from the directions Nat gave me after her recent visit to Japan. The station is shown on the map but it was good to have it confirmed, getting the correct exit from a station is the key to finding your way around in Tokyo!
We travelled to Nippori station (see my post on travelling in Tokyo) which is on the Japanese Railways JR Yamanote line (light green colour). We took the North exit from the platform and then the West exit from the main station. From there we picked up the large signs indicating Fabric Town and followed them. There are signs on the railings at waist height and banners along the street above head height. It was basically across the road and then bearing to the right. Nat told me she followed some older Japanese ladies who she thought would be heading to Fabric Street and was right! The shops don't open until 10 am so you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast before a day of shopping.

I wandered from one end of the street to the other and back again, marking on my map the shops that I intended to return to with my hot little hand full of yen (no credit cards in Nippori, take cash).

We stopped for a drink in Cafe Bird where we were presented with a menu completely written in Japanese but managed to ask for a cup of Japanese tea. The proprietor told us that tea wasn't any good and we should have coffee! So we had coffee, and very good it was too!

What I Bought

The shop where I had most success was called Tsukiyasu. I bought a lot of Japanese fabrics and two lovely panels. The fabrics were 200 yen for 0.5m which I thought was a very good price (as you can tell from the amount I bought). A lovely Japanese gentleman quietly handed me a basket to put my goodies in while I continued to choose!

The panels were 1 050 yen each and after a lot of smiling and gesticulating I found that I got an extra half panel free because of the way the fabric had been cut. Al kindly carried my haul for me - I think that's a real smile on his face as he stands outside Tsukiyasu! They could do with putting a few seating areas along Fabric Street for patient non-fabric lovers.

I hoped to buy a kimono and there were two shops open just past Tsukiyasu that had a good selection of pre-loved ones. Yamasei Shouten Y 2nd is marked on the map (number 53) and there was a second kimono shop right on the corner, just a couple of shops along. I bought a length of kimono fabric in Yamasei Shouten, about 8 feet, 13" wide and it was 500 yen.

In the shop on the corner there was a huge selection of secondhand kimono on three sides at the back of the shop, all priced at 1 050 yen which made life both easy and very difficult - how many could I get into my hand luggage, my hold luggage being full already? I was pleasantly surprised at the price and Al was, not to put too fine a point on it, gobsmacked! For the rest of our holiday he viewed everything in terms of kimono. Two coffees, 1 000 yen? You could have got a kimono for that!!
After a lot of trying on and indecision I eventually chose this gorgeous golden kimono which I am delighted with.

A Few Tips

1. The language barrier doesn't seem to be a barrier, in each shop the staff were very patient and happy to help.

2. You will need cash for shopping in Fabric Town (and in Japan generally). The assistant will usually show the amount you need to pay on a calculator display. You put your money in a small tray by the till and your receipt and change is put in the tray for you to take.

3. There were small pieces of vintage kimono for sale which seemed to be very expensive.

4. You are welcome to go into all the shops just to browse. Some of them looked a little exclusive from the outside but I was made welcome in them all.

5. It is well worth exploring the side streets off Fabric Street, there are some hidden delights to be found.

6. Prices varied more than I expected so I would suggest looking first and then returning to the shops that have what you want at a competitive price - remember to make notes on your map!

7. Allow yourself plenty of time to do your shopping and remember to keep up your fluids and sugar levels! It helps to have somebody who will carry your bags, thanks Al!

Giveaway Alert

2010-05-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

sewmamasew are organising a great Giveaway Day on 17th May so I'm going to join in and have a little giveaway on here. Watch out for more details on Monday.

Staying in Ryokan Sawanoya

2010-05-11T00:50:00.000-07:00

My Visit to Japan - Part 2

I had decided to stay in a traditional inn, a ryokan, while in Tokyo as I don't see the point of being in a foreign country and staying in an international chain hotel. After a lot of research on the internet (how did we manage without it?) I settled on the Ryokan Sawanoya as they specialise in welcoming guests from abroad and have received very good reviews in various guidebooks and on all the main websites for travellers. Mr Isao Sawa has even written a book about his experiences as an innkeeper. This picture and the extract are taken from the website:

" It was over 40 years ago that I became the master of Sawanoya, through marriage to my wife Yoneko, and a quarter of a century has passed since we began providing lodging to travelers from abroad. I’m reminded once again of how quickly time flies.

Throughout those years, my family and I have single-mindedly concentrated on providing comfortable, pleasant and reasonably priced accommodations for guests both from Japan and abroad, to make their stay in Tokyo and in Japan enjoyable. Accordingly, I had neither the opportunity nor the inclination to tell guests about Sawanoya’s and my own history, due to my sincere belief that guests should be the “stars” and the innkeeper a “supporting actor.”

But the passage of time, and the fact that next year I will be 70, made me think that it might be time to tell the story of Sawanoya, particularly to guests from abroad who have been our mainstay customers over the past few decades."

I was delighted with my choice. The Ryokan Sawanoya is in the Yanaka area of Tokyo, an area that retains a lot of traditional atmosphere and culture. It was a pleasant walk to many attractions and it was possible to borrow a bicycle had I wanted to venture further afield (and if I could ride a bike!). It was only a seven minute walk to Nezu metro station for travelling around the city.

Our room had traditional tatami - straw mat flooring, mattresses on the floor, a low table for taking Japanese tea and shoji - paper sliding screens. We were each provided with a yukata - robe and a tanzen - outer robe and sandals to wear in the ryokan, but never on the tatami. We were welcomed by an origami crane on each pillow. There is a useful and interesting guide to staying in a ryokan at the website of the Japanese Inn Group.

We were made very welcome by Mr Sawa and his family and given plenty of information to help us make the most of our stay. Even though our room (21) had its own bath we were encouraged to use the Japanese baths on the ground floor of the ryokan. Public bathing in the onsen is a Japanese tradition that encompasses people from all walks of life and has its own set of rules and rituals. At the end of a day's sightseeing and travelling on the metro it was absolute bliss to soak in a hot bath looking out at a beautiful Japanese garden, even if we did come out like yude-dako (boiled octopus)!

Tea, coffee, chilled water, cookies and internet access were all provided free of charge at Sawanoya and there were several breakfast options for reasonable cost. I was sorry that we were not there for one of the story-telling evenings or for a Tea Ceremony or a Lion Dance, we will have to stay longer next time and will be very happy to do so. We paid 10 080 yen a night for our room, a bargain in my opinion.

I noticed a very strange effect of the ryokan on me. Even though I didn't do very well, I found myself trying to be elegant in the room, walking more carefully, with smaller steps and standing upright, doing things in a more gentle way than usual. I did feel large and clumsy compared to the lovely Japanese ladies in their kimonos but I did catch the feeling of their style. "Other ryokan are available" but I cannot recommend Ryokan Sawanoya strongly enough if you want a real taste of Japanese hospitality and culture at a very reasonable cost, we will definitely stay there again when we return to Japan.

Surviving in Tokyo - Easy!

2010-05-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

My Vist to Japan - 1

I am back in England after a wonderful visit to Japan that I intend to share with you over a series of posts.
I have always wanted to go to Japan but thought it would be essential to go on an organised tour because of the language differences. Booking a trip to New Zealand I was offered the opportunity of a stopover in Tokyo and thought I'd "go for it". I am so pleased I did and in fact I wish I'd been there longer and I can't wait to return.
My main concerns with visiting Japan were communication, transport and toilets. I needn't have worried about any aspect. Of course I can't speak or read Japanese but I did learn a few basic words and my attempts to use them were very much appreciated by all the extremely friendly Japanese people I met.

Hello konnichi wa

Thank you arigato

Delicious oishii

Goodbye sayonara

A lot of pointing, smiling and gesticulating took place but we managed to communicate with each other.

The transport system in Tokyo is integrated and very efficient but appears overwhelming.

Once I had picked up a map that showed metro stations by their number and colour (all the lines are colour-coded) I was away. It was very similar to using the London Underground system only cleaner and much more efficient. I didn't attempt to use buses and I didn't travel outside the city but would be very happy to do so when I return. I got the train from Narita airport to Tokyo when I arrived in Japan and again to return to the airport. It's a journey of an hour on the Keisei Skyliner, longer on the limited express train (but cheaper) and both services run frequently and on time. The journey from Narita to Nishi-Nippori on the limited express was 1280 yen while the return from Keisei-Ueno to the airport on the Skyliner was 1920 yen. There are self-service ticket machines at all the stations and they have the option to have instructions in English but when I failed to work the machines on more than one occasion I found every station assistant I asked to be friendly, patient and helpful. I even managed to keep my train ticket for a souvenir rather than having it swallowed by a machine by asking the gentleman at the gate.

So I come to my third worry - toilets. I had read on the internet about Japanese-style squatting toilets and the associated rules such as changing into slippers to use them. Every public toilet I visited had one or two of these toilets but also Western-style toilets too. In fact they were better than the toilets I am used to. They have warmed seats, built in bidets and even music! Bliss! I couldn't resist taking a picture of the one in the ryokan where I stayed, Ryokan Sawanoya.

I feel quite pleased with myself that I successfully got around, made myself understood (after a fashion) and saw and did the things I wanted to in Tokyo and I would urge anyone thinking of going to Japan independently but feeling a little trepidation about it to go for it. I can't wait to go back and have a long "next time" list already.

Hari-kuyo

2010-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Today, 8th February, is Hari-kuyo in Japan, which I posted about earlier and Debbie has a great article about this Japanese broken needle festival, with photographs, at stitchtress. Well worth a look.

Susan Briscoe's Japanese Design Sources

2010-01-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Susan Briscoe, my main source of help for things sashiko-based (her books are wonderful) has written a very useful post on Japanese Design Sources which can be found here

http://susanbriscoe.blogspot.com/2010/01/japanese-design-sources-for-theming.html

There's a lot of information about using kamon and about using festivals as a starting point and a lovely warning about getting kanji correct.

Western Sashiko?

2010-01-20T06:21:00.000-08:00

I'm using sashiko-style stitching on a wallhanging with no Japanese flavour at all. Please have a look on my quilting blog, Online Quilting and let me have your thoughts about this combination of styles.

Furoshiki demonstration

2010-01-19T02:34:00.000-08:00

This great little video is on YouTube and shows the Furoshiki store, Kakefuda Kyoto.

Furoshiki are such a good, and green idea. I shall be using one to wrap small items in my luggage when I travel and will aim to use them instead of wrapping paper at Christmas and for birthday gifts.

Tokyo Great International Quilt Festival 2010

2010-01-17T03:28:00.000-08:00

Jennifer at Moving Hands has been posting a wonderful selection of photographs of quilts on display at the Tokyo Great International Quilt Festival 2010 both on her blog and in her flickr album (73 photographs and counting). Today she features a quilt made by Miyoko Murata with enough detailing to keep you looking and surprised at what you find forever.
I have found it very interesting to note while looking at the quilts that while not many of them are overtly Japanese, they are obviously not Western. I can't pinpoint what it is. There is a fantastic range of colours although it would be fair to say that indigos and taupes dominate, there is a complete range of styles and methods although I noticed particularly how much hand-piecing there was, but maybe because I like it myself. If you go over to Jennifer's site and have a look please let me know your thoughts.

Japanese Sewing Terms

2010-01-13T05:34:00.000-08:00

Marissa at Quilt Otaku sent me to Jennifer at Moving Hands who will be attending Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2010 at the Tokyo Dome and posting photos for those of us unable to attend. Looking at Jennifer's blog I found her fantastic list of Japanese Sewing and Pattern Terms, what a great resource.

布: fabric

I needed to install Japanese on my computer to read it properly (all I was getting was little boxes with numbers in them). This was easy: Control Panel - Regional and Language Options - Languages - check box to "Install files for East Asian Languages" - Apply
The Tokyo Quilt Show is on from 15th - 23rd January 2010.

Shibori Dragon

2010-01-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

This is not a recommendation but I have just found this website Shibori Dragon and they have a good range of Japanese fabrics, kits and patterns. They have the Sylvia Pippen patterns I have been coveting too. This is from the website home page and I think I will be exploring the site further, particularly when (if) the UK pound gets a bit stronger:

Shibori Dragon ®
Your complete source for Asian Quilting Fabrics,
and Wearable Art with an Asian Flair.

GORGEOUS ASIAN FABRICS, TRADITIONAL JAPANESE
FABRICS AND SASHIKO FOR ALL YOUR QUILTING &
SEWING PROJECTS.

SPECIALIZING IN SASHIKO PATTERNS, SAMPLERS,
THREAD, NOTIONS, FABRICS, KITS & BOOKS -
We have the largest Sashiko selection on the internet!

To read our latest on-line newsletter, just click on the envelope.

11124 Gravelly Lake Drive SW
Lakewood, WA 98499

Shop Phone: (253) 582-7455

E-Mail: shiboridragon@juno.com

Silk Samples

2009-12-18T02:15:00.000-08:00

This is the lovely little kimono silk sample card I received from Kimono Flea Market:

Exciting Delivery from Japan

2009-12-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

This is what arrived for me this morning, it looks exciting doesn't it? I placed an order with Ichiro and Yuka Wada at Kimono Flea Market in Osaka, Japan a little while ago and my goodies arrived today. Ichiro and Yuka deal in used and vintage Japanese clothing. Just looking at their website is a fascinating experience, they add new items to their lists daily and these include kimono, obi (belts), haori (jackets), michiyuki (coats) and even jyuban (undies). There are also wonderful bolts of kimono fabrics and samples for sale. Prices vary from about $20 (US) to thousands of dollars for museum quality items. Every item is photographed in detail and all areas of staining or wear are clearly highlighted.

I was very pleased with the service I received - the day after completing my order I saw another item I fancied and put an order in for it. I immediately received an email from Yuka asking whether I wanted to combine the two orders, thereby saving on postage costs. The items arrived well packed in tissue, and included a little sampler pack of the various fabrics used for kimono. I will certainly be using Kimono Flea Market again. My original thought was that if the items were disappointing at least I'd have an amount of silk that I could cut up and use in quilting projects. In fact they are even better than they appeared on the website and I will be wearing the haori and expecting a lot of appreciative comments.

So, this is what I bought. Firstly, length of silk dyed in the traditional shibori method, listed as

Exotic Shibori Seigaiha Pattern Vintage Kimono Fabric

Item	Fabric
History	vintage
Fabric	silk
Price	$18.00

This is a fabric of a kimono from pre WWII. It has exotic 'seigaiha'(wave) pattern, which is dyed with shibori technique.
Textile is rinzu silk and has soft touch.
There are some flaws as in the photos.

The fabric measures 35cm x 125cm and here's a close up of the design:

I also bought two haori - jackets. This is the first which is silk and very soft, it was $18 and its condition described as "very good".

Here's a close up of the lovely fabric and you can see the colours more clearly:

and here's a close up of the front and the fastening and you can see the interesting lining:

The second haori, is in gorgeous autumnal colours and was listed as:

Contemporary Haori Charming Dyed Pattern
Item No	#172664
Item	Haori
History	quite new
Condition	excellent
Fabric	silk
Technique	dyed
Price	$20.00

This is a contemporary haori and has charming dyed pattern. Textile is exquisite silk, and has very soft touch.
It is in excellent condition.

Here's a close up of the fabric:

And as an extra bonus the thank you slip in with the parcel had been personalised, so here's my name in Japanese:

Eye Candy and More

2009-11-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

A lovely new book arrived with the postman this morning and so my day is sorted out - do the chores and then settle in front of the fire to enjoy Kitty Pippen's "Quilting with Japanese Fabrics". The book has lots of photos of Kitty's wonderful work, plenty of background, patterns and templates and is going to be such an inspiration. Her work is what I am hoping to achieve - a combination of traditional fabrics, techniques and stitchery, with a modern, and possibly more Western, overall design. I want to use sashiko stitching with oriental fabrics, indigo and taupe with scarlet....

Shopping Guide

2009-11-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

An online guide to shopping in Tokyo has been written by "Asking for Trouble" and is one I am going to print out and read at leisure and probably take with me :)

Hari-kuyo and Respect for Selvedges

2009-11-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have found out some wonderful cultural traditions related to sewing in Japan.
The first relates to making kimono and is known as "respect for the selvedges". No material is cut away when making garments, the lengths of fabric are therefore kept intact and the item can more easily be remade for another person.
If any tacking is needed when making a garment it will be left in place in the finished item - if it is needed to make the garment it must be a valuable part of the garment.
When kimono are laundered they are taken apart. When clean they are remade, using the same thread through the same holes.
Finally, I have just read about Hari-kuyo. This is a festival which takes place in at shrines in Japan on
8th February annually and translates as the "festival of broken needles". Women would take a break from their daily work to show their gratitude and respect to old, broken and rusty needles, usually by putting them to rest in a bed of tofu. Ladies are also able to "bury" their secrets with their needles. Some photographs and more details can be found here and here.

Japan Folk Crafts Museum

2009-11-04T00:32:00.000-08:00

Some of the examples of sashiko we saw in York last week were from the Japan Mingekan - Folk Craft Museum in Tokyo so that is going on my list of places to visit. The website (where this photograph and the following details are taken from) has some fantastic textiles in its gallery photographs. The museum is at

4-3-33 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-0041
TEL: 03-3467-4527
DIRECTIONS
Take the Inokashira Line from Shibuya Station (make sure not to get on an express) and get off at the second stop, Komaba-Todaimae Station. Walk out of the station and under the tracks and turn left. Follow that road until it curves to the right, about a seven-minute walk. The Mingeikan will be on your right.

Inside the main Museum is the Museum Shop, where visitors can purchase a wide variety of mingei products.

Japanese Sashiko Textiles at York Art Gallery

2009-11-01T04:41:00.000-08:00

There is a fantastic exhibition, curated by Michele Walker, of Japanese Sashiko at the Art Gallery in York until January 2010 and I visited last week and cannot commend it to you enough. Al came with me and he too was fascinated by the textiles and the sashiko process and particularly that the garments were "real" - fishermen's jackets, fireman's clothes, coats made at home, worn, repaired and valued. Photography was not allowed but a pdf copy of the detailed information on display with the items can be downloaded here and the exhibits seen online here . There is also an article, "Function and Beauty of Kogin" by the curator of the International Christian University Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum, Reiko Hara. At www.sashiko.org.uk you can find details of where the exhibition will move to after it leaves York in January. Admission to the York Art Gallery is free and there is a lovely cafe in the foyer where we enjoyed pumpkin soup!

Ryokan booked

2009-10-22T02:37:00.000-07:00

I have booked our stay at Ryokan Sawanoya so that we will get a good dose of Japanese culture during our stay, really looking forward to being there. We'll be in a tatami room and be able to enjoy bathing, Japanese-style. I just hope we follow the rules ok and don't offend anyone!

Where to stay?

2009-10-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to choose accommodation for our stopover visit to Japan next year. It's so difficult to know what and where to go for but I have narrowed it down to Ueno/Asakusa area (take a look at the map, you'll notice the proximity of interesting things like shrines and gardens!!) and I've emailed a selection of places - including a traditional ryokan which I'm most excited about - why go to Japan and stay in an international chain hotel with a load of tourists?

Links

2009-10-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

These are some links I've been given to have a good look at with a view to buying fabric in Japan - as if I have any intentions of doing that!

http://floatingworld.typepad.com/floating_world_views/2007/05/fabric_shopping.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+33685

http://feisty-elle.livejournal.com/51194.html

Japan Now & Then

http://konabayfabrics.blogspot.com/

How Sashiko Started It

2009-10-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

I did a sashiko taster workshop in Norfolk last weekend and am absolutely hooked. I have always had an interest in things Japanese but no great understanding of the country, the culture or the people, and as for the language....
My little piece of sashiko was designed by the worskhop tutor, Jenni Dobson, herself a veritable expert on things Japanese, and is a little pin cushion with a furoshiki - a wrapping cloth - which has been stitched in sashiko - little stabs - style. It is a long way from perfect but I am delighted with it.
I am at last fulfilling an ambition and visiting Japan. We are staying in Tokyo next year and it will only be a taster visit but I'm very excited about it and want to make the most of it. This blog is the story of both my trip to Japan and my journey with Japanese textiles.

Sashiko Started It

Please come with me....

A Letter from Sendai

Quilt Appeal for Japan

Earthquake in Japan

Japanese Malta

Hari-kuyo

Kanzashi for Friday Night Sew In

Happy New Year

Meri Kurisumasu めりーくりすます メリークリスマス

Deep and Crisp and Even

Oooh, Muji Online, thanks Susan

Ice Crystals

Cherry Blossom and Maple Leaves

Treasures of Yamagata

Sashiko at Norfolk Quilters' 30th Anniversary Exhibition

Mitsukoshi Quilt Show

Dragonfly In Blowing Grasses - Sashiko Tutorial Finished

The Order of Stitching

Dragonfly In Blowing Grasses - Getting Started

Yoshiko Wada Collection on Exhibition

Hyper Japan

Second Sashiko Tutorial

My Furoshiki Bag

English Sericulture

Eye Candy

"A wise man climbs Fuji-san once in his life; only a fool climbs it twice"

Dragonfly In Blowing Grasses - Sashiko Tutorial 2

Japanese Style in Unexpected Places

Rust-Tex Koi

Festival of Quilts 2 - My New Kimono

Festival of Quilts 2010

Lest We Forget

Sashiko Journal Quilt

Yanaka - Shogun Clocks and the Cemetery

Don't Forget A Hanky

Sashiko Online Tutorial - Finished

Sashiko Online Tutorial 3

Sashiko Online Tutorial 2

Sashiko Online Tutorial 1

Sashiko Online Tutorial

V&A Images

A Delightful Gift

Sashiko Tutorial

I have been promising a Sashiko Tutorial for a while and today this popped into my email inbox from About Furoshiki

FREE ONLINE CLASS

Blogger Bearing Gifts

Japanese Cranes

More Eye Candy

Sashiko Eye Candy

It's Arrived

The Sewing

Living Crafts in Tokyo

Kimono

Temari and Thimbles

And the winner is...

Thank You To Everybody Who Visited Me Here

Giveaway Day - 17th May

ようこそ私のブログに yōkoso watashi no buroguni

Amazing Artwork

Fabric Shopping in Tokyo

Giveaway Alert

Staying in Ryokan Sawanoya

Surviving in Tokyo - Easy!

Hari-kuyo

Susan Briscoe's Japanese Design Sources

Western Sashiko?

Furoshiki demonstration

Tokyo Great International Quilt Festival 2010

Japanese Sewing Terms

Shibori Dragon

Silk Samples

Exciting Delivery from Japan

Eye Candy and More

Shopping Guide

Hari-kuyo and Respect for Selvedges

Japan Folk Crafts Museum

Japanese Sashiko Textiles at York Art Gallery

Ryokan booked

Where to stay?

Meri Kurisumasu めりーくりすますメリークリスマス