Friday, March 27, 2020

March mini...

I finished this little mini from extra 1.5 inch logs from Kaela's baby girl log cabin quilt.  The borders are... log cabin variation.  This could be a doll quilt or hung on the nursery wall!



And that's the only photo I have!  I was FaceTiming with Kaela as I added a few more lines of stitching, and I packaged it up with the baby quilt, etc. while we were still talking.  The best kind of distraction!  Will link up with Wendy when she posts our minis on her blog The Constant Quilter.  Thanks Wendy for inspiring us all;).

The governor of Tokyo has asked everyone to stay indoors Saturday and Sunday.  Naturally this request sent people into panic buying mode.


We have plenty of food in the apartment.  Planning for a quiet weekend truly staying inside the apartment the whole time.  Ohhhhhh you can bet I miss my past houses with their yards and trees all around.

On the topic of stress relief, taking home baths in Japan is so nice.  The whole shower/bath room functions like one big shower, with a bathtub to the side. 


The tub fills automatically with the press of a button, either from near the bathtub, or, naturally, from the kitchen (!).


The bath fills on its own and then maintains the temperature for four hours.  When the water is ready, we hear a little announcement and classical tune.

You either shower next to the tub or sit on a low stool and use water from the spigot (and from the tub), to get completely clean.  There's a low shelf for soap, shampoo etc.

Typical items for bathing and rinsing before getting into the tub:

カラリと乾いてお手入れ簡単 湯桶 カラリHG N(スモークブラウン)通販 ...

So, the bath water is just for soaking and considered clean enough for family members to share the same bath water, in turns.  I know that sounds weird, but here it's normal!

These bath salts are very popular.  The colors are kind of wild, ha ha.  I read that you are supposed to soak for 20 minutes.


Sometimes I add a scoop of epsom salts too:




Honestly this seems so trivial, in light of COVID-19 and all the stress around that. We are bracing for a longer social-isolation/shelter-in-place period, but nothing like that has been announced yet.

xo
Cynthia

14 comments:

  1. The doll quilt is so sweet. That is some bath and shower. Staying home is hard when you don't have a yard to walk in. Hopefully all this madness will be over sooner than later. Stay safe. Hugs

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  2. I think it's perfectly wonderful that baby girl already has her first dolly quilt. The bath routine there is very interesting, I'd love the idea of bath water remaining hot for up to four hours, pure bliss at the end of the day.

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  3. Wow, that sure looks like a luxury bath! It's so fun to get a little taste of what life is like in Japan. And other culture's baths are interesting. Germany's baths and bathrooms were different from the states as well. But nothing like that one!

    Good luck with the home stay. I think it's hard on a lot of people. We all need to be thankful for what we have in this crazy time.

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  4. Your March mini is the perfect compliment to the baby quilt. I like the florals in the logs along with the black accents. I want quite sure about the purple water at first, but I do like the idea of the water temp staying constant. I always run my bath from the kitchen, but I guess you do ! LOL.

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  5. Lovely little quilt!

    My husband does not like our home bathroom and still insists on going to the big public one at the pool. It is big enough for 10 people or so even with space between the bathers but still... husband tries to go when there are less people...

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  6. A very sweet mini from the leftovers!
    My brother-in-law was complaining tonight that they can't get their daughter to stay in her apartment, but I can see how hard that would be to be confined in a small space with nowhere to escape. Hope your stitching will help keep you sane! :)
    That is quite the bathing room! I like the announcement that the water is ready. I am constantly running up the stairs to see if the tub is full and the temp is right. And four hours of hot water?!? I don't know if I would ever get out of the tub. Cooling water is my signal to be done. LOL
    We are the only western state that isn't currently on some form of "shelter in place" or lockdown. We are being strongly counseled to stay at home, but no "orders"--yet.

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  7. Hey, you could make a little rag doll to go with the quilt. My tub is not so fancy but it does have something to keep the water up to temperature. Sadly, filling the tub and keeping it warm for only one person is just too expensive. I miss the long soaks but I went with a friend to a public bath in the Akasaka area and enjoyed the soak there for less than what I pay the electric company.

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  8. Your March mini is so sweet! She will love hanging it in the nursery. It is funny how we change our habits as things in our lives change. When I was growing up in rural Maine we had a dug well and water was precious in the summer time. My mother filled a metal wash tub in the kitchen and we all took a bath (yes, in that same water) one at a time. I think that is why I have such a good immune system! We are pretty much closed in Maine. I am still working but only on weekends and very early in the morning before the workers get here. We are closed to the public. The only things open to the public are gas stations and grocery stores. And yes, their is hoarding in some of the bigger municipalities but in my little grocery everyone is kind and thoughtful and buys only what they need for the week. We are the lucky ones. Stay safe and healthy my friend!

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  9. What a darling doll quilt to accompany the crib quilt, Cynthia. Your grandbaby will love both, I'm sure! I don't envy you being restricted to a small apartment, but if it were me, I'd be spending a lot of time in that bath! Four hours of warmth? Heaven! Can you both fit?? Just pipe in some good music and you'll be in la la land!

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  10. Being confined to small spaces certainly has its advantages especially when it comes time to quilting. Love your log cabin-style mini! What a great way to use those extra strips. Hmmm... that is one out-of-this-world shower/tub combo! Enjoy!

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  11. what a sweet little sister quilt for the baby! I really liked hearing about the Japanese Bath. I don't really love baths, but I could see enjoying one that sort of does it for you and keeps it warm.
    My meditation yesterday featured "wabi sabi" and I thought of you.
    stay well!

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  12. Perfect doll quilt to accompany the baby quilt!
    I'm not a huge fan of baths, but the idea of soaking in water that stays warm up to four hours does sound inviting!
    Hope you have a safe and healthy week!

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  13. Beautiful baby girl quilt btw. I was intrigued by your bath and read the details to Hubby who is a computer nut. Sounds enjoyable. Please stay inside where it is safer for now.

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  14. I loved this post, Cynthia. Personal care isn't one of those things that I don't usually think about as culturally different so this post was enlightening. I love the idea of a bathroom that's also a shower and how lovely to have a bathtub that keeps the water hot for 4 hours!
    Your finished baby quilt is just gorgeous (shown in a different post). What mom wouldn't love to snuggle her baby in it!
    I'm so sorry you don't have a yard or even a balcony so you can be outside when confined. I hope you're doing okay -- or better!

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