June mini - little half square triangles

A simple mini this time - half square triangles - from my little scrap box of 2" squares.  I'm really starting to USE these cut squares. 

Simple machine quilting in hanging diamonds.

I think it will be pretty hang up in Sept/Oct.  Thanks Wendy for corralling us into this mini challenge!  When Wendy posts our minis at The Constant Quilter I will link HERE.

In other news.... the minutia of living in Tokyo....

In our apartment building we all got the following note in our mailboxes:

I am *very* conscientious about our garbage.  I keep order by my morals;). 

The last time we lived in Tokyo, in a different neighborhood, I made a careless (lazy) mistake by leaving a plastic bag in with the plastic bottles on recycling day, and I was caught out on surveillance camera.  The apartment people called DAVID AT WORK to ask him to tell me to obey the garbage rules.  !!!!!

Three garbage cans plus a bag for paper and cardboard:

Getting outside at least a little every day (or, OK, at least every other day) helps me not sink too low.  Yesterday I walked to my old neighborhood Azabu Juban to stop into Blue and White, which is open a few days a week again.  I wanted to pick up some more blue and white tenugui (yes, mostly for mask making): 

My little needle books are still for sale there:

Such a lovely shop..... a breath of fresh air at the entrance:

Meanwhile, other signs of Tokyo opening up - an ad for the movie Little Women, being marketed as "The Story of My Life": 

What are you reading. listening to, watching? I just finished listening to How to Be an Antiracist by Imbran X. Kendi and I highly recommend it.  One chapter at a time, to really process. 

Difficult listening and reading...  is somewhat balanced with nonsense like the shows Brooklyn 99 and Community on Netflix...

and THIS fun podcast I just discovered.  I've only listened to a few, but I'm hooked - it's just delightful background "talk"!   Mel was one of the hosts of The Great British Baking Show.  I know I'm missing so much of the references to British pop culture, but, I still just love it:

 
Hard to believe July is right around the corner.  Stay safe and healthy everyone;).

xo
Cynthia

tree blocks for Australia

I was inspired by Barb (Fun with Barb) and Wendy (The Constant Quilter) who have each made blocks for the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild in Australia.  The blocks will be pieced into quilts for people who have lost everything in the devastating bushfires.

They've asked for generous 12.5 inch blocks - any type of tree block welcome.  Deadline is end of February and if you are interested, click here for the details. 

I love doing improvisational appliqué using freezer paper to cut out and prepare my shapes:

"Invisible" machine appliqué: 

I used monofilament in the needle and my usual cotton in the bobbin.  The back looks like this:

I love trees.  They provide solace.  They are life giving and each is unique.  I've almost always lived in homes with a lot of trees all around.  

In other news... thrilled to see my little needlebooks in the window at Blue and White.  They are starting to sell, so that's good news;).  

The ladies at Blue and White took such care to create these hand written tags:

And.... it is winter strawberry season... just the best:

AND, tomorrow is opening day of the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival (I always have to pause to get the order of those words right, ha ha).  Woo hoo!

xo
Cynthia

Making needle books for Blue and White - bliss!

In the past few months I've been working on a special project, designing and making little needle books.  It is so fun and satisfying.

Amy Katoh, owner of the iconic Blue and White shop in Azabu Juban, liked my samples and we made a plan.  She asked to specify the fabric, giving me a bag of vintage indigo scraps to sort through, as well as beautiful washi buttons to use.  You KNOW this made my heart go pitter patter.  I liked the challenge of working with the quirky and limited palette she gave me.

So, I set out to work, washing the fabric, sorting it into usable/not usable (stained).... and made more samples to show Amy...

Then upon approval, piecing piecing piecing, in full production mode the past couple weeks:

The pages are woolen and felt, and the ties vary from French ribbon to organic Japanese cording, to flax.

When I brought them in to Blue and White, Yoshiura-sensei patiently taught me how to finger knit my own cording...... which could be a great possibility for future books (time allowing).

The theme is mottainai - nothing wasted.  For me, nothing could be better than playing with fabric, piecing and creating one little panel after another, and sew them into something practical, and pretty.   I'm pleased as punch that they will be offered at Blue and White, a shop I admire so much. 

And speaking of shops, my buddy Kazuko K (she blogs at cocolog-nifty here) took me to the cutest embroidery/fabric shop, in Jiyugaoka.  She's a delight to spend time with - a really remarkable person.  Anyway the shop is called Hobbyra Hobbyre and there are branches here and there - so special. 

Kazuko also showed me to a little indoor mall also near the train station - a very eclectic mix of specialty shops all lined up.  Tiny shops - stalls really.  You name it - clothing, birds (!), bags, kimonos, office supplies, a deli....

and yes, a little fabric shop called Pico.  Only in Japan!

That's all for now.... looking forward to the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival next week.  Bracing myself for the crowds, and anticipating lots of inspiration. 

xo
Cynthia

Shopping for quilting and sashiko supplies in Tokyo

This is a post for local friends looking for quilting and sashiko supplies in Tokyo.  I will try to add photos and update this over time!

YUZAWAYA ユザワヤ ("house of handmade hobbies")  - multiple locations - more detailed post about Yuzawaya here. 

The biggest Yuzawaya is out in Kamata, spread over multiple buildings.  You can truly find *everything* there including anything at all for sashiko, and an extensive array of fabrics.  I also hear the Kichijoji location is excellent.  If you can get to one of those locations easily, that's awesome.

My closest Yuzawaya is small - it's in Ginza.  Travel to Ginza station (it's being renovated now and can be confusing, but follow the signs carefully for exit A4 - which takes you into the small GINZA CORE department store.  Yuzawaya is on the 6th floor of GINZA CORE).

It's a fine Yuzawaya for notions of all kinds.  Limited selection of fabric; modest collection of sashiko thread.  (I recommend off white, not white, when you want that classic look of white on indigo.  It will read "white" but not be too "cold").

Marking implements of all kinds, as well as "chaco paper" in several colors for transferring designs onto fabric.

The red tracing pen you want to use when tracing your own sashiko patterns onto your fabric.  It's like an empty ball point pen.   Layer your design with a piece of cellophane to protect your pattern.

TOMATO in NIPPORI (fabric town):  Always crowded, always fabulous.   Mainly great for FABRIC.   

Use Google Maps to navigate to Nippori Station (I actually take the Chiyoda Line to Nishi Nippori Station, which makes for a little more complicated walk - still figuring that one out) and navigate towards the main TOMATO store (with the big sign) up ahead on your left.

(Stop into Mihama - a tiny shop on the corner, selling precuts, packaged in plastic - great bargains).

A few doors before the main TOMATO store is the tiny Tomato notions shop.

Good price for Clover sashiko needles and other notions - slightly cheaper than Yuzawaya:

Then go on to the main TOMATO store.  The first floor is the bargain floor.  Always worth a good look.  This is the most crowded area of the store.  Lines can be long for cutting (1/2 meter minimum) and for purchasing.

You pay for purchases separately on each floor.

Fabric suitable for sashiko is on the 4th floor.  Look for fabric that is woven.  This is really great for sashiko (maybe 1600 yen per meter?).  It comes in different colors.

Some of the gorgeous very expensive indigo is harder to stitch through, actually.  Hold your fabric up to the light to gauge the weave.  Ask a clerk if you aren't sure.  Text me anytime.

BLUE AND WHITE in Azabu Juban 

A boutique gift shop - very inspiring.  Exit 7 (Oedo line) or 4 (Namboku line) in Azabu Juban.  They sell beautiful top quality indigo, for a price, and sometimes have lengths of vintage indigo.  They sometimes stock sashiko thread, some of which is lovely hand dyed indigo.  While you are there, ask about their monthly sashiko classes.   This is where I took classes from Kazuko Yoshiura for two years when I lived in Tokyo previously. 

While you are in Azabu Juban.... stroll around the little shops.  There's a sweet office supply store called Hiranoha - I love their seasonal stationery sets.  There is a tenugui shop called Asanoha.  Keep walking towards Roppongi Hills and on the way there's a great Singapore Chicken place called Hainan Jeefan Shokudo.  Going the other direction, down the hill from Blue and White, closer to exit 4 is Afuri Ramen - yum.  Also, a little burrito place called Friholes.  Around the corner from Friholes is one of my favorite bakeries - Mont Thabor - for irresistible round loaves of sweet milk bread to take home.  Ya, I miss living in this neighborhood!  Oh, and the French frozen foods place - Picard - downstairs next to Blue and White - we've found a few favorites there. 


KAWAGOE SHRINE SALE - the 28th of each month.  A trek, but a fun place to go to find vintage indigo.  I haven't been there since we lived here 2011-2013.


IDEAS FOR FUTURE EXCURSIONS: 

1.  KANDA - sounds like a great place for thread.  Here's a really thorough blog post from a former expat about FABRIC SHOPPING IN EAST TOKYO

2.  Little shops in Nishi Ogikubo (near Kichijoji)

That's all for now -

xo
Cynthia

sashiko, typhoon, Asakusa Ufufu

It was a strange week here.  We were hit with the biggest storm in decades.  For most of us, all was and is well, but for some, the big typhoon brought flooding, landslides, evacuation, even tragic loss of life.

David and I were grateful to be in our sturdy building, on the 5th of 8 floors, with no loss of power or water.  We were prepared with plenty of food, flashlights, and all devices fully charged.  We kept our heavy outer curtains closed, and hunkered down.  (I just looked up the literal definition of "hunker down" and came across this funny definition from urban dictionary.  No, we did not play this game - but we ate plenty of junk food). 

Empty shelves at our neighborhood "conbini" (convenience store):

It was a time for ... Netflix, reading, stitching.  I'm working on a new, small sashiko project -

We had 30+ hours of continuous heavy rain.  Some strong winds, and even a small earthquake in the middle of it all.

The next morning we were happy to see this old soul still standing strong in our nearby park:

A couple days before the storm, I was at sashiko class at Blue and White, where all the talk was on storm prep.  I finished sewing up this little pouch - for keeping my sashiko things tidy and portable.  Design is by our sensei, Kazuko Yoshiura.

The motif is scissors or thread snips -  hasami (はさみ) -

I prefer using small scissors on a lanyard when I stitch:

Meanwhile, I've started to introduce sashiko to some ladies here from my church, in small groups now and then, casual and simple - but I keep forgetting to take photos!  Small groups are ideal for learning just about anything!

In other news, last week a few of us went to the nearby neighborhood of Asakusa.  It has an old Japan feel -- well, with a touristy veneer.  Just off the beaten path is this charming gift shop, Ufufu, where we saw so many treasures - bags and wonderful furoshiki (風呂敷) wrapping cloths.  Corrie and I had met the owner, Ito-san, at a class we took together.

Not *everything* in my life needs to be indigo! ;)

Julie W, Corrie, Ito-san, me, Aya

Here's another group of friends - hope they enjoyed their photo shoot.  

They stood stock still for so long - good little doggies.  You never know what you might see on the streets of Tokyo. ;) . 

Thanks for reading - til next time -

xo
Cynthia