log cabin improv potholders, and a garden outing

Using a jar of random tiny scraps....  

I ended up making some potholders, log cabin style.  

I added some sashiko here and there for fun.  

 It was a good way to use up random extra batting too - four layers of thin cotton batting:

I used leftover tenugui for the backs - 

Very simple quilting and I made sure that I had a quilting line at or near the center, for pliability (think of the way you fold a potholder when you are using it).

 I'm keeping two sets, and giving one set to my son. 

This was inspired by Janet's "baggie challenge" which you can read about here... although I've started something different, with different scraps, for  Janet's challenge.  

Meanwhile the weather has been so gorgeous here and I've enjoyed some outings both solo and with small groups.  The parks are beautiful.  

This straw wrapping around the trunk of the pine tree is purely ornamental and signals autumn.  Historically it was done to capture (and then burn) caterpillars, but they eventually learned that other beneficial insects were also being captured.  So they discontinued the practice, but the wrapping is used each fall for aesthetic purposes. 

The park was not too far from the river:  

This is such a beautiful time of year in Tokyo.  If it was like this all year, I'd never want to leave! 

A few days later, the same river from a different perspective (Skytree):

Tokyo looks like this in every direction.  

It is overwhelming.  Population almost 14 million.  I prefer to think of *my* Tokyo as a series of a few small neighborhoods where I feel more or less at home... and I'm not a huge fan of views like this.  I always just feel anxious and think "if there's a major earthquake, I will never get out of here"...

After any outing, or quick trip across the street to the convenience store, here's my "view" getting back home (these are little things I will want to remember) -  the entrance to our building: 

We use our key or a code to open the lobby doors.  

Announcement board - mostly about safety, and garbage rules 

Check the mail (handy garbage can for the usual junk mail, usually ads for other apartments, and food, and things I completely do not understand): 

Elevator  (here I'm in the elevator looking back out to the lobby): 

This is what I see when the elevator doors open at the fifth floor.  The building is built around a central atrium.  

Turn right: 

Our front door (no decoration allowed) - 

Home sweet home;). 

On a completely different topic, this movie, Red Notice, was just pure fun, on Netflix: 

We also recently watched the new Marvel movie, Shang-Chi.  It was really good too!  We saw Dune a couple weeks ago in the theater and it was amazing to be back in a movie theater, with popcorn, an  audience, etc. again.  

That's about all for today!  I probably won't blog again before American Thanksgiving.  Happy Thanksgiving to those of you celebrating!  David and I will probably go out for a Japanese dinner;).  I'm of course thankful for so much.  Family mostly.  There's also a lot to love about living in Tokyo.  Thankful for quilting always!  Thank YOU for visiting this space. 

xo

Cynthia 

9-patch with indigo top, and lost in translation

 When you take photos throughout your week, are you thinking of your blog?  Or, when you sit down to write a post, do you just reference whatever photos you happen to have taken.  I do the latter.   This week there isn't much but here we go. 

By request I need to make some more masks to take to my kids, and in typical procrastination mode, I assembled this "leader/ender" top instead: 

I made the nine patches, and then double nine patches, while I was making David's log cabin.  I think it might be the very first time I'd deliberately had a leader/ender project.  

I've also been distracted because our college age son Tommy tested positive for COVID.  He's just finished his quarantine and is feeling OK, maybe a little tired.  He got a call from a contact tracer, can feel good about (hopefully) not infecting anyone.  Not certain how he got it.  Glad his symptoms were so mild.  Wish I wasn't so far away!  

In other news, as I mentioned last time, Japan is finally allowing permanent residents and visa holders to return to Japan.  Woo hoo!  This means I can finally go visit baby Charlotte in Austin. I'm not going to do any other travel whatsoever, sadly, but I really think that's best under the circumstances.  

Yes I am quite nervous about travel, especially for the trip back into Japan, but, will think more about that next month.   I think I'm just dealing with rising anxiety over so much.  Which leads me to plead - VOTE!  "When women vote, we win." 

David and I prepared our absentee ballots which I can mail from Texas (alternately the embassy here would mail them for us).  As overseas voters, we vote in the last place we'd registered to vote, so that's New Hampshire.  

A sort-of funny "lost in translation" story.  Every now and then we get something official looking in the mail.  David told me it was an electrical inspection and in my mind I mixed that up with the fire detector inspection, or I thought it was all the same inspection.  When the inspector arrived, I had JUST heated up a skillet on the stove to make pancakes and the skillet was piping hot.  There is a smoke detector right there on the ceiling, so, from the entryway, I motioned him into the kitchen and in my rudimentary Japanese pointed to the pan and said "hot!" and "please be careful!" and "so sorry!".  Those were the only relevant words and phrases I could think of in Japanese.  He just sort of looked at me politely but blankly, and asked me where the electrical breaker box was.  That's in the bathroom.  He spent about 30 seconds inspecting the breaker box and then gave me a piece of paper, and left.  Ha ha ha.  

I have to admit I laughed out loud just wondering what he possibly thought of the American woman randomly warning him about the hot pan on the stove, which was nowhere near the breaker box in the bathroom.  

Lastly, thank you to those of you who commented last time to share your recommendations for hand quilting!  I really do love the Mettler, but I've used Gutterman before and could go back to that, and I ordered some Aurifil to try as well.  

If you are being affected by the wildfires, my heart goes out to you! 

xo

Cynthia 

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

April mini

Well... April.... masks... heart pounding worry.... walks.... Netflix.... news.... geneology.... Facetiming.... baking, eating, baking, eating.... insomnia... more masks.... that about sums up the month...

My mini for the month is something from my "bucket list" - a folky flag to hang during Memorial Day, July 4th, etc.  Wendy challenges us each month to make a mini.  I will link here when she posts them!  Thank you Wendy!

I actually made it back in January or February in a fit of "getting my act together" thinking I could post it at the end of June, beginning of July, since my plan is to be in Texas visiting brand new grand baby then.  Will my visit even happen as scheduled?

This month was masks and more masks by request.

In other mini news, I participated in Lori's Humble Quilts doll quilt swap, and was incredibly lucky to receive a doll quilt from Lori herself!  It is absolutely fabulous and I love it!

My doll quilt is on its way to the U.S. I sent it two weeks before the mailing deadline but I still fear it will be late.  The post office wouldn't send it "express" like I'm used to doing, and a few days later, sure enough, the Japanese government announced a stop to mail service to the U.S.  Blast.

Anyway, I will share both minis next month when Lori does a link up!

I noticed today on my walk that our local park is finally on board with physical distancing:

I feel bad for the city kids (and their mamas!) who really need this park!

With Google Translate on my phone:

KEY PHRASE - Protect the health and life of your precious family and friends.  YES.

xo
Cynthia