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 

Paulina's Quilt Finished! and batting woes

I finished Paulina's BOLD purple quilt this week and mailed it to her in Boston (Three trips to the post office when all was said and done.  There is a new system).  Feels great to have my first finish of 2021! 

About the batting: 

I used a very light 100% cotton Mountain Mist Cream Rose batting, which was a total DREAM to quilt, really great.  I made sure to quilt no further apart than the 6" recommended spacing.   The reason I used this batt instead of my go-to Dream Cotton, is that I worried about the package exceeding the 2 kg weight limit, or that with the loftier batting, the quilt wouldn't fit into the box (largest size allowed).  I'd tested with a similarly sized finished quilt, and it was almost 2 kg.... so out of caution I chose the very lightest batting I had. 

So, it was great to work with, but, the quilt came out of the washer/dryer really quite wrinkled up and *too* puckered.   It could partly be our small washer/dryer combo which can sort of mangle things sometimes.  For the first time ever, I regret washing a quilt before I gift it!  But at least now I know and if I use that batting again, I will quilt much more densely and evenly, and know what to expect. 

More boring batting talk: 

In my stash of batting, I have one more Cream Rose batt, and a Dream Cotton batt (my usual go-to, in both Select and Request lofts).  Meanwhile I've ordered several other "new to me" Dream battings - 80/20, 70/30, and wool. It will be a year of experimentation with battings.  I sort of have a collection growing on the floor of my closet!  Off cuts are perfect for minis and other little projects. 

Meanwhile... the state of emergency has been extended into March.  Every day, I'm thankful we are healthy and that our loved ones in the US and Ireland are too.   Our parents (David's folks and my step mother) have all had their first vaccines.  Hallelujah! 

xo gratefully 

Cynthia 

FUN quilty beginning to 2021 (and Covid realities)

Happy New Year fellow quilters.   

David and I had a quiet Christmas and New Year's.  FaceTiming with our children all together was a highlight.  Hopefully they will be able to visit us here sometime in 2021?  So far, the borders are still  closed to tourists, even dependents (like college aged children) of "permanent residents" (that's us).  It's not the best feeling that Tommy can't come "home" to Tokyo.  Every day I'm thankful he has each of his older sisters a flight away, and great friends and extended family near him in Utah at school.  We live by texting, phone calls, and FaceTime.  David has yet to meet baby Charlotte and she will be seven month in a couple days.  Sigh.  

It looks like because of the spike in cases in Tokyo, we are on the brink of another state of emergency.  In practical terms it may just mean shops and restaurants are asked to close in the early evening - nothing as strict as last spring.  However, they are mentioning further tightening border restrictions, and the word "collapse" is being used to describe the hospital situation.  

We just have to live wisely and hope the vaccine reaches us as soon as possible in 2021.  My heart goes out to folks starting a new year in a state of grieving, or in a state of ill health due to COVID, or crushing financial difficulty, or crushing emotional isolation.  What a time.  We have to cherish what we have and help each other out. 

I say it so often... but what would I be doing with myself, in this little Tokyo apartment, with David working from home just down the hall, without quilting??  I am so grateful for it in my life!  I'm grateful to you for reading, for other blogs, and for the friendships made across the miles, through our blogs and emails. In some ways it feels like a virtual quilt guild.  Or awesome pen pals!

I'm starting off my quilting year with FUN.  I really do love making these improv log cabins. 

This one is for a very special young family friend, Paulina.  You know how some of your kids' friends end up feeling like family?  I have been thinking I'd like to make her a quilty hug.  So why not now.  

The brief is UNSTRUCTURED (yay!), BOLD (ok!) with lots of DEEP PURPLE (time to shop!).  

The time difference worked out so we texted back and forth to make quick fabric decisions in real time while I shopped at Tomato.  It was so energizing!  

And I discovered that Paulina likes red almost as much as purple. 

We thought we were done, and then I rounded the corner to.....  Kaffe Fassett -   

 Perfect backing fabric: 

Random logs, big blocks, so easy to trim up with my 12.5" square ruler.  These blocks are such a pleasure to make.  Making them feels like some great combination of play and meditation.  

What else in '21?  Are you like me?  Do you over commit to BOMs, swaps, challenges??   There are always a lot of sew alongs happening.  I thought about Kathleen Tracy's Schoolgirl Sampler (72 simple 4" blocks) which looks sweet and I have the book.  I also thought about Cecile's curved piecing challenge at Patchwork Inspirations.  

In the end I'm just going to bite off this much -- the following two BOMs:  

Poppy's Polka Dot Garden (free downloads for two blocks, around the first of every month - from Sentimental Stitches,  for 2021-2022).  This started a few months ago.  I am REALLY enjoying this appliqué.  Anyone else?  Someone started #poppyspolkadotgarden on Instagram.  I think there are just two of us so far.   

Barbara Brackman's 2021 pieced BOM, Hands All Around.  Second Wednesdays.  Louisa May Alcott, simple blocks, variations on Sawtooth Stars, need I say more?  Barbara's posts are always so interesting if you like quilt history, and she has a great sense of humor too.  (by the way Santa brought me the new edition of her encyclopedia - it's beautiful).   

And, as much as possible but with no pressure: 

Monthly minis with Wendy at The Constant Quilter 

Hoping to keep my quilting life balanced and fun this year - thank you for being part of it! 

x gratefully 

Cynthia 

Two December finishes and looking ahead

Happy New Year fellow quilters...

December brought this finish - scrappy improv log cabin.



Oh, I loved working on this quilt.  Scrappy and for a dear friend.  We've known each other 18 years, we raised our kids together, their family took Molly our Standard Poodle when we lived in Japan and loved her as their own.  The list goes on.  But when Tona's Mom (a fellow quilter) gifted me some scraps (lots, and mostly from family clothing), I knew a quilt for Tona was in order.





It was her birthday in December so that became my deadline and I snapped this picture with daylight left, but before I could tack down the binding.



I was super happy with the casual machine quilting.... all free motion and so fun to do.  If you are NOT a perfectionist (and I'm not), machine quilting on a home machine is so fun and gratifying... and it helps get our quilts DONE!



Next came Christmas and a house full of kids including soon to be new son in law Keenan (with the long curly hair matching Noelle's long curly hair:).



Kaela was racing to finish up a T-shirt quilt for her hubby Joe.  He was a swimmer in college - lots of great t's - and his college colors worked nicely with the aqua background.

Kaela did a beautiful job and I provided a little help and lots of moral support ;).  T-shirt quilts are tough!  We backed it with minky and used high loft polyester batting, "comfortable" (comforter) style.



We even enlisted Tommy to help tie (with variegated sashiko thread)



A little slice of heaven working together on a quilt related project, around the dining room table...



Self binding, and done in time to clear off the table for an evening of games.




Looking ahead to the new year... I plan to carve out two days a week for quilting.  I'll let you know how that goes;).  Lots of the usual finishing up projects (I have at least four to finish)... and probably Barbara Brackman's new block of the month, Antebellum Album.  Barbara's blog is so fun to read and if you like history, you will love it.  She has a great sense of humor too.

And, always sashiko!  I will be teaching a beginner sashiko sampler class at Cobblestone Quilts at the end of January - can't wait!!



xo
Cynthia