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I’ll stab you in the eye.

But first, I’ll stab myself in the finger. Repeatedly.

I learned the hard way that drinking wine while needle felting is not a good idea.

Needle felting is a bit trendy in Japan now, so it is easy to find inexpensive, adorable felting kits. This was my first attempt so I wanted to start slowly. I skipped all things cute and cuddly (with limbs — too advanced!) and instead opted for beer snacks on a strap.

Beer, fava bean, beer snacks.

The kit comes with everything you need … except the most important part, the needle. You have to get that yourself, probably because felting needles are a bit more expensive than your average needle. The instructions also recommend purchasing a foam base. A friend gave me a tip and suggested using a cheap kitchen sponge from the 100 yen shop. It was a bit clumsy to work with, but I’m not sure it was the sponge’s fault.

Felting needles are unique in that they have tiny barbs near the tip, which catch the wool fibers and help felt it together.

I didn’t know what I was doing. I tried reading the Japanese instructions, then watched a few YouTube videos and stabbed at some wool for a while. And stabbed and stabbed. And then I missed a few times. Blood functions as glue, right?

Eventually I got my revenge.

This wasn’t merely torture. I was making french knots for eyes.

In the end I enjoyed needle felting. I liked the way the wool roving transformed into a tiny nest of fibers. It was the opposite of untangling a knot. And I also really like stabbing at things.

Eventually, wooly snacks emerged. I like they way they smirk. It seems they’re a little salty.

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English Craft Club 7月8日: Flying Geese Quilts

The next English Craft Club class meets Sunday July 8th in Shinjuku Gyoen! This upcoming class is part of the American Quilt Series, and up this week is the Flying Geese block.

This block was fun to put together, and can be arranged in a variety of ways to create some interesting patterns. Come try it for yourself!

Finished quilt blocks can be used to create a placemat, decorate a tote bag or cushion cover, or save to add to a larger quilt. All project materials and light snacks are included. Cost is 5000 yen per person, or bring a friend and get a discount! The English Craft Club is open to everyone — men, women, both native speakers and those learning English. If you are interested in joining the class, please send an email to sakepuppets@gmail.com to register. Hope to see you there!

You can find more information about upcoming classes by clicking the links below. Thanks!

Sunday July 8th: Schedule
12:55  Meet at the Okido Gate at Shinjuku Gyoen
13:00  Class begins! Choose fabric and begin project
14:00  Break for snacks and refreshments
14:30  Class instruction ends, but feel free to stay until 15:00 to finish your project and chat with instructors and new friends

* * *

キルトを学びます。型紙の写し方、キルトのステッチをお教えします。キルトはテーブルに置くコースターか、トートバッグの飾りとして使えます。

計画
12:55 新宿御苑の大木戸門で集合
13:00 レッスンを始めしょう！ 単語集を習ったり、ご自身で布を選んで頂きます。
14:00 休憩
14:30 ワークショップ終了。15:00までは講師が残っています。

含まれる材料：ご自身で選んだ布、糸、型紙、レッスンメモ

『The English Craft Club』は楽しく英語を勉強するクラブです。毎回のクラスごとに、皆さまに各自で作品を作って頂きます。クラフトをしながら、様々な表現や英単語を楽しく勉強していきます。

『The English Craft Club』に参加をご希望の方は、以下のアドレスまでご連絡下さい。ご質問もお気軽にどうぞ。（英語・日本語どちらでも結構です）sakepuppets@gmail.com

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On the Move

And… I’m back!

Whoa. Time flies when you’re having fun studying your ass off and moving to a new apartment.

Last week was nuts. I have only myself to blame, and blame I will. Last Thursday I took my final exam for Japanese class and emerged from the black hole of kanji flash cards just in time to pack up my apartment. The weekend whirlwind of boxes, movers and new landlord knocking at my door (6 times!) had me wishing I had retained more of the previous week’s Japanese, but we stumbled through and got all of our belongings from point A to point B.

2 years ago, when I started this little blog, my apartment looked like this:

apartment living room

Very empty. I’m chuckling because I just realized I’m in the same place as I was 2 years ago — sitting on the floor of my empty apartment in Azabu juban, still a bit unsure of what I’m doing in Japan but slightly better at ordering from a menu. Though the scenery of my life is a bit different, the feeling is the same: nervous, excited, sore butt.

Yesterday morning things looked like this:

How did I acquire so much stuff? 26 boxes plus suitcases and a tool box (not my husband, a real tool box, geez). It took me about a day and a half to pack and the movers just about 2 hours to move it across town where this was waiting:

And this:

My new shower room is about the pinkest thing I’ve ever seen. To recap, this is what I left behind:

apartment bathroom shower room

Our new place is in Sangenjaya, just about 7 km west (4 1/4 miles) of Azabu juban. Not far, but it feels like a different world. Why the change? To be honest, because Azabu is expensive. It’s the land of expats and French bakeries and gourmet supermarkets, and while nice, a bit too fancy. Living in Sangenjaya will force me to read and speak Japanese, we’ll save on rent, it’s an exciting neighborhood to explore, and I’ll get to live in an adorable old lady apartment with pink walls. The choice was easy.

One final thought before the bottom half of me turns completely numb from sitting on the floor: Though I hate moving, every time I do it I get a little bit better at it. This time I learned the value of hiring movers, and I don’t think I can ever go back. 20 year old boys are much better at carrying things than I am.

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The English Craft Club 6月10日: Log Cabin Quilts

ミニログキャビンのキルトを学びます。型紙の写し方、ログキャビンのステッチをお教えします。キルトはテーブルに置くコースターか、トートバッグの飾りとして使えます。

計画
12:55 新宿御苑の大木戸門で集合
13:00 レッスンを始めしょう！ 単語集を習ったり、ご自身で布を選んで頂きます。
14:00 休憩
14:10 レッスン再開
14:30 ワークショップ終了。15:00までは講師が残っています。

作るもの：ミニログキャビンのキルト
含まれる材料：ご自身で選んだ布、糸、型紙、レッスンメモ
場所：新宿御苑　（12:55大木戸門に会いましょう。）
参加費:￥5000

 * Update: I’ve got a doozy of a cold, so have decided to reschedule this class for another day. Sorry! かぜをひきますから、ワークショップを中止しています。ごめん！

Please join us for the next English Craft Club class, this Sunday June 10th in Shinjuku Gyoen! This week’s craft project is a mini Log Cabin quilt, which you can use as a placemat, decorate a tote bag, or save to add to a larger quilt. Cost is 5000 yen per person, and snacks and all project materials are included.  If you are interested in joining the class, please send an email to sakepuppets@gmail.com to register, or meet us at the Okido Gate at 12:55 pm on Sunday (a map to the class location can be found here). Hope to see you there!

You can find more information about upcoming classes and Facebook photos by clicking the links below. Thanks!

Sunday June 10th: Schedule
12:55  Meet at the Okido Gate at Shinjuku Gyoen
13:00  Class begins! Learn new vocabulary, choose fabric, and begin project
14:00  Break for snacks and refreshments
14:10  Continue working on projects
14:30  Class instruction ends, but feel free to stay until 15:00 to finish your project and chat with instructors

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Log Cabins and Coffee

I spent the morning preparing for our next English Craft Club by sewing up some log cabin quilt blocks.

By looking at my stash of fabrics, you’d never guess that my wardrobe is 95% grey.

Though, the last 5% is neon yellow.

I brought my new coffee mat with me to a study date at a cafe this afternoon. Be careful when you tell me to make myself at home, because I will.

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A Craft Picnic in the Park

Sunday afternoon was a lovely day in Tokyo. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, and the English Craft Club gathered for embroidery lessons and brownies under the shade of a huge somei yoshino cherry tree in Shinkuku Gyoen.

We embroidered tea towels, and after practicing stitches on scrap muslin, we transferred patterns to our towels to finish at home. I imported (translation: my mom shipped them to me) flour sack towels from the US. The towels were way too big for a Japanese kitchen, so I cut them in half, hemmed the sides and added a loop for hanging on a hook.

Other women occasionally meandered by, close enough to peek at what were were doing. They left us with approving bows.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us! The next English Craft Club gathering will be on June 10th, and we’ll be making accessories quilt blocks (sorry about that!) and will be learning all sorts of new craft vocabulary (click here for details). Hope to see you there!

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Polka Dot Picnic Quilt

This past weekend I attacked the picnic quilt. I sat and sewed with wild abandon, if wild abandon means straight lines.

Most people probably iron things before they take photos of them for the Internet. Not this girl. While piecing I didn’t use any pins, either. I feel like a rebel.

I made this quilt using fabric I already had in my apartment, piecing as I pleased until it was big enough to sit on. I bought the toile-ish fabric (300 yen per meter) and the neon orange cotton (210 yen per meter) in Nippori, and used an old cotton sheet as batting. I didn’t want it to be too thick — since it’s a picnic blanket, I want it to roll up to carry easily, but it needed something in the middle. Also, with every quilt I make I try to use some fabric that is reused or recycled. It reminds me of a quilt’s origins, of stitching together bits of old clothes until you had something big enough to keep you warm during the winter.

I chose the toile mostly because I liked the way it contrasts with the polka dots but still follows the blue color theme (it’s a very dark navy). Also, its heavier weight and dark color will hold up well to being thrown on the grass. And, it was really cheap.

I’ve been drawn to the neon colors popping up in fashion recently. If something has neon yellow and gray on it, I will buy it. It’s a bit weird when suddenly your pot holders and shoes and throw pillows all match. When I saw this neon fabric, I thought it would be a fun to way to make the polka-dot quilt look a bit edgy, and worthy of a Tokyo-style picnic. Even in the fading afternoon light of my apartment, the orange is bright. I love it.

OK darling, now I’m ready to picnic.

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The Current State of Things

My desk offers a good representation of the state of my brain right now: Crowded. Messy. A whole bunch of bobbles and lace and scraps of paper with scribbled notes. And I think there are some old cookies there somewhere too.

The culprit? Midterms. All other projects are on hold and banished to The Desk.

Maybe it is hard to believe by looking at this sad scene, but it used to be my job to be organized. I was a professional organizer. But you know how the story goes, the cobbler’s children never have good filing systems.

And I swear, this photo is only slightly misrepresentative … if you were to pan a few inches to the right, you would certainly NOT see a gigantic pile of books and papers I shoved just out of the camera’s frame. Nope, not there. I’m a professional.

Now, back to the flash cards…

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The English Craft Club: 楽しく英語！

On Sunday, May 27th, we’ll hold our next English Craft Club class in Shinjuku Gyoen. Please join us!  (For English, please scroll down)

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『The English Craft Club』は、刺し子やジュエリー作りなどを通じて、楽しく英語を勉強するクラブです。毎回のクスごとに、皆さまに各自で作品を作って頂きます。クラフトをしながら、様々な表現や英単語を楽しく勉強していきます。またあわせて毎回異なる身近なトピックスでの会話も行います。

参加費には以下の内容が含まれます:

  • クラフトに使用する材料（型紙、布、針、糸、ビーズ、その他道具）
  • 英語の教材（ペーパー）、クラフトの単語集など。
  • トピックス英会話（人気のカルチャーや質問。クラスメイトとアメリカ人インストラクターとのおしゃべりなど。）
  • コーヒー、紅茶、ホームメードのお菓子

『The English Craft Club』に参加をご希望の方は、以下のアドレスまでご連絡下さい。
ご質問もお気軽にどうぞ。（英語・日本語どちらでも結構です）
連絡先：sakepuppets@gmail.com

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５月27日（日）13:00ー14:30

トピックス “In the Kitchen”

料理に使うタオルに刺繍をすることを学びます。トピックスはゲストを夕食に招く際の話や、あなたの好きなレシピ、アメリカのレシピ をメートルに換算する話なども含まれています。型紙の写し方、人気のある４種類のステッチをお教えします。これでお友達がきたときに、素敵なキッチンを見せられますね！

作るもの：キッチン用タオル
含まれる材料：タオル１枚、刺繍針と糸、木枠、ご自身で選んだ型紙、作り方、レッスンメモ
場所：新宿御苑（メールで地図を送ります）
参加費:￥5000

The English Craft Club is an English lesson disguised as a craft class — a fun way to learn and practice English while learning new craft skills. All craft materials, snacks, and English lesson notes are provided. Enjoy fun conversation and crafts with new friends!

Each class includes:

  • Craft materials, such as patterns, fabric, needle, thread, beads, tools, and much more!
  • English lesson notes, with craft-related vocabulary
  • English conversation topics and tips – chat about popular culture, ask questions, and have relaxed conversation with your classmates and American instructors
  • Coffee, tea, and homemade snacks
Please email sakepuppets@gmail.com to sign up for the class or if you have any questions (English and Japanese are both OK).

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Sunday May 27th, 2012
1:00-2:30 pm
Shinjuku Gyoen

Topic: In the Kitchen!  Learn how to embroider a tea towel while discussing cooking. Topics include hosting guests for dinner, your favorite recipes, and converting U.S. recipe measurements into the metric system. For this class craft project, we’ll show you how to transfer a pattern onto fabric and embroider 4 popular stitches onto your tea towel, so you’ll have a beautiful kitchen to show friends when they come to visit.

Craft: Embroidered Tea Towel
Materials Included: one cotton tea towel, embroidery thread and needle, embroidery hoop, your choice of patterns, recipe, and lesson notes.
Location: Shinjuku Gyoen (map and location within the garden will be sent after registration is confirmed)
Cost: ￥5000

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The English Craft Club is taught by two fun and energetic American ladies — Angela of Saké Puppets and Kim of The Cat’s Meow. Click here to learn more about them.