I’m racing off to sashiko class this morning, but before I go:
From Lisa in Queensland, Australia
How cute are those little bunnies! I really wanted to take everything out of their bags to admire her handiwork, but Lisa packaged them up so nicely I decided to keep it all intact. Instead, I just peered through the plastic.
You can check out Lisa’s blog here.
Two more boxes of quilts arrived yesterday! More to come…
Another batch of blankets for Action Craft:
From my friend Molly in Minnesota, USA
Molly has made me a few blankets over the years, and I spy some bits and pieces of leftover yarn in these. I love it.
It must be a family affair over there! From Molly’s mom, Nancy, also in Minnesota
Beautiful. I love this bundle of color.
It doesn’t stop there! Molly’s aunt also sent blankets. From Denise in Illinois, USA
Nice work, ladies!
You can see photos of all the donated Action Craft blankets on Flickr, and in previous posts here and here.
Still more to come…
More Action Craft quilts:
From Meg in Minnesota, USA
I love this block.
From Masha in California, USA
She sent six quilts — so generous!!
Really, really wonderful.
You can see photos of these blankets, and all the others as I post them, on Flickr.
Still more to come…
I’m racing to make the April 30 deadline. How is everyone else doing?
Yesterday I regaled you with my confession of otakuness, and here is the proof.
This past weekend we set out to Futako-tamagawa in search of a craft shop. That’s right, I lured Dan along with the promise of ramen, but we somehow ran out of time. I’m a cruel woman.
Hobbyra Hobbyre and Lido Merceria are not just craft stores, but Tokyo shopping at its best — small, well-curated specialty shops for the enthusiast.
Let’s begin with Hobbyra Hobbyre, a French-embroidery-inspired, Liberty-of-London-lover’s paradise. This shop carries a little bit of a lot of things, but all were of the best quality — beautiful cotton and linen print fabrics, fine yarns and wood knitting needles, sewing patterns and books, needlework supplies, selected tools and notions, and amazing printed embroidery kits. I mean amazing. I wanted to leave with a few of each.
The downside to this shop is that it’s a bit expensive. Fabric was in the 1000-2500 yen per meter range (US$12-$30 per yard), yet I picked up some reasonably-priced sashiko supplies for 200 yen each (US$2.50). Dan told me later that, while waiting outside, he got a bit nervous when a woman left the shop exclaiming how expensive it all was, because I was still inside, taking my sweet time, certainly doing damage to our bank account. My words, not his of course.
The crown jewel of the day, maybe my entire week, was the Hello Kitty + Liberty of London limited edition cotton prints. Both have a dedicated cult following (many of you know about my little Liberty crush), and they’ve combined forces to produce some of the most whimsical and lovely fabric I’ve seen. I stood there for a while trying to come up with a project idea worth the 3200 yen per meter price tag (almost US$40 per yard), but in the end I decided I couldn’t love Ms. Kitty quite enough.
This sneak-attack photo doesn’t reveal much (photos aren’t typically allowed in craft stores), but the print is of Hello Kitty flitting amongst London Town icons. (Apparently this collection is only being sold in Japan, so if anyone is interested I’d be willing to go find some and put up a reserved listing in my shop – send me an email to discuss).
I went to Futako-tamagawa in search of Hobbyra Hobbyre, but was delighted to find Lido Merceria just next door. Where Hobbyra Hobbyre is all things embroidery and French floral, Lido Merceria is German retro-era needlepoint.
Lido Merceria feels more like a curiosity shop than a craft store. I loved the display case of vintage scissors and tools (yes, those are $85 embroidery snips, for anyone who is counting). With notions, buttons and trim, patches, and upholstery-weight fabric, all in varying degrees of vintage and new, this shop was a treat.
And what did I end the day with? I showed incredible restraint — sashiko thread in pretty pastels, a printed sashiko pattern, and a few swatches of Liberty fabric. Not a bad day.
Getting there: Take the Tokyu-Den-Entoshi Line from Shibuya station or the Tokyu-Oimachi Line to Futako-tamagawa station. Cross through Dogwood Plaza to locate the Takashimaya Shopping Center. Lido Merceria and Hobbyra Hobbyre and on the 5th floor of the South building, across from the Camper shoe store.
Lido Merceria Tel. 03-6805-6822, open 10-9
Hobbyra Hobbyre ホビーラホビーレ Tel. 03-3707-1430, open 10-9
Tamagawa Takashimaya S-C South Building 5F, 3-17-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
〒158-0094 東京都世田谷区玉川3-17-1 玉川高島屋S・C 南館5F
According to their website, Hobbyra Hobbyre can be found in other locations around Japan. Check store locations on their website for more information.
I know there must be a connection that can be made between the fragile situation in Japan and these precarious, lantern-covered wooden floats that lumber through the streets, pushed and pulled by a community, urged on by the chants and music from those too small to help.
But what do I know? We ooh, and ahh, and are happy to be at our first matsuri in a new Japan.
Ahh, it feels like spring today. I hung some laundry to dry on the balcony and left the door wide open. The birds are chirping and blue sky is in sight (that is, beyond the power lines and skyscrapers).
I apologize to all my Minnesotan readers for my gratuitous boasting of springtime, since many of you probably still have snow on the ground in some places. OK, not really, but it is just so fun to jest.
It’s hanami time in Japan, which means everyone goes outside to picnic under the sakura, or cherry blossoms. I went for a walk yesterday and saw two people picnicking with champagne at 2 in the afternoon. Rightfully so, the sakura are lovely — and fleeting — they deserve proper celebration.
On Sunday Dan and I took a walk along the river in Nakameguro, which is lined on both side with sakura that were in full bloom.
The sakura in Tokyo are almost gone, blooms coming and going in a matter of days. I’m hoping this weekend gets a little windy, because I love to stand under the cherry trees and let the little white and pale-pink petals flutter around me. Perhaps it reminds me of snowfall in Minnesota.
OK, you’ve got me there.
It’s true, I was a cheerleader in high school. I’m pretty sure I was pegged as the grumpy cheerleader (bookish introverts probably shouldn’t be allowed on the squad), and I would have worn motorcycle boots with my uniform if they had let me. But I digress.
I can’t help but cheer because my sashiko kits are finally up in my web shop, and I’m really excited. I’ve been working on these kits for the past few months, and I’m happy to finally share them. I designed the patterns and created illustrated instructions detailing the techniques I learned from my snappy old-lady friends in sashiko class. Let’s take a peek:
I tried to marry traditional Japanese aesthetic with modern design and materials, which is probably how you could describe my taste at the moment. Every dish and towel in my kitchen is indigo and white, and everything else in our apartment is either white, wood, or Muji-tan. I find it simple and refreshing.
These coasters are also great because they provide almost-instant gratification for the busy crafter. They take hardly any time to make, and class-up tea cups tenfold. A few of the kits are geared for beginners and a few for more experienced needleworkers, but I’m happy to answer questions and do some virtual hand-holding for anyone wanting to learn sashiko and jump in head needle first.
I’m now moving on to a second batch of designs (on top of my Action Craft quilt project, which is still a sizable heap of scraps), so if you have pattern requests, let me know. S – A – S – H – I – K – O!
Maybe that one needs some work.
I’ve been back in Tokyo for a few days now. From my walks around the neighborhood, it is hard to say whether it is quiet or if it’s just my imagination. Dan reports business as usual at his office, though says his coworkers are less lively than normal. We both get the feeling that people just aren’t going out as much, instead staying home to conserve energy and resources. Tokyo with its lights off feels a little sad, though it seems temporary.
I’ve been thinking about what I can do to help. I want to head north, pick up a hammer or lug boxes, but right now it’s best to let the trained aid workers do their thing without interruption. And who are we kidding — if I went now, I’d be a blubbering mess. Those who know me know that I’m pretty good at crying. I can’t help it, I’m a weeper. Emerging stories by survivors are amazing and necessary, but heart-wrenching. Right now, I can help everyone by helping from afar.
I thought about sending a percentage of the proceeds from my web shop to a local charity, but I decided I didn’t want my giving to be dependent on how much I sell. I’d rather just give something, no strings attached.
Then today it hit me — I can stitch.
Before I moved to Japan I bought this book, Quilting for Peace. It includes stories about people making quilts for survivors of tragedies, and about how small quilts and blankets, when given to people in need, provide enormous comfort. I remember one story in particular — about a group of women who made small quilts for their local fire station to have at the ready when a family lost their home and everything in it. Imagine standing on the curb watching your house go up in smoke, and someone hands you a homemade blanket rather than one of those scratchy synthetic ones.
So that is what I can do. For now, at least.
And then it occurred to me — I’m a crafty gal with crafty friends. I bet if I ask nicely, a bunch of you could do the same… How about it?! Let’s make some blankets!
Interested?! Great! Here are the details —
The plan: Make small kid-sized or lap-sized blankets to send to an evacuation shelter, hospital or school in a tsunami-affected area of Japan. I’ll do the research, and maybe recruit my Japanese friends to help me find a location. I’ll keep you all informed as plans develop.
What you, crafty friends and family, can do: Make a small blanket and send it to me. I know some of you quilt, others knit or croquet — anything works! Think roughly 36 inches by 48 inches (90 cm x 120 cm), try not to go bigger than that, smaller is OK too. Be creative! Feel free to use up scraps! Tied quilts, machine-pieced, embroidered or not, whatever! This is a great excuse for those of you who have been wanting to try quilting. If you need help, send me a message and I’ll walk you through it. I’ll also try to dig up some tutorials and easy patterns. (For starters, check here.) Please send your blanket freshly washed.
Also, include a hand-written note for the recipient. Tell them where you live, send a photo or drawing if you’d like. I’ll translate the notes, gather the goods, and see that they are delivered to a proper location. If you fancy, I’ll also take photos of the blankets to put on this blog, so everyone participating can see what’s been sent and share encouragement.
Let’s keep this quick, and shoot for a deadline of one month from now. Try to place your blanket in the mail by the end of April, bonus points if you can get it to me by the 30th. For questions or a shipping address, contact me at sakepuppets(at)gmail(dot)com. Also, why don’t you leave a comment and tell us what you’re working on! All are invited to participate, old friends and new!
Good luck, happy stitching, and がんばって!
Last week I drafted an ornery blog post, but then hit delete. It was on the topic of fleeing Japan. As I sat in my hotel room in Beijing, the stories popping up in the news about foreigners fleeing in the wake of the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis made me increasingly agitated. I sheepishly admit, I took offense.
When I hear the word “flee,” I envision people running. You flee from a fire, or Godzilla. People had to flee the tsunami, as in, they had to run so the gigantic black wave didn’t swallow them up. I did not flee from anything. I took a train, and calmly stood in line, and then I sat around in the airport for a couple hours. I played solitaire on my phone. I packed smartly for a week-long sightseeing trip. I’m not abandoning anything or anyone. I’m not fearful.
But the headlines about foreigners fleeing Japan got to me. I feel silly for admitting it, since there are more important issues at hand. Last week I vigorously typed my retort, but decided not to post it because, really, I don’t need to justify my actions to anyone, nor do I need to pick a fight with the internet. I tried to let the issue go and instead focus on something productive.
Then today I came across this article in TimeOut Tokyo. It conveys many of the same feelings I’ve been having — though in a more concise, less ornery manner (and props to my friend Sandra, who is quoted). So rather than retype the sentiments, I’ll just encourage you to follow the link and then add a “Yeah, what he said” to the end.
Saké Puppets 