Shinjuku Gyoen

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English Craft Club, this Sunday!

The next English Craft Club class meets this Sunday September 23rd in Shinjuku Gyoen! This upcoming class is part of the American Quilt Series, and up this week is the Churn Dash.

Finished quilt blocks can be used to create a table mat, 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 for a discount of just 3500 yen per person. The English Craft Club is open to everyone — men, women, both native speakers and those learning English. Special English language vocabulary and lesson notes are provided. If you are interested in joining the class, please send an email to sakepuppets@gmail.com to reserve a spot. More info can be found here. Hope to see you there!

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Mosquitos Don’t Scare Us

They tried — those little blood-sucking devils! — but craft prevailed, and we had a lovely time sewing in the park.

Sunday’s session of the English Craft Club was the nine-patch quilting class. We started on some fluffy grass under a tree in Shinjuku Gyoen, and after valiant battle with some mosquitos we retreated found a better spot in a nearby picnic pavilion. The mosquitos may have bullied us, but they couldn’t damper our craft spirits.

My favorite part of these quilting classes is watching everyone choose their fabrics. For each class I bring pre-cut fabric squares so we can get right to work designing our quilt blocks. I’ve been collecting this fabric for the past two years, and some I brought with me from the US, so it is always interesting to see the fabric find a new life in someone’s quilt. Here is Thewallinna making her first quilt block. So sweet!

The next quilting class will be held on Sunday, September 23rd, and a special Saké Puppets sashiko workshop is scheduled for August 25th at the Etsy Craft Party in Shibuya. Stay tuned for more details!

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English Craft Club 8月12日: 9 Square Quilts

The next English Craft Club class meets this Sunday August 12th in Shinjuku Gyoen! This upcoming class is part of the American Quilt Series, and up this week is the 9 Square block.

Looks can be deceiving — the 9 Square may look simple, but construction can be difficult because of the many sharp corners. We’ll learn how to piece and hand sew this block, and discuss some variations. The 9 Square is fun to design – you can arrange fabric colors and patterns in many combinations and styles. Come try it for yourself!

Finished quilt blocks can be used to create a table mat, 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 for a discount of just 3500 yen per person. 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 August 12th: 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

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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。

ワークショップでは刺し子作りなどを通じて、楽しく英語を勉強できます。ワークショップ = 手芸 ＋ 楽しい英語!  ( 英語では難しければ、日本語のヘルプもあります。)

『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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Super Deco!

Fellow Craft Club host Kim and I spent the afternoon making samples for our next class, Super Deco iPhone Cases. When I was 12 I bedazzled a jean jacket, but this is by far the most sparkly thing I have ever made:

I named mine Strawberry Sweetcake and Kim’s is Gothic Love. We didn’t make it far from the bead shop before ripping everything open. We huddled in the corner of a chain coffee shop with our gems, ice coffee and glue fumes, sticking sparkly things to other things with wild abandon.

 

Want to make one too? Come to the Craft Club! The Super Deco iPhone class meets Sunday July 22nd at 1 pm in Shinjuku Gyoen. All materials included and snacks for ￥5000, bring a friend and cost is just ￥3500 each. (Such a deal! Kim bought a similar case, ahem, our inspiration, at a Tokyo boutique for ￥6500!) Check this page for more details.

スーパーデコiPhoneのケース
2012年7月22日（日）13:00ー14:30

含まれる材料：iPhone４のケース、ビーズとキラキラ、レッスンメモ、お茶とお菓子
場所：新宿御苑 (ホームページ) 地図
参加費 :￥5000 –> お友達と参加すると割引があります！ ２人＝￥7000

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A Lovely Crafternoon

I wanted to share a few photos from our Craft Club in Shinjuku Gyoen this past weekend.

This is what a craft class looks like before students arrive:

And this is shortly after:

I love it. It’s chaos, but the best kind. Here everyone is choosing fabrics for their quilt blocks from the pile of pre-cut squares I brought. Honestly, I think this is the hardest part. Sometimes I spend hours just staring at fabric, getting those color combos just right, and then sometimes I just grab randomly. I’m still not sure which method works better. (And yes, that is pudding on my pin case.)

For those who are curious (and I know you are!), in a rare tell-all moment, the inner workings of a quilt class are finally revealed. She’s lifting up her skirt and showing you everything, that dirty little quilt class.

The true secret to a great quilt? Ice coffee. Always coffee.

The Flying Geese start to take shape…

Everyone in class was planning to do something different with their quilt blocks: some were keeping them for a larger quilt, another was making a pillowcase, and one person decided maybe she’d like a coaster-sized quilt block rather than a placemat. 🙂 I attached mine to a tote bag.

I decided this Flying Geese pinwheel looks like the geese are stuck in a tornado.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us on Sunday! The next class in the quilting series will be held Sunday August 12th, and we’re decorating iPhone cases on July 22nd! Hope you’ll join us. (For class info, check this link. Thanks!)

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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

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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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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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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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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.