International Quilt Show in Yokohama

Wow. Just Wow. There was an epic amount of patience shown by the quilters in their work at the show. All those itsy bitsy pieces of fabric of all types, sewn into the most amazing scenes and designs just blew me away. Each of them had to have taken months, or even years to complete!

While I’m not a quilter, there is a lot of crossover between the fiber arts and there is no rule about where ones next great idea will hit. I was looking for a unique idea to create a quilted octopus hot pad or tea cozy. One artist had gorgeous, unique 3D appliqué flower work that would easily translate to other organic forms. As I soaked in her beautiful completed designs I noticed she had created a very detailed book with her ideas for making these 3D appliqués. The icing on the cake is the designer signed my copy of her book! Very sweet woman, 竹村　竹美.  Her idea of adding in the traditional Japanese stitch designwork in a more modern way is very creative, check out her blog!

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A few additional items I picked up were fun prints in which to play and coordinating buttons:

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Just needs a face…

Almost done! My first Amigarumi; an Octopus in the colors I want and a design I like :) As a prototype, it will get a few improvements as each one is made but this is basically it.  The final design pattern will go in my Tako Life octopus cookbook.

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Coinciding with NaNoWriMo, is National Non-Fiction Writing Month in which I am participating by writing a cookbook. My first foray into writing a book, I’m having fun deciding which recipes to include, taste testing and designing the look I’d like to have for the book.

FYI – I like broccoli. I like octopus. But most definitely NOT together in a recipe…UGH!

Sketchbook Look

Working on drawing Octopi this month to document my Tako Life cookbook project. Using my Evernote Moleskine, I am now getting a better idea of how I would like my pages and designs to look. Even the best colors to use. While 2D work is not my forte I do enjoy it just to color in the pictures I draw :)

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Yesterday’s theme was a Tako Tea Party….

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And then an embarrassed Tako who had Yakiimo, baked sweet potato, for lunch. I know I should do the dishes, but he is begging to be colored in!

2nd Most Important Item in our Japan Life: Local Calendar

Just purchased our Japanese 2014 Wall Calendar! After my Japanese/English electronic dictionary app, the local calendar hanging on our wall is the most important item for us living here in Japan.

Most holidays are so different or so subtle in their observance that I don’t even know it is a holiday until I’m at the train station wondering why the train is late. The fact I’m thinking the train is late is my first clue that *I* am the one in error.

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Too often, in our early days here, I had been on my way to mail a package or pay rent and discover I can’t because it’s closed. But it’s Tuesday? Why is it closed? Then I traipse back home realizing that a simple glance at the calendar would have saved myself a trip out.

In all of this, what makes me feel better, is oftentimes there will be a local Japanese making the same mistake as I :)

Every year we purchase a calendar from the same artist: Hajime Okamoto. He does quirky cat drawings with traditional Japanese holiday themes throughout the year. They feel like super old-school LOLCats :)

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Solar Flair Fibres-My New Favorite Yarn Shop

Just received my first order from the Australian-based yarn dyer, Solar Flair Fibres. Love. It! I’ve been looking for the perfect skein of blues to make a scarf for my MIL and it simply showed up at my door this afternoon :)

It’s not just the yummy yarn, it’s not just the perfect colour I happened to be looking for, Fifikins has a really good business idea that I can get behind. Her yarns are dyed using the tropical Australian sun in Northern Queensland, hence the name Solar Flair Fibres.

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The skein shown is in the Sol base, 100% Merino, 490 yards/448 M, 100 grams in the colour Ulysses.

There is a nice variety of lovely sun-dyed yarns to choose from on her Etsy shop…check it out! Don’t forget to watch her podcast, A Down Under Yarn.