Simple baby quilt with tenugui backing

Miss K is visiting from NYC - yay! - and one of the great joys in having her here has been sewing together.  We whipped up a simple baby quilt for a friend whose baby shower/ sayonara party is this week.

Easy to cut 80 5-inch squares from 30's repros: 

blue solids, and tenugui fabrics: 

Chain piecing made quick work of the top, with K piecing most of it.  

For the backing we used four lengths of tenugui fabric (found the other day at the country yukata fabric factory).  The material is sheet-thin and I wonder about its durability... but it is sure soft.  

Wavy free motion quilting, corner to corner - so fast and fun - I really appreciate machine quilting when it comes to making baby quilts, and machine quilting means the quilts are so durable, washable, can take a lot of hard use and don't need to be treated as precious objects.

The binding contains a subtle detail - the asanoha (hemp leaf) pattern, which in terms of traditional sashiko, is a protective symbol historically used for children's items.

asanoha (hemp leaf) sashiko pattern

I blogged about another simple baby quilt here:  http://aquilterbynight.blogspot.com/2012/10/sweet-4-patch-baby-quilt.html

Fascinating yukata fabric factory

The other day,  Julie W took and I visited a remote, humble factory where cotton yukata and tenugui fabric are printed and dyed, and where she knew we could purchase seconds for a song.  She hadn't been here in years and was hoping it was still standing!  It was - but with far less fabric up for grabs - but it was still well worth the drive and a day's outing!

For me, it turned out to be one of those rare glimpses into real Japan - far outside the urban modernity of Tokyo - and one of the most memorable experiences I've had in Japan.  I only wish I spoke enough Japanese to have been able to ask questions!

wow.

Making arrangements for us to have a little tour. 

Digging out some of the seconds for us to see. 

We start sifting through the pile of seconds... some good stuff here!

Some of it stained - but no problem - can be cut away at home. 

A brief tour begins... and frankly it was hard to know where to train my eye!  It was very dark and hard to take pictures... 

We watched two gentleman work for a few minutes.  Our guide spoke no English and Julie and I speak such minimal Japanese that the only communication was basically "WOW!" on our part... and polite giggles on our guide's part!

Stencils, painting on the resist. 

And as Julie and I browsed through the fabric, our guide and her helper got back to work: 

In the background you see the giant spinner, where the rinse water is spun out of the fabric.

The printed, dyed, and rinsed fabric is steam pressed on this roller.

We loved some of this fabric but seconds weren't available. 

The pressed fabric is then neatly rolled up.  We each got a roll of this pretty tenugui fabric. 

Finished orders. 

What a great outing!  Thanks Julie!!  

Back home with my haul... dumped right by the washer.  The hot pink was a last minute gift from our guide.  She had so much of it and might just have wanted to get rid of it!  

It took a couple of days to sort and thoroughly wash all the fabric (there was a definite presence of cats at the factory!) using many color-catchers:

I hung it all around the apartment...

And I've started to press and fold it all.

Miss K (daughter #2) is visiting from NYC, and next I'll show you a project we whipped up together using some of these irresistible tenugui fabrics!

Kodomo No Hi, and prayer flags for Boston

Today is Kodomo No Hi (Children's Day) here in Japan - Queenie blogged about it here.  And I posted about it here on the blog I kept last year for my elementary school (where I taught fourth grade before coming to Japan).

I was thinking today about those bright carp flags flying in the wind, and the message they send to our young people - "you are courageous, you are strong!"

Which made me think of another kind of flag display in the works which will also surely send a positive message:

The details are posted here.  I admire this project because it is an expression of caring that does not require an action or response of any kind from those who have suffered and are suffering still.

Also, I came across this blog and just love the spirit of it:

The Prayer Flag Project 

With just five more weeks to go here in Japan before I return to Massachusetts, my thoughts and heart are in both places....

Indigo jackpot in Nishi-Ogikubo

It seems that for almost a year I've really been on the hunt for good indigo cloth off the bolt.  Not navy cotton, but that elusive beautiful indigo.

Yuzawaya has a passable fabric (198 yen per 10 cm), which I was happy to find, and am using for the little sashiko sampler classes I'm doing at church.

This repro fabric is pretty cool: 

Then recently my sashiko teacher at Blue and White provided me with some much better indigo fabric, for the same price, but I know I'm inconveniencing her when I ask, and I see her only once a month.

I have found many wonderful vintage pieces at flea markets, for a price, as well as beautiful swatches at Blue and White (they purchase it from an itinerant indigo peddler who visits the shop now and then).

(The dark blue kasuri above was a gift from Queenie.  Gorgeous.)

And in that hole-in-the-wall shop Natasha helped me find, I did find some beautiful taupe 55% linen, 45% cotton (or the other way around) at a fair price, pictured here next to a navy:

But still not that deep pool of indigo.

Then the other day while exploring a new neighborhood full of antiques and artsy boutiques, my friends and I hit the JACKPOT without even trying.

Take the North Exit at Nishi-Ogikubo station,

Find the Koban (police station - there are small ones on many corners - and the police are always willing and happy to help with directions) and ask for an "Antiques Shops Map."

The map shows 61 shops and cafes, with names like "UNTIDY Art and Objects to Use" and "Mood" and "Gallery Bowknot".  Most of the names are in kanji but the map is very clear and shows four clusters of shops around the station.  All of it is walkable/browsable within a few hours.

The streets were quiet and quaint, and it was great to just walk around what felt like Japan without another Westerner in sight.

This was a new cafe opening - lots of congratulatory flowers from neighboring businesses on display. You can see us in the reflection of the glass - plus a waiter waving to us - so funny!

More silliness at a combini (convenience store):

We were looking for Store #33 - because next to the shop name the map read in English "Quilt and Old Textiles."  Could this unassuming spot be it?

Maybe... 

Yes!  And what's more, once inside it gradually became clear, from some photos on the wall, that this was the workshop of a well known Japanese quilting sensei, Shizuko Kuroha, who famously uses indigo in her work.

I had just caught a glimpse of her at that Edo quilt show at Mitsukoshi Department Store last week.  She was standing in front of her quilts, giving a talk to an attentive crowd (I knew I wouldn't understand a single word, so I didn't pause to listen).

Cotton indigo for sale?  Why, yes!

These nice ladies were busy cutting pieces for their sensei (in Japan much of the work of the big-name quilters is actually performed by their students):

But they graciously took a break to measure some fabric off the bolt for us:

There were also some very special (and expensive) vintage pieces.  Julie W and I were just thrilled to be able to buy several yards of the new stuff, for about 2000 yen per meter.  Hurray!