Monday Morning Star Count - House Quilt Finish

Today is a national holiday in Japan - Sports Day. It is observed on the second Monday in October (a Happy Monday Holiday). The day commemorates the start of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and exists to promote sports and an active lifestyle.

Now - the House Quilt finish! This is the quilt front, with the top row of hexagons folded over to the back to keep it on the laundry pole. It looks a lot like the bottom row. The quilt is mostly machine pieced and hand quilted.The hexagons are stitched on by hand.

The backing is made of six cat fabrics pieced together.

Here are some close ups of the backing fabric. I do love cats!

The corner blocks are some simple embroidered houses with a little quilting around the houses.

I like it.

Stitch Group Saturday

We met yesterday to continue working on our blackwork projects.

Our next project will be making necktie bags. I brought neckties that one of my friends had given me, and everyone chose ties for bags they want to make. One stitcher couldn’t come to stitching yesterday, so I will bring them back next time. It is very fun to choose which ones to use.

Tea time

Remains of Odaka Castle - Nagoya

From  JCastle website - 

Odaka Castle built by Hanai Bitchu-no-kami around 1504-1521. From 1532-1558 it was controlled by the Mizuno clan. Originally the Mizuno were allied with the Imagawa but switch to Oda Nobunaga. In 1559, Yamaguchi Noritsugu, an ally of the Imagawa attacked and captured Odaka Castle. Oda built the Marune Fort and Washizu Fort nearby to cut off Yamaguchi from the Imagawa supply lines. In a famous maneuver, Tokugawa Ieyasu charged through the Oda lines with his men on horseback and delivered supplies to Odaka Castle. Ieyasu stayed in Odaka Castle until after the Battle of Okehazama (1560) when he moved back to Okazaki Castle. The castle returned to Oda hands but was soon abandoned.

The Odaka Castle Site is a short walk from the train station, passing by this tiny temple.

Other than the signs, there’s just an empty space, but you can imagine a castle in this space. It is a big open space and is higher than the surrounding area.

The falling leaves look like it’s autumn.

Friday Finish - the Necktie Bag

Eight neckties, five buttons, one Daiso panda tenugi (for lining) and invisible thread. Sewn by hand.

Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine - Nagoya

Hachiman shrines are dedicated to Hachiman the syncretic Shinto/ Buddhist god of warriors and the divine protector of the nation. Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed this shrine as the patron, tutelary shrine of Nagoya in 1610. The shrine was destroyed in World War II, but rebuilt in 1957.

Work in Progress Wednesday

New start - beady fobs. I had this piece of linen that I didn’t want to go to waste. It is perfect for making a few fobs. I think it is long enough to make about five fobs. These first two use DMC 106 and DMC 94.

New start - neckties hand stitched together with invisible thread.

Then I added some decorative stitching along the seams.

Blackwork progress -