Small projects this week
I’m working on the second layer of stitches for the beady fobs. I think adding the little stitches on top of the variegated eyelets makes a big difference in the look.
I finished covering the tape measure and will add tiny beads to the seams next.
We met on Sunday and started a new project - covers for winding tape measures. We are using different materials and techniques but they are all coming along nicely.
Teatime - the green leaves are holding mochi (sticky pounded rice), the green and white papers hold green tea rolled cookies with cream filling, cookies with nuts, castella (fluffy Japanese sponge cake) in two flavors. (In case you are wondering, no one ate all the treats at stitching group).
I made these off and on over the last month, but without an active project, hexagons have been on the back burner. Most of these were made with Japanese fabrics.
Japan Railway offers an autumn, three consecutive day ticket for local and rapid trains across Japan, which costs only 7850 yen. I took advantage of the ticket and will have several posts ahead about my adventure. The first day I went to Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture. It is an Edo era castle town a short distance from Tokyo. I had been there before in 2021, but you can never see and do everything in one trip, plus some things change. I walked around, looking but not stopping much on my way to the Kawagoe Castle ruins area where the Honmaru-Goten (Inner Citadel Palace) is. (A full post is coming on that).
The historic 85 Bank Building, built in 1918, reopened on May 15, 2024 as the Resona Koedo Terrace. It is recognized as a national registered tangible cultural property.
There are many interesting old buildings that are repurposed as shops and restaurants.
Toki no Kane is the historic bell tower that was originally built in the early 1600’s, but has been rebuilt several times due to fire damage. The current tower was constructed in 1894, after the Great Fire of Kawagoe destroyed the previous tower. The tower is three stories (16 meters) tall. The chimes ring out four times a day 6 am, 12 noon, 3 pm, and 6 pm). In 1996, the Japan Ministry of the Environment designated the Bell Tower’s chimes as one of the “100 Best Sound Sceneries in Japan.” The Tower is located just off Kurazukuri Street.
The next trip post will continue on to the Kawagoe Castle area.
This year in Japan, influenza season began in August, which is the second earliest start since 1999, when the current method of record keeping was introduced. Only 2009 saw an earlier start to flu season. Suspected reasons for the earlier start include the increase of foreign tourists from the southern hemisphere, where it is winter during Japan’s summer, and dry indoor air due to use of air conditioning during Japan’s hot summer. Preventative measures include avoiding crowded places when feeling unwell, opening windows for ventilation, wearing face masks, washing hands, and getting vaccinated.
I don’t know of anyone yet who has or has had the flu this season, but I do know people who are already vaccinated.
Looking back on October 8th blog posts since I moved to Japan. (Click on the year to see the full post)
2025 This was a Work in Progress Wednesday post and one of projects I was working on was a blackwork piece, that I later made into a pillow.
2024 This was a Train Manners post
2023 Sports Day post - one of Japan’s great national holidays
2022 McDonalds Japan changes from plastic to wood utensils
2021 Finish Friday - There was an earthquake and I finished a beaded ornament.
2020 Free Corona Virus Vaccinations in Japan
2019 I made a post about body donation in Japan
2018 An earthquake and a temperature block
2017 I finished my crazy quilt shoulder bag
2016 I wrote about golf insurance in Japan
2015 Take a Stitch Tuesday was the barred chain stitch
2014 Monday Morning Star Count - I’ve been making hexagons for a long time!
2013 Japan has four seasons
2012 Beaded ornaments
Fobs - new start. I came across some small fabric pieces and decided to use them to start making some fobs.
Another New Project
The Great Wave progress
More and more, raccoons are causing problems in Japan. Raccoons are not native to Japan, even though they resemble the tanuki, which is native to Japan, but not related to the North American raccoon.
The first raccoon in the wild in Japan was one that escaped from the Inuyama Zoo in 1962. The main introduction of raccoons to Japan was in the 1970’s through the pet trade, after the popularity of the TV cartoon series, Rascal the Raccoon.
Raccoon damage is rising sharply all across Japan, with agricultural losses at 700 million yen (4.4 million USD) a year. In addition to damage to agricultural crops, the damage in urban areas is increasing. The animals are eating goldfish from garden ponds and breaking into attics. People are urged not to approach or to feed the animals. Officials report that vacant houses where raccoons can breed are expanding their habitats. The population of the animals is growing so rapidly that it is becoming impossible to keep them under control. Officials say the number of raccoons must be reduced in order to limit the damage.
I read about this interesting quilt-a-long on this Piecework magazine website. This article directs participants to the Park’s Website for instructions for blocks 1-6.
The fifth block is the Log Cabin Block.
All blocks are sewn by hand. Here are the first five blocks.
