17 in 2017 - September Report

This month I worked on the Midnight Mystery Quilt (first time since November 2015).  

I also completed the September cat.

To see all of my 17 in 2017 projects, check out this page.  To see the progress other participants have made, check it out here.

2017 Smalls Stitch A Long - September

This year I plan to stitch the calendar cats (free charts at Happiness is Cross Stitching).  One small ornament per month, so this month is September.  I will wait to finish them all at the same time in December so that they will be the same size and somehow coordinate.  

I'm linking up with Heather, at Stitching Lotus, the hostess of this stitch a long.

Nagasaki - Peace Park, Hypocenter Memorial, Atomic Bomb Museum

One of the big themes is to learn from this horrible event and make sure it never happens again.

Peace Park  

Hypocenter Memorial 

Atomic Bomb Museum 

This museum was opened in April 1996. As you enter the museum, you go back in time.  The years are on the wall as you wind down the walkway.

Tickets to enter the museum (200 yen) are sold from a machine. 

Sanno Shrine One Leg Tori 

This shrine was 800 meters from the center of the blast.  One leg of the shrine's tori fell over and one remained standing.

This was a sobering day.  It is unbelievable that history may repeat itself.

Work In Progress Wednesday - Midnight Mystery Quilt Blocks

I followed the next set of instructions and have the individual blocks pieced.  All of my blocks are different. (I should have pressed the seams before taking photos.)  The more I look at these blocks, the more I like them.

Just one more set of instructions!  Maybe by next week, I'll have the completed quilt top.  We'll see.  The directions for this quilt can be found on Cheryl's Meadow Mist Designs blog.  

I did finally go back to the Janome Shop and was able to buy a walking foot for my machine.  I still don't have the hang of it yet and need to "unstitch" some puckered areas. I don't consider this to be any progress on this quilt. 

These are two of my 17 in 2017 projects.

Stitch Group Sunday and Name for the Baby Panda

I love getting together with my stitch group!  They are finding out that it is hard to know when you are finished with a crazy quilt project, so we continue stitching.  

This is my bag.  It looks like it could be finished but it is not.  I want to add more stitches to the side and some beads on the flap.  It's hard to know when I am finished.  

Grapes and cheesecake and omiyage treats.

It was announced yesterday that the baby panda born on June 12th at Ueno Zoo has been named Xiang Xiang (Shan Shan in Japanese).  She weighs 6 kilograms and is 65 centimeters long (as of last Thursday).  She has been witnessed taking a few unsteady steps by zoo staff.

Monday Morning Star Count - Week 21

Week 21 of the temperature quilt

September 17 - 23

68, 91, 82, 75, 82, 73, 73 

Colorful week - starting with the Typhoon on Sunday, then a hot day on Monday

Linking up with Anthea at Hibiscus Stitches.

Sarah at Sarah Did It!  is hosting a link up on Wednesdays for those making a temperature hexagon quilt.  Check it out and think about joining in.  You can start at any time. 

This is my temperature/color (Fahrenheit) scheme: 

100 + Brown 

90-99 Red  

80-89 Orange 

70-79 Yellow  

60-69 Green  

50-59 Blue 

40-49 Purple 

30-39 Pink 

20-29 White 

10-19 Black

Nagasaki - China Town, Bekko Craft Museum, and Walking Around

I walked through China Town, expecting something on the order of China Town in San Franscisco or Yokohama, but it was not so much.

Bekko Craft Museum - This small museum is housed in the former Nagasaki Custom's Kudarimatsu Office Building, which has been designated an important cultural asset. Tortoiseshell or bekko is a luxury item used to make jewelry boxes, combs, and decorative items. The entrance fee to see the over 300 bekko items was only 100 yen.

Some other nearby sights

There's still more to see in Nagasaki.  Until next time....