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Sunday, May 31, 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival 2021 Partnership Quilt Announcement
Thank you Queenie (Queenie's Needlework) for keeping us informed about next year's theme! Let's keep our fingers crossed that we will be able to attend in person next January.
The theme for the 2021 project is Love the Earth. Kathy Nakajima and her son Yosuke Katsuno are in charge of the project this year. I am already thinking about what I can make. The deadline is only two months away.
Thank you, Queenie, for the information below.
The rules are:
- size 15x15 cm + seam allowance of 1-2 cm
- no quilting,
- name written in lower right seam allowance,
- enclose a self addressed 63yen postcard, if you live in Japan and want to know in which quilt your block has been added
- NEW and IMPORTANT: print out, fill in and enclose the slip at the bottom of the website (see details below)
- DEADLINE: 31st JULY 2020, when the block must have reached NHK
- send to:
Partnership Quilt NHK Sutekini Handmade 2-2-1 Jinnan Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-8001Japan
PLEASE NOTE:More information can be found on the official website. Sorry only in Japanese.The slip you need to fill in looks like this:
Friday, May 29, 2020
Friday Finish - Sleigh Ornament
This "Christmas Sleigh" ornament is designed by Judy Whitman of JBW Designs. I used the called for thread and beads.
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Nothing is Normal This Year
Every year, there is an auction of the first melons of the year in Yubari, Hokkaido. Last year, a pair of these premium melons sold for five million yen at this auction. This year the first melons sold for just a fraction of last year's record sale, at only 120,000 yen.
An official at the market where the auction was held said the coronavirus kept the rich corporate clients away. These corporate clients compete to outbid each other in a normal year. This year the market has been closed since April 20th, in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus, but it held this one time auction to encourage support for local produce.
Every year, people comment on the extreme prices for these early perfect melons, but it does call attention and offer support for the Hokkaido farmers.
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Work In Progress Wednesday - Beads Needed
I've finished the cross-stitching on this little ornament, but now need to add a few beads.
I've also finished the rhodes stitches on this project, but want to add a few beads to it also. I've used different color metallic threads, but it is difficult to tell that in the photos.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Dream Jobs of First Graders and their Parents in Japan
Since 1999, Kuraray, a major manufacturer of synthetic leather for school backpacks (randoseru), has been conducting annual surveys on what jobs Japanese first graders want to have in the future. Here are the results for 2020.
GIRLS
1. Baker
2. Celebrity, singer, or model
3. Nurse
4. Florist
5. Nursery school teacher
6. Worker at ice-cream shop
7. Doctor
8. Teacher
9. Police officer
10. Beautician
BOYS
1. Athlete
2. Police Officer
3. Driver (of buses, trains, etc.)
4. Firefighter or rescue worker
5. TV star or anime character
6. Researcher
7. Baker
8. Doctor
9. Carpenter or artisan
10. YouTuber
An interesting look at boys' number one choice - 56.9% want to be a soccer player, 19.1% a baseball player, and 4.0% a rugby player.
WHAT PARENTS WANT
Parents of new first graders did not have the same choices, but overall want their children to have steady jobs.
GIRLS
1. Nurse
2. Public servant
3. Pharmacist
4. Doctor
5. Medical professional
6. Company worker
7. Baker
8. Teacher
9. Nursery school teacher
10. Celebrity, singer, model
BOYS
1. Public servant
2. Doctor
3. Company worker
4. Athlete
5. Police officer
6. Figherfighter or rescue worker
7. Researcher
8. Engineer
9. Driver (of buses, trains, etc.)
10. Medical professional
I don't remember if I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up at the start of first grade. Do you remember? If you have grown children, did they end up doing what you or they wanted?
Monday, May 25, 2020
Monday Morning Star Count - Gift Bags and Week 3
I decided to use some of the orphan hexies I had to make some unlined gift bags. They could be regifted or repurposed by the recipients. The bag fabric is kimono fabric.
Year Four of the temperature quilt
Week 3
May 10 - 16
77, 84, 75, 81, 77, 81, 68
I am reporting the high temperature each day. My Year Four temperature/color (Fahrenheit) scheme remains the same:
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 BlackYou can see my finished Year One Quilt here.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Canadian Zoo to Return Giant Pandas to China
I read this week that Calgary Zoo has decided to return its two giant pandas, Er Shun and Da Mao, to China due to difficulties getting enough bamboo to feed them. The coronavirus pandemic has caused flights to be limited, so getting a steady supply of bamboo flown in has become a challenge.
Er Shum and Da Mao spent five years at the Toronto Zoo before moving to Calgary in 2018. They were scheduled to remain in Calgary until 2023. The zoo's president said the safest thing to do for the animals is to return them to China, where their food supply is abundant. The risk of not being able to provide food is unacceptable.
Fresh bamboo makes up 99% of the panda diet, with each adult panda consuming about 88 pounds a day. In other areas where there are zoos with giant pandas, the bamboo can be grown locally, but that is not the case in Calgary. I'm sure this was a difficult decision to make, but the welfare of the pandas is the most important thing.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Road Accidents Fall to Record Low in Japan - April 2020
Recently released data for April, shows a record low number of road accidents nationwide. The low number of accidents, 20,805, is attributed to the government's request for people to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of road accidents was down 36.2% or 11,827 from a year earlier. This marks the lowest monthly figure since the record keeping began in 1989. All 47 prefectures saw reductions, with Tokyo Prefecture seeing the sharpest drop with a 48.2% drop, followed by Gunma Prefecture with a 47.7% drop.
The number of deaths also decreased by 19.9% to 213, the lowest April figure on record. The number of injures fell by 37.7% to 24,587, according to the National Police Agency.
Staying home saves lives in more ways than one.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Friday Finish - A Pair of Pears
I decided to finish my two stitched pears into a pair of bags for travel - one for small things like socks and underwear, and one for shoes (square bottom). The kimono fabric came from a kimono jacket I bought at the Mariko flea market a couple of months ago.
I'm happy with them.
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Mt. Fuji - Summer 2020
Is climbing Mt. Fuji on your bucket list? Summer 2020 will not be to be the summer to get there. There are four climbing trails to get to the top. Last week, Yamanashi Prefecture announced the most popular trail, the Yoshida Trail, will be closed. The Yamanashi Prefecture government stated it is not possible to ensure the safety of climbers during the pandemic. Shizuoka Prefecture made the same announcement days later about the three trails in its prefecture. In addition to the trails, the first aid centers and mountain huts will also be closed.
The trails are usually open from July 10 to September 10, with up to 300,00 people climbing each year. Last summer there were 236,000 climbers, according to the Mount Fuji official website. Many climbers spend the night in crowded mountain huts, in order to reach the top in time to see the sunrise.
I was able to reach the top last August and wrote about my experience here.
I hope everyone will accept the decisions of the two prefectures that Mt. Fuji straddles and make plans to climb next year.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Work in Progress Wednesday - Small Stuff
These six sets of fob sides are ready for beads.
I started a new cross stitch ornament.
I continued working on the rhodes stitches.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Tuesday Tutorial - Chop Stick Carriers
Do you carry your lunch to work or school? How do you carry your eating utensils? I'm making this to carry chop sticks, but it could just as easily carry a fork and spoon.
First, I cut two 14 inch squares, then cut diagonally into triangles. (You need two triangles for each chop stick carrier, so two squares will make two carriers.)
Cut one strip about 12 inches by 2.5 inches. Press it in half long ways and press the raw edges to the inside and top stitch. This will be the tie.
With right sides of the triangles together, pin the tie to the inside of the right angle corner. Pin the rest of the way around.
Stitch the parts together, leaving an opening for turning right side out. Trim the points so they aren't so bulky.
After turning right side out, press. There is no need to stitch the opening closed.
Fold one side in to about the half way point. This will be the pocket for the points of the chop sticks (or silverwear).
Top stitch all the way around. It's finished.
To use, put the chop stick points in the pocket, fold over opposite side, roll and tie.
How easy is that?
Monday, May 18, 2020
Monday Morning Star Count - Week 2
Year Four of the temperature quilt
Week 2
May 3 - 9
79, 73, 81, 63, 72, 72, 70
I am reporting the high temperature each day. My Year Four temperature/color (Fahrenheit) scheme remains the same:
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 BlackYou can see my finished Year One Quilt here.
Sunday, May 17, 2020
New Plastic Bag Law in Japan
photo from the internet |