Friday Finish - Needlepoint and Kimono Zipper Pouch

I stitched this needlepoint piece two years ago as part of my one thread a week challenge. This week I paired it with fabric from a kimono sleeve to make a zipper pouch.

Front, back, and inside. The inside is the same as the back. I stitched it all by hand to keep the zipper and seams even.

Work In Progress Wednesday

I'm doing some stitching for a birthday gift that I want to keep a secret for now, so I won't show that yet.

Japanese Pattern 6

Another little Huck Weaving piece.

Kimono Remake - I've started adding kimono fabric to an aikido jacket.  I plan to add pockets and a band at the end of the sleeves.

Friday Finish - Four Kimono Fabric Tissue Box Covers

Using kimono fabric, I made four tissue box covers to give as gifts. 

I made some two years ago and posted about how to make them. If you are interested, you can see how to do it here.

Friday Finish - Pink Needlebook

I made this little cross stitch bit into a needlebook, using a piece of pink kimono fabric and some felt.

Friday Finish - Three Gift Bags

 I like using fabric bags for gifts instead of paper wrapping.  I made these three drawstring gift bags in an evening.

Monday Morning Star Count - Hexagon Kimono Fabric Bags

I made these hexagon shapes a while ago and am using them to decorate some drawstring bags I made from kimono fabric.

This one is two pieces of fabric and the inner fabric makes the drawstring part.

This one has a small piece of red and white print inside.

This bag is made with just one piece of fabric for the outside and lining.

Friday Finish - the Toothbrush Bag

I had been carrying my toothbrush around in a plastic bag and decided I needed something nicer. The hexagon flower and the bag are made from kimono fabric. The bag matches my other two travel bags.

Friday Finish - December Ornament

I finished the December Lizzie Kate piece into an ornament.  The backing is kimono fabric.

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

First 3 weeks, Year 4

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 Black  

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.

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.

Tuesday Tutorial - Tissue Covers

These are fun and simple to make.  I used two squares of 13"x13" kimono fabric and pinned right sides together to keep the two layers together.

Using the machine, I sewed around, leaving a small opening for turning.

After turning right side out, I pressed flat and top-stitched.

I stitched two buttons to two opposite corners.

I folded the square around the tissue box and tacked two places for the buttons to hook under.

It's finished.  You can pull out the tissue when you want. When the tissue box is empty, unbutton and replace the tissue box.

Itchiku Kubota Art Museum

Last Saturday, I woke up at 4 am and left home at 5 am to catch the first of four trains at 6 am to go to Yamanashi Prefecture to visit the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum. The last train had very cute seats.

My view of the the Yamanashi side of Mt. Fuji from the train.

I arrived at the Kawaguchi train station at noon and went to the museum by the very crowded red bus.

"In 1994, dyeing artist, Itchiku Kuboda (1917-2003), built the museum in its perfect location with a majestic view of Mt. Fuji and the serene Lake Kawaguchi." (from the brochure)

The setting seems almost magical. There are many unusual outdoor Doors.

Looking back to the entrance --

"The Main Building -- The main building is a pyramid-shaped structure supported by 16 wooden beams more than 1,000 years old, using a combination of traditional japanese and Western techniques." (from the brochure)

Photos were not permitted inside the kimono section of the museum. You can see a few of the kimonos at this website. 

Photos were permitted in the tea room. 

The garden is almost as interesting as the kimonos.

I enjoyed strawberry tiramisu and a latte at an outdoor table of the cafe, with a view of Mt. Fuji.

Next I visited the glass bead museum.

The entire visit was absolutely fantastic! Not wanting to get on a crowded bus, I walked back to the area near the train station to find my hotel for the night.

This was the view from my third floor hotel room as the sun set.

And on Sunday morning, Fuji san was still there.

On Sunday, I went back home - four trains and six hours. The museum and the mountain were well worth the long trip.