Friday Finish - Panda Hanging and Bowl Cozies

I stitched the panda scene last year and have now made it into a wall hanging with a sleeve on the back for a dowel to hang it.

 

I made two bowl cozies (holders for hot bowls) as a gift.

Panda Cafe

Tuesday, I went to Tokyo to the Metropolitan Art Museum. (I will post about that soon). I decided to go to the Panda Cafe for lunch, having heard about it from Queenie, who blogs at Queenie’s Needlework. It is located in the Matsuzakaya Ueno department store.

I chose an udon noodle set that came with a little fruit dessert.

This is what the department store building looks like. It is very close to Ueno Park.

Thank you, Queenie, for this recommendation.

Panda in Black and White

 

Four Pandas in Japan Moving to China

Currently there are six giant pandas in Japan - two in Ueno Zoo in Tokyo and four in Adventure World in Wakayama Prefecture. The four in Wakayama, 24 year old Rauhin and her children: Yuihin, 8, Saihin, 6, and Fuhin, 4, will leave their current home in Wakayama in June for their new home at the Chengdu Research Base in Sichuan Province, China.

After these four move to China, there will be only two Giant Pandas left in Japan, the twins Xiao (male) and Lei Lei (female) at Ueno Zoo.  See them while you can.

Stitch Group Saturday

We met on Saturday and started a new project. (I started mine before but hadn’t worked on it much.) 

Show and Tell

This is my chair.  I always get the panda seat.

We all chose the same Hawaiian pattern. Three stitchers want to make cushions, one a wall hanging, and mine will be a little table covering. Everyone had to iron the fabric, cut the paper pattern, cut the fabric design and baste it to the backing fabrics.

There was a lot of ironing.

Tea time

Many people here wouldn’t recognize the words Hawaiian Quilting, but if you mention Kathy Nakajima, they know. She and her son have programs on television and she has books and quilt kits. Her beautiful quilts are featured at every quilt show. Our projects are not as large or as bright as Ms. Nakajima’s, but they will be beautiful.

Tokyo Giant Pandas to be Returned to China

(Shin Shin or Ri Ri, Ueno Zoo, January 2017)

Giant Pandas living at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens since 2011 will be returned to China on September for treatment due to health concerns.  The final day for viewing will be September 28th.

Ri Ri and Shin Shin are both aged 19 (considered old age for pandas), have been receiving medication for high blood pressure since September 2023. In addition, Ri Ri has had occasional incidents of vomiting and experts don't know the reason. The current loan agreement expires in February 2026, but both Japan and China agree that it will be better for them to return to China before their health deteriorates. They are the parents of Xiang Xiang, who was sent to China in 2023, and twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, born in June 2021.  The twins will remain at Ueno Zoo.

Friday Finish - International Pandas

Cute, aren't they?

Work In Progress Wednesday

New Start - Japanese cross stitch design #2. There are 78 designs in the book and I am stitching them in order.  These are 1 and 2 (in progress).

Candlewicking progress

International Pandas progress

Spring Bride progress

Work In Progress Wednesday

 New Start

New Book and New Start - This book has 78 patterns.  I started one of them.

Candlewicking progress

Spring Bride progress

International Panda progress

Work In Progress Wednesday

New Start - mitten ornament

 

International Pandas - outlining progress

Spring Bride progress

Stitch Group Candlewicking progress

Tan Tan, the Oldest Giant Panda in Japan, Died at Age 28

 

Sad news - Tan Tan, the oldest Panda in Japan died of cardiac arrest on Sunday this week. She came to Oji Zoo in Kobe in 2000 from China. She was scheduled to return to China, at the expiration of her lease agreement in July 2020, but that was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, then again later because of treatment for cardiac disease and the increased risks of her transportation. She was 28 years old.

Work In Progress Wednesday

New Start

International Panda progress - more outlining

Spring Bride progress

Work In Progress Wednesday

New Start 

Spring Bride Progress

Panda Progress - I think I have done all the cross stitches and have just started the backstitching.

Work In Progress Wednesday

New Start -

New Start - June Bride Kit 

I remember buying this kit (which included 32 count cream linen and DMC floss) when I lived in Carbondale, so probably around 2000. I liked the country look and the quilt, but never stitched it.

International Panda Progress