Completing Ikebana

Pulled pattern #14
This one took more time and thread than any of the others. I kept making mistakes and had to pull it out and do over. The eyelets are 5 threads by 7 threads, making them very difficult to count.

Pulled pattern #15

Diagonal stitch and faggot stitch variation

Flower arrangement

 

Basket

 

Finished, with initials and year

This is going to be my next project.

More Ikebana

I really like this project and as I stitch I am imagining how I can use these patterns on other things. 

Pulled pattern # 10

Diagonal satin stitch and eyelets
This one looks like it's only half done, but the pattern only calls for this number of eyelets.  I like it better with this many eyelets rather than all the spaces filled.

Pulled pattern #11

Vertical stitch and reverse faggot stitch
This pattern looks much more difficult than it actually was.

Pulled pattern #12

Vertical stitch and faggot stitch
This is similar to pattern #11, but in my opinion, not as pretty.

Pulled pattern #13

Satin stitch and four-sided stitch

The Cost of Heating

We heat our apartment with a toyu stove.  I first told you about our “furnace” here.  Last winter, the cost of toyu was 87 yen per liter, now the cost is 101 per liter. We use about 75 liters every few weeks. Gasoline prices have also gone up in the last year.  I don’t know the cause of these increases, but I think the weaker yen and exchange rate must be part of it. Fuel has to be imported from somewhere else.

I am really enjoying this pulled thread sampler and have finished a few more of the patterns. The diagrams are very good, and I’m glad I followed the directions and did the basting.

Pattern #5 combines diagonal satin and Greek cross stitches.

Pattern #6 is my second favorite so far, after pattern #1.  It combines satin zigzag and double wave stitch.

Pattern #7 is the triangular satin and the wave stitch.

Pattern #8 is the satin stitch with the four sided stitch.

Pattern #9 is the diagonal stitch and the straight stitch.

The Cost of Eating

Most Fridays we go out to eat at the moving sushi restaurant and call it Sushi Date Night.  Last week we discovered the restaurant had cut its menu in half and raised its prices.  The pink plates went up from 105 yen to 120 yen and the red plates from 130 yen to 170 yen. We weren’t so concerned about the price increase because it is still a pretty cheap place to eat.  We were disappointed that many of our favorites didn’t make the menu cut. Too bad for us.

We like most Japanese food and do a lot of our food shopping at the market two blocks from where we live.  There are some foods we like that aren’t available at the Japanese grocery stores or are very expensive in the small containers sold at the local store.  Here are some of the things we buy at the Big American Store, Costco, in big American sizes.

Almonds 1398 yen and Walnuts 1998 yen

Coffee Beans 1498 yen

Parmesan Cheese 1398 yen

Picante Sauce 698 yen

Pickle Relish 578 yen

Peanut Butter 1098 yen

Granola 1048 yen

A Case of Oranges 1266 yen

Soup (with a label in English so I can be sure there is no meat in it) 1468 yen

Ikebana Progress

I’ve completed three additional patterns.
Pattern #2 – straight stitches and eyelets.

Pattern #3 – corded and grouped satin stitches.  I don’t like how this pulled thread pattern bunches up the fabric.

Pattern #4 is a composite pattern made up of diagonal satin and four-sided stitch.

My new Project - Ikebana

No, I’m not taking up Japanese flower arranging.  The Ikebana I’m writing about is a pulled thread sampler that was once an EGA correspondence course by lse Altherr. It consists of 15 pulled thread patterns with a flower arrangement in the center.  I had gotten as far as doing the basting and gathering the threads needed, but that’s all. The fabric is 28 count linen and the threads are DMC floss and perle cotton.

 

After one evening of stitching, I have completed the first pattern.

 

It was fun to stitch and I like how it looks.  As I’ve said before about other projects, Why didn’t I work on this sooner?  On to pattern #2….

TAST 56 Sailor Stitch and 57 Sailor Edging Stitch

This week two stitches are shown on Sharon B’s Pintangle Blog for Take a Stitch Tuesday – the sailor stitch and the sailor edge stitch.  They are very similar and not stitches I had tried before.

Sailor Stitch

I tried the stitch out on the same 28 count even weave fabric as last week’s stitch with #5 perle cotton, first with a small stitch, then with a larger stitch. (I have the fabric folded over to block out last week's stitch.)

 

Next I tried it with #8 perle cotton, first the stitch alone, then with French knots.

 

Sailor Edge Stitch
Using #8 perle cotton, I stitched it alone, then back to back.

Moon Dragon Wing Patches

I’ve finished the patches, but still need to couch the silver braid between the patches. I think several of these patch patterns would make nice Christmas ornaments. Future projects…..

TAST 55

I read Sharon B’s PinTangle blog and one of the weekly features is Take A Stitch Tuesday. She shows an embroidery stitch and invites her readers to try it out.  Last week’s stitch was the buttonholed herringbone and I decided to join in. This looks like a great way to learn new stitches or practice ones you already know. I used an evenweave 28 count fabric and #5 perle cotton.

 

The first scallop turned out to look the best.  I think I used more buttonhole stitches on that set.  I’ll have to remember to make the stitches very snug the next time I try it.

Needlepoint for Men

If you are as old as me and from the US, you might remember Rosey Grier, a professional football player who was also known for doing needlepoint. He even published a book in 1973 called Rosey Grier’s Needlepoint for Men.  This book used is available from amazon.com for $70.00 or new for $233.00 (USD).

 

Ted is always interested in what I am stitching, but he is not interested in doing any stitching himself. The only “Needlepoint for Men” in our house would be if I was stitching something for him.

Anyway, here is the progress I’ve made on the dragon’s wing. Each patch/pattern has several steps and layers, giving it dimension.

 

Hardanger Ornament

In the US, I belonged to an alumnae chapter of my sorority that has an ornament exchange every December.  Each person brings a wrapped ornament and we pull numbers to determine the order of choosing the ornaments. Every person after the first has the choice of opening an ornament or choosing one that has already been opened that she likes, leaving that person to choose a new one.  Now that I’m in Japan, I’m not there to participate in the exchange. I made this hardanger ornament and sent it to my friend and sorority sister, Miranda, who reads my blog. 
(first two photos were taken before it was finished - just so you know)

Finished!

I had to wait until she received it to post the picture.

March Calendar and Fubuki

Fubuki Desu

Ted’s on a winter camping trip with the second year outdoor students, while  I’ve been watching the snow fall from my apartment window. I can’t wait until he gets home this morning!