marirob

A new year, a new blog

2008-12-31T12:34:00.000-08:00

I started writing this blog... because all the cool kids were doing it! Little did I know how much I would enjoy sharing my crafts, our cats and our travels. I've also loved meeting new friends and sharing our joy of crafting. However, this past year was not a shining moment in my creative output. Well, sometimes change is what I need to get a little more inspiration. So I'm moving blogs! Hopefully, all of my four remaining readers (all family members, of course! Hi Mama!) will join me over at...

marirob.squarespace.com

Upcoming entries will include:

My Christmas present! (it's a brand new craft for me!)
Sweater(s)! (I've finished one fairly recently)
Cats! (because Unki demands it!)

Here's hoping that you and your families will have a wonderful 2009. See you at the new blog!

Day 7 - Victoria - Fish and chips... finally!

2008-11-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

One of the places I wanted to see while in Victoria was Butchart Gardens. I was worried that with us going so late in the fall was the flowers would be sad. :(

We got there early enough so there were barely any other people. Rob loved the old style maps.

I shouldn't have been worried - from our first view of the sunken gardens, we were amazed by the color and variety of all the plants.

The bush behind me looked like a alien being to me.

The fall colors were definitely in full force!

Beautiful view across the pond.

There were some fountains that we called, "Bellagio - Canada"!

Love the red color.

Although the roses weren't in bloom, the chrysanthemums were out in full force. They were amazing!

They had a Japanese garden too, which wasn't as authentic as the Nitobe Gardens, but, again, the colors were just beautiful.

After the gardens, we went in search of a fish and chip place recommended to us by Huay, but it was closed! Blast! So we went into town, found my museum...

(I think the sign is really pointing to the Maritime museum!)

saw Chinatown...

... and ended up back at Red Fish Blue Fish, where we had the yummiest halibut and chowder. If you're ever in Victoria, please eat here! It's yummy!

Our final visit of the day was to Government house, which has a nice hike through an oak forest and various vistas of the city.

There were little terraced gardens to enjoy the plants and view.

Relaxing is nice!

We also enjoyed seeing all of the ducks in the ponds - we love duck butt!

This wasn't our last day on the trip, we had one more day but it was a total travel day from Victoria back to Seattle. Nothing notable happened except...

...we flew the plane home! No, the nice pilot let us sit up front during a layover.

All in all, a wonderful trip, with great food and great nature. Definitely a fantastic destination without leaving our time zone!

Day 6 - Tofino to Victoria - From nature to man-made wonders

2008-11-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

This was a big travel day for us - a 5 hour drive from Tofino to Victoria. We stopped at the other side of Cathedral Grove

Look at the big tree!

I love this photo - doesn't the forest look primeval? (I said that word probably 30 times on this trip!)

A teeny tiny mushroom.

We got to Victoria in under 5 hours, and we walked immediately to the middle of town. Here's the famous Empress Hotel.

While we were in Vancouver, a fellow B&B guest recommended a fish and chips place called "Red Fish Blue Fish". It's a converted shipping container on the harbor.

We decided to get sandwiches, as we were supposed to go to a local fish joint recommended by our friend Huay the next day. It was fun to watch the whale watching boats while we were waiting for our food.

Side note - did you know that in Canada, Canada Dry is the "champagne of ginger ales"?

The sandwiches were so tasty, I got oysters and Rob got scallops. One of the condiments was a deep fried pickle chip, which tasted way better than it sounds.

Afterward, we went to the Royal BC museum, which was one of the best museums I've ever been to. Great exhibits about the history of British Columbia, including the First Nations cultures - these tomtem poles were very impressive.

They also had crazy recreations of different time periods in British Columbia. Rob says they are "full-size occupiable dioramas". Here we are next to the HMS Discovery (in my Klaralund!)

After checking in our B&B, we headed back into town for a movie. It was fun to watch a movie with the locals.

Our favorite highlight? Our lunch (it always comes back to food!)

Day 7 - our final full day of vacation...

Day 5 - Tofino - Hiking and recharging

2008-11-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

We were worried about the weather on Day 5, because rain was in the forecast. But we awoke to no rain that morning! Here's the view from the windows of our room.

The B&B owner told us that there are usually bears back here, but we didn't see any during our stay.

I am so excited to eat breakfast in my pajamas!

We went back to Chesterman Beach, where we got drenched the night before. It was so incredibly beautiful!

A sand dollar with some "fuzz" still left on it.

The sun peeking through the clouds.

The beach is very long, and there were only about 10 other people enjoying the morning.

We walked out to an island that's only accessible during low tide.

A lone paddle surfer.

After our walk on the beach, we went and hiked in the Pacific Rim National Park. There are a bunch of easy hikes that each had their own personalities. During the summer, the crowds are enormous, but we pretty much had each hike to ourselves.

This hike was through a lovely forest that ended going down lots of stairs next to a waterfall to a beach.

One of my favorite hikes was through this bog - it reminded me of the scene in Lord of the Rings in the Dead Marshes, but happily there were no dead bodies! The walkway is just sitting on top of the moss, so it was nice and springy.

Even slugs are beautiful in Tofino!

We took some more hikes to several beaches, each with its own personality. This was the first time I understood the appeal of beachcombing, because each beach had so much beach "debris" to look at!

Rob thought this would be a good before/after shot of some driftwood.

So happy that my ears are protected by my Chevron Scarf.

The last hikes we did were through some rainforests, which had walkways that took you through the canopies of of the trees. None of the photos did justice to the incredible landscape and scale of the trees.

This bridge is made from a fallen log.

Rob can barely fit under this tree!

The entire day was just what I had hoped for - great but easy hiking, beautiful scenery and a chance to be with nature. It was definitely worth the trip just to make it here!

Day 4 - Vancouver to Tofino - Surfing in the rain?!?!?

2008-11-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

We woke early, sad to leave Vancouver but excited to head to Vancouver Island. We were headed to Tofino, which we kept hearing from everyone was beautiful. So we were definitely looking forward to this leg of the trip!

The trip would entail a 90 minute ferry ride, as well as a 4 hour drive across the island.

It was cold on the ferry ride!

But very beautiful too!

We landed in Nanaimo and immediately found a place to get some tasty seafood chowder - topped with cheese, yum.

As usual, we took one of our customary camera-on-dashboard photos.

The photos don't do justice to the landscape - the fall colors were just beginning to show.

We stopped at a place called Cathedral Grove, which had some huge old growth trees and felt like we were back in the age of the dinosaurs.

More fungi!

I loved all of the moss hanging from the trees.

We checked into our B&B, the Harvey House, which was perfect for our stay.

We took a quick walk to the beach (in the rain) where we were SHOCKED to see about 15 people surfing! We didn't get any good photos because it was cold and RAINING!

As we walked the beach, we got really wet but still enjoyed ourselves.

Afterwards, we headed into the town of Tofino for a lovely dinner. It was too dark to take photos!

Our highlight? The surreal landscape of Cathedral Grove.

Day 5? It stops raining! Yay!

Day 3 - Vancouver - Meeting a Blogging Legend!

2008-11-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

We started our third day by taking in some beautiful flora at the University of British Columbia's botanical garden.

We had the entire garden to ourselves (or, so it felt!) I loved all of the dampness and the mushrooms...

...and the fall berries.

Hey! Who are those people?

You can kind of see the blurry people in this photo - there was a class on tree climbing while we were there.

Oooo - pink berries!

An attempt at an artsy shot.

We went to the Nitobe Japanese Garden down the road, where we felt like we were in Japan when we saw the Japanese school group leaving right before us.

This garden is described as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japane, and it really is.

The views are very well situated (I'm channeling my inner Austen - tee hee!)

After the gardens, we drove across town to meet... Felicia from SweetGeorgia yarns! She was so sweet to meet up with us and we went to lunch together. Her blog was one of the first ones I started reading when I first started knitting. I was so excited to meet her!

She is so pretty and super nice!

We went to her studio and saw her lovely yarn and her looms.

It was so much fun meeting her (and of course I bought some yarn!) Her restaurant/travel advice really made our trip so much more memorable.

After we left Felicia's studio, we headed to Granville Island and went to the public market. It was great to walk around the area, but Rob only took one photo.

Sometimes his love of all things industrial goes too far!

For dinner, we were slightly embarrassed to admit that we went back to the Foundation Eatery to get more nachos! We ordered the large, and the waitress said, "Have you ever ordered the large before?" Of course we hadn't, and it was even bigger than we had imagined! It was the perfect end to our short jaunt to Vancouver.

Highlights of the day? For Rob, it was the nachos!

They looked bigger in person.

For me, it was definitely meeting Felicia!

I took a blurry photo of the yarn I bought.

Thank you again Felicia! We'll have to return the favor if you ever visit good ol' So Cal!

Day 4 - we go to one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to!

Day 2 - Vancouver - Biking and... eating!

2008-11-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

We were really lucky to enjoy great weather during our trip. Cool, in the 50's and 60's, and it really only rained on our travel days. The first thing we did was to grab the mountain bikes from our B&B and ride to Stanley park.

For some reason, we woefully mispacked for this trip. I forgot a hat and proper gloves, Rob forgot good hiking shoes. Luckily I remembered my newly finished Chevron scarf and it gots lots of play during this trip!

There were lots of totem poles during our trip. I love looking at them and seeing the different personalities of the animals and artists in each piece.

Hey! That's how I hold Unki!

Rob's friend Ryan told him to look out for the big sulfur piles across the water - Rob took many, many photos of them (don't ask me why!)

There were some beautiful fall colors along the ride.

Our bike ride took a couple of hours - it was just amazing to be able to get such beautiful views along the way.

Our B&B (the West End Guest House) was a great find! There were such beautiful flowers in the front yard.

Lunch took us to another of Felicia's restaurant recommendations - Finch's Tea and Coffee House. Super fresh, super tasty baguette sandwiches right near Gastown.

Yummy prosciutto sandwich.

We walked around Gastown and Chinatown - Rob swore he took a photo next to this statue from over 20 years ago!

We are such dorks! We got so excited to see posters advertising the Canadian version of our favorite summer tv show!

For dinner, we went to number 3 of Felicia's recommendations - Chambar, a belgium restaurant specializing in mussels. This was such an amazingly tasty meal - we really, really loved this restaurant!

We had to take a photo of Rob's beer so he could remember what brand it was.

I had a beet and crabapple salad - it was so delicious.

Rob had the moroccan style lamb with couscous. Again, super yummy!

Of course we had mussels, which were the best mussels I've had in a long time. They just didn't photograph well...

So, the highlight of the day for both of us? Dinner!

And they had the best frites!

Tomorrow? Do we actually get to meet the person who is made sure we ate so well? Wait and see!

Day 1 - Seattle to Vancouver - Mexi Fries, anyone?

2008-10-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Rob and I went on a trip to Vancouver and Vancouver Island. It's been a while since we took a vacation so we were both very excited! So... you'll notice that the theme of the trip was FOOD! We ate lots and ate well.

We flew into Sea-Tac and drove across the border to Vancouver. We had to stop in Seattle at Hole in the Wall BBQ for some delicious BBQ pork sandwiches.

We went here on our last trip to Seattle and luckily I remembered the name of the place!

My boss Jen told me once about the Mexi Fries at Taco Time so we had to stop and get some to sustain us on our drive.

The tastiest tater tots in town!

It didn't take us too long to get to Vancouver, where we checked into our B&B and took a walk to Stanley Park and our neighborhood (in the rain...)

Even the pigeons looked a little cold and damp.

Before we left, I had asked Felicia from Sweetgeorgia yarns for some restaurant recommendations. She gave us a list of super tasty places. That day just happened to be Canada's Thanksgiving, so we were a little worried if anyplace would be opened. Luckily, we went to the Foundation Eatery, a vegetarian place where they had the best nachos ever! We also had great entrees.

I thought I'd list the highlight of each day of our trip... and for this day? The nachos for both of us!

Rob's big run!

2008-10-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

It's always a surprise to see how fast time goes by. My brother-in-law says, "The minutes go by slow, but the years go by so fast". I have to be honest, this hasn't been a good year for marirob. When times are hard, blogging kind of takes a back seat. But I just had to share Rob's huge accomplishment from a couple of weeks ago.

You may remember from this post that Rob and I ran in a 5k/10k back in May. Rob's goal was to run the Long Beach half-marathon in October. Well, even with a couple of injuries and busy times at work, he managed to do it, and I had a blast cheering Rob, my sister Mina, and my brother-in-law Steve onto victory!

The beginning of the race.

Go Mina!

You can do it Rob!

Steve at the end of the race.

The triumphant trio after the end of the race.

Mina and Steve had awesome times (2:07 and 1:50 respectively) and Rob's goal was to run the entire race, which he did! I am so proud of the three of them - they did a great job! I know that I'll be rooting them on next year too!

nani iro dresses

2008-07-22T10:38:00.001-07:00

I've left my camera charger in Toronto and, for some reason, I am unable to get myself to buy a new one, so I haven't had any photos for a little bit. But I did do a post for the purl bee about some dresses I made. I really made them for myself!

I love these dresses, I've worn them out and about already. The fabric is different from regular fabric, if you've never felt it before. I think it's a way to have a lightweight fabric that isn't sheer, and it's perfect for a humid climate.

I've been knitting a little, also planning to make a dress for a wedding later in the month. My serger hadn't been working and I was so angry at it when it discovered it was... USER ERROR! Gasp! Maybe I can finally work on all of those knits I've been planning to make!

a travelling fool!

2008-06-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

...is what I've been. I went to Toronto last week to visit my good friend Anna. I didn't do many touristy things, I mainly hung out with her and her two adorable children and just followed her around. The highlights were...

- seeing Anna's son sing at his music class
- going to several of Toronto's parks
- experiencing a CRAZY thunderstorm one night
- meeting the deputy mayor of Toronto and getting a Toronto lapel pin from him!
- going to a Filipino Independence day picnic
- bouncing a super cute baby a million times

See? Isn't she cute?

The one touristy thing we did do was to take the ferry out to Centre Island, which was great fun.

I got back Sunday afternoon and then Rob had to go to Las Vegas for an overnight trip for work, so I tagged along! The highlight was that we stayed at the Bellagio with a view of the dancing fountains.

I've done a little crafting, which includes -
a pair of socks
almost finished with my chevron scarf
demolishing my first attempt at making a t-shirt with the serger

But I leave you with the cutest baby feet in our house.

Hopefully I'll craft some more next week - I have so many projects in my head I'm going to burst!

Taking a break... cruising!

2008-06-03T09:20:00.001-07:00

I wanted to thank everyone for the thoughtful comments you left on our last post. It's always such a comfort to hear from fellow bloggers, even when I've only met two of you! It definitely is appreciated by Rob and his family. :)

We felt like we needed a little emotional break after coming back from the east coast. So, I started researching, and a couple hours later, we were booked on a four day cruise to Cabo San Lucas! Neither of us had ever been on a cruise before, and we had a great time! It's not the... well, we'll say "classiest" way to travel, but we were thoroughly entertained by everything we saw and experienced.

The main pool and slide.

Looking down into the main atrium.

Wow! It's windy!

Relaxing next to the ocean.

Look! We won the scavenger hunt! Next stop, Amazing Race!

During our snorkeling trip in Cabo.

Our favorite part was meeting different people that you would never meet anywhere else. Our favorite people were Ted and Terese, who live in Idaho on a dairy farm. I also thought a lot about how hard it must be to work on a cruise ship. There were so many employees it was mind boggling. Rob's favorite entertainer was a guitar player that sang at the "Drama Bar". He was truly not very good. Here's a video to show you:

Rob's parents both loved to travel so I think they both would have appreciated the trip. :) So, we are refreshed and ready for summer! Rob is going to have half day Fridays at work so we're hoping to do lots of sightseeing in our own backyard.

in memoriam

2008-05-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share some very sad news with our blogging community. Rob's father Olaf passed away last week at the age of 73. It's been a very emotional time for our entire family. The funeral service was on Saturday, and Rob's brother-in-law Glen gave a very touching eulogy. One of the things he said that has really resonated with me is that Olaf always made clear how much he loved his family. There was never any doubt how proud he was of his 4 children and 7 grandchildren, and he talked about them to whoever would listen.

Even though I find it difficult to blog about personal events, I wanted this to go out into the blogosphere. I think part of me feels like it will keep someone's memory alive even after we're gone. I hope everyone reading will take a minute to be like Olaf and let their loved ones know how much they mean to them. :)

Run marirob, run!

2008-05-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Rob and I, along with my sister Mina, participated in a 5k/10k run. If you remember this entry, we've been trying to run since January. We took the month of February off (something about moving?) but Mina suggested signing up for a run to motivate us.

Mina and me right before the race.

Mina and Rob ran the 10k, I ran the 5k so I was able to take photos of them at the startline.

And here we are after the race with our medals!

My goal was just to run the entire 5k, which I did. Yay! Rob's goal was the same, and he ran the whole way too! Yippee! Rob's planning to run a half-marathon in October, so he'll be training quite a bit. Me? I'm happy with my 5k!

On a crafty note, I managed to buy some knit fabric to start some serging - hopefully, it'll be fun!

Hand sewing IS fun!

2008-04-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

A few months back, wee wonderfuls released her "Hand Sewing For Fun" patterns. Of course I bought them right away and I actually made all of the animals immediately - and it was tons of fun! I brought them to work to show off, and I left them there for a long time. I finally brought them home and it's like seeing some old friends!

I made them out of the Mary Flanagan wool packs we have at work, and stuffed them with cotton, which made them nice and firm.

Rob's favorite is the turtle...

... and mine is the butterfly (complete with Liberty fabric, ooh-la-la!)

Bear Knits asked in my last post what brand of serger I have. It's a Janome My Lock 634D, which so far seems great... but I will keep reporting on it. Especially since I got a book that will hopefully help me make a ton of knitwear.

SO exciting! I can't wait to get started!

Serging mania!

2008-04-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of the comments about our big boy Unki! Every time someone comes over they ask, "Has Unki gotten bigger?" We don't overfeed him... in fact, he doesn't eat that much. He's just big from love!

I finally managed to use my Christmas present for the first time... and all I can think is: "What took me so long?"

After fiddling with the thread for a little bit (the serger came pre-threaded) my new serger works like a charm! I used it to help finish a couple of new spring pieces.

This is a pattern from linnet that I bought when I was in Japan. It's a very simple tunic top that I think goes well with the fabric, which I bought from purl way before I started working there. It took about 2 yards of fabric, and was pretty straightforward. I serged the sleeves and the raw ends of the sleeve caps... maybe not the neatest looking project but Rob says it's his favorite of my home-sewn projects.

I also made this wrap skirt, after seeing my boss Jen's great version.

This is a Indygo Junction pattern called "It's a Wrap!". It takes three yards of fabric and is one size fits all. I made a couple of mods, including making the waistband thicker (I cut a 4 inch piece instead of 2.5 inches) and making a hole for the tie to come through. I really like it - it only took me a couple of hours from beginning to end.

Yesterday we took a day off (it was our 4 year anniversary) and had lunch at this restaurant called Clementine. They have a great promotion for National Grilled Cheese Month, where they have little menus that look like voter ballots and each week in April they have 5 different grilled cheese sandwiches.

We had the Philly cheesesteak and the Gruyere with Creamed Spinach and Bacon on country wheat bread - so so so tasty! I wish every month was Grilled Cheese month!

Knitting resumed!

2008-04-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

My wrists have sufficiently healed to let me sew and knit again! Yay! The craft room is still a mess, so I've only sewn some napkins for a friend, but I managed to finished some socks I started a couple of months ago.

Yarn - Sock Hop yarn in Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Pattern - my own, generic 56 stitch cast on sock

I've been coveting this yarn ever since I saw it on January One. I might be a little late to the game, but these are the squishiest, funnest socks I've made. I love the fact that the striping changes almost every row.

I've also finished a sweater that had been languishing a while, just need Rob to take some photos... I'm trying to finish up some UFO's before I get started on anything new... and do I have a ton of UFO's! So embarrassing. So to completely change the subject, let's talk about the cats!

They've really enjoyed the new place, even if Unki keeps crashing into the walls because of the hardwood floors. They love to sit in the windows and enjoy the fresh spring breezes.

Speaking of spring, there are mystery flowers everywhere I look! Is this an iris?

To round out the randomness of this post, I wanted to share how big Unki has gotten over the past three years.

This is when we first got him. So cute! So small!

And this was last week.

No wonder my wrists hurt!

spring is springing!

2008-03-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that it's spring? I really feel that it just snuck up on me. But, the flowers are blooming, trees are leafing, and blossoms are blossoming...

... and wonderful fruits and veggies are at the farmer's markets! One of my favorite things about living in Los Angeles is the abundance of local fruit and veggies we get year round. Today I went to the wednesday Santa Monica farmer's market (my favorite!) where I saw Tom Colicchio (I recognized his voice before I saw him) and I bought a few seasonal tasties.

The juiciest mandarins ever!

English peas, which everyone was buying. I've never bought peas, but these are so delicious raw I couldn't believe it. I decided to try to buy one new thing at the farmer's market each week.

Gaviota strawberries... which are so beyond your standard strawberries I can't even describe the taste... yummy!

And a big artichoke... make that a HUGE artichoke! Rob's friends Kieran, Alicia and Brendan came to visit us last week, and they bought two of these that we cooked up. Delicioso!

And... some crafting! Well, old crafting. A while ago, whisperine pine and I did a swap. She sent me the most wonderful silk/cotton fabric that I made into a shirt. Somehow, it got lost in my closet and I never blogged about it - here it is!

I have no statistics about the pattern, other than I remember that it was a knit top pattern that I converted to a non-stretchy top. It's a little hard to get on but once it's on it's super comfy. Thank you Blossom, for the beautiful fabric!

My wrist has gotten much better over the past two weeks, and I managed get some knitting in! The next step is to clean up our craft room / office and get some sewing in. Yay!

Isn't it fun when relatives visit?

2008-03-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

My hand is still injured, so I haven't set up my craft table yet. Right now it's a riotous mess of boxes and fabric. I'm hoping that my hand will heal soon and I'll be able craft... especially when I show you what I got!

My aunt Kanchan (of takayama fame, we visited her on our trip last year) was here for a visit last week. We always love seeing her and she brought us some lovely gifts. She very thoughtfully brought me some fabric!

She also got us some tenugui, which I either use in my projects or use in the kitchen.

My cousin Miyuki not only sent me some lovely heavyweight blend fabric...

... but what might be the supplies for the most fun quilting project ever:

Pre-cut quilt squares! What a fun quilt these will make!

We had a lovely pizza lunch on the deck with her and my mom and sister.

Domo arigato Kanchan! We can't wait to visit you in Takayama again!

A valentine's day post not about valentine's day

2008-02-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had a first! My first blogosphere meet-up with Lori and yai-ann. They came by the purl warehouse and then we ate and chatted at the Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa. I forgot my camera but luckily yai-ann's boyfriend remembered to take a photo for us.

It was so nice to meet them in person. Lori showed us her amazing WIP of the Rambling Rose cardigan. It's going to be beautiful when it's done!

I wish I had more crafty stuff to blog about on this crafty holiday (don't ask me why, I always think of it that way!) but there are two big reasons why I don't have crafty things to give to loved ones.

I fell on Super Tuesday (on my way to vote!) and hurt my LEFT wrist. So now I have one very painful wrist and one less-slightly painful wrist that is doing it's best to compensate. This happened to happen right before the weekend we moved into our new place! Rob was a super trooper and packed pretty much everything, and with the help of my brother-in-law Steve, they got us moved!

We're renting a house from some friends of ours, and one of the most amazing things about this place is the landscaping. Look at the view from the deck!

There are a ton of little plants around that make me smile.

There are some trees in the front yard, does anyone recognize the fruit?

My favorite part is all of the bamboo, which sounds great in the wind.

We're planning to do some crafty improvements to the house, namely curtains and cushions. Darn it wrists, get better soon! I gotta sew!

Travel tidbits

2008-02-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to have more exciting photos to show of our trip back east, but it looks like all we did was take photos of pets.

Although we had lots of good food, the only photo we have of eating is at Papaya King.

But, most importantly, we braved the cold, crowds, and grumpy security guards to get this photo.

That, my friends, is evidence of a successful trip!

Distractions right! and left!

2008-01-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

I've been silent, and I wish I could say it's because I've been working on a fantastic project, but it isn't. The reality is that I've sprained my right wrist and I'm not able to craft. Boo!!! Hiss!!! Not only that, but we're moving as well. Not only THAT, but we're leaving for the east coast on Saturday for a week. We are going to see lots of family and friends but what we really want to see is this.

But what have I been doing? Running, my friends. RUNNING. I bought Rob an Ipod Nano and a Nike-ipod sensor for Christmas, and now we're in a "challenge" with my sister Mina and her husband Steve. This is the first time in ages we're both running consistently and it's great! Both Mina and Steve ran half marathons last year so I knew I would be in last the whole time. But... look at this photo.

Rob is in first... and I am in second!! Yay!! I know it won't be long lived, but I had to blog about it so I can revel in this moment FOREVER.

I hope something fun and crafty will happen on our trip. Otherwise, I will just be sharing photos of food. And friends. And family. And maybe a trip to Purl!

Quick and slow crafting

2008-01-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

When I decide to make a gift, sometimes it can go really quickly. For example, I decided to make a quilt for my friend Anna's newborn daughter. I was inspired by the Nani Iro fabric at work (I bought some of a different color while in Japan), threw in some Shot Cotton, and this is what I came up with.

I think it came out very nice, considering I made it in a day. I really, really love the inspiration fabric.

I quilted each of the colors a different direction.

The back is the same color as the binding - watermelon!

Now, for slow crafting. A few months ago, Anna told me that a Bobbi Bear I made for her son was lost. So sad! A couple weeks after he lost it, he got sick and asked for "Snoopy Bear". I immediately cast on for the bear, but I couldn't get it finished before the holiday crafting bonanza. I finally finished the bear today.

I hope everyone will like their presents - fingers crossed!

Happy 2008!

2008-01-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and a great January 1st! We sure did! I got some awesome Christmas presents, including..

The entire Veronica Mars series plus season three of Arrested Development.

And...

My whole family chipped in to get me a serger! Yes, it's still in the box, I have to get the courage to open it up and try it. Maybe this weekend?

Rob and I took this photo next to our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve - will it be next year's Christmas card?

Here is Unki enjoying his Christmas present, an alpine scratcher. You have to wait for the end to get the full effect - he's really enjoying the catnip. (and yes, that is "Christmas Story" on the TV!)

Where did December go?

2007-12-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how this month's flown by! My intention was to do a post a day in December - ha! I managed to do one so far this month - that's just so sad. I will now give you marirob's month in review, image heavy and chock full of crazy people!

After our attempts at decorating the house, we had the girls Huay and Su over for some delectable pizza, including Rob's combination of our two favorite recipes of the year, ratatouille and pizza.

The next event was Rob's work party, where baby JG made his public debut.

A couple of months ago we had a grilled cheese sandwich competition at our friends' Jared and Karen's house, which was followed up a couple of weeks ago by the epic pancake battle.

Here are Rob's delectable pear pancakes.

And only in California can you have a pancake battle and eat outside in December.

The next day, Sarita and Chris invited us over to decorate gingerbread cookies. We started out with some delicious homemade hot chocolate with peppermint marshmallows.

The next two hours were filled with such hilarity that I proceeded to get a headache from all of the laughing and sugar. Here are the only cookies I can share on a g-rated blog.

Sometime during the month Rob brought home a real Christmas tree. This is important because 1. Rob has never had a real Christmas tree and 2. I have not had a tree since I lived with my parents. My biggest fear was that Unki would jump on the tree and bring it down, but it seems that Unki is very fearful of non-human items and has only batted a ornament once or twice.

When Rob brought the tree home, he announced, "We're going to make all of the ornaments!" To date, I have made seven and Rob has made none. Here are two that I whipped together in haste.

I remembered that I had six ornaments that I had brought home from Prague four years ago, so carefully because they were made of eggshells.

I also made a tree skirt from some Nani Iro fabric from work - I just have to bias tape around the edges to finish it.

We had a Secret Santa gift exchange at work. I thought it would take forever to draw names that weren't our own, but it only took four tries. The only stipulation was that the gifts had to be handmade.

Jen made Rickie this incredible colored quilt.

Tracey made Jen this adorable apron.

I made Tracey a scarf from the new Manos Silk Blend in Wildflowers.

I think I got the best gift of all.

A cornucopia of handmade cookies from Rickie! I was stunned when I opened the box. They were even more delicious than they look!

I can't show any of the gifts I have made and given to people because I am still in the process of finishing some gifts. But I can show you one gift that I know won't be seen, it's a scarf for my dad. I don't think he's ever touched a computer in his life.

And it's not a post without parting shots from Unki and Maggie! Maggie was easy to shoot, I just woke her up from her usual spot on the couch.

I had to chase Unki all over the house taking crazy photos.

Of course, when I had despaired of taking any nice photos, Unki settled down to take some very handsome photos.

Merry Christmas!

The christmas season has begun!

2007-12-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

Like so many of you, I love Christmas. When I used to work at Disneyland back when I was a starving student, I loved working there during the holiday season because I couldn't help but get into the spirit of the season with all of the decorations. But I've never had my own tree and I've never put up my own decorations. I don't think we'll get a tree this year (I can't even IMAGINE how many way Unki will think up of to destroy it) but thanks to Amy Ruppel, I've decided to put up a few things.

Besides my window clings and garland, I made these poinsettia decorations I picked up from Michael's (with a 50% off coupon, woo hoo!) They are actually supposed to be the top of a gift box from the Martha Stewart line, but I like them hung up this way.

Rob and I also made these adorable clothespin Santa Lucia dolls that I bought from Posie Gets Cozy. They were SO fun to make!

I painted the hair and Rob painted the faces. I think he did a great job giving them little personalities. All they need are their candles and they are finished.

Continuing the handmade theme, I saw a post on Design Sponge for making some simple cardstock ornaments. Here are mine:

I hope some of you will do some Christmas crafting this week too!

No-neck owl!

2007-11-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

I'm so unsure whether to post about my purl bee entries here, but I guess it is part of my crafting life, right?

It's so funny to see the owl from this perspective because it's actually quite small. All of my sewing eccentricities are amplified, like my tendency to put the right eye higher than the left eye. And his wings seem a little high, don't they? But it's a fun project and he's a cutie no matter what!

By the way, mouse over the photo and you'll see a little text show up. I've always wanted to do this but never took the time to actually figure it out. Luckily, Bella Dia had a little tutorial on her blog earlier this week. I love bloggers!

Full of thanks

2007-11-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

Happy day after Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is recovered from the turkey/pumpkin pie/stuffing coma and enjoying their Friday. Taking a note from Marisa's book, I'm listing five things I'm thankful for.

1. A wonderful husband...

... who is in touch with manliness enough to look at a Vogue magazine so studiously.

2. A Thanksgiving feast with family...

... featuring a twenty pound turkey made by the best mama in the world!

3. A job working with the best people...

... who make the most amazing handmade birthday gifts.

4. Cats with "too much personality" (as Mama likes to say)...

... who bring so much joy to our lives.

5. A wonderful blogging community! Thank you everyone for such support over the years. There is no way I would be in such a great place in my life without your supportive comments and friendship. I hope all of you take a minute to be thankful this weekend. Gobble gobble!

Color Wheel Quilt - completed!

2007-11-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

The sun managed to peek out a little bit yesterday, enough for me to take a few photos of the color wheel quilt. Apologies in advance, this an image heavy post with cats and bad lighting - you have been warned!

Pattern - Color Wheel Quilt from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts

I can only say that I am thrilled with the quilt! It was a complete joy from start to finish. I learned lots of new techniques like chain piecing and hand sewing the binding.

When I first saw the quilt, I knew I had to make it. But the first sentence in the description really threw me: "This quilt is really simple to make." What?!?!? How could it be? But trust me - it is! Between the templates and the clear instructions, the main part of the quilt was really fun and quick.

Most of the color pieces were from the Color Wheel bundle from purl. But I switched out a few sentimental pieces.

I got these as gifts from our trip to Japan.

Both of these I used in previous projects.

Some of you may be wondering what mods I made to increase the size. The only change I made from the original pattern was to increase the sides to make it a queen size quilt. The quilt as written measures 56" by 56". I used the dimensions in Denyse Schmidt's quilting book to get a queen size quilt - 86" by 93". After my original muslin cutting debacle, I was lucky enough to have some extra wide muslin (108") in my stash, so I ended up cutting two 15.5" by 56" inch pieces, putting them on the sides, and then cutting two 19.75" by 86" inch pieces and attaching them to the top and bottom. I then quilted down the sides three inches apart, and the corners have a square pattern to them.

Here's where the original pattern and my additions meet.

The longest part of the quilt was sewing the binding on. It took me about 6 hours (or seven episodes of Nodame Cantabile) to finish it. The finished result (to me) is well worth the time.

Pretty!

Ok, now for the bad parts. They all have to do with my addition of the panels. I did three things very badly. First, I didn't cut the long strips very straight. This created some biasing. Next, I didn't sew them onto the original quilt very well. The corners of the original quilt end at a bias, and I should have been more careful sewing a somewhat straight piece to a bias piece. Lastly, I didn't hand baste the sides, I pinned them. All of this created a quilt that has lots and lots of puckering (which you can see in the top photo). I thought it would get better after washing, but instead it's just more obvious. Yipes! So I've ended up with a quilt that may not be up to some people's standards, but it's totally fine for me.

Of course, in the middle of the photo shoot, who had to come and sit right in the exact center of the quilt?

And who had to point out my messy quilting? (I've bought a ditch foot for my next project)

And who just had to turn and pose when I moved to the other side of the bed?

Unki is so in love with this quilt that he got tangled up when I was taking the detail photos and wouldn't let go!

I wonder if there will be a day when Unki doesn't pose for the camera?

Birthday indulgences

2007-11-17T07:54:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday... Happy Birthday to me! Rob is unfortunately out of town, but I had a very nice lunch with two of my friends and had a quiet dinner at home, which was promptly followed up with me falling asleep on the couch with Unki and Maggie. Good times!

I did start my birthday a little early last weekend with some indulgence purchases from the Mitsuwa in Torrance.

A tonkatsu (pork cutlet) sandwich and a pastry described as a "whole baked apple". Which it was! So tasty.

From one of the fancy stalls, I bought a monaka, which is red bean anko inside of a crisp rice wafer. I was wondering how the outside would stay crispy... but how could I even doubt the ingenuity of the Japanese?

It was separated into two parts - a pouch with the anko and the wafer.

I open up the pouch and smushed the anko inside.

Super crispy and super delicious!

I also went by the bookstore and bought two magazines.

The November issue of Cotton Time, which is the Christmas issue. I thought all of the Christmas projects were beautifully restrained, and I think that it'll be a great inspiration for future holidays. (Sorry the photos are blurry - it's very overcast today!)

The other magazine I bought is a brand new one called "Home Sweet Craft".

I really dig this magazine, it's kind of a lifestyle magazine with different crafts.

Crochet projects.

I'm not a big fan of yo-yos, but I think this curtain is a great idea.

Bags to sew.

Treats to bake.

There's a French theme to some of the projects.

A Paris bag...

... followed up with a Paris room!

There's a section with a map of a certain area and stores in that area to shop. Cute!

And I really had to post this photo because the girl is too cute! I feel like she's thinking she'd rather be doing ANYTHING else than pretend to be cooking for the photo.

And drumroll.... I'm finished with my quilt! Yay! I'll try to write a post about it this weekend, the overcast sky is not good for taking photos. This was how I got through the hours of hand-sewing the binding on.

I re-watched my beloved Nodame show. But what is that lump under the quilt?

Did you really think that Unki would let me sew on my own?

It's an Amy Ruppel Christmas!

2007-11-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

I've made no secret of my love of Amy Ruppel. I've only blogged about the piece I bought from her three times. So when my sister Mina told me that she was Target's Christmas artist this year, I was so happy! I managed to traipse over there on Sunday to gaze upon her huge decorations. I was also hoping they'd have some stuff with her art on it... they had a few things - yay!

Plates!

Napkins!

A paper garland!

My favorite purchase are the "window clings". There are 5 sheets of different clings, these two pages are my favorites.

And just so this isn't an Unki-less post, Rob had a hard time leaving for work this morning because Unki wouldn't let him leave.

Unki just knows how to pose for the camera, doesn't he?

Relaxing in Boca Raton

2007-11-11T08:16:00.001-08:00

Mama and I got back Thursday from her work function. We had a great time staying at the Boca Raton Resort, which was definitely a high-class hotel. Luckily, we had time to enjoy all of the amenities.

The view from our room.

Enjoying the beach.

Watching the sunrise.

The croquet lawn (!?!) with the hotel in the background.

When I got back, I was able to start on the final part of my quilt!

I'm hand sewing the binding on. Do you see my crazy looking thumbnail? That's a sewing related injury, I had cold clumsy hands one morning and accidentally cut my thumb with a rotary cutter. I am so excited to finish the quilt! The end is definitely in sight!

Things that make me happy

2007-11-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

I had kind of a blah last week of October, so I decided to start November out with a smile. Here's a couple of things that made me happy the past four days!

Classical Music
I used to listen to classical music all the time, especially really melancholy stuff back in college. There's nothing that beats being depressed more than being depressed while listening to tortured Russian music. However, lately it's been making me happy, very happy to listen to it. I owe all to one really crazy Japanese show...

Nodame Cantabile

My mom, sister and I watched this the past spring on our computers (I was introduced to a whole new world of hardsubs, softsubs and raw video). It's one of my favorite TV shows ever. Funny, sad, super silly, it's not for the faint of heart (lots of weird stuff happens that you just have to go along with) but if you're interested in being entertained in a different language with lots of classical music, this is the ticket! It takes place at a music university and is based upon a Japanese manga. It's even on Wikipedia! If anyone is interested, you can watch it on veoh.com (here's the first episode) And I've been listening to lots of classical music while I'm...

Quilting my color wheel blanket

I've started quilting! I had to move to the dining room to have room for the huge quilt. I'm doing the center as per the pattern and I'll just do some straight lines around the edges.

What would I do without my assistant?

For me, it's important to be in the right frame of mind when I quilt. Classical music helps, as well as having small goals. My goal on Friday was to have half of the center portion quilted. Four loads of laundry later, I was finished with the entire center section.

I drew the lines on with pen versus using the hera marker because I just couldn't get neat creases (I think it's because I have carpet). But I really didn't follow them all the time. I was a little disappointed because I got some puckering towards the end, but then I looked at the back.

Doesn't it look cool? I'm sure I'll be finished in a couple of weeks, I can't work on it anymore this week because of...

Unexpected trips
I'm leaving for a four day trip to Boca Raton tomorrow to help my mom with a work-related function. I'll write more when I return!

Zeebee is fun to say (and knit!)

2007-10-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

It's been an unproductive crafting week, mainly because of the fires that have been here in Southern California. The smoke and haze really do affect one's general well being, I think. But, I've managed to do a few fun things, like visiting the CSI set (again, knowing someone who actually is someone helps), having my mom come over and spend the night (and eating great food!), and going to a Boo Boo Q (a Halloween BBQ!).

But last week I did finish two projects. I saw the zeebee hat pattern on Carolyn's blog and she did such a fantastic job that I just had to make one.

I made it out of some Tanglewood Fibers yarn that I've had in my stash. I LOVE handspun yarn, but not enough to make some myself. I'm glad that there are a few ways to get some without having to learn to spin.

After I finished piecing my Color Wheel Quilt, I quickly made the pincushion from the same book, using some unused pieces from the quilt.

A great, quick project. The flower pins remind me of my grandmother, she always used them.

This morning the weather has vastly improved so I basted the Color Wheel Quilt together. I hand basted the inner portion and used safety pins for the outer portion. Unki tried to help so much, but in the end fell asleep playing with his balls. I only managed to get a photo of Maggie, who made a very good quilt-weight.

My goal is to start quilting (gulp!) next week. I really hope I'll be able to do it all myself!

Cross-eyed with colors

2007-10-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

When there's a project I really, really want to work on, I just do it. To the detriment of everything else. I'm sure many people can relate to what I'm talking about. So I give you...

My completed queen-sized quilt top version of the Color Wheel Quilt! Woo hoo!

I'm not just saying this because I work for purl, but this is such a great project. I think the quilt is one of the more easy quilts I've made. Why? One word - templates! There's a large fold-out paper with pattern pieces for the quilt, and all the pieces are included (which there are only three). The most fun part for me was creating the color wheel. I replaced around 8 fabrics with ones I've used in other projects or received as gifts. This is definitely a very do-able projects. The advice I would give is 1. Take your time and 2. Use lots of pins! Pins are our friends. :)

Of course, I had to make this into a queen size quilt, which is where I ran into problems. Namely, MATH!!! Once math comes into crafting, my brain kind of goes nuts. I was trying to figure out the most efficient way to use my remaining fabric, using equations and formulas and little diagrams. And I was just adding panels to the sides, top and bottom. What ended up happening? A mess! In the end, I mis-cut 3 yards of muslin that I'll just save for my next quilt.

When I finish the quilt (and I am DETERMINED to finish it!), I'll post all of my mods to the original pattern. The next step will be to baste the quilt sandwich, and I might have to lock myself up in a room by myself - Unki thinks he's helping, but, really, does laying on the exact spot I need to work on really count as helping?

A week of babies

2007-10-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

I've been inundated with babies lately... I visited my friend Sarita in the hospital last week and took some photos of her beautiful baby son.

We also visited our friends Ryan and Megan and got to see their bouncing baby boy relaxing in his vibrating chair!

Luckily, everyone is healthy and doing well - yay! Although I've been knitting... nothing is done except creating a big pile of mess.

Yipes! How embarrassing!

One of the benefits of working at purl is the opportunity to get a hold of some nice things early on.

This is the color wheel quilt bundle from Joelle's book. I've already washing and pressed the fabric. I think I'm making a few substitutions of fabric, mainly from old projects. I'm also going to add length and width to the quilt to make it a queen size quilt. Crossing fingers!

As usual, I close with some photos of my babies.

Maggie decided to pose for all of you in the light colored pi, which was followed immediately with a knock-down, drag-out fight which resulted in...

Unki figuring out that he actually fits in this pi. Really, he's not as smart as he looks.

8 things about me!

2007-09-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Stephanie tagged me for the 8 things about yourself meme that's been floating around the blogosphere. And I know someone else tagged me when I was in Japan, but I can't remember who and I'm sorry! So here goes:

1. I've been told I have a very "distinctive" walk. Of course, I've never seen myself walk so I don't know if that's true, but people have recognized me from far away because of my walk.

2. I bruise really easily. 99% of my bruises I have no idea how I got. Earlier this year I had one that was so big and black on the back of my leg it freaked me out when I saw it in the shower. How'd it get there? No idea!

3. I can handle seeing surgeries, blood, needles, etc., but I hate seeing people vomit. Even fake movie vomit. Freaks me out!

4. I am very sensitive to caffeine, so much so that I've sworn it off for the past ten years. Well, all except a morning cup of tea or, if I'm on vacation, a cup of coffee.

5. I love love love love sweets. Sometimes I eat dinner just to get dessert.

6. I am by nature a shy person but I've tried really hard to get over my shyness. I still get really uncomfortable when strangers talk to me. When we lived in DC, strangers talked to me ALL THE TIME, especially when I was waiting to cross the street in the city. Rob said that never happened to him. Is it because I look non-threatening? Or I look lost and lonely?

7. I am a huge Anglophile. I think it's because I was raised on a book diet of Daphne du Maurier and Agatha Christie, and moved on to Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen in college. I think I know more about British history than US history, and I definitely know more British history than Japanese history. Anyone want to chat about the Glorious Revolution?

8. I love getting gifts but I love giving gifts more!

I think I'm supposed to tag 8 people, but I'm only tagging one - Mina, you're it!

Hey, is that my name on the Purl Bee?

2007-09-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I talked about working on a project that I would reveal at a later date. Well, that time is here! I've been working at the purlsoho.com warehouse for about two months. It's my dream job - beautiful fabric, yarn, and great co-workers. Jen (my boss) asked if I'd be interested in writing for the Purl Bee, Purl's blog, and I immediately said yes! I'll be writing about Japanese crafting and my first tutorial is up, a little zipper pouch lined with bias tape. I'll be posting more tutorials over time, including my monk's bag.

I try really hard to keep my blog life and "real" life separate, but I'm thrilled that they've intersected in this way. Hopefully I'll still have time to post about my regular projects here, and I hope that you'll enjoy my tutorials and articles on the Purl Bee!

Big totes and even bigger cats

2007-09-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks, but I managed to squeeze in a project today.

It's a modified really big tote bag from the Lotta Jansdotter book I got in Japan. And I made it out of Lotta fabric too! The strap is wide and easy to carry - I love it!

It's the annual viewing of the most used knitted object I've ever made. Anyone remember what it is?

It's one of the Kitty Pis I made... two years ago? I think that's right. Doesn't Maggie look extra snug in it? That's because Rob decided to wash them, and they shrunk just a bit more.

Look at that sweet face!

Of course, where ever Maggie sleeps, Unki is soon to be found. The next day, I found Unki in the Pi, but does he fit?

Unki, you look like a hot dog in the Pi!

You can't even fit your nonexistent tail!

Unki is officially a big boy, he weighs 14.15 pounds. We tell him he's husky and he wears his weight well.

Knitting!

2007-09-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

I've been working on several projects, some of which you might see in a different home on the web (I'll let you know if/when that happens). But I have found the knitting bug again, in a sweater for Rob.

Do you recognize this sweater? It's Jared's Cobblestone Pullover from the latest Interweave Knits. When I saw it, I had to make it. I know there are some really great ones out there, I'm just hoping that it'll turn out to be a sweater Rob can wear in public.

I've been knitting for myself too, a strange project that I'll talk more about when I get further along.

I had jury duty last week, I didn't get chosen for a jury, but I did learn how to crochet! Don't know when I'll put my new skills to work, but it's nice to finally have that under my belt.

I also got a copy of Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts. What a great book!

Every page has a great project, here a few projects that I haven't seen photos of yet.

The only question - what to make first?

Drumroll please......

2007-09-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for joining in my giveaway! It was fun to see everyone who participated.

And now the moment we've all been waiting for - I've entered the parameters into the random number generator - and the first number is...

4! Nell from Chicken Knits is our first winner (she chose MADE!)

I had decided that there would be two winners, so the second number is...

44! (That doesn't seem so random, does it?) Emily from Adventures with the Slowest Knitters is winner number two (and she chose MAKE!)

Congratulations Nell and Emily! I would appreciate it if the two of you would email me at marirob.blogspotATgmailDOTcom and we'll talk prizes.

One day I'll sit down and explore all of the blogs of everyone who entered - so interesting to see who frequents the blog.

I've decided that I shouldn't wait for a special event for my next giveaway, so keep your eyes open! It might be sooner than you think!

250th post giveaway!

2007-09-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

I promised a giveaway on my last post, and here it is!

I love giveaways, mainly because it's a fun way to thank all of the many people who make a blog a blog. It would really just be a bunch of words and photos without all of you who comment on the blog. Thank you!! And even people who stop by just to look (which I do all the time on many a blog) I really appreciate that you take the time to do so. I've met so many fantastic people in the blogging world that I am really happy to call my friends. The community we have all created is so special to me - it's made me a more thoughtful and creative crafter. Here's my way of thanking all of you.

I've been contemplating a giveaway since my 200th post. Unfortunately, our Japan trip got in the way, so I decided to wait until a less busy time to do this. I wish I could give everyone a gift, but since that would be way cost prohibitive, I'll do the standard random number generator thing. But what am I giving away? In the tradition of that great reality show Amazing Race - you'll have a choice, or a Detour. This one's called "MAKE or MADE". (cue dramatic music!)

In "MAKE", you'll get a gift you can use to MAKE something. Are you a knitter who wants some beautiful yarn? Here are some items you might win!

How about fabric? I've shown some of my work in the past - has anything really sparked your interest?
Maybe my collection of Japanese craft books has gotten your creative juices flowing. Is there one your particularly love? (this will be contingent on the condition that I'll be able to find a copy of it for you).

In "MADE", you'll get a custom handcrafted sewn gift from me. Do you like the pigs I've made?

Or my bags? How about a cat?

Oh Unki, I won't give you away!

So here's how the giveaway will work - just leave a comment with the word "MAKE" or "MADE" in it. You'll have until Friday September 8th noon PST to leave one. I'll choose a winner (or winners!) using a random number generator. I'll announce the winners and I'll either peruse your blog to figure what I'll send you or we'll have a little email chat to decide what you want. Fun for all!

Baby shower numero dos!

2007-08-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Rob and I threw a baby shower for our friends Ryan and Megan. Although is was a more low-key event than baby shower number one, Rob made sure that the food was first-class.

For those of you who have seen Ratatouille, yes, that is the dish from the movie! Here's the recipe we used. Rob also made two delicious frittatas.

We decided to have people create some freezer paper stencil onesies. Ryan and Megan don't know if it's a boy or girl yet, so we tried to make them as unisex as possible.

I made the baby a little pig because it'll be born in the year of the pig!

Even though he's small, the pig made quite the impact on Ryan.

Finally, I made them a quilt using the same fabrics as the quilt I made for Sarita, but in a coin quilt design. I created the pattern myself, I couldn't find a pattern on the web.

It's photographed on Ryan and Megan's green bedspread - I think the two quilts look good together, don't you?

Next post - my 250th post! I think it's time for a giveaway!

Ruboff experiment

2007-08-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments on the baby gifts! It's very rewarding to be able to make items that you know the recipients can use, isn't it?

I'm struggling to keep up with my post a day promise to myself for this week, but I have a short one ready. I've had a dress in my closet that I've loved and worn for ten years... but started to look a little sad.

It's a light cotton dosa shirt dress that I bought at a sample sale. It's been with me everywhere, to Europe, Hawaii, the LA County fair. It's faded in weird places now and the fabric is a little threadbare.

I thought this would be a perfect dress to do a ruboff of (making a pattern off of a real garment). Of course, being the shortcut queen, I made one out of tissue paper (versus muslin) and here's the result:

The fabric is Kaffe Fassett Shot Cotton in Sludge, which is a great woven light cotton fabric. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the fabric is almost iridescent and is woven with purple and yellow thread to make the greeny color.

It's not quite the same, I didn't feel like making a real collar and it looks very uniform-y, but it's SO comfy, just like the original. So I think it's a half-success, I'm happy with the functionality, needs some work on the way it looks. Maybe a happier color would help things out... hmmm....

Baby gifts galore

2007-08-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss at updating the blog, mainly because I need Rob's assistance in taking photos of myself in dresses. It's always sort of an endeavour, because I keep saying, "Let me see the photos!", which is really unfair to Rob. Anyways, my excuse for not showing the baby shower gifts for Sarita was that I used some of the material to make a present for our friends Ryan and Megan, who we threw a baby shower for yesterday.

Sarita has been one of my closest friends for about 10 years, so I went the extra mile to make her an extra special set of gifts.

All of the gifts were put in this bag that made from some Echino fabric from purlsoho.com that I've had in my stash. The pattern is from Lotta Jansdotter's new Japanese book, "Handmade Project", ISBN 9784-579-11148-0. (One of the many books I bought in Japan!)

The pattern is called "Really Big Tote".

And who's sticking out of the bag?

Another big footed bunny from Hillary's fantastic pattern.

All of the following items were inspired by this quilt, which was inspired by the cover of Yoshiko Jinzenji's book, Simple Quilt.

I had so much fun making this quilt! I made a coin quilt for our friends Ryan and Megan with the same fabric. Both were so much easier than making the Unki Paw Quilt. All of the fabrics came from purlsoho.com, I looked only for a bunch of green/black/white fabrics, went to the warehouse, and chose the ones I liked. Since Sarita and her husband are architects, I wanted to keep the quilt simple but still a bit whimsical.

To give Sarita more gifts to match the quilt, I made three burp cloths,

three bibs,

and a hoodie towel (bound with one of the fabrics from the quilt).

The pattern for the bibs and hoodie towel came from a Japanese craft book I've blogged about before, which I love love love. It's not the most visually stylish book, but it has so many patterns that I feel like I never need any other baby patterns.

Finally, I bought a rattle from an etsy seller, Stump Pond Toys.

His work is amazing and I love the quality of his wooden toys. I highly recommend him.

Let's see, I should have enough photos of completed projects to post for the next four days - can I do it?

Helping friends get ready for baby

2007-08-02T07:20:00.002-07:00

I've been away from the blog because I helped throw a baby shower on Saturday for a good friend, Sarita. It was a smashing success and we all had a great time. I've been making her several things over the past few months, including a quilt, bibs, burp cloths, a tote bag, etc. But wouldn't you know it - I forgot to take photos! Luckily, the items are still at the house where we had the baby shower, so I'm going to sneak by sometime soon and get my photos.

I do have photos of the favors I made. I had so much fun putting them together. Originally, I was going to bake cookies, but my schedule changed and I didn't want to spend all of Friday night over a hot oven. So I put together a non-perishable gift bag.

Along with some candy, I made little bookmarks with the image our friend Kenna made for the invitation.

But the cutest part of the favor was inspired from Sally Shim's beautiful button magnets.

The fabric is from the quilt I made for Sarita, I loved the fact that everyone would be taking home a little piece of it! I know it's pretty much plagiarism, but I figured since I'm not selling them... it's flattery?

I also finished my sashiko project. I really enjoyed the process, so soothing and meditative. I created two little mats out of the napkin.

Rob and I are throwing another baby shower for good friends of ours, Ryan and Megan. Hopefully I'll remember to take photos of their presents before we give them!

Fixing projects and sleepy cats

2007-07-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

All of my family's birthdays are in July except for mine, so it's a busy month. (Happy belated birthday Mama! Happy birthday today Mina!)

Mina requested a homemade gift, specifically a version of this purse I made a month ago. I made a little patchwork motif in the outer fabric, fused the outside and layer together, and then made a FATAL ERROR. I cut the notches for the bottom of the bag in the wrong place. I was left with two long pieces of fabric. I thought a little bit and made the following shoulder bag.

It's a long bag that I folded over to create the purse flap. I attached a button and a piece of suede for the enclosure.

The lining is Amy Butler fabric from this dress.

I wanted to make sure to have this Liberty fabric in the design, because I made a shirt that I gave to Mina in the same print.

I just winged the bag and luckily it turned out nice. Most lucky of all, Mina likes it.

I made another stuffed animal, this time a cat, which was surprisingly difficult because of the terry cloth I was using. I decided to not give it away as a gift (it's a little rough around the edges) and Rob said he wanted it.

He's named it "Splat" (although it's supposed to look like it's sleeping on its back).

Speaking of sleeping cats...

and cute paws...

One of the souvenirs I bought on our trip was a sashiko napkin kit from a woman at the Hida Folk Village in Takayama. I started it yesterday and it's very addicting. There are lines on the bag so you can follow the pattern.

I made the smaller motif first.

On a final note, do you ever watch a show and get excited by little things that relate to craft? I was watching Miss Marple on Mystery, and although they've gotten rid of the opening credits with the knitting graphics, they still managed to show one picture to make me happy.

And there was a scene of her knitting - I tried to take a picture of it but it didn't come out - boo!

Brightening my week

2007-07-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Many little things have happened this week that have just made me feel quite happy. First, Rob sent me an email asking me to make him a pen case. Now, when we were in Japan, land of thousands of pen cases, I kept asked Rob if he needed one. He kept saying no. Now that we're in the land of very few pen cases, he needs one! I was annoyed at first, but then I was excited to try to come up with something with my box or scraps. And this is what I made.

It's brown linen from my dress on the last post, along with various scraps from different projects. I really like it! I did the same pattern on both sides and used bias tape to bind up the inside seams, Japanese style. Rob liked it too, which made me happy.

I've been needed a case for my glasses for quite a while. Flush with my pen case success, I decided to make a felt zipper case, cobbled together from two patterns from this book.

I'm happy that my embroidery has improved.

Rob suggested I put on a little loop on the end. I stamped it with a stamp I got in Japan quite a few years ago - Mari is a common name in Japan and it makes me happy whenever I see products with my name. :)

And.... I finished a knitting project!

Yarn - Piece of Beauty Sock yarn, Red Bark
Pattern - My own

This was one of my Japan trip projects. I have to say, this is one of my favorite sock yarns ever to knit with. So soft, easy to knit with, great colors. Kirsty dyes her yarn with short color changes so pooling is minimized.

I think this yarn would be great for a pattern like Pomatomus or Monkey socks from Knitty.

Now, I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but recently two people said nice things about my crafting that just was the icing on my week. Yesterday, my mom forwarded me an email from her boss, who took a look at our trip entries. Not only did she enjoy seeing our trip, but she said very nice things about my crafting. So sweet!

This morning I was wandering around the Linnet website and found Mayumi Maeda's blog. She wrote a little something about my visit to her store here - she said my bird monk's bag was so nicely designed she thought I was a product designer! Wow!

And last, but definitely not least, thank you all so much for your wonderful comments. Every time I see the comments it makes me incredibly happy. I've said it before, I'm a glass-half-empty kind of gal. I look at my work and I see the flaws. But blogging takes me out of my negative brain space and makes me proud of my work. So, thank you my blogging friends!!!! You make everyday so much sunnier!

Linen gift and dress

2007-07-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to create a world where both of my crafting loves, knitting and sewing, can co-exist. However, it's been pretty obvious that sewing has taken a hold of my time and attention. The main reason is the close to instant gratification that sewing can give. For example, Sarita and I decided to celebrate Huay's half birthday, because she always gets shortchanged (her birthday is on December 30). So we had lunch, brought her flowers, and I made her a little present.

Or is it a big present?

I made her the pig from my new favorite craft book. Isn't he cute? I made him out of the same linen/cotton blend fabric that I made these pillows with. Whenever Huay comes over, she always hugs one of the pillows. He still doesn't have a name, but she promised he'd live on her bed with her bear Churchill.

One of my sewing goals has been to sew a solid-colored dress. I love my prints because they are so forgiving. A mistake here and there disappear among the flowers and I'm happy as a clam. But the clothes I find myself drawn to in catalogs are solid colored classics that fit just right. One of the pieces I've been wanting to make is a simple wrap dress. I finally found one I liked in this book.

Sewing Time by Machiko Kayaki, ISBN 978-4-579-11052-0

It's exactly what I've been looking for - a simple, sleeveless linen wrap dress.

However, as most things go at marirob, it was easier said than done. On my last post, Blossom commented that she wasn't sure that Japanese patterns were the best fitted patterns, but the books are so beautiful and so inspiring. I think she's absolutely right. My thoughts are that Japanese clothes tend to be a bit boxier and loose fitting than we're used to and, especially for this book, the instructions are minimal and assume a certain amount of sewing knowledge of the reader.

Making the dress was easier than I thought. Since I've made a couple of dresses, I used some of the techniques I already learned and followed the illustrations for the few details that were a little more difficult. I made the dress, tried it on, and thought, "hmmmm... something doesn't look quite right." So I increased the back darts, took in the side seams, and fiddled around with the camera...

...and here it is. But do you see how I'm posing? Three-quarters pose, legs just so, shoulders back? From the front, I look a little... figureless. Enough to where I can't post a photo. I think it's a little low waisted for my body, but I don't know how to fix that without taking the whole thing apart and shortening the waist.

The fabric is a beautiful brown linen I had in my stash. One hope I have is that once I've washed the dress a few times, the linen will soften and fit my body a bit better. My favorite part of the dress is the trim around the neckline.

It's lace that I got from Linnet.

I think the next time I decide to make a solid colored dress from a new pattern, I'll either make it with a print or muslin first.

Clothing catch-up

2007-07-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

I made two items of clothing that I've been meaning to share but I kept forgetting to ask Rob to take photos. So today I set up the tripod and took a gazillion photos before getting some that I thought were acceptable.

Pattern - Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt
Fabric - unknown cotton from stash

I know my skirt is pretty wrinkly, but I think of this as more of a casual skirt than a fancy skirt. The pattern called for a lining, but I decided against it, and finished the top of the skirt with some bias tape. Since I made this about two months ago, any details of the construction escape me, but I do remember that the skirt pattern runs much more to real sizing than skirt patterns normally do. The directions are really clear and easy to follow.

The pattern on the fabric remind me of Japanese mon, or family crests.

I finally took a photo of my bloated shirt. It's from this book I bought in Japan

Adult Couture - One Pieces, Smocks, and Blouses, ISBN 978-4-579-11149-7

This is a beautifully photographed book full of dresses and blouses. I wanted to make the cover blouse right away.

So I did!

I've modified this top lots - back darts, taking in the sides, elastic in the waist - all in the attempt to remove the illusion that I'm pregnant. I think it's still an iffy shirt, I wouldn't be surprised if someone asked me when I was due when I wear this shirt.

I love the fabric, I bought it from Superbuzzy a while ago.

I've been hanging up some art around the house recently. The prints in the background of the above photos are from Sugarloop, she has some wonderful gocco prints in her etsy shop.

Rob and I found this postcard at a little store in Kamakura during our trip.

We couldn't belive how much it looked like Unki, stubby tail, white gloves and socks. The caption says, "Ummmm... what was I doing?" Which describes Unki's distracted personality perfectly. It makes me smile every time I see it.

The only dog I can have in my apartment

2007-06-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

I've been having trouble choosing my next project. I still need to post about my pregnant/bloated shirt (and no, I'm not pregnant, just bloated) but I need Rob to take photos for me, and I keep forgetting. I have all of this lovely fabric just aching to be used, but I want to make sure to match up the right patterns with them. So to ease my crafting jitters, I decided to make a stuffed animal from this super cute book.

Huggable Sewn Stuffed Animals, ISBN 4-14-187866-9

I've seen this book around the blogosphere, it was first printed in 2002 with a reprint last year. It's the perfect book to make stuffed animals for babies. There are 18 patterns, including a tapir (!), flogs (their misprint, not mine) and a flying squirrel. Here are some photos of the less exotic creatures.

Like the bag book, there are step by step instructions for one of the animals.

And since it was the dachshund, I had no choice but to make it (well, I did have a choice, but he's just so darn cute!)

Meet Dudley the Dachshund!

I just love him to pieces. I used a fabric that I bought in Japan, it was called, "Handy Household Fabric". I wish I could find more natural colored cotton fabric here, I think I just have to look harder.

With this project, I understood why the smaller sewn Japanese project patterns don't have seam allowances. You draw the pattern on the fabric, cut generously around, then sew on the drawn lines. Aftewards, you trim the seam. I still have problems dealing with clothing patterns that don't have seam allowances, but I'm learning.

On a slightly unrelated note, my friend Anna found the little animals that I made her baby-to-be cute, not scary. Phew!

See our trip again - live action!

2007-06-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

We put a little video together for our BBQ on Sunday to show our friends. I thought it would be fun to upload it to YouTube. It's about 10 minutes, so sit back, relax, and enjoy!

I feel like Hermione watching this video: "Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?"

BBQ and Babies

2007-06-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

It's nice to have a busy weekend once in a while. We had a great time Saturday night seeing these guys.

On Sunday, we threw a BBQ in honor of the beginning of summer, and showed a slideshow of our Japan trip to our friends who were unable to master technology and look at our blog. My pregnant friends Sarita and Anna were able to compare belly sizes.

Anna and her husband Jim live in Toronto so it was a surprise that they were in town for our BBQ. I decided to make a quick gift for the baby-to-be, so I thought these animals would be a nice gift.

Unfortnately, mine fall into the "Cute or Scary?" category.

Clearly, I have problems sewing eyes on animals - each animal's left eye is higher than the first. Ugh. Well, I will just have to persevere and try to make my embroidery nicer. I'll let you know if Anna thinks they are scary or cute when I give them to her tomorrow.

Onto sharing a couple more Japan books - these two are crochet (gasp!) books. Crocheting is all the rage in Japan right now, and I thought these two books were cute. In fact, cute is in both of their titles.

Front book - "Small cute items knit with organic cotton", ISBN 978-4-277-17207-3
Back Book - "Cute crocheted items to look at", ISBN 978-4-539-04354-0

The first book has pretty things to crochet.

The second book is definitely more in the "cute" category - coasters with faces, big peanut animals and little eggs.

Hmmm... now to learn to crochet!

Miss Potter-y

2007-06-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a photo of our Japan collage up on the wall - we got a frame from Ikea and Rob put it together.

We made a collage of our Europe trip from 4 years ago that also hangs in our front hall. It's fun to go back and try to remember where everything was from.

When we flew home from Tokyo, the plane had individual tv screens and a ton of movies to watch. I watched four movies: The Holiday, Eragon, Music and Lyrics (I fell asleep when they showed in on the trip over) and Miss Potter. Hence the title!

I did buy a lot of pottery in Japan, some were gifts, some were more utilitarian, but there are a special few that I wanted to share. I have them on our mantle, but I'm bugging Rob to build a simple shelf so I can spread the beauty.

(Freddy is there for scale, because Unki can't jump on the mantle.)

Kinta generously allowed us each to choose one of his pieces as gifts while we were in Mashiko. I chose a small tea cup with glazing that I thought was very artistic.

Rob chose one of Kinta's wooden pieces - a walking fish that he made for an exhibition called "for child".

Also in Mashiko, I bought a piece of pottery from a restaurant/gallery called Starnet. I liked the shape but it's hard to photograph.

From one of Kinta's friends, we bought two more teacups. This is Rob's favorite piece, the design reminds me of punched tin lamps.

At the pension, we drank tea from cups similar to these, but they were blue.

In Takayama, at Kouichisan's work, I found this little bowl that was so interestingly constructed I had to buy it.

The outside is made of three layers rolled together and along the rim you can see the layers.

I love the bottom!

Finally, we bought two pieces from Waka, Kinta's friend who built his own house. I have always loved his pottery, it's so fragile and thoughtfully made and yet each piece is an individual work of art. Most of his work is thin clay glazed white.

But my favorite piece is this tiny vase with an amazing green glaze. It's deceptively heavy but the rim is soooo thin - how can anyone make this by hand?

What I love about Japanese pottery is the respect to tradition, but each artist has put their own spin on their designs. My only regret is that I was limited to buying small pieces - if I could, I would have bought so much more!

Reasons you know it's going to be a good week

2007-06-19T15:43:00.001-07:00

1. Starting out the weekend with a read on the beach

2. Spending time with kids playing with lights

3. Creating a collage of our Japan trip tickets/business cards/chopstick holders

4. Going to get take out at our favorite Indian place and having all three of my favorite dishes

5. Waking up to this face licking my hair

(hey, it's better than Rob licking my hair, right?)

6. Finishing a project that made me look pregnant and now only makes me look bloated

(even if I can't take a picture of myself!)

An ocean of notions

2007-06-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I have a problem. I am completely and totally obsessed with bags. For years, I would only have one purse and when it wore out, I'd buy another one. But now that I can make my own, I've become a bag-oholic. Really, how many bags can one person have? Rob even built me my own purse shelf in the front hall closet, and it's piled and piled with bags of all sorts. I think some of you can understand - the bag you bring to a bbq isn't the same one you'd take "to shopping", right? And I'm always in search of the perfect everyday bag: comfy, not too big, and easy to access.

One of the things that has always frustrated me in the past is the lack of purse notions around here. The only color of webbing I can usually find is dark blue or black. So I made sure to keep my eyes open in Japan for any interesting bag handles or webbing.

At the Toji Temple Market in Kyoto, I found a little stand that had linen fabric, webbing, and yarn. This is what I got from them (and at a steal - 10 meters of webbing for $2.50!)

The place where I found the most notions was the supermarket in Takayama. I think it was because it was so small I could find everything easily. At the bigger fabric stores, I was so overwhelmed by the fabric that was all I could concentrate on. I found different kinds of webbing for some future tote bags.

They also had a fantastic assortment of leather purse handles. I've been coveting these ever since I got my first Japanese craft book. So cute!

I got some other things too, including a few buttons, some thread on cute spools, and some trim.

At Linnet, they had beautiful trim. Some were simple:

while others were fancy!

When my niece was 2, fancy was her favorite word. Speaking of my niece, I wanted to share another craft book I bought in Japan. I have no use for a book of girl's clothing (my niece is growing so fast that I think anything I make her would be too small in a matter of days) but I just had to buy this one. I realized later it was because the little girl looks like my niece (albeit with makeup and curled hair).

Girls' Clothing (ISBN 978-4-529-04437-0)

The clothes are so beautifully presented and shot. I love this book!

Here's a page with all of the patterns included.

I'll save this book to make clothes for some little girl someday (of course, all of my pregnant friends are having boys!)

Working out the precision gene

2007-06-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Just like I bought lots of fabric, I bought 10 craft books. I mean, when they end up being between $7 - $12 each, how could I resist? I just had to fit them in our luggage, which really meant that Rob had to carry all of the heavy stuff and I just had to roll around the dirty laundry. Some of the books will be familiar to lots of you, but I did pick up a couple of brand new releases that I'll share soon (especially if I make something from them!).

One thing I noticed wherever we went in Japan was the precision and craftsmanship of all of the handmade items. From keychains to furniture, it was all beautifully constructed and thought out. I've said many times before that the precision gene just skipped right past me, but I thought I'd try to make my first post-Japan project one that helped me concentrate on that.

When we were at my aunt's store in Takayama, I noticed a few handmade bags that were finished on the inside with bias tape.

I'm sure some of you are like, "Big deal! My bags are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside!" but I was pretty impressed. I usually sew up the outside and inside separately and cross my fingers that the topstitching looks ok. So I choose a bag from this book to start out with.

The title of this book is "Simple and Easy to Make Going Out Bags". (ISBN 978-4-429-04421-9) There are sixteen bags and five mini bag patterns. What I thought was cute that the bags were separated by categories.

"go to shopping"

"go to market"

"go to a friend's house"

"go to school"

For the first bag, there were detailed step-by-step directions on how to make a bag, Japanese style.

So that's the one I made. I had to make everything harder for myself by throwing in a layer of Timtex, so sewing on the handle was super difficult, but I'm happy with the final product.

(Unki decided he needed to be in the photo for scale)

The outside fabric is this one I bought in Takayama. The handle is green canvas scrap fabric, and the handle has a nice sewn detail on it.

For the inside, I used some stash kimono fabric. I even did the bias tape for the seams, although it's not as neat as it could be.

The other project that we did this weekend was reupholstering a footstool (which we created from an old chair) with fabric that I also bought in Takayama. The piece wasn't wide enough, so Rob created a pattern that I sewed together.

Guess whose favorite spot this has become?

(Can you spot Maggie under the TV? That's my girl, sleeping through the whole photo shoot!)

How heavy could fabric be, anyways?

2007-06-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you SO much for all of your wonderful comments about our Japan trip! It was so exciting to see so many new names in the comments - it really was fun to share it with everyone. We're still recovering from the trip, even though it's been more than a week back. Especially Unki and Maggie, they certainly have become much more affectionate and naughty since our return.

I'm almost embarrassed to share all of the fabric I got from Japan. I tried to limit myself to things I couldn't get in the States, but I got a little carried away. As for yarn, I only bought one skein for myself, a cotton linen blend from a stand at the Toji Temple Market in Kyoto. And I think I'm going to use it more for decoration than knitting. The reality is that most of the better yarns we can get here in the States, and the big trend in Japan now seems to be organic cotton. I never made it to Avril (Habu Textiles) which was the only store I was really interested in for yarn.

Onto the fabric! I've washed and pressed some of it, some of it is still travel wrinkled, so please forgive the photos. Overall, I tended to buy more neutral, natural colors, and that's what seemed to be popular as well. I'll sort it by city:

Kyoto
In Kyoto, I bought some fabric at the Toji Temple Market from a man who was surrounded by little old ladies. I bought two 2-meter lengths of blue cloth that turned out to be really great quality.

At Nomura Tailor, which is along the main shopping drag in Tokyo, I bought a length of linen (no photo) and these fabrics.

The two on the left were precut at 1.15 meters, and I bought 1 meter of the cat print - couldn't resist!

The store was very nice, it was three floors (I think?). They had samples set up along the walls and you had to somewhat search for the right fabric. They also had plenty of precut lengths everywhere you went, in baskets, at the cash registers, on the stairs. A lovely place to browse and see fabric.

Linnet was definitely my favorite fabric store of the trip. Their store is quite small, but they had binders of their different fabrics and they could bring them from the back (which was their warehouse). Besides fabric, I bought some trim (I'll share those on another post) and some patterns (ditto!)

Cotton prints that the owner (Mayumi Maeda) created. They also had precut fabric to buy - made it very easy to shop!

A linen print that I love.

Two meters of a beautiful blue linen, I wish I could capture the color in photos, but I can't.

They have an online English store, some of the English might be confusing, but it's fun to browse and see what they carry. The dollar/yen rate is favorable towards the dollar, so it might be worth it to buy some fabric. I don't know what shipping would be, they say on their website they quote after you submit your order.

Takayama
Takayama was the surprise of the trip. I bought some fabric from the supermarket, where they had the nicest fabric section. This is where there were the most precut fabric, all nicely tied with twine.

Nice solids.

Two canvas fabrics, the one of the left is a linen/cotton blend.

A funny little fabric called "coffee". Can you spot the coffee cup?

Even at Kouichisan's work, they had an outlet store where they had some upholstery remnants for sale - 200 yen per piece (less than $2.00). We've already used one piece to reupholster a footstool.

Tokyo
Save the best for last, right? Tokyo had the most variety of all the places we visited. I bought fabric on our first Tokyo leg from Yuzawaya, which has stores only in the suburbs, but it's worth a trip to go to one (especially to Kichijoji, as Avril is somewhere in the neighborhood). Yuzawaya also sells yarns.

My Liberty fabric! I tried to pick out some that I hadn't seen before or couldn't buy here, but they had at least 30 different prints. The white fabric on the left is just plain tana lawn fabric, same great quality, less than half the price. I've never seen the plain fabric so I thought it was an interesting buy.

Two 2-meter lengths of Lotta Jansdotter's fabric from last season. You can see these used in her Simple Sewing book, they are both 100% cotton and are home decorating length. Love them!

They also had a few kits that I couldn't resist.

My final fabric splurge was at Kinkado in Ikebukuro. The store is kind of confusing, the fabric is in the second half of the store in the back on the second and third floors. It's a little tight, but they had lots of fabric of all kinds.

One of my favorite buys of the trip. This is Nani Iro fabric called Fuwari Fuwari. It was really hard to take a photo of, but it's a cotton gauze fabric, so soft and lovely. I think I'll make a simple dress from it, but it would make a wonderful quilt as well.

And more Lotta Jansdotter fabric! Kinkado had some from her 2007 line, which are all a linen/cotton blend. Much more lighter than the 2006 fabric. If you go to her Japanese site, you can see what was available, it took me a while to decide what to get.

And that's the fabric I bought. Phew! I bought some notions as well, I'll post about those later. Oh, and books. And I can't forget the pottery!

Unki was so cute laying in the sunset last night I had to use this as my parting photo.

Day 20 - It's over already?

2007-06-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Our last full day in Japan! Rob and I were a couple doors down from our original hotel room, so it was funny to see this view as we exited our door.

I was determined to do three things on our last day. Go to a bookstore, a fabric store, and a last trip to Muji. Luckily, we could do all of these things in Ikebukuro (the neighborhood next to where my mom grew up), so we headed out.

Rob took off on his own and went to see the view atop Sunshine Building.

Mama, Huay and I started off together at Junkudo, billed as “the world’s largest bookstore”. I was only interested in one floor (the craft books, of course) but it was quiet and relaxed, with a huge selection. After that we headed to Kinkado, a store that has clothes, other merchandise, and fabric. Kinkado is store that my mom has a connection with as the parents of a school friend of hers owned it, and she remembers when it was a tiny store in the same location.

There’s a pedestrian street in Ikebukuro called Sunshine Street. It’s nice to walk around and not worry about which direction traffic is coming from.

Our last stop was going to Tokyu Hands again.

But this Tokyu Hands is special, because on the 8th floor they have “nekobukuro”, a place where you can pay about $5.00 to spend some time with some purebred cats! Most of the cats were shy, but it was a fun way to experience some more “only in Japan” moments.

For lunch, Huay requested that we go to a “kaiten zushi” place, or conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Luckily, Ikebukuro had quite a few, so we went into a quieter restaurant for a delicious lunch.

The only downside to our day was that Rob was feeling quite ill. He decided to “do as the Romans do” and wear a face mask.

Why do I have to sit next to the freak?

I spent the afternoon taking a nap (by now my brain was completely fried from transitioning between Japanese and English), while Mama, Huay, and Rob explored more of the area around our hotel. We then made a mad dash to the Ginza Muji (which is huge!), where I gave everyone 40 minutes to do their shopping. By this point in the trip, I was so attuned to Japanese punctuality I had everyone quaking in their shoes. Huay almost didn’t make it, but she was only 5 minutes late.

Our last dinner was spent with Uncle Mimichan, who asked us to meet him at Shibuya next to the Hachiko statue. Well, I think half of Tokyo decided to meet there that night! Quite the crowd and it was fun seeing all the youngsters in their getups.

We had a very nice tonkatsu dinner, then headed back to the hotel. Luckily, our flight didn’t leave until early afternoon and Mimichan drove us to the airport, so our final day wasn’t as frantic as it could have been. However, Rob and I had to buy one more bag for the stuff we bought in Tokyo, and Mama, Huay, and I completely forgot about the “no liquids in carry-ons” rule and all had stuff confiscated. It’s not a trip until someone gets in trouble at the airport!

We landed in LAX seven hours before we left Tokyo (isn’t time difference crazy) and remembered to take one final photo.

Well, that’s it! I hope everyone had a fun time reading about our trip. I asked my other travel companions if they had anything they wanted to say on this final post, and here are their thoughts.

Mama

Thanks Mari, Rob and Huay for being great travel companions.
Thanks to Mari for her good research and planning.
I saw places with a different viewpoint, enjoyed the beauty of Japan, and had a great time with family.
When we are traveling there are so many things we can feel and touch. It's so much more than seeing them on a screen or looking at pictures. Now I want to explore, experience and discover more great places.

(The best reward that came from this trip is that Mama wants to travel more. Isn’t that great?)

Rob

I just want to thank Mari for this trip. If it wasn't for her, I probably never would have gone to Japan and I certainly would not have done all the amazing things we did on this trip in particular. My favorite part of the trip was getting to meet Mari's and now my extended family. The memories are running the streets with Mimichan, laughing with Kanchan and Kouichisan, and exploring Mashiko with Miyuki and Kinta are unforgettable. I could never have planned and coordinated the trip Mari laid out for all of us, the time and effort she put into it is immensely appreciated, thank you so much.

(Isn’t Rob sweet? Really, I wasn’t trolling for compliments, he’s just that nice!)

Huay

If you want to get away and get a different take on life - Japan is a great place to go. I enjoyed the sense of peace and the cultural appreciation of age and beauty in a country that really felt like another world. Traveling with japanese speakers was an amazing opportunity. I'm so glad I went with Mari, Mieko and Rob - I felt like I got to see and have a much richer experience because we got to meet with their family. I miss real japanese food. I miss looking at fabric and gardens and shopping. BTW, went to Mitsuwa for some japanese groceries and discovered that one regular piece of mochi is 300 Calories. (AAAGH!) Which is why I put on some weight...

(Huay is very tiny so don't listen to her talk about her weight gain - I'm sure it was minimal!)

(Hopefully, over the next month or so, I'll post links, travel tips, and our itinerary. So much of what I found was via the internet and not travel guides (which for Japan are woefully lacking) that I think it will be helpful even if you're not traveling to Japan.)

I decided to blog about our trip in detail because I wanted our family members who weren't able to come to experience it with us as much as possible. I hope everyone else who were reading along were able to enjoy it as well, and maybe are inspired to take a trip to Japan one day. It really is an amazing place to travel, between the food, service, and beauty, Japan is ichiban (number one)!

Day 19 - Tokyo reloaded

2007-06-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Our final morning in Mashiko was bittersweet, because we knew that the end of the trip was very near. The morning started out a little frantic, as we learned that the bus that we were supposed to take to Tokyo no longer left from Mashiko! But there was another stop about a half hour away that Kinta would drive us to.

We started out the morning with another delicious breakfast on Kinta’s table.

We also had a last visit from Miyuki, Hiyori, and Souichi.

We found the bus stop and crossed our fingers hoping that the bus actually left from there, otherwise we’d have to do our repeat of the short train, train, train, train journey to Mashiko.

The bus came and we waved goodbye to Kinta.

It was a little weird getting back to Tokyo, because we stayed at the same hotel as we did in the beginning. We decided to spend our last two nights in Tokyo, so we’d have a little time to do some shopping. It was also strange to be in Tokyo because we had spent so much time in the calm of Naoshima, Takayama, and Mashiko. Rob spotted a sign that even I had no idea of the meaning.

While waiting to check in, we decided to stop by Tokyo Midtown, a sprawling brand new shopping complex in Roppongi. They had helpful guides everywhere and even had tours going on. Art was everywhere and there were three museums in the vicinity.

There were some unique stores too, including a pet groomers, a cooking school, and the nicest 7-Eleven ever.

After checking into the hotel, we walked over to Ginza, using some pedestrian bridges over a busy intersection.

We had a fun time shopping until the skies became angry.

So we bought some bentos and called it a night. Rob said his bento was the best bento EVER!!

I was happy because I bought my favorite sweet, white anko monaka. Isn’t it pretty?

Next – the final entry – our last day in Tokyo, with cats and revolving sushi.

Day 18 - Mashiko Part 2 - Inspiration abounds

2007-06-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

We stopped by a café/gallery called Starnet for lunch. Another place that has fond memories because we had an amazing dinner here during Miyuki’s wedding. Most people had curry.

Huay and I bought more items at their store, then we walked to their new restaurant and gallery space up the road. Kinta had made the door handles for the new restaurant.

The two structures were remodeled from older buildings. They kept the original beams that really gave an amazing feel to the new buildings.

There was an art piece outdoor where visitors could etch their own art. I only made a happy face.

Hey! Is that another Kinta door I see?

We stopped by the town to visit another pottery store (yes, we bought more pottery) and an indigo textile maker.

Our last stop was a good friend of Kinta, Waka. We already knew Waka by sight because he was prominently featured in Miyuki and Kinta’s wedding video we had watched in Takayama. His workspace was meticulous and beautifully organized.

His dog was named “Abara” after the Japanese name for Ribsy, from the Henry and Ribsy books.

Like Kinta, Waka had recently designed and built his own house.

We returned back to Miyuki and Kinta’s house, where I asked Miyuki about her textile dyeing. She has a dyeing shed set up outside, and she does all natural dyes. Mainly she gathers plants from around her house, and she keeps notes and swatches on all of the dyes she has made.

I loved her workspace, with her sewing machine, serger and pin up space.

She has her dyed and undyed fabric beautifully organized.

We brought the computer to show them photos of the family who were unable to visit. Then we introduced them to Photo Booth on the Mac, and many wonderful photos were taken.

Our visit to Mashiko was a highlight of the trip. All of us were inspired by the creativity and close knit community we got to observe. Spending the time with family made it that much more special.

Next – our last leg in Japan. Shopping, anyone?

Day 18 - Mashiko Part 1 - Pottery and craft heaven

2007-06-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

When I start one of my travel blog posts, I go through the photos, choosing ones that will be good for the blog. I write the post in my head as I sort through them. After I went through today’s photos, I had 96 photos!!! Not even I would do a post with 96 photos, but I think that goes to show what an amazing place Mashiko is.

Mashiko is a small town about 2 hours drive north of Tokyo. It’s famous for its folk pottery made of clay (versus porcelain). It’s been a pottery town for many generations, but recently new artists have been coming and infusing their own designs while using traditional methods. Mashiko is definitely a unique place, not only in Japan, but in the world. Both Kinta and Miyuki are artists that have lived in Mashiko for 14 years, so it was amazing to get a tour from the two of them.

This was my second trip to Mashiko and my mom’s third trip. Each time we’ve stayed at the same pension, which not only is the nearest structure to Miyuki and Kinta’s house, but is one of the most interesting places I’ve stayed at, a pyramid for the public space but still felt very homey.

There are beautiful art pieces in every nook and corner – you could spend hours just looking at each piece.

Kinta and Souichi came by to greet us before breakfast. Rob and Souichi had hit it off famously the night before and Rob gave him his camera to take photos.

Great photo Souichi!

Kinta had made many pieces in the pension, and it became sort of a game to figure out which were Kinta pieces.

A Kinta Bench!

Souichi on a Kinta zebra.

The companion horse.

Kinta’s great table.

His welcome sign.

Miyuki’s textile art pieces were well represented as well, we even had one of her pieces in our room.

We had a beautiful breakfast.

Even though there was a light rain, we walked to Kinta’s studio, which is next to their house.

We drove over to the Mashiko Reference Collection, which is the house and workshop of Hamada Shoji, a very famous potter who helped make Mashiko the town it is today. It was a fascinating combination of seeing his kilns, workshop, and house, as well as his collection of art from around the world. Hamada felt that it didn’t matter how much art cost or how rare it was, it was how it spoke to you that mattered. This was a recurring theme on our trip, and one that I tried to keep in mind wherever we went.

We also took the opportunity to take some photos of each other.

The plants were beautiful too!

Afterwards, we managed to take a photo of Minori in the back of Miyuki’s jeep – we kept calling her the “baggage”.

We visited a few antique shops, then stopped by a friend’s pottery shop, where Huay and I started our pottery buying spree.

Kinta made this table that Rob absolutely loved.

Their friend (whose name escapes me!) also showed us her pottery making space that she now uses for yoga classes.

She also owns a cafe, where we had tea (and where Kinta had made most of the furniture.

Next - Architecture and fabric envy.

Day 17 - 10 hours of travel time and 7 changes of vehicle - wow!

2007-06-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Our next leg of the trip was to visit my cousin Miyuki and her family in Mashiko. Kanchan was going to travel with us part of the way, and Miyuki’s sister, Minori, was joining us in Tokyo. We took a final group photo (including Riki!)

Kouichisan had to work so he said his farewells as the bus left.

Don’t forget, Takayama is Japan’s Tibet, so it takes a while to get to Tokyo. We had to leave Takayama at 6:30 am and weren’t due to get to Mashiko until 5:00 pm! We took a bus that went through amazing scenery and the skinniest roads we’ve ever seen.

When we arrived at Shinjuku station in Tokyo, we had no idea what a special stop we were at.

We met up with Minori and had a Chinese lunch at a department store.

We made a stop on one of the legs to visit my mom’s aunt who lives alone near one of the stations. Although we didn’t have pictures, it was nice for Rob to meet another member of the family.

Kanchan came with us to the next stop, where we all took photos. Mama joked that people would think they were celebrities with all of the flashes popping.

One of the most common sights we’ve seen in our travels – people getting some sleep on the trains.

It's a good thing Minori came with us - she kept checking train schedules on the train and kept track of our complicated journey. For one transfer, she told us calmly we had three minutes to get to the next train. We had to run to catch it, but we did it! We had to transfer one more time before getting to the last train – a one car train that acted more like a bus than a train.

My mom, Minori and I took the opportunity to catch up and have a laugh.

When we arrived in Mashiko, Miyuki and her husband, Kinta, picked us up. We went to their house, where their son Souichi took us for a tour. There was a cool catwalk on the second floor that led to Souichi’s art room.

Souichi shared one of his art pieces.

Souichi has a younger sister as well, Hiyori. I hadn’t seen Miyuki since her wedding, so it was so much fun to meet her kids as well as get a chance to eat some of her delicious cooking. The whole family was entertainment personified, between the crying, laughing, and clowing around.

All in all, a wonderful start to our short time in Mashiko.

Next – exploring Mashiko with two insiders.

Day 16 - Happy Birthday Rob!

2007-06-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

Rob and I woke up this morning and talked for a bit before I remembered – Happy Birthday Rob! Since we’ve been together, Rob has spent his birthday in Big Sur, Bryce National Park, Florence, Falling Water, and now Takayama. Lucky guy!

Kanchan was our guide today, and she had one tourist destination planned and a whole bunch of non-tourist things as well. We first went to go pick up some extra suitcases she has… because we already had a ton of shopping that we were going to send ahead to the airport. That’s one of the great conveniences of Japan – there are delivery services that will ship your luggage anywhere for a very reasonable fee – I think they sent our suitcases for about $15 each. We took a group photo commemorating the view.

Our first stop was Hida no Sato, an outdoor folk museum made up of traditional houses that were relocated to the sight. It was a great chance to see the houses inside and out. As we parked, Rob saw a huge maneki neko and had to take a photo.

The views in the village were beautiful.

There were fires set up in the houses that added to the atmosphere.

They had two gassho zukuri houses like we saw in Shirakawago.

One had a loom set up inside – I want one!

There were many other types of houses, as well as a proud swan who kept swimming by us and showing off.

After the folk village, Kanchan took us to that most unique of tourist destinations – the supermarket. Her supermarket had rooftop parking with a spectacular view.

The market sold everything from beer…

…to kimonos, and everything in between.

We separated and met in 45 minutes - I was especially taken with their fabric section and spent my entire time there. Afterwards, we said to each other, “They had a bookstore? They had a bakery? They had lingerie?” It was really quite fun!

As usual, we stopped for lunch, and Rob was thrilled with the seating arrangement.

Mainly because he finally had a place to put his legs.

Kanchan ordered the lunch set for us, and it was another generously sized meal.

Afterwards, we visited Kouichisan at his work, a furniture manufacturer called Hida Sangyo. They build all types of furniture, and they recently showed at ICFF in New York and won the Craftsmanship prize. As we toured the showroom, we were all impressed by the level of design and finishing of the furniture. One of Kouichisan’s co-workers, a young woman named Mayu, helped with the translation. She had spent one year as an exchange student in Minnesota and her English was far better than my Japanese. She was also an excellent guide and was very knowledgeable about the furniture, mainly because she was required to work in the factory before starting her job in the business section of the office. We took a group photo in one of the showrooms.

Rob and Huay took many photos of their work, including their best-selling chair, and the furniture line that was presented at ICFF.

The factory tour was a highlight for Rob and Huay, because they both wanted to see how manufacturing methods differed from the States. It sounds boring, but even I found it very interesting.

For dinner, Kanchan bought a spread of sushi that was so delicious and beautiful. She told us that it was Kouichisan’s birthday a week ago, and she had forgotten to celebrate it, so we were having a joint party.

We ever had my favorite – ikura (salmon roe). I confessed to everyone that I used to steal ikura from the refrigerator late at night as a child and eat them one by one – yum!

It’s not a birthday without some cake!

We ended the night by taking a photo of the birthday boys.

Next – visiting more family, via car, bus, train, train, train, and short train.

Day 15 - Kouichisan's Takayama Fun Facts

2007-06-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

We have been extremely fortunate when it came to weather on our trip. Our second full day in Takayama started out as beautifully as the first. Today, our guide was Kouichisan, Kanchan's husband who is a life long Takayama resident and whose family has lived in the area for generations. His pride in his city was evident with every step of our day, and it was so rewarding to experience the city with him. He also told us tidbits of information throughout the day that we found both fascinating and amusing.

Fun Fact #1
Did you know that Takayama was the last place in Japan that had Coca Cola advertisements? This either shows that Takayama is such a remote place that Coke had no idea it existed, or that the locals couldn't be bothered to post up the ads.

He started our day by walking us to the Asa-ichi, or Morning Market. The morning market is open daily along the river.

The part of the river on the left is a "sakana machi" - fish street (or fish ladder) that is for the fish who swim upstream.

The morning market was a great place to see everyone - locals and tourists alike - shopping and enjoying the morning air. You can buy food, handmade items, flowers, souvenirs, anything you can think of.

Along the way, we stopped by a candy store whose owner has a unique collection on his second floor. He collects "fukusuke" or happy gods. The owner thought he had about 1000 in his collection, and that it was a unique collection in Japan. It was so fun to see all of the different types of fukusuke he had.

Definitely an advantage to touring with a native - getting to see places we wouldn't have access to otherwise.

Fun Fact #2
Did you know that Takayama dango (grilled mochi rice balls) are different from the rest of Japan in that they are salty instead of sweet?

Salty or sweet, I loves them!

Next, we toured an area that is know for their old buildings. This area is one of the main tourist attractions in Takayama, but it's still fun to walk and see the different buildings. The fun facts came fast and furious in this area.

Fun Fact #3
These streets don't have electrical wires running through them to keep the illusion of living in the past alive.

Fun Fact #4
There are small streams running along each side of the street. These aren't for sewage, they are for fire fighting, since fire was a constant danger in Takayama.

Fun Fact #5
Did you know that Takayama has a large number of doctors in the city? Kouchisan says this is because Takayama has so many sake breweries in the city, and therefore there is more need for doctors!

There are many cute stores along the area - one of them featured the image the Japanese see in the moon. A rabbit making mochi! (really, once you see the rabbit in the moon, you can't see anything else)

I love all of the maneki nekos (happy cats) in Japan.

Fun Fact #6
Outside of the sake stores, there were these large balls. These balls are made of pine needles, and every year, when the sake is ready, the owner puts in green pine needles in the ball. It's easy for everyone to see when the sake is ready, and the longer the brewery has been around, the bigger the ball gets.

Another thing Takayama is famous for is its twice yearly festival featuring amazing floats. Each area in Takayama has its own float, and there are tall buildings that store them throughout the city.

We crossed the river, which was beautiful with green trees.

Fun Fact #7
The hill behind us is where the Takayama Castle used to be, until the Tokugawa shogunate came to town and forced the local warlord to tear it down.

We continued our tour by visiting the second morning market, where we bought more souvenirs.

The next place we visited was the Takayama Jinya, or governmental offices. These offices were used until 1969, when a modern building was built. It was great to see a building that wasn't a temple or a castle, it was more functional and yet still beautiful.

Fun Fact #8
These rabbits were used to cover the nail heads in the doorways. Aren't they cute?

Of course, it's not a Japanese tourist site without a funny sign.

And it's not a fun Japanese tourist site without a torture room!

Rob was enamored with all of the roofs of the warehouse area. There were shingles all around ready to replace ones that were blown off.

And it's not a super fun Japanese tourist site without people in costume!

We met up with Kanchan for a "small" lunch, which turned out to be a super huge lunch. But it was so delicious we all ate quickly.

Fun Fact #9
My favorite fun fact! Did you know that it takes longer to get from Takayama to Tokyo than anywhere else in Japan? That's because Takayama doesn't have an airport. Takayama is often called "Japan's Tibet". Well, after a moment, Kouchisan did say that there is one plane that flies from Takayama to Tokyo, but it's the "spinach plane" because it delivers spinach daily from a spinach farm to Tokyo. So it doesn't count because it doesn't deliver people!

After lunch, we stopped by the store where Kanchan works on the weekends. It's a super cute store full of pottery, furniture and other small items. Kanchan chooses much of the pottery that is sold in the store, and we bought lots for gifts and ourselves.

Kanchan has an old Singer sewing machine set up for the slower times of the day. I wish I had this for myself!

Not only does she make small sewn items for the shop, she makes these sweet plant holders made of leather.

We still had a few sights left on our itinerary, including an old merchant's house.

This house is especially dear for Kouichisan because he lived in it from age 4 to 18, and then again after Kanchan and he got married. His father was the manager for the owner of the house.

Fun Fact #10
This house was almost bought by a Rockerfeller and transported to New York to be reassembled on one of their properties in the 1960s. There was such an uproar the sale was stopped and the preservation movement begain in Takayama.

Another reason this house has sentimental value is that when my family visited Japan when I was four, Kanchan and Kouichisan threw a big party in this house for us. I remember the night vividly because we had sparklers and the smoke made me faint, and I woke up in a futon in the main room. Everyone was clapping and singing songs, where I joined in the clapping. Everyone saw me and laughed, and I was so confused why people were laughing! Good times.

I think we're pretty close to the place I was sleeping.

Our final tourist stop was a museum where they display four of the floats for the Takayama festival. They are so beautiful and amazing. There was a video that showed the festival and floats in action.

Our favorite float had three puppets on the top that did acrobatics.

We rewarded ourselves with another trip to an onsen. This onsen was in the middle of nowhere, and I'm sure it's not a place where tourists ever visit. The claim to fame for this onsen was its special spring water, which comes out of the ground clear but becomes brown within 24 hours. It was invigorating and relaxing at the same time.

Kanchan cooked another feast for dinner and we were stuffed.

Riki waited patiently (well, if you count whining incessantly being patient) to get her nightly ear massage from Huay.

Next - even a visit to a factory is fun with family!

Day 14 - We see unique architecture and Rob gets his words mixed up

2007-06-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is my last post while we're still in Japan. Hopefully, I'll get the other ones up in the next few days. I put up four posts one after the other, so scroll down if you've missed any. But the Japan posts won't end with the end of our trip - I've bought lots of stuff and I'll be posting my purchases and store recommendations throughout the month of June. Enjoy!

The weather in Japan can be unpredictable, so Kanchan recommended that we go to the sights we really wanted to see first while the forecast was good. We all wanted to go to Shirakawago, a town famous for its gasshozukuri architecture, or peak roofed houses. It was a two hour drive, and beautiful the entire time.

There was a concrete bridge leading from the tourist center to the main part of the town, which was along a picturesque river.

Like our headgear? Kanchan said the sun was so bright up in the mountains that we’d need protection. She gave us some towels she had in the trunk of her car.

Shirakawago is an unique place because people still live in the houses. Even though there are many tourists and lots of souvenirs to buy, it’s interesting to see laundry hanging outside the houses or people tending their gardens. You have to ask the owner’s permission to enter a house, so we contented ourselves with looking from the outside.

Rob has been trying his hardest to conquer a few Japanese words, but today he mangled them up so much it provided much humor for my family. The main word Rob was having trouble with was “kirei” or pretty. He came up to me at one point and said to me sweetly, “Kirai”. Well, kirai means hate! You bet I told everyone about that for days.

As we took these photos of the three girls, Rob said “kyodai” which means siblings.

My aunt told me I should be insulted until Rob explained he meant to say “pretty”. Argh!

The entire town was one picture postcard photo after another.

Rob became the expert at setting the timer for group photos.

We drove up a mountain to an amazing view of the town. As we looked at the view, Rob sighed, “Karai”. Rob, that means spicy!

We headed back into town for lunch, where I tried to decipher the menu for Huay.

Once again, we had a delicious meal that featured sansai, or mountain vegetables. Huay and I ate our meal slowly to savour all of the new flavors.

Afterwards, we walked, literally next door, to an onsen with a rotemburo, or outdoor bath. It was very new, clean, and empty. We had a wonderful time soaking and seeing the view. Afterwards, Huay and I tried the massage chairs, which really just made Huay tickle.

We drove home relaxed and drowsy. We got home to Kanchan and Kouichisan’s loveable dog, Riki. She was always so excited to see us!

Mama had requested tempura, which Kanchan said she couldn’t make very good, so we walked into the heart of Takayama for another amazing meal.

The first dish they brought out? Bees! We all tried it, but Rob was the one who really liked it.

The meal featured Takayama specialties, such as sansai tempura, Hida beef with miso (which Huay and I talked about for days), and a freshwater eel bowl for Rob.

Rob was able to take a photo of all of us outside the restaurant using his patented “set the timer and run” technique.

Such a lovely day filled with laughter (albeit at mostly Rob’s expense) and family bonding. All of us enjoyed seeing Shirakawago and the beauty of the Japan Alps.

Next – we get a wonderful tour of Takayama from a proud native, Kouichisan.

Day 13 - Getting to know each other, Takayama style

2007-05-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

We were loath to leave our idyllic island retreat, but I was looking forward to the next leg of the trip – family time!

The hotel had nightshirts just like the ones we had in Tokyo.

Another reason that we didn’t mind leaving Naoshima was that the morning was wet and grey. Naoshima is definitely best when the weather is nice.

Unki also thought that the Oval was the best of the four accommodations the hotel had.

We departed and got one last shot in our funny conveyance.

Even as we left on the ferry, there were still more art pieces we hadn’t discovered.

We had a long trip to Takayama, so we got bentos at one of the stops to eat on the train.

The train ride from Nagoya to Takayama was incredibly beautiful, but the rain and speed of the train made it hard to take photos.

Kanchan, Mama’s younger sister, picked us up from the train station. I hadn’t been to Takayama since I was 4, and she kept asking me if I remembered their house. To be honest, the only part I remembered was their toilet room! She prepared a delicious dinner for us, featuring foods that Mama likes.

There were cute pictures drawn by my cousin’s son Souichi, who we’d see in a few days.

Of course, no welcome dinner would be complete without a bottle of sake. Kanchan had saved this sake from a trip to a brewery in Kyoto earlier in the year.

Kouichisan, Kanchan’s husband, kept offering us all more and more sake. The funny thing about drinking sake from the small cups is that you lose count of how much you drink. We all had a great time getting to know each other and laughing our heads off.

We quickly needed another bottle of sake.

Huay became addicted to some sesame dressing and ate it with everything.

Kanchan brought out a Chinese stringed instrument she had “borrowed” from my Uncle Mimichan (of the famous sashimi dinner) and played it for us.

My ears! They burn!

And at the end of a night of drinking? The requisite drunk photos.

Kanchan and Kouichisan are such warm and welcoming people. It was a great introduction to Takayama. Both Huay and Rob were overwhelmed by their generous spirits.

Huay was so overwhelmed she passed out.

Next – traditional architecture and more communal bathing. But this time, I behave myself.

Day 12 - Nourishing the spirit and body

2007-05-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your lovely comments! I've fixed the photos, so if you were wondering why a cat had no head or why Huay was suddenly gone from a group photo, it should all be a-ok. Some people have been asking questions about traveling in Japan, and I've decided to put together a post with links and travel tips to Japan after we get back. We all agree that, although it's helpful to know the language, it's not necessary. A positive attitude and a smile go a long way in Japan!

I woke up the next morning at 5 am to a beautiful sunrise. I did the unthinkable and woke Rob up to share in the view. He was a bit grumpy at first but then appreciated my bad manners.

There are so many moths on Naoshima that we lost count.

When we went down for the morning, we had to wait for our funicular to come back to our station.

We caught a glimpse of the rocks surrounding our night time soak.

We spent the first part of the morning exploring the outdoor art pieces around Benessee House.

Our favorite outdoor art piece was the Pumpkin.

We took a quick detour into the Park portion of the hotel to catch bus into town. More art was to be found where ever you turn.

In the small town was a project called “Art House”. There are four structures that have been remodeled to be pieces of art. We were only allowed to visit three, and only could take photos of one, so here are some shots to give you an idea of what the art was like.

We ate a hearty lunch in town of curry rice and beef with cucumbers.

The next stop was the Chichu Art Museum, where again we weren’t allowed to take photos. I won’t go into detail about the exhibits, but all I can say is its other name should be “Art Amusement Park”. The funny part of the museum was that all of the employees wore these white jumpsuit-ish outfits. That combined with the novel way of viewing the art made it feel like we were in a museum set 100 years in the future. Definitely a unique and wonderful experience.

I decided to get Mama a 90 minute massage at the hotel spa for a late mother’s day gift, and of course I had to go along. This was an indulgence that we will never forget. One of the many things I love about Japan is the level of service you receive. The employees at the spa were the most kind, solicitous people I’ve ever dealt with. On top of the excellent service, there is no tipping in Japan, so we were free to enjoy everything without feeling obligated to tip a certain amount. Sheer heaven! We gushed about it so much Rob and Huay went at the end of the day themselves.

While Mama and I were being pampered, Rob and Huay explored the rest of the outdoor art on the island.

Naoshima was our vacation from our vacation, full of beauty, peace, and relaxation. All of the employees were super friendly and accomdating. They recognized us each day and were very helpful in dealing with all of a questions. Definitely a place we would all recommend.

Next – East, West, Relatives are the best!

Day 11 - Past and Future Japanese Architecture

2007-05-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

We were all sad to leave our little home in Kyoto. We decided to end our stay with a few photos of the different sized doors in the machiya.

This door was Huay-sized.

I could walk through this door.

The only door Rob could fit through was the one to the remodeled bath.

The next leg of the trip was a two day stay in Naoshima. Naoshima is a small island that is famous for being an “art island”. We’ve had several friends go and stay there and we were excited to go. The cab ride to the station was brightened by our driver, who had a Tintin doll on his dashboard.

When Rob told him that he had a Tintin haircut in college, the driver laughed so hard we all were a little startled but completely amused.

We had decided to make a stop at Himeji Castle on our way to Naoshima. Himeji Castle is one of the top castles in Japan. It’s unique because Himeji was a fortified castle and built more for protection rather than luxury.

A black swan greeted us.

Himeji is known as the “White Heron Castle” because the roofs look like birds in flight.

As usual, some of the signs were amusing.

Huay and Rob walked to the top of the castle to enjoy the view while Mama and I rested.

We had to take a series of trains until we got to Uno Port, where we took a 20 minute ferry to the island.

There are two choices of accommodations in Naoshima. One is a campground of Mongolian tents, or yurts. The other is staying at the hotel/museum designed by Tadao Ando. I used the excuse that Mama couldn’t sleep in a yurt to convince everyone to stay at the hotel.

At the dock, the hotel bus picked us up to take us across the island. We began to see the art dotted around.

The hotel has four different parts – Park, Beach, Museum, and Oval. I wanted to stay in the Oval because…

…we had to take a funicular to get to our rooms!

The Oval is the most amazing place we’ve ever stayed at. There are only six rooms and one bar. In each room was art either designed for the space or actually painted in the room. The architect, Tadao Ando, said the design for the Oval will never be complete until it is taken over by the foliage and becomes a relict in the wilderness.

The view from the top of the Oval was amazing and we took the opportunity for a group shot.

If you’re staying in a place like this, you have to take a bunch of photos.

I made a reservation that night to use a Jacuzzi not far from our room that is part of a larger art piece called the “Cultural Meeting Place”. We took a photo of our matching bathrobes.

And to top it off, we asked a nice couple to take our photo in the funicular on the way home.

Next - is it bad to be surrounded by beauty all day?

Day 10 - The one where Mari runs off and joins a cult

2007-05-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the three posts at once - internet access is far and few between on this leg of the trip. I hope you scroll down and see all of our days in Kyoto. I:m hoping everything is working on the blog - I`m typing on a Japanese keyboard and all of the blogger instructions are in Japanese!

I’ve been slightly obsessed with seeing the Miho Museum for a couple of years. It’s a museum in the mountains near Kyoto that a woman and her daughter commissioned I.M. Pei to build. The crazy part is that the woman is a billionaire and she started a philosophy encouraging everyone to surround themselves with beauty. I’ve also heard this group called the “cult of beauty”. How could I not go when we are so close? Rob and Mama came along, but Huay decided that she wanted some more time in Kyoto. She was missed but she had a great time on her own. Here are a few of her shots from her morning.

We had to take a train then a bus to the museum. The ride was fascinating – rice paddies, bamboo forests, and mountains. There was also a crazy bridge being built.

Once we reached the museum, we had the option of taking a golf cart to the actual museum or to walk it.

We decided to walk it because the driver looked like a Cylon. Our fears of android domination grew when we saw the path we were to walk.

Rob coincidentally wore his Battlestar Galactica t-shirt (cylons are called toasters on the show) and he took a photo in the futuristic tunnel.

Being in the tunnel was beautiful and weird. When the golf cart drove back, the scene was right out of the scifi books I love to read.

Hey Mari! Is that an Amy Butler Barcelona skirt I see?

Why yes, it is! I made it right before the trip – I’ll blog about the pattern when I get back.

When you enter the museum, there is an expansive view of the temple and bell tower.

We weren’t allowed to take any photos of the artwork, but we were pleasantly surprised by the exhibits. The artwork was perfectly displayed and the attention to detail was amazing. We went to kind of see how crazy the museum was and left half-convinced in this way of life. We all strive to have beauty in our lives; what’s wrong with actually saying it aloud?

We had sweets and tea in the cafÈ. Rob had a green tea Bavarian cream cake and Mama and I had Japanese tea and a mochi anko sweet.

We ate a quick lunch at the station – a tonkatsu (port cutlet) restaurant. It was so tasty Mama and I kept talking about it for days.

When I asked Huay if she wanted to come to Japan with us, she had one request – that we visit Katsura Villa. This is 300 year old imperial residence that she studied in school that had a huge impact on modern architecture in the 40s and 50s. We were able to get reservations the day before, which was very lucky.

Katsura was very interesting, the whole garden and series of tea houses were built to give different views wherever you were. The prince who owned the villa usually entertained at night, so the relationship between the moon and grounds were meticulously planned. Again, Rob and Huay took some amazing photos.

After Katsura, we went our separate ways. I had a very important mission on my hands. Blossom emailed me about a store she thought would be fun to visit called Linnet in Kyoto. By this time, it was 5:15 and the store closed at 6 pm. I rushed over to the store and the sign said “closed”. Oh no! But I saw someone inside and asked if they were opened. She said yes, and I explained that the sign said closed. She changed the sign quickly and I browsed the store. This is one of those small jewel boxes of a store that you can spend all day looking at the beautiful things. They specialize in linen fabric and yarn, but they also had trim, buttons, shoes, patterns, kits, books, etc. When I tried to ask a question in my broken Japanese, the woman asked me if I spoke English. To my relief, her English was so much better than my Japanese. She was Mayumi Maeda, and she owned the store along with her husband. They make their own linen fabric and yarn and sell it online, and the store is at the front of their workspace. We talked for a good half an hour and she recommended some fabric to make a dress out of. I’m going to take photos of my purchases and talk a bit more about the store in another post, but I have to just say what an amazingly kind woman Mayumi is. It was one of my highlights of our stay in Kyoto, talking with someone who appreciates craft and likes to laugh as well! Their fabric is AMAZING and is of so much better quality than I’ve ever seen back at home. It was an inspiration to be in their store.

Rob and Huay spent their time buying pastries for our breakfast the next morning. Rob also took a picture of one of our favorite posters in Japan – it says, “We won’t forgive perverts!” meaning the men who feel women up in the crowded trains. A couple of girls saw Rob taking the photo and gave him strange looks.

Next – how can we top staying in our own machiya in Kyoto? You’ll find out!

Day 9 - Keeping up with the drums

2007-05-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Even in Kyoto, people can’t keep their eyes open on the subway.

We were so happy with our foursome picture the day before, we decided to make more of an effort to take them.

Once a month, on the 21st, there is a flea market at Toji Temple. We were so happy that our visit coincided with this event.

The most amazing part was all the vendors who were selling used kimonos. Huay and I each bought one for six dollars.

We had a snack of takoyaki – fried octopus balls. Yum yum!

Our big event for the day was visiting Saihoji temple, or the Moss temple. I wrote in about 2 months in advance requesting permission to enter. We made it to the temple at our appointed time.

We had to take off our shoes before entering the temple.

The cost was $25.00 per person, and we had to write sutras beforehand. We weren’t allowed to take photos of this part, but it consisted of us tracing a sutra with brushes. At one point, we chanted the sutra three times. The priests kept beat with a drum. I tried my hardest to keep up but my Japanese reading is a little rusty. My mom told me later that they read the chant super fast so I didn’t feel so bad.

The Moss Temple was amazing. The best part was that everyone was spread apart so you felt you could take your time and really enjoy the garden. The garden was just as much about the details as the overall impression. Here are many great photos that Rob and Huay took.

When we took the bus back into town, Rob saw a video game that had you do taiko drumming. Of course we couldn’t resist and drew quite the crowd while we battled it out.

We had dinner at Omen, an udon restaurant that is famous for its udon and miso eggplant.

I pretended to sleep while at the restaurant – a homage to my Aunt Kanchan, who laid down because she wasn’t feeling well at a dinner my mom had with her siblings while we were in Tokyo.

We couldn’t keep from laughing!

Finally, I had a hard time sleeping with the pillow the machiya provided us, so I improvised and used an extra blanket. It was super comfy.

Next – is a cult of beauty a bad thing?

Day 8 - Animals, seen and unseen

2007-05-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

I`m posting from a crazy internet station on an island and some of my photos are being cut off - I`ll fix it when I can. In the meantime, please fill in the blanks!

A highlight on any trip to Japan is a visit to Kyoto. It’s a crazy contrast of modern and traditional, trying to live side by side. Around every corner is a reminder of the past and the convenience of the present. I think our machiya is a prime example of this.

This house looks like it could have existed 100 years ago except for that air conditioner.

I was in Kyoto about 6 years ago but my mom hadn’t been in 40 years. We both thought a great place to start would be Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion.

Just like in Kamakura, there were plenty of school groups on their trips.

Ginkakuji is a counterpoint to its sibling, Kinkakuji, the Gold pavilion. Kinkakuji is totally covered in gold, but Ginkakuji is more modest and, we think, more beautiful.

The gardens were beautiful as well – this represents the ocean waves and Mt. Fuji.

The garden has an upper path where you can see a great view of the area.

The maple seeds were so pretty!

One of our rare photos as a group, not in costume.

We decided we needed an ice cream break before heading to the Philosopher’s Walk.

The Philosopher’s Walk is about 1.5 kilometers from Ginkakuji to many temples. There are some cute stores along the way, including this one featuring cats.

The contrast between modern and traditional can sometimes be comical.

The path is peaceful and beautiful.

We stopped by a temple… whose name escapes me! There was an interesting aqueduct…

…with Huay, Mari, and Rob sized arches.

We decided to go to a sight that the Lonely Planet guidebook recommended, a shrine next to a waterfall. Along the way, we passed a sign that said, “Use Caution! Wild Boars!” Rob did his best imitation of a wild boar, or “inoshishi” in Japanese.

Huay saw a stick broom and decided to be Harry Potter.

Unfortunately, the waterfall was dry but the shrine was still beautiful.

Rob decided to try to take photos of these women in their kimonos – I was worried they’d think he was a stalker.

We stopped for lunch at a local eatery – Huay had Japanese style hamburger with a fried egg on top.

After lunch, we caught a bus that became incredibly crowded. The bus driver kept asked people to move together and we did. I can’t believe how many people fit on the bus.

Our last stop was Fushimi Inari, which is famous for its rows of Torii gates. In the parking lot, Rob spotted a car that everyone in his family would love to own.

Walking up to the Torii gates, we passed a Shinto priest who walked like he knew who was in charge – very impressive!

The Torii gates were so beautiful and overwhelming. They go on for about 4 kilometers and we barely covered a quarter of them.

My mom spotted this sign at a shrine along the way. It says (roughly), “Please put out your candles before you leave. A crow stole a lit candle and dropped it and caused a forest fire.” Those darn crows!

A little cat made me homesick for Maggie and Unki.

At the exit, there was a shrine specifically for people who were asking to pass their school entrance exams. There were boards with their prayers on them, along with garlands of origami cranes.

My final animal story – a man was walking his Welsh Corgi dog while we were waiting to cross the street. Huay was just commenting on how well behaved the dog was when the dog walked around Mama and his leash got caught around her legs! She didn’t fall but laughed at her near miss.

We ended our day by having a bento dinner together in our machiya.

Next – kimono shopping, prayer chanting, and taiko drumming – all in one day!

Day 7 - Time on your hands? Go shopping!

2007-05-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Rob and I woke up at 4:30 am and snuck down to the men’s bath for a nice morning sock

The light streaming into our room in the morning was too beautiful for words.

Breakfast was also served in our room, consisting of broiled fish, chawanmushi, miso soup, rice, kamaboko, salad, ham, and a lemon dessert.

Unki got a little confused, he wore on his head AND on his private parts.

We checked out of the ryokan and were so content with our experience. There are newer, cleaner, shinier ryokans out there, but the price and food of Kansuiro can’t be beat!

Today we were traveling by bullet train to Kyoto. We had some time before our train, so what did we do? Shop! We went to the 100 yen store and our favorite store, Muji.

We got some bentos for our train trip. Look at mine!

I think it might have been a kid’s bento, but I don’t care!

We got to Kyoto station in about 2 hours, and there was this bakery with a display of plastic cakes that everyone stopped to ooh and aww over. Rob managed to take a picture of a real cake.

Or is it fake? One never knows.

In Kyoto, I was researching reasonable accommodations when I came across Iori Machiya, which rent traditional Japanese houses called machiya. I thought it would be fun to stay at one, so we made the reservation. We had to prepay and send a wire transfer, so I was hoping that the trouble would be worth it.

We are SO happy we are staying here. It was a little tricky finding the Iori office, but one of the employees, Yuji, walked us to our machiya and showed us around. It’s a two story building that has been wonderfully restored and incredibly comfortable.

Upstairs sleeping area.

A couch! The first of the trip.

Downstairs sleeping area in the tea room.

Downstairs living area.

View to our little garden.

A Japanese soaking tub.

Our little kitchen.

It’s so nice to be in a space where we all can interact and live together, versus separate hotel rooms.

Next – a day that features animals for some strange reason.

Day 6 - How much food is too much food?

2007-05-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Part of the ryokan experience is getting dinner served to you in your room after you’ve had a good soak. I was already water drunk by the time we were waiting for dinner.

So Huay and I spun around the rooms.

The meal that came afterwards was so beautifully prepared and amazing, we thought it deserved its own entry. You can see by the following photos what care and detail went into each dish.

The opening platter.

Tofu skin with abalone.

A Japanese vegetable with daikon-wrapped salmon.

Freshwater sushi, pork, baby daikon, and shrimp and lima bean sushi.

Tuna, whitefish, and scallop sashimi.

Soup with crab kamaboko and river vegetables.

Ummm… can’t remember what this dish was but it was delicious!

Something that wasn’t on the menu but was crazy delicious – a crab and potato gratin.

What’s in the package?

Fish cooked in parchment paper.

Steamed items – fish, daikon and Chinese peas.

Tempura – so yummy!

Miso soup.

Dessert – the most succulent mango and watermelon.

After one more dip in the bath, I feel asleep quickly.

An incredible experience! We enjoyed it thoroughly.

Next – a travel day but still fun!

Day 6 - Did I hear someone call their swami stupid?

2007-05-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

The next stop on our long journey was to take a bus to board a pirate ship… the Victory!

There were many more foreign tourists on this boat than we had seen on the whole trip. But who wouldn’t want to sail on a pirate ship, right? The ride was also very windy. Here are some photos that illustrate the journey.

The funniest line of the trip occurred while we were at one of the stops. There was a group of older Indian tourists traveling together, and as I went to the restroom, I heard a woman exclaim, “The swami left the boat! He is SO stupid!” and she ran off to get him. Good times!

We had a lunch of soba and udon at a local eatery, where an old lady with a bad wig served us tea. She reminded me of Sofia from Golden Girls, and really wanted to watch TV. But the food was good and the mountain vegetables in the soup were delicious.

Rob was still hungry, so he stopped by another shop he had seen earlier.

Bratwurst in Japan! Rob said it was very tasty.

We took another bus to an ancient teahouse down the road. It is famous for serving Amasake, a sweet rice wine that was perfect after our journey.

We got back to the ryokan, where we checked in and got our room. It was much bigger than we had thought and it was like being in a treehouse. The ryokan, Kansuiro, was like a rabbit warren, pieces being added on over the years. It’s not in the best condition, but it had character and was still very comfortable.

One of the things we had been looking forward to was soaking in the hot springs. We took quite a journey getting to the outdoor baths, which were right next to a river.

There are strict rules while using a communal bath. In a Japan bath, you wash yourself outside of the bath and enter the tub nice and clean. You also have a “privacy towel”, which you use to scrub yourself down and cover your private parts while walking around. However, the privacy towel cannot touch the bathwater, so most people put them on their heads.

The women were separated by the men, and I went to go visit Rob in the men’s bath. It was much bigger and nicer than the women’s bath (all of the men’s facilities were nicer and bigger in the ryokan, by the way). Rob was by himself so I got into the bath. I was in there maybe a minute and a man (we called him “skinny guy”) walked in. In horror, I jumped out of the bath but left my privacy towel on my head! I quickly changed while skinny guy politely turned around. Poor skinny guy – he must have been mortified.

And to top it off, Huay accidentally took a photo of skinny guy over the wall.

Before dinner, we took a photo of us in our yukatas.

Next, a meal that was beautifully made and enjoyed by all.

Day 6 - Experiencing nature, Japanese style

2007-05-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

On our trip, we’ve had internet access in bits and pieces. We’ll have access for the next few days, but after that, we won’t have any until the end of the trip. So I work furiously to make sure that I’m as up to date as possible.

The original Unki has tagged along for this trip too. He enjoyed the bed as much as we did.

Before we left Tokyo, Rob wanted to make sure to take a picture of his favorite part of the hotel room.

Our plan today was to go Hakone, a region famous for its beauty and hot springs. We all wanted to stay in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, but most were incredibly expensive. In the end, we decided on Kansuiro, an older ryokan with manageable prices.

To get to Hakone, we took the 7:30 am “Romance Car”, which was mainly filled with businessmen commuters. The ride was smooth and fast. When the commuters got off the train, we spread out so we could each have a window seat.

Viewing the landscape from the train gives such different perpective to our trip.

We also got our only view of Mt. Fuji from the train, it became too overcast to see it later on.

This woman made her poodle wave to us while we were waiting at a station.

After our train and taking the bus to the ryokan, we dropped off our bags and used the restroom. They were incredibly accommodating and arrange our shoes for us when we left.

The rooftop of our ryokan.

One of the ryokan employees directed us to the nearest train station and stopped traffic so we could cross the street. We took a staircase that gave us beautiful views.

There are a series of transportation methods to get around Hakone called the “Hakone circuit”. They include a small train, a funicular, cable car, bus and boat.

Here’s the small train – it made a series of switchbacks as we climbed the mountain. More beautiful views were seen from the train.

After the funicular, we went on the cable car. Part of the way was being repaired and would open in 14 days.

Which is what this photo board told us.

I had no idea how big the cable car would be, but they were a comfortable size that held about 15 people.

Towards the end of the cable car ride, we could see that we would be going over a summit. We were all silent until we saw the view on the other side, which was the caldera of a volcano.

We oohed and aawed until we realized that it was incredibly windy and our murmurs of delight turned into screams of terror. Well, not exactly terror but both Rob and Huay caught the moment on video.

What the heck!?!?!? Is this safe?

You know, I love Japan so much and they make such an effort to make sure tourists are taken care of, but sometimes the translations are just… hilarious!

We took a hike up the caldera with many other tourists. Even though the guidebook warned us not to linger too long, as “the gas from the vents is poisonous.” Thanks for the info!

But everyone was really there to eat something.

What’s in the bag?

Black eggs! They are boiled in the steaming volcanic water. They were actually very tasty.

Next – continuing our circuit on water and land.

Day 5 - The kindness of strangers

2007-05-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

We were a little at a loss for what to do for our last day in Tokyo, because it was supposed to rain. Mama had already decided to visit her family’s plot at the cemetery and meet with a friend for lunch. I told Rob and Huay that I wanted to go to Yuzawaya, my grandmother’s favorite craft store, and they could tag along or go on their own. They decided to come along.

The store was on the outskirts of Tokyo, so we had some train (mis)adventures along the way. Rob is constantly amused by how many people are able to sleep on the train. As Rob surreptitiously took this photo, the old man next to him caught a glance at the screen and gave a little smile.

The graphics they use on the train for the priority seating are fun!

We went to Kichijoji, where the rain was pouring down but Yuzawaya was in the station – no need to get wet! Rob explored while I shopped to my heart’s content. The floor we entered on had lingerie and toys (!) but one floor up, I saw a display of Liberty fabrics. I turned to Huay and said, “I’ll meet you in a half an hour!”

The gentleman who cut my fabric was incredibly nice. Although our conversation took place all in Japanese, he managed to ask me if I had a frequent buyer card, if I would like one, where I was from, when I was going home, where we were going next, that Liberty fabric was cheaper in Japan because they are allowed to make it there (he said this with quite a bit of pride), and wished me an enjoyable trip. I felt so happy to be able to communicate in Japanese – mine is so rusty that when people understand me it’s quite the thrill.

Outside the store with my purchases – don’t I look happy?

After my shopping excursion, we went to a neighborhood called Sendagi, which is near Ueno Park. Sendagi is part of a larger area that wasn’t destroyed during the war, so the scale is much smaller than the rest of Tokyo.

A beautiful house.

Anpanman is everywhere!

At this point, it was close to 2 pm, and I was fading fast. I think Mama and Huay have learned what a delicate flower I am and that I need to be fed on a regular basis or else I become a little testy. We chose a little café that had a British feel to it.

And what did we have to eat?

Huay had healthy curry.

Rob had hashed beef (more like a beef stew).

I had cheesecake and coffee! The lunch of champions!

The two women who were working at the café were incredibly nice. When I was paying the bill, they asked if we were visiting Tokyo and where we were from. They had some beautiful maps of the area for sale, and when I asked to buy one, they gave us two as presents. As we were walking outside, one of the women asked us we had visited the museum nearby. We hadn’t, and she encouraged us to do so. “It is very beautiful”, she said. But it was also closing in 45 minutes, so she told us to hurry.

The museum was the house and studio of Asakura Fumio, a very famous Japanese sculptor.

Rob and Huay were hesitant to go in, but I bullied them into it. They were both very happy that I did. I wasn’t familiar with his work, but the outdoor statues were reminiscent of Rodin, but with Asian faces. We weren’t allowed to take any photos of the house… so I can’t show you what was in the first room. Statues of cats! They were really beautiful and whimsical.

Half of the house was Japanese style and the other half was 30s moderne. On top of the moderne portion, there was a roof garden where Huay snuck a couple of photos.

A view into the courtyard garden below.

A view of the area.

The one problem Rob had was that we had to wear slippers in the museum. Rob’s were too small.

And Huay’s were too big!

We stayed until the last minute, and we all enjoyed the museum immensely. How did the women at the café know we were into art, architecture, and cats?

As we walked back to the train station, we came across a temple and a cemetery.

We met Mama back at the hotel and we went to go eat at a “family restaurant”. A family restaurant usually has a large photo menu, great food, and very reasonable prices. What does Huay think of that?

After our lovely meal, we took the Yurikamome – a monorail that left from our station – to Odaiba, a manmade island with stores and an amusement park.

Crazy Fuji TV building – Rob said it looked like it was made specifically to be in Godzilla movies so he could destroy it.

Not only are there stores, there is also this familiar landmark.

Those French better stop giving out the same gifts to everyone!

The view of Tokyo was very beautiful at night.

Rob was very happy to find a Snoopy Town store in one of the malls. He was even happier to find this guy for sale.

Did you know Snoopy had a brother named Olaf? That he liked to eat and he was fat? (That was the description on the label!)

We walked a little more and found that Ashes and Snow, an art exhibit that we saw in Santa Monica was on the island as well.

Sometimes the world feels very small, doesn’t it?

Today turned out to be so nice, mainly because we had such wonderful service, great recommendations, and hospitality from all the Japanese people we met.

To end our leg in Tokyo, we had to take a certain photo. The hotel also provided nightshirts, which we used every night. Does one size fit all?

Luckily, no one ran into us in the hallway as we took the photo. :)

Next - too many sights, sounds, and food for one post.

Day 4 - Everyone loves Rob!

2007-05-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

We ventured on our first trip outside of Tokyo to Kamakura. Kamakura was once the capital of Japan (but so were a million other cities) that is famous for its temples and small scale. Before we left for the trip, Huay and Rob were so excited when they found out there was a Doughnut Plant right next to our hotel.

This is the place we went to on one of our trips to Manhattan – they have square donuts with jelly round the middle.

Next to the store was an Anpanman store – Anpanman is a Japanese character that is a superhero donut. Rob had to take a photo with the Anpanmanmobile.

We were so lucky to have fantastic weather today. Kamakura has a lovely pedestrian street that leads up to the main Shinto temple. There are cute stores and restaurants and lots of tourists.

A cute maneki neko – we call them “give me money cats”.

Speaking of tourists, most of them were Japanese students on school trips. They traveled together in packs and were very cute.

Rob got so much attention from them – he would walk past and one or two would say “Hello” or “Good afternoon” and would giggle when he responded.

At the main Shinto Shrine, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, there were lots of people but it was very calm.

There were some lovely smaller shrines and views as well.

Traditionally, you wash your hands and cleanse your mouth before entering the shrine. Of course we followed suit.

We then walked to a Zen Buddhist temple, Kenchoji Temple, to compare the difference in architecture. The Shinto shrine was colorful and ornate, while the Zen Buddhist temples had elaborate carvings but were left in their natural wood state.

There was also a lovely Zen garden where we sat and contemplated the meaning of life.

Afterwards, we headed back to the main part of town for lunch. I had seen this cute restaurant that had owls all over it (and no English menu – thank goodness Mama was there!). It turned out to be a perfect place to rest and eat. The second floor was tatami seating and the service and food were perfect.

There was a notebook where other guests had written their thoughts – it seems like many people agreed with us!

Rob saw another Anpanman and had to pose with him.

This is the point where the trip got very interesting. As Rob and I were walking down the street with the throngs of crowds, we were accosted by a camera crew who asked us to do an interview about our trip to Kamakura. They wanted to know what we bought for souvenirs. The interview turned funny when the interviewer (we’ll call him Hiro) asked us if we prayed at the temple. I pointed to Rob (because he did pray) and Hiro asked Rob what he wished for and he said, “Nothing! I was too nervous to make sure I was doing it right.” When Hiro and the translator laughed at him, Rob asked if he could make his wish then. Rob said he wished he and I could stay together forever, which caused Hiro to bow in respect and end the interview.

Our 2 seconds of fame!

Our last stop in Kamakura was the featured tourist sight – the Daibutsu, or Big Buddha.

For an extra 20 cents, we could go in the statue and look at it from the inside.

We saw some monks at the site – do you think we should have compared bags?

After this, the four of us parted ways. Rob went to Yokohama to see some architecture. He said that the attention from the school girls continued. They even yelled "Hello!" to him from across huge boulevards.

Huay went out to dinner with a friend from college who has lived in Tokyo for ten years. They had okonomiyaki, savory pancakes that are cooked at the table.

Mama also went to Yokohama, but to have dinner with her three siblings. My aunt Kanchan drank too much and wasn’t able to enjoy the dinner, but my mom said it was still a very memorable meal (maybe because Kanchan laid down for much of dinner!)

I went back to the hotel, took a nice long bath and relaxed.

The 16th is Huay’s brother’s birthday – Happy Birthday!

Next up – a day that started out rainy but ended up nicer than we could have expected.

Day 3 - Even the rain can't stop us

2007-05-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

We started our day exploring the area where our hotel is, Shiodome. It’s amazing how much area you can get to here without walking outside.

In another building, there were a series of expensive chairs that were part of an exhibit but weren’t fastened down in any way. We thought that in the states, there’s no way they’d last one hour without someone taking them.

We went into a 7-Eleven, Rob wanted to see if there were any items that would be found in an American 7-Eleven. He found just one.

Mama and I thought it would be fun to take a boat down the river to the temple area, Asakusa, we visited the first day. The boat leaves from a garden right next to the hotel, so we made our way over. There was a funny sign regarding the cats in the park.

Why is poops in red?

It was nice to walk around at see the juxtaposition of the garden with the tall buildings around it.

And I found one of the local cats, who was very friendly and clean. But I didn’t feed him!

There were a group of kindergarten students on a field trip who stopped near us a rolled down a hill. Kids are the same everywhere!

We got on our boat, but it started to rain! But it was still fun to go on the seemingly fast boat down the river.

When we got off the boat, it was POURING. There were two workers from the boat selling umbrellas for 300 yen (about $3.00) so we bought them quickly.

Luckily, we found a soba restaurant that had the craziest ordering system – you bought a ticket from a vending machine and then you went to the counter to get your food. I guess it saves mistakes made from miscalculations. We went up to the second floor, ate, and sent the dirty dishes down the dumbwaiter.

We got to the temple and there were plenty of tourists still around.

There were many students on their graduation trips traveling in packs as well.

He’s too cool for school. ☺

We all got our fortunes (except Mama) from the fortune stand next to the temple. I got a great fortune, Rob got a “Bad Fortune Lack”, but Huay got the worst fortune ever!

If you don’t want the bad luck to follow you, you tie your fortune and leave it there.

The rain stopped so we went to go see some architecture and walked the area between Ueno Park and Nippori. Mama went off on her own to go meet a friend for dinner.

A concert hall by a student of Le Corbusier.

A cemetery of vassals of a Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, who killed themselves when he passed away.

Interesting house.

If one bike falls, do the rest go down like dominoes?

I wanted to head to Nippori to see Nippori Textile Town, an area for buying fabric. We only had the strength to see one shop – Tomato.

After going back to the hotel and resting, we went to Ginza and headed to the flagship Muji store, where Huay and I shopped and Rob became bored. Until he saw that they had a full mock-up of one of their pre-fab houses, and I proceeded to try to translate words like “modular” and “panelized construction” to the incredibly nice employee at the display. I made Rob give him one of his business cards, and as we were leaving, the nice young man rushed to his wallet and gave him one of his. Such a nice cultural exchange!

Happy shoppers.

We ended the day by walking down to the main street of Ginza and reveling in the light show of all the buildings.

Day 4 - We see temples and Rob gets so much attention we are interviewed for a TV show!

Day 2 - The best meal EVER!

2007-05-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

It’s funny how much you forget about relatives until you see them again. My Uncle Mimichan is my mother’s youngest brother. Behind his seemingly gruff exterior lies one of the most generous people I know. Over the years, I had forgotten some of his more charming personality traits, including walking incredibly fast (so fast that my mom had to jog to keep up) and knowing trivia about every place we see. For example, while we were rushing around the city, my uncle told us this building was a restaurant where a prime minister died. Good to know!

Seven years ago, my uncle took my mom, my sister Yumi and I to a little sashimi restaurant that I kept claiming “has ruined me for sushi in the States FOREVER!” He was kind enough to take us all back there for one of the most amazing meals of our lives.

My uncle has been going to this restaurant for 30 years. It’s down a little alley right near the fish market and he said this is where the fish buyers go to eat sashimi. It’s definitely not fancy by any means, and feels like someone’s home. The goal is just serving the freshest, most amazing fish you can find. This is not a place where tourists ever go; in fact, most Tokyoites find out about this place by knowing someone who knows someone… we’ve heard that tune before, right?

The walls are covered with paper signs with what fish they have available. Once they run out, they take down the sign. Of course, my uncle being in the know, he ordered things that weren’t even posted up.

Uncle Mimichan wrote down what he thought we’d enjoy – he picked seasonal items that we could never get in the states.

Waiting for the feast to begin.

The closest we got to a picture with Uncle Mimichan.

So Rob and Huay tried to take photos of every dish we got, but sometimes we either started to eat or they just forgot. Add beer and sake to the equation and you just get a bunch of hungry forgetful people. And I can’t remember the name of every fish so I’ll just describe the highlights.

Each plate had about 8 pieces of sashimi, so don’t think we just got 2 or 3 – we would grab and eat before the photos were shot.

This is shimesabe, mackerel pickled in vinegar – one of my favorites!

These were the biggest oysters any of us had every seen – can you see my hands for scale? They were so delicious – tasted of the ocean.

These are fresh sardines – sardines spoil very quickly so it’s rare to eat them as sashimi – so amazingly tasty!

One of the highlights of the meal – monkfish liver, served with a miso-vinegar sauce. Before you think, “Yuck!”, it is an absolute amazing experience to eat. Smooth, buttery, rich, and oh-so-tasty. I had two pieces.

A shellfish that my mom didn’t know the translation for – on the plate were the raw pieces, and in the shell were pieces cooked in broth. Inside, there were two pieces of innards that were a crazy green color.

As I ate my piece, I said it was something you would eat on Survivor. It was bitter, but not totally unpleasant. Rob and Huay finally tried it, because when else would we get a chance to eat something that color that wasn’t a vegetable?

We ended the meal with tempura – eel and two different white fish.

There were some items I know we forgot to take photos of – tuna head, which is the most most most tasty part of the fish, and a hearty soup with burdock root, carrots, mountain potatoes, and fish meatballs. I loved the soup and ate lots of it. We also had two vegetable dishes, lima beans that were the size of a quarter and the freshest bamboo shoots ever.

In the end, there was nothing left to do but unbuckle our belts and moan either in pain or contentment.

Going to the market in the morning and eating the same fish that night was something we that we never thought we’d do. This was a once in a lifetime experience for all of us – eating amazing fish with an amazing host. As Rob said, it was a honor to have such a dinner. Thank you Uncle Mimichan – you rock!

Day 2 - Fish, Sweets, and a Loyal Dog

2007-05-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

After eating our continental breakfast in the hotel, we headed out to the Tsukiji Fish Market. For this trip, our goal was to go to both places that my mom and I have enjoyed and places we had never been. The fish market was a new experience for all of us, and it was definitely an experience!

Really, what this sign is trying to say is “Hey silly tourists! Just stay out of our way and don’t get hurt!”

Walking into the market is a sensory overload. We could smell the fish when we got off the metro.

We had to dodge people, trolleys, and many people driving what Huay called the “beer can trucks”.

Argh! Don’t hit me please!

Along the way, there were so many types of sea life that we couldn’t keep up.

And what’s better than one fish head on the ground?

A whole bunch on a trolley!

Rob felt this guy could jump into a Beastie Boys video with his outfit.

The fish market is definitely an interesting place. Everyone enjoyed seeing the chaos and yet incredible organized system of the fish market, but for myself, it’s a place that I don’t have to go to again – the fear of being run over by one of the beer can trucks will haunt me forever!

After the fish market, we headed over to Shibuya. First we hit a department store food floor. Usually the basement of a department store is a cornucopia of several different food stalls.

Between the three of us, we managed to get some lovely sweets for later in the day.

We hit the streets and saw the swarms taking photos at the Hachiko statue. Hachiko is a dog that is legendary in Japan. According to Wikipedia: “During his owner's life, Hachikō saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. Even after Ueno's death in May 1925, Hachikō returned every day to the station to wait for him, and did so for the next 11 years.” So sweet!

And we had to take a photo at the famous crazy busy intersection.

After being seduced by the pleasures of browsing through Japanese stores, we headed to Omotesando so Rob and Huay could debate architecture.

We saw this guy along the way, delivering soba noodles on his bike.

A popular building among architects – the Prada store by Herzog and De Meuron.

Contemplating architecture.

Omotesando is a beautiful tree-lined street with beautiful stores and beautiful people. There are pedestrian bridges to cross the road.

Next – a feast of fish courtesy of my Uncle Mimichan.

Day 1 - Sleeping in Japan, Salary Man Style

2007-05-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Administrative note - sorry if you tried to view the blog and the photos weren't showing up. It should be fixed now and you can see what Rob was doing while he might have been breaking the law.

It’s 2:30 in the morning on Tuesday, and I can’t sleep. What should I do? Blog in the bathtub! Yes, I’m suffering from jet lag, my body is telling me to get my lazy butt out of bed because it thinks it’s almost 11 am, and I don’t want to wake Rob up so I’m typing this while sitting in our nice deep tub in the hotel. It’s one of the most comfortable places I’ve ever blogged (and no, I’m not TAKING a bath. I haven’t become that jet lagged). So before I get to our first full day in Tokyo, I thought I’d talk about our great hotel.

When decided where to stay in Tokyo, I decided to eschew the large “tourist” hotels and suggested staying at a business hotel instead. Everyone was up for it so I made the reservations. Our hotel is called “Hotel Villa Fontaine” in Shiodome, which is a brand new highrise business district. By the way, businessmen in Japan are called “salary men”, hence the title. The hotel is part of a much larger skyscraper, so the lobby is quite impressive.

Our room is quite small, but very comfortable.

It’s all the touches that make it so Japanese. A toilet with built-in bidet controls, a pants press in our very small closet, ceilings that are just right for me but a little too low for Rob.

I love watching the trains go by from our window.

And it’s incredible quiet and comes with a continental breakfast.

The bread is very tasty and you can get chicken curry soup too!

The best part of the hotel is the convenience. There’s an entrance to the metro right in the lobby of the building, and the walk to the metro is quite impressive.

Taking the escalator back to the hotel afforded another great view.

The hotel is very reasonable for Tokyo standards and although they don’t have a concierge, everyone at the front desk is very helpful. So, if you’re in Tokyo, consider going the way of the blue-suited salarymen – you’ll be surprised!

Our own Lost in Translation

2007-05-14T03:50:00.000-07:00

Well, we've made it! It's crazy that in one day you could be at home and then be sleeping that night in a different country. After a seemingly quick flight across the Pacific via Korean Air, my uncle Mimichan and cousin Minori picked us up from Narita Airport at 4 in the afternoon on Sunday.

Huay, my mom, Minori and me at the airport.

My uncle is infamous for finding out someone's favorite food and making sure they have some on their trip. This time, he found out that Rob loves Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) sandwiches and he brought some to the airport.

So beautifully packaged!

He also brought a variety of drinks, including strawberry milk, green tea latte, and a beer.

Hey Rob! Are you breaking the law?

The four girls were crammed into the back while we watched sumo wrestling on TV.

I have to say, only out of concern, that the last thing a driver like my uncle needs to distract him is a TV in the dashboard.

We were under the impression that Mimichan would pick us up and drive us directly to the hotel. But he wanted to show us the sights, which included driving across Tokyo bay via the Aqua Line.

This is a picture from the man made island in the middle of the bay.

He took us to Asakusa, which has a historic temple and shopping area.

The area is beautifully lit at night.

Even though we had already eaten four meals (Breakfast, two on the plane, and tonkatsu sandwiches), Mimichan insisted we have tempura.

It's amazing how much food you can eat in one day with a 18 hour time difference.

After staying up for over 24 hours, we were finally able to go to our hotel and check in. Rob said the view from our hotel reminds him of Lost in Translation.

Next - our first full day in Tokyo, which includes smelling fish, seeing fish, and eating fish!

One day until Japan!

2007-05-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have gone by super quick. None of us can believe that we leave for Japan tomorrow! Yippee! Today I worked on two of the most important parts of a trip: 1. washing laundry 2. picking out my trip knitting project.

Since we'll be on the plane for 11 hours, knitting is a MUST. I could do at least one sock in that time, but I thought I'd mix it up this time and jump on the chevron scarf bandwagon. I tried knitting this a couple of years ago, but couldn't find the find combination of yarns. I have two options that I'm deciding between.

Sunshine yarns "Into the Mystic" and some Koigu or

Sundara Yarn's current Petals Collection selection (dahlia) and the same Koigu.
I probably won't make a decision until tomorrow morning. I also have some more sock yarn... just in case.

The two things I miss the most while travelling are Maggie and Unki! But, as usual, they have no idea that Rob and I will be gone for the next three weeks.

Maggie's thinking, "Just been fed, laying in the sun... life is good..."

Where Unki is doing his best sphinx imitation - a rare moment when he's not moving.

We'll try to blog while on the trip, so I hope everyone enjoys the tales of our journey. I can promise you plenty of photos of me (since I will be the only one camera-less) and of food. Lots and lots and lots of food.

Bags! Bags! Bags!

2007-05-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

After coming home from Coachella, it was hard to change gears and get my mind focused on our trip to Japan. We leave a week from tomorrow! Although the broad strokes of the trip are planned, there's still lots of little things to take care of. So, what do I do? Make bags!

I admit, I made this bag a couple of weeks ago. It's made from this pattern.

The fabric is a Kokka fabric I had left over from making a pillow. This bag is comfy and easy to carry, the lining and handles are made from canvas.

I also made another monk's bag.

(Can you spot Unki?)

I know I promised a monk bag tutorial, but while I was making this bag, which from much thicker fabric, I had some problems on the inside corners (where the handles meet the bag). I need to think about a solution for it before I post the pattern. The bird fabric is from Kristen Doran, Mollybirds. I absolutely adore her fabric and I love using in in projects that feature the beautiful patterns. This will be my Japan purse because I prefer shoulder bags while walking around.

Another thing I needed for the trip was a carry-on tote bag. I thought Lotta's tote from her book was the perfect pattern.

So, using fabric that I got from Kirin & Co., I made a very sturdy tote bag.

I think I made it a little too sturdy - I had a hard time doing the final topstitch. I used some interfacing that I think is Timtex, I really should have used disdressed's method of using it but I found it after I finished the tote.

I have a couple of other projects I'd like to finish before the trip. Stay tuned!

Coachella 2007 Day 3 - second post

2007-05-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Are you sick of seeing blurry photos of musicians yet? We finally got up close for the band we were both looking forward to so much, Kaiser Chiefs! Yet another British band (do you see a theme for today?) that write catchy brit-pop songs that even I can sing along with. I had heard that they put on a great live show, so we managed to push ourselves to the very front (I had two short girls in front of me that were obviously waiting for a later group - I think I yelled their ears out). No watching from the sidelines for this band!

Ricky Wilson is quite the enthusiastic front man for the band. He really understood what his job was - he knew there weren't going to be that many fans at Coachella, so he tried his best to bring in as many people walking by as possible.

He sings at the top of his lungs.

Ricky loves the mike stand - he used it to jump really high in the air.

He gave some love to the people in front.

Then he climbed the scaffolding.

Of course, to top it all off, he surfed the crowd (which we didn't get a photo of). We loved every minute of it! It didn't hurt that we were surrounded by a bunch of crazy Brits. It was the most civilized mosh pit you could ever encounter. Even the security guys just pulled off the crowd surfers and gave them a pat on the back before sending them on their way.

After the show, we had to literally push and shove our way through the Placebo crowd (some big guy behind me helped us out) and ran over to see Willie Nelson.

Rob wanted to save his camera batteries for Crowded House so he used his phone for this photo - you can see Willie in his red bandanna. Supposedly all the celebs were there en masse for Willie Nelson, but I was too tired from Kaiser Chiefs to notice anyone. The crowd gave him lots of love.

We managed to be third and fourth in line to see Crowded House. I chatted with the security guards before the show, where I discovered that most of them were military personnel hired specifically because of the crowd anticipated for Rage Against the Machine.

Crowded House was great, but they were at the totally wrong time and day for this festival. Most of the crowd was waiting for Rage (they were two sets after Crowded House) and they were hot and tired. But all of us at the side stage loved them!

Pretty color.

Neil, Nick, Mark, new drummer Matt and Neil's son Liam seemed happy to be playing together.

It was great seeing them perform together.

Afterwards, we tried to catch Lily Allen, but her security wouldn't let us backstage (boo!). As I was climbing some equipment, trying to get a view, Rob nudged me and pointed out who was in front of me - it was Mika! I made Rob ask him if I could take a photo with him. Mika was very kind and so nice. I love him even more now!

We tried to wait around to see Air, but they were running late and we were getting tired. We hadn't decided whether to see Rage Against the Machine. Rob likes Rage Against the Machine, I support them because they are a LA band and I appreciate their conviction to their political views. However, neither of us wanted to deal with the crowd and traffic after the show. So we left with one last photo.

(By the way, if you have good eyes and you noticed I was wearing the same dress two days in a row, it worked so well on Saturday I washed it and wore it again on Sunday. I'm not crunchy enough to wear a sweaty, dirty dress two days running.)

We ended the day with a dip in the pool and jacuzzi - that's the way to finish off Coachella.

If you've actually reached the end of this post - congratulations! I really rambled on, but I just wanted to say one more thing. Support live music! The connection between artists and audiences is so unique and indescribable. As you can tell, music is a huge part of our lives and I hope everyone can have their own Coachella moments too!

Coachella 2007 Day 3 - part one

2007-05-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

I have so many photos for this day that I decided to make it into two parts. And there's a reason why I have so many photos. What were the two items that were given to us on Saturday night?

Coachella Main Stage Wristbands! Not only were they promised to get us backstage and VIP access, they deflect bullets too! As the story goes for mere mortals like us, we know someone who knows someone (who actually IS someone) who wasn't going to be there for Sunday. They wrenched the bracelets off their wrists (they are meant to be unremovable, but it's surprising what a little brute force will do) and gave them to us.

Rob was a little worried that the wristbands were color coded for each day, so we approached the security guards with trepidation.

Would they let us through?

Oh yeah... I'm chilling backstage. So please bear with me as I talk about our Sunday VIP experience - we never get to do anything like this so it was a big thrill.

For me, the biggest advantage to having the wristbands was AIR CONDITIONED BATHROOMS! Out among the masses, there are only port-a-potties, which are in questionable condition. In the VIP area, there were trailer style air conditioned bathrooms. But in the back of the mainstage, there were deluxe wood-paneled bathrooms with art inside! Hmmm... why did I have to go to the bathroom 10 times on Sunday versus once on Friday? I meant to take a photo essay of the different facilities, but I think I made my point.

The first act was Mika, whose album I've been loving lately. It's just fun to listen and sing to. You may have heard one of his songs on this commercial.

Nice pants! He has the best band and put on an enthusiastic show, which was great, considering he was the first act of the day.

We ran into his drummer and guitarist backstage and they kindly took a photo with me.

Ah, the things I do for this blog! :)

We ventured over the VIP viewing area, which had better food, more drink choices, and, most importantly, shaded areas to sit and watch the stage.

It's funny how quickly one gets used to special treatment.

We watched Lupe Fiasco (a rapper from Chicago) for a few minutes before wandering backstage to scope out viewing possiblities for later acts. One of the nighttime acts was Crowded House, one of Rob's favorite bands. He wanted to see if it would be more fun being in front or behind the scenes. So we decided to watch The Feeling, a new British band.

It was fun watching the band tuning up.

Rob claims the guitarist saw him taking photos and posed for him.

Have you ever been to a concert and see the people at the side of the stage and wonder how they got there? Well, we were two of those people. And here's the view!

The music doesn't sound as good from back here, but it's so much fun to watch the band interact and all the stuff going on behind the scenes. We did feel sorry for the band - most people weren't there for them and I think the venue was too big for them. The audience perked up when they played a cover of "Video Killed the Radio Star".

Afterwards, we discovered that our wristband would also get us sidestage access to the tents as well.

This was the Junior Boys, which consisted of a drummer, keyboardist, bassist/singer, and a Mac Computer. Definitely interesting to watch the audience from the performer's perspective as well.

I wanted to catch an act I've heard a lot about recently - Rodrigo y Gabriela. I just want to say, if you get a chance to see them, do it! They are fantastic.

Here is a clip of them on Letterman and on Jools Holland. The crowd went wild for them.

Next post - Kaiser Chiefs, Willie Nelson, Crowded House and a photo with a someone!

Coachella 2007 Day 2

2007-04-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of Coachella was even better than Day 1, which we never thought possible. However, the day started out with us roasting in the over 100 degree weather. The first day, I wore my typical outfit of thin pants with a t-shirt. Today, I experimented with a thin cotton dress to see if that would help me beat the heat.

Hey, is that a monk's bag I see?

I also found the perfect Coachella shoes.

Waterproof Keen sandals that I had bought for our Hawaii trip - breathable, light, and great arch support.

The bands we wanted to see had a theme today - Scots and Canucks! We got to the venue at 2:30, just in time to run over and see the Fratellis. They are a trio from Glasgow whose music you may have heard in this commercial for itunes. I've been listening to their album for the past couple of weeks and it's full of fun sing-along tunes.

The temperature in the tent had to be 110-115 degrees. But we were in a group of crazy souls that danced our little hearts out. I have never sweated so much in my life! For about 20 minutes I felt about 15 years old, then the next 10 minutes about my own age, but then 5 minutes later I felt like I might need a medic. So we made our way out of the tent and listening from some great shade outside.

We rested up to catch the next band from Glasgow (which must be one of the most amazing cities for music), Travis. They have been a favorite band of ours for quite some time but we've never seen them live.

They didn't disappoint - they sounded awesome live and I can't wait for their new album.

We had to cut our Travis viewing short to go see the New Pornographers (from Canada), who we've seen before but love.

The crowd was small and we were able to make our way to the front. I always find it so interesting that some people will stake out a space for hours to see a band that's playing later. You could tell who those people are because they don't move at all, no swaying of the heads or bopping to the beat. Again, another great performance. Luckily, Rob wanted to see the next band (The Decemberists) so we didn’t have to move but I couldn't handle the heat of the crowd.

I hydrated, ate, and wandered over to the main stage and watched the hipsters grooving to Kings of Leon (I don't quite get them) while Rob watched and LOVED the Decemberists, which are a new favorite of his.

Rob said they got the crowd going and really involved them in the performances.

Including encouraging a dance party.

But then a whale ate the band!

He shot some great video that we will probably upload to YouTube sometime soon.

As Kings of Leon set came to a close, I made my way up as close as I could for the next band, Arcade Fire. It's amazing how many people ignore one Asian girl squeezing through the crowd. Arcade Fire (go Montreal!) is one of my favorite bands that I've been listening to recently. I've heard so many amazing things about their live show that I wanted to get as close as possible. Somehow, Rob managed to make his way up to me (I guess saying, "My wife is up there" helped him through some angry concert goers – too bad he's not a small Asian girl!) Next thing we knew, our friend George was two people away from us. It’s crazy that in a crowd of 60,000 people, we saw someone we knew.

Hi George and strange guy behind you!

I’ve heard Arcade Fire’s live show described as though every concert was their first one. I’ve never seen a band where all the members played with such passion and enthusiasm.

They kept switching instruments and kept the excitement level at a fever pitch. They were just amazing and I was so happy that I managed to make my way so close.

See? Happy face!

After sweating so much my hair and dress were drenched, I made my way to the side for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I think I only have the energy to give my all for two bands a day. I’ve never been a big fan of the Chili Peppers, but I feel that I have to support them because they are from LA. However, they are an old favorite of Rob’s.

One of my favorite things about Coachella is how it looks at night, with the lights, flames, tesla coils, and the moon.

At the end of day 2, we were given two items that would either make Day 3 the best time we’ve had yet or just make an interesting souvenir. What could they be?

Coachella 2007 Day 1

2007-04-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

We interrupt the regularly scheduled programming of sewing, eating, and cat photos to bring you some Coachella posts. Regular programming will resume on Tuesday or Wednesday. :)

Last year we went to one day of the Coachella Music Festival and it almost did us in. This year, we decided to go to all THREE days of the heat and craziness that is Coachella. This is the third time we've been, so finally we've learned our lessons and had a great time on Friday.

The key to Coachella is finding the right shoes, hydrating like crazy, wearing big hats, and resting in the shade as much as possible. Oh, and staying at a hotel with a big pool and internet access. The weather forecast for the whole weekend was predicted to be in the upper 90s - yipes! In between resting, we saw some great performances.

Our first picture upon arrival. Big hats - check!

First band of the day was Silversun Pickups. We only watched the first song because I was anxious to head over and see Amy Winehouse.

Gillian Welch was up before Amy - she was fantastic and was wearing a great outfit.

I was so curious to see Amy Winehouse. She has a reputation for canceling performances or vomiting on stage. Would she be together or a drunken mess? Would she even appear on time?

I'm happy to say that not only did she show up on time, she was fabulous and seemed genuinely pleased to be there.

She also has the best backup singers in the world! They are so smooth.

We didn't see the whole set because we were both looking forward to Arctic Monkeys, for us, the performance of the day.

They are so good live and tried their hardest to bring some energy to the hot and tired crowd.

I was the only one in our immediate area who was bopping to the music. My knees hurt afterwards but it was work it.

Smiling through the sweat.

We went over to see Rufus Wainwright, I rested while Rob caught him stripping off his caftan to reveal this outfit.

Although we both love Rufus, we've seen him a few times before and I wanted to see what Julieta Venegas was like. We walked into the tent to see this.

This was the surprise of the night. There was so much love between Julieta and the audience we couldn't help but be swept up with the joy. I know a couple of her older songs, but I am definitely going to get some of her newer albums and memorize the lyrics so I can sing along with everyone else the next time we see her. I want to be Julieta Venegas and play the accordion with abandon!

The final band we saw was Interpol.

Rob really likes Interpol's music, I enjoy them by association. Rob has been wanting to see them live for a while, so he was happy that they were at Coachella.

We have to admit, we weren't that impressed by them. But that's the beauty of festivals - the chance to see bands that you haven't seen before and finding new favorites along the way. Stay tuned for Day 2!

Mark one off the photo list!

2007-04-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

I have to ask for everyone's indulgence for this fangirl post. I'm usually not one to fawn over celebrities, but there are a few people on my list that I would love to get a photo with, which include the whole cast of Battlestar Galactica, the cast of Arrested Developement (in character, of course!), and some half dozen actors who I won't name for Rob's sake. Well, last night I went to a book signing with a man who tops them all - Project Runway's Tim Gunn!

Tim with the co-author of his book, Kate Moloney

I've made no secret of my love for Tim Gunn. I adore the way he is with the contestants on Project Runway and I think it would be a blast to have a nice long meal with him. When I heard that Tim would be in Southern California for a series of book signings, you know I emailed my co-fan, my sister Mina, and convinced her to go to a signing with me (trust me, she was easily convinced!)

Nice smile, Tim!

The event was at the Barnes and Noble at Fashion Island, where we were both concerned that there was going to be a small turnout, but a bunch of people came in the nick of time. Tim was his charming self, telling the story of how Kate and he were forced to finish the book, answering a few questions, making sure to have Kate answer some questions, and taking the time to talk to everyone in line.

Tim signing Mina's book.

When it was my turn, I blathered on about how much Mina and I loved Tim and how we were so lucky to have a Mood Fabrics in LA (I was really just a nervous wreck). Mina, on the other hand, played it cool and just said, "That's me!" when he said her name, and "Thank you!" when he signed her book.

The line waiting to get their books signed.

His inscription was, of course, his catch phrase.

So, did I get my photo with Tim Gunn?

Of course I did! We had such a fun time - now to read the book!

Clothing cavalcade

2007-04-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

Before I begin the post, I wanted to answer a couple of comments that I wasn't able to return personally.

Jill asked:
I love the monk's bag! Did you follow a pattern, or is it one of those things you just whip up?

Well Jill, first, thank you! Like I said, I love it! I kind of followed a photo of a monk's bag in one of my Japanese bag books, and took the dimensions of the straps, but everything else I made on my own. If anyone is interested in a tutorial (even one person!) I'd happily post one. It's an easy quick bag.

Kelly asked:
Hey, is that the same CK duvet that Carrie Bradshaw has on SATC?

What good eyes you have, Kelly! It is the same duvet. I bought it years and years ago, then I saw the same one on SATC. Isn't it the same old story, the bloggers create the trends and Hollywood copies them! But seriously, this duvet has really held up over the years - I really love the Calvin Klein linens (even though they can be expensive).

Onto the post! This spring and summer, instead of buying my clothes, I've decided to make them. Well, I'll still need to buy things like t-shirts and unmentionables, but here's a start.

Pattern - McCall 'sM5313 View A
Fabric - Amy Butler Slate Morning Glory, 2 yards
The idea behind this jumper was to create something that could have come from Anthropolgie, but it looks more like something from Urban Outfitters. Even though it makes me look four years old, it's a comfy dress that was easy to make. However, the pattern was a little more confusing than it needed to be, and there was a lack of detail that was lacking (e.g. topstiching around the top and straps) that I added myself.

Pattern - Simplicity 4589 View A
Fabric - Cotton Voile from Michael Levine Fabric, One yard
This is another one of those patterns I would never have bought if I didn't see it make on Nikki-Shell's blog. It's a cute simple pattern, a little boxy, but very versatile.

The fabric is from one of my favorite stores in the fashion district downtown, Michael Levine. It can be hit or miss, but they sometimes have great bargains, like this fabric, $2 a yard.

Pattern - Simplicity 4086, View F
Fabric - Re-form Pears from Superbuzzy, 2 yards
This is a home decorating fabric that was perfect for a skirt. The pears ran across both selvedges, so I still have a strip of pears that I can use for a bag or something else. Although I love the skirt, I still have issues with the sizing of skirt patterns. I like to wear my skirts low on my waist, so I made a size 14, but it was still a little high. Who are these women with skinny skinny waists who can wear size 8? I don't think they exist.

Pattern - McCall's M5042, View A
Fabric - Amy Butler Sage Lacework, 2 yards
I'm going to say this up front - I hated making this dress, from beginning to end. It turned out ok in the end, but the pain of making it has prevented me from objectively seeing it. Does that make sense? To me, it's a blur of seam ripping, seam ripping, and more seam ripping.

While I was making this dress, I realized that I'm not only high waisted, but thick waisted. So I wanted to find a pattern that was had a higher waist with a similar feeling. The problems occured when I decided to make the lining (which really didn't need it) and cutting the wide skirt, because it didn't fit onto my pre-shrunk fabric. A sidenote - I think Amy Butler's fabrics from her Lotus line are just fantastic. I know that everybody's using them, but I think they are still original enough to make a unique piece of clothing.

Anyways, I'm not going to bore you with even more details, but I'm glad it's done. How do you celebrate the completion of a dress?

Pizza with the family! This one was with olive oil, basil, garlic, romano and burrata cheeses... yummy...

Anniversary Gluttony

2007-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

I've sewed some clothes recently, but I haven't found the chance to do a photo shoot with Rob. Here are a couple of non-clothing items that I could take photos of.

I've been thinking about making a monk's bag for a while, and I used the yukata fabric I bought to back my couch quilt. This is the MOST comfortable bag I've ever used. I think it's the combination of the thin (but strong!) fabric and the thick strap. I want to make one out of canvas for a travel bag to take to Japan.

Couple of bed pillows from Kokka Abeille fabric. Don't Henry and the original Unki look happy with the pillows?

Yesterday was our third wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary Rob! To celebrate, we cooked one of Rob's favorite dishes (chicken marsala). I also made not one, but two desserts, both recipes from Orangette.

I first made this cake because Rob loves chocolate, but it fell after taking it out of the oven. So I hurriedly whipped together another dessert...

from stuff I had around the house. I have to say, both cakes were delicious!
(By the way, did you notice Unki's feet in both photos? They were taken hours apart and yet he managed to be in both!)

What's the only thing to do after such a decadent meal?

Take a nap with the cats, of course!

in the Mood for Vain Pizza

2007-04-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, there are just things that are so great or so weird a special post is in order.

MOOD

For fellow fans of Project Runway, Mood Fabrics is where the designers go to shop for their challenges. I've always been fascinated with those bolts of fabric going all the way up to the ceiling. If only I lived in Manhattan and and have Tim Gunn as my mentor!

Well, Angelenos are in luck. My friend Huay told me that she thought there was a Mood Fabrics on Pico and La Cienega. I went exploring yesterday, and yes, there is! It's definitely a neat place to browse - I didn't buy anything, but the workers were very nice and helped me look at some fabrics. Which I did need help, because those bolts are heavy! All I took out of there was this:

I had to have something from there - a business card is something!

They've only been there 4 weeks so they are still putting up signs. I did look at the cotton prints because I felt that was where I could be most discerning. The prices were from $8-$16 a yard and there were some very lovely fabrics. Next time I go I'll bring a camera and have more info about prices, types of fabrics, etc. Very exciting!

PIZZA

My cooking and baking guru is yaiAnn - if she gives it her seal of approval, I'm off to the market! The other day, she posted about some homemade pizza she made, and I had to try it. Rob was a little worried that the pizza dough wouldn't come out, but it tasted delicious!

Our first pizza (which I sloppily shaped) was a margherita with fresh mozzarella and basil.

Rob took over construction of the next pizza, which was his favorite - homemade meatball and mushroom pizza with mozzarella and parmesan.

Finally, the winner of "prettiest pizza" and my favorite, fresh tomato, mushroom and fresh mozzarella.

The crust was nice and bready and I couldn't believe how great it tasted. I'm inviting some girlfriends over for dinner on Friday night and we're having a pizza making party. I really recommend this recipe - it's so easy and very satisfying.

VAIN

Does anyone out there have a cat that likes to look in the mirror? We do! Unki has done it again. Not only does he play fetch, lay in weird positions, and try to get into every photo, he's become obsessed with looking at himself in the mirror. For the past two weeks, we've caught him looking in the bathroom mirror every chance he gets.

First, he makes sure he's looking good.

If he's not, he'll clean himself.

Then he'll scratch the mirror, just to make sure his reflection's not another cat.

If all is well, he'll settle down and make faces.

The funny part is when he sees Maggie in the mirror. He gets so excited, then jumps down and then goes BEHIND the mirror to find her. Of course, he can't find her, gets back on the counter, sees her again, gets excited, jumps down, goes behind the mirror, can't find her... on and on. I'll try to get video of that someday - luckily Unki's a cat and can't complain to his therapist how his parents used to make so much fun of him!

What?!? I've been knitting?!?!

2007-04-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your comments on the last post - I was really interested to hear what people's thoughts were on what constituted plagiarism and what did not. I wasn't too worried about my projects, since they were all for ME!

Which brings me to another question. Do any of your non-crafty friends ask you if you are ever going to sell your stuff? I get asked that every so often, and my immediate reaction is "No way!" for several reasons. My level of execution isn't that great, the time involved is hard to quantify, I'm afraid that I'll lose the joy of crafting once money is involved, and that ever-so-difficult subject of plagiarism. Most of the techniques or ideas I have come from other people or projects. I'm so paranoid about profiting from others' ideas that I don't even want to get near there. So I'm content to knit and sew for me and a few others. Hey, all of the projects I see in blogland are so amazing that a price can't be put on them, right? :)

I have been knitting on and off the past couple of months. Mainly while watching TV or when I'm tired of sewing.

Pattern - Shibui Knits Swirl Scarf
Yarn - Habu Textile Cashmere Lace Weight from Pure Knits, color lac

The perfect relaxing project for tired hands. The yarn is so soft and lovely to knit with. The scarf is just one big ruffle, but it's still pretty. I didn't feel like modeling it, so Freddy offered.

He's fancy!

Some secret sewing has taken place that I can't show. Rob is worried that the recipients read the blog, so I'll wait until the gifting has occurred to debut the items. Which might be a couple of months, but I think they'll be worth the wait. I've done some sewing of my own, some more potholders from the Lotta Jansdotter book.

These are tissue packet holders for our trip to Japan for Huay, my mom and me. They are a must have because some public restrooms do not have paper towels to wipe your hands on. I thought they'd be a nice pre-trip present for us.

Although we leave in about a month for Japan, it still feels unreal. I'm worried that I'll forget something really important while I make tissue holders and giggle at Rob's struggle with polite Japanese. Of course, he can remember all the words that can't be said publicly perfectly!

Flattery or plagiarism?

2007-04-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you all again for your wonderful comments on the Patchwork Bond quilt. One of the things I don't like about blogger is the inability to respond to each comment through email. I try to respond to those of you that I can, but sometimes I just can't get to it. The quilt has been through the wash and is the perfect cover to lie under while watching some TV in the cool spring evenings. Maggie and Unki love it too!

I've been thinking about the type of crafter I am. I think different people have different strengths - some are incredible designers, some have "craft" (Rob likes to use this term to mean people who can put together anything with precision and attention to detail), and others are able to see beyond the pattern and make them their own. I think I'm the type of crafter who just sees something or gets interested in something and just attacks it with gusto. Hence the sweater knitting mania of 2005, the sock making frenzy of 2006, and the sewing extravaganza of 2007. I don't worry as much about detail or the perfection of the execution, because I know I need to make lots of mistakes before I get to that level of precision I'm satisfied with. Then I'll move on to the next phase of my obssession.

I bring this up because I have incredible respect for all crafters who are able to really create things on their own. A couple of weeks ago I was complaining to Rob that I can't come up with my own ideas, and he made me feel better by telling me that all designers get inspiration from somewhere.

So, after I consoled myself, I moved onto one of my other strengths - seeing ideas on other blogs and making them for myself. And this is where my title comes in - when does imitation go past flattery and turn into plagiarism?

Here's a dress that I made a couple of weeks ago after I saw a version on Cheeky Beaks blog. She took a pattern I would have never bought, Simplicity 4675, and created a beautiful dress from it. I followed her modifications and created my own version of the dress.

The wonderful thing about this pattern is that it is timeless - change the fabric and it would change the look immediately. Not only that, but it's very comfortable and covers up where it needs too. The accent material is from Amy Butler's Lotus line, and the main fabric is from Superbuzzy.

I was attracted to the art nouveau quality of the fabric.

I think this dress goes under the category of "Flattery", because even though I copied Cheeky Beak's dress pretty spot on, I did buy a pattern and chose my own fabric. Would you agree?

Now, here's a project that probably goes under "Plagiarism". I saw these cute dolls by Minilabo in a blog somewhere.

I thought, "How cute!" then "I could make those." (Reality check - it's harder to make these than I thought it would be.) So I spent a morning making a couple of dolls to see how easy/hard it would be.

I know that they are pretty rough, I hand drew some patterns and did the faces fairly quickly. I don't know if I would make more in the future, but it sure was fun trying!

Another item I made yesterday that I saw on someone's blog? Quick whole wheat and molasses bread from yai-ann's blog.

I made the light version and it was yummy! The first time I've ever made bread from scratch. The recipe is ridiculously easy and the bread is heavy like banana or zucchini bread.

This week happens to be Maggie's 11th birthday. Happy Birthday Maggie!

I know Unki gets a lot of attention on the blog, but it's because he's always underfoot or getting in trouble. Maggie likes to sleep, eat and cuddle. She's the most lapcattiest cat I know.

Where Unki prefers laying on one's backside. Meow!

Couch quilt - finished!

2007-03-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this quilt for a bit, and I've been hinting at it too. It's a quilt to snuggle under when we're on the couch. I finished it earlier this week, and I'm thrilled with it!

It's hard to take a picture of the whole thing!

Pattern - Free Lotus Brick Quilt pattern by Amy Butler
Fabric - Various from Purl Patchwork

This quilt was a joy to work on from start to finish. When I was finishing the binding, I was actually a little sad! It measures around 68" by 65" so it's not quite a full quilt size. I'm going to talk a bit about the process of making the quilt, so bear with me!

When I first started thinking about this quilt, I wanted something simple to show off the fabric that I bought as a bundle at Purl Patchwork during the holidays. Rob loved the fabric in this bundle.

At first I thought about making a coin quilt, but then I saw this free pattern on Amy Butler's website. I liked the simplicity of the design, so in Tim Gunn mode, I decided to make it work! I drew a schematic of the quilt and tried to lay out the fabric in a pattern that wouldn't have too much fabric in the same place. Six fabrics kept making strange patterns, so I added a seventh fabric to help out.

After I completed the quilt top, I wasn't happy with the results. I wanted the diagonal patterning to read more strongly, and I thought it looked to patchwork-y. But Rob really liked it, so I moved on.

My beloved diagonals.

The most difficult part of this quilt was finding a backing fabric. Originally, I had some vintage yukata fabric I wanted to use.

Love the detail.

But even though I washed the fabric twice, the dye kept running. So I decided to play it safe and used this Robert Kaufman fabric that Rob liked.

I think he made the perfect choice.

Even my binding is getting better!

So, in the end, it's the perfect quilt for us. Since Rob was so instrumental in helping choose the fabric, I let him choose the name. After much hemming and hawing, he decided on the "Patchwork Bond Quilt". He told me that bond is the term to describe a brick pattern (such as a running bond or basket weave bond) (I can pretend that it's really named after Daniel Craig, right?).

Freddy the lop-eared big-footed bunny

2007-03-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

I think everyone in the crafting world is a big fan of Wee Wonderfuls. I definitely am! I bought the big footed bunny pattern the day it came out.

When I showed Rob, he wasn't as enthusiastic as I was. To quote, he said, "It looks like the rabbit from Donnie Darko".

Well, I guess they're both rabbits? Anyways, to keep Rob from getting nightmares from the bunny, I made him lop eared.

I decided to name him Freddy (because someone named Freddy would wear short pants, right?) He's made of linen and muslin and is wearing pants from some of my kimono material stash. My favorite part is the back.

Cute tail!

This is another fantastic pattern from Hillary. Cute, just hard enough to keep it interesting, and unique. I originally made him as a gift, but I can't give him away! Freddy's staying home with us.