My latest creations

I've been busy preparing items for a class I am teaching in two weeks.  While handbags are not on the agenda, I've made several over the last couple of weeks just trying out patterns.

This is the front side with a button accent.  It actually closed with magnet snaps in the middle.  The bottom photo is the back side with zipper pocket.  

This first is called Harmony from the Studio Kat Designs http://www.studiokatdesigns.com/

I used summer yukata fabrics I had collected some 10 years ago and never used for even a quilt.  These were perfect for showcasing the floral designs on this style handbag.  It took two weeks for me to figure out sewing the pattern in all the proper steps, but the final product is really cute. 

This is the interior with another yukata fabric--so fresh and cool looking, desu ne?

I also made a Porta Pocket insert from the same company.  This is made from two fabrics I received from Noseh-san when she visited Senegal last year.   It has plenty of pockets, space for pens, a zipper pouch and can be lifted out and placed intact into another handbag.  Saves all kinds of time and not forgetting something.

These next projects I made in about 2-3 hours apiece over four days.  I was on a roll and just used the yukata fabric for the liner.  Very simple tote bags with handles and sometimes a button enclosure and pockets inside.

Simple tote in nine patch both sides in patriotic colors.

These are two different bags using the same yukata material.

                                 The black in these is actually a deep navy blue.

Here is the lining for both of the above bags from the same yukata fabric.  It has a pocket.

This one is a patchwork bag made from 20 different squares and the same lining.

This dog tote was made from a panel I bought maybe 3-4 years ago.  It is so cute!

FYI, yukata and kimono fabric comes on rolls about 18 inches wide and 12 meters (14 or so feet) long, so there's lots to play with.

I think that's enough for handbags for a few days.  What do you think of these?

July 25, 2012

It has been hot and humid, per usual, here in Kobe since last week.  Rainy season is over.  The garden is blooming with color, the frogs abound, as well as the spiders.  Remember that nest we had a few weeks back?  It seems now those residents have fanned out across the decks and house.  Webs are everywhere.

I found this little critter in a fading calla lily this week:  Isn't it cute? 

Here are some other flowers in the front side of the house.

Roses are so nice, they keep blooming after
bugs have eaten the leaves.  

T\

The gladiola were colorful this year as I purchased a variety bag or two.  For some reason the purple ones each had a slanting stem.  Makes for an interesting cut vase of flowers.

Miscellaneous stuff

 This little bird was hiding in the bushes while chirping at me.  It was very shy and it was difficult to get its photo. 

 These are full-size bananas.  Aren't they cute!!

 Sara has a baby praying mantis on her hand.

These ants were crawling up the hose and going into the mailbox. 

 Henry put a little frog in there hoping it would eat the ants, but it really just ignored them.  I think they came into the mailbox because of all the rain we had the previous two days.  They escaped with the eggs to higher ground.   However, they did meet their end shortly after this photo.

Blooming flowers

Here are some photos from the garden this year.

Pinkish calla lilly

The first gladiola; this one was white/pinkish.

Red rose, left, next to campion

This dark pink lily is about 4 feet tall. Beautiful dark red stamen.

Not sure what this is, perhaps an aster or a carnation.  I know this flower is also a quilt pattern, but I can't recall right now. 

Campion

The above lily with three blooms, one to go and one that is probably a dud.

Thunderstorm

We were driving on the Wangan highway along the coast of the Inland Sea between Osaka and Kobe on Friday night, July 6th.  Wow--that storm was something else and dangerous to drive in.  Henry drove, I was filming, Sara commented every time the  lightening flashed. which was every minute or so for at least 30 minutes while we were on the road.  This is not a normal weather occurance here.

Father's Day 2012

Outside my kitchen window I saw at first two butterflies playing tag, then a third, and a fourth, until this little group started dancing around the field in front of me.  It was supposed to rain today, but God gave us sunshine and happy butterflies.   Fitting for Father's Day.








This amaryllis was a gift from a near neighbor.

 

And for Father's Day we had a cookout since it did not rain from the approaching typhoon.

We did thin sliced beef, hot dogs and salmon smoked in the smoker.  Also, edamame, rice and whole wheat rolls and clam chowder made by Mrs. Miura (sitting in blue under the window).  Nothing was  leftover.

Spiders

Outside on our front porch I spotted a cluster of things caught in a web.  Thinking it might be an egg sac, I poked it gently and it started to scatter.  It is hundreds of just-hatched baby spider--soo cute!  They moved in unison outward.   I do not recall ever seeing one in my life.  Sara loved it.  Henry was not so impressed. 

The yard

When we returned to Japan, the yard was a mess.  Two tress had died, no doubt attacked by a bug; they will need to be removed.  The weeds were 3-4 feet tall.  Henry took two days to cut it all down and rake it up.  A few days after that it was all burned.  We can do that here without a permit.

 One of the maples we grew from seed starting in 1999--no life on it now. 

 One of the Japanese pear trees--dead wood.

This is the back slope next to the creek.  That's a sakurenbo cherry tree. 

May 27, 2012

After the morning service at our home church, we had a dedication ceremony on the property recently purchased that is next door to the church.  It is about 10 acres and combined with the current property will be 20 acres.  The plans are to have additional parking and a sport field.  There is a house at the front which may be used for missionaries, hopefully.  It is such an answer to prayer--some 20 years actually, but it came together just in the last few months.  God is so good.

May 26, 2012

 The National Air and Space Museum is the most visited one in the world:  30,000 people a day visit this building, some 303 million in the 35 years it has been opened.  Back in 1977 when it opened I did go to see it with my friends.  While the exhibits have changed over the years,  the hanging planes are basically the same.  It's terrific.   There was the lunar module that landed on the moon and a predator drone, among all the nifty machines up there.  Highly recommended to anyone visiting Washington, DC.

May 23-25, 2012

Here are some photos from Pennsylvania Dutch country where life is a combination of the very simple and the very modern.  We ate at a terrific restaurant where many of the entrees were hand made.

We stopped to visit the Sight and Sound Theater near Lancaster; however we did not have tickets to see the current show.  The theater is extremely popular and shows are sold out for weeks.    We did get a peek at the theater during intermission. 

May 21, 2012

We drove back from Oakland to Clinton and arrived here about 3:00 p.m.  It rained all day, more of a drizzle at times, so travel was a little slippery going down the mountains.  My ears kept popping.  At one point near Frostburg, MD, I saw a jackknifed truck on a ramp.  Several emergency vehicles were there and the ramp was blocked off. 

We passed two vehicles going the other direction carrying one of those wings of a wind turbine.  Such huge things that cost way more than they are worth, and would take decades to produce enough energy to offset their production cost.  Plus, they are a blight on the landscape.  Perhaps someone would finally realize they are just not cost-effective.  At least we can hope.

One of those windmill wings

Our final meeting this time around is Wednesday night in Pennsylvania.  Joe’s friend, who happens to be a girl, comes in Friday for a few days. 

May 18-20, 2012

We had lunch with the senior adults on Thursday; a very lively group.  We had a BBQ of hot dogs and hamburgers—delicious.  Afterwards some of us played corn hole, which is another name for bean bag toss. The church had made some spiffy boards with the church logo and the hole for the corn bag.  Henry scored several points, I maybe got one or two bags in the hole.  Every time the bags hit the board, dust would fly from them.  It was fun to do. 

The weather was just beautiful the entire time we were there.  Sunny, not too hot with a little breeze.  Rain is forecast for Monday.

Friday Pastor and Kathy took us to the Swallow Falls for a hike.  It is the highest waterfall in Maryland.  You could walk out into the water from flat exposed rocks.  I did not do that.   We walked down the trail which followed the river to another smaller falls.  There I shared the gospel with a lady who was sitting on a big flat rock.  She did not get saved, but accepted a gospel tract.

 The second place we were taken to was on a mountain top where a Olympic size kayak river was built.  There was a school group going down the rapids in big boats, with all the protective gear on.  When they got to the bottom, most of them were soaked.  The water level can be adjusted to the amount of water flowing through there for training purposes. 

 Saturday at 10:00 a.m. a group got on the bus and we went to a small down about 15 miles from the church, over the mountain and right next to West Virginia.  Then teams of people went door-to-door inviting people to church.  One lady got saved!  It is a pretty town. 

Saturday evening we had the International Banquet.  I made okonomiyaki, a Japanese style pancakes with veggies and bacon served with a modified BBQ sauce.  I made small ones, cut them all in half, and every one was gone!  One of the men said he would be making that meal for the moms next mother (he is a former Navy cook and enjoys cooking).  His wife and I hit it off like we were long-time friends.  Their daughter and family are missionaries in New Zealand, so that was a connection.  We met some spiffy people this weekend.

Sunday was the final day of the conference.  Henry taught Sunday School to the younger kids.  They have a spiffy room that looks like a castle complete with crowns and armor.

  Henry told the story of Naaman and the Jewish girl who told him of Elisha who could cure him of leprosy.  The kids got a kick out of it.  After church all the kids came upstairs to our display where I gave them a trinket from Japan—some were chopstick holders, some goodies from soda bottles collected over the last couple of years and assorted things I did not want to take back to Japan. 

  

After the evening service they had a graduation celebration for just Teresa, since we won’t be there when they have their regular event.  We ate ice cream cake!  Yum!   Teresa was also given a Bible signed by the Pastor. 

One young boy got baptized and another man joined the church after attending for several years.  Their faith promise for missions was about  $80-90,000; their goal is $105 thousand.  The three families there were all voted on and accepted as their new missionaries.  We are so grateful for God’s supply in this way.