Latest quiltsThes

This is a lap quilt with a mixture of squares and the back is totally scrappy. 

This is for a baby somewhere.  This is number 295 I've done in the last 20+ years.

Neighbor's Construction

Our neighbors behind us live next to a somewhat steep slope.  In September,  a Kobe city crew came and started redesigning the slope due to the strong possibility of landslide.  Now there is no vegetation on the slope.  These photos show what's behind the houses after they removed the three-foot stone wall.  We think the city is going to put in a cement wall, probably up the side that's been cleared and level.  We shall see. Construction is to be done before year's end. 

Some support wall.

Here is where the stone wall used to be. 

Latest Row by Row

The top one is named Hooked on Quilts from City's Edge Studio in Warsaw, MO.  The bottom one is called Hooked on Quilting from Nancy's Fancy's in Richmond, IN.  There's a 3" quilt on the end of the fishing line.   All of this was appliqued with a satin edge stitch.  Not my favorite thing to to, but it turned out nicely.   

Update on KIBBS construction

Two ladies are cleaning the new tile in the main foyer area. 

Tile almost ready for grout.

This view is from the dining area looking toward the front doors.  A passageway was built under the existing stairs to my right as I took the photo. 

This is the music room/storage area for now.  The old sliding glass doors were removed and new double pane windows put in.  Here sheet rock is being installed.

From the music room looking out to the parking lot. 

New construction--what is being built?

About a half-mile from where we live is some new construction on a previously empty field.  Rumor has it that it will be a new high school.   These photos were taken from the stairwell of an apartment complex across the street.

So far it's just lots of dirt being moved around from pile to pile and loaded into multitudes of trucks to cart it away, maybe to make a new island offshore someplace.  

Looks like water/sewer pipes ready to be put in. 

KIBBS reform work

The Bible School is getting a new foyer area.  Old walls were taken out to open up this area, taken from the President's office. The main entrance is to the left.  New windows were added in several rooms

The floor needed cement added to level it out for new tile to be placed.

The sliding glass doors were removed and new double-paned windows will be put in.  Eventually the parking lot where everyone is standing will be paved and the new siding will be painted white.
More photos to follow.

Row by Row Sewn Rows

These are from 2015 Row by Row Experience when we traveled last summer from Denver and headed East from there, then down to TX, and back up to ND, and ending up in Nebraska for Peter and Jewel's wedding.  Along the way we stopped at some 40 quilt shops and collected patterns and fabric license plates.  I'm getting around to putting these together then will make some quilts out of them--sometime in the future.  It was a great experience meeting so many small business owners and talking about our favorite past time.  Would love to do it again in another year. 

The top is from The Fig Leaf in Ft. Collins, Co, the second one is from The Stitchin' Post in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

The top one here is from Sew Chic in Fairmont, WVA;  the middle one is Watergun Fight! from from Robin's Nest, Edwardsburg, MI; and the bottom fish are Igg and Ook  Best Fish Friends from In the Making in Birmingham, Alabama

The top one is from Quilters Haven in Rockford, Illinois, home of the Sock Monkey;  The bottom one is from Material Girls in LaPlata, MD.  I added this verse from Acts 14:17: "...He did good and gave us rain from heaven..."

The bottom one is from Unique Stitches in Bedford, PA.

More coming. 

This one is entitled, It's OK to be Different from Heartsong Quilts in Hot Springs, SD, the second shop we visited.  

Top one is a football field from Sew Delightful in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; the middle one is from Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, VA, and has batik fish; the bottom one is Making Waves from The Quilted Ladybug in Moorehead, Minnesota. 

Typhoon passes by

Today we got dumped on by a typhoon, but not a direct hit.  There was lots of rain, but very little wind.  The yard had standing water, the fields also had standing water and the creeks were nearly full to overflowing.  This does not happen often here in Kobe, for which we are grateful.

The veggie garden under water

The creek below our property that's on the left slope.

Harvested rice field across the street.  The chaff and straw are not going to be usable, unfortunately.  It gets used for mulching and covering seeds so birds can't get at them.

This bird sought shelter under our eave and on the cross.  Good place to be. 

This is the field right outside the kitchen--lots of standing water.

The creek below our property was nearly flooding at this point.

The larger creek across the street normally runs slowly; today it had white water. 

It's Harvest Time

Saturday here in Kita Kobe.  The farmers were harvesting rice as quickly as possible because of a coming typhoon.  Normally it is done over a several days, but not this time.

Rice ready to reap.

Two men starting on another field; the last one of the day. 

This machine will cut the rice off the stalks and bag it into 40+ kg bags.  

Philippians 4:19

Saturday I was making breakfast of pancakes and eggs and realized there were just four left for Sunday and Monday's meals--not enough.  I thought to myself, I should have bought an extra carton.  This was about 8:00 a.m.

Less than 10 minutes later my neighbor calls and asks, "Would you like some eggs?"  I said sure, thinking maybe she had an extra carton.  She brought over a box of 30 eggs her son got on a business trip to another island.   What a blessing.

 God answered the need before I even asked.  How cool is that?   Thank you, Lord for providing our daily needs.


Please pray for Mrs. Tsujigami (tsoo-gee-ga-me) and family to get saved.  In recent months I have taken Mrs. T to her doctor visits because her family is either at work or in school and can't take her.  She has given us oodles of fresh vegetables over the years, so it's like payback.  She always asks what I am making for dinner and I tell her and she asks if I could make some extra for her family.  Usually it's spaghetti or pasta because that's our usual Wednesday meal and her appointments are on Wednesday.  I figure it's an avenue of opening the hearts of the family to the gospel.

Philippians_4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Progress

The scaffold has grown to two levels and extends the length of the building, about 52 feet. Meanwhile, looking out the kitchen window one sees a beautiful sunset amid the boards and planks.

Support beams have been placed. That black stuff is mold on the gutters up there.  The entire side will get power washed first, then painted. 

Joshua helped by securing the support boards. 

Sara had to get up there and help Dad remove the lighted cross and the church sign.  I was out shopping.  Upon return, I also got up there with Sara and helped take down the sign.  NOT one of my favorite things--I do no like ladders. 

This sign is now 18 years old and could use some new paint itself.  It's long, but surprisingly lightweight.  

Sunset and light reflection out the dining room window. 

One huge moth

This critter was found near our trash pick-up station.  This moth must have been  over two
inches in size, about what is in the photo.  There appears to be a "face" right behind its head. 
More wonders of God's creation. 

Time for Cleaning the House

Henry has started a much-needed project of cleaning/painting the outside of the building.  The preliminary step is to make scaffolding.  Josh Durden came over to help put it together.

The truck delivering the 2x4-cut lumber (not common here in Japan). 

Getting the frame laid out.

The basic set-up being set up.  This will go the length of the building about 52 feet, then it has to be dismantled to do the other side and the front and back.  First the building gets power-washed, then it will be painted, so there's going to be lots of putting this up and taking it down in the weeks to come.   Please pray for safety.  

Latest Quilting Efforts

These are 6 of the over 40 Row by Row patterns I collected in 2015. The top one is from Somewhere Sewing in Millersburg, OH, UFO one is from Olde Forest Quilt Shop in Greensboro, NC;  third one is from Quilting Sew Easy in Gaffney, SC; the Waves one is from Weaver's Dry Goods in Lititz, PA, the bottom one is from Branums' in Martinez, Ga and the Fargo one is from Rae-Bon Sew and quilt shop in Fargo, ND.  Now, after I finish sewing the rest of nearly 40 patterns, I do not know exactly how/what I will do with them.  These patterns have lots of applique, some cut via laser which makes them very precise.  Very colorful and different patterns from what I usually do.

This is a quilt I gave to one of my English students.  I'm thinking I should have arranged the blocks differently, however, she really loves it, so it's fine. 

This is a simple quilt for a new baby girl.  This type goes together fast, of course.