Quilt Shopping in Kyoto: Aizenkobo

On my recent trip to Japan I visited Kyoto for the first time.

I have always wanted to go there, and was not disappointed once I finally arrived.

We stayed at the Three Sister's Inn Annex which is a traditional Japanese Inn where you sleep on futon-like mats on the floor.  Our toilet had a place above the tank where you could wash your hands in the water as it was filling the tank for the toilet.  Efficiency!  We could not have found a better place to stay and already we are wondering how soon we can stay there again.  Highly recommend this Inn if you are in Kyoto and want to stay where the staff speaks good English.

There were many highlights in Kyoto that had nothing to do with quilting, but my favorite shop for fabric there was an easy choice:

Aizenkobo!

What:  Aizenkobo - traditional indigo dye workshop.  For sale are fabrics, indigo dyed garments, threads, and household goods


Where:  Nakasuji Omiya-nishi, Kamikyo-ku,
Kyoto 602-8449, Japan
Tel. 81(0) 785 441 0533

When:  Open weekdays 10am - 5:30 pm, (please telephone first for Saturday and Sunday visits), note I did not try to visit on a weekend.


How to get there:  We took a bus line from the Three Sister's Inn, and walked from the bus stop.  They have a really nice map on their web site.


Shopping:  I was after fabric by the yard, of course, to use in quilting projects. 

A lot of the fabric they have is available for sale by the entire bolt only, for the purpose of making a kimono.  

They will allow you to purchase yardage from a limited number of fabric bolts they have.  Minimum cut is 50cm and fabric is not very wide (14" or so).

The fabrics are something you'll have to save up for since they are around $85 USD / yd.  I got a couple of half yard pieces, because I could not resist their beauty.

I found their fabrics to be the highest quality indigo dyed fabrics that I have ever run into and cannot wait to do something special with them.

They also had some hand dyed indigo sashiko thread, so I picked up some of that.  It was pretty affordable.

If you go there, it is slightly cheaper if you can pay in cash (Japanese Yen of course).

A couple of other posts out there have more about the owners, history of the shop and the indigo dye process itself.  Read more here and here.   


A photo of the inside of the shop below as well as a snapshot of the outside along with the beautiful owner who allowed us to photograph her and was a very helpful and warm shop owner/hostess.

When in Kyoto, add Aizenkobo to your short list of places to stop.

 

Kyoto Flea Market: Chionji Temple

Once a month, there is a flea market bazaar at the University of Kyoto, Chionji Temple.

You can find information on it here and here.

Wouldn't you know that I was there on the day that it was happening (15th of every month).  Lucky us that my DH discovered this gem.  

There are all sorts of goodies there that are hand made by local artists.  It is a craft extravaganza really.  My biggest issue was that most of the items for sale are tough to travel with.  

Some of the ceramics were incredible, but didn't look like I could make it home easily with them.  

My favorite storefront was Conasyuu & Ribbon where small sewing items along with decorative pin toppers were sold.  Soooo super cute!  "Kawaii" in Japanese.  Below:

There were hand spun yarn balls.  They all looked like single ply yarns, so I didn't pick up any but they were beautiful and the proprietor was spinning yarn there in the booth.  Below:

I could not visualize a way to fit one of these adorable chairs into my luggage, so I didn't purchase one, but there are many teddy bears in my home that would shed a tear over this.  Below:

After we left Kyoto, we took a bullet train to Tokyo and the rest of our adventure was there.  Many super cool quilty hang outs there as well.  I'll cover those in an upcoming post.  As I depart from the topic of Kyoto, all can really say is - how soon do I get to go back?

A parting snapshot my husband took of me in the gardens on Heian Shrine, Kyoto.  I think this was my favorite spot on the trip.

Quilt Shopping in Kyoto: Pins and Needles at Misuyabari

Misuyabari is the kind of tiny shop that you want to live in, if you're me.  It was a big highlight of my trip to Kyoto and I was thrilled to be there in person.  

The owner mentioned to me that he has a web site, but that they don't ship their products outside of Japan.  I told him I knew that already, and that is why I was standing in his store.  It was well worth the trip.

 It is not the easiest place to find, but I have some additional photos to guide you there if you like, let me know.  There is also a great post on the Just Hungry blog that will help you get there probably better than I could.  I cannot help but throw a few extra photos in for you of the shop, so enjoy.

The shop itself has existed since the time of the royal court, and has been making needles for over 350 years.  They don't sell any fabrics but specialize in needles, tools like thread clippers, and sewing boxes.   

Some of the tools they carry below:

The sewing boxes they sell are hand made and the lids only go on in one orientation.  There is a small mark on the side of both the top and bottom to help you get them back on.  They are made of kiri wood and although it feels a bit like balsa wood, it is a different wood.  The boxes close super tightly in order to keep air out and prevent rust on the needles.  

The pin cushions that come in the mini sewing boxes are stuffed with wool not cotton.  It feels really nice to put your needle in.  My days of making cotton-filled pin cushions are over!

Their selection of needles below:  each one is made by hand and has a circular shaped eye so you can thread it very easily.  If you explain what sort of sewing you want to do, they will guide you in finding the right needle.  I got the shortest quilting needles they had for hand quilting and hand piecing.  They also carry needles for sashiko and applique.

The small decorative pin toppers they have are basically worth the trip there just to see.  Each is hand made, unique, and they have a small magnifying glass you can use to take a better look.  Incredible.  Choosing which ones to purchase will be a good challenge for you.

They also offer fabric-covered thread holders and thread clipper keepers in all colors.  Again, how to choose?

You can tell I had fun at this shop and want to return someday.  I promise to photograph the sewing box I got in an upcoming post.  I am currently using it for my next applique house block!

Japanese Sewing Box

Under the weather a small bit this week, fighting and winning finally.  Gathering energy now after lots of rest this weekend.

Should I confess that my new Japanese sewing box is more like sewing "boxes"?

Well...the little one really is little.  I will weight it to prove how little it is.

The medium one is also quite little, I swear.

When in Japan, picking up just one more teensie tiny sewing box to slip (read: cram) into the luggage...well, let's say it's the kind of small indiscretion that cannot be avoided.

The above box came from Misuyabari in Kyoto and is the 'large' size. 

I've been using it while working on finishing up my Modern House Block #11 inspired by Bev Thorne's Brubeck House in Oakland, CA.  I'm a little sad that this little quilt is soon drawing to a close from the design/blocks perspective, but I'm looking forward to design and creation of the border so I suppose I will hold back the tears for now.

A few more shopping posts coming up on both Kyoto and Tokyo later this week.

Pick-A-Winner

The fine art of removing something gooey from one's nose is at times a popular pastime for the company I keep.  My kids, of course, not my husband.

When I saw this knitting bag that looked silk screened by hand in the craft market we visited at Kyoto University, I could not resist it.

Just as I was going to try to pay for it, the shop keeper smiled at me and stuck his finger in his nose.  It was hilarious, and the cartoon image could not have captured his spirit more.  

Not often that you come across the glorification of digging for nose gold.

There is even a video on how to refine your skills (there's a video for everything out there, right?), my favorite being the 'Pick and Lick' methodology.

Alright, well apologies if I grossed you out.  I suppose there is an element of rude in here somewhere. 

Does this kick my blog out of the 'G' rated category?  I doubt it. 

Getting a little older this week, so trying to embrace my inner child.  Not a birthday ending in a zero...but that is now only around 364 days, 5 hours, and 32 min away.  But, who's counting?

Reflections on Japan: through the eyes of a quilter

I have said many good things about Japan already, and of course encourage you to visit there.

A few parting thoughts from my trip there before I turn my eye back to the projects at hand (hand quilting the baby quilt!!), and the current creative irons I have in the fire here in the California bay area....

Japanese Candy: web link

Very close to the famous knife shop Aritsugu (in Nishiki Market, Kyoto), there is a candy shop that sells all sorts of amazing hard sugar candies.  They have the most delicate flavor on earth and are a real treat.  I am not sure what the name of the shop is since all their signs were in Japanese only.  

The flavor is ever so slightly cherry and maybe vanilla too.  Anyhow, if you figure out how to get more of these over the mail, I'd love some.  It's probably likely I'll have to go back and find more on my next trip.  Their sticks are so tiny!  It feels almost civilized to eat one in public as an adult.

Yuzawaya in Kichijoji:

I had been to Yuzawaya here about five years ago, and although the train station is the same, the physical location of the store has been changed.

I didn't realize that initially and I was wandering around inside of the shop wondering if I was it a different, smaller version of the store I had been to before.

I would say it is still worth a visit, but it is closer to the U.S. version of JoAnn's fabrics, vs. a shop dedicated to quilting.  

They had some very unique items though, so certainly worth a look around.

I liked the 'made for Japan only' Liberty of London fabrics with Hello Kitty motifs.  They were so adorable and happy, I got a couple of very small cuts of them.

I also liked the 'tie-dye' looking fabrics meant for Hawaiian quilting.  I have always wanted to play around with those, so I got enough to make two or three blocks.

The Red Thread blog has a great post on how to get to their new location.

Tokyo Tree:  I tried to get tickets in advance so that we could check it out, but it was sold out for many months.  This is on my list of places to visit next time.

 

A bit about me...

Sarah of Village Quilter tagged me so here's a couple of things in case you were curious...I'm not answering all the questions since some just don't apply but here goes.

4 Jobs I've had:

• Making up mailers for my dad's business when I was a kid, he paid me by how many envelopes I licked
• Cutting fabric in a quilt shop - yes, I did work in a quilt shop, it was very fun and rewarding
• Working at the front desk of my dorm room in college (you could study while you worked, it was cool)
• Volunteer bartender at a fundraiser to fight AIDS (I still have no idea how to mix drinks!)
  

4 films I could watch over and over:

• How to Make an American Quilt - if you love to quilt, be sure to see this, it's very sweet
• Princess Bride - if you look closely, they only have 1 stunt man in this film, and he plays all the characters, men and women (complete w/ blond wig!)
• Amelie - what a lovely lovely film
• The Cuttine Edge - 80's, cheese, my sister can also watch this over and over - we love to watch it together.

4 places I would love to be:

• Kyoto - would love to visit there someday, have never made it yet.
• Grand Canyon - cannot believe I have not been there yet, this is a crime.
• Yellowstone - my camera has asked me to take it there several several times, it's starting to beg now
• Singapore - I really enjoyed visiting there, and would like to go back someday and see Malaysia too, I hope that doesn't count as 5, oops.
  
  

Quilt and yarn shopping in San Francisco

Last weekend I spent the day in San Francisco with some of my quilting friends. The girl who made up our list of places to stop was very inspired, so here's the list in case you want to re-create it next time you are in the neighborhood.

1) Dynamo Donuts: Of all the places we went, this was the only one that I suggested. Go figure, it's the only one that is wall to wall delicious with sugar-laden goodies. They have the most creative donut flavors you will ever see (outside of Austin, TX) and I'm not sure you have really lived until you try their maple bacon one. It's true that everything is actually better with bacon.

2) Kinokuniya Books: They had a bunch of cool quilting magazines there and books. I picked up one new one and a bunch of plastic dolls.

3) Peapod Fabrics: If you have the chance - DO NOT MISS THIS SHOP! If you love Japanese fabrics, as I do, you must must must - I repeat - MUST - visit this shop. Parking is horrible, but the fabrics are worth it. Some American fabrics, but tons of Japanese imports. Very unique and different selection. The owner is lovely, and from Kyoto. I even managed to pick up some Richard Scarry fabric here. It really floated my boat to discover this place, in case you couldn't tell. I also picked up the fabric shown above. It's from a collection called "Modern Wa". How perfect.

4) Urban Fauna: This is a yarn, spinning, and fiber shop within a stone's throw of Peapod. A bright airy place with the most amazing katamari damacy amagrumis on display. I was in love, they were not for sale. The thing that struck me most when I was there where these kids to make felted wool toys for kids by WoolBuddy. The frog one was really cute. They seemed to have a very nice kids class schedule too. Bummer it's so far from my house.

5) Urban Burp: Tons of vintage fabrics from the 1920's and earlier through around the 80's. I bought a piece of ABC Carebear fabric here, believe it or not. Crazy!!! I'm going to use it as a quilt backing.

6) Lunch at Samovar tea house: In all the years I've been going to the Metreon to check out the Sony store and to SF Moma, I cannot believe this was so close and I have never been before. The food selection is very international. I got their iced black tea and it was out of this world. Planning to go back here.

Whew! If you can hit all of that in one day, then my hat is off to you. And if that still didn't stop you and you want more...how about stopping at Flora Grubb. It's a very cool looking plant nursery, but I have yet to visit in person. It's on my list for next time.

Falling into Winter and Getting Tagged

Saying goodbye to fall is bittersweet for me.  I will miss the leaves changing colors and the crisp weather when you can get away with going out without a coat.

We still have some fall-ish colors on certain trees, but its starting to look like the holidays already with folks putting lights up.

Recently, Cynthia over at A Quilter By Night blog tagged me with a little me-me Q & A.  I'm not creative enough to tag other folks, but check out her post and see the links of bloggers she tagged.  They are all quite cool.


I have probably answered most of the questions already, some of them recently, so I'll answer a couple of them here:

1. What was the first quilt you ever made?
   I made a flying geese quilt, and it turned out in this very odd non-rectangle shape.  I didn't want to lose any of my hard work though, and refused to cut any of it off.  It's still on my bed right now, with one corner that hangs down a little longer.
2. What is your favorite city?
   I cannot pick just one, but I love Kyoto, San Francisco, and Austin.  Don't make me pick!
3. Do you have a favorite museum?
   SFMOMA and the de Young are up there for me.
4. What is one of your favorite easy dinners to make?
   Roasted Chicken w/ Carrots - a quilting friend turned me on to this one...yummy!
5. How would you describe your quilting style in three words?
   Japanese Hand-quilting-with-lots-of Applique
   

Tokyo Dome Great Quilt Festival 2013: Eye candy

Are you looking for quilting eye candy, or real candy?  

How about a photo of some Japanese lollipops make in Kyoto to kick off my favorite post of the year about (duh!) the Tokyo Dome.

Did you visit the biggest quilt show on the planet this year?

Or did you want to?  That would be me of course.

The Tokyo Dome Great Quilt Festival is perhaps the most bountiful feast for the eyes that a quilter could hope to come upon.

Although I didn't make it there this year, one of my best friends did go, and it looks like a lot of other people went too!


- Lynett Anderson visited and posted several really great photos at her blog.

- Queenie also was there and took some incredible photos too.

- eQuilter is another good place to stop by for some Tokyo Dome eye candy.

 - Blossom Heart has a photo matrix that may blow your mind.

- Robots-Dreams flickr set has a awesome collection of images from the show.

If you went, and you're posting photos, please do let me know so I can add your link the list here.

For those of your keeping score at home, this is the 7th year I've been blogging about other people's photos from the show!

Next year it will be MY photos you're looking at.  I'm going to find a way to get there.  Beware, I might be hiding in your luggage.