7 Bags in 7 Days

I have a group of friends here in Yokosuka that have asked me to teach them to sew. My initial thought when asked was, "I'm not qualified." Living in Japan and taking classes in Ikebana (the Japanese art of flower arranging) and Shibori (the Japanese form of sophisticated tie-dying) has made me reconsider the very western mentality of "I've taken a 2-hour workshop, therefor I am now qualified to teach a class."

The Japanese put a lot of emphasis on levels. For example I have an Ikenobo (the oldest school of Ikebana) sensei who is a level 18 (out of 20) instructor. Level 18. Each level requires a certain amount of study and then a test. I suppose that is why here in Japan, Ikebana is not just "flower arranging" it truly is an art. The crowds from the Ikebana exhibition I saw in the fall were something akin to seeing the Monet exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Art a number of years ago. You needed tickets and it was jam packed with people.

During my shibori studies, I would ask the ladies in my class how many years they had been studying shibori. Some would say 5 years, or 10 years or even 20. I was amazed, "Twenty years?" I would say. "You could be teaching." They would smile and look down, shaking their heads and say "Oh, no, I'm not qualified." Really? This was just not something my western brain could wrap her little head around. Who studies a craft for 20 years and is not qualified to teach?

My friends gently pressed me. One friend wanted to make an apron. Another shares my love of Swany's boutique bags and came with a stack of patterns with the question "I want to make these but don't know how. Can you help me figure it out?" The third friend just wants to learn how to use her machine, happy to go on the sewing adventure wherever it will lead her.

I caved. We have been getting together twice a month. In exchange for my time, they all bring something to share for lunch. Food and friendship shared over sewing. I think I am getting much more out of this deal than they are.

I'm getting sewing questions I don't think about anymore like "How do you sew on a button?" or "How do I know what needle to use on my machine?" or "What's this presser foot used for?" – it has required me to take a step back and do a little research. It has also forced me to focus. On bags.

There are more bag patterns from Swany's than I have time to make before we leave this summer but I will be trying to figure out as many as I can before I go. My friend who shares my love of the Swany's bags emailed me last night with "I picked up more patterns when I was at Swany's today." "Bring them next time" was my response "I'll try to figure them out." (they are in Japanese)

With the request for bag guidance and knowing that I'm always better working on a deadline (even if they are self-imposed)  I have decided to make seven bags in seven days. It will take some patience and figuring out (most likely ripping out) as I struggle to look at the corresponding photos we've taken when in Swany's and compare them to the patterns, but what I'm discovering is that I'm really enjoying this exercise. My friends through their request for help in learning to sew, have pushed my sewing skills into new directions. Over the sewing table we've shared stories, recipes, laughs and support – all of which of course has left me ... inspired.

Love affair with Swany’s

There is a charming, lovely, and very inspiring fabric store located in Kamakura, about a 20 minute train ride from where I live in Yokosuka Japan. This sounds convenient until you factor in that to get there I have to drive to the base parking lot that is closest to the train station, walk to the train station and then once in Kamakura, I have a 10 minute walk from the station to the store. I’m not complaining, I’m just setting the stage for my friends in the states. The point is I’m not just hopping in my car and dashing to the fabric store to pick up a few supplies. When I go to Swany’s I’m going with intent. I have a list. I am, of course, wildly open to impulse purchases.

When we lived in the DC area I used to frequent G Street Fabrics. There I would caress bolt after bolt of gorgeous fabrics, my mind drifting from one sewing project to another. My husband maintains it is not physically possible for me to go into a fabric store without running my hands over every bolt (I believe he exaggerates, but then again given the groans from the backseat gang when I even dare to mention fabric store … maybe not). I took classes there, learned how to make decorator pillows, valences for our homes, even lined, French-pleat draperies (no easy feat). I love a really good fabric store. I find it amazing that you can take a lifeless piece of fabric and with a little vision and a pattern you can create whatever you can imagine.

On my first outing to Kamakura when I arrived here in 2009, Bossy Explorer led a group of us to visit Swany’s. Touted as the fabric store to go to, I couldn’t wait to see what was in store. Alas, one of the frustrations to the language barrier is not understanding the signage. We were, as the saying goes, “so close and yet so far.” In the hiatus that Bossy had taken on a one year tour in DC, Swany’s had apparently upgraded. The building she recalled as the main storefront was only selling remnants. Not what our crew had in mind, we walked away disappointed but there was a promise of “the best waffles in Japan” and my attention was diverted. Had we walked a short block further and turned a corner we would have discovered a 3-story fabric wonderland – Swany’s had gone upscale.

‘Wa’

What makes this store so different from say a box store like Joanne’s or Hancocks back in the U.S.? Of course there is the Japaneseness. Not sure that’s a word – but it should be when living here in Japan. My friend, Gracious Explorer, explained that in Japan this is known as ‘Wa.’ Swany’s knows their ‘Wa.’ The store has artful displays of fabric and everywhere you turn there are samples of beautiful boutique bags made from the fabric you were just drooling over. Better yet is that each display has a tag with a number on it, when you purchase 1000 Yen (in better exchange rate days 1:1 that would be $10) you get a pattern from 100’s to chose from. I’m not kidding, they have binders of patterns. My collection has begun. The only downside for me of course is that these patterns are in Japanese (what else?). Not to let that deter me I have already made several items.

My time is short here, we are in the countdown to move this summer, but I am determined to make the most of it – as in make as many projects from Swany’s as I can before we leave. Check back in from now until they pack up my sewing machine ... approximately 14 weeks from now and see what I’ve been making, because one thing is certain, Swany’s leaves me ... inspired.

Link to Swany's in Kamakura. If you scroll to the bottom you'll find the map with directions from the train station - in Japanese ... but of course! http://www.swany-kamakura.co.jp/shopguide02.html

Begin Again

I’ve tried a 5-star Fettuccine Pie recipe – a big NO.

A “Crowd-Pleasing Casserole” from Woman’s Day – thumbs down all around.

A prize tested $400 winning recipe from BH&G – it did not win any rave reviews in our house.

These three teenager’s of mine have apparently tough palates to please or at least they’re tough to please all at once. One will at least eat eggplant, the other two push it to the side. Two love tofu, one does not. One’s tired of eating salmon. Two love curry, one only likes it in restaurants. The same two will at least eat my attempts at Indian food, the other goes in search of the cereal.

I am still on my quest – the quest I began a year ago with the idea that surely after more than 25 years of reluctantly being stuck in the kitchen I must have enough recipes that are hits with this crew of mine. Enough to flush out 12 weeks of no-brainer cooking – that’s my dream, when 5 o’clock rolls around every weekday afternoon that I have a plan, I’m not standing in the kitchen with all the cabinet doors open willing something to fall out and hit me that declares “cook me!” That I don’t have to think about meal prep. A mom can dream …

Three active, sports involved teenagers makes for something akin to vulture’s circling for prey come 5 pm. Two 16-year old twins consume volumes of food I could never have envisioned. The produce guy at the commissary knows me. The id checker comments when I’m there more that once a day.

“Weren’t you just here this morning?” she asks

“16-year old twin sons” I sigh. “You cannot begin to imagine.”

I never have enough: milk, apples, bananas, grapes, orange juice, bread, pretzels, gingersnaps – oh hell, basically any kind of carbs. I have reviewed portion control, pointed out that 9 apples should last at minimum three days – an apple a day for each resident teenager. Important to know since apples here in Japan cost a fortune. I even have our grocery list itemized with most used items, organized by aisle. I know, I know … it does seem a bit over the top but believe me it saves tons of time. Sadly, my kids apparently can metabolize food faster than I can shop. I don’t care for grocery shopping – the faster the cart moves down the aisle the quicker I am in and out. This list making, the menu planning it’s all an effort to spend less time doing what I dislike (food shopping and cooking) and more time doing things I do like (anything besides being in a grocery store or cooking … well you could add anything to do with housekeeping too but that’s another story). I am not domestic and yet, here I find myself on a forced march through domesticity. So the goal is less time spent doing what I dislike – which leads me back to the 12-week menu plan.

At the beginning of 2011 I had the idea of 12 weeks, 60 meals (I’m allegedly off Saturday and Sunday) and almost but not quite made it to the end before we had the interruption of the triple disaster of March 11^th here in Japan. When the kids and I returned and began the new school year, I tried to strike out the no-hitters and replace them with the hopefuls. All too soon schedules became crazed and I was back to survival cooking. The new year brought new hope and I was determined to try once more – maybe the third time would be the charm. We are now on week eight, more than three-quarters of the way through this extended experiment. I’m still having some bombs (see above) but I do seem to be having more hits and I’m not hearing “I’m tired of eating xyz, we just had that.” I spent 2 days over the Christmas break cooking and freezing some pasta sauces, chili and pizza dough. I loaded up my iTouch with podcasts and playlists and cranked in the kitchen. Strangely, when I now open the freezer I feel a sense of peace with the knowledge that if it comes down to it and I’m desperate for a dinner – I’ve got choices already prepared.

One of my favorite pasta sauces to make and freeze is the Tomato Artichoke Heart Sauce. Last Wednesday things got a bit wiggy in the afternoon – five o’clock rolled around and I still had not started dinner prep. Resident teenagers were beginning to deplete all carb containers in the pantry. Thankfully I was able to reach into the freezer and grab dinner. A no-brainer dinner was at the ready.

The date I have noted on the recipe is April 1995 with “very good” written down. A momentous month for our household – when a working couple became a family, two times over. When those twin eating machines of ours were born 16 years ago my mom came and stayed with us and aside from the unnamed hundreds of daily tasks she helped me with, the care and survival of a mom of newborn twins, the one I remember most clearly was that she left me with a freezer full of home cooked meals. A precious gift – the gift of a mothers cooking. And so while my kids, continue to give me some thumbs downs on my efforts in the kitchen, I am not deterred. My mom is one fabulous cook. She was an Entreprenuer when I was a teenager and yet I recall her somehow finding the time to make us a home cooked meal each night. I don’t know how she managed.

I may not enjoy being stuck in the kitchen but my mom through her actions to take the time and effort to create a meal for the ones you love is a lesson learned from my childhood and leaves me … inspired.

Linguine with Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts

(4 servings)

2 Tbsp olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 16-oz can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

1 14+ oz jar marinated artichoke hearts

12-oz linguine, cooked and drained

1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté  until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, reserved juices, basil and oregano and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add artichokes with marinade to sauce and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to sauce. Toss until sauce coats pasta and mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to large bowl and serve with remaining parmesan.

(The date I have noted on this recipe is 4/1995 – it’s a copy, I am not entirely sure if my memory serves me well but I believe it came from an issue of Gourmet Magazine)

Setsubun at Hachimangu

“Oni wa so to (Out with the devil).
Fu ku wa uchi (Come in happiness)!”

On February third, the Japanese celebrate Setsubun, a festival celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of warm spring. Roasted soybeans, called fuku mame (fortune beans) are thrown at Mame make (bean throwing) ceremonies held in shrines and temples as people try to ward off devils and wish for good fortune. It is believed that if you eat the same number of fuku mame, equal to your age this will bring you health and happiness in the coming year. Setsubun is unique in that it is honored both at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. 

I joined 20 Americans and one very generous and lovely Japanese lady, Reiko-san, for the bean throwing celebration at the Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura yesterday. Reiko-san, when asked if she could arrange for a group of Americans to view the Setsubun activities did not miss a beat and responded by replying "Sure, how many tickets?" 

20 was the answer. 

She's a brave soul to take on so many of us single handedly but more than managed (we introduced her to the saying of "herding cats"). She was not only able to procure us tickets to the roped off area of the event but also tickets to the Winter Peony exhibition (my good fortune to see it twice within a week) as well as having us meet one of the head priests after the ceremony. He then presented all of us with gift bags. Seriously. The tickets were free and we get gifts too? 

I had no idea what exactly to expect but the celebration was so much fun. The throwers are apparently dignitaries and local celebrities who line the pavilion holding boxes filled with little packets of soy beans. At the sound of a gong they proceed to throw them out to the crowd, while over a speaker you hear "Oni wa so to. Fu ku wa uchi! Oni wa so to. Fu ku wa uchi!" After less than a minute you hear whistles and everything stops. This happened several times until I finally turned to one of my friends and said "what are the whistles for?" and a Japanese bystander piped up and told us that they are for crowd control. Only in Japan! Not only do they have people watching and decide when things are getting a little rowdy to blow a whistle – everyone listens and stops. I can see why they do this though, I was too busy trying to snap photos while getting knocked about and left the bean catching to my daughter. She did quite well, not only did she get a packet with a symbol for a prize (what we discovered the bags were all for that I took a photo of walking in) she also scored enough packets for everyone in the family to eat roasted soy beans to bring us health and happiness in the coming year. Now that's something to not only celebrate but also give me some ... inspiration. 

Kamakura Winter Peonies at Hachimangu

on all sides,

the peony wards off

rain clouds

– Yosa Buson (1716–1783)

I’ve entered into the phase we military spouses refer to as short-timers. We have six months left of our tour here in Japan and with the flip of the calendar into a new year I seem to have been hit head on with the meaning … I’ve begun the season of “lasts.” As in … this will be the last time I go to the Tokyo International Quilt Show – ever. As in … I will not get to see the Yamate Western style homes decorated again.

It also begins a phase of firsts – making the time to experience those things I’ve wanted to see but somehow never made the time to. This is how I found myself last week, standing in the Winter Peony exhibition on the grounds of the Hachimangu Shrine in Kamakura, crossing off one of those items on my short-list. The past two winters I had seen the posters for these winter beauties in the train station and had made mental notes to myself to go see them but other priorities apparently got in the way. Now, without another winter season ahead of me here in Japan, I had to make time or the opportunity would be lost.

Among the many things the Japanese Way has led me to appreciate, is the way they take time out to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of nature. There were eight of us who took the train ride over from Yokosuka to Kamkaura last week. It was a cold windy day with clouds moving in and out of some desperately needed sunshine. As Buson said in his haiku “on all sides, the peony wards off, rain clouds” – the peonies were beautiful and of course left me … inspired.

Tokyo International Quilt Show 2012

Bossy Explorer and I were on the train platform by 8 a.m. to meet Patient Explorer on the first car of the express train to Tokyo. Patient Explorer is our Japanese friend who patiently and graciously puts up with us and until this past summer Weather Explorer. She is patient when we ask her to translate things or explain things or make phone calls for us – all this she does with a smile. She has gone on many of our outings, helped coordinate some and always, always is the consummate Japanese lady. The date had been on our calendar for months – the Tokyo International Quilt Show was our destination. For the past two years I have attended this spectacular display of quilts and was ready to be wowed and inspired once more.

I purchased my ticket and once down on the floor turned to Bossy and said “I’m hitting the vendors first and will look at the quilts after lunch.” I had two hours to make my way through the jam-packed aisles before our agreed lunch rendevous, time to make notes and jot down ideas as I passed interesting displays and tried in vain to hold on to as much of my Yen as I could until I made the full sweep.

Once again, the Japanese Way with fiber art speaks to me. The asymmetrical designs, the simplicity and elegance of the designs – this is what I’d come back for. I made note of which number vendors I wanted to revisit and wrote down the cost of the items I wished to purchase – there would be some serious decision making during my lunch break because for better (my desire to stock up on all things Japanese) or worse (my financial bottom line) I did not find a single vendor who would take credit cards. Not one to let a small thing like “all the instructions are in Japanese” I found myself purchasing the tatami matt webbing that I’ve made several purses from. These bags are so interesting, I could not resist. A date with my sewing machine is in my future

Post-lunch, Bossy, Patient and I headed off to look at the quilts. Bossy’s camera died after only a few shots and I became her photographer. Looking for inspiration for the momentous occasion this Spring when she becomes a grandmother – Bossy’s take on the quilts were completely different from mine and through her eyes I saw and appreciated quilts I might otherwise have blown right by. That’s not to say that I didn’t have my moments too. A few of my favorites:

• The Japan quilt – this quilt was breathtaking and the craftsmanship … unbelievable. The details – the hand stitching and embellishment, the layers of fabric and organza, questions of technique – Bossy was surprisingly patient with me as I took photo after photo of this quilt. It's a two sided quilt filled with hearts on one side and cherry blossoms on the other.

• Framed Quilts – These quilts take up such a small space and yet what the artists were able to create within the confines – it was like a license for details. I really liked the whimsy of the felt beads but will have to acknowledges Bossy’s point that it’s a loose definition of quilt. Fiber Art definitely but quilt? Not so sure.

• The bags – oooooohhh the bags. I love the Japanese handbags at these shows and apparently the Japanese do too because the vendors who were selling handles to create your own boutique bags had lines (organized of course with a man holding a sign to let you know where the end of the line was – I didn’t have to read Kanji to figure that one out).

• The Original Design category and the ‘Wa’ category sort of melded in my mind one into another although Patient Explorer did explain that ‘Wa’ means things Japanese but then she smiled and went on to say that of course it also means lots of other things too. Of course it does. (photos at the top are from these 2 categories)

There was so much to see – around every corner more beautiful art. This year of course had so much to do with hope, hope for the future, hope for those still suffering the aftermath of the March 11^th triple disaster in Tohoku and through this art there is of course … inspiration. 

Epiphany

Epiphany

In Christian churches the epiphany season marks new beginnings, a new year in the church calendar. A time to move forward.

In the Miriam-Webster Dictionary it can also mean “an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking” or “an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure.”

2011 certainly offered those of us stationed here in Japan opportunities to have more than one epiphany as we struggled with decisions that we hope our friends and family back home would never face. Like Christmas ornaments. On the surface these are just decorations but when faced with a decision on what to keep vs what to walk away from they become oh so much more. Each one laced with a memory. If someone handed you a box containing all your ornaments collected over the years and said you can only pick twelve – the rest you may never see again – what would you pick? How could you decide? These are the questions our children faced back in March.

Washi Eggs

If you had walked into our living room nine months ago you would have wondered what I was thinking. Amid all the chaos of trying to pull together essentials and throw them in suitcases to leave for an underdetermined amount of time to an as yet to-be-determined-place, sat our Christmas Boxes. All of them – the big kind that can hold boxes within boxes. I did not bring all of our holiday décor when we embarked on our overseas move, in fact for the tree trimming I only brought the kids Christmas ornaments. I was on a quest for three small boxes.

“Um, mom, what are you doing?” was the question.

I think they were worried … under the pressure of an earthquake, potential radiation fallout and an evacuation I had finally cracked.

“Here’s the deal guys … we don’t know if we’re coming back. The instructions are to pack like we’ll never return. It’s crazy, I know but you all have to decide what is it you want to take. I thought there would be some ornaments in here that were special to you and you’d rather take. You can leave them at Nana and Granddaddy’s when we get there.”

Three faces were looking back at me as this information registered. The suitcases, the dog crate, the paperwork, the passports that were surrounding us … all that was just stuff, replaceable. But the Christmas ornaments? Those are old friends, memories brought out each year and revisited. Sacred territory.

It was only a moment, a few seconds most likely, as my words hung in the air and then like someone throwing a switch they all sprung into action, opening their respective boxes.

The annual ornaments from my parents were apparently a no brainer, as were the ornaments given to my children by close family friends. The others though were harder choices.

“Mom what do we do about the glass ornaments?”

Good question. “I guess we’ll just pack those back up and hope for the best.” Meaning this craziness circulating at the moment about base closures, locking the keys to the front gates and walking away from a nuclear wasteland was over reaction and part of the rumor mill gone viral.

Five months later, in August, when we finally returned to Japan I knew I was going to put a different spin on our holiday tree. What to put on that tree was a bigger question. I did not want the limbs to be bare and so I started working on washi eggs. Beautiful, but time consuming, my visions of a tree covered in nothing but eggs quickly had a reality check. My expectations were reduced to the still Type A goal of a dozen eggs per child – three dozen eggs. Mondays became my craft day and for a couple of months I worked to cover and finish the eggs.

The eggs dangled from the branches and it was a lovely sight. More washi eggs are in my future – I am not ready to let go of my vision of a tree full of these delicate beauties. Sometimes it takes an "illuminating discovery" to realize that two things as simple as an egg and a piece of paper can be joined together to create something entirely new and beautiful. As the new season of the church begins, I chose to mark this time by looking forward and as our 6 month countdown begins search for new ways to be inspired each day here in Japan.

Check back in for pictures and instructions on how to cover eggs with washi paper.