japanese weekend

Jon and I were reminiscing about Japan last weekend, so we had a little theme day date.

First Jon whipped up some eel and cucumber rolls and tamago nigiri. He's getting much better at his inside out rolls and he equates this to perfecting his sushi mat saran wrapping skills. And the tamago is getting much neater too thanks to the tamago pan he bought in Japan. Sushi is a lot harder to make than it looks!

After lunch we headed to Novi, the Japanese mecca of Michigan, and checked out the bookstore/tea bar/DVD/souvenir store, Mirai, and the grocery store, One World Market.

I scored at the bookstore finding a craft book and an interesting craft/lifestyle magazine with great pictured directions. The US equivalent is probably something like Better Homes and Gardens or Real Simple. The magazine has gardening tips, clothes sewing projects, exercises, face washing/makeup application tips, and some interesting craft projects. I was a big fan of the price. It's 500 yen in Japan and only $7 at the store, so not a big mark-up at all. The photos aren't as inspiring as normal craft books, but the 4-6 pages of directions per project make the book worth the price.

bags made out of thrifted mens dress shirts

button artwork...I want to try a portrait like this one

this quilt is too cute. Not sure my first applique project should be from a book in Japanese, though!

squishy slippers made from rope covered in a thrifted towel. Jon wants me to make a pair for him for some indoor summer slippers around the house.

all of the project directions in this book are photographed and layed out like this. Great for a non-japanese reader.

Comments

[Zainab]

Hi,
I somehow found your blog yesterday and have to say I love your quilts! And knitting! You have a talent, you know that? I've been thinking about making my first quilt for some time now but I'm still not sure how to do it, do you have any tutorials/links? Or maybe it's just my laziness talking, don't know.
But anyway, just wanted to say I really like your stuff... AND CATS! I've got one too :)
Z.

[Catherine]

I wish America would get the hint and lay out simple step directions that make sense, are truly easy and have pictures! I love looking at all the magazines and books you come across!

[*karen]

Hello. Nice to meet your blog. I think I saw slippers similar to the ones you posted above in an issue of Cotton Time. They didn't use rope, though. I'd really like to make a pair now. (And Jon made the sushi himself? Super impressed...)

[Shea]

Thanks for the compliments! You will really enjoy Water for Elephants- I am still talking about it. Up next on my reading list is A Thousand Spendid Suns. It's by the same author of The Kite Runner- which is in my permanent Top 5.

I also have a Janome! I bit the bullet last summer and bought myself the 6500. I know I will never need another machine- I am in love with it.

Happy reading/sewing!

[Oiyi]

Those rolls are making me hungry! $7 for the mag is really not that bad especially since it had directions, considering how much the Japanese craft books go for.