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Thanks a million for those of you who look
forward to my entries about this Japan trip!
I'm impressed with how popular Japanese fabric/zakka
has become among crafters all over the world.
Japan is not only for temples and animes!
We've got more attraction here, and I always
feel great letting people know that!
I didn't know about this little fabric store
located next to the preschool I attended as a kid.
One time my mom sent me some extremely quality linen
from Japan and I simply loved it. She took me
to the fabric store where she found the linen, and
that's where I had to gasp and went crazy afterwords.
The fabric store's got lots and lots and loooooots
of kinds of fabrics I like! I had to look through
everything in the store, because there were many
surprises as I went through.
Oh my! Hey!! Awww!!!!!
Some are made in Japan and some are not.
Some looked familiar and some looked new
to me. I love discovering new fabrics.
The joy is indescribable, isn't it?
Did I go way too crazy there? Yeah, I might
have to agree that I bought too much before the
next trip to Nippori where I'll probably find
more fabrics that are less expensive.
But I really enjoyed the company with the
owner of the little store and I loved how
I was the only customer the entire time and
was able to look at fabrics without other
people around. I can save some money on
fabric in Nippori, but do I enjoy the constant
crowd there where I was constantly smothered by
other people? Not really.
The owner kindly gave me this fabric from the
early 90's. Isn't it kinda interesting fabric?
I hope you are not tired of looking at
fabrics at this point, because I have some more!
haha! I shopped online for fabric too!
Oh sure I am really crazy about fabrics!
I just knew that this online fabric store
carries rare fabrics that I wouldn't see at
local stores, so I had to buy some from them too.
The good thing about this store is that
you can purchase any fabric for just a tiny
bit. Spending only 100yen ($1) or some little
more for cute fabric sounds really good, right?
Cotton Tail makes it possible for you!
As a patchwork lover, I sometimes need
only a ttle piece of fabric.
They have lots of fabric with a little
patterns like teeny tiny flowers and
polka dots. I just love that kind.
Ok, done with showing all the fabrics I've
got so far! After I get back to the U.S.,
I'll make three giveaway sets of fabric and
possibly some other things. It will be fun ;)
Some pics of Humpty Dumpty, a zakka store,
near my home. It is nearly impossible to leave
this store without buying anything. They've got
a big selection of really pretty zakka!
I went there yesterday with my sister.
While we were there, a blackout happened
and for a while it was difficult to
see the items with no light, but it didn't
bother us at all. We kept shopping in the darkness.
Some kids stuff there was so adorable!
Aren't these aprons pretty?
How about this cute fish bag?
I love cute items for kids!!!
Cute magnets...!
Ornaments that made me smile...!
Thanks for reading!!
Thanks a lot for the comments you've left for me
recently and thank you also in advance for any
comments/e-mails you might give for me in the near future.
I really appreciate the opportunities to hear
from you and enjoy reading what I receive, but
I've been quite busy and haven't been able to
reply to each comment yet. I apologize for this, but
I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate
each and every comment from my heart of hearts!
Oh, these fabrics? Yes! I got to go to Nippori
Textile Town yesterday, so I got lots and lots of
fabrics that I'd never seen in person in America
for really inexpensive prices!
I was absolutely thrilled when I got Nippori!
"Finally! Finally! How long do you think I'd been
dreaming about this place?! I waited too long!!!"
But the sad thing was that I got there around 5pm
and most stores closed at 6pm, giving me
almost no time to shop around. I knew I could come
back soon but I was way too excited that I started
grabbing whatever that seemed cute and
unusual without much thinking.
I respect those people who have exact plans
when they pick up fabrics from stores. They know
what they need for how much for specific craft projects
every time they shop at fabric stores. Unfortunatelly
that doesn't happen to me very often. My principle of
shopping fabric is like.."I buy if I find cute ones."
Kinds of fabric? Linen? Cotton? How much of it?
Fat quarters or more? Who knows! I just want it!!
Oh trust me! I actually live pretty frugally,
and I am quite careful when I shop for other things
but fabrics. Fabric will live almost forever.
I believe owning too much fabric is a good thing.
It will one day pay for me, so it's ok to follow
my instinct if I happen to find cute fabric!
Japanese fabric is especially great one to have,
because I like to enclose a piece or more of
Japanese fabric when someone purchases my handmade
items from my shop for a little appreciation.
And also, I'm doing giveaway when I get back to
San Jose, so I can give some of them for you!
Oh how I love lettered fabrics! Why is it so hard to
find fabric with English letters printed on in the U.S.
but Kanji (Chinese characters) printed fabric is everwhere
there? It is really difficult to find Kanji fabric here
in Japan just because modern Japanese people don't
find it cute. We want English instead!!
I guess everyone wants something different
from what they are used to seeing, huh?
So glad I finally got this Embroidery book.
I was craving for embroidery ideas! I love this book!
While I was away from Japan for 2 years, a huge
Kinokuniya (book store) has opened near my home
in Gunma, Japan. It's now the biggest book store in
this prefecture! I love it!
Some pictures for Zakka fan? Sure!
Oh! I was asked what "Zakka" means.
It simply means anything that makes your
home pretty. For instance, some cute toys and
baskets to decorate your room are good examples
of Zakka, but things like dishes and towels
can be counted as Zakka, if they are cute
enough to make your space prettier.
I found these coasters at a Zakka store too.
Simply little things that makes you smile..
that's zakka! I hope I explained well, if not,
check out this wikipedia page.
And some pictures unrelated to crafting.
My sister lives in Yamanashi and we always
stay ay her apartment whenever we visit Japan.
Such a country place. I always expect about 10
mosquito bites,,but Joe enjoys this place a lot.
It was obnoxiously hot and humid!!!
We went to Hachioji festival with my sister and
her boyfriend yesterday. I ate too much food there
and couldn't anything anymore until this morning.
Japan trip has been pretty fun!
I'll post more later about this trip and
hopefully more fabric that I find on the
next trip to Nippori ;)
Thanks so much for reading this long entry!!
Have a great summer time!
Thanks a lot for the many comments on my last entry
with happy birthday wishes ;) I sure had a great
Birthday and now am having a fantastic time in Japan!
Back Home here in Gunma, Japan! Hooray!
It's been only a couple of days since we got here,
but I already have lots of pics that I want to
share with you. This is a crafty blog, so let me
start off with crafty talk.
I think the best part of blogging on crafts for me is
how I can meet people through online who share the same
interest. I met this girl through my Japanese blog a long
time ago. She is seriously absolutely one of the most
talented girls I've met. (well, I haven't met her in person
unfortunately though.) She makes great soap, grows natural
herbs, and owns a store in Nagasaki, Japan, where handmade
items from lots of people are sold. She does things I like
to do or would like to do. I love meeting this kind of people.
Anyways, this set of the little pouches is from her ;)
She used vintage linen from Czechoslovakia which she dyed
with Marigold flowers to create this little pouches.
How fun?! I absolutely am in love with it.
She included other handmade items that I believe aren't
made by her, but they are fabulous as well!
Two linen coasters with a cute key stamped on it.
Back view. These are just so cute!!
All of a sudden, I felt like I want a surger!
It must be super easy to make this type of coasters
and they will make great gifts, won't they?
And some hair accessaries! I love the items themselves,
but I really am inspired by this presentation too.
Such a pretty way to wrap up gifts. Inspirational!!
Ok, I've been inspired pretty much everywhere since
I got back to Japan. Zakka stores, craft books at
bookstores and at my home, and of course fabric stores!
Where I'm from, Gunma, is not a place where you can
find lots of cute things compared to big cities like
Tokyo and Osaka. Since I used to live in Tokyo for a
couple of years, I always thought Gunma to be a boring
country place, but let me tell you..this place isn't
bad at all now that I have an experience of living in
a place like San Jose.
I'm not a big fan of zakka, but I think zakka stores
are awesome, because it's a nice place if you're looking
for gifts or simply just inspiration. Zakka stores are
seriously everywhere in Japan.
They are always full of fun ideas!
Oh how I loooove this character.
What is this called? 'Moomin' is what we call.
I used to watch this cartoon as a kid.
My 3 kitties here would be jealous of zakka if I
didn't write how cute they are too. This kittie is named
Oto. Very furry and such a cutie! He has been at my home
for the longest so he's got a little attitude against
other two, but he is so cute.
Blacky, who my sister found on the street and brought
home a couple of years ago. He is the most mellow one
and loves everyone. Now he is purring next to Joe.
Shiro. He is a brother of Blacky and was also found
by my sister at the same time. He is the very sensitive
one of all. He wouldn't let anyone pick him up.
He scratched Joe's finger yesterday when he was
sitting on Joe's clothes in his suitcase.
They are all so cute. I'm a big cat lover!
I missed being around kitty cats!
Lastly, let me show you a couple of pictures that
show more Japanness!! This is Joe's third time in
Japan. He keeps trying to convince me that we should
move to Japan. It's so funny how someone who grew up not
knowing almost anything about other cultures can
suddenly change their viewpoints/lifestyle by
exposing himself to a new culture. I always think
about this looking at him eating fish and miso soup
for breakfast with a facial expression that shows
as if he's been doing this since he was born.
I find this picture to be a great representation
of how things are a lot smaller in Japan.
Joe is only 5 foot 8, less than the average in
the U.S. Look how gigantic he looks in this country!
No wonder he loves Japan!
Ok, it's time to get going to get a haircut
from my friend! Thanks for reading!!
