Stitcher's Heaven

Thank you, Toshiko ~ for sharing your pictures and information with us! I especially enjoy looking at all the little details in these photos, so am posting them one more time. By clicking on the picture, it will enlarge so readers can see more detail. Browsing these shops sounds like pure delight! In the community where I live, fabric stores are closing one by one. No longer can we purchase yardage at House of Fabrics, Fabricland, JC Penneys, or private specialty shops. They've gone, one by one. Joann's came to town, but is now closing one of two stores here. Walmart arrived with three stores and lots of fabric (chasing some others away), but has now closed their fabric departments except for a few limited products. It's no wonder that I think that "Town of Fabric" is stitchers heaven!

To Japan with Love

A sweet friend lives across the ocean from me, one who has read my blog faithfully since it's inception. How blessed I have been to meet her in person - twice! We have shared afternoon tea, conversation, and the wonderful pipe-organ recital of her daughter, Bethany. Toshiko encourages me with her words and teaches me new things about life. How interesting it is to learn about other cultures and customs. Toshiko's home is in the country amongst rice paddies and other agriculture. Recently, though, she took a trip to Tokyo and took time to spend some time in what I call the garment district and she calls Nippori - town of fabric. What delight! I loved her descriptions of things seen in the pictures and will share some of them with you so you can enjoy a virtual armchair tour of Japan from wherever you are. Toshiko says:

"The fabric place is just awesome. There are many small shops. Not big at all. The shops are mostly old and have bare walls. BUT there are so many varieties of materials there. Materials I've never seen! And so inexpensive. I enjoyed visiting all these shops. Often times they sell cotton for a dollar for 1m (1yd is 92cm, 100cm is 1m). They are not the best quality in Japan but good enough for everyday thing. Some places sell more expensive materials from overseas."

"One shopkeeper told me they used to be wholesale shops. Individual customers couldn't buy any. They sold like half a roll or for a whole role. Now they made the place to be inexpensive, varieties of kinds, and some of the shops sell the same yardage as from Japanese pattern and sewing books."

Many fabric rolls were displayed right on the sidewalks. What was unusual about this is that the space they were stored might not be close to the shopkeepers store. The honor system is well and alive in Japan! According to Toshiko, some of the signs shown in the collage above said:

The yellow sign said "Please go to pay at the third shop from here.

The blue sign said "Please don't take these " and "Please don't take these to the next door shop, but take the to our shop - HAPPY. Please take them to HAPPY" (I thought they are saying not to take them home, but they meant not to take them to the next door neighbor).

The town of fabric consists of 92 associated shops with fruit, flower, and other shops interspersed. The assciated shops sell not only textiles in raw form, but shops for jeans, clothing, beads, hats, buttons, belts, and quilts. Awww, wouldn't it be fun to visit there?

Toshiko and I have been enjoying conversations about kimonos. They are held in high regard and are quite valuable. Our discussions have led to modern clothing designed and made with elements of the traditional kimono. In the collage above, you will note a Japanese Hoari jacket. It is an American version of the Japanese design. It was a photo from a local quilt show and had an attached note that said that the length of the sleeve is made according to the age of the individual (the younger you are, the shorter can be the sleeves). I am not sure why, but I like the concept! Toshiko's experience and expertise doesn't mesh with the Americanized version of the attached note, though. She says that all kimonos have sleeves of the same length.

Thank you, Toshiko, for sharing so generously with us!

Photos are by Toshiko@2009 and her son, Joel@2009.

Little Lambs

One of the sweetest things about spring are the little lambs! Within minutes of birth, their wobbly legs carry them along as they try to keep up with mama as she goes to graze on pasture grass. It's during lambing season that I most think of our former neighbor, Anna Mae. She loved her sheep and would faithfully tend to their needs, especially during lambing season. From late January until spring, her flashlight beam could be seen at night when she checked on her lambing mothers every few hours around the clock. Twins and triplets were especially fun to observe. Her influence inspired us to keep a bottle baby one year. Our bottle baby grew up to be Fluffy, a devoted and sometimes independent pet whom lived with us until her old age. She had twins most springs, but once had triplets. Those three little lambs were adorable and provided hours of playing fun for the boys (elementary age at the time). Life moves on; changes take place. Anna Mae has passed away, a victim of ovarian cancer (although she would never call herself a victim; she was victorious in Jesus). Her home has sold and now a new house is being built in the pasture next door. It's not nearly as interesting as the sheep. But little lambs still inhabit Earth --- but require us to walk just a little farther down the road for us to see and delight in them!

Tari's Silver Butter Dish

During the Victorian era, a plethora of objects became the rage when it came to meal service. Every function needed it's own tool. There were slotted spoons for serving tomatoes, salt cellars for each setting, and beautiful containers for butter. Yesterday we were invited guests to the home of friends and our hostess served Earth Balance spread for the Artisan Bread I took along as my contribution to the meal. Instead of keeping the spread in it's plastic container, Tari arranged it beautifully in this silver butter dish that was given to her by her mother. Isn't it lovely and unique? A family treasure passed down from mother to daughter. . .

The Hat Tradition

Were you born in the days when it was proper to always wear a hat when you went out? My mother had a few hats, but I don't remember her wearing them very often. It was becoming stylish, in her early 20's, to go without. But my Grandmother always wore a hat when she went out. Her name was Katherina and she was a proper lady. A farm wife, I only knew her as a widow who lived in a little house next door to my aunt and uncle. Grandma was ill and unable to walk, so a part of her 'wardrobe' was her overstuffed chair or wheelchair, at least as far as my child-eyes registered. But, when she felt well enough, she enjoyed going to church with the family. Her attire was so extremely old-fashioned to me, and therefore very interesting. Add to that fact her tendency to forget to speak in English to her little granddaughters who knew no German, and she made for a most wonderful Grandma! Her church attire was always thick stockings, a flowing dress of some sort (sometimes of rayon, other times of cotton), a sweater (always a sweater), and solid, black, 0ld-fashioned shoes (they reminded me of the shoes of the fine ladies of the 1800's --- I always wondered where my aunt even found them to purchase for Grandma). This ensemble was always completed with a hankie tucked into her sweater sleeve and a wonderful hat! I'm sure they weren't extravagant, but to my child-eyes, any hat worn to church was la-tea-dah! Velveteen, hat pins, netting, and a flower or two. Grandma's hat usually covered her black hair that was tucked into a bun and hairnet at the back of her neck. Grandma never changed --- the memories remain constant and sweet. Because of Grandma's influence, sister and I enjoyed the pretty Easter hats that our mother would buy for us each spring. Such memories --- and all because of a hat.

Photo: Elm Street Antiques

Cherished Family Treasures

Each family has their treasures, and I've come to the conclusion that those most cherished are those items that provide interaction with the family who owns them. How many families do you know that place high value upon a piano, a sewing machine, or a rocking chair? These items provide hours of playing and listening pleasure, the ability to create, and time spent rocking a baby. Terri has graciously allowed me the privilege of telling you about their family treasure: a beloved piano. Her sister, Paula, has shared stories and details about this beautiful piece as well.


But first, let me set the stage by telling you about an interview I watched on Good Morning America yesterday. Cloris Leachman was being interviewed, and she ended the interview by sitting down at a piano and playing a medley of beautiful classical pieces. She has such humor, and it just spilled out of her.

As she started one lovely classical piece she said:

"I used to light the candles on the piano and play this song when I was eight --- and everyone else was doing the dishes."

I remember those days, although it never worked with my mom! I asked Paula if it worked for her. Her response was interesting in that she was born a twin. Her sister, Penny, and she would take turns doing dishes, and the other one would practice the piano. Then she said:

"Thank goodness, I'm second to youngest and didn't have to do dishes for seven kids. Terri got that honor, being the oldest!"

Their family piano has a rich and interesting history. The information on the manufacturers label reads "New Castle Indiana 1875 Jesse French". They believe their piano was made about 1923. Formerly owned by the pastor of Terri's and Paula's family, it was given to their parents in 1964 when the pastor and his wife moved and were unable to take it with them. Later, when their family moved to a new town, the piano went with them, carried on the back of a flat bed truck. It seems this was only the first of several flat bed truck rides the piano took, sometimes traveling to another state and over many miles. It was on this piano that many of the children and grandchildren in their family learned to play. Gifted with the ability to play be ear enhanced this quality. The place of honor in the family that was placed upon this cherished family heirloom is illustrated by the tender loving care it has been given. Terri and her husband restored the piano, having it tuned, the keys restored, and refinishing it to its original beauty. A house fire later required it be professionally restored. But it's beauty and charm still shine through.

Paula expressed the family sentiments and memories very well when she says:

"So it's about eighty-six years old and been in our family about forty-five years. I can remember as a child listening to Terri play for hours. She never took lessons for piano but took accordion lessons for about a year and a half, so she was self-taught. She was the one who taught me a few songs. From that I learned I could play by ear. The piano is beautiful and brings back many memories to me, especially of my Dad who is no longer with us. He would always say, 'play me a song Paula', and of course I would. I could even play a little Merle Haggard whom my Dad loved!"

Cherished family treasures; each family has their story to share. What is your most cherished family heirloom? Is it interactive in some way? I would love to hear about your treasure; stories of pianos, sewing machines, rocking chairs, china, and more.

Photos: copyrighted by Terri 2009