WIPs

I've been quietly working on two pieces of stitching, both of which stem from my trip to Japan last year (how long ago that seems now).  The boro cloth is made up of lots of sample pieces of the various techniques we learned with Bryan and the silk panel was dyed using material found at Fuji-san and is embroidered with threads given to me by my friends in Japan.  They are both pieces full of memories and I am enjoying creating them.  There is no rush, just a few stitches at a time.  Today I hope to have the plaster cast removed from my foot and, if healing is progressing well, I shall be more mobile.  The healing is like the stitching, a project, patience is required and I cannot be in a rush.

Our Home in Fujino - The Best Exotic Indigo Hotel

Where on earth shall I begin?
I want to share my wonderful trip to Japan with you and I am overwhelmed with the things we did, the photos I took number nearly 1000 and I haven't got my journal up to date.
I am very grateful that our sensei and host, Bryan, is sharing the tour of the Indigo Sisters on his blog,
http://japanesetextileworkshops.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/thank-you-indigo-sisters.html
he has all the correct technical terms of course, the names of the lovely Japanese people we met (I am sure some of them just came by to look at us, a group of eight Western woman of uncertain ages but strong personalities in a tiny mountain village in Japan) and a great knowledge of all things Japanese textile.
http://japanesetextileworkshops.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/early-this-morning-highway-to-takao-was.html
That is where I should begin, with a photo tour of Bryan's home, an old silk farm in the village of Fujino, about and hour and a quarter south west of Tokyo.

Bryan and his friends worked very hard to prepare the house for us,
http://japanesetextileworkshops.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/rocket-lamp-and-shibori-prep.html
even adding a wonderful electric Japanese toilet, and we were warm and comfortable and made very welcome.

 It was a loo with a view...

We ate, studied, stitched and relaxed around this low wooden table, what stories it could tell...

Not much has changed over the years as this sketch from a book of life in Fujino c 1930 shows:

 Every corner of the house was filled with a treasure to enjoy, a scene to delight the senses:

Beautiful glass work in the windows

 and on the stairs

Sometimes we chose to work upstairs,

and hide from the rain and the thunder

Sometimes the sun shone and we worked outside

We marvelled at the looms and wonderful pieces of textile-related gorgeousness around the house

Those of us in need of a massage could enjoy the electric chair

but my favourite chair was really Snoopy's and everytime I moved she would reclaim it

Thank you Bryan, we felt so welcome, we moved in, took over your home and had a fantastic time.