Christmas Wrappings

This is my charity shop haul to date of scarves for wrapping Christmas presents.

I love the Japanese custom of furoshiki, using cloths rather than paper to wrap gifts.  My only problem is getting the cloths back!  I shall need to add a "scarf not included" to the name labels.  These scarves need a wash and press and then I shall look forward to a festive pile of fabric-wrapped gifts under the tree.

These berries are looking striking on this damp, misty morning where the temperature has dragged itself up to 2C so far.  I liberated some seed of this Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii 'Profusion' from the garden at DS's college and so it's a pretty special plant.  It's common name is Beauty Berry.

My Furoshiki Bag

I don't know why it's taken me so long but I finally got around to making my furoshiki bag today. 
I worked from this video
http://lisisturningjapanese.blogspot.com/2010/01/furoshiki-demonstration.html
and it took me only a few moments to create this lovely bag from a metre of fabric.

Furoshiki demonstration

 This great little video is on YouTube and shows the Furoshiki store, Kakefuda Kyoto.




Furoshiki are such a good, and green idea.  I shall be using one to wrap small items in my luggage when I travel and will aim to use them instead of wrapping paper at Christmas and for birthday gifts.

How Sashiko Started It

I did a sashiko taster workshop in Norfolk last weekend and am absolutely hooked.  I have always had an interest in things Japanese but no great understanding of the country, the culture or the people, and as for the language....
My little piece of sashiko was designed by the worskhop tutor, Jenni Dobson, herself a veritable expert on things Japanese, and is a little pin cushion with a furoshiki - a wrapping cloth -  which has been stitched in sashiko - little stabs - style. It is a long way from perfect but I am delighted with it.
I am at last fulfilling an ambition and visiting Japan.  We are staying in Tokyo next year and it will only be a taster visit but I'm very excited about it and want to make the most of it.  This blog is the story of both my trip to Japan and my journey with Japanese textiles.