More Kimonos...more Books!

 I am in LOVE, LOVE, LOVE with "Diary of an Ordinary Woman". While I was searching for a link to information about this book, I was devastated to learn that I had somehow overlooked the two tiny words "A novel" on the cover...because I wanted so much to believe Millicent King was a real person (doubly so when I started reading about her entry into social work as her second career!)  I picked this up at the library, so if you're local, you'll have to wait until I'm finished with it! 

Meanwhile, I'm still dabbling with Kimonos. I'm up to 21 now.

I was at school today for an appointment with the Practicum Coordinator... I still don't have a Practicum placement for 4th year.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Part of me wishes the matter was settled, so I could start gearing myself up for the next eight months--shop for appropriate clothing (important if I'm in a professional office), do some research about the clients and issues I'll be working with, practical considerations like parking, etc.-- but another part of me is afraid to settle, because I might miss some really fantastic experience or opportunity.

Making more Kimonos!

Oh - these are fun! 

And I think I'm going to make 24 or perhaps 36 all together, rather than stop at 12 (well, I've got 13 done, so I guess I've already passed that) as the pattern calls for, and use a narrow sashing to divide the individual blocks, sort of like traditional Japanese shoji.

shoji [ˈʃəʊʒiː -dʒiː] n pl -ji, -jis  1.a rice-paper screen in a sliding wooden frame, used in Japanese houses as a partition 2. any similar screen [from Japanese, from shō to separate + ji a piece]

What's on the Wall NOW?

While transferring stuff from hidey holes here and there to my yard sale find tower of drawers, I fell upon a pattern that I had printed off some time ago - - that I was sooooo keen to recreate that I had already printed off the paper foundation piecing patterns and had been collecting fabrics for several years.

So, I thought...what the heck! No time like the present! I'm seeing less and less Asian inspired fabrics in the fabric stores, so I believe I'm jumping on this trend just as it's petering out.

Haru Kaze Kimono Quilt

The patterns was a free download from In The Beginning Fabrics -- and there's lots of designs there, so take a look if you have the time. 

Now, the measurements for some of the pieces are incorrect.  It would be best to draft it out for yourself . Foundation A & B need to be 5.5" long x 2" wide. Also, I increased the width of the C and F rectangles, just to give a little wiggle room for error, and will square the blocks up to 12.5" later.

I asked Itty Bitty and Hubby, at separate times, to come have a look at the blocks on my design wall, and neither one of them could identify them as kimonos.  Am I deluding myself?  I think they look a LOT like kimonos!  UGH!

Anyway, I'm having a lot of fun making the blocks.  It's a lot like making little doll clothes!  I'm enjoying choosing the coordinating fabrics for each kimono, and perhaps doing a little fussy cutting to make sure the stripes are perfect, or the crane is centred just so.  They go together pretty fast too, because of the big pieces!  (The centre rectangle of the kimono is 5.5" x 10").

I must get a move on here...I've got an appointment to get my hair coloured this morning.  I've put it off, and put it off, because I wanted to do some research about the safety of hair colour, and effects of the chemicals in the different brands of products.  I've been colouring my hair for YEARS - I've been greying since I was 19, and I've got to be a good 70% white now, judging by my scary roots.  I've been contemplating going natural -- which idealistically would be better aligned with the new ideas I'm eager to embrace about living an authentic life of simple abundance.  But I'm just THAT vain!