New tires

One thing that I had never heard of doing when I lived in Southern California was the custom of changing to winter tires when the weather started getting cold.  No snow in LA, no need for winter tires.  (Which also means that even with snow tires, I, with no winter driving experience, will NOT drive in the snow.)  The time is upon us here in Nikko and this week Tetsu bought new snow tires for our cars.

The changing of tires made us wonder if Leiya had gotten around to putting snow tires on her car.  She has only been driving since May or so and this will be her first time driving in the winter in Ohio.

"Find out if she has snow tires yet and if not have her buy them IMMEDIATELY!  Even if she IS self-supporting, send her money for them and tell her snow tires are a Christmas present from her father."

Tetsu feels he is doing his fatherly duty when he protects his children (and me) with new tires.  There was one summer when we were visiting Takumi together in LA and Tetsu was appalled at the state of Takumi's nearly bald tires.  No matter that Tetsu couldn't participate in the conversation with the tire salesman, he scooted Takumi to the tire store and the car was outfitted within the hour!

So Leiya has new tires, we have new tires.  Let the winter come!  (I hope Takumi is taking care of his own tire situation this year...  At least he doesn't need snow tires.)

Appliquing

My weekend was quiet...   

I did the applique on the Kitty Tales and added a dog to my block.  Does it look a little like Choco?  I think there is supposed to be a heart on this too but the fabric is at Mrs. Furui's so it will have to be added later.

In recent years I've been doing applique using Pearl P. Pereira's freezer paper/starch method which means that there is quite a lot of preparation work before the actually sewing gets started.  I have a Clover applique iron which gets into the tiny places and is extremely hot.  I think of it as my craft soldering iron.  I also use an applique stiletto tool and (sometimes a applique pressing tool) which takes a bit of coordination (stiletto in one hand and iron in the other.)

But the applique pieces come out tightly curved and the edges are crisp.  Are the other ladies in our group going to be willing to put in all that preparation time?  Should I go ahead and make all the applique pieces for them?  Even though there aren't that many applique pieces in each block it's a lot of work...  Maybe when sitting in front of the TV...

Ceiling light... continued

I have a continuation to that ceiling light post of last week.

Remember, the recycle shop ceiling light bowl fit the electrical fixtures of the old light.

But you might also remember that Tetsu had called the recycle shop to say that the bulb part didn't work and they had advised him to bring the light back in and they would replace the bulb.  Well, I didn't see any reason to take the light back... we had the bowl part that for some reason fit on the old light.  We didn't need a replacement bulb for a light fixture we weren't going to use (and the bulbs were different anyway).  Why bother?  I was happy with paying the 3000 yen (about $30) for a recycle shop ceiling light bowl (nix the electrical innards).

But no.  Tetsu felt we ought to go back to the shop and get our replacement bulb for "just-in-case".  I don't know what the "just-in-case" meant but the next day, because we were headed in that direction anyway, Tetsu took off the light bowl cover, put it back on the non-working bulb fixture and we went back to the recycle shop.

As we walked in, the clerk practically RAN to meet us at the door.

"You are the person who called to say that the light bulb didn't work.  I'm so sorry.  Please come this way."

Tetsu was treated like royalty.  I wandered off to browse the aisles as I wasn't in full accordance with this visit anyway.

Well, it turned out that the ceiling light's bulb WASN'T broken. The LIGHT was!

"Oh, I am so sorry.  We will replace the ceiling light with any of the other ones that are in the store or of course return your money."

Tetsu was in a bind.  He wanted THAT ceiling light because he wanted it's bowl.   He could imagine how upset I'd be if he lost that very nice ceiling light bowl that had just happened to fit our old ceiling fixture.  A strange argument began with the clerk.

"No, no.  I'll just take the light as is.  It's fine this way."

"Oh no, sir.  We couldn't possibly sell you a broken light fixture.  Let me return your money."

"No, please.  I really want THIS ceiling light.  I don't care if it is broken."

Tetsu made his getaway with the broken light out to the parking lot.  The clerk AND the store manager came running after him.

"Sir!  Sir!!  Please!  We can't let you pay $30 for a broken light!"

They began a tug-a-war at the store entrance.  (I had noticed the confrontation by this time but receded into the shadows.)

Finally Tetsu admitted that he only wanted the ceiling light bowl; the store could keep their broken electrical fixture.  And he was satisfied paying $30 for the bowl.

"Oh dear...  We've never done that...."

"Okay... How about giving me back $15 and we'll call it a deal?"

The clerk and the manager conferred a bit.

"Sir, our shop does not sell broken ware.  But for 100 yen (about $1) we will sell you the ceiling light bowl."

Tetsu was happy that he got the ceiling light bowl for a great price.  But he was happier that he didn't lose it completely and have to explain to me why we needed to go buy another light.
 

Rubberized...?

Yesterday, two of my friends came over to work on their Bethlehem Star quilts. 

Their borders are now on, the quilting motifs have been drawn and this month my friends' homework is to hand quilt their quilt sandwiches.  Will they be able to finish before Christmas?

And one of the friends, R-san brought presents for us!

What is this? 

Rubberized gloves!  Actually Mrs. N had come with these gloves a few weeks ago.  She had seen a delivery girl wearing them and Mrs. N had pleaded with the girl for a pair of gloves.  (Mrs. N is a big cat lover!)  The delivery girl explained that they were only for the workers and not for sale.  Boo-hoo.  Mrs. N looked so forlorn that the next time the delivery girl came to the house she slipped Mrs. N a pair saying that these were special and she couldn't get any more.

Mrs. N came to my house flaunting her gloves.

"Such gloves!  Just right for MACHINE QUILTING!"

I love the way Mrs. N's mind jumped right to using the gloves as a quilting tool.  And of course I practically swooned and wanted some kitty quilt gloves too!

"I don't think I can get you any, but I'll try..."

And R-san said she had connections with the delivery company and she would try too.  Well R-san's sources came through!!

Now I'm not telling the name of the delivery company.  But they do have a cat logo, thus the gloves.  And no!  They aren't for sale anywhere!  But I think they should be!  Happy machine quilting!

Sewing (a bit)

Yesterday I spent most of the day hand quilting on the Bethlehem Star quilt.  I have two friends coming over today to work on their borders for the same Bethlehem Star quilt and I had hoped to be farther along on mine...

I haven't done hand quilting for so long that my fingers were aching.  This may not be just from lack of practice.  I had bought a different brand of quilting needles and they seemed long or thicker or something.  And I had used batiks for this quilt and I'm pretty sure the fabric weave and finish isn't conducive to hand quilting.  I'll be glad when I get this finished.

In the evening Y-kun got some more blocks made from my string bin. He enjoyed laying out his blocks (don't all quilters!)  He has 20 blocks now and we were trying to figure out how many more he might need. 

"It depends on how big a quilt you want.  This seems a bit small to me.  We have the fabric and the time, why don't you just keep making blocks for awhile."

Y-kun and I also discussed what time he was going to come over on Christmas Eve this year.  He has plans to come at 9:00 AM and spend the day with me.  That's fine but I really am supposed to have ladies' English class that morning...  Hmm.  Are they going to want to come to English on Christmas Eve?  Maybe I'll have Y-kun come in the afternoon. 

"I'll come early like I planned.  You can teach the ladies English and I'll stay upstairs in the sewing room and sew."

Spoken like a real quilter!

December projects

I have different winter projects going this month...  I'm not sure of the priority order (which is part of my problem).  The front and back of Tetsu's sweater is finished and all I can say is that it is going to be HUGE!  The Bethlehem Star quilt which hasn't been touched in two weeks (it may not get done by Christmas) sits by my sewing chair.  I need to think up a cute Christmas ornament project for the English kids to do.  (Any ideas?)  And I'm working on some embroidery... for next year's kindergarten bazaar.

Mrs. Furui has retired from being the kindergarten alumni president and so she is no longer "officially" in charge of the bazaar quilt.  She will always be our official patchwork and quilting mentor though.  The new president, Mrs. Yamaguchi, has requested that our group continue making the bazaar raffle quilt so the plans to move on to other projects have been put back on hold. 

WE HAVE STARTED OUR NEW QUILT!  It was an easy decision this year because Liz had sent me a wonderful Lynette Anderson Kitty Tales Quilt Kit and since most of us are kitty lovers (Mrs. Yamaguchi and I are... the others don't dare dampen our enthusiasm) we voted to work on the quilt kit this year.

I finished the embroidery on my first block though there is still some applique yet to do. 

I'm loving it!

Cold mornings

The mornings are getting icy around here lately.  How about a picture of the ice formations on a car roof.

I've gotten out my heavy (looking) coat and ski gloves and Ugghs for crosswalk duty.  I'm supposed to be wearing a full uniform of heavy pants, a dress shirt, a necktie, a heavy jacket, black boots (of my choice) and white regulation heavy gloves and regulation hat.  For winter I was given a heavy (looking) coat and a square of white lightweight lining fabric to be used as a scarf.  My regulation uniform is not very warm.

As I am in my fourth year, I've slipped into my own attempts to preserve body heat as I stand out in the shady area in front of the school.  I retired my regulation heavy gloves for some white ski gloves with liners inside.  I wear my PAJAMAS under my dress shirt and jacket and heavy (looking) coat.  It is just too hard to change clothes again and again in the icy mornings.  I don't understand the lightweight "scarf" but it keeps out the wind and hides the fact that I'm not wearing my regulation necktie.

The heavy (looking) coat is not heavy nor warm and I have been looking longingly at black down jackets wondering if I could substitute something else.  It's not like someone from the city office will hold a dress code check at 7:30 in the morning at the crosswalk...  Still, regulation is regulation and the heavy (looking) coat is the most visible part of me.  (Last year's picture in uniform...  with the sweet shop baby.)

Tetsu tends to think that I am following the rules too strictly and that other crosswalk officers are probably supplementing their uniforms with additions and better quality wear.  Still...  I like to do things properly...  I already fudge enough on my daily duty log.  Just writing something everyday in Japanese is a job in itself so instead of hand writing it (impossible!) I use the computer.  If nothing else the officials who read my log each month must get a great laugh... (or they wish they could fire me.)  I'd better not push my luck and just wear the heavy (looking) coat.