Where is my...

My friend brought her little daughter to weave today.

At the end of the class, she started looking for her bottle.
I know she had it for a little while and looked like she left it somewhere.
"I saw her holding it."
"Where did she leave it?"

I told my friend and people in the class half joking,
"Is it in the yarn shelf with other yarn?"
and looked at the shelf.

Here it is!! Her bottle with white yarn same color as what's in her bottle.

I had to take a picture of it. It was so funny.

SAORI "KIMONO Wrap"

A arranged "Margaret Coat" is now "Kimono Wrap".

Thanks to my friend Marcia who named this. It sounds very exotic!

Her husband also did a good job taking great picture of this.

This piece is sold.

I made this specially for last weekend's local art show "Undercover Artists".

I usually try to make something big for a show.

The second day(the last day) of the show, a lady purchased this.

She said, "Nobody has something like this."
Yes, that's true, because it's SAORI!

Thank you so much!

Undercover Artists Show -1-

Happy New Year!!

This year, I will try to blog at least once a week.

I do well on my Japanese blog, but not this English one.

I think that's because I need to post in English.....

Well, anyway, I really had a good weekend.

Very local artists including me and guest artists had a show called,

"Undercover Artists" in Carver, MN.

I've noticed in surburb, people less care about art compared to people in the cities.

Though there are many artists in our area. We need "ART" here in our county, too.

Four of us (three painters and I) started getting together once a week to exchange information and soon, we decided to do a show.

We had a good mailing list since we belong to "Art Consortium" that our country organized, so many people and our friends stop by for the opening Friday evening.

The venue was in a histrocial building that used to be a bank.
Usually the space is used for children's after school activity ccalled "Funky Minds".

We transformed into a "gallery" as we display our work.

There is still a safe door in the building and old hanging lights that were nice addition to the show.

to be continued...

Watching People

I am now helping out my friend's business at the airport.
Today, I was there waiting for a family from Japan.
I usually wait quite a bit until the people who needs asisstance from us at the airport.
While I wait, I have fun watching people going by.
Sometimes I guess like "Is she Chinese or Japanese?"
"What language are they speaking?" etc....

Today, I saw a lady who had a kind of poncho type of coat on.
She had a belt on it, too.
It has to be easy to make because I am not good at sewing....
It looked easy. So, I decided I wanted to try making one like that.
It is easy to make, but I need to weave quite long. Oh well, better than a lot of sewing.
So, I will do it next especially I have a show next month.

Happy Weaving!

While I was in Japan...

While I was in Japan, I rented one of my looms to a couple of students.

One of them, Y made several scarves for her relatives in two weeks!

Here are some of them.

I like how she put black.

We met last summer in August at the Japanese Festival in St. Paul.

I was having a booth and was demonstrating SAORI.

She started coming to my studio right away and now she brings her friend, too.

She is very different from me in a way, so I can learn a lot from her.

She is more picky in a sense (good way of course)and I am NOT. (If you know me well, I can see you nodding.)

That's why I can learn from her.

It is interesting!!

She now keeps one of my looms at home and keeps weaving at home, too because she has many people she would like to give away her scarves in this holiday season.

I know she is now working on a scarf for her sister in Japan.

I am looking forward to seeing it when she comes this week!

Happy Weaving!

Flower Field Series

This is one of my new "Flower Field" series shawl.

I don't have any series in my SAORI. This is the only one so far.

I don't think I will have any series, but I really like this Flower Field color combination.

I have made 4 shawls like this this year so far.

I finished this one the end of last week for a show in Wisconsin starting this Friday.

My friend Martha took it with my other items today. Thank you for driving all the way to the venue Martha!

Japan Trip Part 2

SAORI 40th year anniversary was on Nov. 8 and 9 in Osaka.

I went back to Japan the end of October to spend some time with my family and friends in my hometown.

Then, from Nov. 6 to 12, I stayed in Osaka.

The main event was for two days, but after that we had SAORI International workshop/symposium for two days.

First night, I stayed one of my SAORI friends Kyoko's. (Picture: her studio and a guest room)

On that day, I visited SAORI Osaka where I took classes and used to work.

I actually worked there getting ready for translating a guest's speech.

I also visited a facility You House with Kyoko and met good SAORI friends of mine there.

I always stay Kyoko's guest room/studio at least one time when I visit Japan. Thank you, Kyoko-san.

She came to MN twice, too. She was looking forward to seeing some of U.S. SAORI friends who were a part of this big event. She met them in MN when Dan and I hosted SAORI U.S.-Canada Conference in 2008.

Here are some fashion show images.

The image in the center is the opening fashion show.

Misao Jo is weaving and fairies are dancing around her with SAORI banners.

I remember I had tears in my eys. What a impressive opening it was!

The other fashion show was like "adult-like""high-end" fashion show.

They all inspired me. It reminded me how much we can do on a SAORI loom!

To be continued.....