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Showing posts with label Japan travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan travel. Show all posts

Virtual Holiday On YouTube


I have a new fave time-pass! Many people are making videos of their daily life as they go about doing their chores. Some of them are really good that you want to just clean your house. Well, in my case, that urge only lasts for a few minutes. I'd rather be sewing - really! (must check this one!)



Another one I enjoyed is the walking video. There is no narration on the video. There are a few walking Youtuber and also on  Instagram stories which I love to watch! I really love this video from Seoul Walker

Today morning, I was watching this video where he walked around and showed us around Asakusa's Sensoji Temple The place which used to always buzzed with people/tourists now empty. Even the passage between the shop rows is empty. 


Empty Rows

Asakusa 2020 - screenshot from the video


Asakusa in 2018

Asakusa in 2019

During my visit to Asakusa in 2018, we could not even take a decent picture in front of the gate! Tourism indeed is very badly hit, which affects so many people in the industries. I was discussing this with Mbak Belly and we're remembering the Halal Ramen shop Asakusa! 





Now we can only hope and pray that we stay safe and healthy (physically and mentally). Try to remain positive thinking and maybe learn a few things that you always want to learn or do!

Thank you for stopping by! 
Stay Healthy!

~ Elvira~ 




Tokyo International Quilt Show 2019




The Tokyo International Quilt Show held annually at Tokyo Dome. It needs no introductions. Last January, I've been very lucky to be able to go and see for the 3rd time  and it still never failed to amaze me. The quilts and the people.

We were lucky to be given free opening ceremony tickets (read in my previous post) and we were there before 9 AM on the opening day! We stayed in Mystays Hotel Higashi Ikebukuro which has easy access to Tokyo Dome. From the hotel, you can take either JR line from Otsuka Station to Suidobashi Station or Subway Marunouchi Line from Shin Otsuka Station to Korakuen Station (This is the fastest!) and great view too. 

It was really amazing experience since  we could see all the displayed quilts before the crowds entered.

look at those bags!!

Without further ado, here are few of my faves! You can see more pictures HERE

Grand Prix 1st Place
Chiyoko Takayama


Winner of Youth Category

And the crowd favorite!

The Kimono Quilt - There are 1500 of them !!

Different Colors and Different Style
Reversible Quilt

Side #1
Side #2
Main display featuring Monet's Garden - my fave!
The Monet's Garden was simply marvelous! The artist's interpretation from the real Monet's garden was simply amazing! 


2 happy girls outside the Tokyo Dome :D

Once inside the Dome, we were lost in the quilt wonderland! Before we knew it, it was dark and time to head out with a box full of fabrics & books and head full of ideas. The quilts, the shopping, the generous people! Like someone wrote on her blog, going to Tokyo Quilt Festival was like watching Olympic . Absolutely right! Quilt Olympic that is! 

Check out the rest of the photos HERE 

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog.

Have a nice day!
- Elvira-

Wednesday WIP Log Cabin blocks

Hello,



Don't you love those fabrics? I got the bundle from my trip to Japan last year. I got quite a lot of fabrics last year and happy that I finally got the perfect project to use them. 


I am making another log cabin bag for a custom order. So excited!!
I cut the stripa 1" wide this time and I am doing a chain piecing. 


I am progressing quite fast and love the result so far. Ah, I got that new tool from my recent trip to the Tokyo quilt show. The roller is perfect for pressing small blocks!  The other one I bought was a needle threader, which really awesome! I always drop my thread whenever I am hand sewing. Definitely by best buys!!

Isn't this cool??

I hope to finish this bag by early next week because I still have a couple of travel wallet orders that I have to complete this week. My sewing room have been quite busy since I came back from Japan and I am happy with the mess! 

What are you working on this week? 

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Sewing,


Linky Party:





Mission Accomplished 2 - Kanazawa in Winter

Hello again,

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

Mini Log Cabin Quilt
Before my Japan trip last January, me and my friends discussed about taking a quilt to Japan and take quilt photos with snow background just like those quilters we saw in Instagram.  Since I would be traveling solo, I decided to take mini quilt. I completed this quilt just 2 days before my departure. It was a hectic week!!

Kanazawa Station
This time, I was not very fit throughout the trip. I had a sore throat and my nose kept bleeding due to the cold and dry weather. For me who grew up  in a tropical country, winter (snow or no snow) is always tough. Besides the winter eczema, the nose bleeding business is really bothersome.

Anyway, we decided to go to Kanazawa with the grand plan to visit Gokayama or Shirakawago. But then, man proposes God disposes! Weather was not cooperative during our stay in Kanazawa.
Since the other three girls, brought their suitcase, we decided to take a taxi to our rented Airbnb. The problem with Japan is there was hardly any people who can speak English. Thank God for the google translate. But, you have to write a proper English sentences for Google to translate it properly. Or else another long  conversation will take place.




The attendance In the taxi stand at the Kanazawa station was a nice old man who tried to help us. When we showed him the address, he could not make out what is what (it was written in English). After several minutes, he took me to the information center and thankfully, there was a lady there who spoke a decent English. After another  lost in translation conversation, the lady decided to call the house owner, and finally we got our address written in Japanese (pheeww)!  Happily the attendant took us to the other side of taxi stand et voila, our fancy SUV taxi!! We were surprised, between thrilled and worried, praying it won’t be too expensive LOL. Luckily we travelled in group!! The taxi driver was a nice gentleman, he didn’t speak English but tried his best to tell us any landmarks we passed along the way. He even got down to check out if the house we rented was the correct one.
Arigato gozaimashita

The house we rented via Airbnb in Kanazawa was a two storey house. It’s called the Ibaragi House. Luckily we were on the ground floor. The Japanese keep the house key in a mini box with combination lock. It was a little tricky to open, especially when you were cold and in a hurry. After several attempt ( and a message to the owner later) we were able to unlock the house. The Ibaragi house was very compact and comfortable. The sliding door on the other side of the house remind me of Lee sang Yoon drama! Hahaha. Anyway, we were quite comfortable there since the owner provided us with extra blankets, electric heater and hot water bags.

The Ibaragi House  Airbnb Kanazawa


After settling down, we decided to brave the cold and walk around the city. 
 



The city is quite impressive with big brand shops, but I love to see the indie designers shops. Most of these shops have either French or English name.


 I suppose many Japanese love French vintage theme or English Victorian theme.

coffee shop in front our rented home

can you see the star?




The next day, we thought of going to Gokayama, but we were too late plus we were uncertain with the weather. It was raining and snowing in the morning when we left the house.

breakfast at Mister Donut - The donuts we had did not contain any lark, mirin, or sake. We asked and apparently they have all ingredients listed in their computer!! 

A window display remind me of my son's concert before the trip! 


 We decided to get a one day tourist pass and go to Higashi Chaya district, where we can see the old Japanese houses which mostly are souvenir shops or tea shops (Chaya literally means Tea house)

the loop bus - a hop on hop off bus

A cafe as we enter the Higashi Chaya 


 By the time, I felt a bit feverish and I ran out of my antibiotics! (sigh!). After strolling a bit, me and Kak Jenny decided to go into a noodle shop. She loved her noodle soup esp Soba!! I could not have anything since there was no halal food. So I just enjoy a cup of matcha aka green tea with lots of sugar! Hey, I need energy, right?!


my matcha and my log cabin bag


Noodle Shop & Souvenir shop
The vintage shop next to the tea stall
look at those patchwork bag made from kimono fabrics!! 




Me and my quilt again ^_^


After a bit of photo session  near the bus stop, we decided to go to the Kenrokuen Garden and Castle. The 2 girls – mbak Belly and Kak Ria, went ahead to check out both,  while me and Kak Jenny, decided not to go. By the time it was raining and snowing intermittently.  

Kanazawa Castle 
We decided to catch the loop bus and got down at the mall near our rented airbnb ! But not before I took another photo in front of the castle gate! 



the Kanazawa scene as we were leaving 

Hopefully, next time we can go and check the castle and the garden and hopefully in a friendlier weather!


Thank you for the beautiful memories girls! <3

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

 Now, mission accomplished!

Until then,

Happy Sewing



I will  write more about Japan trip in the next posts. Subscribe to my blog via email so you won't miss interesting post!


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