For the last week, I've been out of town, and have now returned from a second trip to Japan. And this year, we hit cherry blossom season!
Though the temps were cold (45-50F), the blossoms were absolutely beautiful! We saw blossoms by boat, at the Chidorigafuchi moat on the Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo.
With clear skies that morning, the trees and setting were absolutely stunning,
and loaded with blossoms!
The trees were also beautiful in parks, like these in Shinjuku Gyoen National Park.
This tree lined path was incredible!
We took a few close ups of the blossoms,
and they're just so incredibly beautiful it almost makes one cry.
Now I totally understand why these blooms are a big deal - the trees are loaded and appear to be dusted with snow. With striking dark tree limbs, and trees planted en masse, the blooms are impressive. Our next goal is to see the trees in Washington, D.C., which by the way, were a gift of almost 5000 cherry trees from Japan in 1912. If you ever get the chance to see them, either in Japan or D.C., do so - you won't be disappointed!
Once my jet lag clears, I'll be back to quilting - see you next week!
I've taken a little break from strings and scraps, and created something fun from my April Book of the Month choice, Sew Emoji (affiliate link), by Gailen Runge.
Isn't he cute??? To me, he just says "You Got This!", a little awesome nugget of encouragement that's needed now and then. He's a great addition to my mini collection!
Like Flat Stanley, I had fun placing him in various areas around the yard, with each setting evoking a different message. I could have named my little Emoji any of the following names:
Hey There!
Hey Friend!
Lookin' Good!
Nice!
You Got This!
Which version do you like? Or maybe there are other suggestions??
Can you tell I had fun with this project? If there are teens around you, they would love this too. Gailen's Sew Emoji book is full of patterns to make lots of faces as given or combine the various pieces to make your own - there's lots of choices! Projects range from a twin size quilt, to pillows, or to a simple wall hanging, like mine.
When I started reading this book, I immediately felt a kinship with Gailen as our quilting approaches are very much the same. We both love glue, use simple, common tools, and use basic threads and fabrics that are easily found. And her explanations on how to apply applique and different ways to stitch it down are well worth the price of the book. Gailen and I could be very good friends!
For my project, I used lightweight fusible interfacing for the circle, just like I did for the Going In Circles quilt.
The eyes, eyebrows, and mouth were fused on and stitched down with a zigzag and invisible thread. Then I decided I wanted a decorative flange near the border, which I sewed down before trimming the excess background.
With an added border, I used a stencil and pounce pad to mark the squares,
so that I could quilt the Structured Doodle Weave quilting design in the background.
Circles and lines were added in the border, along with four little smiling faces, one for each corner.
Who wouldn't love this?
If you're looking for a fun, easy, quick project for an Emoji loving teen, or maybe someone who needs a pick-me-up, I highly recommend the Sew Emoji book (affiliate link) - these Emoji's are just too cute!
Happy Quilting!
I wish I could spend more time with the Modern Art Quilts book (affiliate link), but it's time for a new selection. This month, I'm featuring Sew Emoji (affiliate link) by Gailen Runge.
Aren't these Emoji's too cute??
Full of lots of patterns for faces, use them as they are, or recombine pieces to make your own Emoji. Projects include a twin size quilt, pillowcase, and different pillows. I'm thinking wall hanging of just a single Emoji for my project - I've got one picked out!
This book is also a great resource for quilters wanting a straight-forward explanation on how to do applique. I know from several comments recently, there are quilters out there who haven't attempted applique yet. Well, the Sew Emoji book is a great way to start!
Gailen goes through all the tools necessary, explaining each one, and then gives detailed instructions on stitching down appliques. In reading this book, I felt we could be fast friends!
Who can resist an Emoji? If there are teens around you, they would love this. Even creating one as a wall hanging would certainly brighten someone's day - project possibilities are endless. Do check out the Sew Emoji (affiliate link) book if you get a chance!
Happy Quilting!
