I’m continuing to sew almost every day. Since my accident in February, I think it relaxes me and that is why I have been doing it so much. I think it has a cathartic effect on me and gets my mind off of things. Also, to make one sleeve, it takes about two or three hours with all the cutting and appliqué, but it’s not very difficult or complex, so I can get satisfaction out of accomplishing something. If I were to venture into something more complicated like clothing or bags maybe I wouldn’t keep up with my projects. And how many tote bags can you make/give someone anyway? I like the sleeves because they are functional but also unique. I hope I can start selling them soon.
Last night I made salmon in my toaster oven. I used a recipe that my mom and grandma use, so it reminded me of home. I couldn’t get big salmon steaks like they have in America, and almost all the filets had large bones in them, but oh well. That’s Japan for ya. I mixed Dijon mustard with mayonnaise to make the sauce, squeezed lemon on the filets and then placed lemon slices on top. Then I baked it in my toaster oven until it was tender. It didn’t taste as good as when my mom or grandma makes it but it was my first try, so I guess you could say it met my expectations.
I also made a pumpkin “salad” by microwaving a hunk of Japanese Kabocha, or pumpkin squash, and then mashing it up with some mayonnaise and a little Dijon mustard. I then added some salt, pepper, and paprika. It would’ve tasted better with some raisins thrown in, but I didn’t have them on hand.
Another recipe I came up with is a frying pan faux quiche. It is super easy and healthy! I cooked up some cabbage, spinach, and bacon in a frying pan and then added three eggs that I beat with milk. I put a lid on the frying pan and cooked it on low until the “quiche” firmed up. You could call it an omelet, but the texture was really similar to quiche! I didn’t add a pie crust or anything, so it was healthier than real quiche. Also, I didn’t have any cheese, but the egg texture tasted rich like it had cheese in it! Success! The second time I made it I added “Shin Tamanegi,” which means “new onions.” They are sweet and compliment the spring cabbage very well. I made the mistake of covering the veggies before adding the eggs and the result was them sweating too much, but it still tasted good to me. I make this dish at night and then divide it into Tupperware for my lunches. One of the downsides to living alone is you have to eat the same thing every day until you run out.
Next I want to learn how to make felted wool soap bars and how to do needle felting! I just need to figure out what supplies I need and where to get them…..
Inspiration:
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| Light blue Totoro |
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| Baby face Totoro |
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| The Totoro collection |
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| Just a typical night at my kotatsu |
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| New characters |
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| Ideas for future projects |
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| Jiji collection |
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| Jiji collection |
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| Jiji collection |
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| Jiji collection |
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| Working on a Friday night |
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| The Kitty collection |
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Pastel Kitties
 | | Kitty trio: I like playing around with different color combinations for the stitching |
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| I made a bunch of hot pink Hello Kitties |
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Ponyo (a Ghibli character)
 | | Second Ponyo: smaller than the first but kind of reminds me of Chuckie from the Rugrats now... |
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| Stuff made over the weekend |
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| All in a day's work |
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| Mei-chan and Totoro: both look surprised |
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| New design: for the true Starbucks fan |
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| Kokeshi applique: original design |
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| It's so cute and three dimensional |
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| Original Kokeshi design |
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| Starbucks sewing date with Mariko: she made the cat (I cut out the silhouette) and I made the apple |
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| I am inspired by 60's and 70's motifs right now |
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| Totoro iPhone case |
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| Kitty iPhone case |
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| Baked salmon |
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| Sun setting on my walk home from work |
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