still a bit dizzy from travelling back in time. Left Tokyo on Friday at noon, reached Moskow at 5 pm - after 10 hours flight, a short break of barely 3 hours while in transit. And finally reached my destination Frankfurt at 9 pm after another 3.5 hours flight. Travelling westward is confusing and though my body doesn't seem to suffer from jet lag, my mind is still not in synch with local time - or place.
Japan was fascinating and Tokyo was confusing. I am not a big city person. I've been to London, Rome and Paris but all those cities are simply big and old and populated but not a really BIG city like Tokyo (or as I suspect New York).
There are typical big city glas buildings
confusing street scenes (remember, I'm a small town girl)
funny ways of parking cars
and cute cabin bunk beds in hostels
gingko trees lining the streets
and along the sidewalk as well
manhole covers look different
and cute cats warn you in front of railway crossings (which was in Fujino not in Tokyo)
The workshop was a real experience, I gained so much new knowledge, learned so many new things, I still have to let it sit in my mind and mull it over.
Bryan is a wonderful teacher. With a magpie mind not unlike my own I was able to dive into a huge pool of knowledge. We dyed at the indigo vat, stitched and folded shibori pieces, braided kumihimo cords, wove on a Japanese loom, stencilled katazome, visited a katazome master in his workshop and were able to use his vats, learned a practical lesson about Ikebana, partook in a tea ceremony, walked through the Folkart Museum in Tokyo, warmed up in an onsen (hot bath), ate so many wonderful meals at Bryan's house and about, worked voluntarily through the night and went quiet at the campfire in Bryan's yard. We learned about silk worm raising, how to reel silk and how to make silk threads interesting and we dyed with madder and gardenia. I met wild monkeys and learned how bamboo grows. And we bought some things from local artesans and vintage.
I was lucky that the group consisted of so many wonderful textile enthusiasts from all over the world. We helped each other and we all learned a lot from each other.
And I found the most beautiful kimono/coat in a vintage textile shop
I had to make it my own with my one of my shibori pieces and some sashiko stitching. Every coat needs at least one pocket. Kimono or not ;o)
I just came home in time for my mother's 88th birthday, so a more detailed text will have to wait but I will tell you more, rest assured. And I have to try a new vat. Since I was hooked on Kumihimo at once, I ordered a Marudai while still in Japan. I hope it will arrive within the next days. This kind of braiding is so relaxing and I want to make some braids from linen yarn.
The Japanese loom was endearingly called The Beast.
She is a wonderful little old loom and warms up to people only tentatively. But she still works.
See you later friends with more pictures and stories. Still overwhelmed and confused ....