Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in an exotic land. Every couple of months she would take a train that snaked past patchworks of rice fields, tea plantations, industrial estates and one gorgeous snow-capped mountain. The train would transport her from the little town of vegetable fields and bicycles she now called home to a metropolis of buildings that touched the sky and people that moved in waves.
This not-so-young girl was a Japanese-fabric-ophile and she had arrived in the promise land. A place that had an entire "Fabric Town" where five story buildings were filled with gorgeous print after gorgeous print. A city with craft stores so large they needed seven whole buildings to hold them. Somewhere that you could not only buy materials for almost every craft imaginable, but also be inspired by all around you.
That girl wanted to share her new-found knowledge with the world. To map out the places to go and how to get there. To help those navigate the foreign language and customs of the land. With each trip, she would explore a new area, madly writing notes, subway exits and drawing maps.
But alas, while she had filled notebooks with her excited scribblings, before she could put them in order for others to read, life took over and the guide was carefully put away, but never forgotten.
But now, the not-as-young girl has only eight more sleeps until she visits this exotic land again. The maps, the writings are all seeing light again and are being put into careful order. It has been a number of years since the girl has visited the fabric promise land so with the guide in hand, she can see it with new eyes, check her maps, add new findings into the book so that she can then finally share it with the world.
There are many more magical creative spaces to explore, Kootoyoo is where you'll find the map.
10 comments:
I remember when you wrote about your guide and was wondering what had happened with it. I for one am really looking forward to the day it is published. If you need any help of a Japanese-language nature, please don't hesitate to ask.
Clare
Yes, your guide. I have friends waiting int he wings who would absolutely love it as would I. Honey there is a big big market for this book!! So excited you are going back to the land of the rising sun, enjoy your travels and hope it's truly inspirational and not tinged with too much sadness as you will observe first hand the devastating effects on their recent natural disaster....take care x
I am glad for you that you have taken your guide out of mothballs and rejuvenated the idea! I hope you have a very rewarding trip to Japan and find what you want.
Ooh! That guide sounds quite promising.
And how exciting to be going back to Japan.
What a great project. Set a deadline and get it published! x
I look forward to using your guide when I finally make it to Japan, hopefully later in the year. It sounds fabulous (both Japan and your book!)
I love this post in so many ways :) you gotta get that book published lady!
Stacks of my quilting colleagues would line up to buy your guide - when can we expect it to hit the stores? Have a fabulous trip.
Your envious friend.
Please tell me you're going back to Japan to finalise the makings of a book, so it can hold my hand when i visit, as i'll be on a made craft & fabric binge. I'm taking my children as they can speak Japanese, bliss!! Happy travels!! Love Posie
Beautiful writing! It makes me want to go to Japan, not only for 5 storey buildings of fabric but the rice fields, the snow capped mountain. You've painted such a beautiful picture! Yay to going to Japan and yay to revisiting your map!
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