Yes, I’ve been before, but this time it’s different. This time I will be conducting interviews, learning new skills, and sharing it all with you. However, before I set foot in the airport, there are a few things I need to take care of…

1. Scheduling interviews. I’m working on this now with help from artists, kimono and textile enthusiasts, and friends.
2. Planning travel. I have a starting point (Tokyo) and an end point (Fukuoka) and several stops in between. It’s a lot to organize.
3. Funding. This is where you can help, and I do need help! Click here to see my Indiegogo campaign. My working budget is pretty slim as everything I make from my business goes right back into the business, and my husband is a school teacher. Our idea of a night on the town is walking to the local movie theater to catch the $6.50 mid-week special rate. Maybe we get takeout. Probably tacos.

If you can chip in, that’s great! I’m getting fabulous suggestions from friends who know people (interview-worthy artists, especially) in Japan, have housing ideas, and several who have said they’d like to help get this book/multimedia project off the ground.

My favorite perk is a special Sashiko Challenge – this one using rustic Sevenberry indigo cottons with traditional Japanese designs. The texture is great for sashiko, heavier than quilt cotton sheeting, and I can say from experience that it is fun to stitch on with thick sashiko thread. Each Challenge kit comes with a randomly chosen fat quarter, three mini skeins of Hida sashiko thread, a piece of Japanese quilt fabric (approximately 7″ x 7″), and a pair of Tulip sashiko needles. This Challenge kit is only available through the Indiegogo campaign. Kits will ship after the campaign ends in early April, and the deadline for submissions of completed projects is July 15, 2016.

I have received a few photo submissions from the Winter Sashiko Challenge and they are amazing so far! Remember, to participate in the Sashiko Challenges you need to purchase a kit and use all the materials supplied–but you can also add your own touches, including other fabrics, beads, thread, etc.

In the meantime I’ll be getting ready for Voices in Cloth, East Bay Heritage Quilt Guild’s big quilt show in Richmond, CA, and my Basic Sashiko class in Alameda, CA on Sunday, April 10. Class size is limited to 8 students so register early.