November 4

Makiba came over today to finish her duvet cover (that we started in June?!), and it was a big, big project. Solid orange, 8'x8'. I don't usually work with things that size so trying to figure out the math and the measuring, not to mention hauling it back and forth between the sewing room and my bedroom (we didn't have anywhere else to lay it out..) was a big job. Once it was done, Makiba started flipping through some magazines i brought back from Japan. I love this because she reads aloud all the stuff that I just glanced over. She really wanted a bento-box bag but didn't like any of the patterns we found. A pretty striped pillow caught her eye though, and when I suggested we make a bag like it, she was a little confused/nervous. But making small things is my style. ;)
I let her root through some fabric (my entire stash kind of overwhelmed her) as I eyeballed, cut and stitched the bag lining from her left over orange fabric. We cut strips of the ones she liked and I had her sew them together. I did all the thinking and she did all the sewing. When we got to the part where you pull the bag through the lining, I told her about how I learned to do that from the wife of a Yakuza. True story-- when I was living in Hokkaido, I wandered into a shop selling handmade goods in Sapporo and asked the shop keeper where I could learn to make stuff like what she was selling. She invited me to sit and sew with her, and we ended up sewing together that whole weekend. I think it was after I showed her my tattoo that she mentioned her husband was a gangster... but anyway.
The bento bag came out really cute. I totally wanted to make one for myself too, but by the time she was done we were both hungry and I still had the whole house to clean. We ate leftover yuvarlakia and she watched as I cleaned the kitchen. You know you have a good friend when you invite them over even when you haven't showered and you can do stuff like wash pots and pans while they're there.
I did sew together 1/4 of the cross blocks this morning and I'm fairly confident I can have the top done by the weekend. Don't worry, all progress (and distractions) will be posted here.