Harikuyo, The Festival of Broken Needles, is today. Celebrated in Japan where broken needles are honored for all their hard work. They are taken to a shrine and pushed into soft tofu and then buried to rest from their labors. To learn more about this festival go to Sue's blog, Plays with Needles. She has previous blog posts that explain it better and in more detail with beautiful pictures. She is one of my favorite bloggers. I always learn something, her work is amazing, and photos inspiring. One year, she had an online class to make a needle book for our needles. She is offering it again and I encourage you to try your hand. It was fun. Here is my first attempt.
She guides you step by step. I need more practice with my ribbon embroidery. Other participants embroidered and embellished with all kinds of designs.
The back.
Inside wool pages. Each page for a different kind of needle. She is selling the labels in her Etsy shop.
The back of the book where broken needles and pins for the year can be stored. My back page is a little offset.
This is where I keep most of my broken pins and needles, safe in an old medicine bottle. One day I will bury them in some soft tofu. Thank you for all your hard work in helping me sew quilts and bags and many other fun or necessary sewing.
At one of the International Quilt Shows I attended, a vendor was selling lots of cool fabric that would be difficult to find in Cincinnati. I bought fabric to make another needle book in my favorite blue colors. Sue has inspired me to try my hand once again.
These are the wool fabrics I found for the pages.
I hope you visit Susan's blog and maybe you'll make a needle book to honor your needles also.
Marsha
6 comments:
This is so pretty Marsha - I would like to do this one of these days. I read Susan's blog too, very inspiring. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in prep for my son's wedding - time is flying by - end of April. Need to buckle down.
Your ribbon embroidery is lovely - beautiful colors! And the ties that close the book are just the perfect finishing touch!
This was so interesting! I love the needle book. I need a shrine for lost needles!
I am so impressed with your needlebook! Wow! You did a great job with it-- beautiful! I save my broken needles but never do anything with them. lol!
That is beautiful, a lovely item :-)
What a great post! Thanks for the link to Susan's blog.
It's so so pretty. I just love the colors/fabric. Such beautiful work, too. :)
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