There is benefit in working in a major university library, and one with a Japanese collection is even better! Little things bring joy to my daily life at the library. I love watching the young and energetic students, their energy does rub off on me. They are international students from many countries which makes the place more interesting. My university is located in a big park where I take daily walks and enjoy the garden. I have been trying my photography skills taking photos on my walk. I'm going to share a few with you at the end of this post.
The Japanese books I want to show you today are ones I first saw at Bryan's when I visited Japan earlier this year. I was told that they were out of print. By luck my friend Ayako who was with me is a Japanese librarian. She quickly jotted down the ISBNs as you do if you are a librarian.
Yesterday an envelope landed on my desk and in it were these two books. The one on left is Tanoshii kogire fukuromono by Ueda Seiko and the right is Dogu to koromo by Ueda Seiko. The two brand new books had been catalogued ready for me to borrow them. Small things give joy to my life and this is one of them!
Although they are in Japanese, pictures say a thousand words. And if you are a sewer, a very good sewer can make anything just from looking at the photos. Inside the books are all kinds of bags and some specially made for tea containers used in the Japanese tea ceremony.
I still remember learning many things from Japanese books just by following the photographic instructions. As staff I can borrow unlimited books from the library, but I still want my own copies of some of these books. Ayako told me when I'm next in Japan just go to any good book shop and order them and they will get them for me. So I will do that when I'm there next Spring.
What else is in these books. I found instructions on how to make this sewing caddy. I already have one, but I would like to make more for gifts. As we are going to learn how to make the kumihimo cord on the tour I would be ready to reproduce this caddy easily ha!
I like the idea of using a basket as a base for the caddy. I'm also a basket weaver, so anything made from baskets I do like. Below are some photos I took on my daily walk around my university.
I hope you enjoy my photos. I took them from my iPhone4 and I think the quality is excellent. If you enjoy them please leave me a comment...
Enjoy
Nat
15 comments:
Thanks so much Nat.
If I pay your excess luggage can you bring some books back for me
Wow Nat how very special to get these books in the mail...you must be so thrilled!!! Love the pics around your university, especially the last one!!!
beautiful books Nat, lucky you to be able to borrow them.
Hello Nat,
Those books sound so interesting, hope you get your own copies soon. A beautiful blue sky for you today.
Happy days.
Bev.xoxo
Wow, Nat, those photos that were taken on your phone are wonderful.
I am so glad that you have access to those books and I hope that you will be able to get your own copies on your next trip.
I just got an I-phone and wonder if my pics will turn out as well as yours.
I remember Nanette (of Freda's Hive) showed me her collection of Japanese quilt magazines one day and I've never been the same since. So unique and detailed oriented. How nice that as a librarian you can see all the new items coming in.
the photos are great. i have several japanese magazines that i purchased on ebay with lots of lovely designs for inspiration. your right. sometimes the pictures are enough and words are not necessary.
Wonderful books; and you are right, a good sewer can follow photos as easily as the written instructions. Love these!
Wonderful treasures to peruse! I love how language differences disappear when we have photos and the desire to create - sewing, an international language. I am constantly amazed at the quality photos captured with iphones - amazing!
we better not go into a Japanese bookstore together or we will be in serious financial trouble - not to mention trying to carry them home! thanks for sharing your pictures. it is interesting to see how different your light is to mine.
Nat,
Snail mail still thrills when it brings something like this! I love your basket/bag! And you & your phone took great photos!! I love that last one, it says a lot!
Nat, that sewing caddy cord is a work of art in itself. I enlarged the photo and wow! I, too, go by pictures. I subscribed to Marie Claire Idees magazine for a few years and I don't speak or read a single word of French! You're right, a picture says a thousand words.
Your iphone photos are great, isn't that amazing? I especially love the red columns, striking. xo
The photos are great, specially to think you took them with your phone.
The sewing caddy looks fantastic, and you're right, they'd make fantastic presents.
Great photos Nat, another top score for the iphone!! Oh my, I didn't even consider that I might buy books in Japan. I think I'd better travel very, very light on the way out!!
The Japanese craft books are great - I find the diagrams so comprehensive that it's not hard at all to work from them. And I love the creative spirit that shines through in your work.
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