Traveling Fun

I was traveling this past weekend, so I had the opportunity to finish up one of my small sashiko projects while I was waiting around in the airport.  I bought a kit for a sashiko apron, and the front panel is embroidered with a traditional design.  It's a really nice kit that comes in many colors AND can be made into a handbag.  Pretty cool idea!

The kit cover and the finished panel.

I used a combination of white thread for the circles and aqua thread for the diagonal lines.  It came out well, although the fabric was a bit thick to stitch through.  I'm in the process of washing out the stitching lines, and then I'll sew everything together.

As a note, I started this project while I was in Asia, and I once pulled it out while I was seated near a bunch of Japanese tourists.  Their faces all lit up with excitement (and some bewilderment) when they saw what I was doing...I'm sure it was a bit strange to see an American girl working on a traditional Japanese craft!

In other news, my Janome sewing machine is traveling as well, this time to the shop to get a tune-up.  I've been using "Singee, the brave little Singer" Featherweight, in the meantime!  He was a birthday gift from my husband, and I love how he hums along while I sew.  Maybe I'll keep the Janome in the closet for a while when it returns, so I can continue using this little wonder!

Singee, the Brave Little Singer