We interrupt this program...

 Japan trip preparations had to be set aside for a while this week when I realised that I had better get my Estonian summer knitting holiday sorted out before I go, because it will be getting late for booking flights etc. by the time I get back. So instead of researching Tokyo destinations, I have been looking into how to fly to Tallinn - which turns out to be relatively difficult from where I live.  However, I discovered that it is quite easy to get a ferry to Tallinn from Helsinki, and Helsinki has far more airlines flying to it. So after a bit of research into what there is to see in Helsinki and Tallinn, I was able to plan out an itinerary and get my flights booked. I'm starting to feel like a travel agent. In a similar vein, I've been having to sort out various things like caravan insurance and house insurance that are renewing while I am away.

Then it was back to Japan prep.  I've got my shinkansen ticket booked now, and the train ticket to Heathrow airport.  After conferring with a few of my online Japanese language partners, I have finalised my gift preparation and have sewn 10 fabric gift bags for the people of higher status (teachers, school management). Apparently it is not the done thing to give the same gift to everyone regardless of status, so I've got the teachers some Cadbury's chocolate products.

Also this week, I cut out all the scallops for my Australian BOM quilt and glued down the curved edge over the freezer paper ready for machine applique.  I only had a limited amount of fabric in the kit and was really struggling to fit all the scallops on it - until I looked at the photograph of the finished quilt and realised that I had totally misinterpreted the 'Cut this many' instructions on the scallop pattern and only needed half as much as I thought.  Then I pinned the quilt pieces up on the design wall and started auditioning border fabrics.  It turns out that the digital printed lace fabric I was hoping to use looked too 'cold' against the quilt (that's it hiding behind the blocks, although the picture isn't well lit so it isn't looking as stark as it did in natural light).  I tried a few other things but I am back to the first substitute fabric I bought, to use for the outer border - that's the flowery one under the scallops.  For the inner border, I tried quite a few things and eventually found a pink dotted fabric which I think works the best out of what I've got.  Now I just need to get things cut and sewn together - ideally before I go so that I don't forget all the details while I'm away. I am still a bit unhappy with how wishy-washy it all looks, I wish I could have found the right sashing fabric to 'pop' all the embroidery details, but I haven't been able to find anything here.

I've been doing stitching every night while I watch the March sumo tournament and I finished the Easter bunny cross stitch and installed it in the little printed card that came with the magazine kit.  I'll take this down for my m-i-l next time we visit.

I finished my second go at Bruges Flower #2 and it's come out a lot better this time - the second attempt is on the left in the picture.  I used a linen thread which fills up the petals a lot better and I did  a better job on the edges.  The plaits are still a bit bumpy and wobbly, and I completely lost the plot on the Bruges join on the reverse (a way of tying off all the ends) on the second one. But overall it's an improvement.

Being March it is time for the free Cartonnage event that Colourway Arts puts on every year.  This time there are two projects - I'm making the stacked double box but there is also a hinged box.  This is one of my boxes, they both need to dry overnight and then I can cover the outsides.  I used my ScanNCut again to score the cutting lines into the thick chipboard for the internal boxes and then finished the cuts by hand. 

One of the big draws for going to Japan in the spring was the potential to see the cherry blossom - on our previous spring trip we were too early and only saw some on our very last day.  Sadly this year the weather in Japan is warming up earlier than usual and the blossom is coming now.  It is very likely that it will be all gone in Tokyo by the time I get there, and even all gone in the north by the time I get to the school. Which is very disappointing.  I have consoled myself by hanging up two of the cherry blossom textiles I bought on previous trips, along with the little quilt I made from fabric I bought in Tokyo. I think the only guaranteed way to see the cherry blossom would be to make a trip in mid-March and basically camp out in Tokyo for as long as it takes until the blossom season starts.

Spring is back on here, and our daffodils are blooming away along with the crocuses.  I impulse bought a little pot of bulbs at the checkout and they started blooming today - love daffodils, they are so cheery.

It's Mothering Sunday tomorrow here in the UK.  I think it's fairly unlikely that DS will remember of his own accord, particularly since he and his girlfriend are off to Paris tomorrow (where the French are still striking and apparently piling garbage up on street corners and rioting now - so not sure what their trip is going to be like). The little pot of bulbs I bought is intended as a Mother's Day gift, so it's from me to me - as Miley Cyrus says, I can buy myself flowers   :)