Japanese August 12, 2002: Making cloth books
	I visited Mrs. Yamada in Kujyu highland together with my close friend who loves handwork. The high land is under the thick green of the mid summer. We have a cloudy day today, however.
Yamada's house is in the thick forest.
	Yamada will teach us how to make a "cloth book."
The lovely books are made of felt. Yamada has also learned it from her friend. There are many colorful cloth books including the souvenir from America and her original books. This is a sample book named "Spring." The colorful pieces of the cloth above are the materials of the book.
	Yamada prepares a sheet of pattern for us.
We started making "Spring." The smiling cloth sun tells the arrival of spring to the butterflies and flowers. The will start to move then.
	my friend decided to make a cloth book "Rain." "When I opened a window, I found it was raining", the book will tell like this. She is making a window now.
the colors of the felt and embroidery thread are very beautiful.
	My friend has been making embroidery for a long time and she keeps her materials very neatly.
This is a sewing box with a very lovely lid made of kimono patchwork.
We took brought-in lunch boxes.
	after the lunch, we walked around Yamada's large wild garden. The air of autumn is quietly coming here Kujyu highland although the sun is still hot. Lovely Japanese bush clover in pea family
I used to play with this flower attaching them on my foreheads when I was a child. Hekuso vine of Akane family
	Common beautiful flower is very popular on watersides. I wonder what the name of the flower is. Will any body tell me the name?
Kusaredama of Sakura family
Small Murasaki-Shikibu of Tamakazura family
Japanese bush ginger of Tsuyukusa family
	Brilliant Higotai thistle blooms in the garden. Click the picture to enlarge. Higotai thistle
The Yamadas kindly cut the flower for us without hesitation. We resumed to making the cloth book together with pleasant chatting. The Higotai thistle was a good souvenir of the day. I will try to make the cloth book up even if it takes much time.