Karako -- Little Children On Japanese Pottery

Added on May 27, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Many of us have probably seen them at one time or another... drawings of cute little children, dressed in Chinese style, on bowls or dishes.

The children are normally depicted as playing under a pine tree, with butterflies and peonies around.

These children are called "karako" (唐子), which literally translate to "Chinese children". "Kara" (唐) is actually the character for the Tang dynasty (618-907) of China, considered by many as the golden age of Chinese culture and power. The little children design on pottery symbolizes health for sons & daughters and longevity/continuity.

The number of children on the design also have significance. You will probably see three, five or seven children. (Always odd, never even number!) The more children on the pottery, the higher is its grade.

This matcha tea bowl has 5 children...and the pine tree is found on the inside of the bowl!

All pottery pictured in this article are available for sale at the shop or by mail order.

Fat Quarters ... So That's What They're Called!

Added on May 24, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Seeing our selection of Japanese fabric, a customer, who turned out to be an avid quilter, exclaimed, "Oh, fat quarters!"

...which raised about 3 question marks on the top of my head. Fat quarters???

I asked and she kindly explained. "In the quilting world, these are called fat quarters," she declared, pointing at the fabric "end-cuts". For lack of a better term, we had coined the word "end-cut", which had simply been a direct translation of the Japanese hagire (端切れ), to refer to these strips of fabric. (We had previously introduced them in this blog post.)

A standard roll of fabric is 44" wide. Fabric is normally purchased by the yard (36"). So a yard gives you a piece of cloth that's 44" x 36" big. If you want a regular quarter, then you'll get a cut that's 44" wide and only 9" long. Now, a "fat quarter" is when you cut the width in half and a yard-length in half as well...which gives you 22" x 18"...which is still a quarter of the basic yard, only "fatter". Apparently, quilters prefer fat quarters because they are able to cut bigger chunks of fabric for their purposes.

Now, our Japanese fat quarters are a little chubbier, measuring around 22" x 20" ...which makes sense because 20" is about 50cm. And because Japan uses the metric system, these cuts are probably quarter meter (as opposed to yard)!

Later on.... Feeling like a child with a new toy, I put this fresh knowledge to the test. Another customer came to buy a Japanese quilting book. Said it was a present for his mother who loves quilting. So I mentioned casually, "Oh, we have fat quarters too." He knew exactly what I was talking about and said he would bring his mom to the shop next time! Joy! I almost felt like an "Insider"...but reality is I am still just a "name-dropper"! (^_^)

Many patterns available at the shop.

"En: Connections" Exhibit Photos

Added on May 17, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

It was a great turn out! Thank you to all who visited us. In case you missed the exhibit, please have a look at the photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_ikebana_shop/sets/72157629744389244/

Chirimen Eyeglasses Case

Added on May 11, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Those of us who carry around a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses in our bags know how important it is to protect them from getting scratched or bent. Here is something functional yet pretty!

Hard-shell case with felt lining. Outside, it's wrapped in chirimen rayon fabric in colourful patterns.

Which design do you like?

$9.95 each (CAD) plus HST where applicable. Available at the shop or by mail order.

Exhibit Preparations

Added on May 10, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Finally, the day of the exhibit is almost upon us. It's this coming Saturday, May 12th.

For the past few months, pottery artist Mindy Moore has been working hard to produce new pieces.

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Photo courtesy of Marvin Moore. (http://marvinmoore.com/)

Has she perhaps been sleeping between the potter's wheel and the kiln? (^_^)

The past two weeks, Miyako has been feverishly designing ikebana arrangements. The garage has been taken over...

...and the studio is lined with mock-ups. She will dismantle all of these and re-create them at the gallery.

Please join us and see how Mindy's pottery and Miyako's ikebana breathe life into each other. See the connection!

Exhibit Title: En: Connections
Opening reception: May 12th, Saturday, 2-4 p.m.
Venue: Argyle Fine Art, 1559 Barrington St., Halifax NS
http://argylefineart.blogspot.ca/
Everyone welcome. No entrance fee.

Exhibit days:
May 13th, Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
May 14th, Monday, gallery closed
May 15th, Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
May 16th, Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Hand-Made Tissue Box Cover

Added on May 9, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Using colourful Japanese fabric, we thought we'd make the ubiquitous tissue box a little bit more interesting! :-)

The design is simple. To install the cover, two buttons on either side are just looped into the opening where the tissue sheets are pulled out.

They come in different designs...

...and have plain inside linings which are actually elegant in themselves. So if you prefer a more subdued tissue box, just turn the cover inside out!

Hand-made here in Nova Scotia using Japanese fabric.
Available at the shop or by mail order. $18.00 (CAD) each, subject to HST where applicable.

Choco Truffles In A Can

Added on May 8, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Does your Mom have a sweet tooth? Our chocolate truffles in a can could be the perfect Mother's Day gift! They're no ordinary cans either.

This is a tea canister that we've wrapped in Japanese paper with a chiyogami accent and an ornamental mizuhiki (Japanese paper cord) crane ornament. Makes an elegant gift! Each can contains 10 different truffle flavours.

Or, you may prefer the cute lucky cat cans....in two styles. Same contents: 10 different truffles inside.

The chocolate truffles are made by Truffini of BC, Canada. They are very popular in the West Coast but apparently very few places have them in the East. By the way, they are the same guys who make our Matcha Chocolate bars. We happily taste-tested each truffle too and can confidently say that they are good! http://theikebanashop.com/blog/shop-log-taste-testing

Here are the truffle flavours. (Note: Caramel Mocha not included in the cans.)
http://www.truffini.com/truffleflavors.html

And when the truffles are gone, re-use the cans!

Available at the shop. Chocolate made in Canada. Cans made in Japan.

Long-Life Crane can 14.50 ea
Lucky Cat can 11.50 ea
All prices in Canadian dollars and subject to HST where applicable.

Bento Tools: Wiener Cutters

Added on May 1, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Transform your cocktail smokies with wiener cutters!

Here are a few tips:
1. Put the sausages in the freezer for about 20 minutes before using. This "hardens" them up so they are easier to cut.
2. Add a thin layer of cooking oil on the sausage before cutting. This helps make a smooth extraction.
3. Slice off any tied ends of the sausage.
4. Grill in pan or boil the sausages after cutting.

Available in four shapes: octopus, crab, tulip and penguin. Made in Japan.

Available at the shop or by mail order. Octopus, $3.50 each. Crab, tulip and penguin, $4.50 each. In Canadian dollars and subject to HST where applicable

Old Kimonos Recycled Into Beautiful Bags

Added on April 25, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Mottainai is the Japanese word that refers to that feeling of regret when something is wasted. It is this spirit that drives Aiko Handbags to create these beautiful bags and pouches out of used kimono and obi fabric. Each one is hand-made. Aiko carefully selects and matches different fabrics to come up with tasteful yet functional bags.

It is a tradition in Japan to never waste a beautiful kimono. Even when it became too damaged and stained to wear, many would unpick the kimono and use it to make other accessories such as bags, pincushions and brooches, in order to preserve the beauty and hard work that goes into the creation of each and every kimono. That is what we strive to do every day here at Aiko Handbags, to preserve the art and beauty that is the kimono in modern, useful and practical ways.

No two purses will ever turn out the same. The pattern on the fabric will never fall in the same place twice and the amount of fabric in that particular pattern is very limited, yielding only one, occasionally two bags.

So who is Aiko? She is a young mother who hails from Nova Scotia but who has a great love for Japanese culture. She chose the name Aiko (meaning "well-loved" or "beloved"), a beautiful and feminine name that expressed her feelings about each and every handbag she creates.

I've had a love for Japanese culure since I was in school, starting withanime, manga and J-pop, then growing into more traditional Japanese culture, such as kitsuke (the art of dressing in kimono), tsumamikanzashi (hair ornaments), and I chose to work with kimono fabric out of a simple love and appreciation for this beautiful textile, and a need to share it with others.

Small pouches for cosmetics and what-not.