Crafting in a Foreign Country

While I was visiting Kyoto, Japan I had a hankering to make things. I found this perforated faux leather at a sewing store in the neighborhood and I had never seen anything like it. I immediately knew I needed to buy some of this to experiment with it. I ended up making a much needed case for my ipod touch. I had been lugging it around in a sock of all things for 5 months before I finally made a proper case.

I was so inspired my all things shashiko and zakka during my stay in japan. I love this traditional pattern that is found in all the shashiko books, so I decided to give it a try. The design wraps around the front to back. The perforated leather is very easy to embroider into which made it ideal for crafting in a foreign country because all i needed was needle and thread. No sewing machine necessary :) I've been using this pouch for several months and am very pleased with it. It feels good in the hands. The stitching provides a nice texture to hold. I'm thinking about using some of the sides scraps to make a embroidered cuff.

Excuse the poor photo qulity of the last one, but this was a process shot of me working away in my bed in a Kyoto hostel.