The Bird Embroidery

数年前にサンフランシスコから遊びに来てくれた友人が古いもの好きで、一緒にダウンタウンの骨董屋へ出かけたときのこと。「いいもの見つけたから」と大きな包み紙を私にくれました。開けてみたら木枠に張られたこの鳥の刺繍。元々ついていた額は取り外し、シンプルな状態で子供部屋に掛けました。一番左の赤い鳥ははカーディナル、真ん中の針金の上にとまっているのはチキディー、かな？多少粗削りのステッチですがなんとも愛嬌があって好きです。とくに余白がいいでしょ？


Few years ago, a  friend of ours came to visit us from San Francisco. She loves old things so of course we went to some antique stores at downtown. After we left one store, she said 'I found something for you' then gave me a big package with a smile. I opened the wrapping paper and came out this lovely bird embroidery.  I took off the original frame, then hang it in my child's bedroom. I know the left red bird is cardinal which has a beautiful voice and the middle one who is sitting on the wire must be a chickadee, I guess. I would not say the stitch is delicate but I think it is very charming embroidery which was done by somebody else in a long time ago. And my favorite part is the blank space.

Spring is coming.

ミネソタの長かった冬もようやく終わりを告げようとしています。この一週間でそこら中の雪が融けてしまい，残っているのは路肩のアイス。昼間散歩に出るとそこら中に雪解け水がちょろちょろ流れ、あと少しで木々も芽吹いてきそうな感じ。
震災以来折り鶴バッグを作っていますがお陰さまで１２個販売致しました。皆様のご協力ありがとうございます。目標２０個までもうちょっと頑張ります。被災地にも早く心暖かな春が訪れますように。


The long winter in Minnesota is getting over. Within this week, most of the snow had melted and we only see the ice on the sidewalk. There are little streams from the melted snow here and there, and the trees are about to bud. 
We have been making Prayer Crane Bag to aid the victims of earthquake and tsunami in Japan and sold 12 bags so far. Thanks for supporting our project. We still continue to make these bags until we sell 20 of them. We hope the spring will be in the stricken area soon and warms everybody's heart.