Finally, I made it to a kindergarten mothers' craft session this morning. It started at 9:30 a.m., but as the text message from the class representative said "Just coming for part of the time is fine," I finished off a translation before getting there at 11. All the others were already there, heads bent intently over their sewing.
"Do you do embroidery?" asked Haruhito's mother brightly.
"Uh ... no, not really, but I'll try ...."
Another woman handed me a small semicircle of red felt.
"Start out by sewing white seeds on, like this."
She showed me a sheet of paper covered in complicated patterns for what looked like different varieties of fruit.
Meekly I took a needle and some embroidery thread from the basket on the low table, and set to work. I didn't have a clue what I was supposed to be making.
"It's a strawberry, look."
Hideaki's mother, quietly kneeling next to me, passed me a piece of delectable-looking sponge cake covered in whipped cream, strawberries, and pink flowers, made of felt and painstakingly sewn together with tiny embroidery stitches. I gulped and nodded.
"Are you all right? You're staring into space ..." giggled Haruhito's mother.
An hour later, after a few false starts and a lot of surreptitious glances at how the others were doing it, I'd managed to put together a passable strawberry. Next to me on one side, Hideaki's mother was finishing a luscious melon. Haruhito's mother was putting the final touches to a bunch of perfect tiny grapes on the other. The others had already finished their tasks and were endulging in some rather bawdy speculation about a woman whose twins had turned out to have different fathers.
My strawberry, the melon, and the grapes were added to the fruit basket, and our class bazar craft-making was finished for this year. The results were amazing. As if the cake and fruits weren't enough, there was also a hamburger with at least eight layers, and two different lunchboxes. My favorite is the tiny octopus. (In real life, mothers cut sausages so they look like octopuses to make their children's lunchboxes fun - it's a knack I've yet to master. The felt one is even cuter than the sausages!)
Lavender bags definitely wouldn't have made the grade. I'm so glad that's over for this year, but am wondering how on earth we can top this next time. When I'll definitely have to do better than a single measly strawberry.
To be honest, though, I enjoyed myself. No-one was annoyed that work and inexperience meant I couldn't manage more of a contribution, and now we've all got past our initial politeness with each other, the class mothers are turning into a friendly, lively group with a surprisingly down-to-earth sense of humor. Crafts and bazars notwithstanding, I think this year is going to be all right.
3 comments:
Wow. Those are the best hand made crafts that I have ever seen for a hoikuen/youchien bazaar! They look amazing! and now you can do strawberries? Cool. How much are they planning on selling them for?
Nothing like what they're worth in terms of the time it took to make them! I think each set will go for 500 yen. Moneywise the kindergarten would have made far more if I'd donated the cost of an hour of my time as a translator, instead of wearing out my fingers making a strawberry - but that's not what it's about, I guess.
What a lovely showpiece! And the strawberry looks strong and solid. Someone will have a great time with a felt lunchbox or the contents. I know, as I have played with a little girl in possession of one!
So glad it turned out to be companionable and pleasant -- a good way of getting to know each other. Wish I could be there to touch and admire the results. Thank you for the photos and stories!
Post a Comment