Pamela from Hokkaido Kudasai

This week's Blogger of the Week has a fascinating blog full of information about her adopted country - Japan.  There is always something to learn and some beautiful photos to admire.  Both of her craft and the local crafts too.   Please welcome Pamela from:

Hokkaido Kudasai

1. Please introduce yourself – name, where you are from, family, pets etc.

My name is Pamela.  I’m from the US, but now I live in Japan.



2. How long have you been stitching and how did you start?

I’ve been stitching since I was about five.  My grandmother taught me to embroider stamped pillowcases - stem stitch, lazy daisy, cross stitch, French knots, back stitch. I started doing counted cross stitch in high school with a dress I designed for an art class.  I still have the dress, but now it is smaller than me!

3. How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start?  Is there a story behind your blog title?

I began my blog in December 2011, about a week after I moved to Hokkaido, Japan, which is where the name comes from. I’ve posted every day since then, sometimes about stitching, sometimes about my life in Japan.



4. How would you describe your stitching style?  Are you a serial starter, a rotator, a OAAT (one at a time), highly organised, random and eclectic, etc.?

I think I am a random and eclectic serial starter.  When I lived in the US, I attended classes and seminars, but now that I live in Japan, I don’t have those opportunities. I stitch whatever I think of.



5. Do you have a favourite designer or style of design you are drawn to?

No, I don’t think so. I do many different types of stitching.



6. Which piece are you most proud of in your collection?

There are three birdhouses I made. The first one in beads, the second one crazy quilt, and the third to look like a tent made from girl scout uniform parts.

7. What has been your worst stitching disaster?

I don’t think I have any real disasters.  Somehow I manage to change and fix things. Sometimes the finish isn’t what it was started to be.



8. Which new technique would you like to try, either stitching, finishing or another craft?

I’d like to try tattting.  I bought a shuttle.



9.  Do you have a box of finished-but-not-fully-finished pieces?  Or is everything FFO'd? What's your favourite way to fully finish a project and what do you do with them?

I have a few “waiting to be framed” pieces.



10. Which of your projects most represents "you"?

The dark part is behind me - click for more photos

Japan has four seasons finish - click here for more photos

Mystery solved - click here for more photos

11. Tell us a secret about yourself.  Or a joke. About anything!

Secrets? If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret!



12. Anything you would like to add?

Thank you for giving me this interview opportunity on your blog.