i have some scrap fabric i want to mess with before i have to toss it and leave for japan. IN japan, i want to MAKE stuff like traditional socks (tabi), get secondhand kimono and fix/wear them etc. keep in mind i haven't sewn in like 10 years and was never all that good... anyway, all our fabric is pretty ugly and i had a thought. you know quilting? they make shapes with fabric? when you lack japanese fabric you can make fabric shapes in the traditional japanese style instead. google "sashiko" or "刺し子 柄" (sashiko pattern) and you'll get the idea.

the difficulty is finding the "quilt block" names that match the japanese patterns! i don't know anything about quilting (i've watched my grandma make one... once) so i'm jumping into this blind. the basic japanese patterns are:

1. mountains (= "chevron falls"?)
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/8a/b7/48/8ab74843cc8855cb4768dddfe31f275c--japanese-quilts-japanese-denim.jpg

2. flowers 1 (= "pickle dish"?)
http://xwork.xsrv.jp/yamagata/images/img/ssk003.jpg

3. flowers 2
http://motokononikki.up.n.seesaa.net/motokononikki/image/P109024428129.JPG?d=a1

4. plus-signs 1 + 2 (= "plus signs")
https://image.rakuten.co.jp/nunogatari/cabinet/item01/1308/sk294_3.jpg

https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/dimension=1920x400:format=jpg/path/scb5180c1c2b301a4/image/ia053ec9ef6a9497b/version/1488986555/image.jpg

5. pound-signs (= "igeta, hashtag"), diamonds (= "slanted diamonds"), fish scales/shells/scallops (= "clam shells")
https://sakepuppets.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/il_fullxfull-239093028.jpg

6. these rectangles
http://www.embroidery.rocksea.org/images/embroidery/sashiko_03.jpg

7. arrow-tails
http://gigaplus.makeshop.jp/cfhtt/shopimages/2_000000011040.jpg

8. squares (= "nine patch")
https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s480x480/e35/13392849_124877221270385_2065468568_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTI3NTk2NzE4NTg5OTcyMTYzNA%3D%3D.2

9. hexagons (= "simple hexagons")
http://img-cdn.jg.jugem.jp/750/2381978/20120626_616777.jpg

10. i haven't found it in sashiko yet but another common pattern is "clouds" and this quilter's block looks kinda like it:
http://www.quilterscache.com/L/LostShipBlock.html

so the plan is, find out the quilter's names for all of these, make some, then use that fabric to make socks.