Handmade Project for Tsunami Survivors: ふんばろう東日本ハンドメイドプロジェクトHow to Make Noren

To sewing lovers:

If you love sewing and live in Japan, there are things you can support the devastating Tsunami survivors. I would like to introduce a handmade project run by Fumbaro Higashinihon (meaning Hang in There, Eastern Japan). One of their current requests is Noren, a Japanese style curtain, to keep their privacy of their temporary housing. Noren is like this.

The Tsunami survivors live in the temporary housing, and for the air circulating in the rooms and for keeping the privacy, they are using Noren at the front door like this.

Fumbaro Eastern Japan's main English home page is here. Please find out other opportunities you may want to do from this site. You can buy goods such as foods and diapers which will be directly sent to the local support organization you chose from Amazon Japan.

 

The handmade project page has not been translated into English. I added English words as below.

As above, materials are also needed for them to enjoy sewing and knitting. You may agree those craft making makes us so relaxed and is refreshing. This must be more true if you had experienced such a big disaster.

Requested handmade goods are here. Since there is no English page, I translated as above. Tutorials are In green arrowed section. Though the tutorials are in Japanese, you can understand the step-by-step guidance of pictures and drawings. If not, contact me through the comment box. Please note that requested items change weekly or monthly based upon the most currently needed goods. I recommend you contact the project coordinator before you start sewing. I pick up Noren tutorial and explain how to make.

1. Cut 2 fabrics of 46.5 x 162cm
2. Put them right side together, sew 30cm from the top. If you use Japanese kimono or yukata fabric, you don't need to fix the seams. In this case put one fabric onto the other and top stitch twice as shown.
3. Press the seam from the top to the bottom and fold twice and stitch.
4. Sew the both sides as same as #3.
5. Press 5 to 7cm from the top edge and fold the hem, say 1.5cm, and stitch. This is for a rod to come through.
6. Stitch the bottom.
7. Finished size is 85 x 150cm

Note: The width of Noren is narrower if you use kimono or yukata fabric. According to the project coordinator, that is o.k.

 

Please make sure the full information - what item (arm covers, round pad, mask, or Noren, at the moment), how many of them, when you are going to send - should be given to the project coordinator by email. Here is the page to send email. Write your name in the top box, your email address in the second, and the content in the third box.

The address to send parcels is:

169-8050　東京都新宿区西早稲田1-6-1　早稲田大学9号館 604西條剛央研究室 ふんばろう東日本支援プロジェクト ハンドメイドPJ宛て


Handmade PJ, Fumbaro Eastern Japan

c/o Prof. Takeo Saijo

Waseda University Bldg.#9 Room#604

Nishi-Waseda 1-6-1

Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8050

 

It took me only 30 min. to make these and it would be a great chance for you to learn how to make a Japanese style curtain, Noren.