Thursday, April 12, 2012

Extra patterns included with book purchase

When you purchase my new temari book through my website, I'll send you Temari Techniques for Eggs - a $12 value.

Quick link to purchase


Temari Techniques for Eggs



Temari Techniques for Eggs

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Mixed emotions with the first glance

Two copies of Temari Techniques arrived on my doorstep here in Raleigh on Monday. My first thought when I opened the box from my publisher was "God, it's TOO big!"  I've had a different reaction with each of my three books.  It's a very emotional experience to have been working so long and so hard on a project and finally receive the book in the mail.

With Japanese Temari, A Colorful Spin, it was more a feeling of disbelief, almost a detachment. Was that my work? Did I do that? Is it OK? Oh, no! Look how big she made the photos. She didn't fix the photo on the cover. She forgot! Are the rest OK or is the thread falling off the balls? My first reaction was that the whole book might just be a mess.  I was a mess. Then I settled down to read the book and it seemed like all was well (except for that photo on the cover).

With Japanese Kimekomi, my first reaction was "SO SMALL! What a tiny book!  Who will want to buy such a tiny book? "  Our publisher wanted Kathy and I to limit the number of patterns to 15. She created the tiny book to sell to quilters and it's been a big seller for her. Groups of quilters have emailed me to say how much they have enjoyed making the kimekomi handballs with leftover fabric from their quilts. So all is well with that book, too.

Temari Techniques, A Visual Guide to Making Japanese Embroidered Thread Balls is huge. It's 208 pages and weighs in at a hair under two pounds. I'm thinking I might have to supply book stands for my elderly customers. I wanted to put everything I know about temari in this one but of course, I could never do that. There is always more to learn, more to say, more designs and tricks and techniques to come, especially when it comes to advanced topics. I did squeeze in a couple of pages on marking multi-centers temari along with lots of options for adding extra guidelines on simple divisions and C8 divisions. Have a look at the table of contents.

You can really help me by pre-ordering the book now by following this link to my website. I'm a bit worried about being overwhelmed in early May after the books arrive here. Right now, I have the time to get the envelopes ready and keep the accounting up-to-the-minute, the grunt work of an author who is trying to sell her book. As you probably know, when a book is sold on amazon or through a cut-rate dealer, the author gets just about nothing. So please, support the author!

To return the favor of your purchase, I'll sign your book and slip in a pattern set for transferring the patterns in the book to egg shapes. I've had a lot of fun working on the eggs lately and I think you'll enjoy this twist on traditional temari.

Mark your calendar for The Carolina Fiber Fest  May 18 - 20
Dana Watson and Susan Fennell will be sharing a booth with me for the three-day festival.  Dana will be bringing adorable tea-cup pin cushions and washi crafts. And Susan will provide gorgeous indigo-dyed pieces. I can't wait for the event! There will be so many vendors, displays, guild groups at work/play, contests, and classes.  I'll bring my new book with the egg patterns for anyone who purchases the book from me at the event. Hope to see you there!

Monday, April 9, 2012

Open for pre-orders for Temari Techniques

new temari book

My advance copies have arrived here in Raleigh!

That means I can open up the web page for pre-orders. 

Support the author - when you purchase the book directly from me, you'll get a signed copy and I'll include a pattern set all about making temari eggs. You won't get either of those if you purchase anywhere else.

Be sure to check out the contents page, too.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Carolina Fiber Fest - May 18 - 20

Have you heard about it? The Carolina Fiber Fest?


I've just purchased a booth for temari! For three days in May, I'll be stitching and talking and showing off my favorite hobby. Please come join me! This is not the retreat that I emailed you about recently. It's an event open to the general public – free! We will be part of a huge crowd, with our own 12' by 12' space (my booth).  Space enough to show-and-tell, to introduce Japanese temari to all the other fiber-nuts, space enough to sit and stitch. Well, I guess if there are too many of us, we can shift over to the large sit and stitch area in the building where there will be groups of knitters, tatters, bobbin lace makers, spinners and weavers, etc.

This is a true festival - it's free to the public. There will be all sorts of fiber-related activities including classes and contests and demonstrations.  I'll be selling my new book as well as the first two books and over 150 completed temari that I've made. Rice hulls, rulers, thread, kits and patterns, too.

RSVP to me for a special gift you can pick up when you arrive (barb@japanesetemari.com). Let me know your name and where you live so I can put a tag on your gift.

For the love of fiber. Carolina Fiberfest:
•educates the public about fiber and its sources
•promotes small farms producing fiber and fiber animals
•supports fiber artists and fiber-related businesses
•provides a venue for the public to interact with the fiber arts world.

By demonstrating skills to the public, sharing knowledge, and through the close interaction of workshops, Carolina FiberFest is sowing the seeds for future generations of fiber artists and crafts people.

May 18—20, Raleigh, NC. Jim Graham Building, NC State Fairgrounds.

10 am to 8 pm Friday

10 am to 8 pm Saturday

10 am to 6 pm Sunday

Explore Carolina FiberFest. Take a class or two or three. Visit the Fiber Arts Village. Enjoy a talk on a favorite topic. Test your skills in contests. Hang out at the Fiber Cozy. Shop. Pet the fiber. Meet other fiber lovers.

It’s Free!

Zip. Zilch. Zero. Other fiber festivals charge admission. Some ask for donations. Carolina FiberFest is free. All day. Every day.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Catching up with TAST


Remember Take A Stitch Tuesday? Every week Sharon B. challenges her readers to try a new embroidery stitch or, if you already know the stitch, to go above and beyond with new experiments in stitching. The embroidery that people are sharing is so impressive and inspiring. I've been trying out embroidery on a large, sampler temari and using Caron Watercolors - really nice cotton that comes in variegated colors.





 
Week 14 - satin stitch  I was inspired by Mary Corbet's tutorial on stitching dots - they are just too cute! I'd never done satin stitch on temari and, yes, found it a real challenge without access to the wrong side. You have to work everything as a sewing stitch (not stabbed) with temari. This method makes for a wonderful raised dot - so puffy.


 Week 13 - time to take a break and have a week off -
Oh, yes! Thanks. I took the week to catch up.

 
Week 12 - barred and alternating chain stitch
Never done this, never even seen it. This spiky looking version of the adorable chain stitch is not all that hard using Sharon's good photos. I really had to keep my mind on the stitching to get it to turn out right. The inner ring here is barred, with all the long stitches out to one side. The line stitched around the triangle is alternating barred chain stitch. I had seen some of other people's samples and really like the look of stitching barred after barred, in a line, without the regular chain stitch in between.




Week 11 - whipped wheel
Sharon mentions that another name for this stitch is spiderweb backstitch. That's what I've known it as and have done lots of these. Another "TASTer" has a tutorial posted where she combined weaving with whipped version, so I had a go at that. Mine is much messier - I'd blame it on stitching on a ball but that's probably not true!






Week 10 - running stitch
After practicing the running stitch in a small triangle on the ball, I tried it here making circles around the whipped and woven wheel. Not my favorite. But this is all about experimenting, right?

Monday, April 2, 2012

Advertising for Temari Techniques (new book)

Temari stitched by Barb for the new book Temari Techniques

I could use your help. Do you know of magazines or other spots that would be good for advertising my new book? My publisher has the quilting places already under control. We are looking for publications that feature embroidery and other fiber arts. If you can help, please leave a comment or send me an email (barb@japanesetemari.com).
Thanks!