Hi!
I'm sure you noticed that English is my native language. When stitching temari, I like to use English words that are translations of the Japanese terms given to us by the Japan Temari Association. There is a good reason for that. Ease of communication promotes learning, discovery, and creativity. Since many of you are probably not familiar with the evolution of temari terms in English, I thought it would be interesting for you to read my experience from the last 15 years of stitching. I've written two web pages on this topic.
The Language of Temari
and
The story behind "kiku herringbone stitching"
The glossary that I compiled was edited and approved by our JTA advisor and mentor. This morning I confirmed with her that they are not asking or requiring us to use terms in Japanese for teaching the JTA curriculum or in presentations of work to be considered for certification. If you find a teacher who demands this, well, you should speak (or write) in Japanese when communicating with that teacher. However, I do not require you speak Japanese and the JTA does not require it either. English is totally acceptable.
I hope you enjoy the back story! I'll be adding more stories about the stitches in the coming weeks. I'll be happy to discuss this topic with anyone who has questions.
Barb
