New C10 circumference rulers are here

C10 circumference rulers for Japanese Temari

They are here and ready to be mailed! Please visit my website to place your order.

Introduction of Temari Curriculum and New Courses

News!

In January of 2015, the Japan Temari Association (JTA) introduced a curriculum for international study of the craft that is based on the same one taught in Japan by JTA certified teachers and masters. This exciting opportunity inspired me to begin teaching this same curriculum in online courses. While successful completion of these courses can lead to application for JTA certification by my students, many participate just for the pleasure of learning to make temari with patterns provided by the JTA masters.

You do not have to join the JTA or apply for certification when you take these courses. We will be using Temari Techniques as the text for the course and I'll be providing patterns from the JTA books to inspire and challenge you with each technique.

The first session begins May 1st so head on over to my website to read all about it. I hope to see you in temari class!

New Temari Courses 

Membership and Certification in the JTA

FAQs

Thanks for all your support!

Coach Barb

"Double Star" temari

"Double Star" temari by Barbara B. Suess

Finished with a big project!

Finished and these are on their way to Japan today. Yay!

Temari by Barbara B. Suess

Three little kokeshi

playing with temari

Temari rulers

Hello, Happy Spring! Just a quick note this morning to let you know that the C10 circumference rulers from Tentemari that so many of you ordered will be here in a couple of weeks. As soon as they arrive, I'll contact you and give you information on how to purchase them. I have also ordered a lot more Kyo thread since my last batch sold out within hours!   We've heard that the Japan Temari Association will not be ordering new V rulers. Oh no! I use mine all the time for all sorts of measuring - not just for the C10 division. Well, I decided to bite the bullet and order some V rulers to be made. I found a company who can do it for us. Since I've always wanted numbers printed on the V ruler, I added them when I did the artwork. I should have this new version of the trusty ruler in about 6 weeks.  I feel the love! Thank you for all your kind words about the new Temari Workbook. It's being translated into Japanese now as a gift to temari makers there. You can download your copy and print pages as you need them to record your temari stitching - one of the best ways to learn and keep track! Link to download the Workbook

Meet Steven Bowe, temari artist

Running into a new temari artist on the internet always makes me smile, especially when the temari are so precisely stitched and artfully executed. I had that pleasure this past weekend and asked Steven if I could share his work here. He said yes and answered some questions from me so we can get to know him. Beautiful temari, Steven! I hope we see lots more from you.

Temari by Steven Bowe

Ok, Q&A makes it easy for me (I still get awkward talking about myself. lol). In addition to Facebook, I have a website as well: stevenbowe.com. It's all the same temari photos, but also my ceramics work.

 - When did you first see/make temari?

I first discovered temari about a year ago. I was searching online for photos of string art and came across temari. I was immediately mesmerized by them - it was an instant connection for me.

 - How did you learn?

I first started learning from websites and then started buying books (including yours). 

 - What are your favorite temari?

My favorite temari tend to be complex and multiface divisions, when the pattern becomes kaleidoscopic and your brain hurts trying to figure out how it was made. I'm equally drawn to patterns that completely cover the mari with overlapping layers.

 - Do you do other types of art? (I know this one!)

Haha! Yes, I worked with ceramics for several years, but am currently on hiatus from it. I've been working with different fiber arts for over 20 years - mainly knitting and spinning, but also crochet, weaving, macrame, and sewing.

 - Do you sell your temari or display them publicly?

I have been making temari on commission for friends. I'm in the process of setting up an online store on my website, stevenbowe.com. It should be live soon. I have not had them on display anywhere.

 - Where do you live?

I live in NYC (Astoria, Queens).

Free Temari Workbook of Divisions and Markings

As I've worked my way through the certification process of the Japan Temari Association, I realized that while I have access to lots of diagrams (I drew them for my books, of course!), other temari stitchers might not have this resource. 

How can you record your work on advanced temari markings without excellent diagrams? Not easy, for sure. I asked our JTA contact in Japan and they did not have a set of diagrams to offer me or anyone else. It's up to the individual teacher to provide them. Well, I think temari stitching should be about stitching, not about improving your computer skills so you can draw a diagram of your own. So I have collected my best diagrams and put them into one pdf - a book you can download for free and use. 

Happily, this book will be distributed in Japan soon! I'm so grateful to be able to give back and help out teachers over there. They will be giving me feedback so I see improvements in the future. Meanwhile, please feel free to download Version 1.0! And send feed back. I'm happy to hear from you.

Link to download the new book

Is there a Mr. Barb in my future?

Hmmm - Laura at Creative Thimble (https://www.facebook.com/thecreativethimble) has her "Mr. Laura" helper. I wonder if I can groom my own version - Mr. Barb? He's packing kits and smiling!

New C10 rulers from Japan

New rulers for temari from JapaneseTemari.com

Temari stitching has been around for so long, you'd think there would never be any new tools or techniques. So I was surprised to get the email from our contact at Tentemari (Ai) that she has new rulers that can be used to mark a combination 10 division!

These are flexible with sticky backs and are designed to be used with the marking method for the C10 that begins with the simple 4 division. You put your S4 pins in place, line up the ruler, stick it to the ball, and put your C10 pins in place. Then you can use your favorite method for wrapping the C10 guidelines.

I will be placing an order for these on April 1. If you would like one (or some), please respond to me ASAP and let me know where you live and how many of each you would like.

Cost before postage:

short rulers $1.50 for the set of 2 (top in the photo)
long rulers $2.00 for the set of 2 (bottom in the photo)

I have written detailed instructions on how to use the new ruler and will send you a copy by pdf.

Temari nerd? Yes! I am because I am excited to use this new tool. My favorite way to mark the C10 is beginning with the S4 and I like this new gadget.

More new temari patterns...

I've so many patterns that are partially written. This is like spring cleaning! Finish and publish. So satisfying. These are now available in my shop as Instant Download. 

Snowflakes Original Temari Pattern by Barbara B. Suess

Snowflakes Original Temari Pattern by Barbara B. Suess

Then there is Daffodils

Daffodils Temari Pattern by Barbara B. Suess

Hmmm.... what shall I finish up and publish next?

New Butterflies Temari Pattern

I've been in a pattern writing mood this winter and here is the first for sale in my shop - Butterflies Temari. 

Butterflies Temari pattern for sale by Barbara B. Suess

Eggs in spring - temari-style!

Do you have my book Temari Techniques? The you can make temari-style eggs with this pattern set!

Temari-style eggs by Barbara B. Suess

Fully stocked temari shop!

I've been organizing, ordering, and finding boxes of finished temari that need new homes. Please visit my etsy shop and have a look.

Thread set for temari at JapaneseTemari.com

Thread set for temari at JapaneseTemari.com

Thread set for temari at JapaneseTemari.com

Temari for sale by Barbara B. Suess

Temari for sale by Barbara B. Suess

Temari for sale by Barbara B. Suess

March temari calendar - ready now!

Quick morning project for me. I added a little calendar to a photo for my desktop. Yes, the temari are resting on a chair. It happens to be on the front porch of the old farmhouse at the Campbell Folk School. Feel free to download and enjoy for yourself.

http://www.japanesetemari.com/images/calendars/JapaneseTemariCalendarMarch2015.jpg

Tiny Temari and Cute Assessories and Temari Addict Australia!

Rebecca from Perth has been making the most adorable hairsticks! Have a look at her recent blog posts.

She has been inspired by a new book from Japan - Tiny Temari and Cute Assessories

So cute, Rebecca!

Found my Watercolours!

Flower temari by Barbara B. Suess

My stash of Caron Watercolours thread was getting low. So the last time I reorganized my thread, I moved it to share a drawer with the extra feet for my sewing machine and forgot to label the outside of the drawer. Found it yesterday! So I'm stitching more flowers from my stashed threads. These colors are amazing. Thanks Caron!

Woven Stars - finally all over

Woven Stars Temari

Every time I made this temari, it called out to me "keep going!" This time I stitched and stitched until the ball was totally covered. Now I feel complete. I'm done.

Updated temari glossary and stitch directory - it's interactive!

I've always had a temari glossary on my website and recently had the opportunity to spiff it up a bit. There is a copy on my website (a pdf) that you can download to your tablet or computer to use as a handy reference.

Go to the "How To" page and you'll find it.

Enjoy!

Mulitcenters temari

I've been stitching a lot lately - lucky me! Really, I feel so fortunate to be able to indulge in stitching new temari. Total immersion brings results for me.

Last year, I did some experimenting with marking multi centers temari. 

Now, I've completed one with 1082 faces. It's marked with MaxiLock serger thread and stitched with sewing thread (two strands in the needle for the hexagons) and shiny, orange Kyo from Japan. I can't believe I actually did this! Oh yes, I guess I did and tell by looking at my worn out fingers. Wondering how many thimbles I can wear....

It doesn't have a name yet - still dreaming about that. Enjoy!

A new design for winter

New Snowflakes temari by Barbara B. Suess

Vineyard silk and a new design. This Japanese temari is marked with 42 faces. The smaller snowflakes are a new twist on the traditional kiku herringbone design - the outside points are spaced with more distance on the first row. The large star is inward stitched 5-point star (sakasa hoshi kagari). I love the soft, water-color look of the silk!

Ancient Ceremonial Lights, a temari class in Japan

Tea and snacks. Temari cookies!

I'm sorting through files in my computer and organizing a bit. What a mess! My problem is that I get distracted from the job when I come across a wonderful memory. Did we really get to go to Japan in 2011 and take lessons from three temari masters? Yes, we did. I still can't believe it. How lucky!

I found a tour that I'd recommend for anyone - Nancy of Kyoto Kimono takes you on a textile tour with sites to see and workshops to attend. You have some free days to fill however you like. For our trip, Glenna worked with our JTA contact in Japan to set up lessons with Itoh Sensei, Takahara Sensei, and Ozaki Sensei. Kathy, Glenna, and I were in heaven! I've written about this special day before. It's worth another post.

Memories of the day trip to Itoh Sensei's house/studio

"Ancient Ceremonial Lights" temari design by our
teacher Itoh-san. This is the temari we came to make.

Pastel version of the temari.

Complicated stitching path! We took photos as we stitched.

Our teacher was so nice and helpful.

Patient, too!

One of her students made this set of dolls as a gift.

Delightful! They made all of us smile.

Close up of the dolls.

Sensei brought out this HUGE temari.

From the left: Kathy, me (Barb), Itoh Sensei, and Glenna

On the way back to the train station,
Kathy (aka Vanna) found the temari cookies!

Dawn's Santa Army

Dawn S. made these Santa temari from Barb's Santa pattern

Look at Dawn's Santa Army!

She writes, "My Santa army was made with 2” or 3” Styrofoam ball cores so they would be light to hang on the tree.  I wrapped the balls with a layer of yarn…then thread power wrapped.  There are Santas on both sides of each ball.  They are holiday gifts although I might “steal” one for myself.  The 3” ones have the pom-poms and will be gifted with little white wooden stands.  I made twisted thread loops to attach to the 2” ones."

Thanks for sharing your temari picture, Dawn!

Oshogatsu Temari (New Year Temari) 2015 - The Three Companions of the Deep Cold

When looking through my Japanese temari books for a pattern to celebrate New Year 2015, I came across a design that is one of my favorites. It's an older temari design that conveys the symbolism and feeling of celebration for this most famous of all holidays in Japan. A flood of my own New Year memories from living in Japan came back to me!

For the coming year and for all years, I wish you beauty and endurance, strength and flexibility, and resilience and longevity!

New Year Temari 2015 by Barbara B. Suess

Our little family moved to Yokohama in 1987, towards the end of the year.  Terry, a research scientist/manager for DuPont, was recruited to help DuPont Japan start up a new research facility. Alison was just a year old and since I’d quit my job to stay home with her, the timing was perfect for us. Four years of living in the Far East was a wonderful adventure!

Before the move, we’d spent eight weeks that fall in San Mateo, California, in intensive language and culture training. How nice it was to be able to jump into life in Japan with a basic understanding of the customs and a bit of “survival” Japanese language skills. I could get in a cab and talk to the driver. I could find the grocery store and ask questions and understand the currency. Even with all the preparation, day-to-day life in Yokohama was always full of surprises.

When looking through my collection of temari books from Japan for a design suitable for a New Year celebration, memories of that time of year came flooding back to me. There is a lot of information about this special time of year in Japanese culture. Just do an internet search and you’ll be overwhelmed! What I remember is a bit different. It all revolves around our family living in a foreign land.

Running up the steep stairs to the roof of our house in the evening with my toddler and husband, trying not to fall! Fireworks were exploding over Yokohama harbor. We couldn’t quite see the ships in the harbor, just the tops of the huge cranes positioned there to lift cargo containers. At night, we had an incredible view of the fireworks though. I remember cold air, wind, oohing and aahing over the pretty explosion of lights, and seeing their reflections in Alison’s big blue eyes.

I remember one afternoon, probably January 3 or 4, pushing the stroller up a hill on the way back from the park. When we reached the top of the hill, I glanced up, did a double take, and realized that on the horizon, so huge and so close I could almost touch it, stood Mount Fuji. Covered in snow and crystal clear. “Fuji-san!” I’m sure I made a fool of myself shouting like that, but who wouldn’t be impressed? It was a glorious moment. We’d been living there for several months and could only now see the famous mountain because the factories had been shut for the New Year holiday.

And I remember decorations everywhere – pine, bamboo, and plum – in all sorts of arrangements. So natural, so simple and beautiful. This temari is a perfect representation. I hope you enjoy making it. The temari techniques used for this pattern can all be found in my book Temari Techniques.

http://thejapans.org/tag/new-year/

The Three Companions of the Deep Cold

I think John Dover best described the symbolism of this group of companions in his book The Elements of Japanese Design.

“Pine (matsu). Green through all seasons, the pine – like the chrysanthemum, tortoise, and crane – was an auspicious sign of longevity, symbolizing a thousand years of life. Resistant to the wind, resilient beneath the snow, it joined the bamboo and early-blooming plum blossom as one of the ‘three companions of the deep cold’ of Chinese tradition. At New Year’s in Japan, pine branches are attached over the door or gateway of the house.

“Plum Blossom (ume). The plum blossom represents more than beauty in the Orient. Delicate and fragile, it nonetheless appears early in the year, impervious to lingering winter chill…the plum blossom remained true to its tradition of endurance and emerged as one of the more popular motifs in Japanese heraldry.

“Bamboo (take). Versatile, graceful, and auspicious, from ancient times bamboo has played an extraordinarily large role in Japan... Its endurance throughout the seasons has caused it to be associated with such virtues as constancy, integrity, and honor.”

(From The Elements of Japanese Design by John Dover)

Supplies

Thread wrap – combine yellow sewing thread with gold metallic machine embroidery thread, wrapping with one strand of each. This helps keep the metallic from sliding off the ball.

Marking thread – thick gold metallic like Nordic Gold from Rainbow Gallery

Embroidery thread – Pearl cotton #5 in dark green, medium green, red, brown, and white. 

1. Make a ball 27 - 32 cm in diameter. Wrap with yellow sewing thread and gold metallic thread.

First power wrap with white and yellow thread.

Then power wrap with yellow.

Wrap with a single strand of yellow.

Wrap with yellow and gold metallic together

Finally, wrap with gold metallic. It slips off the ball so spend
a lot of time stitching back and forth over the thread wrap
to keep everything in place. You'll find it well worth the time!

2. Mark in a combination 10 division with thick gold metallic thread.

Mark in a combination 10 division.

3. Pine - In one of the pentagons on the C10, stitch 3 lines in each small triangle with dark green thread. You can stitch under the pentagon center and continue to the triangle opposite to keep thread from building up in the middle. Then stitch french knots in the center to represent pine cones. Use a double strand of brown thread with two wraps around the needle. Repeat this motif so there are four on the ball.

Completed pine design.

4. Plum - Stitch a kiku herringbone design with the inside points beginning 0.5 cm from the center and the outside points beginning about .7 cm from the edge of the pentagon (red pins in the photo). The inside points are stitched on the pentagon's short lines and the outside points are stitched on the long lines. 

Marking for plum.

Stitch 5 rows with red thread. For rows 2 - 5, drop down away from the center further than you normally would. This will open up the petals a bit. Keep your tension rather loose.

Plum - step 1

Then stitch an open pentagon (3 rows) with red thread on the short lines of the C10 pentagon. Position so the last row is taken next to the edge of the marked C10 pentagon. Then, if you like, add a pine needle design with thin red thread in the center of the plum (see last photo). Stitch 3 more plum designs on the ball.

Plum - step 2

5. Bamboo - Stitch 5 spindles (3 rows light green and 1 row white). Tack the ends of the spindles if needed to secure. Then stitch 3 spindles (1 row white). Leave the pins in place for now.

Bamboo - step 1

Then with white thread, stitch 3 zigzag paths across the spindles. This will hold them in place so you can remove the pins. Stitch three more bamboo designs on the ball.

Happy New Year 2015 Temari
by Barbara B. Suess

Oshogatsu Temari 

This pattern is used with permission of the Japan Temari Association (granted to Shihan, Level 3, certified members).

For more about the JTA, please visit my website.

This pattern can be found in the book Temari for 12 Months, Vol. 2 (Temari Juni Kagetsu), page 3.