Temari project

I've been busy with my temari project. It's slow going. One would think embroidering some geometric shapes onto a Styrofoam ball with bright colored embroidery floss would be rather simple. I can't speak for others, but I'm finding the learning curve more complex than I had assumed when I first saw pictures of them on the internet.

The folk art of making temari thread balls originated in China and was introduced to Japan in the 7th century. Remnants of old kimonos were wadded into a ball shape and wrapped with strips of kimono fabric. The stitching became more decorative, displaying intricate embroidery. Women of the Japanese upper classes and aristocracy competed in creating beautiful temari, turning the craft into an art form.

It only takes a moment to understand the 'how to' instruction on making them, but executing is another matter. Following instructions on wrapping and laying fiberfill batting around a Styrofoam ball, then winding sewing thread around and around the ball for a sewing foundation was easy. I wrapped five Styrofoam balls while I watched TV one evening , thinking I'd start decorating them the next day.

Little did I realize my wrapping was going to be a problem. After dividing one ball into a simple eight division with thread to use as guide lines, I precisely placed pins at the north and south poles and at equal distances around the equator. After threading my needle with bright floss, I started to decorate a diamond shape. That's when I discovered the wrapping problem. I should have used more thread in wrapping which would have made it easier to use the needle. It also dawned on that it would have been prudent to have wrapped only one ball instead of five.

While I was embroidering, I thought of my sister, Esther. She was a genius with a needle. She did needlepoint, crewel, counted cross stitch, all manner of embroidery as well as numerous hand sewn quilts. Anything requiring the use of a needle was an easy task for her. She designed dresses for her three daughters and sewed them on the machine. She even made western shirts for her husband. I wish she was still with us so I could tell her again how much I envied her talent.

Esther would have shown me how to do the types of stitches traditionally used on temari, but now I have to study how to do them. I was tempted to stop working on the ball when my stiches lacked fineness and looked so amateurish, but I decided to finish it because we all know how to get to Carnegie Hall. Practice, Practice, Practice.