Arrange whatever pieces come your way.

Arrange whatever pieces come your way.
— Virginia Woolf

This temari was an experiment with the traditional wrapped band technique I learned trying the Wishing Papers pattern. Wishing Papers is done on a C6 (combination 6) division*, and I was curious if a C8 (combination 8) division would enhance the pattern. The answer is no. However, it has an interesting affect, if a little sparse. The C6 works because the divisions provides three axes and the overlapping bands result in a braid-like formation. The C8 doesn't provide more diagonal axes. At least, presuming I did this correctly. I don't pretend to fully understand the math. In any case, the C8 actually gave me just two places to do the wrapped bands, not three.

While I could have made wider bands, or chosen more colors and done more bands, I am still learning how to keep the threads from bunching at the obi (equator), where, they cross — that part that is covered later by the back-stitching and looks like a little "tube." The more thread, the more pile-up, the more trouble I have still keeping the bands flat as they come out of the obi, so I limit how many threads I use. But getting better at this will come with time and practice, too.

Ecru thread for the base thread-wrap; fine gold metallic for the division lines as well as highlights; embroidery in gradated shades of light golden brown, silver brown, blue, and gray green. The quote by Virgina Woolf is in the bell box, with 11 brass rings. Circumference: 10.5 inches / 26.5 cm; diameter: just over 3.25 inches / just under 8.5 cm. Completed 24 August 2011 (no. 019).

* 4 September 2011 Update: As I continue to learn the very basics, I've realized that Wishing Papers is actually just a simple 6 (S6) division, not a combination 6 (C6) as stated above. This would explain why the C8 division doesn't give me more lines on which to create the wraps. So Wishing Papers is S6, with no diagonal divisions — the pattern itself adds the three axes for the wraps, not the division.

Top (pole) view.

Side (equator / obi) view.

3/4 view.