autumn dusk

on a bare branch
a crow has settled
autumn dusk
— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

A layered spindle design, with colors chosen to evoke the haiku inside.

Thread wrap in graphite gray; S12 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in eight shades of browns, olive browns, rusts, and black, plus metallic silver. The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 29 September 2012 (no. 172).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

every leaf is a flower

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
— Albert Camus (1913–1960)

A small temari with the all-over swirl design, this time on an S6 (six triangles in each hemisphere are filled with clockwise or counter-clockwise stitching). The thread is perle #8, about half the weight I usually use, and is hand-dyed and naturally variegated as a result—just perfect for this pattern.

Thread wrap in silver-brown. S6 division, no guidelines. Embroidery from a single skein of hand-dyed perle #8, naturally variegated. The quote by Albert Camus is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 8.25 inches / 20.8 cm; diameter: 2.62 inches / 6.62 cm. Completed 28 September 2012 (no. 174).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

Next to a 3.5 inch diameter temari, for comparison. Same thread wrap color.

the breaking of a wave

The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea.
— Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)

Another in the "wishing papers" style of wrapped bands along six axes. Thread wrap in navy blue. S6 division in metallic copper. Embroidery in 5 colors: chocolate brown, dark antique blue, rust orange, dark moss green, and golden yellow. The quote by Vladimir Nabokov is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11 inches / 28 cm; diameter: 3.5 inches / 8.9 cm. Completed 27 September 2012 (no. 168).

Sold for auction for the WUUC and to benefit Kiva.org.

toward what I don't understand

Every day I make an effort to go toward what I don't understand.
— Yo-Yo Ma (b. 1955)

A small temari with the traditional all-over flax (a.k.a. hemp) pattern, known in Japanese as asanoha kagari.

Thread wrap in purple; C8 division in #8 perle. Embroidery in two weights (#8 and #5) of dusty antique lavender (the "blossoms" [which are traditional pine needle stitching] are in #5, the heavier—and more common—weight thread). The quote by Yo-Yo Ma is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.125 inches / 23 cm; diameter: 2.9 inches / 7.3 cm. Completed 26 September 2012 (no. 169).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

the quality of the day

To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of the arts.
— Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

Two five-point, interlocked kiku stars at each pole. A quirky choice of colors (for me), they combined very differently on the temari than I imagined from the bobbins, and I find this rather interesting. The colors seem to lend a teal hue to the midnight blue thread wrap.

Thread wrap in midnight blue; S10 division in metallic gold. Embroidery in four shades: green-tinted off-white, gold, yellow-green, and dark green. The quote by Thoreau is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.5 inches / 26.7 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.49 cm. Completed 24 September 2012 (no. 167).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

autumn gale

when it comes inside
it dances full fury . . .
autumn gale
— Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828)

Mutsume ami—the hexagonal basket weave—fills four of the eight triangle shapes on this temari, while the alternate triangles show the thread wrap in contrast.

Thread wrap in medium gray; S6 division with no guide lines. Embroidery in very dark brown (with a touch of green), rust brown, and a pale moss green. The haiku by Issa is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.375 inches / 26.5 cm; diameter: 3.3 inches / 8.43 cm. Completed 23 September 2012 (no. 166).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

things flow naturally forward

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them—that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
— Lao Tzu

A variation on a wrapped patterns design; adapted from the "wishing papers" design by Diana Vandervoort.

Thread wrap in slate gray; C6 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in four colors: black and three shades of gray. The quote by Lao Tzu is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11.5 inches / 29.5 cm; diameter: 3.66 inches / 9.39 cm. Completed 22 September 2012 (no. 164).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

leaves of light and color

How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.
— John Burroughs (1837–1921)

A wrapped pattern on an S4—simple, but detailed; reminds me of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Thread wrap in "cinnamon"; S4 but no guidelines. Embroidery in nine shades from butter yellow to oranges, rusts, browns, burgundy: fall leaf colors. The quote by John Burroughs (an American naturalist and conservationist) is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11 inches / 28 cm; diameter: 3.5 inches / 8.9 cm. Completed 21 September 2012 (no. 163).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

tethered horse

Tethered horse;
snow
in both stirrups.
— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

Ribbed kiku herringbone; two layered 4-point stars at each pole, on alternate axes (an S16 division). This is the first of my "Winter / New Year" series—only September but I am trying to plan ahead for the holiday season . . .

Thread wrap in chocolate brown; S16 division in matching perle #5. Embroidery in ecru and eight shades of brown. The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.875 inches / 27.5 cm; diameter: 3.46 inches / 8.75 cm. Completed 20 September 2012 (no. 161).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

the autumn sky

Unknown to birds and butterflies
A flower blooms
The autumn sky
— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

The swirl pattern on an S4 division. Thread wrap in golden-orange-yellow with embroidery in medium rust orange. The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 19 September 2012 (no. 162).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

being who you are

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.
— Joseph Campbell (1904–1987)

A variation of two layered, 4-point ribbed kiku herringbone stars on an alternating axes of a division of 16.

Thread wrap in medium silvery blue; S16 division perle #5. Embroidery in ten shades of blues, greens, light browns, and yellows. The quote by Joseph Campbell is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11 inches / 28 cm; diameter: 3.5 inches / 8.9 cm. Completed 18 September 2012 (no. 160).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

the artist is . . .

The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web.
— Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

A set of two small temari with the traditional flax (or hemp) design—asanoha kagari. They're stitched with perle #8 thread—about half the thickness of #5, the size I generally use.

No. 158: Thread wrap in black; C8 division and embroidery in #8 ecru. Circumference: 8.5 inches / 21.5 cm; diameter: 2.7 inches / 6.84 cm. No. 159: Thread wrap in cream; C8 division and embroidery in #8 black. Circumference: 8.625 inches / 22 cm; diameter: 2.75 inches / 7 cm. The quote by Pablo Picasso is in the bell box of each, along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Completed 16 September 2012 (nos. 158, 159).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

next to an 11" circumference / 3.5" diameter temari, for comparison

every single soul is a poem

. . . every single soul is a poem . . .
— Michael Franti (b. 1966)

Spindles—three, layered—such a favorite! Oh, the color combinations are endless.

Thread wrap in cream; S6 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in sea blues, roses, brass browns, and chocolate brown. The lyric by Michael Franti is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.59 cm. Completed 15 September 2012 (no. 156).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.