the more abstract, the more real

The longer you look at an object, the more abstract it becomes, and, ironically, the more real.
— Lucien Freud (1922–2011)

Another swirl, of the C8 cw / ccw variety, with the tacking in metallic thread. This tacking style on a C10 received some lovely compliments from some fellow temari-makers, and I continue to enjoy how it looks and enhances the patterns in the design.

Thread wrap in black. C8 division with metallic copper tacking. Stitching in light silvery-gray (with a very slight tinge of beige—a "white birch bark" kind of color). The quote by Lucien Freud is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.625 inches / 26.8 cm; diameter: 3.38 inches / 8.53 cm. Completed 20 December 2012 (no. 227).

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new year's day

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
— Edith Lovejoy Pierce (1904–1983)

Another swirl design, though this time stitched on a C8 division — my first in this style. 48 triangles filled alternating clockwise and counter-clockwise. To the best of my reckoning, the pointed shapes come out in three or four points because on the C8 you can view it as having either triangle or square shaped areas; this is in contrast to a C6 swirl where all pointed shapes have 3 points (and I guess 2 [for both C6 and C8]?, but I see those less as autonomous shapes). Next up is a C10, where I assume they'll come out as 5-points (and maybe others?). To be continued . . .

Thread wrap in silvery lilac. Embroidery in dusky antique lavender. The quote by Edith Lovejoy Pierce is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.25 inches / 26 cm; diameter: 3.26 inches / 8.27 cm. Completed 20 November 2012 (no. 215).

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year's end

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.
— Hal Borland (1900–1978)

This the flax / hemp stitch (asanoha kagari) done in all-over style on a C8; not new to me, but this is the first time that I added extra stitches in the "blossoms." The blossoms are formed from a technique called pine needle stitching, and on a C8 flax design there are usually 4 (seen more easily in this multicolor version); after finishing all the stitching I went back and added 8 more to each.

Thread wrap in silver gray; C8 division in black. Embroidery in black and light gray. The quote by Hal Borland is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11.25 inches / 28.7 cm; diameter: 3.58 inches / 9.13 cm. Completed 12 November 2012 (no. 209).

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thousands of candles

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the single candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
— Buddha

Another set of two small temari with the traditional flax (or hemp) design—asanoha kagari. Stitched with hand-dyed perle #8 thread—about half the thickness of the size I generally use.

No. 192: Thread wrap in lilac; C8 division and embroidery in #8 weight purple—naturally variegated from hand-dying for a subtle range of purple tones. Circumference: 7.75 inches / 19.5 cm; diameter: 2.46 inches / 6.2 cm. No. 193: Thread wrap in light pearl gray; C8 division and embroidery in the same purple. Circumference: 7.75 inches / 19.5 cm; diameter: 2.46 inches / 6.2 cm. The quote by Buddha is in the bell box of each, along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Completed 22 October 2012 (nos. 192, 193).

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left: no. 192; right: no. 193

don't worry, spiders

Don't worry, spiders,
I keep house
casually.
— Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828)

A set of two small temari with the traditional flax (or hemp) design—asanoha kagari. They're stitched with hand-dyed perle #8 thread—about half the thickness of #5, the size I generally use—which is naturally variegated in a palette of soft colors.

No. 175: Thread wrap in pearl gray; C8 division and embroidery in #8 "Scottish heather"—a range from soft browns to soft grays. Circumference: 9 inches / 23 cm; diameter: 2.86 inches / 7.32 cm. No. 176: Thread wrap in silver gray; C8 division and embroidery in #8 "charcoal"—blacks and grays with a very slight blue hue. Circumference: 9.25 inches / 23.5 cm; diameter: 2.94 inches / 7.48 cm. The haiku by Issa is in the bell box of each, along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Completed 3 October 2012 (nos. 175, 176).

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left: no. 175; right: no. 176

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).

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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).

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

hope and focus

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.
— the Dalai Lama [His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama] (b. 1935)

This is a C8 division, which divides the sphere into 6 squares (this is one of numerous of ways to interpret the division). Stitched in each square is a 4-point kiku herringbone star, and all points of each star are layered with points of neighboring stars.

Thread wrap in navy blue; C8 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in seven shades—gold, orange, blues, greens, and burgundy. The quote by the Dalai Lama is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 12 inches / 30.5 cm; diameter: 3.8 inches / 9.7 cm. Completed 12 September 2012 (no. 153).

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if I touched the earth

I think, that if I touched the earth,
It would crumble;
It is so sad and beautiful,
So tremulously like a dream.
— Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)

This is a variation of the asanoha kagari (flax, a.k.a. hemp) design, which you can also see in no. 142 and no. 144.

Thread wrap in chocolate brown. C8 division in perle #8. Embroidery in golden-green and dusty rose. The verse by Dylan Thomas is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.25 inches / 26 cm; diameter: 3.26 inches / 8.27 cm. Completed 9 September 2012 (no. 152).

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temple bell

The temple bell stops.
But the sound keeps coming
out of the flowers.
— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

My second go at the all-over flax/hemp design (asanoha kagari; here is the first). I chose the threadwrap to allude to a brass bell; the colors of the stitching are intended to evoke cherry blossoms.

Thread wrap in dark brass ("rum"). C8 division in #5 chocolae brown perle cotton. Additional stitching in dusty rose pink. The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.75 inches / 25 cm; diameter: 3.1 inches / 7.95 cm. Completed 26 August 2012 (no. 144).

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with each step - asanoha kagari

The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.
— Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

This is a new design for me, a traditional motif called asanoha kagari—the flax (or hemp) design. It's a geometric motif that can be used to form individual shapes, to fill other shapes, or as here, as all-over design. I chose to stitch in black on ecru because I have always loved the look of blackwork embroidery, and this design seemed to fit in my mind with that style.

Thread wrap in ecru. C8 division in #5 perle cotton. Embroidery in black. The quote by Thich Nhat Hanh is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.25 inches / 26.5 cm; diameter: 3.26 inches / 8.43 cm. Completed 22 August 2012 (no. 142).

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(with 139)

the art of simplicity

The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.
— Douglas Horton (1891–1968)

This temari features another use of the reverse kiku stitch (used in no. 93). This time, the temari is divided as a combination 8 and six small interwoven stars are stitched in reverse kiku. Each star is made of two colors, resulting in 12 colors total.

Thread wrap in dark chocolate brown; C8 division in matching #8 perle; embroidery in 12 shades of mossy and silvery greens and browns. The quote above by Douglas Horton is in the bell box along with 11 brass rings. Circumference: 11.325 inches / 29 cm; diameter: 3.6 inches / 9.23 cm. Completed 11 February 2012 (no. 099).

use the experience wisely (2)

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.
— Auguste Rodin (1840–1917)

I've twice stitched a C8 with interwoven kiku stars (see no. 29 and no. 66), but this is the first with interwoven, layered stars — that is, each of the six eight-point stars has four points that are "interlocked" with points of other stars.

Very light bluish green (celadon) thread wrap; C8 division with metallic silver; embroidery in four gradated shades of blue-green. The quote by Auguste Rodin is in the bell box along with 7 brass rings. Circumference: 10.625 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.38 inches / 8.59 cm. Completed 20 January 2011 (no. 090).


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