series of 5 spring-themed temari

A series of 5 purple and green temari heralding spring . . .

cut all the flowers

cut all the flowers

cut all the flowers

cut all the flowers
You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.
— Pablo Neruda (1904–1973)

A layered kiku design — 2 x 4-point stars. S8 division in #5 dark moss green; thread wrap in eggplant purple; embroidery in 7 shades of moss and avocado green and ecru. The quote by Neruda 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 7 March 2013 (no. 266).
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it is spring again

it is spring again

it is spring again

it is spring again
It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart. 
— Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926)

A traditional spindle design. S6 division in #8 lilac; thread wrap in lilac; embroidery in 5 shades of violets/orchids and blue-greens. The quote by Rilke is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.375 inches / 26.3 cm; diameter: 3.3 inches / 8.37 cm. Completed 6 March 2013 (no. 267).
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very spirits singing

very spirits singing

very spirits singing

very spirits singing
. . . 
(all the merry little birds are
flying in the floating in the
very spirits singing in
are winging in the blossoming)
. . . 
— E. E. Cummings (1894–1962)

A modern variation on the 16-pt kiku (chrysanthemum) design. S16 division in metallic silver; thread wrap in eggplant purple; embroidery in 4 shades of avocado green and yellow-green. The stanza by Cummings is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.2 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.65 cm. Completed 5 March 2013 (no. 268).
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blooming most recklessly

blooming most recklessly

blooming most recklessly

blooming most recklessly
Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.
— Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926)

An original design with traditional stitches; a 5-point descending herringbone star with a 5-point inverse kiku star over it. S10 division in #8 light mint green; thread wrap in light mint green; embroidery in 11 shades of purples and blue-greens. The quote by Rilke is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.625 inches / 24.5 cm; diameter: 3.06 inches / 7.79 cm. Completed 4 March 2013 (no. 269).
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a perpetual astonishment

a perpetual astonishment

a perpetual astonishment

a perpetual astonishment
Every spring is the only spring—a perpetual astonishment.
— Ellis Peters (Edith Mary Pargeter; 1913–1995)

A wrapped design, sort of arts & crafts, with 3 bands intersecting a 6 points. S4 division, no guidelines; thread wrap in eggplant purple; embroidery in 5 shades of purples and blue-greens. The quote by Peters is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.75 inches / 24.5 cm; diameter: 3.1 inches / 7.79 cm. Completed 5 March 2013 (no. 270).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

blue & brown series of 3: dragonfly, the more real, the journey

A new "series" of three temari in blue and brown. Now that I've been painting again, I thought it would be interesting to approach groups of temari with a similar color palette.

dragonfly

dragonfly

dragonfly

dragonfly

the distant mountains
are reflected in the eye
of the dragonfly
— Kobayashi Issa (1763–1827)

An S6 wrapped design, just one thread for each colored row, with space between to give an air of . . well, air. A wide obi. Thread wrap in silvery brown (a squirrel brown); embroidery in 11 shades of blue and brown. The haiku by Issa 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 26 February 2013 (no. 263).
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the more real

the more real

the more real

the more real

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

A layered kiku design, 2 x 4-point stars, with gaps at the outer points. S16 division in metallic silver; thread wrap in sky blue; embroidery in 4 shades of blue and brown. The quote by Freud is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.2 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.65 cm. Completed 25 February 2013 (no. 264).
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the journey

the journey

the journey

the journey

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
— Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)  

An interlocked kiku design, 2 x 5-point stars. I have come to think of this as one of my signature designs; it's one of my favorite to make. S10 division, guidelines removed; thread wrap in medium navy blue; embroidery in 8 shades of blue and brown. The quote by Le Guin 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 27 February 2013 (no. 265).
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begin in emotion

A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.
— Paul Cézanne (1839–1906)

This is the first time I have used variegated thread that was "machine" variegated — manufactured that way, as opposed to hand-dyed. I wasn't sure I'd like it, but in this case I really do. I never stitch in white, and some of the other variegated colors run all the way to white; but this steel gray one goes from black to light gray. I love the effect it produces on something simple as this kiku (chrysanthemum) pattern.

Thread wrap in celadon green (a very light blue-ish green); S16 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in variegated steel gray, and in a silvery-white-birch-like-color. The quote by Paul Cézanne is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.625 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.38 inches / 8.59 cm. Completed 31 December 2012 (no. 237).

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Compare the variegated gray petals at one pole . . .

. . . with the petals at other pole. Neat.

to deepen the mystery

The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.
— Francis Bacon (1909–1992)

A 16-pt kiku chrysanthemum with a gap between the last rows, as I am usually wont to do.

Thread wrap in violet-blue-purple. S8 division in metallic white. Embroidery in 5 shades: red, purple, orchid, and two golden yellows. The quote by Francis Bacon is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11 inches / 28.2 cm; diameter: 3.5 inches / 8.9 cm. Completed 6 December 2012 (no. 223).

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the bare tree

When one sees the tree in leaf one thinks the beauty of the tree is in its leaves, and then one sees the bare tree.
— Samuel Menashe (1925–2011)

The classic 16-point kiku "chrysanthemum" pattern, with a gap left before the final three rows for a lacy, airy effect.

Thread wrap in sky blue; S16 division in "metallic" white. Embroidery in three shades of brown. The quote by Samuel Menashe is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11.875 inches / 30.3 cm; diameter: 3.77 inches / 9.6 cm. Completed 4 November 2012 (no. 202).

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wisdom lingers

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892)

I had a lot of fun with no. 179 and wanted to repeat the design in different colors. Four 4-point layered kiku herringbone stars with staggered points at each pole.

Thread wrap in silvery lilac; S16 division in perle #8. Embroidery in 4 shades of purples & violets. The quote by Tennyson is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11.875 inches / 30 cm; diameter: 3.78 inches / 9.5 cm. Completed 11 October 2012 (no. 184).

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a good head and a good heart

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
— Nelson Mandela (b. 1918)

Thread wrap in dark red; S16 division in perle #8. Embroidery in four shades of brown. The quote by Nelson Mandela 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 8 October 2012 (no. 179).

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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.