series of 3: haiku by Matsuo Bashō

Continuing on my journey of creating temari in groups — whether common palettes, thematic quotations, or both — here are three new temari that all have haiku by Matsuo Bashō inside, and use same or similar color threads for wraps & stitching.

spring rain

spring rain

spring rain

spring rain
 
spring rain
conveyed under the trees
in drops
— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

This is a design that I haven't done for some time now; it is a personal adaptation of a wrapped woven design that forms a star at the top and bottom where threads intersect. S6 division with no guidelines, but guidelines added in the S12 position for design purposes. Thread wrap in light pearl gray; embroidery in dark gray, a slightly-violet-hued sky blue, and butterscotch yellow (the same yellow and blue used in the other temari in this series). 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 21 March 2013 (no. 273).

For sale on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

temple bell

temple bell

temple bell

temple bell 

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

An "S10" swirl (all clockwise). Thread wrap in graphite gray; embroidery in butterscotch yellow (the same yellow used in the other temari in this series). The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.5 inches / 24.3 cm; diameter: 3.02 inches / 7.73 cm. Completed 21 March 2013 (no. 274).

For sale on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

the moon so pure

the moon so pure

the moon so pure

the moon so pure  

the moon so pure
a wandering monk carries it
across the sand
— Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)

This is the first time I have tried this pattern: it's an S24 division, with 24 layered diamonds (of three rows each). The effect is fascinating — like a Fabergé egg, or something Moroccan. S24 division in metallic gold; thread wrap in golden brass yellow; embroidery in butterscotch yellow and a slightly-violet-hued sky blue (the same yellow and blue used in the other temari in this series). The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.25 inches / 26.2 cm; diameter: 3.26 inches / 8.33 cm. Completed 22 March 2013 (no. 275).

For sale on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

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).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

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).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

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).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

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).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

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).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

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).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

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).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

the 2012 holiday selection in the shop

This weekend 24 new temari will be listed for sale in the Etsy shop (yes, one is missing from the group shot above). Half will be listed on Saturday November 17 at 3 p.m. Eastern time, and the other half on Sunday November 17 at noon Eastern Time. Due to the size of my mailing list, it is not uncommon for the shop to sell out in 10–15 minutes after they're published.

Click here to see details on all the temari that will be for sale.

$25 from the sale of each temari will be loaned through Kiva.org.

27 October shop update

The shop will be updated with eight new temari sale at noon Eastern time on Saturday October 27. I had been adding them to the shop singly, or in twos or sometimes threes, but decided on a change in approach — adding more at once — so this is the first time in awhile I'd have enough around together for a nice family photo!

Want to get a notification e-mail a couple days in advance of shop updates? See the sidebar at right for info on how to sign up.

a single thread in nature (3)

If one pulls on a single thread in nature, you'll find it attached to everything else.
— John Muir (1838–1914)

Here's the third of the triad stitched around the Muir quote (see the first here and the second here). Again, mutsume ami—the basket weave—like the first, but with 6 filled triangles and just two unadorned.

Thread wrap in silvery lilac gray, S4 division. Embroidery in violet, lavender, lilac, rust orange, and black. The quote by John Muir is in the bell box, along with 17 brass rings. Circumference: 9.5 inches / 24.5 cm; diameter: 3 inches / 7.8 cm. Completed 4 August 2012 (no. 134).


Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

133, 134, 132

this beautiful path

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 (1926– )

These three temari have me continuing on my spindle exploration. All feature a pattern of three layered spindles at each pole, on alternate axes so the points cross the equator. The primary temari has many colored rows, whereas the two smaller temari have the pattern in fewer shades (all pulled from the main palette), with opposite dominant colors.

Thread wrap in ecru, S12 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in a total of 9 shades of blue, blue green, gold, beige, violet, &c. The darkest color is deep navy blue; the lightest a silvery off-white. The quote by Thich Nhat Hanh is in the bell box of each, and each has 23 brass rings.

126 (multistripe): circumference: 10.5 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.59 cm; completed 19 May 2012
127 (dominant color gold): circumference: 9.75 inches / 24.7 cm; diameter: 3.1 inches / 7.86 cm; completed 27 May 2012
128 (dominant color violet): circumference: 10 inches / 25.2 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.02 cm; completed 28 May 2012

Currently part of 10 x 10 x 10 x Tieton, a juried exhibition in Washington. The show runs 11 August to 11 October.

front to back: 126, 127, 128

left to right: 127, 126, 128

left to right: 127, 128, 126

happiness was born a twin (spindles)

124 (left) and 123 (right)

All who would win joy, must share it;
happiness was born a twin.
— Lord Byron (1788–1824)

Creeping up on my one-year anniversary of temari making, and I had yet to learn one of the most elementary stitches — the spindle. These temari both feature a pattern of three layered spindles at each pole (inspired by a design Barbara Suess's book). For the first, I started the first rows fairly close to the equator, placing the spindle groups on offset guidelines, so that the ends would eventually pass each other. I love how this looks, but as a result the spindles end up so long the final rows are more than half the circumference, and are a bit finicky. Fine for me to keep, where I can "groom" them into place when necessary, but it didn't feel sturdy enough to put up for sale.

I had originally intended to make this another pair for sale, but instead adjusted my measurements and refined my color scheme for the second one. Instead of starting 1/3rd up from the equator I started 1/2 way up, so the overall design is smaller and shorter. I wish the points overlapped, but it is more sturdy at least.

Thread wrap in dark navy, S12 division in metallic copper. Embroidery in three shades of blue, rust orange, golden olive yellow, and silvery off-white/gray (plus a row of moss green in 123). The quote by Lord Byron is in the bell box of each, and each has 23 brass rings. 123: circumference: 10.5 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.59 cm; completed 14 May 2012; 124: circumference: 10.875 inches / 27.8 cm; diameter: 3.46 inches / 8.84 cm; completed 16 May 2012.

No. 124 has been sold on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

123

124

124 (left) and 123 (right)

124

123 (left) and 124 (right)