a creative life

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
— Joseph Chilton Pearce (1926– )

Starting back with no. 103, I wanted to try to achieve a design that I've seen in some photographs from Japan — kiku herringbone with very thin / long inner points. This is another attempt, and I used pins as guides for the threads through the first three rows of stitching to help achieve this effect. It's much closer to what I'm aiming for, but I think I need more points (perhaps an S16 or even S20) and to work on the proportion of my spacing lengths in the petals to get the exact effect. I'll get it one day, but in the meantime, I like how this one turned out, especially the negative space at the poles where the guidelines have been removed.

Thread wrap in medium silvery gray; S10 division with guidelines removed. Embroidery in matching medium gray and light mossy green (a bit yellow-green). The quote by Pearce is in the bell box along with 9 brass rings. Circumference: 10.25 inches / 26 cm; diameter: 3.26 inches / 8.27 cm. Completed 9 April 2012 (no. 110).


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to be renewed

To be worn out is to be renewed.
— Lao Tzu (6th c. BCE)

This is another asymmetrical composition. An S20 division, the top half has four 5-point kiku herring bone stars in four colors, and the points end with several rounds of "kiku around kiku" (like nos. 94 and 101). The bottom half has four 5-point stars of layered reverse kiku herringbone in a slate gray that is identical to the thread wrap, which provides more of a textural than colorful effect. I chose the colors for the top half based on the quote: renewal > phoenix > peacock.

Thread wrap in very dark slate gray (almost black, but not); S20 division in #8 perle. Embroidery in dark teal blue, light blue green, silvery slate blue, purple, and dark slate gray. The quote by Lao Tzu is in the bell box along with 11 brass rings. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.5 cm; diameter: 3.4 inches / 8.75 cm. Completed 6 April 2012 (no. 109).

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a single thread in nature

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

This is a new variation on an S6 wrap design; I was inspired by earlier designs like no. 059 but wanted a fuller, lacier, more colorful and layered effect.

Thread wrap in dark chocolate brown; S6 but no marking lines. Embroidery in nine shades of browns, rusts and coppery orange. The quote by Muir is in the bell box along with 8 brass rings. Circumference: 10.5 inches / 26.7 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.5 cm. Completed 3 April 2012 (no. 108).


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to see our priorities

We often need to lose sight of our priorities in order to see them.
— John Irving (1942– )

This is a completely experimental temari, an original design that I created with the intent of evoking a rose or rosebud. The top pole (half) features the traditional "rose garden" pattern, stitched in squares on an S16 division with each new square starting one guideline from the last to create a spiral effect. The bottom pole (half) features 4 four-point reverse kiku stars, interlocked, like the bud / closed petals at the base of a flower. This is quite a departure from my usual temari (and temari in general) which are usually symmetrical, whether repeating the same design at the two poles on a simple division, over multiple poles on a combination division (such as six stars on the six poles of a C8 division), or an "all-over" type pattern (like a spiral).

Thread wrap in lilac/lavender; S16 division in #8 perle. Embroidery in many shades of purples, violets, lavenders, and greens. The quote by John Irving is in the bell box along with 9 brass rings. Circumference: 10.25 inches / 26.3 cm; diameter: 3.26 inches / 8.4 cm. Completed 31 March 2012 (no. 107).


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a good poem

The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it.
— Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)

A favorite variation on the traditional 16-petal kiku (chrysanthemum) design — leaving a gap between the first four rows and last three rows of the petals, allowing the thread wrap to show through, for a lacier effect.

Thread wrap in light driftwood brown (sort of silvery-gray); S16 division in #8 perle. Embroidery in navy blue and and three gradated shades of brown. The quote by Thomas is in the bell box along with 17 brass rings. Circumference: 11.125 inches / 27.5 cm; diameter: 3.54 inches / 8.75 cm. Completed 28 March 2012 (no. 106).


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it's what you see

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
— Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

At each pole of this temari is a five-point kiku herringbone star, with points layered at the equator.

Dark burgundy thread wrap; S10 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in four gradated shades of gray, from slate gray to light pearl. The quote by Thoreau is in the bell box along with 12 brass rings. Circumference: 9.5 inches / 24.3 cm; diameter: 3 inches / 7.7 cm. Completed 21 March 2012 (no. 105).

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105 (left) and 104

i have seen what could be

Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.
— Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

Two ribbed kiku herringbone stars at each pole, layered.

Eggshell thread wrap; S10 division in matching #8 perle. Embroidery in purple, and four gradated shades of silver green. The quote by Picasso is in the bell box along with 11 brass rings. Circumference: 10.325 inches / 26.5 cm; diameter: 3.3 inches / 8.4 cm. Completed 21 March 2012 (no. 104).


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