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Conversational Threads

New temari ball

rjf | Posted in Photo Gallery on

The old discussion was getting pretty long so I thought I’d start another to show you the latest temari….copper thread and varigated wrapping thread.  The hardest part was keeping the under and over parts of the triangles straight but we learn from mistakes?       rjf

 

Replies

  1. FitnessNut | | #1

    You continue to amaze.....

    1. JeanetteR | | #2

      Beautiful weaving and lovely results!  Is your wrapping thread random shaded? Do you have trouble weaving under the required threads, and what needles have you found best? Thanks

      1. rjf | | #4

        It was varigated wrapping thread and the weaving under was not bad because you no more than 5 threads.  The books I had said use darning needles and I had lots of unused darning needles so I can thread several colors to alternate easily.  And I discovered that  I could  let the metallic thread stay attached and then it was right there for the second round.  But sadly, I had to return Diana Vandervoort's books to the library yesterday.  On the other hand, I've found temarikai. com offers lots of patterns and suggestions.  Thanks to Marion13 for that.   rjf

        1. JeanetteR | | #7

          The variegated thread gave a lovely effect, and thanks for the other hints and tips, in your replies to me and Marion.  I use darners, but occasionally break one. 

          Here is another link with instructions, my favourite is the Walter's Rose!  http://www.geocities.com/jshorten_934/temari/2000/page10.htm

          In classes some of the students have come up with the most amazing colour combinations that at first you think help how will this work, and ususally work very well indeed, like quilting everyone's colour choices are different!  I tell them temari comes with a Government health warning, it's addictive. 

          Yes I agree with you, the temarikai site is well worth a good look, the links to the Japanese clubs are truly amazing.  I ration myself how often I log into that site as it's nothing to get lost in there for an hour and a half.

          1. rjf | | #9

            That is a very good site!  The temari seem especially well done...neat and tidy.  I've added it to the list.  Time does go by fast when visiting temari sites!  I only spent a few minutes because I have to go out but when I get back....a cup of tea and Walter's Rose.               rjf

          2. JeanetteR | | #13

            RJF, Have great fun with the Walter's Rose, it is a C-10.  In class I do it on a C-8, and sew rose 'buds' where all the 6PPs are, but the C-10 gives you more roses.  One lady in class used a cream backgound, with yellow centres, red, dark red and variegated dark red DMC perle No8 threads, and it was amazingly good, as there wasn't much delineation between the last two dark colours I suggested one strand of dark gold between them (this was used on the foundation threads), and it ended the most stunning sort of valentine red rose effect.  It's all just herringbone stitch rather than wrapping.

            I've found these higher compound divisions require a very round ball and accurate foundation threads otherwise the little patches of colour you're sewing end up different sizes and can be quite noticable!  Please let us know how you get on!

          3. rjf | | #15

            I think I've done a C-8, the last one I posted and when I finish the swirly one, I'll try a C-10.  It should give me pentagons, right?  "6PPs"? I don't know what that is.  "Pole Points"?  My husband was looking on Ebay at the prices of temari  (He wanted to know if I could keep him in luxurious retirement) and he found a collapsible basket thingie with holes in it to mark divisions.  It would fit balls from 1/2 in up to 3 3/4 in.  Have you seen or used anything like that?  It was $7 which was reasonable, I thought.  Measuring and marking do take a while when you're trying to be careful.  I'm learning to recognize the patterns that are more forgiving.

            Are you renovating the house you're moving to or from?  Not easy, this time of year.  rjf

          4. JeanetteR | | #16

            RJF, yes, PPs are polar points, where the foundation threads cross, the SD simple divisions usually only refer to two, a NP(north and south pole) plus an obi (like an equator), the complex divisions have many PPs.

            If you could just get a market in the really posh hotel shops where Japanese tourists stay , your hubbie might be able to retire in luxury!

            I've never heard of the gadget you are describing, if it's only an outlay of $7 it might be ok.  For accuracy, I've tried paper tapes for each ball, but can't go past 'eye', but yes some balls really have to be perfectly round the more complex the pattern is.

            Renovating, well it's high summer here, blisteringly hot some days.  The house we're moving to is the one under metamorphosis, a good size block in a lovely area,  shame about the house!  Worst house on the best street, location location and all that.  We borrowed extra to put in a second-hand (but nice!) kitchen and re-do the bathroom, etc.  The floorboards have just been polished throughout and fitted wardrobes put in in the two bedrooms and my (Sigh!) Sewing Room (never had one before!), but the bathroom is still a shell.  Trouble is every time I went over there at the beginning, DH had another wall off having found another old termite sub-nest - a sort of renovator's delight, good block, house came free!  Yesterday he got the cavity door frame in for the bathroom, but discovered the frame built for the window picked up last friday is a little big.  Until all the Villaboard is up, (the waterproof fibrous cement linings) I can't start the wall-tiling.  It's a bit of a saga!  We got 2 offers on our (old) house yesterday but not quite enough; the bridging finance is killing us! 1st row for about 2 years last thursday

            Better go, have to make 2 fitted sheets for those little pre-school trundle beds for tomorrow. 

          5. rjf | | #17

            After I sent the last message, I realized you were in Australia.  A new house is really exciting but it probably never goes smoothly...there always seems to be something that needs more repair than you thought.  But! A sewing room...how great.  What is wall tiling?  We usually have sheetrock or plaster board for inside walls and plywood under clapboards or shingles outside      rjf

          6. JeanetteR | | #20

            RJF, yes I think that Villaboard would be the equivalent of your sheetrock, it's just a brand name.  We have gyprock or plasterboard for the non-wet area linings.  Here most of the exterior construction is of brick, sometimes hardiplank (another kind of fibrous cement, or weatherboards (sounds like your clapboards), many names for the similar products.  Today while the twins were in pre-school a bit more painting got done!

            By wall tiling I meant putting up ceramic tiles in the bathroom from floor to ceiling.  they'll be glazed ripple white, other than the border tiles (which have a pattern in blues) at eye- height and around the bath.  jacaranda blue for the floor.  It's not so bad for all the whole tiles, but cutting holes in ceramic tiles for the taps (faucets?)  for bath and shower etc is not so easy, and of course you usually end up with cut tiles for the row nearest the floor and sometimes the ceiling too. To lay the floor tiles diamond-wise, my preference, will require diagonal cuts all around the perimeter

            'Course before this can happen the window has to go in, panelling finished, and the joins plastered over with that mesh tape, sanded, all the walls undercoated with sealant, waterproofed in the wet areas.  It really all takes so much longer than you envisage!

            All of the above looks as if it should be on the home improvements chat site! It will be worth it, eventually there will be more time for sewing and embroidery in my lovely little sewing room.  Still wanting to make those lovely fish slippers from Threads about 1 yr ago many sewing projects on hold.  Hope you're having lots of fun with the temari.

          7. rjf | | #21

            Here's a swirl temari.  I'm thinking of it as a practice ball since it took a while to figure out the stitching worked but it was fun and I'm going to do another.  What took a long time to figure out was how to get from the first round of stitches to the second round.  I couldn't seem to do it smoothly and so there are some gaps where the navy background shows up more than it's meant to.  And I'm not sure if the stitches need to be closer together.          rjf

          8. Marion6422 | | #23

            Your swirl is beautiful! What gaps? I don't see how your stitches could be closer and they are a lot closer than many others I have seen (photos).

          9. Marion6422 | | #29

            I forgot to ask is that was Perle #5 that you used for the swirl and is the wrap black?  I was disappointed in my trip to the yarn store.  They had very little perle cotton but I did get a DMC floss and perle chart which should be a big help if I end up ordering on the web. Have you tried that yet?

          10. rjf | | #30

            The wrap was navy and it's perle #5.  I've got a ball wrapped in off-white to start a rose tomorrow.  In weaving, we have perle 3, 5 10 and I think, 20 but they measure differently.  I haven't tried ordering on the web but I am going to call Herrschner's if I can remember where I wrote down their 800 number.  I'm off to bell choir rehearsal.   rjf

          11. rjf | | #22

            It's really exciting to get a new house ready.  The plan for your bathroom sounds great, especially the diagonal tiles on the floor.  Now I need a description of "Jacaranda blue"....sounds like a flower?  I'm imagining a delphinium (sp?), just dark enough to glow a little purple on the edges.  Maybe that's larkspur.   rjf

          12. SisterT | | #25

            The temari balls are just beautiful!

            Jacaranda is a tree--the flowers are a light blue-purple color.  I bet you could get some decent images by googling.... 

            ST

          13. carolfresia | | #27

            I love the swirl design! And the roses--they're so different from each other, and both obviously impossible for people who don't have a lot of patience, good hand-eye coordination, and a highly refined grasp of solid geometry. Or is it plane geometry? Or both??

            rjf, do you remember visiting Pasadena with us in May or June? If I'm not mistaken, there were a lot of jacarandas in bloom at the time...long rows of trees with slightly purplish blue blossoms, flanking the streets...I'm pretty sure that's what those trees are, but I might have the timing confused--maybe I was there with someone else at another time.

            Carol

          14. rjf | | #28

            Yes, I do remember those.  ST mentioned them also.  They were most impressive and a beautiful color for a bathroom.  And the papery red, pink things growing over the fences?  I've forgotten their names but as soon as I shut down, it'll pop back in mind.  Are you talking about Marion13's roses?  That's 2 views of the same ball...top and from the front sideways.  Or did you have something else in mind?  The hard part, for me, is the measuring and marking the guide lines but after that you put in pins to start from and aim for.  The whole thing has a nice internal logic and it's wonderful how a craft developed by women (I assume) makes such good, simple use of geometry without thinking about it.  I guess it doesn't have to go through the left side of the brain unless you're trying to explain it to a man.  Hmmm, was that too smippy?         rjf 

          15. SisterT | | #32

            The papery red flowers are bougainvillea.....

          16. rjf | | #33

            Of course....I remembered on my way to bell choir.  Bouganvillea....a flower with 5 vowels.         rjf                      

          17. JeanetteR | | #31

            Yes that's exactly the shade, though jacaranda can be paler and a little more mauve.  the tiles are a little bit mottley, so there is a bit of variation. I just followed ST's suggestion..this is the right shade! http://www.como.wa.edu.au/external/ Lt/jac4/jac4.html Being South African, Jacarandas thrive here, as do Clivea, Strelitzia (bird of paradise), gerberas, agapanthus, gazanias and all the other S.A. flowers, I guess the climate and rainfall is somewhat similar.  Here the jacarandas bloom in November and it's always when the Uni exams are on, poor things.  Sydney is quite hilly and if you're driving down a hill the jacarandas really look so wonderful and distinctive when they're in bloom, the bright red-flowering Flame trees follow.

            Wow, your swirly temari is lovely, how do you do that?  Did it take long? What divisions does it start with?  I must be making mine a bit smaller than you ladies' ones, as I always use DMC #8, and find #5 too thick.  The Mary Wood book "Temari", which got me started stated those threads.  Mine finish up about 2 1/4 or 2 1/2" across.  That papillon gold black cord is really wonderful if you can get hold of it for marking threads.  It doesn't strip from its carrier thread as you sew, and with 40 metres on the reel it goes a fair way, it's Aus $3.75, so probably under $2 US.

            Actually at the new house there is a jacaranda about waist height that is self sown, but it'll have to come out as unfortunatley it chose to grow in a tight gap between the kitchen wall and a path.  Now if we could just agree what colour to paint the gables and columns of the verandah, currently mission brown.  the main outside walls will be white.  I was thinking of a darkish grey-blue???

            Edited 2/3/2004 12:37:44 AM ET by Jeanette

          18. rjf | | #34

            Those flowers sound wonderful but it seems so topsy-turvy.  Most English-speaking people grow up thinking summer...July, winter....January.  Our big show is the autumn foliage in October.  People who live here complain about the "leaf-peepers": drivers who ignore the road to look at the trees. 

            My balls are 3" across and perle #5 seems fine on that size.  The directions for the swirly ball came from temarikai.com, the site Marion13 told me about.  It's marked sort of like C-10 (I think) but there were two accompanying sets of directions and I used the short-short cut...very easy and the swirls hide any inaccuracy.  I don't know papillion black cord by that name but I have stripped my marking thread down to its little skinny transparent core.

            Are you moving to a neighborhood where people will be fussy about what color you choose to paint your gables?  Sometimes a color gets fashionable and everyone's house is painted that way.   Maybe if it's just gables and pillars, you could change the color if you didn't like it?            rjf

          19. JeanetteR | | #35

            Yes it really took quite a bit of getting used-to, especially having Christmas in the heat.  There are a lot of Christmas in July parties, certainly started by ex-pat British.  Coming from a soft-light and higher-rainfall country, England back in 1977, these startling tropical flowers were amazing. 

            Now if I ever got over to New England in the autumn I'd definately be a very annoying leaf-peeper, on the tele and National Geographic the glorious variation in the colours of the deciduous trees are a natural wonder of the world!  I suppose you've be forever sweeping in your yard though! We were so impressed at Mount Field National Park in Tasmania to see huge eucalypts, second only to the giant sequoias (sp?) for the tallest things on the planet.  We like to know the beautiful things are still out there although urbanites!  'Course the (new)garden is another disaster waiting to be fixed, bit of a building site at the moment.

            I really must have a go at the swirls temari, sometimes it's only working through doing that the instructions make sense, and isn't that true with a lot of things!   having tried to google for that thread and getting no results at all, I'll make further enquiries at our embroidery shop at to who the distributors are, and then through them who the US distributors might be.  I could just post you some to try!!  It is rather like the thinner Kreinik balger cords, but very much more economical. 

            Hey, we signed an offer on the house yesterday (yea!!!), they have a five- day drop out clause, but this means we have only four weeks to finish everything, move, clean up here etc!  The stopwatch is ticking...   Oatley is not a heritage area although a few individual homes are old enough to have conservation orders on them.  Over the road is pale salmon pink 2-story California bungalow with cream trim, next door is pink Mediterranean, so anything goes, next door the other way is 'brownstone' brick pre-war.  Your idea of trying it out first is good.  We tried four sample pots to get the internal paint colour just right, Dulux Sandshoe.  DH has taken a digital photo and carefully zoned it into different areas in order to try painting it on the computer, bless 'im!

            Have great fun with temari and your other stitching,   Jeanette

          20. rjf | | #36

            Congratulations on the house sale.  It must be a great relief even if it means moving fast.  We moved to this house 41 years ago, exactly a week before Christmas; we must have been crazy.  Along about June, I found the rest of the Christmas presents.  My new stove hadn't been adjusted properly and we had very brown gravy with the turkey that cooked through in about two hours.  It's funny now that I look back.  Are your kiddies aware of the move?  Are they excited?  Will they have other children to play with?

            I'd be happy to have you leaf-peeping right now because it would mean no snow!  We're all tired of wearing boots and peering around snowpiles trying to get around the corner.  But then we really enjoy spring because it seems as if it would never get here.  Ah, golf!

            I'm doing Marion13's rose now and I keep coming back to the picture for directions but I think it's going to work.  And if not, it will still be pretty, I think.  I didn't get to choose the colors for this one since the Detroit daughter said "Red".  Now I'm trying to decide between gold or silver embellishment.  Maybe I'll do gold on top and silver on the bottom!                       rjf

          21. Marion6422 | | #37

            Well, whatever you choose, I'm sure it will come out beautifully, just like your other ones.  I'm amazed at how fast you're turning them out. So many other things have come up for me, I'm still at the marking stage for my next temari. I need to do another rose colored one, for a gift since the one I posted the picture of is already promised. I'm going to visit a friend in FL (can't wait for the warm weather there) and want to take one to her and that's her color. I'm going to do the Temari Pattern 99JP01 on Temarikai. It's an interesting variation of the rose colored chrysanthemum in my picture. -- Marion

          22. rjf | | #40

            Mine looks quite different from yours unfortunately but I'll learn to love it just the same.  My reds are quite orangey and I think my pin placement to start the kiku stitch was down too far so the flower has very pointy petals.  But, if I don't compare to yours, I'd be satisfied.  I'm using DMC perle metallic and it's funny stuff.  It tends to curl and the twist untwists but I like the weight.  I couldn't decide on gold or silver so I'm using both because the pattern does alternate petals.  It's looking more like a poinstettia than a rose so I can guess it can do double duty as a Christmas ornament and a Valentine ornament.

            What good timing for Florida!  I haven't been for quite a while but I remember how soft the air felt and lots of things blooming, grapefruit on the trees and those little cranes? herons? egrets? marching down the sidewalk.

            Yesterday was a banner day!  The new Diana Vandervoort book got to the library.  It has the pattern you first posted.  If I have some good colors, I'll go the quilt shop and get some black and try it when I finish  this one.  There were some other interesting ones...a completely covered ball done in interwoven pentagons in bright colors and two blue ones in kiku stitch and unusual threads.  My chair in the living room is surrounded by skeins of thread and boxes of pins and pincushions with a dozen needles.  Looks like a packrat has moved in.           rjf

          23. Marion6422 | | #41

            It really is interesting how slight variations can change the looks of the whole pattern, like yours with pointy petals.  I have seen pictures of some that do look like poinsettias and they are very pretty.  Hope you'll post a picture of it.

            Isn't it exciting to have a new book with different patterns?  I don't remember the interwoven pentagons one.  Guess it's time for me to order that book again.  I'm still waiting on Diana's "How to make Japanese Thread Balls" and it's been so long since I put the order in that I've forgotten which pattern I particularly wanted it for.

            I've made the rounds of the thread shops here again and can't find the colors in #5 perle cotton that I want so one of these days I'll take the time to look on the web. Have you found any good sites? Just as I was going to mark the one I'm working on, I decided it would be better to have the thread wrap in a medium shade instead of the light one I started out with so I bought some more thread and am now wrapping on top of the lighter shade. I'm progressing backward at this point but I think I'll like it better. -- Marion

          24. rjf | | #42

            Yesterday I ordered from Herrschner's some colors of perle that I couldn't find at the quilt shop and also a color card.  I would have ordered YLI candlelight if they had had it.  I got the number from their website which I found through google.  1-800-441-0838. 

            It is exciting to have new patterns to look at and think about doing.  I should start writing a list because sometimes I've started one pattern, forgetting I wanted to do a different one.  The order doesn't matter, of course, but sometimes I don't get back to the ones I want to do.  There are 4 in this book: 3-color wrap that you did, pentagon stars, rings of quiet water(?) and big diamonds.  Rings of quiet water is the interwoven pentagon one but the name doesn't quite fit (in my mind).  I took the pointy petals to the knitting group yesterday and the leader asked how many patterns were left to do!  I got laughing!  There doesn't seem to be an end.

            Going backwards.....I'm getting better at knowing when to redo and when to keep going.  If I didn't like the color, I'd rewrap....unless I planned to give it away.                                rjf                                            

          25. rjf | | #44

            On page 3, right?  There are some really nice ones on that page and the directions are interesting.  Sometimes I think the designer takes a little for granted but they're very good about giving diagrams which always helps me.  I hope you will post a picture when done.  I forgot to get a picture of the valentine rose before I mailed it off this morning but it looked not bad.  I put a wrapped obi on it and joined the petal points to the obi with alternating gold and silver.  It didn't occur to me that the gold would show up better on the off-white wrap than the silver but it's interesting.    rjf

          26. Marion6422 | | #45

            Oh, too bad you didn't get a picture. It sounds very nice.  I have finished the one I rewrapped and hope the sun shines tomorrow so I can get a good picture of it. I have huge south-facing windows and my whole apartment on a sunny day is like a greenhouse (complete with plants) and makes picture taking indoors without a flash easy. If it's cloudy, I will try rigging up some lights. I had copied the photo and instructions for this one, a beginner pattern by Jera Phillips, from the Temarikai site and when I just now went to look for it on the site, I couldn't find it without doing a search. There's a line for searching at the top of the page on the Patterns page.  I searched for 99JP01 and got two hits.  The second hit was "Temari Pattern 99HB02 instructions" and that turns out to be .... 99JP01. Actually, mine doesn't look precisely like those pictures, due to an "opportunity for variation." The instructions didn't say where the top of the kikus were to be started from so I started them on both parts of the pattern as close to the poles as I could.  Afterwards, I noticed mine had petals more pointy on the top layer and more detail in the center due to a different placement of those second layer kiku tops. I kind of like this variation.

          27. Marion6422 | | #46

            Here's the photo on a beautiful sunny day.

          28. rjf | | #47

            Some of my favorite colors!  That's really nice.  It looks as if it has a wrapped obi, yes?  And it doesn't have any metallic!  I was beginning to think that was a requirement.  The one I'm doing now "ring of quiet waters" asked for gold marking thread on a C-10 marking, 12 centers with 10 spokes each, but the stitching covers everything but the very center of the spokes crossing.  It should look like a quilt when done.  Thanks for the info on the 3-wrapped bands.  That's next.   rjf

          29. Marion6422 | | #48

            Yes, it has a narrow wrapped obi.  It's the first time I have done one and I like the finish it gives -- also the speed with which it's done.  Tonight I made a very fancy "presentation bag" to put it in.  The bag is going to literally outshine the temari since it's made of tiny multi-color sequin fabric. If my friend is not impressed with the temari, maybe she will be with the bag.  I even lined it so it can be recycled as an evening bag -- for a very fancy occasion.

             I just got a notice that the book I ordered through the interlibrary loan was shipped today. Hope it gets to my library before I leave for FL or they may send it back. It's another one of Diana Vandervoort's, her first book, I think.

            Be sure to get a picture of the one you're doing now. Sounds very interesting and very advanced. I'm not moving nearly as fast as you are but I'm ready to try a more advanced one for me -- the swirl -- and am going to call it something like Tulip Sunshine, since its colors are copied from a pot of beautiful yellow tulips I picked up at Home Depot, of all places. The DMC color card is going to be very valuable, I can see, the way you can match threads with something in nature or in pictures. -- MarionMarion

          30. rjf | | #49

            Have you started the swirl?  I'd like to do another, especially after the one I'm working on.  It's going very slowly and it's very easy to lose my place and then need to undo to get back to the right place.  It looks good so far despite some discrepancies in the size of the blocks but I'm almost at the end, I hope.  Yesterday I took it to my knitting group and they all oohed and ahhed which is very gratifying because when you work on it in a vacuum, you forget what it really looks like.

            I was reading on temarikai about bin temari, kind of like ship in a bottle.  Have you seen any of those?  There were also hints on how to measure and mark which I've been thinking about since that seems to be the basis for success.  Centimeters work better for me than inches.  I wish there was a way to check for roundness and suggestions for what to do if it's not round.  One mentioned that marking the point of a petal in kiku should be done up from the obi rather than down from the pole.  That makes sense, don't you think?

            When do you go to Florida?  Are you timing it so when you get back all the bad weather will be gone?      rjf

          31. Marion6422 | | #50

            It will be really interesting to see a picture of the finished one you're working on now.  You must have gobs of patience.

            I haven't had time to start on the swirl but have everything on hand for it for when I return from FL -- just going for a week, leaving tomorrow, and even I, the Optimist, have no hopes of it being Spring when I return. Last year when I went at this time, I "had" to stay three extra days because the worst snow storm of the year closed the airports in DC.  I have found a few spare moments for reading the Temari books and in the doctor's office just yesterday, I found a wonderful color scheme in an ad in a new magazine that I had never seen -- Veranda, that resembles Architectural Digest (also viewed at doctor's offices). I was afraid I was going to have to make another appointment and bring along the DMC color card  to match up the colors in the ad with pearl cotton but the receptionist actually said I could tear out the picture and take it with me. I will probably order the perle from Herrschner's (thanks for the phone no.) and use it at the Spring Fling for what sounds like some kind of variation of a pole to pole kiku that we are going to do there. I have great hopes that using this color card to match up threads to schemes that I can see that I like, will improve my color sense.

            I've never seen a bin temari and have to confess I was very taken with the idea when I read about it  and actually bought a minature fish bowl that I ran across, thinking I might do one some day. Thinking of doing one yourself?

            So far I don't seem to have a problem with roundness -- with temari, anyhow. I attribute it to my tendency to wrap it so tightly that I almost burn or cut the skin on my hand as the yarn or thread goes through. There are not any visible bumps but I usually have to fudge the pins prior to marking just a bit, maybe up to 1/8 of an inch, which has not been a problem with the ones I have been making.  When I get to more complicated patterns, it might be different. I read somewhere that if you roll the ball around in the yarn-wrapping stage with something hard, like a large book, on a hard surface, it will help make it round. My expert said she can move stitches already made, like the end of a petal, up to 1/4 inch, by poking them around with the back side of a needle, which would surely help with a lack of roundness. That's a good idea to measure up from the obi for the petal points.

            Since I don't have a new temari, I'll attach a photo of the presentation bag I made for my last one (I wish I could thing of a better name for it: covering? wrapping?) -- Marion

          32. rjf | | #51

            Love the bag!!  The sparkles are really great.  How nice to get a present in a present. 

            I finished the "ring" yesterday and am much happier with it than I expected.  It looks terrific with the candle in a pot.  I'll post a picture soon.  A few places needed fudging with an extra row or two but general, it looks fairly well covered and balanced...and round.  Today my weavers' guild held a needle felting workshop and the leader said felting a temari ball would probably work.  That came from a 1993 "Handwoven" issue on temarikai so I'm going to try it after I do the three-way wrap 2" one.  The pictures were kind of small but the temari looked good so it's worth a try.  I got a nice deep bluey green, almost irridescent, roving to use and some of the felting needles.  It'll be fun picking thread to go with it.  At the workshop, I made a squirrel with a big fuzzy tail ( the leader is into animals) and he's holding his little paws togther in front of his tummy.  Not anatomically correct  but kind of cute.  It's a nice group of very talented ladies and they put on a good potluck lunch.  They're humoring me about the temari but soon I'll have to weave something, I think.

            Keep your eye out in Florida for colors and color schemes.  It'll be nice to see flowers growing outside and they seem to use different colors to decorate than we do.  Winter won't be over when you get back but it'll be more than half gone.  Hooray!   rjf

          33. rjf | | #52

            Here's a picture of "ring of quiet waters" and the candle-in-a-crock that inspired the colors.  I like the way they look together.   rjf

          34. Jean | | #53

            Oooo. Very pretty!

          35. carolfresia | | #54

            Wow! Way cool! That also reminds me of the tumbling blocks baby blanket you did for the knitting book.

            And isn't temari sort of weaving? Like card weaving, only in a spherical shape?

            Carol

          36. rjf | | #55

            Sometimes it's got some woven parts, actually over and under, but this one was one row of one color and then one row of the next color so it was always "over".  Some temari just have the thread wrapped around with very little sewing.  Some are stitched with a kiku stitch or herring bone or swirl stitch.       rjf

          37. Marion6422 | | #56

            That is very nice! The colors go so well with the pot and they look just great together. I have instructions for a similar one that I want to try some day.  It is a six-pointed star stitched in pentagons on a C-10 marking, and resembles a quilting pattern where one part of one star is also a part of another star.  The directions I have seem rather skimpy but I probably can get some help if I run into trouble.  I won't get around to that for a long time, though. I have just returned from sunny, warm Naples, Florida (where more and more of my friends are retiring to) and have loads of nagging things, like taxes, for instance, that are requiring my reluctant attention, as well as having to go back to work.  The next temari that I have planned is the swirl and I hope to get at least started on that this week.

            What are you working on now? I feel out of touch after being gone for a week and not reading the messages in Gatherings and TalkTemari. -- Marion

          38. rjf | | #57

            Welcome back!  You're nice and tan? and rested?  Thinking about doing taxes is a real let-down.  Is your quilt temari from a Diane V book?  I finished the 3-way wrap that was the first one you posted.  The last color was really hard to get in place; I got out a pair of pliers to pull the needle through a couple of times.  I've got one called Wishing Papers almost done but ran out of gold so I started one of GinnieT's carousel patterns which I think will go fast.  I tried felting one with my pretty green fleece but it's looking very sad because I can't gather the courage to put it in the washing machine.  Some day soon.  And I printed out directions for 4 or 5 from temarikai.  One is 99sh01 which looks very complicated but so pretty and different from any of the others.  It's worked from north to south and then from south to north.  It's going to take real concentration.  Glad to have you back.     rjf    

          39. Marion6422 | | #58

            The quilt pattern I want to do is "Temari Pattern 84" from Temarikai patterns page 1. I got out the instructions to find out where they came from and as I read them over, it looks very intricate and I haven't the faintest idea where you start the different colors or how it all works out. Maybe I can figure it out later, but first I'm going to do the swirl. I was determined to get started on it and actually wrapped the ball in fleece, yarn, and thread tonight as I watched the news and a TV show. Maybe I can get it marked tomorrow night.

            I'm amazed at how many you have finished and are contemplating. How is the one you're going to felt made? They all sound very interesting.  Any more photos? -- Marion

          40. rjf | | #59

            Temari 84 is a version of the last one I posted!  Same markings and color choices!  The difference is how you stitch around the pentagon.  In mine, it was parallel to the outside edge; in yours, it's a star shape.  Do you have "Temari Adventures"?  The color diagram makes sense but, boy, I had to watch like a hawk to be sure I was in the right place.  It's easy to forget whether you're on the top or bottom half of the ball.  And they're right when they say you have to wait 'til it's finished to see the pattern.  But I did think it was worth it.

            Yesterday I gathered my courage and threw the feltie in the washing machine with some dark trousers.  Good results but it needs another dunking.  I really haven't decided what to do with it when it's all shrunk and felted but I did buy some shiny rayon floss in white, pink and violet(!) because those were the only colors they had.  There is also some red ribbon about 1/16" wide around and some white metallic.  The felt is dark green with a sheen of blue so I can do the pink route or the red route and call it a Christmas ball. 

            The paraphenalia (sp?) I've gathered is becoming a bigger and bigger pile around my chair in the living room.  Got to find a way to beat it back!        rjf

          41. rjf | | #60

            I finished a couple today after having run out of thread.  One is a carousel from GinnyT and the other, Wishingpapers from Diana Vandervoot.  The colors are distorted but you can see the stitching, I think.    rjf

            Edited 2/24/2004 4:34:18 PM ET by rjf

          42. Marion6422 | | #61

            Those are both really super!  I'm so glad you posted the photos. I can see that the carousel might go faster than some, but it still looks very intricate and interesting, and the wishing papers is one that I copied directions for some time ago and look forward  -- some day --  to doing it.  I always love your color combinations.  Getting back to the feltie you're doing, is the felt the base that you will stitch on and is it covering a styrofoam ball? I'm wondering how it's constructed underneath and is going to come our round and smooth.

            I marked the swirlie I'm doing with pins and have started outlining the diamonds and hexagons. If only I didn't have to sleep! -- Marion

          43. rjf | | #62

            It's a styrofoam ball with thin batting and then the fleece.  It looks pretty round right now but it's too soft to stitch on so one or two more trips throught the washing machine.  It feels very soft and nice.  If I haven't already said, the last step is rub it on a hot iron to smooth it out.  Right now it's a little fuzzy which is attractive but might interfere with the stitches.

            Michael's had a sale on ribbon floss when I went there to get more gold so I got some pinks through magentas but no plans for that right now.  The colors of the Wishingpapers is exactly what the directions called for and I ordered them from Herrschner's.  The carousel had some of the same colors but not so many shades. 

            For the swirlie, that was fun to stitch but I found that the first stitch of each section needs to be very close to the mark line so the pattern flows from section to section.  I went back and put in another stitch on some to close the gap.  If you're working, I don't know how you can get much done!  These days, stitching at night is not successful but I can wind!     rjf

          44. Marion6422 | | #63

            Your feltie should have an interesting texture. It will be nice to see a photo of that when you get it finished.  I started stitching my swirl tonight and got one hexagon done, then pulled a lot of it out because toward the center it looked like a jumble instead of spiraling.  I went back to look at the photo of yours to see if I could tell how you did such a good job of the center, but it's difficult to see what you did exactly.  Did you run some of the spirals into one of the others toward the center and carry fewer of them on to the end?  That probably doesn't make enough sense so you can tell what I mean, but maybe you have some hints. Tonight I'm going to bed earlier! -- Marion

          45. rjf | | #64

            I did all the diamonds first and some of those ended up with a rectangle in the middle but that looked fine to me because it paralleld the shape of the space.  (Or I made myself believe they'd look right) I had the same feeling about the hexagons as you and tore some of the first one out and redid it.  After that, when I started a hexagon, I tried to line the thread up evenly from the  stitch in the previous round (call it A) and enter the stitch exactly where it crossed the stitch(B) which followed A and exit where A entered.  So A is vertical and B is horizontal when you're stitching.  And then I faithfully did that all the way around no matter what it looked like when I was actually doing it.  Fortunately, it was obvious when to stop...one more stitch would make it look like a glob in the center.  It really seemed to be a matter of faith which I find very difficult because I always want to know why exactly this is working or not working.  Lots of help, right?  There's one spiral for each side so 6 altogether but it's worked in rounds (I'm thinking out loud) so it seemed like one spiral.  After the first hexagon, it just sailed along.  One of those happy accidents! 

          46. Marion6422 | | #65

            Thanks for the detailed explanation. I'm on coffee break at work looking at this and will examine it more closely at home. Did you notice message 65 is missing? What do you supposed happened to it and what do you suppose we are missing?!

          47. Marion6422 | | #66

            Well, I finished the one hexagon I started on in the swirlie and it looks much better than the first time I did it.  Your description and photo was a big help. It definitely swirls and looks just fine until the last few stitches. I plan to leave it alone for the time being and if I get any better as I go along, I can always redo that last bit. It really is amazing how that swirl appears as you stitch straight lines inside a hexagon.  Do you suppose that's the principle behind the development of the shell of spiral shellfish? Some day, I'll have to look into that.  -- Marion

          48. rjf | | #67

            I found a mail-order supply for Kreinik's metallic threads:  http://www.yourkeepsakes.com  They're in Ohio and carried all the different kinds of threads.  I was hoping to get larger spools of #8 braid since it seems to take one/ball but it only comes in the 10m size.  Since I really want to finish this one, I went to Walmart and got Coats & Clark's metallic sewing thread and 2 strands have about the same weight as one strand of #8.  It doesn't seem to be as difficult to sew with as the first time I tried it but this time, I made sure the two strands were both oriented the same way.  Folding it in half seemed to produce tangles that I'm not getting this time.  And a spool of neon yellow thread followed me home so I'm thinking about what to do with it.    rjf

          49. rjf | | #68

            Here are a couple of pictures of "Halo Stars".  We're still trying to find a way to eliminate shadows.    rjf

          50. FitnessNut | | #69

            BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

          51. Marion6422 | | #70

            The Halo Stars are just wonderful!  I love your colors and the pattern, the way pentagons form in the middle and just the right amount of space is covered. Are there two shades of each color or just one? And what metallic was it that you used?  I need to take time from stitching to order some metallics and threads for the next one I'm going to do. I also need to decide what the next one will be. I have to choose between about a dozen that I had decided at one time would be the next one before another one came along. I'm about half way through my swirlie now and have hopes of finishing it before the weekend! -- Marion

          52. rjf | | #71

            Thanks!  The halo stars are from DV's 4th book and there are 2 colors in each block, a lighter under a darker.  I used Kreinik #8 gold until I ran out and then two strands of gold sewing machine thread which seemed to match pretty well if I took care to lay down the strands.  The thing with C-10's is that either you use one color or six colors so it rememded me of the quilty one.  There certainly are plenty of patterns to choose from on temarikai and it's interesting how differently the directions are written from one to the next...some, not enough and others, overkill.  rjf

          53. Marion6422 | | #72

            DV has 4 books? I know of only 2, Temari, How to ...., and Temari Adventures. Apparently even our interlibrary loan doesn't have the others. What are their names? Maybe I'll have to buy them from the net.

          54. rjf | | #73

            There's Temari How-to, Temari Traditions, Temari Adventures, Temari Treasures.  That's not the right order but they're all there.  I liked the first and the third, Treasures, I think but Adventures had some new wrapping techniques that I liked and I did do 4 or 5 from that book.  I just looked on temarikai and found their reviews of books and they liked  Mary Woods' The Craft of Temari so I'm going to the library and bribe the research librarian (a neighbor, actually) to import that.  My "original" is getting worser and worser so maybe I'll put it away for awhile.   rjf

          55. Marion6422 | | #74

            I should look through the whole of Temarikai some day. There's so much information there, I get lost in it and time always runs out. I didn't know about two of DV's books since it seems that no libraries in MD have them but I see Amazon does -- Traditions and Treasures. Maybe I'll order Treasures since you liked it or maybe I can check with the library again and see if they can get out-of-state loans.  I already have Mary Wood's that I ran across at Michael's one day, and Anna Diamond's The Temari Book that I ordered, from Amazon, I think. Mary Woods has some wonderful color combinations and interesting variations on very simple patterns as well as more complex ones.Don't give up on the "original".  Sounds like a good idea not to think about it for a while and maybe when you go back to it, you'll see it in a different light. -- Marion

          56. rjf | | #75

            How does Mary Wood's book compare to the other two authors?  She got very high marks on temarikai.  Unfirtunately, my library hasn't been able to locate it in state and the research librarian is on vacation.  Maybe I'll resort to amazon.

            I did put the "original" away but haven't decided whether it's temporary or permanent.  I had an interesting experience Tuesday when I went to our grammar school to vote in the primary.  The teachers took that opportunity to exhibit some of the projects their students had been working on.  One math class had done several "art" thingies like string art.  Remember that?  They were all based on mathematical proportions and strung with really bright fibers.  Great looking!  But there was one project on paper that worked like this.  Take a square, mark a quarter from each corner, join the marks and you have a smaller, tilted square.  Keep going and you produce a spiral of squares.  But the amazing thing that only you and I would recognize was the diamond on a swirly!  Incredible!   Then when I was looking on temarikai, I found a pattern that had been invented to recreate the string art look.  So guess what I'm doing.  I'll try to find the address so you can look.      rjf

          57. rjf | | #76

            I found it:  temarikai, then patterns, then mystery ball archives (below the pattern pages), then it the second one down and has a picture with it.     rjf

          58. Marion6422 | | #77

            Imagine having our basic swirlie method turning up on the elementary school wall! I found the mystery ball you're talking about and it sure does look like string art.  As a matter of fact, now that I think about it, a lot of temari patterns do. 

            A few years ago on a grandparents day at school, I sat in on a geometry class of one of my DGDs and they were demonstrating how straight lines drawn in some pattern that I've now forgotten, created a parabola. I was into embellishing at the time and went home and made a belt with metallic stitching and some appliques based on those straight lines and parabola they formed. I still have that belt and if the sun is shinning over the weekend, I may be able to get a photo of it so the stitching shows.  Who would have thought I'd branch out into temari?

            Mary Wood's book (64 pp) is about half the size of DV's and Anna's and about 1/3 of it is devoted to the very basics of making the mari, marking, and stitching. What is so interesting to me are the variations she illustrates that make almost the same pattern appear so different by changing both the colors that she uses as well as making very simple pattern changes. The photos of the finished temari (lots of color photos) are just beautiful even with the simplest of patterns. I find it very inspiring.

          59. rjf | | #78

            Your straight line parabola is a technique I used in calculus class to show the slope of a tangent to a curve and how it changes based on where you are on the curve.  The freshman kind of liked the connection to string art.  I'm looking forward to seeing a picutre of the belt.

            Thank you for the review of Mary Wood's book.  It sound like it's worth pursuing.  Yesterday was bonaza day.  When I went to the knitting group (they're becoming unmerciful about temari and keep asking how my varigated sweater is coming along), Brigita, who runs it, had brought boxes and boxes of her tapestry yarns...everything from tatting thread to heavy linen.  She said to please help myself to whatever appealed to use on the temari.  There were many kinds of metallics in colors and textures I never knew existed.  I took a spool of real copper braid.  It weighed a ton and I don't know if it can actually be stitched but it was too beautiful to pass up.  There were several colors of perle cotton that looked useful so I took some of those as well.  She's often said her attic is about to collapse on her and I can see why.  She's also a weaver and when we were setting up the Christmas bazaar, she told us she had red velvet cloths for the tables.  Then she got giggling and told us it was the curtain from the old grammar school's stage.  Just couldn't pass up something for free when she knew she could do something with it.         rjf

          60. Marion6422 | | #79

            OK here's the belt.  I still can't remember the pattern for drawing the lines.  Seems like we drew dots on two lines and connected the dots, but I can't remember the placement of either the lines or the dots.  Help, rjf!

          61. rjf | | #80

            Well, the foundation lines are the two lines crossing in the center and it looks like you marked the dots, evenly spaced, along both lines.  Then I think it goes from the farthest out dot on one line, say top-left line, to the closest in dot on the bottom-left  line.  Under to the next dot out on the bottom line and then to the next dot in on the top line.  And of course, repeat on the right side.  I can't tell how the ellipse was determined but you can see it seems to repeat the curve formed by stitches connecting the foundation lines.  I hope that makes sense.  Does the belt buckle in the back? What did you use for interfacing?  I'll check the picture again to see if something else comes to mind.   rjf

          62. Marion6422 | | #81

            I'll have to study it more.  I was thinking some variation of that might be adapted to a sphere.  The "ellipse" was drawn to follow the line of the parabola, I remember, and actually is a fish shape, tapering to a point at the other end. I wish I could remember just what all is inside.  I believe a piece of pretty heavy interfacing (it could possibly be fusible fleece since it feels slightly padded) was cut the exact size of the belt (it's contoured) and the fashion fabric was fused to it and the seam allowances were pressed over it. The same thing was done for the lining except the interfacing seems lighter and it was cut slightly smaller all the way around and slip stitched by hand to the outer fabric. Before they were sewn together, a long strip of fuzzy Velcro was stitched to the lining on one end in the back and a short piece of the hook Velcro was sewn on the fashion fabric at the other end.  A "belt loop" was enclosed between the lining and fashion fabric on the fuzzy end so that it is on the inside and holds the end with the hooks in place as it laps under the fuzzy end.  The ends overlap several inches, depending on how much I had for dinner. The fastening method was not original and I'm sorry to say I don't know whom to credit for it.

            Coming soon -- a photo of my swirly! -- Marion

          63. rjf | | #82

            "I was thinking some variation of that might be adapted to a sphere. "

            Here's a possibility: If you marked in 4ths with an obi and then marked two adjacent guide lines above the obi into small increments, you could use the same idea as the stitching for the belt.  Then mirror the same thing below the obi and you'd have a ???  Something interesting...maybe a circle, maybe an ellipse.

            On the belt, I think I see small beads?  Did you sew on a string of them?  I haven't done much with beads except one at a time.        rjf

          64. Marion6422 | | #83

            I'm going to try your idea --- as soon as I get time. I'm adding it to my list. Right now I'm in the midst of taking photos of my swirly, trying to get an interesting or at least a contrasting background.  I hauled one of my big plants over to the "staging area" and took a couple of pictures. I was going to upload them from the camera when I thought I'd check my e-mail. What looks like beads in the belt photo must be the metallic thread used for the stitching.  I think it's Candlelight. Back later. -- Marion

          65. Marion6422 | | #84

            Finally -- Here is the photo of my swirly:  Spring Tulips

          66. rjf | | #85

            Wow!  Is that nice!  The colors certainly make you think daffodils and the stitching is so beautiful.  rjf   (I'm rushing off because the plumber is arriving in 20 minutes)

          67. User avater
            ehBeth | | #102

            ahhh, Spring Tulips. I like the 'staging' you came up with. I have a great little art deco sterling silver vase'y thing that would look great next to. hmmmm.

          68. Marion6422 | | #106

            I do hope you'll try doing one.  Have you seen the Temarikai.com site? There are many inspirational examples and instructions to boot. -- Marion

          69. Marion6422 | | #86

            I'm was going back and reading some of the older messages when I ran across your mention of ribbon floss.  What does that look like and how wide is it? It's not the same as silk ribbon for embroidery is it? I want to do a temari of dragonflies where the instructions say to use ribbon floss and the picture looks like it's opalescent or shiny. I don't think I've ever seen it but sometimes you don't notice things unless you are specifically looking for them.  I'll have to go back to Michael's and ask for it. What are you working on now? Did you ever do anything more with the feltie you were preparing? With that bonanza of thread your friend presented you with maybe you're paralyzed with indecision over which colors to use, like I seem to be. I thought when I bought that DMC color card for perle cotton and floss that it would make it very simple to choose colors for ordering but I'm finding right after I decide on one set for a project, I can't resist going back to look again and I end up finding some I like better. I'm trying to order threads for balls I'll need for the Spring Fling, which is coming up before long. How long does it take for Herschners orders? -- Marion

          70. rjf | | #87

            Good morning!  Well, I must have heard the expression "ribbon floss" and I haven't seen anything that would fit.  It looks like ribbon and at Michael's it comes in a variety of sizes.  I got the narrowest they had, 1/4", but I think it goes down to 1/16".   It went up to 1/2" but I can't imagine that going through a wrapping.  I haven't tried stitching with it yet but I have seen the dragonfly pattern in a couple of places and it looks very nice.  It seems like the right kind of motif for temari. 

            Herrschner's was about a week but strangely the back order came before the regular order.  Weird.  The other order was a place in Ohio, yourkeepsakes.com, I think, but that still hasn't come and it's been a week and a half.  Is that slow?  The fastest places are Halycon Yarn and Web's but they don't carry what we want.

            I finished the stringart temari and have started one from temarikai, temari pattern 25, 1st or 2nd page.  Would you look at it and read the directions?  They're very short but I think there's something wrong with them.  I think the blue outline or the red star is not in the right place if you look at the picture of the finished ball.  If you imagine the blue outline for an adjacent pentagon, it would cut off the point of the star.  Well, I rotated the star one guide line and it seems to work but everything appears much larger and closer together than the picture.  It's fine by me but I'm curious to know what happened.

            "Paralysed with indecision" is about right.  I can find a color scheme or a pattern but they don't always go together.  One of the ongoing color problems is that I like at least 3 shades of one color and then to get a background wrap that does justice to all three is a problem.  I like it when the middle value matches the wrapping thread but then the middle one really has to be between the other two or it will melt into the wrap.  The feltie is politely waiting its turn.  But I have some very narrow red satin ribbon that would be pretty with the dark green fleece.

            Ah-ha!  I just came back from a few minutes off and suddenly it jumped out at me.  The directions say "about a third of way into the adjacent pentagon" but it isn't.  A third of way makes the blue line go through the exact corner of the original pentagon and changes the whole thing!  And still the star needs to be rotated.  The other thing is that I needed about 6 rounds to fill the star when the directions call from 3 or 4.  Oh well, I like how it's coming out.  But please do look at on temarikai when you have time.      rjf

          71. rjf | | #88

            Here are two pictures of the stringart temari.    rjf

          72. carolfresia | | #89

            Wow! That's an eyeful!

            Carol

          73. Marion6422 | | #90

            I love your string art temari! I've seen that pattern before, on the screen saver, I think. but never from the top. So that's what the top looks like. Very interesting and as usual, your color combinations are very nice. I looked at pattern 25 and see what you mean about the sketch not sounding like the photo.  If the white stars were done as in the sketch, the points in adjacent pentagons would touch each other.  It looks like maybe the red lines might be rotated so the star points hit the sides of the blue pentagons instead of pointing to the points of the blue pentagons. ( Does this description get awkward or what?)  Well, it sounds like you were able to make some kind of adjustments so it's coming out all right. I'm not sure just what you did since I replied to the wrong message and can't see your previous one as I write this. Anyhow I bet that it will be another beautiful one.

            I didn't have a chance tonight to phone an order to Herschners (the social committee in my building had a program I wanted to attend) and I'm going to force myself to pick out some colors and call the order in tomorrow before tennis whether the ones I choose will be the best ones or not since they're probably closed on Sat. -- Marion

          74. rjf | | #91

            Herrschner's might be big enough so they're open on Saturdays.  A catalog came with my order but it's been thrown away or put in a very safe place.  I'm still waiting for the order from keepsakes....   2 and 1/2 stars to go on temari 25 which I took to the knitting group yesterday.  The stars had been going along reasonably well but when I got there, nothing seemed to work right and the thread kept getting tangled and the metallic stripped off.  On the way home, it occurred to me that I had changed needles and maybe the needle was to blame and by golly, when I changed to a different needle, it started working again.  Who would have thought a needle could be so critical?            rjf             

          75. Marion6422 | | #92

            That's interesting to hear about the effect of a different needle. Was it just a new one of the same type or a different type? I think I remember your saying you were using darning needles. -- Marion

          76. rjf | | #93

            Well, I have lots of needles but the only way I can tell them apart is gold eye versus not gold eye and length.  But they are mostly darners which get hard to find in this throw-away world.  I do have 2 doll-making needles about 5 inches long and found them useful on occasion, particularly the 3-color wrapped ball.  (There is a ferocious snow storm going on outside the window!)      rjf

          77. anneelsberry | | #94

            Herrschners is on-line too.  They have great yarn sales, as well, each week.

          78. rjf | | #95

            You're right!  I guess I  like to talk to the people at the other end so I usually phone in my order.  But I did visit the online site to see if I could get what wanted.  The website has some advantage over the catalog.    rjf 

          79. Marion6422 | | #105

            I'm so glad to see that others are reading this temari discussion and can add to it.  For a while I was afraid that rjf and I were the only ones interested in it and wondered if we should be communicating privately instead of taking up space on the Gatherings. Thanks for your info on Herschners. -- Marion

          80. anneelsberry | | #112

            I love the pictures of your beautiful creations.  This is something I definitely want to learn in the future -- but right now my closet is filled with too many UFOs.  (a blocked but unsewn sweater, an embroidered robe for my mom, a black silk ballgown, a needlepoint pillow, several almost complete art dolls and kit for a felt molded face doll, and quite a few small bits and pieces!)

            Have you ever seen anything in English about another type of Japanese ball?  When I was a kid growing up on Okinawa the Japanese girls all made fabric covered cork ball that looked like they were quilted.  Sometimes they had faces and looked like little round dolls in kimono.  I'd love to figure that one out.

          81. anneelsberry | | #113

            Just answered my own question. (Just Google, silly)  They're called kimekomi.

            http://www.temarikai.com/kimekomi.html

          82. rjf | | #116

            In Diana Vandervoort's last book, there are some balls that look like the one you found on temarikai but the technique is different...what with the grooves and glue.  The one you found is very beautiful and very neat.  I know I couldn't follow DV's directions and make one so neat.  Thanks for sharing.   rjf

          83. Marion6422 | | #115

            Thanks for your encouragement.  I see what you mean about not adding more to your hobbies at this point.  You have such a nice variety and are able to select from your UFO's according to the mood you're in!

            I had never heard of kimekomi before and your Googled example is just beautiful. Sue H is a name I'm familiar with -- she regularly contributes expert advice and directions for Temari patterns on Talktemari and I'm actually going to get to meet her. The Temari enthusiasts in the Northeast are having a Spring Fling over a long weekend next month, which I am attending, and Sue H is going to be there, too. It's so much fun to meet someone you've heard a lot about.

          84. carolfresia | | #97

            I think when you're working with metallic thread, you need a needle with an eye size that's a little bigger than usual--at least, this is what they do in machine embroidery. For machines, they have special "metallica" needles--I don' t know what you do for hand stitching.

            Carol

          85. rjf | | #98

            I'm not sure if the eye was bigger but it must have been smoother so it didn't catch.  I guess there's quality control for needles but I got an interesting box of straight pins at Walmart.  Some didn't have points!  The ballpoint tops fell off some!  Some were bent!  And of course, I'd already put them in the box with my older pins before I discovered that.  So I bought another box of Singer pins at the grocery store.  They seem to be user friendly.  Now if they will just mark the pattern accurately, I'll be all set.      rjf

          86. rjf | | #96

            Here are 2 pictures of the "stars".  It's the first time I've tried this camera and I don't understand why the color is so different, one from another.  I added some green french knots at the white diamond intersections which you might not even notice but it needed that little extra.  I'm happy with it.     jrf

          87. Marion6422 | | #99

            That is absolutely gorgeous!  I think you have developed a new pattern or at least a very distinct variation on #25, and I have a bunch of questions.  BTW, you have certainly got to be considered an "expert" at this point. You surely have overcome the problem you mentioned -- and it was such a short time ago -- about the lack of roundness of your balls, the way you do the C10s with such aplomb. My questions:  1.  What size ball did you start with?  2.  What metallic did you find that you could manage well enough to do the whole thing with? 3.  How much of the gold did it take?  4. Did the needle that was easier to use have a larger eye, as Carol suggested?  5. And finally, looking at the Temari Pattern 25 instructions, is this what you did?:  A. Mark the original pentagons (black lines) with gold thread.  B. Mark the corners of the blue pentagon with pins (placed essentially as shown in the drawing but making sure the sides of the blue pentagon will intersect the corners of the black pentagon).  C. Work the blue pentagons with silver, two rows.   D. Rotate the red star in the drawing so that the points are at the corners of the black pentagons.  Work the stars as in the instructions, going all the way to the corners of the original black pentagons.

            I'm supposed to be doing my taxes and here I've spent ages trying to figure out how your pattern and the one in the instructions were done -- but good exercise for the mind, no? Which will certainly be valuable whenever I do get around to those taxes, which may not be before tomorrow since I keep finding more and more things that HAVE to be done first, like making brownies for the tennis party tonight.  I solved the problem of how to choose between the colors of perle cotton that could be used for certain temari -- just order them all -- and that's what I did, or tried to do, from Herschners. I was disappointed to find they did not carry a whole bunch of the grayed shades I wanted, ones in the 3000 series.  Anyhow, I made some substitutions and got the order done. Finally.  I'm giving up doing any new temari until those taxes are finished.  Of course, there's one ball sitting there that has only one side done..... 

          88. rjf | | #100

            Wow! My head isn't going to fit into my hat.  I have a tax solution for you:  Find the AARP tax site near you and they'll do it for free.  I have been doing taxes at the one near me for the past 5 or 6 years but we do limit how complex they can be. This year AARP computerized the site....well, they got us a lasar printer but our technical leader scrounged a couple of computers to go with one we had.  She actually got one from the police department.  I'm proud of the site since I was the first woman and now we are four women. But on a bad tax day, I'm afraid they're going to stop speaking to me since I was the one who recruited them.

            It's a 3" ball.  I used DMC embroidery floss, 3 strands, which seemed mostly easier to use except for the bad needle episode.  But I learned to carefully separate the 3 strands before stitching so they would lie flat and parallel and not twist.  It got to be hypnotic after a while and it was worth the extra trouble because the stars came out nicely.  I think it took between 1 and 2 skeins...not sure because one had been started.  A.  The black pentagons were done in gold.  B.  For the blue pentagons, I marked a third of way into the adjacent pentagon.  That's what the directions said.  When I stitched the first side, I noticed it went through the corner of the black pantagon and didn't then think anymore about it.  Didn't notice it wasn't going through the side of the black pentagon as in the pattern.  But I did see that I had only to mark one corner of the white because after that I lined it up by the corner.  C.  It was white floss followed by a round of Kreinik fine braid Opal.  D.  The star had to be rotated because the white round had covered the spot the diagram showed.  Otherwise, just as in the directions and being careful to lay down the gold.  So the final total is :  directions, 2 wrong; rjf, 1 wrong.  I added green French knots at the white intersections and that made quite a difference.  Amazing for such a little bit of color.  But it came out as neatly as I can do with no major flaws so the mistakes don't really matter.

            That said, I'm trying again with a different set of colors and the blue pentagon in its original place but the star will still have to be rotated.  And I might do the star as kiku using all 10 spokes through the center.  That way, I can use shades of color. 

            Brownies are much better than taxes; so are parties.  I'm afraid when golf season starts, temari will be ignored until a rainy day.  Actually, I should be organizing the computer stuff for the league now but it's hard to think golf when it's snowing....still. 

            That's too bad about Herrschner's not having all the colors. I would have thought such a big place would have everything going but now I remember they don't carry Kreinik's either.  I'm still waiting for my order from yourkeepsakes.com.  Maybe I'll  go out to the mailbox now.  Who knows what's there?        rjf

          89. rjf | | #104

            I had an "ah-ha! moment when I went back and looked at the diagram for the stars.  The blue pentagon is exactly the same size as the black one so I measured the long line of the black one and marked that same distance on the short line which takes it into the adjacent pentagon.  Looks right! I'm going to do the blue pentagons with a round of my dark color and then tack it down with a round of metallic.  In the meantime, I can think about how to do the stars...or flowers...or whatever.   Hope you had a good time last night.      rjf

          90. Marion6422 | | #107

            It's going to be interesting to see what your next color scheme or variations will look like.  It won't be long before I'll be back to stitching -- I've got a good start on my taxes. I've always done them myself because they're too complex for the free services and anyhow once you get everything together and listed, it's not that much trouble to put the numbers on a form.  I will admit just where to put them on what form is sometimes a pain.

            The Sat. night tennis party was lots of fun.  We play tennis for one hour then sit out and talk (and eat) while watching the other half of the players play, then we get to play another hour.  This time it was our team tennis night, really good competition.  Our club has about 500 members, all single people except for those who married after they joined.  We have a web site if you want to check it out "thetennisgroup.net". -- Marion

          91. rjf | | #108

            I keep discovering more pictures on temarikai.  I thought I'd seen them all but there is a good picture of the "stars" under Album: Ginny's album: page 7: second on the left.  You can see the pattern between the stars very clearly. 

            How nice to have other people adding to the conversation!  rjf  

          92. Marion6422 | | #109

            Yes, the stars in Ginny's album make it all very clear.  It looks like  hers is just like yours except the outline pentagons in hers are not extended as far as 1/3 into the adjacent pentagons, so her lines don't intersect the corners of the adjacent pentagons and the stars are smaller.  Is that what it looks like to you?

            Interestingly, the dragonfly temari above the stars is the one I have picked to try next.  I was at Joannes Tues. looking for ribbon floss, which I didn't find, but I did get some flat silver braid and some shiny rayon floss which I thought would do. I brought home from work today a brochure from a company that uses a dragonfly as its logo and has a beautiful drawing of one which I thought would help in proportions. Can't wait to get started on it.  Maybe next week.Are you working on a new one? -- Marion

          93. rjf | | #110

            I never think to go to Joanne's because Michael's is near Home Depot so my husband has a place to go while I'm thinking about what to get.  It's twenty miles away which seems like a long trip for a spool of thread!  But maybe in a few weeks, I'll just take myself down there.  Let me know how you manage the rayon floss, won't you?  I found it difficult to work with but often, the second time around, it gets easier.  I couldn't decide whether to use one strand, two, three... the whole thing...

            After seeing other pictures of "stars", I started a second one with variations.  I got the outline pentagons to look like the picture with the "mitsubishi crystal" in the corners but I did them with a round of perle cotton and a round of metallic something, sort of coppery.  And instead of stars, I did flowers, I guess, in shades of peach, apricot from very pale to the dark color I used for the outlines.  I'll take a picture later.  

            The dragonfly is a pretty one and it looks like it should be quicker to make than most.  They all seem to have dark backgrounds and are they C-8's?  In that same section, (I think), there is are some of cranes and one of a peacock but that might be Jill's site.

            I have one wrapped and ready to go, Temari 02, I think it is.  Spindles around the poles, and interwoven kiku around the obi.  Fast and easy, I hope.     rjf

          94. rjf | | #111

            I'm not too great with that little camera but I can adjust a little with PaintShopPro.  Anyway you can see the general idea.  It doesn't show up as well on my mantle as some others...too busy and montone but I like it close up.    rjf

          95. Marion6422 | | #114

            Amazing how different a little variation makes. I like those cute little flowers and the monochromatic color scheme. You must have finished a whole bunch at this point.  How do you have them all displayed?

          96. rjf | | #117

            I just line them up on the mantle so they'll be safe. Someone else asked me that and I realized I hadn't even thought about it!  What do you do with yours?  Whenenver I go to replenish the supply of styrofoam balls,  I walk past a hurricane glass that is very inexpensive but to get it seems to be a commitment I'm not willing to make yet.  Something will suddenly seem like the right way to go.   rjf 

          97. Marion6422 | | #118

            Most of the ones I've made were for Christmas presents and I gave them away for tree ornaments.  I have a few left that I have deposited on a bamboo plate with my Archimedes thermometer but the colors really don't go that well together. They need more for company. I also have a couple that do look pretty good together on a low bookcase in front of a cylindrical mirror that reflects their back sides. I have a perfect spot for some teenies whenever I get them made. A friend gave me some carved wooden napkin rings from Kenya, each on a short stand with a delicately carved example of African wildlife on top. The circle meant for a napkin would be nicely filled with a temari and displayed on that same bookcase. All I need is more temari! I also have a large triangular-shaped carved wooden bowl that is begging to be brought out of hiding and filled with them to overflowing. Well, once I retire, maybe I can get started on that.

          98. rjf | | #119

            Here are a couple of views of the latest one which went very fast.  It's from GinnyT's page 1 (I think) but I don't remember the number.  The spindles were very fast and fun to do but my obi no way looked like hers so I messed around until it was at least neat.  It was easier mostly because it was a simple 8 division, 2 centers and the obi.  There was someone on Talktemari whose husband had machined a cylinder to mark the obi and divisions and I borrowed the idea and cobbled a manilla folder to do the same thing.  I'll take a picture when I get the next one to that point.  It seemed to work okay but maybe I was lucky.   rjf

          99. FitnessNut | | #120

            Lovely.....

            I'm going to have to stop looking at these or I'm going to end up with yet another hobby, LOL!

            Sandy

          100. Marion6422 | | #121

            That is so cute! I love the way those spindles make the flowers.  Now tell me about how you got them marked.  I remember seeing a picture some time ago of the cylinder someone's husband made for marking, but never understood how it worked and didn't think it would apply to anything I could do since I couldn't imagine machining a piece of metal. I haven't had time to read Talktemari lately. Was there something about it recently? You must have figured it out if you've made an adaptation using paper and I'm dying to know how it works. -- Marion

          101. rjf | | #122

            We're having a spring day! How nice.  I'm sorry I haven't written lately but for some reason, all my organizations needed attention and/or food for potluck suppers at the same time and then MSN decided to customize Gatherings for me.  What frustration!  The format was completely changed and it went at a snail's pace but seems to be fine today. 

            The "tool" didn't work quite as well with the next temari but I'll try again on the following.  Besides the manilla cylinder, you need a tool whose name I don't know.  You do carpentry so probably you have a name for it but I'll have to describe it.  It has an adjustable cross piece with a bubble level and it slides up and down.  I found what I hoped were the two poles and marked the obi with 3 pins that stuck out. Put the cylinder on the edge of a counter and rest the ball in it with the obi pins protruding around the side.  Make sure the level is vertical against the counter and adjust the level so it's just resting the pole pin.  If the bubble is centered, it's a good pole.  Note the distance to the counter edge.  Turn the ball upside down and do it again.  If you get the same distance, you've got a good second pole and a good obi.  Put some more pins around the obi.  Now you can mark the ball.  The manilla cylinder is just mite bigger than the ball put the protruding obi pins keep it in place.  I used a double layer of manilla and scotchtaped it together.  We took a picture which I will post separately.  It tells you if the ball is round but if it isn't, I don't know what to do at that point.  Usually I think no one will notice when it's stitched and just keep going.   rjf

          102. rjf | | #123

            Here's the picture.  I noticed there is a vertical level as well so that's useful next time.  The dark gloomy background is our basement.  I'm not sure what lives back there.      rjf 

          103. carolfresia | | #124

            That looks like quite the antique. Probably someone from woodworking or homebuilding could tell us what that tool is. I'm sure it never thought it would be used to create a temari ball, though!

            Carol

          104. rjf | | #127

            When I did picture framing, I had a tool called "the thing you squeeze so the nail goes into the side of the frame and holds the picture in place" because no one told me what's its official name was.  Of  course, I never had occasion to call it that out loud because I worked alone.  It doesn't take long to say the name in your brain so it worked just fine.           rjf

          105. Marion6422 | | #125

            I call that tool an adjustable square/level and I have one just like it without the circles decorating it, or its "character". I needed a vertical level at work and couldn't locate one anywhere so mine is now there. But I can retrieve it and will try it out on a temari. I can see that using it with a cylinder (good old manilla folders!) would be a way to mark an obi that was sure to be level and centered between the north and south pole. Good for you to work that out with something we are all likely to have around or can easily get!

            I am on the threshold of mailing off my tax forms and gathering together receipts/records from 2003 for underbed storage, which will free me for more creative activities.  In between spasms of tax agonies,  I finished a Teenie Temari that I had to mail off and took some pictures of that one and another teenie that I will post tomorrow.

          106. rjf | | #126

            Well, I would have called it too but somehow I thought there must be a fancier name.  For some reason, I thought you must have one because you said you'd done carpentry.

            I have my father's taxes already for his signature and am glad to have that done.  We have 3 more sessions at the AARP site where we've switched from hand-written to computers and e-filing.  It's both easier and more difficult with computers as I'm sure you can imagine and takes about the same amount of time as before but I think we will get speedier. 

            How complex can you make the Teenies?  Are two centers about the limit?  It seems to me that to mark a little one would be more difficult than a big one.  I'm looking forward to seeing yours posted.      rjf

          107. Marion6422 | | #128

            If you look at the Album of Teenies on Temarikai it looks like they can be just as complicated as most of the larger ones, but mine are very simple.  I found the marking to be easy but the stitching harder to get square and even, especially when I was trying to duplicate on the back what I had done on the front side.  I'm attaching a photo of my two against some background material hoping to draw attention away from the stitching.

          108. rjf | | #129

            Oh my goodness!  That IS a quarter in there, isn't it?  How do you make them so small?  They look very good to me.  The stitching must be difficult to get even if you're wrapping with sewing thread because the spaces between the threads varies a fair amount (I think.)  And if there's a little discrepancy in the spacing of the threads, the stitching gets a little off kilter.  But yours look just fine.  Did you make your own base?  I think you said you used kleenex for a small one?    rjf

          109. Marion6422 | | #130

            Somehow my reply disappeared as I was switching screens late last night, too late to do it over and now it's too late tonight to write much. For a base, I used 1/2 a Kleenex for the smaller one and a wad of polyester stuffing for the other, and just started wrapping with sewing thread, poking in the bulges, until they were round. If you had the color you wanted, probably a thin embroidery thread that wasn't slick would produce a surface more closely covered and easier to place stitches exactly where you wanted them and they would come out better.  But those were good enough for me for first ones, anyhow. They're really fast and fun to do -- you should try them. -- Marion

          110. carolfresia | | #131

            Hey, those tiny balls are adorable! I'm so impressed by the work you two are doing. Thanks for keeping us all informed.

            Carol

          111. Marion6422 | | #132

            Thanks for the encouragement! -- Marion

          112. rjf | | #133

            Hi Marion,  It's been a crazy week...I'm supposed to lead the book discussion group tomorrow so I've been rereading "Memoirs of a Survivor" by Doris Lessing.  Why I choose that book I don't know!  I tried reading her autobiography but it's unreadable as far as I'm concerned.  Fortunately, the other members of the group are very generous with their comments so maybe I'll get away with it. 

            I've got another one to take a picture of and have started the next one.  It's  99KM04 called Summer Stars.  Very short directions and a diagram.  The picture doesn't match the directions exactly so I've been fudging a little bit.  It's a 5-pointed star around a pentagon and then another pentagon around the first pentagon which the picture shows woven through the star but the directions don't mention that part.  It also calls for two rounds outside the original marking but that will cover the points of the star so I'm not sure what I'll do about that....maybe leave it out.  The manilla cylinder worked nicely this time, especially since I took the time to make sure all the centers were the same distance apart.  Fudging seems to be an intergral part of doing temari.  Oh-ho!  There is an email address for the person who designed this one.  Maybe I'll write a note and ask about the two rounds outside the big pentagon.      rjf

          113. Marion6422 | | #134

            What a nice variety of activities you have. And I can't believe you've finished another temari and have started on the next.  I'm looking forward to seeing your photo. I took a quick look at the Summer Stars and it really looks complicated and the instructions really seem short. If you can't get help for the original one by e-mail, I bet you can manage a variation, if necessary.

            I don't know where the past week went to.  Things keep coming up and I can't get around to another temari. I did get the taxes mailed off and last years records stored away and I've finally this evening gotten around to my only creative activity in ages. I'm making three bags for temari to be presented in, as a gift swap in the Spring Fling (hope nobody going to it is reading this discussion). I had already made the pattern and had the fabrics and lining so it went fast once I started. I still have 2 linings to sew in, but will do that tomorrow night. Maybe I'll post a picture of those, just to have something to post!

            I brought my adjustable square home from work all ready to try it out.  Maybe this weekend!

          114. rjf | | #135

            Here is one from temarikai...02, I think.  They said "for beginners" and it did seem to be easy.  I did something different with the gold thread in between because I didn't think the motifs were quite the right shape and not really uniform size.  This is a good one to use up the left-overs that aren't big enough to do a whole ball.  The one I'm working on now is going well now that I've finally decided on the inbetween thingie.  I tried three different greens before settling on one pair and then I tried some different shapes and found one I liked.  It's used 1 and 1/2 silver fine braid for the marking and outlining the sections.  It's gobbling up thread!   rjf

          115. Marion6422 | | #136

            That is lovely. I remember seeing that pattern somewhere but can't find it now.  I seem to remember that the one demonstrated had somewhat of a ribbon effect crossing in the middle of the motif.  I like the openness of yours in the middle.

            Well, I've been learning a lot the last couple of days but not necessarily getting a lot done. I decided it would be nice to have a tote bag to take with all my supplies to the Spring Fling and I wanted to decorate it with a band of photos of the temari I have completed. I have the photos on my computer, the heat transfer sheets, the fabric I will transfer them to, some trims for further decoration, and the blank tote bag and thought I was all set to get started.  Well, I've found my printer just won't print out bright colors. So I've spent the morning going out to get some CDs and learning how to copy to them prior to using some other printer.  I was going to try it on my son's, but I'm afraid I'll never catch him home long enough this weekend so I may have to go to Kinko's.

            In the meantime, I finished the gift bags I was making and will try to get a photo of them and post it, if the sun will come out long enough. It's been cold and rainy the last several days and feels more like winter than spring but the cherry trees are in full bloom and the landscape is greening up nicely.  Happy Spring! -- Marion

          116. rjf | | #137

            It's temari92 on page 3 of temarikai.

            Is it that the printer won't put out as much ink?  Or are  the colors really lighter or different?  That's such a good idea...pictures on your tote bag!  I did a T-shirt once with a happy face and wasn't really fond of the technique but for a tote bag with your own temari on it, it sounds great. 

            What got you interested in Gatherings to begin with?  We've talked about temari so much, I don't know what other things you do.  Well, I know you did, or do, carpentery but that's Fine Woodworking.  Do you make your own clothing sometimes? 

            We had sunshine yesterday but they're (the infamous "they") talking about snow today.  Would you believe.  But it is getting green and the buds on the lilac are getting fat and the birds have changed their tune.  Last year, wrens built in a birdhouse we had made, thinking it was for decorative purposes and very close to our back porch.  My husband cleaned it out there other day and we couldn't believe what those wrens had put in there.  The twigs looked bigger than the birds and what they crammed into a 5" X 5" X 7" space filled a wastepaper basket when it came out.  We were lucky and got to see the babies take their first flight one Saturday afternoon.        rjf

          117. Marion6422 | | #138

            The colors from my printer are more grayed and darker than the actual temari or what shows up on the screen, and after I iron them on from the heat transfer sheets, they are even more so. I finally got them printed out my son's printer and they are somewhat brighter but some colors are still not nearly as pretty.  The lighter ones and ones with more contrast come out best.  In my trial run, I didn't like the effect on the fabric I was transferring it to (it made it translucent) so I had to make a run to G St's (the closest fabric store to me) for a cotton sateen that worked much better. BTW, heat transfer sheets have improved since I bought them a couple of years ago.  I got "Epson's Iron-On Transfer Paper" and you can let it cool up to two minutes after ironing before you have to peel off the paper and it peels off very easily in contrast to the ones I used to use. I have the temari strip with its stitched-on trim pinned onto the bag and am studying its placement.  Eventually I'll post a picture.

            I can't remember how I discovered Gatherings but I've been reading it for a few years. I don't have a lot of time to do replies but I read it almost every morning at work with my coffee in the "Break Room" and again usually at home before I go to bed. I sew all my tennis clothes and a lot of slacks and tops and a dress now and then, making most of my own patterns; many, many draperies and curtains as we moved around the country; decoupaged lamp bases; and I've dipped into all sorts of other crafts, including making paper beads, silk dyeing, oil and acrylic painting, knitting -- is there anything left?? What I'm hoping to do is to develop some artistic sense some day. A lot of these activities were done while I was a housewife with kids at home but now the kids are gone (but nearby) and I'm working so it seems like I have about the same amount of time to devote to other activities.  I'm now on a roll, so to speak, with temari. The woodworking was just a primitive project since I wanted a bed with a firm base and storage space free from dust under it and the result was a mattress-covered upholstered  box with doors and a dust ruffle and a piece of padded plywood upholstered for a headboard.

            One of the first things I want to do after retiring (end of June) is to learn to use Paint Shop Pro for designing temari, if that's possible. I would love to actually see what different colors combined in specific patterns look like before I actually stitch it.

            Having no new temari or the tote bag yet to display, I'll post a picture of the presentation bags I've made as a gift for the Stitchin. -- Marion

          118. rjf | | #139

            Hi,  Your craft-handwork career sounds a lot like mine but I'm not sewing these days.  I hope I haven't forgotten how.  Temari is good craft because it's easy to carry out when I visit my father.  He lives in an independent facility and the ladies seem to enjoy watching what I'm doing, whatever it is.  And they like to reminence (did I spell that properly?) about the things they did. 

            I'm looking forward to seeing the temari tote.  The presentation bags are spectacular...so shiny and sparkly.  I did a t-shirt once with an iron-on image from the computer.  It was a happy-face so the coloring was not too difficult but I'd need something more interesting to try it again.  But I can speak about Paint-Shop-Pro.  It was a gift a few Christmasses ago so I've used it a fair amount for various things.  It's still hard for me to adjust the colors of photos but to start from scratch is not bad.  They offered a computer graphics course at school and let me sit in. (finally had to tell the teacher he didn't need to give me a grade since I wasn't doing it for credit)  We used several programs, starting from very simple to Adobe Photo Shop and I have to say I liked that better than anything I've used including PaintShop.  At the time, we had a Mac and that was much better for graphics than the PC I use now.  I use Microsoft Excel for weaving designs.  The little boxes are just right for that and I wrote a program so you can type in the threading and the treadling and click on the button and the pattern appears.  Had a great time doing that. 

            I finished a temari this morning and hope to get one wrapped before this afternoon's knitting group.  I found one on Judy Shorten's site which is mostly all wrapped.  There doesn't seem to be any point in making a list of ones I'd like to do because everytime I finish one, Something new pops up. 

            Here's a picture of the latest which was very slow to do.  I didn't get the colors quite right.  The varigated wrapping thread turned grayer and darker than I anticipated but I was very happy with the improvment in marking a C-10 evenly.  The wreathy green stuff took 3 or 4 tries before I found the right colors and shape.  They're done in 2 rounds light and 2 rounds dark in kiku on the points of the long lines in the triangles between the stars.  Then I used silver sewing thread to gather the last round in the center and it seemed to look just right.

            Hope the Easter Bunny treats you nicely.      rjf

          119. FitnessNut | | #140

            You may not be entirely pleased with the results colourwise, but I think it is quite lovely.

            Have a wonderful Easter!

            Sandy

          120. Marion6422 | | #141

            That is very nice! I can see that it would take a long time to do with having to go under parts of it and to have so many motifs. Your marking looks absolutely perfect and it makes the whole temari look so precise and professional. I'm wondering when I'm going to get around to starting another one, the way I seem to wander off on other projects. I'm getting things ready for that Spring Fling, like the tote bag for supplies that really didn't HAVE to be embellished but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity -- see attached photo.  Then I was wondering how I was going to do temaris  on my lap when I get there -- I always sit at a table with my things spread out on a towel -- scissors, pin cushion, pliers, bobbins of thread, a pile of clippings, etc. So after I got home from work and took the photos, I made a small irregular pentagon-shaped lap tray covered with fabric, with two adjacent low sides to keep things from spilling off the end.  It folds flat and fits into the tote bag. And I actually used some fabric from my stash for it. I want to ask you more about the graphics course you took and how you used Excel for patterns but it's late again so I'll do that another time.

          121. rjf | | #142

            Your tote bag is to die for!  That is so gorgeous and to think you made all the beautiful temari and then you made the bag.  The colors really look great...nice and bright.  Wow!

            I used to do temari in my living room chair but it got to my back so I brought in a kitchen chair but continue to work in my lap.  At the knitting group, we use bridge tables and that's a good height but too big in my living room.  What is the basis for your tray?  With stand-up edges, it sounds like wood or cardboard based.  I keep a pair of pliers nearby also.  The books don't mention keep pliers on hand that I can remember reading.  Doesn't it seem that every craft has tricks that are never officially mentioned?                rjf

          122. carolfresia | | #143

            rjf, I love the newest temari. One of these days I'm going to drive up and seem them all in person. Marion, your tote bag is really great--very designery looking. I could see temari as the basis for some wonderful textile designs, in various scales and colorways. I'll bet quilters would love them. Keep posting photos, please!

            Carol

          123. rjf | | #144

            "Marion, your tote bag is really great--very designery looking."

            Don't you love it?  It's just perfect...but it doesn't look overworked.  That's the real acheivement, I think.   Something to aspire to.         rjf 

          124. Marion6422 | | #145

            Well, You and Carol are being very nice.  The wonderful thing about this discussion group is that it encourages you to get started and try things out. I'm becoming more and more convinced that one can learn to develop better taste and to create better designs by just getting started and doing it and by seeing what others are doing. 

            I have another photo -- the lap tray. When I decided I needed something for my lap to put things on when stitching temari, I started looking around for thin stiff cardboard, wood, or plastic and found a left-over self-sticking 12" floor tile from my kitchen floor for the base and two pieces of thin stiff plastic I had rescued from the trash at work some time ago, knowing that they were really valuable for something. The tile was too large so I turned it at an angle and cut off one corner.  The plastic was too short for the sides, but that gave more room to rest my arms when I would be using it. Serendipitously, the adhesive on the tile made it really easy to position on the fabric. I placed the plastic pieces against the tile sides at the corner and cut around the outside edges leaving 1/2 inch for a seam allowance and I cut two of these pieces.  Using a zipper foot I stitched wrong sides together right at the edges of the tile/plastic and cut off the seam allowance leaving only about 1/8 inch (fabric was a stable knit) except where the pieces met at the corner and I left a flap to fold around and Velcroed that and the back of the other side where they met when folded up. The whole thing went amazingly fast. I thought last night that it was all finished and it looked very serviceable but when I looked at it this morning, I realized there was no way I could  have it look just "serviceable" with those unfinished edges staring me in the face, so I twisted together some left over yarns and zigzagged them over the edges.  Now I'm happier with it. If it weren't all stitched together, I would probable feel compelled to further decorate the sides but not right now, anyhow.

          125. rjf | | #146

            I'm impressed with the lap tray, very clever idea and well put together.  It looks like just the right size, as big as possible and still fit on a lap.  I think I see the yarn edge and it gives it a nice finish.  It's hard not to get carried away with decorating but save your energy for the temari.    More later        rjf

          126. Marion6422 | | #147

            Well, my bright idea of using a tile for the tray bottom wasn't so clever after all.  I picked it up by one corner while it had a bunch of things on it and it  broke. So now it has a floppy ear, sort of. I can still use it but I may have to make another one some day with something not so brittle and I think I'll make it a little bit larger.

            I've finally started on a new temari and am about two thirds finished. I'm doing a dragon fly one that I'm calling Night Flight.  It's going fast and I should have another photo in a few days. -- Marion

          127. Marion6422 | | #148

            Here's a photo of the dragonflies.  The silver wings and markings are a lot shinier and the "sky" a lot darker than it looks in the photo, but it gives the idea.  It was really fast to do and I was hurrying through because I wanted to use that pattern in my "Color Kit" for the Stitchin and needed to know how much of which threads to include.  Each of us will have one of these kits to be swapped, which includes a wrapped and marked mari and the instructions and threads to stitch it.

            Are you working on another temari now -- or out in the garden maybe if you're having nice days like we are now. 

          128. rjf | | #149

            That's really nice!  I can see the wings are shiny metallic but the bodies look shiny, too.  Rayon floss?  There are a couple of patterns on temarikai that I've been looking at but yours is the best picture I've seen.  Swapping kits sounds like a fun idea...do you pull names or just reach in and grab?  Have you repaired your lap tray?  It's next weekend, yes?

            We've had my oldest daughter and her family (husband, 2 grandsons) for a week; they left yesterday morning so I didn't do a lot of temari but have started one for my younger grandson who had a birthday last week.  Red! Has to be red.  And then I'll do one for the older....purple.  We did some needlefelting while they were here.  They made a bunny, a guinea pig, a kitty and some flat faces.  We used llama and alpaca fleece from a friend's animals.  Nice and soft and pretty colors.

            We are having nice days but the golf course sounds much better than the garden.    rjf

          129. Marion6422 | | #150

            I know that was great fun to do such interesting things with your grandkids and how nice to have friends who produce fleece! And I should have known that it was golf course instead of garden that you have been looking forward to. Have you been out yet?

            The wings on the dragonflies are of silver braid ribbon and the bodies of rayon floss. I haven't thought of a way to repair the lap tray and actually it still works all right so I'm ignoring the floppy ear for the time being.

            I don't know how the swapping for the color kits will work. Actually there are two more swaps also -- a "Yankee Swap" of a serious under-$10 wrapped gift of something related to temari, which I suppose is a fun I'm-taking-the-one-you-chose game, and some sort of swap of a finished temari that means something to the person who made it.  It's going to be fun to see how it all works. And it's coming up in less than a week!

            Now for serious matters. I tried out your marking cylinder for the first time this morning and was amazed at how much easier it made placing the pins. A compound 8 is what I was marking. I didn't know how to use the square/level in the process so I did without it. Essentially what I did was to mark a strip of Tyvec that matched the circumference of the mari, with eight equal divisions, with pin holes and an ink dot, using the regular folding method. Then I stretched the strip along the folded edge of what was going to be my cylinder (I used a double piece of freezer paper ironed together) and transferred the marks to one edge of the paper and taped the paper into a cylinder with the circumference equal to the circumference of the mari (the end marks meeting). Using the Tyvec, I then carefully placed pins in the mari at the exact North and South Poles and 4 pins exactly at the obi but not necessarily equally spaced around it. (I say "exact" but actually my mari was not perfectly round so I had to fudge some.) Then I rested the mari in the cylinder on the obi pins, rearranged the pins to match the marks on the cylinder and added 4 more at the remaining marks. By turning the mari and resting it on another set of pins, I had the vertical quarter marks pinned in nothing flat! I figure I can keep using this same cylinder by untaping it, whiting out the previous marks or cutting them off, and remarking to fit the next mari. Is this essentially what you did and how did you use the square/level?

          130. rjf | | #151

            Those swaps sound like fun.  It must be better to be the last person choosing or else you're in danger of losing the one you picked.  But the best thing must be getting hints and tricks and inspiration.  It makes me think of dorm living or pajama parties.

            I did essentially what you did with the cylinder but I use the level to check the north and south pole.  I put the cylinder close to the corner of a counter and measure the distance from just resting the level on the north pole pin to the bottom of the counter and then turn it over and measure from the south pole.  If it's not the same, I check with a strip of paper and adjust but unfortunately, that means readjusting the 3 or 4 obi pins as well.  But it seems worth it because most of the time it's faster and more accurate than the strips of paper for the whole procedure. 

            No golf yet!  The course opened last week but it rained a lot and then there was a house full of company.  The officers of the league are meeting tomorrow to organize and it's going to be a problem because for the first time, we don't have enough players to fill 8 teams.  And until I know how it's going to work, I can't organize the paper work.  Once it get's going, I spend about an hour a week doing handicaps and standings and producing schedules for the coming week which I sort of like doing (if the computer doesn't develop a glitch)  But I don't want to rewrite the program to suit a different format!!!            rjf

          131. rjf | | #152

            I meant to ask you in the last note how you used the rayon floss.  Did you use the whole thing or did you split it into strands?  If so, how many strands did you use?  I have some but haven't been successful at using it.  It's lumpy and hard to straighten out to lay flat but it's so pretty and shiny that I'd like to use it successfully.   Zack's red,white and blue temari is almost done and I'm thinking about Nick's purple one.  I found some opalescent metallic ribbon barely 1/16" wide to use with light blue, white and lavendar perle (Nick's choices) on a dark purple wrap.  It's called Fyre Werks made by Rainbow Gallery.  No idea what design to use but I can think about it while driving to the grocery store.      rjf

          132. Marion6422 | | #153

            I used the whole bunch of strands of the rayon floss and kind of held it in one hand stretched from the stitch already made as I took the next stitch with the other hand. I can see it would cause some trouble if the stitches were very long, but these were fairly short.

            Your opalescent metallic ribbon sounds very pretty.  I'll be interested in how you use it.  Be sure to get some photos of the temaris for your grandsons.

            Do hope you get out golfing soon. If the weather we're having here right now comes your way, you'll have to go early in the morning or very late in the afternoon or it will be too hot. It was over 90 here yesterday. To think that just last week we were all complaining that it was too cold! -- Marion

          133. rjf | | #154

            It's been an exciting day so far!  I've just come back from a Sheep-to-Shawl where my weaving guild demonstrated all the steps to produce a 6-foot shawl.  Picking, carding and spinning fleece and weaving at a portable floor loom and we finished in 2 and 1/2 hours!  Of course, the major part of the picking, carding and spinning had been done beforehand.  They also had border collie demonstrations and sheep shearing...and sunshine.  It was a nice outing.  When I came home, the maillady brought me my copy of D. Vandervoort's "Temari Traditions".  Hooray!  I'm going to try one of the applique temari, having picked up three nice pieces of fabric at the quilt shop where I can find some colors of perle cotton.  Now I need to look in the attic for some gold braid or something glitsy.

            And on top of all that, there was a slide show on my husband's computer of pictures from the new digital camera and one of the pictures was the temari I finished just before Easter.  He took a picture of the last temari so I'm sending it on.  It's a wrapped one on a C-8 but I ran out the varigated thread so improvised with the last few guide lines and only wrapped one solid pick on each side but I liked the way it came out.  I'm still working on the 16-point kiku, red,white and blue but have only the last row of metallic to do and then on to the purple one.  With so many points, it was hard to fit in all the rows.  I think I should have left more space between one bottom stitch and the next one.  I'm glad you can give my hints.    rjf

          134. Marion6422 | | #156

            I had to look about three times before I realized the pink and white bands were of variegated thread (and that the green in between was not a blank space but a line of green thread matching the wrapping thread). That's a very nice temari and a good way to use variegated thread! Not having to change colors so often no doubt made it go much faster than otherwise, too.

            I'm wondering if what you had there this weekend is what's coming here this next weekend.  Ours is an annual event and is called the MD Sheep and Wool festival.  It also has the Sheep to Shawl and herding dog demonstrations. I've been a couple of times in past years, never managed to get there for the Sheep to Shawl but was amazed to see what those dogs could do, loved the spinning and weaving demonstrations and all the beautiful yarns. This year I've signed up for a three hour workshop on embellishment and have no idea what it will be like but it sounded interesting.

            I have just returned from a long weekend at the Temari Spring Fling Stitchin.  I'll take time to describe more about it later but will just say now that the photos on the Temarikai web site do not do justice at all to temari seen with your own eyes up close in the hands of the person who's been stitching them for years and was maybe even one of those who studied the art in Japan. All I can say is, that they're just unbelievably beautiful! The whole weekend was very inspiring as well as instructive and warm and welcoming to a newcomer.

            Marion

          135. rjf | | #155

            Here is Zack's temari.  His favorite colors....red, which this view doesn't show as much and white and blue.  On to the purple one.     rjf

          136. Marion6422 | | #157

            Another winner! I'll bet Zack will love it. -- Marion

          137. rjf | | #158

            Here's another!  Nick's was a happy accident...the pale purple and blue made it look irridescent and the Fyre Works metallic emphasizs that effect, I think.  It's one a GinnyT's carousel patterns which I like because the obi is so pretty.  Are you playing lots of tennis?  I've made it to the golf course twice and my body is beginning to remember what to do.  It's the brain that seems to be lagging behind

          138. carolfresia | | #160

            That one sure is pretty. So are you going to make temari golf balls now? Maybe as prizes for your various fun day events?

            Carol

          139. rjf | | #161

            Well, let's see...teeny temari that slide on a string to keep track of the strokes on a hole...slightly larger temari with a clip to hold one's towel (preferably hand-woven) attached to cart...large temari to kick after missing the shot.....temari with holes to hold tees and/or pencils....temari with a slit that opens when squeezed to hold change for soda....   Actually, they'd be better at masquerading as a soft ball.     rjf

          140. Marion6422 | | #162

            That one is very special. It does look irridescent. I wonder what causes that effect -- I'd like to do that, too! I don't know when I'm going to get around to more temari. After being inspired by all those made by the experts at the Spring Fling and learning more about how to speed them up, I have so many other things to do now, including tennis, that time is zooming by. Played tennis after work yesterday, outdoors for the first time since fall -- two hours of singles --  and that takes a lot of resting afterwards. And I need some new clothes. I actually found a jumpsuit in a catalogue that fits close enough to be alterable, but it's going to take a long time to do the alterations.

            One thing I learned about temari at the Fling was that I'm trying to take stitches that are too small, and also that it's easier to use a measuring tape and calculator than a paper strip for marking. Also, they mark their balls once and don't go back to check measurements after they finish, just fudging where necessary.  Of course, I'm sure their balls are much rounder than mine and their marking more accurate to begin with. Also, most of the ones they do are much smaller than the 12 1/4 inch circumference ones that I usually do. The next one I'm going to do will be a carousel. What we are to do with the color kits we received at the Fling is to use all the threads in the kit and no more and to choose our own pattern, then stitch it and send it back to the person who made up the kit. Isn't that fun? The color kit that I received is quite a challenge for me.   There are only two colors of stitching threads and  the thread wrap is the same color as one of the stitching threads, but the stitching thread is shiny. I think a carousel outlined in the lighter thread perhaps with a stripe in the middle somewhere might do it.  I'll have to experiment. The wrap and shiny thread are a lovely rosy beige color and the other thread is an off white. The ball is only about 2 1/2 inches in diameter so it should go fast once I get started.

            Glad to hear you've made it to the golf course.  Did your group find enough members so that you can use the same system as last year?

          141. rjf | | #163

            There is an interesting ball on temarikai which makes good use of stitching thread of the same color as the wrapping thread.  It's  a mystery ball from January 2000 and it looks like a pinwheel.  There are 2, if I remember correctly, and they have interesting obis.  If you work on balls with a 12 inch diameter, they must be 4" balls, yes?  But maybe one being shiny wouldn't work as well.  Planning a ball is kind of obsessive...I find myself thinking about it on the way to the grocery store and while I'm waiting for water to boil.  I think the irridescence is because the value of the pale purple and light blue is so close.  The pole kiku is two rounds purple, one blue, one purple and two blue.  The obi is 3p, 1b, 1p, 1b, 1p, 3b.  The light purple is really purple when it's away from the wrap but close to the wrap, it turns pinkish.  I've got one now that giving me fits.  A C-8 with bluey-green wrap and 4 shades of apricot orange.  I've done 4 motifs so far and torn out 3.  The last one is not bad but not quite big enough for the space.  More trips to the grocery store while I think about it.

            You've confimed what I thought...the good temarists just do it and don't obsess.  But I think you have to fume and fret for a while before you can just relax and stitch.  I figure you have to make all the mistakes to get them out of your system.

            Did your tennis game survive the winter?  Do you approach each spring wondering if the game will be there?  I get nervous on the first few holes but this time, it seemed easier since I convinced myself not to try so hard.  It's a very woodsy course so there are lots of birds and an occasional ground hog.  Last year we had a family of deer wandering through.  We didn't get enough players for teams so we've settled on individual play.  Not as much fun but it was fairly easy to revamp the computer to do that and if we have enough next year, it will be easy to switch back.  I'm going to ask for another officer...a proof reader for all the pieces of paper that get spewed out!                   rjf

          142. Marion6422 | | #164

            I looked up the Jan 2000 mystery ball and I like it a lot, but I see I didn't describe very well the color kit one I received . The ball I received is thread wrapped in a dull rosy beige color and the embroidery threads included for stitching are shiny rosy beige and dull off white. There's not going to be much contrast except for texture. There's a white-on-white ball on the screen saver (do you have that?) but I have mine set to go by so fast I haven't gotten a good look at it. If I set it to change screens more slowly it takes all day for it to go through them all, but I'm going to do that one of these days and look for it.  There's a thread on talktemari about the men in white coats coming around to pick up all of us who get a cup of coffee then sit down to watch our screen saver. I'm going to be next.

            I'm going to try your color combinations of pale purple and light blue one of these days to see if I can get that iridescence effect. As soon as I finish the color kit one and the pole-to-pole kiku that we learned at the Stitchin and two more that I already have the threads for. That will take me up to about Christmas.

            Tennis has one big advantage over golf -- you can comfortably play year round if you just move indoors. I play two or three times a week indoors (always doubles since it's so expensive) and that's sometimes more than I play in the summer since you have to arrange your own games then. The indoor season has just finished so now I'll play more singles. Your description of the woodsy golf course made me smile since when I used to play golf it seemed I saw a lot more of the woods than the fairway.

            It will be interesting to see the temari you're working on now and I wonder what motif it is that is giving you trouble. I'll be looking for a photo before long. -- Marion

          143. rjf | | #165

            No, I don't know the screen saver.  Where do I find it?  It sounds interesting.  There are days when looking at a screen saver sounds like the right thing to do.  How do you do pole-to-pole kiku?  It must be hard to keep the threads straight or at least parallel.  The pole-to-pole idea went through my head so briefly it wasn't really formulated but it seemed as if it would make an interesting ball. 

            How nice you can play tennis all year!  But it must be hard to move outside where you have to deal with wind and variable lighting.  It seems to me that singles might be easier to play than doubles unless you play the same person long to know which way they're going to go and what strategies you'll use.  We had a practice round this morning at 8:00 am.  The temperature was 36 with a 20-mile per hour wind and we could see snow on the mountains....maybe just hoar frost, whatever that is.  I quit after 5 holes and on the way home, it started sleeting.  Those men in white coats could probably do a roaring business here.          rjf

          144. Marion6422 | | #166

            The temari screen saver was put together by Ginny who runs the temarikai website. It has about 60 screens of temari, some single ones, some bunches of temari stacked up,  that rotate through.  You buy it on a CD at temarikai.com at the Shop button, very reasonable, and you really do want to just sit there to watch them as they go by. When I was at the Stitchin at Ginny's house, I recognized a whole bunch of them that she still has on display in her house -- just beautiful!

            I haven't done the pole-to -pole one yet, but you divide the ball into at least 12 or more verticals then essentially you do a kiku stitch at both the north and south poles, starting at the north pole on one line,  crossing the obi at the next line, and doing kiku stitch at the south pole on the next line. then crossing at the next line going back up to the north pole,  etc. When you finish as many rows as you want to do, you cover the obi with about a half inch wrap. It does make a very nice pattern.

            It sounds more like torture than fun to be playing golf in that weather you're having.  Does it ever get warm there? -- Marion

          145. rjf | | #167

            It does warm up.  Last week we had 80 degrees.  And I've promised myself I will not complain about the heat ever again.  If it gets too hot, I'll start weaving again in the basement where it's cool.  I take great pride in having hand-woven golf towels.  Overkill is good.

            When you're doing pole-to-pole, I'm guessing you must be turning the ball so the North and South poles alternate being up.  Do you have keeper pins at the obi?  I've seen a version where you start away from the poles and work towards them...it looks like the bottom of the kiku stitch rather than the top but for that version the ball doesn't have to be turned. 

            The orange-geen one is working out a little better.  I've invented some connecting stitches to join the motifs and that seems to make it look better.     rjf

          146. Marion6422 | | #168

            Hand-woven golf towels! Wow, that sounds really nice.  Bet they would make good tennis towels, too.

            I haven't done the pole-to-pole kiku yet but I'm sure you must have to turn the ball to do the opposite end because both ends look the same.  Did you get Mary Wood's book?  She has a picture of a couple of them and a short description for this variation but no detail. I would think keeper pins would help.

            I've started on the color kit ball. Changed my mind about doing a carousel on it when I ran across a pattern with two colors where one matched the thread wrap.  It's Temari Pattern 76. I've done enough to see that mine isn't going to have that same effect. There's just not enough contrast with the off white and the shiny thread actually isn't the same color as the thread wrap when the light on it changes. But I'll go ahead and finish it and maybe it will look somewhat interesting, I hope. -- Marion

          147. rjf | | #169

            I didn't get Mary Wood's book but I did get D.V.'s Temari Adventures.  There are some cloth-covered temari in it and I've got fabric for one of them but need to finish the orange-geen one first.

            Temari 76 is pretty! And I think the thread being shiny should be nice against the wrap.  Don't you find that you can't tell until you've got  4 or 5 rounds done?  It's getting harder to get much done with the golf course open but I'm sure there will be rainy days for temari.       rjf

          148. Marion6422 | | #170

            I have the "Color Kit" temari finished and am posting a photo of it, which doesn't really give the same effect as the ball itself.  The shiny rayon appears much darker and the off-white lighter than on the ball itself.  Also the beautiful color of rosy beige is not apparent. I will mail it off to the person who chose the threads with a note asking what pattern she would have chosen and let you know.

            Now I can get started on the next one, except I really need to make some clothes. I found some white silky knit last fall that was labeled  Coolmax that I think RM biking and tennis shirts are made out of.  They're said to be wicking and feel really cool on hot days and I sure need that.  Last spring I made some tennis shirts out of a cotton-Lycra knit that was not very heavy and was very comfortable to wear the way it stretched with movement, but it was really hot! Of course, the weather was really hot, too, but I think those are hotter than a regular cotton or cotton/poly knit. I don't know why I can't make a dressy-looking  shirt out of it, too, and wear it with good looking summer pants.

            It does get harder to spend time making temari when there are outdoor activities to do (and recuperate from). Is your golf game back in shape?

          149. carolfresia | | #171

            Marion, I think that's rather beautiful--I'm imagining the shiny part to be closer in tone to the other colors in real life, and I think it looks lovely. It reminds me of some of the type of flower with waxy, lush petals and a wonderful scent (although I presume the temari doesn't actually smell!).

            I had a visit from rjf yesterday, and got to see a couple of balls in progress, and some of the threads she uses. I can't even imagine getting it all to work, but they were beautiful.

            By the way, rjf, you left a bag of knitting in my kitchen. Should I send it back, or do you not need it? And thank you again for the beautiful scarf; I'm wearing it today.

            Carol 

          150. rjf | | #172

            I like your color kit temari.  There's more contrast than I thought you'd get but maybe it's how it photographed.  It's a very pretty beigey rose.  In "Delta Wedding", they might have called it "Ashes of Rose", I think.  The shiny thread against the thread wrap is good too.  When you have to use colors chosen for you, it's a lot harder but when it works, maybe more rewarding.

            I'm better at making shorts these days than trousers but I don't often use knits.  My favorite pattern for shorts is a copy of a pair of Cherokee's with no darts in the back and pleats and pockets in the front.  Actually, it's best to have 4 pockets for golf, one for balls and tees, one for kleenex, one for soda money and one for 4-leaf clovers if I should be so lucky.  You're so right about finding time for temari when golf is going.  Since I'm the score keeper and paper producer, there's a lot of organizing and this year is especially awful because players keep joining and unjoining so it's hard to arrange matches between similar players.  Fortunately, I forget all the nonsense when I get to the first tee.

            I did find time to finish the orangey-green one  and will post pictures.  Unfortunately, the irridescent ribbon doesn't show well.  The pretty green and gold glints have disappeared in the picture.  Maybe Carol can describe it.  I'm going to do the quilted one next since I've come up with some great braid and thread to go with the fabrics. It seems like cheating, though.  Are there traditional temari covered in cloth?        rjf 

          151. Marion6422 | | #173

            Your orangey-green one is really pretty! The motif reminds me of one I once made, but there were only two on mine.  Yours is very interesting with the divisions marked between each motif.  Are there two ribbons?  I can see the dark green marking thread and then there is a silvery ribbon-like division pattern as well as the orangey one.  Very nice even if the iridescence is lost in the photo. I'm looking forward to seeing how your quilted one turns out.  Wasn't there a discussion a while back and a photo somewhere of an old quilted-like temari that was done on a wooden ball with grooves where the edges of the fabric pieces were tucked in?  That type had a special name, I believe. I can't remember if it was this group or the talktemari.  Anyhow I got the idea it is a very old concept to use fabric.

            A wonderful surprise arrived for me today -- I received my  color kit ball back from the person who stitched it.  I was a little embarrassed about the whole thing at the Spring Fling because I misunderstood the directions and thought we were to bring a thread-wrapped ball, marked, and with the threads to be used stitching the pattern which I assumed was to be provided along with all the rest.  And I thought the person stitching it would be keeping it. So I made myself a dragon fly temari and carefully noted how much of which threads it required and then duplicated the materials in a "color kit" including the directions for the pattern  It didn't take much thread for the dragonflies bodies because there were six of them and each one was a different color but fortunately I included a lot of excess. It turned out when I got there, that the person who received it was to make up their own pattern, stitch it, and return it to the person who made it up. So I had to remove the directions and was worried there wouldn't be enough thread for anything else that the recipient would think of. But there was! She said it was a challenge and she, too, was worried there wouldn't be enough thread, but she stitched up six stars in the squares made by the complex 8 marking, and then decorated the spaces around them with what looks like French knots of the different colors and the silver braid. Just beautiful!  And now I have two temari in the same color scheme and they look like dragonflies and stars in the night sky. I really like the idea of the French knots and think I'll add them to my dragonflies.  It will look like the insects they're after. It's really fun to get one from somebody else. I'll post a photo when I have some time in daylight.

            It sounds like you were working in some knitting over the weekend. Do you do that when you're traveling?  Probably a better idea than having sharp needles and scissors in the car. What is your knitting project? -- Marion

          152. rjf | | #174

            The ribbon is Fyre Werks and I liked it well enough to buy two packages and discovered when the first one was used up, that the second one was a slightly bigger size.  It was a little difficult to keep it flat but I'll use it again.

            I haven't seen anything about temari with grooves but it's a great idea.  Can't wait to see a picture of color kit temari!  The great thing about sewists, knitters, quilters, weavers and whatever the temari-maker is called is that we really rise to a challenge.  Have you gotten the latest Threads with the article on zip-together clothing?  The left-behind knitting is afghan squares which are donated to an organization who sews them together for needy kids.  I like to knit in the car on long trips but I don't think I could doing the sewing needed on a temari.      rjf

          153. carolfresia | | #175

            The photo of the orangey-green one is actually pretty good, although the iridescent ribbon does look almost transparent. Maybe you and Marion should do a color-kit exchange. And of course post pictures of the results.

            Well, I wore the knitted scarf on Monday, because we were supposed to have our picture taken that day, but didn't manage to fit it in the schedule. So now we're getting photographed today, and I'm not wearing it. Sorry! I was hoping to have it in the picture.

            Carol

          154. Marion6422 | | #176

            Here are photos of the color kit temari -- the one I received and the original one I had planned. Now I need a third one to balance them out.

            Ginny's idea of an exchange between you and me sounds great. We could either send each other a marked ball with threads to be used or just make a suggestion of what would be preferred or just take pot luck so to speak. What do you think? It might be quite a while before mine would get finished is the only thing.

          155. rjf | | #177

            I LOVE the stars!  the colors, the design, the french knots(?)  There was an audible "Aaaah!"  when it opened up.

            A trade would be great.  And it's so obvious, I wonder how we missed it.  I like the suggestion idea but how to choose?  Ah-ha!  I'd like two or three light colors from the same family on a dark background and some metallic somewhere.  Is that specific enough?  Too specific?  Yours have been so varied that it will be interesting to hear what you'd like.  How soon they're done doesn't matter and it's probably a function of the weather anyway.  I started the quilted one yesterday and think I need to invent a better way to get those triangles on the ball smoothly but the fabrics and trim look good together so I'm eager to get it going.  Let me know what you'd like so I can start thinking about it...when I'm in the car.....waiting on the first tee....in line at the grocery store....waiting for the water to boil....you know how it goes.       rjf

          156. Marion6422 | | #178

            Well, it's been almost a whole month since I've had a chance to work on a temari and I finally just stopped what else I was doing and got started on the one I've been meaning to make for a friend.  Since today was an unexpected day off (for Reagan's funeral) that gave me some extra time and I worked on it while I watched the funeral on TV between periods of blurry eyes.  It seemed very appropriate since this is in black and white and looks serene and ethereal. I'm so pleased with the way it's turning out. I've got one whole side done and am tempted to take a photo of it right now and post it but if I wait until it's finished, I will be even more motivated to keep at it.  I may have to make another one for myself, I like it so much.

            Are you working on another? How's the golfing? I haven't forgotten that I'm going to make one for you and plan to do it right after I retire, when I'll be down at the beach for two weeks (and probably bored, it's such a long stretch of leisure). I've been thinking about what I'd like for the one from you. How about just a bright, cheery one, your choice of colors? -- Marion

          157. rjf | | #179

            I'm glad to hear from you!  I wondered if you retired at the beginning of June and had gone visiting.  Black and white sounds interesting...I'll be waiting for the picture.  We found Mary Wood's book on E-bay (maybe) so I have a new source of patterns.  It's interesting how each of the three authors I'm familiar with have such different styles.  I'll include pictures of the last bunch I've done.  The one I'm working on now has given me fits and starts; I've spent as much time tearing out as putting in but it seems to be working now.  It's temari 99sh01.  I gathered my courage and asked our local library if I could have the display case for a temari exhibit.  It goes by the month with people exhibiting collections of all kinds of things.  The library found temari books on interlibrary loan for me so it seemed as if they wouldn't mind a display.  I'll get some balls ready to show the beginning stages and put in some of the books.  It's happening in September so I have awhile to organize.    We're on our way to a wedding and a graduation so I'm going to pack.  More when I get back.    rjf

          158. FitnessNut | | #180

            Most impressive, rjf! My favourite is the peacock swirl....looks very complicated to do.

          159. rjf | | #182

            Thank you!  It's not as complicated as it looks because the shapes are assymmetrical and once you've established the outlines of the sections, you just follow the previous round.  But it does take a while to fill in the spaces.  The choice of color was determined by what I had in my basket and the woman who runs the knitting group where I stitch came up with the peacock name and it seemed right. I like the shiny look.       rjf 

          160. Marion6422 | | #181

            I love all three of your temari! When you have a chance, tell us about the particulars, especially the swirl and quilt. Is that a metallic on the swirl, and what brand? That must have been a bear to do so much stitching with it if it frays and tangles like the ones I've used. And what is underneath the quilt one to have it come out so smooth? Are the peices appliqued and a wrap done on top of the joints? I can envision a wrap puckering the fabric very easily and I wonder how you avoided that.

            I know the library will be thrilled to have you do a display and I bet you end up teaching a class. What a wonderful idea.

            I finished the Phoenix and took photos but did not have time over the weekend to crop and send them. I'll do that tonight at home. I'm at work now. Things are winding down and retirement is fast approaching. I'm really going to miss the work environment but am looking forward to more "visiting". -- Marion

          161. rjf | | #183

            The swirlie is DMC metallic floss, 2 strands, and it wasn't too bad although there were a couple of times when it did frazzle.  The quilt (Temari Taditions) needed a little inventiveness.  I finally pinned it on flat and marked each piece, then pressed the edges under.  The pressing shrank it a little so when I put it back on the ball, it needed just a little stretching and that made it nice and flat.  It's got batting and a light yarn wrap underneath.  It is wrapped over the joints and I used one strand of gold floss to keep the gold braid in place but the other two wraps were fine as is.  The paisley fabric just jumped off the shelf and said "Take me home"  but it took a little longer to find the other two to go with it.  I like it but stitching is more fun.  The green and orange one came from temarikai with changes beacuse I couldn't get one of the shapes to work. 

            I found pictures of the Stitch-In (?) and found you in several of them. That was nice!  I think you remind me of me!  We're about the same size, I think. It was fun to see all the nonsense that was going on and Ginnie was very generous with showing all the temari everyone had made.  Very impressive!  You must have picked up all kinds of good ideas and tips. 

            When I retired, it was on the spur of the moment. (And I still haven't cleaned out my office...I think it's turned into rjf's memorial office)  It must be very different when you plan in advance and need to organize for whomever follows and to finish projects nicely.  And then, there are so many things there should be time for when you've finally gotten through the actual event that it seems overwhelming.  But I wouldn't undo it.         rjf 

          162. Marion6422 | | #184

            Thanks for the info on your temari. Yes, the Stitch-in was great fun and I learned so much just watching the others stitching and being able to ask questions. You'll notice in the photos that's just what I'm doing. They didn't show one of the eating.  I did a lot of that, too.

            Here's the Phoenix with Ryan's B&W color scheme.  The directions are in one of DV's books but the appearance is very different from hers. It's sitting on a zabuton I made out of silvery fabric, which I have to redo because it's too stretchy and puffy. I need to add some interfacing to it, but I think I like that fabric for it to sit on.  I was going to make a red one, which would be nice but would not go well with a lot of color schemes.

          163. rjf | | #185

            Wow!  That's great!  So sophisticated in black and white.  At first I thought it was a wrapped one but now I think it's stitched so one round goes all the way around the entire ball.  A simple-8?  It looks great on its little pillow ("zabuton" is a word I don't know)  Now I'm sitting here second-guessing  the "all the way around"  but I don't have the picture to look at.  Think I'll back and look again.

            From the description of the Stitch-in, eating sounded like the second favorite activity!    rjf

          164. rjf | | #186

            After a second look, I'm still thinking one round does the whole ball.  But is the last round a heavier thread?  Or does it just look that way in contrast to the dark threads?        rjf

          165. Marion6422 | | #187

            This is how the stitching is done:  Looking at the photo "angle", the first stitch is done in white on the right inside corner of that little black triangle that you see in the middle, where the white perle cotton meets the black wrapping. The second stitch is in the left corner of that little triangle that is forming; the third is done after bringing the thread all the way across to the right side of the little black triangle that is almost out of sight on the right.  The next stitch is done on the left side of that triangle; and so on around to the other two triangles and back to the right side of the triangle where you started. Then you just keep on stitching in that pattern until you run out of room and that completes one half. It looks like you are stitching a large square with a triangle sticking out from each corner, then suddenly when you are almost finished you see the overall pattern That's what's so fascinating to me. The stitching pattern is called the Chinese HOU (Good Luck) according to the book I got the pattern from.  I thought it was DV's but it might have been Anna's. The prominent white thread that you mentioned is the last round and is the same thread as the other white ones. I think I'm going to have to make three of these.  I have another friend that I want to give one of these to and I still want one for myself. -- Marion

          166. rjf | | #188

            Okay!  I can see how it works.  But the answer to one question always seems to give rise to another.  It looks like a C-8?  So you use the guide lines not through the poles or on the obi for the first two corners of the triangles?  You right about the "oh-ho" that happens at the end.  And, boy, you have to have a lot of faith that it's going to happen.  It's the shift from simple to complex and back that fascinates me about this hobby.  I've been taking whatever current project when I visit my father in a nearby nursing home and I'm amazed how many people stop to look and ask questions.  They get mesmerized watching the stitches form.  Sidewalk superviors?  Some people think it must be really hard to do and others seem to think it's nothing.  I'm doing another purple carousel since the first one belongs to my grandson.  His looks really nice so I hope the second one will too.       rjf

          167. Marion6422 | | #189

            Yes it is a C-8 and you're right about not starting the triangles at the poles or obi.  They're made around the corners of the squares formed by the complex markings around the N and S poles. In the finished ball the N and S poles are at the intersection of the 8 marking lines that you see. The first stitches are started at 1/4 of the line going out diagonally from the squares, which I'm sure is clear as mud.  If you want to try one, keep asking questions and I'll try to explain more clearly.

            I have actually completed half of another Phoenix.  I had the opportunity to sit in the waiting room on two separate days at the local Social Security office, due to complications that have developed in beginning my Medicare part B upon retirement, so I had time to wrap another ball and do a lot of stitching on it. When I finish this one, I'll have the ones I want to give as gifts and can then do one for myself, which I have considered doing in reverse -- white wrap and black at the center fading into white at the edges of the triangles. That will make me feel more creative. I wish I could do it first on a software program to see what it will look like. I don't suppose you know of a program that could do this, do you? I have Paint Shop Pro and haven't learned to use it yet, but one of the Stitchin participants uses it to do some designing, but what she had to do seemed very primitive. Don't know if there is a better program or not. -- Marion

          168. rjf | | #190

            The "Where to start" makes sense but I'll check it against the picture to be sure I understand.  I have Paint Shop Pro but I learned graphics on a Mac with Adobe Photo Shop which is like another world.  I wonder if PSPro has a negative image function.  That would work for "black and white" to "white and black".  There are lots of very good weaving programs but I haven't heard of any temari programs.  The weaving programs work on a grid, of  course, but temari has so many more variables that it would be harder to write a program.  But it's a very interesting thought........   Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, PSPro has layers that might be useful for designing temari.

            Sometimes we really have to work at being retired.  There seem to be a lot more bookkeeping things to do.  But it's too bad you had to wait long enough to wrap a temari!  And you probably can't complain to anyone.  Do you suppose that they think retirees have lots of time for waiting?          rjf 

          169. Marion6422 | | #191

            I've finished the two gift Phoenix with black wrappings and actually have half of one done in reverse.  Thanks for the idea of the negative image with software. I use Image Expert to adjust photos and it has a way to reverse the color. I did that with the photo I had of the black wrapped one and it looked very intriguing so I started one with a white wrap that I already had. Now I'm going to have to make one more black one -- a smaller one this time -- to go with the white one for myself. I thought I'd get bored doing so many with the same pattern, but I didn't and it goes much faster the second and third time.

            I really do think govt. personnel believe seniors have nothing better to do than sit in waiting rooms or make endless phone calls. When I finally waded all the way through the menus and got a person on the phone on the Social Security 800 number and told them I was trying to get in touch with the local office and that if I let the local phone ring 28 times, an answering machine would come on and I would have to leave a message which was never returned, the person said: well did you call all day long?

            Thank goodness for the portability of temari. -- Marion

          170. rjf | | #192

            It really is hard to get all that paper work straightened out. Sometimes I think they're using a different language.  Our local SS office is very small and usually not too busy so that's been easy for me. They have someone at the front desk who knows everything and is very helpful but I have more trouble with my state retirement and have made several trips back to the college where (another) Marion always  calms me down, tells me exactly what to do  or tells me there's no need to do anything.  Thank heavens!  But the state is no longer paying my part of Medicare B.  At the same time, I'm trying to do my father's paper work and dealing with his carpenters' union.   Aaargh.

             I've been thinking about that temari and wondering what would happen if instead of working two separate hemispheres, it was worked on six interlocked sections.  Say, do one round on one hemisphere and the next round would be on half of that section and half of an adjacent unworked section and so on around the ball.  If you used more than one color, there could be some interesting combinations.  I've got a pink one going which has kiku at both poles, a worked obi and worked on 16 divisions.  I have one like that in red, white and blue but I didn't get the kiku long enough so this pink one should look quite different if I make sure to get the stiches long enough.  But maybe I should do the planter before the flowers shrivel up.      rjf

          171. Marion6422 | | #193

            I like your idea of interlocked rounds instead of two separate hemispheres, but haven't any idea how it would work out.  Would you do it on a C8? Be sure and let me know if you try it.  Did you finish the one that is worked around in a spiral --- the 99SH01, I think it was?

            We had the first of my retirement parties at work today (there will be another at my boss' house Sun.) It was so much fun. The format for our parties at work would seem a little strange I'm sure to anyone who doesn't work there. Since everyone is always in the midst of their experiments that can't be unattended for long and no food can be in any of the labs, we all bring food to share and line the dishes up on "diaper"-covered carts, recycling containers, boxes, or whatever is available all along the hallway. It is truly an international smorgasbord with the fellows from foreign countries who are always there and today was no exception. We started with breakfast, with people coming and going, and ate our way through lunch and afternoon snacks, with a couple of speeches hardly interrupting, and there was plenty left over to start up again tomorrow. I'm really going to miss that gang and their hall parties! And there's just one more week to go. -- Marion

          172. rjf | | #194

            Woo-hoo!  One week to go!  Your party sounded wonderful.  Potluck is always good and it's amazing that all the food groups (if you consider  salad and dessert as food groups) seem to get represented.  Do you have plans?  Travel? Organize your house?  Sit and read?  I didn't really plan and everything I do seems to be just serendipity but it's fine.

            I did finish the spiral but our camera got left behind at a graduation party so no picture yet but it does look very much like the picture on termarikai since I used about the same colors.  One spot has a glitch but I'd done 2 and 1/2 rounds ( of 4) before I really saw it and I'd already done enough undoing so at least I can tell the bottom from the top.  I've finished another purple carousel and have started a PINK kiku but haven't decided on the second color.  Hot pink thread base and varigated pink for the kiku.  I just found some greeny-blue or bluey-green tencel I used for weaving and that might be the right thing.  Good contrast and a little shiny.  Silver guide lines and I think that might work.

            Your tennis game goes well?  Golf today was both better and worse than it has been but the better is encouraging.       rjf 

          173. Marion6422 | | #195

            I remember how the golfing used to go for me -- if there were just a few good shots, that's what counted; the bad ones were just anomalies and after all, even Arnold Palmer could have some of those.  My favorite type of golf was when there would be a party and everybody would be divided up into teams and the best ball for your team at each hole would be played. Nobody would even notice your bad shots but everyone whooped and hollered if you got one good one in 18 holes and to this day, 30 years later, I remember one shot of mine like that at a party. Some other shots like I normally played I also remember -- searching through the woods for my ball.

            Right after I retire, I'm going to the beach for two weeks and play a lot of tennis, and will probably spend more time there than usual. I will probably take some kind of art class at the local community college this fall and maybe go on a few Elderhostel trips, maybe on one or two of their arts and crafts trips. I really plan to just see what develops.

            I ran across another temari pattern that I just have to try.  It looks like feathery fish fins among bands of blue and I think it's a variation of one I did where one stitching thread matched the wrapping thread.  I saw it on a web site mentioned on talktemari: http://www.webshots.com/homepage.html  Do a search in the box for Jannynon and it is the blue and white one #HPIM0087 and 88. I was thinking it would be fun to try dyeing  some white perle cotton in variegated blues and greens and stitching it in that and white, like fish in the ocean.

            Hope you get your camera back soon. I'll be looking for more photos. -- Marion

          174. rjf | | #196

            Thanks for the web address!  Those are really nice temari and the fishies one does look like fun to do.  There were a couple of wrapped ones...just two sections of six wraps...I don't remember the number but they're on page 2 towards the bottom, I think.  Really easy, I think, but very striking.  Were some of titles Dutch, do you know?  Maybe if Carol reads this, she will let us know.  Is there a picture of a temari and a volley ball?  Or am I imagining it? 

            I agree with you about best ball golf.  It is an easy way to play; someone almost always comes through with a good shot when you need it.  Our golf league had 4-person teams and we counted the best 3 out of 4 scores for the team total so everyone could have a bad day and not hurt the team too much.  Now we're playing indidually since we couldn't come up with 32 players.  Maybe next year.  Two weeks on the beach sounds good to me and so do the Elderhostel trips.  A friend of mine goes to quite a few with her far-flung family...an easy way to see each other.     rjf

          175. Marion6422 | | #197

            I'm glad you pointed out those wrapped ones with just two sections. I love the variations in them -- did you see the butterfly on the same page? One of the most beautiful temari I have seen is one wrapped in two sections but with a pattern woven in. The only way I know to view it is through Temarikai.com, then progressively click on : Links, (Japanese sites at the bottom of links page) Temari/Kyoto, Gallery, Ajisai (Hydrangea). It's a round about way of getting there but I haven't found any other way. I don't know how the artist was able to wrap all those threads into such a small neat knot at the obi.  I've never done a pattern like that and it seems like that part would be very difficult also. Have you done anything like that?

            I finished the reverse Phoenix but didn't have a chance to photograph it as my camera was full and I had to decide what to delete.  This reverse one is not nearly as impressive as the black-wrapped one, but it should be interesting to display the two together -- when I get another one made. Two more days to go at work. I'm really going to miss everybody and everything there. My boss had a wonderful cookout at his house yesterday with everybody from our lab there as well as some who used to be there a few years ago. It's such a great bunch of people and we had such a good time. Everybody is envious of my leisure time coming up. -- Marion

          176. rjf | | #198

            Well, I finally found the Hydrangea and it's a beauty but from the picture, it's very hard to see exactly how they accompished the weaving part.  Maybe the colors didn't photograph too well because it's hard to match the woven parts with the non-woven parts to see how it was accomplished.  There is one on page 3 of temarikai, 99PG01, which reminds me a little of the hydrangea but it's stitched.  Everytime I go to temarikai, I find something new on a page I didn't know existed.  Ginny T. does a great job.

            I'm doing a wrapped one now and they seem easy when I start but you're right about getting all the threads to lie straight and then gather them up.  Not easy to do neatly. 

            The camera came back so I'm including some pictures, the spiral, Penelope's pink kiku and Schuyler's yellow and blue which is one of my favorites.

            I hope you had a good time and get home feeling nice and relaxed.       rjf

          177. Marion6422 | | #199

            My goodness, your work is just beautiful! I can't decide which I like best, they're all so nice.  Is the wings one that has to be stitched underneath one of the bands? And the swirl one came out perfectly. That's the one that had to be so accurate, wasn't it? I really think the pink one is my favorite. It's so detailed with all those petals and the color combination is so pleasing.

            I had to come back from the beach early due to a death in the family of an older member and have been tied up with that for a couple of days. Sad, but a part of life. It was lots of fun at the beach, with tennis every day and Wimbledon to watch, lots of delicious food and great company. When everybody else went to the beach, I did my temari. I've started on one for you -- dark background with colors in one family, with a pattern I haven't done before, so I hope it comes out ok. I finished a black Phoenix to go with the white one so I can display them together. I'll photograph them when I have a chance.  I have a house guest arriving this morning and won't have time for stitching for a while. -- Marion

          178. carolfresia | | #200

            Marion,

            Sorry to hear about the death in the family, but I'm glad you had a good time at the beach. I've given up watching tennis, although I used to like to (even though I don't play)...

            I wanted to report on the fabulous temari display I got to see when I was visiting rjf over the holiday weekend. There were about...two dozen?...different balls to look at, each one more beautiful than the last. Boy, I thought it was fabulous when rjf was crocheting snowflakes a few years back, but this takes it to a new level!

            Carol

          179. rjf | | #201

            Thanks, Carol, for the compliment.  I'm glad you reminded me of the snowflake obsession; it made me realize that although you can't find two identical snowflakes, temari have a more interesting infinite variation.  There are all those colors to choose from.           rjf

          180. Marion6422 | | #205

            I know rjf's collection must be just beautiful and bounteous although I know from her reports that a lot of them have been given away. But we do have the photos of them she has posted here. This site is a marvelous inspiration, thanks to you, Carol. -- Marion

          181. rjf | | #202

            Glad you're back but I'm sorry to hear why you came back early.  Wimbledon was fun to watch despite the rain delays...they made it interesting by replaying some matches I missed.  Too bad about Andy Roddick but Ferraro is terrific and really deserved to win.  Andy seems like a serious,  dedicated player so maybe next year!

            The wings one was "weave under one half of the wing to get to the next" but the next stitch is taken on the guide line which kind of hides in the middle of the wing so it was a little picky 'til I got used to it.  Changing colors to make it look varigated also seemed to take a lot of time but it looks worth it, I think.  Kiku is really a good pattern; it looks so much more complicated than it is and pink is the darling granddaughter's favorite color.  An almost 4-year old who has no qualms about telling you you're wearing the wrong color!

            I've got one started that is quite different from any I've done.  If it comes out well, it's yours. 

            I got some new patterns from temarikai.  Some members who had their own site decided to join forces.  Were they prople you met at the Stitch-in?  It's nice to have so many designs available in one place.              rjf 

          182. Marion6422 | | #206

            It will be interesting to see the one you're working on now that is different from others you've done, especially since you've done so many different types. It's not by any chance one that you've designed yourself, is it? The new members who have added patterns to temarikai were not at the Stitch-in that I attended unfortunately. It really is fun to meet people whose work you have seen. -- Marion

          183. Marion6422 | | #215

            Here is a photo of my two Phoenixes displayed together, the black one in Ryan's color scheme and the white one in reverse. I'm taking notes on how I'm attaching it so I can send directions to Betsy.

          184. rjf | | #222

            Those "inverse" temari are wonderful together!  I think I like the lighter one better...maybe because I can see how it was stitched.  The one I just finished was not too successful probably because it wasn't really geometric but more like plain old embroidery so I will have to come up with another idea for you and if you don't mind, I'd like to keep it until October when the display is taken down.  I figure the more styles, the better.  I might even ask some daughters to send theirs back to me temporarily. 

            You were very good to send Betsey such clear directions for posting.  The first few times I tried to post needed a lot of trial and error but now it seems very easy...if I can remember what I named the file.  She really has a flair, don't you think?  6 feet by 6 feet is a lot of stuff to keep under control.  I wonder if the bridal couple end up hanging it on the wall so it can be admired. 

            Retirement goes okay?  Have you gotten into a rhythm or just whatever strikes you at the moment?  Before I retired, I would think of all the things I wanted to do that I hadn't had time for but when I actually retired, it was all spur of the moment...I'll join this or take up that....and the house cleaning never happened at all!  And somehow, that doesn't seem too bad.           rjf

          185. Marion6422 | | #223

            House cleaning? What is that? Actually, I have been thinking I might think about rearranging the kitchen cabinets, etc., some day, when I run out of things I really want to do. Yesterday I went to the local community college campus to see about tuition-free space available offerings for senior citizens. Am thinking about computer graphics or design/color classes in the art department. They're not available for signing up for until the last three days of registration and are most often filled up, so I'll have to wait to see about that.

            In the meantime, I've got a good start on your temari and am pleased with the way it is going -- now -- after pulling out the first start, which I look at as a learning experience for a new pattern. Don't feel you have to do one for me now.  I agree you should gather all of the ones you've done for your display. That is going to be so exciting. Wish we could all be there to ooh and ahh over it, not that you'll need any of that from us. I'm sure everyone visiting the library will be doing that. I hope you will get many photos so those of us who might possibly be tempted to do the same thing will have some visual guidelines. -- Marion

          186. rjf | | #224

            I'm so glad to hear you tear stuff out!   I'm about to do that to the latest ball---I'm going to undo what took about 4 hours to put in and it has a zillion (very mathematial description of what it felt like when I was doing it) tacks, VERY  thoroughly sewn.  But I have hopes for this one and would like it to be carefully done. 

            Temarikai's new thing with PDF files is something I'm going to have to learn about.  Occasionally when I want to print out a pattern, Adobe Acrobat reader pops up so I get a different format from what I usually see.  It works but if I print it from the page directly, it seems to work just as well.  Since retirement, the computer department is a little harder to ask questions of but it might be worth a trip to find out more about it.

            When we redid the kitchen about 14 years ago, I tried to put things back in convenient places but still ended up with a couple of junk drawers and one really badly organized cabinet.  It was still much better than tromping to the bedroom where things were temporarily stored (2 months!) It was easier than going through the clothes closets.  I finally gave away some trousers which were too small and now I've lost almost enough weight to wear them again!    Arrrrgh!  I'm consoling myself with the fact that although I weigh about the same as when I made them that the weight has reorganized itself and they don't quite fit the way they used to.  I know I still have the issue of Threads that helped me develop a nicely fitting pattern but I'm not sure I've got the strength of mind to go through the whole procedure another time.  Maybe.....if I run out space for temari!            rjf

          187. Marion6422 | | #225

            Which reminds me to ask where you display all your temari now.  The last time I asked, you were lining them up on the mantel. You must have run out of room there by this time unless you have given most of them away. Did I mention that one day, as I was standing at the check-out counter at AC Moore, I got into a conversation with the woman in front of me? She was holding a beautiful fish bowl about 12 inches in diameter and she said she saw it on a shelf there at half price and couldn't resist it.  Naturally I had to run back to find one for myself, so now it sits in the middle of my dining room table and I am filling it up with temari. I would love to have a down light right over it but haven't thought of an inexpensive way to do that -- yet.

            I don't know how people survive remodeling a kitchen while they're actually living there, but I may be faced with that myself some day.  In the past, I've never lived in the same place long enough for remodeling to be an issue but I've actually lived in this condo for 17 years -- can hardly believe it -- and my oak kitchen cabinets that were installed all the way to the ceiling right before I moved in are getting that old darkened oak look, which I do not like at all. I'm not thinking of replacing them but just doing something to lighten them up again. I don't know what, but still whatever is done should be easier to put up with than a replacement job.

            I haven't tried printing the PDF files from Temarikai but when I've just looked at them, they seemed OK. I do remember the Adobe Acrobat screen appearing one time and thought maybe I had indicated somehow that I didn't already have the reader installed and I just closed the screen with no trouble.  I know what you mean about regretting not being able to ask questions of the computer experts at work after  you retire. Also I've realized another thing I'm really going to miss is having available all those sturdy packing boxes that used to sit in the hall awaiting the recycling or trashing or whatever happened to them after their contents were removed. There was always just the size you needed if you kept an eye out for a day or two.

            And I know exactly what you mean about changing dimensions and pants patterns that don't fit any more. I used to think my fitting standards must be getting higher the way a pants pattern a few years old that I had been happy with when I last used it, left a lot to be desired in fit later on. Now I think it's my shape changing. I have on my list of things to do, to make a brand new pants pattern to fit me now. We'll see how long it takes for me to get around to that. Maybe I should take a pants-fitting class. -- Marion

          188. rjf | | #226

            Well, you're right about the mantel; it is pretty full but I found some large glass vases at Wal-mart and that helps.  The largest one is actually too big because the temari overlap and hide each other.  Another is a tall cylinder which I eyeballed to be 3 inches wide.  Just barely! It's 3 temaris tall and the only ones that fit in are the first 3 I made.  Anna Diamond doesn't wrap with yarn or use batting so with only the thread wrap, the first 3 fit.  I use wine glasses and sherbet saucers to vary the height.  I should learn to make tassels so they could be hung somewhere.  In October, I'll start giving them away. 

            Ah yes!  Free boxes!  And then there was the copy machine! 

            I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about undoing that the latest temari and it occurred to me that since I had another 4" ball, I could just start again.  It would be quicker and less painful to wrap another ball then take out all the tacking and guide marks.  So I'm encouraged to keep going.           rjf

          189. rjf | | #227

            Whoppee!  The second try is working well, all marked and I've started stitching.  GinnyT said there was a new way to mark 8 hexagons and 6 squares and it was much easier than the directions for the ball I wanted to do.  Here is a picture of the previous one, a sort of free-form placement of fans with flower buds.  I didn't get the fans placed as well as they should have been so I added some viney things in lazy daisy stitch with a few french knots.  The marking was simple 4 which gave eight areas so it was hard to decide exactly how to place the fans.  Maybe 6 fans on the intersections would have worked better.  Or maybe it's the structured geometry of temari I like better than free form.       rjf

          190. Jean | | #228

            These temari balls never cease to amaze me, just gorgeous.

            Reading back in this thread Carol remarked about your snowflakes. I'm assuming they were crocheted, right? Question--do you have the instructions on your computer, and if so, are you at all inclined to share?

          191. rjf | | #230

            Your Will Rogers quote makes me think of my golf game.

            The snowflakes are crocheted but the problem is that it was a book of patterns and it's not where it should be at this very moment.  I'll look around and let you know.  They were fun to do and when I had a whole pile, I sugar-starched  and blocked them and they've stayed nice and crisp.          rjf

          192. Jean | | #232

            Thanks, I don't want to trouble you, just thought if it weren't too much of a hassle. Sounds like it is, so that's OK.

          193. rjf | | #233

            Oh no!  I'm still looking but if I could remember where I got it (Wal-mart? Michael's? Jo-anne's?), I tell you.  There are still a few places left to try.  I'll let you know.   rjf

          194. carolfresia | | #229

            Hi! I like that fan temari, although it looks more like woven brocade than like the other temari you've been making.

            Issue 99 has an article on "tools for tassel-making," but doesn't give instructions for how to make tassels. Remind me and I'll ask Judy Neukam, who created the beautiful tassels on that cover, to recommend a source for instructions. rjf used to wind oboe reeds for me when I was in high school--that, plus all the temari work, ought to be a good start for making some magnificent tassels!

            Carol

          195. rjf | | #231

            The real problem is that I don't have the right materials to make the kind of tassels I would want.  The temari books talk about bunka thread which I think might be what Halcyon calls "chainette".  It's a metallic that can be unravelled, soft and drapey, so it would make a nicely slinky tassel.  Eventually.      rjf

          196. rjf | | #277

            Hi...I'm hoping you can send me JEANMB's mail address because I have a book of crocheted snowflakes to send her.  Anonymously, I hope.  We're looking forward to babysitting the kiddies.     Love    Mom

          197. rjf | | #278

            Well, I guess anonymously won't work now.  I did ask for a reply only to the "to" person.  So, Jean, if you're reading this, please send me your address.    rjf

          198. rjf | | #234

            I hope you won't mind if I post a picture of the beautiful temari you sent me.  And there's been a request to bring it to golf tomorrow since my verbal description made everyone curious.  Especially the velvet bag to carry it in!  The other two were reasonably fast and easy but they're sort like peanuts....eat one or two and you want another handful.  I often take the one I'm working on when I visit my father in the nursing home and he gets a laugh or two everytime it pops out of my hand when I'm wrapping thread.          rjf

          199. Marion6422 | | #235

            I'm delighted that you've posted a picture of the one I made for you and I hope you will display it along with the ones you've made for your exhibit in the library.  I love the latest ones you've made, especially the black wrapped one with the aqua/green and was it gold? I can't see the picture while I'm writing this reply. I got started on another one while I was at the beach for a very long weekend. I meant for it to be a "rose garden" on the six marked squares of a complex 8 division as in Mary Woods book on page 53, the pink and green one (I'm hoping that you have this book).  I didn't notice when I started that it was important to stitch the first square in the correct direction in relation to orientation of the marked squares and I've gotten all the way through the dark pink one with my embroidered squares in the other direction.  So I'll just go on and make it on a simple 8 division with just two "gardens" and do another one on a C-8. If you have that book, would you please give me your ideas on what is done to get the bright and dark green triangles on the outside of the rose gardens? -- Marion

          200. rjf | | #236

            Hi Marion13,  Yes, I do have Mary Wood's book but her directions are very sketchy, aren't they?  But there is a set of directions on http://www.geocities.com/jshorten_934/temari/2000/page10.htm   and her directions are much more complete.  I think the leaves are worked on the intersection of 2 guidelines, giving 4 threads to work on.  It's just starting at the intersection of the 2 lines and herringbone around and around until it's big enough.  Does that sound right?  And without actually doing it, I'm not sure ...... but now having looked at jshorten's directions (which I had printed out weeks ago), she does explain the offset orientation of the squares very clearly and has two good diagrams.  There may be more to the directions than I printed out since what I have doesn't mention the leaves but I think the bright and dark green are just how the thread shines from different angles.  Don't you love the endless variation in this strange hobby?    

            The one with the dark background has 3 rounds yellow, 1 round opal fyre werks, 3 rounds green, 1 opal and 5 rounds blue but the opal kind of blends in with the yellow and green, just adding sparkle more than color.  It was pretty easy and fast because I managed to mark it quite accurately.  I wish they all worked as well.

            rjf

            Edited 8/10/2004 1:36 pm ET by rjf

          201. Marion6422 | | #237

            You can get to Judy's site by this:

            http://jshorten.bravepages.com/

            You're right, she does have good instructions for the rose.  Hers are smaller and the last row doesn't cover completely the one it's being stitched over, but it looks like basically the same method.  And it does look like maybe the leaves on Mary Woods may be stitched like Judy's are done. I'll have to try it. -- Marion

          202. rjf | | #239

            I tried the new address you gave me and got Judy's revamped website.  Wow!  And she's only been at it for 6 years!  She really has a great eye for design, doesn't she?  And lots of helpful hints.        rjf

          203. Marion6422 | | #240

            Here I am back again. I've had company and also I think I must have saved up too many things to do for after I retired since haven't caught up yet.  I just signed up for an art course for the fall semester at the local community college -- Color Theory and Application.  Doesn't that sound interesting and helpful for Temari? It starts next week and wouldn't you know, here I have days free and the only section still open was at night.

            How is your work on your display coming along? Any more photos to show us? -- Marion

          204. rjf | | #241

            That sounds like a great course!  Choosing colors for temari is strange; you plan ahead (sort of) ((depends on how much thread you've got?)) and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and you never know why.   The words hue, value and (there's another word here I can't remember) make sense when I read about them but applying the ideas is hit ot miss.  I'm hoping you'll pass along what you've learned.  Maybe the night section will let you play more tennis?  You should be able to play into November, I would think.

            I've done some temari arranging and polished all the wine glasses I could find...little labels on each so I can remember how I've arranged them.  I've got balls in all the stages of prepartion and glass bowls of thread and metallics. Now I need to print labels and/or explanations where appropriate.  Some will be just names of the owners and some names of the kind (kiku, swirly...) or the kind of division (C-8, C-10, simple 8, etc.)  And a message to check temarikai.com.  There are 31 (I think) temari and 10/shelf seems to fit about right.  Dense enough but each clearly visible.  It's looking optimistic!  Yours will be right in middle with its pretty velvet bag.  I'll post pictures when it's up.        rjf

          205. Marion6422 | | #242

            That's so exciting about your display! Wow, 31! Be sure and take lots of pictures when you get it all set up.  I'd love to see how you've got the steps in construction shown as well as the temari arrangements. If you don't want to send a whole bunch of photos to Gatherings, you can e-mail them to me a couple at a time. I've forgotten when your display begins and how long it will be for.

            It will be nice to have a whole course on color and how to actually apply the color theory.  Wouldn't it be nice if one could identify a color by numbers -- one for the hue, one for the intensity, one for the value, (would shade be another separate variable?) and then know from the theory that number 33-46-29-40 would look beautiful with one that you have subtracted certain numbers from that one? And then be able to reproduce those colors on a computer using the numbers? The class starts next week so I'll soon know more about it.

            It's funny about tennis in the fall and winter, when I belong to groups that play indoors at scheduled times with scheduled players and often play more then than in the summer, when you have to arrange your own games. Because most of the people in the groups are working, the times are at night or late afternoon.  Fortunately, the groups I'm in play Wed., Fri., and Sat (there are more players that times so one person doesn't play every time). and my class is Tues. and Thurs. Otherwise, I think I would have looked for another course.The indoor time starts in just 10 days (!) but of course, like you mentioned, it's still nice enough to play outdoors usually well into Nov. and some people play the whole winter outdoors as long as the snow isn't so deep that they can't sweep it off.

            How's your golf? -- Marion

          206. rjf | | #243

            The display goes up Wednesday and stays up until the last day of the month.  I don't know if other communities have a similar policy but we get some really great displays of all kinds of things.  This month, it's been teddy bears....the case has been jam-packed with all kinds and sizes of teddy bears; they're even piled on top.  The sign says it's national teddy bear month.  Once it was a button collection and it's often pottery.  Paintings and photography go on the walls and they change monthly.  My weaving group will probably display their friendship samplers there.  We each chose 2 different patterns of overshot,  and gave everyone a bobbin with the color of our choice.  So we each got back 16 blocks in the color we wanted and then we invented a way to put them together.  Some (me included) are still working on how to do that nicely.

            Your idea about numbering colors is great but I'm afraid the physicists would want to use scientific notation or something dreadful with long decimal expansions.  I'd like rational numbers.

            League play for golf is finished but now we have the Funday picnic, a trip to another golf course (with lunch), and the banquet where prizes are given out.  Too bad it's about over....the course finally dried out after all the rain.   rjf

          207. Marion6422 | | #244

            I can hardly believe that summer is almost over. We're having our end-of-the summer pool party this afternoon although I'm sure it's going to stay plenty hot for several weeks. I think fall is the best season here.  How long does it stay nice enough for golf in your area? What a lot of interesting hobbies there are there. I'm surprised because I thought you said you lived in a small town but maybe that's why -- people stay at home a lot and find things to do there. I have to begin to stay at home more and get caught up on paperwork so I can get back to my temari.-- Marion

          208. rjf | | #245

            One golf course stays open into November and once in awhile, December.  The course I play is higher up so it closes earlier....usually early November.  By then, I'm ready to quit.   This is a small town, about 8000 residents,  but I think we get to know people because it's small.  We run into each other so often, at school,  grocery store, etc. that it's easy to get involved in all kinds of activities.  They come looking for you!  In a bigger city, I wouldn't think that happens so often.  You probably have lots more going on but maybe you have to search for it. 

            I meant to ask you about Walter's Roses.  Did it turn out okay?  I did one last week from temarikai, called Kaleidoscope, a version of the stained glass pattern, using a 2.5" ball.  I like that size ball.  The 2" is little too teeny to mark accurately but I did do one of those as well.      rjf

          209. Marion6422 | | #246

            The Walter's Roses is the one I am still working on (for a whole month?). I finished everything but the obi wrapping and then wished I had included some gold thread in it as I was making the rose so I added one gold thread behind each black one separating the squares on one side of the ball and on the other side, got just two squares outlined in gold before I got so busy I had to stop and do other things.  I just looked at it this afternoon and think it looks better with just the two squares done in gold.  So I'm going to take out some gold on the first side then finish the obi. I have one more batch of paperwork to get out of the way first. This one is done on a 2 1/2 inch ball and I like that size, too.  It's a nice size to hold and I can get the thread wrap done with just one large spool of thread. In the past, I usually started with a 3 inch one and now my fish bowl needs some smaller ones to fill in the spaces. Have you ever done some really teenie ones? I wrapped one starting with a small wad of stuffing and it ended up being just 3/4 inch in diameter -- what I thought would be a nice size for my granddaughter to work on turned out to be impossible just to hold on to. But I still want to try maybe a 1 or 1 1/2 inch size.  I made some teenies when I first started temari but I don't remember if they were easy or more difficult. Everything was difficult just starting out. -- Marion

          210. carolfresia | | #247

            Marion, I hope you'll let us know what you learn in the Color Theory class. I've recently been editing an article on color in machine embroidery and have spent a lot of time thinking about how colors work together. A lot of the stuff I learned in past art classes was not as applicable to an embroidery situation as I'd have thought, because the colors don't blend (as paint would), and the texture of the thread can change the value or even hue depending on the lighting, etc. etc.

            And even if you could come up with a formula, numeric or otherwise, that promised you a great color combination, the relative amounts of the colors would change the relationships. E.g., say you have a design that's evenly divided between pastel blue, yellow, and lavender. You decide you want to add some small pink accents. Intuitively, you'd think a pastel pink would be right, but in fact, probably a brighter pink would work better, and not get lost in the overall pastel scheme. Of course, it depends on the effect you're after. In the case of temari, I'd get pretty annoyed if I'd stitched a whole of lot a ball and realized the colors didn't look the way I'd hoped!

            Carol

          211. Marion6422 | | #248

            I had to laugh at your last sentence, "I'd get pretty annoyed if I'd stitched a whole of lot a ball and realized the colors didn't look the way I'd hoped!" That very thing keeps happening to me!  I'm hoping the color course will be of some help about that. You're so right about the texture affecting the color one sees. One time I was stitching a shiny thread on top of a dull thread wrapping of exactly the same color, thinking the thread I was stitching would be invisible where the two met. Well, that was not the case at all. Depending on which way the light was shining on it, it could be much darker or lighter, but in any case it was very apparent.

            I know trying to study color to pin anything concrete down about pleasing combinations is going to be very tricky but maybe I'll learn something useful from it and I'm hoping at least the exposure will help improve my artistic taste.  I'll be glad to share anything I learn. -- Marion

          212. carolfresia | | #249

            I'm sure it will be interesting. Color relationships are really fascinating; it's like some sort of alchemy. I'm trying lately to be a little more fearless in putting colors together--you can get some surprising, often delightful, results.

            Carol

          213. rjf | | #250

            Hi Marion,  Your conversation with Carol about color has been interesting.  Choosing colors can be disastrous but once in awhile,  it accidentally works better than you imagined.  I'm slowly learning that the contrasts have to be more intense to "carry" across the room.  Choosing for temari is more fun because I can use colors I would never wear. 

                    I've finally gotten to the pictures of the library exhibit.  Color had very little to do with the arrangement...that was mostly determined by type, C-8's, C-10's, etc.  the cabinet had a fixed glass front so there are some reflections.  It opened on the sides so it was a reach to get things in the middle and of course, I'd push in with one arm and then try to put the other arm through the front of the case.  You'll recognize most of the temari.               rjf

          214. Jean | | #251

            What a fabulous display. Absolutely gorgeous. You must be very proud.

          215. rjf | | #255

            Thank you, thank you.  I wish you could see them in real life.  Marion would tell you that when you get up close, there's something very appealing about them.     rjf

          216. FitnessNut | | #252

            My, oh my! What an incredible display! I concur with Jean.....you should be very proud.

          217. rjf | | #256

            Thank you for your kind thoughts.  I'm really pleased that the display looks exactly as I imagined it would and it seems to work.  When I was putting it up, lots of people stopped to ask questions.  Interesting reactions.       rjf

          218. Marion6422 | | #253

            I love your display! How nice of you to do this and introduce Temari to whoever goes into the library.  I'm sure people will be fascinated with it and I hope you get some in the community who will want to do it themselves. I see you have the progression from the styrofoam ball on through the fleece, yarn, thread wrap, and finished ball.  I can't see it carefully enough to tell if there is more detail in the actual progression of a pattern.  What has the response been so far?

            I finally caught up with things that had to be done and spent almost all of today and I plan to spend much of tomorrow doing temari.  I finished the Rose Garden and have done half of another one.  Hope to have photos to post tomorrow. -- Marion

          219. rjf | | #254

            I'm glad you could see so much in the pictures.  The demonstration balls went up to being marked with guide lines but no pattern started.  There is a print-out from temarikai so the viewer could see direcitons and at eye level, temarikai's web address for those who want to pursue making some for themselves.  A friend from the weavers' guild sent me an email saying many nice things......but she also sent me a list called "11 things it took me 50 years to learn"  and point 2 is "There is a fine line between "hobby" and "obsession". 

            I made one huge tactical mistake which is becoming costly.  I put almost all my perle cotton in a glass bowl for the display and now I have very little to work with and of course, none of the colors are quite right so I keep buying more.  I'm trying jshorten's Celtic knot which is partly wrapped and partly stitched.  It sounded easy and looked impressive.  Wrong!  It's a C-8 and its wrapped on the secondary guide lines, not through the poles and you can guess what I did.  Next try, I got the right lines but started wrapping in the wrong place so I couldn't weave over-under with the next color.  I think it might be okay now.  My theory about golf is that there is a finite number of bad golf shots so everytime you get a bad shot, that's one less you'll have to make.  Maybe it applies to temari as well.        rjf

          220. Marion6422 | | #257

            It will be really interesting to see the Celtic Knot. I looked at Judy's instructions and wasn't sure which set went to which ball.  I have photos of the Rose Garden and the latest chrysanthemum I did. I realized that I had given all my chrysanthemums  away and didn't have any for my fish bowl and I'd been wanting to do one in blues on a red base. Here they are.

          221. rjf | | #258

            Sorry to have been absent for so long.  I love the rose garden.  I thought it was Walter's Roses you were doing but yours is much nicer...great colors.  Where did you find that pattern?  And the kiku is great!  That design seems to be the poster pattern for temari. 

            Here are pictures of Judy Shorten's celtic knot and wings.  I put most of my perle cotton in a glass bowl for the library exhibit and discovered I had nothing to work with.  Dumb?  So the wings temari was just right since it used small amounts of nine colors and fortunately I had enough wound on cardboard to do it.  If I haven't sent pictures of the exhibit, I'll send another message.        rjf

          222. Marion6422 | | #259

            I'm so glad you're back -- wondered what happened to you and hoped you'd been on a wonderful vacation.  Did you mean to attach a picture of the Celtic Knot? That's really a unique excuse to go out and buy more perle cotton -- all my threads are locked up in a display case so what else could I do?  How long will your Temari be on display and have you gotten any responses from anyone wanting to become one of us?

            The Rose Garden was one of Mary Wood's. I've actually finished another temari based on the color scheme of our first color project in the art class I'm taking -- complement with split complement. I chose blue-green with red-orange and red and orange. In the painting for class, it's mostly red (actually pink) with the background blue-green and touches of red-orange and orange. I had to turn it in so I don't have it to photograph right now but maybe I'll do that later and post it, too. I just finished the temari and will wait until the sun is out tomorrow to get a picture of it.  Now I wish I had thought to follow the proportions of color for both the painting and the temari, which is more orange than pink against the blue-green thread wrap and I haven't decided yet if I really like the combination I used for the temari.  I'll post it tomorrow and if you can give me your opinion. -- Marion

          223. rjf | | #260

            How dumb!  I did mean to attach a photo and I really will this time.  I checked and found I had posted the library pictures.

            What are you painting with?  water-color?   acrylic?   oil?  It's interesting how color combinations are classified...complement and split-complement, etc.  But sometimes the intellectual classification has nothing to do with the non-verbal response a color combination evokes or fails to evoke.  I'd like to nail down the definitions but I guess it's the elusive qualities that intrigue me.

            I have got Mary Wood's book so I'll look up the rose garden pattern.  Uh-oh...that's in the library too.  Usually displays last for a month but they don't have anyone scheduled for October so they've asked if I would leave it up for next month as well.  That's fine with me but it needs some minor changes because a couple of the temari are going to Detroit with me at the end of the month.    rjf

            Edited 9/19/2004 8:41 am ET by rjf

          224. rjf | | #261

            Here's one from Judy Shorten's site.      rjf

            Edited 9/19/2004 8:47 am ET by rjf

          225. Marion6422 | | #262

            I like both of those! Does it take very long to do the under weaving, I guess you'd say, for the Celtic Knot? I've done only one where you actually have to slip the thread underneath and it was a pain in the neck. That one was the tri-wrap one and the span of weaving was a long one.  Maybe it's not so difficult when you don't have to go so far. Lucky you do have a few supplies left at home, especially since your display will be there two months The wings one is perfect for using up leftovers.

            My color class is using acrylics and I'm finding them versatile to work with. I haven't had much experience with painting, but I notice with these, you can either use them right out of the tube, in which case they're very opaque and tend to leave brush strokes and dry fast and you can put other layers on top of them almost immediately, or you can add some water, in which case they're like water colors and go on smoothly and are translucent.  You can even add something whose name I have forgotten, that is a clear liquid and retards the drying while the paint remains opaque.  I haven't tried that yet.  Some of the other students have had a lot of experience and have more than just the basic supplies that were listed.

            Here are two views of my temari diamonds with the class-inspired color scheme, complements (blue-green and red-orange) with split complements (red and orange).

          226. rjf | | #263

            Those are striking!  The colors really work together...nice and bright.  The pattern is perfect for showing off those bright colors.  I bet you could do a version where you weave the diamonds together but I'll have to go back and look at the pictures again.  The weaving seems easy if you're careful to check that you haven't gone under some of the wrapping threads.  On the ones I've done, it seems that you develop a groove and the needle goes through easily.  Eye first, I'm sure you know.

            I've taken a couple of painting classes, both acrylic and oil, and they were very interesting.  Not sure that "fun" is the right word because it often seemed like hard work but fascinating.  When I did a lot of sewing, I could produce exactly what I had in mind but when I painted, the painting took on a life of its own and went its own way, no matter what I was trying to accomplish.  It's a good thing the instructor had a timetable and a list of projects...I'd still be pushing paint on the first assignment.  rjf

          227. Marion6422 | | #264

            I'm still laughing over your description of the painting process as being questionably fun! After I had gotten started on my first project, I found I was waking up in the middle of the night worrying over what it was that I should do to get it like I wanted it. Since there was a deadline, I had no choice but to turn it in, but I still thought there were some more things I should do on it. After I had put it aside for a while and looked at it again, I was surprised with how pleased I was with it in the end. Our next painting project will be one of a landscape or cityscape, based on a photo, done in an impressionistic manner.  Large areas of one color will be blocked in, then by adding little dabs of its complement and also colors analogous to the complement, in light and dark shades, depth and volume will be shown and also will add optical effects of some kind that I really don't understand yet. It will be interesting to see how this one turns out -- and how much sleep I lose over it!

            Interesting that you should mention doing the temari diamond pattern with weaving.  I had thought of doing just that using the same colors but rearranging them, maybe using a red thread wrap. Remember the one you did with some weaving around the obi where you used -- was it a piece of dryer softener sheet? -- to keep from catching the thread wrap in the weaving?  Have you used that technique again or do you feel it's not necessary? -- Marion

          228. rjf | | #265

            "After I had put it aside for a while and looked at it again, I was surprised with how pleased I was with it in the end."  Unfortunately, I found it sometimes worked in reverse.  Your next project sounds really interesting.  Do you think "Threads" would might if you posted a picture of your next picture?

            That temari with the obi design was a while ago and there was very little weaving until the end, almost the last color to be worked.  For a first weaving project, the backing was a good idea but since then it's generally been a shorter distance to go under and it seems pretty easy now.  The blue, yellow, green 3 wings was almost all weaving and it didn't give me a problem.  It seems that if you get the first few stitches in the right place, it sort of makes a groove you can follow without picking up wrapping threads.  And it's much easier to pull through than some stitiches.  I think I'm wrapping much more firmly and pulling the needle through seems to take more effort.  You once mentioned carrying pliers and I wondered why at the time but now I keep mine in the temari bag.  I just wish the blue handles were orange to go with the little scissors.        

            Have you looked at the new mystery ball on temarikai?  Well...not actually look since Ginny only gives written directions.  She did a corrected version and I'm having trouble figuring out what she's telling us.  The first one made more sense to me but I'm going to go back and read the second one again.  Fortunately I printed out the first set and will try one or the other when I finish the one I'm working on.      rjf

          229. Marion6422 | | #266

            Yes, I saw Ginny's notice about the new mystery ball and copied the instructions but not until after they had been corrected. I didn't notice any problem with it and drew out a little sketch. I had thought I might try it but after closely examining the instructions it seemed to me that I might have trouble with the "filling in nicely" part of it.  It seems like on each marking line at the top there is a kiku stitch progressing downward and further down on that line there is a bottom-of-a-kiku pattern progressing upward and that they will meet in the middle to fill in eventually and this meeting should happen earlier on every other marking thread, since every other one is a shorter kiku  Clear as mud?  Anyhow, I think those two type of stitches of mine would be progressing at different angles from each other and would not "fill in nicely".  Since it takes me forever to get a temari done I tend to stick to what I think will turn out ok.  Right now I'm starting one which will be a repeat of the one I sent you which should go nicely with my last one. I hope you will decide to do the mystery one and let us know how it turns out. -- Marion

          230. rjf | | #267

            My printer is working on the latest version of the mystery ball.  I hadn't read the third version but it makes more sense than the second AND better yet, it sounds very much like the one I just finished..."kiku variation" from Jill Shorten's page.  It's an S-16, black wrap, silver gray and pink petals outlined in black.  The picture is still in our camera but it's in the left-hand column of the design index page on Jill's website.  I think the main difference is that the long kiku is longer on the mystery ball.  On Jill's, the bottom stitch starts just below the obi which is marked.  I admire the authors who are able to write directions for a ball by looking at how it was made.  I can puzzle out how it's done (sometimes) but to write it so it makes sense to others is a whole different thing.    rjf

          231. Marion6422 | | #268

            Yes, it does sound a lot like the one on the design page of Judy Shorten's site, but more elongated as you mentioned, except in the mystery ball, it sounds to me like the pink petals on Judy'a that are done last and sit on top, are done at the same time as the others in the mystery ball and would be interwove. I'll look forward to seeing the one still in your camera. -- Marion

          232. rjf | | #269

            Well, I'm trying again to post pictures.  Last time, I attached a wrong one and couldn't find a way to delete it but accidentally deleted the entire message.  Oh well.  These are the latest, both Judy Shorten's, I think.  I'm working on one which is a combination of Ginny's carousel and the one called shield in color that will fit my neighbor's living room.   I haven't timed it quite right because now I don't have one started to take on the trip to the sewing expo.  Guess I'll knit.    rjf

          233. Jean | | #270

            Wow, they are just awesome! How long does it take you to complete one?

          234. rjf | | #273

            I'm glad you like them.  The petal one was faster than the shield (my name for the design).  The petal took about 2 and half days.....maybe 6 hours?  The other one took maybe twice as long because after each round, you have to stop and start in a different place to get the woven look.  But it's like eating peanuts: hard to stop when you get started.       rjf

          235. FitnessNut | | #271

            These are simply amazing!

          236. Marion6422 | | #272

            Wonderful! I can't believe how fast you're producing them.  Enjoy the Expo. -- Marion

          237. rjf | | #274

            Hi Marion,  It's been a strange couple of weeks.  The temari I mentioned in my last note I took to Michigan and actually finished it there.  We had a great time, both at the Sewing Expo and with our family but a strange thing happened on the trip home.  I carefully placed the temari in the corner of my suitcase and I could swear I took it out when we got home but it has completely disappeared!  Maybe I didn't take it out of the case.....maybe someone else did.  Security was very much in evidence and I wonder if someone though it looked like a fancy bomb.  Such a mystery.  At any rate, I started all over again, finished it and gave it to my neighbor.  So now I feel back on track, thank heavens.  The temari was a cross between the shield(last picture) and Ginnie's carousel with diamonds woven on the obi.  I don't think the picture shows the copper floss marking thread as well as it might but it makes the ball quite sparkly.  The expo had lots of booths with pretty thread quite suitable for temari so I came home with all kinds of ideas and little bags of stuff.

            You're probably still playing tennis and I bet the weather is much better for that now than in August.  The golf course doesn't open so early because there's often frost on the greens but the mountains are gorgeous with color this year.  How's the painting going?      rjf

          238. Marion6422 | | #275

            Well, I think this one is my favorite of all of yours I've seen! I love the diamonds in the obi part of it and the way the stripe in the kiku -- is it a dark blue? --  forms arrows.  The whole temari is very sparkly.  It looks like the thread wrap is metallic silver.  Is it, or what gives it that shine? I wonder if your first one didn't disappear from your suitcase because it was so beautiful somebody, unfortunately, really wanted it for himself! 

            The weather has been spectacular for outdoor tennis the last couple of weeks and the indoor season has started, too. This is my favorite time of the year here. Lots of tennis as well as  lots of time spend on my class.  We've done 4 projects so far with 2 of them being paintings. The project we're on now is an experiment that the instructor has had a class do for the first time. It starts out as a photo of ourselves which is digitized on a large scale using a computer and we're going to paint our portrait in a digitized manner using different colors of the same value as the digitized squares from the computer. I hope you can get some sort of idea from my description.  I'll let you know how it comes out.

          239. rjf | | #276

            Isn't that strange!  I didn't notice how the light reflected off the wrap and made it look so shiny...it's just regular sewing thread, kind of gray olive green.  It's black thread next to the white but another time, maybe navy blue would be interesting.  

            Have you looked at the calendar for 2005 on the temarikai site?  You must have seen some of those balls at the spring meeting.  I recognized one ball, white wrap, pink pearl and some embroidered flowers (don't remember which month) from directions for another ball.  In the directions, Ginny mentioned that everyone there loved the pattern.  Well, I just looked at the directions and it says "Paula".  Spirograph 4-pointed star.  The one I'm working on now is a redo of a ball that turned into a dismal failure but at least, it was quickly apparent I should stop and restart.  I was going to do a swirly but the colors didn't work so now it's #67 on page 1 on the temari site.  It's a four center ball but done on a C-10 marking.  Fits and Starts.  The ball measures pretty round but the markings look so askew so I nudge until it looks reasonable and stitich away.  I hope I'm not the only one doing that.

            Your next painting project sounds interesting.  It reminds me of a project one of my duaghters' art class worked on with a set of color samples, maybe 100-200 different colors.  The assignment was to lay out the samples so that when you stood back, you wouldn't be able to see where the colors changed hue because the value was so close.  And that reminds me of the recent bout of collages made of snippets of photographs which would start the discussion, "But is it art?"     rjf

          240. Marion6422 | | #279

            I've noticed, too, that some of my temari look different in a photo than in real life -- sometimes better! -- and also under daylight and incandescent light. The last one I completed (the diamonds one in the complement/split complement) looks better in the photo and at night than in daylight. I think it's the oranges that are changed.

            I haven't looked closely at the calendar photos yet except for the one that Ryan did (the black-wrapped one with a kiku with 12 points worked in three muted colors, blue, lavender, and green). I remember that one from the Spring Fling. I like those colors and the way they are woven together. The #67 you are working on is very interesting -- and complicated.

            The Self-Portrait painting we're doing in class will look artsy, I guess, but I'm with you on whether or not it's art. The instructor says some people might call it "cheating" the way we're almost "painting by number" but he points out that we're each choosing the colors we're using for each pixel and actually learning how to mix the paints to get the values we want and to learn to distinguish different values in the first place. It's a lot of fun and I may get around to doing more than one to see how different colors would make a change in the appearance.

          241. Marion6422 | | #280

            Did you do the Mystery Ball?  I just got a message that some of the results are posted at http://www.temarikai.com/mysteryballsept2004results.htm

            They are really interesting and I think that will be my next one -- I especially like the red, green and white one.  Would be nice for Christmas.  If I hurry and get started on it I might get it done by then!

          242. rjf | | #281

            I got an email from temarikai telling me about the mystery ball and planned to visit after checking Gatherings but you kindly left me a link so I could get there right away.  The red, white and green one is very pretty.  It's quite different from the others but that must be because it's blocks of unshaded colors while the others have many colors so the diamond motif shows up.  I have a ball wrapped and ready to mark that I was going to use for the spirograph 4-pointed star but maybe I'll swtich to the mystery ball.     rjf

          243. rjf | | #282

            Here is #67?  I think that's the number.  It's neat and tidy but the colors are not what I expected.  I was trying to match a little paper gift bag that appealled (sp?) to me but it's not quite right.  Oh well.  Now I'm doing the spirograph on bright green with mettallic thread and that's looking better.  Mystery ball next....if some other pattern doesn't catch my eye.  We're having yucky weather, drizzly and chilly, but there is some foilage left and there should be at least one more golf day.  Stay warm.    rjf

          244. Marion6422 | | #283

            The next time you have your camera out, could you please take a photo of the gift bag the color scheme of this temair is based on?  I'd like to see how much variation there is between the amounts of the colors on the two and if the proportion makes much of a difference.

            I've been saving a gift bag that has bars of bright pink, red, red-orange, yellow, and lavender, each separated by thinner white bars with a wide pink band above it and more white around. It doesn't follow any logical combination that I can see from looking at a color wheel but I really like that combination.  I wonder how important the proportion of colors is to the final effect. Did you get any feeling for that when you make this one? Maybe one day I'll try it but I'm not sure which pattern would be best.

          245. rjf | | #284

            There were 2 bags with the same color combination, different pattern.  One is in the library so that will have to wait.  The colors were lavendar, purple, bright pinky-red, orange, lemon yellow, that paler lime green and electric(?) blue.  One bag had raggedy-edged stripes on the blue background so no one color predominated.  The other had a lavendar background and the other six colors in combinations of two,  one as an imperfect circle and the other, as an off-center ring around it.  It was such an outrageous combination that it seemed to work.  Oh well.  Your combination sounds interesting and I suppose the proportion of color does make a difference.  Patterns are hard to choose because we're looking at something flat and working on something round.  The amount of shine to the paper or the pearl cotton probably affects the look as well.  I keep thinking there must be a formula and why can't those artsy people just write it down for us?  Maybe it's a matter of luck that a combination works and the artsy people have just as many goofs.  I just looked at the spirograph I'm working on and I guess this one looks better because there are only 3 colors and one that works as a go-between for the 2 pearl colors.   There's a lot of stitching and I'm doing with metallic thread so it's taking longer.  Stay warm.  rjf

          246. Marion6422 | | #285

            I think you're right about artsy people just trying whatever they think will work and if they're lucky it turns out great.  If not, well maybe it's at least interesting and if they are well known, a lot of people are still convinced it's great.  I think that's true of interior decorators, too. I have seen rooms that I can't believe that's how the decorator thought it would turn out, but nobody says that if it was a professional who did it.

            I'm doing the mystery ball pattern, like the red, green, and white one, but my colors are slightly different -- a blue-green thread wrap and red and white stitching. I've had some trouble while listening to a good book on tape with forgetting which end I'm stitching on and have made a few mistakes in the weaving pattern, but I think one end will be all right and I can just place it so the other end doesn't show. That has the advantage that I won't be able to give it away and will have to keep it for myself.

            I guess it must be getting chilly up your way. Still warm enough down here for a light jacket outside and I'm glad to have it cool enough to get into fall clothes. -- Marion

          247. rjf | | #286

            Maybe it's a good thing that no matter how awful a piece, it seems there's someone out there who thinks it's great.  What bothers me more than style is sloppy work...but I'm thinking crafts now.  If there's a defining line between art and craft, I don't know what it is but what passes for craft sometimes seems really shoddy. 

            There's something to be said for a 2-pole design.  "One end for practice and the other for looking at. "  The spirograph I'm working on has a 12-point round and if I run out of thread in the middle, I have to stick in a big pin to mark the spot.  Otherwise, it takes forever to find it.  Usually the television is going but I've discovered that while I can watch TV and knit at the same time, it doesn't work with temari. 

            Have you looked at the 2005 calendar on temarikai?         rjf 

          248. Marion6422 | | #287

            Those calendar photos are really special aren't they?  I especially remember one of them from the Spring Fling -- in the group photo in the bottom row, third from the left, by Harriet, the large temari done in dark red, with the complicated obi. Everybody except the few newcomers at the meeting knew Harriet and when she arrived they all greeted her enthusiastically.  Then she sat down on the floor, reached into her bag and rolled out that temari that was almost as big as a volley ball! It was a sensation!  Perfectly done and such a beautiful color combination.  Can you imagine how long it must have taken just to wrap the mari?

            Speaking of there always being someone who likes whatever has been crafted, I remember Harriet saying that she often asks friends to pick out one of her temari that they'd like for themselves, and she marveled at how often it would be the one she herself liked the least.

            Do you have the screen saver? I still enjoy watching it even I've seen them so many times. -- Marion

          249. rjf | | #288

            No, I don't have the screensaver but I'm going back to look at the calendar for that big red one and I'll check the screensaver then.  How do you even hold one that big to wrap it?  After working on 3" ones, a 4" seem like watermelon compared to a grapefruit.  Was that the first gathering you'd gone to?  Ginny's description made it sound like non-stop fun. 

            Isn't it strange that the ones we like least get chosen first?  When I went to the knitting group after putting up the exhibit in the library, the knitters who had seen it, exclaimed over the two that really were not so well done and/or the color combination didn't quite work, at least in my mind.  But then, our leader, with several degrees in art, picked two of my favorites so I'm feeling smug that I'm in good company.  Today it comes down....a little sad but it was fun.  The librarian told me they've ordered 2 or 3 books on temari because people were so interested.  One day when I was there getting more thread from the bowl (it didn't occur to me that I'd need some before the display came down), someone came by and commented on your pole-to-pole kiku, how handsome it was, but had it been done from different thread?  They could notice the difference between our work.    rjf

          250. Marion6422 | | #289

            I bet everyone at the library had been marvelling at your work and I know it must have sad to have to take it down. Which books is the library ordering, did they say? Are they some you don't have?

            Here are photos of the Mystery Temari that I did. When I had finished the main stitching and added the last row of gold, it reminded me of a Tartan plaid that used to be knitted into ties (how many years ago!), so in the blank spaces, I added French knots to resemble a buttoned-up shirt. I think you have to have a very good imagination to see all that.

          251. FitnessNut | | #290

            Hey, cute....an argyle temari!

          252. rjf | | #291

            Isn't that pretty!  Bright and cheerful!  I'm just getting to the point on mine where I can see the bands closing in on each other but it seems like a vast expanse in between so your "shirtbuttons" are great idea.  I don't want to do an obi thing because that defeats the original idea.  Well, maybe it'll come to me if I keep stitching.      rjf  

          253. rjf | | #292

            Here are pictures of the spirograph......it looks a little better in real life but I wish I had not stitched so far.  It looked better when there was more green showing inside the metallic part.  I like the thread and it was easier to use than most metallics I've tried.  It came from the Superior threads booth and it's for machine embroidery, I think.        rjf 

          254. rjf | | #293

            I agree with you that the mystery ball looks right!  The arrangement of colors make it look different from the purpl-blue-etc. one but the stitching is exactly right in my mind.  Besides, I thought there was no right or wrong with mystery balls....just did you do it.  If I had finished mine, it would have looked like yours but different colors.  However,  I goofed somewhere and couldn't find where it went wrong so after taking some to find the mistake, I ended up taking the WHOLE thing out.  I'm going to use the same color scheme but a different pattern. 

            The woo-woo train sounds wonderful!  If you discover where it came from, would you let me know.  I've got some friends who play a lot of dominoes.            rjf

          255. Marion6422 | | #294

            After searching through all the toy stores around here for the Woo-woo train, I Googled it and found it at

            http://www.therestlessmouse.com/

            It's the Choo Choo sound & light keychain for the unbelievable price of $2.97 with batteries (plus shipping of $4.49 of course) so I ordered two for the same shipping cost.

            Too bad your mystery ball didn't turn out, but to tell the truth, that pattern isn't one of my favorites. I forgot to tell you about all the attention your gift balls received at my dinner party. People couldn't believe anyone could stitch such an intricate pattern. I had them together right on top in my fishbowl in the middle of the table. Do you mind if I post a photo of them here? -- Marion

          256. rjf | | #295

            Thank you for the website; I just ordered 2 also.  I'm trying to imagine what you told Google you were looking for. 

            Please feel free to post a picture.  I have one of the big ball but not the little one and it would be nice to see them together.  And I'll post one of the ball you sent me, okay?  The remake of the mystery ball turned out okay.  It's a mixture of the mystery ball and Judy Shorten's kiku variation and your french knot idea but I thinked I stopped before it got too gizzy.     rjf

          257. Marion6422 | | #296

            Here is a photo of the two beautiful, intricate temari rjf sent me.  Aren't they fabulous?  We'll be looking for that mystery ball, rjf, and it's okay to post a picture of mine in our swap. -- Marion

          258. FitnessNut | | #297

            Absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!

          259. carolfresia | | #298

            Fantastic!!

            Carol

          260. rjf | | #299

            Marion, you have suddenly become "unknown" according to Gatherings.  I hope that changes soon.  At any rate, here are pictures.  Two are my answer to the mystery ball.  I borrowed your french knot idea and now the ball reminds me of the pied piper or a court jester.  There is one of the ball inspired by the gift bag and the bag itself.  The ball looks a lot better next to the bag.  Perhaps I shouldn't have used 3 colors together on the temari since the bag only uses 2.  And Last , but certainly not least, are 2 views of the ball you made for me, a sideways view and a top view,  and one shows the beautiful green velvet bag it came in.  The top view shows how you shaded from light to dark in 2 parts and dark to light in the other 2.  (Carol has also become an "unknown")      rjf

          261. Jean | | #300

            Those are all so awesome!!

          262. rjf | | #309

            Anything new on the snowflake front?    rjf

          263. Jean | | #310

            I had to go out and buy that crochet hook. LOL I intend to go right through the book.  Got one started watching TV on  Sunday. I felt like I was all thumbs, it's been so long. Going to have to put it aside until my Christmas projects are done though. I'm almost finished with "Bucky" neck pillows for the Texas bunch, (lots of zippers to sew in that project) and then I have to make some silky pjs for my youngest GD, and some clothes for her American Girl doll. Maybe jammies to match 'mommies' among other things. Time is of the essence now.

          264. rjf | | #317

            Hooray! I found my old book of snowflakes by accident when I was looking for something else.  Isn't that always the way?  I'll copy it and send it to you because it has some great flakes.        rjf

          265. Jean | | #319

            I bought a new crochet hook, but haven't found my complete set in the case yet. Could I have possibly given it away?  I can be impulsive that way. LOL Thanks for thinking of me. I'm still sewing, but that's going well. I refreshed my memory for using my serger for basics where I can use it for my GD's things. Some day I have to learn to do the cover stitch and the chain stitch. Well, there's a lot of winter ahead of me yet. :)

          266. FitnessNut | | #301

            WOW!!!! You two are SO talented!!!!

          267. Marion6422 | | #302

            Just checking to see if my reply goes through.

          268. Marion6422 | | #303

            I had a reply all typed up and it disappeared somehow and I wondered if it was because I'm "unknown". Anyhow the test one seems to have worked so I'll try again.

            I like your gift bag temari even if it doesn't have the same appearance as the bag.  Did you notice that the inner circles on the bag have a light colored ring around them that separates them from the outer ring?  I wonder if that makes a difference.  One of the projects in my art class is to demonstrate that a narrow strip of a low saturated color running through areas of different high saturated colors will appear to be different colored strips due to an after image of the high saturated color being projected on the narrow strip. I haven't done this project yet, but if it photographs effectively, I'll post it.

            I really like your mystery ball, both the design and the "fresh" looking color. What are you working on next?  I haven't started another one yet but have been caught up in trying to teach myself Paint Shop Pro, a laborious situation. I need to use it in another art project but I'm thinking when I get finished with the class, I should be able to try out some temari designs in color (in 2 dimensions) -- Marion

          269. rjf | | #304

            Well, I did know there was a space around some of the inner rings but when I started the temari, the bag was still at the library.  You're right, it does change the colors or at least, the effect.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I'll try that one again.

            Paint Shop Pro is a good program, I think, but I haven't really tried to make use of the "layer" part.  It was enough different from Adobe PhotoShop that my brain said, "Too much of a struggle."  The Mac machines really seem better for graphics and I was fortunate to be able to take a class when I was teaching.  What fun that was!  I think the main complaint was that what was luminous and beautiful on the screen, never printed that way. 

            I'm working on a 4" ball that should match some fabric for a daughter.  The motifs are japanese and some look like kiku which made me think "Oh-ho, I can do this."  So far, it's wrapped and I'm marking it as a version of C-8, with 16 spokes through the 6 centers.  Maybe that will work or maybe there will be so many threads, I won't know which is what but the color feels nice so far and that gives me hope.

            I've been meaning to ask you what kind of base do you use and what do you wrap with?  Yours feels heavier and more solid than mine and definitely rounder.  But I think I'm wrapping more tightly these days for some reason.          rjf

            Edited 11/16/2004 8:24 am ET by rjf

          270. Marion6422 | | #305

            I've gotten behind in reading Gatherings lately. The temari you're doing for your daughter sounds very interesting and decorative and I bet it really will seem like you'll be tacking marking threads forever! When you say a four-inch ball, is that before or after it's wrapped? And I've been meaning to ask you, when you give one away, how do they end up displaying it? 

            I didn't notice until you mentioned it that it does seem like my balls are heavier than yours. I start out with a styrofoam ball, wrap it in two layers of a fairly dense fleece (it may even be leftover iron-on-fleece), then a lot of worsted weight yarn, followed by the thread. I'm sure I must wrap it on the tight side. When I first started, the yarn burned and the thread felt like it was about to cut through my finger and I suspect that the reason it no longer feels that way is that I have developed thicker skin rather than wrapping looser. If I don't start another one soon, I'll have to build up calluses again. How do you construct yours? It would be better to have them lighter if they're going to be hung on a Christmas tree.

            I got the Complete Idiot's Guide to Paint Shop Pro and it has been a big help. It's taking a long time to get through it though since I just have to try out everything that's mentioned along the way. What spectacular things one can do with all those variations of the tools! I haven't gotten to the layers part yet so you can see I have a long way to go.  -- Marion

          271. rjf | | #306

            If temari is addictive, a new computer program is even worse.  At least with temari, you can say to yourself, "Just one more round." but with the computer, the outside world disappears entirely.  The one I'm doing was 4" to start with and I've finally committed to a pattern of C-8 with the 3 major designs on the poles and fillers in the 8 sections.  I've got one section done and I'm very happy with the colors.  This one is more embroidery than temari; at least , this part is.  The other parts can be kiku and the fan I did a while ago.  I'm wrapping more tightly than I used to but not on purpose.  It works better for a round ball.  I use quilt batting, sports weight yarn and thread.  Lately, I've been using our big dictionary and rolling the ball after winding the yarn.  I roll 'til it doesn't crackle anymore.  It must be working because around the pole is very close to around the obi. 

            Actually, it never occurred to me that I should provide a stand for the ones I gave away except for the last one.  But I've found a place that's a never-ending tag sale and it usually has some interesting dessert cups and candleholders that work pretty well, especially if one is willing to try things upside down.  My husband thinks we should hang them from the living room ceiling but I keep saying they need tassels for that.  Besides, he doesn't really mean it because he wouldn't want to put nails in the ceiling, I'm sure. 

            Have you read  "Life of Pi"?  It's the latest book for our book discussion group and it just gallops along.  It will be interesting to hear what people think of it.  The premise is almost unbelivable but it works.       rjf

          272. carolfresia | | #307

            OK, this is off-topic, but I wanted to say I read "Life of Pi" and really enjoyed it, but others I  know just didn't get into it. We can talk about this over the holidays!

            I'll have to get to your permanent tag-sale place to find holders for our temari, since they're sitting on a cabinet in plastic baggies. I don't want them to get dusty, so I keep them covered Maybe I need a glass case...

            Cfr

          273. Marion6422 | | #308

            You're just zipping along with the temari! Can't wait to see the latest one. I'll have to try quilt batting. I bet that will make them lighter. The reason I'm using worsted weight yarn is that that is what I have left over and it seems to work all right. Speaking of hanging them from the ceiling, I have planned to make a mobile of them some day and have even got some fishing spinners on hand to use as connectors.  All I need is wire that is decorative looking (hopefully gold colored) and pliable enough to bend in a small circle to attach spinners to but strong enough not to bend with the weight of several temaris, maybe teenies. Know anything about wire? The design I have in mind is like the one of Calder's mobile that is in the atrium of the East Wing of the Natl. Gallery of Art in DC, if you're familiar with that, but with temari attached instead of the plates he uses. I used to make them for Christmas with the usual colored glass ornaments on them and the wire did not have to be very strong to support them.

            I have not read Life of Pi but did read some of the reviews after I read your message. Sounds fascinating and I have the audio version on order at the library. I love to know about interesting books so I can them on tape and listen to them in the car. If you run across others you like, let me know. -- Marion

          274. Marion6422 | | #311

            I'm finally surfacing again after plowing through Paint Shop, most of it anyway. I'm attaching a sample of how I plan to use it to test out color schemes for Temari. Once I figure out how to get rid of the jaggies and the spaces between the threads, I think I can make a couple of basic templates and use them for most all designs to get an idea of how the colors would work. I won't have to print them out, just match my threads to the screen colors. I've found out it's easy to change the color of any of the threads or the background with what's called a "color exchanger" and that's what I've done on this example, which is pretty primitive right now, but I hope will be improved later.

            AND -- I've finished another Temari. I remember you posted one of similar design but different colors. This one is from Anna Diamond's book. I was in such a hurry to get it finished, I rushed through binding the wraps with gold without even noticing that there was supposed to be an obi band that wrapped them. I like this way, too, and it's already done now.

            I "read" Life of PI while I was doing the temari. What a story! That would be a very interesting book for a discussion group and maybe I'll get around to joining one some day when I get caught up on other things I want to do. Know of any more good ones? -- Marion

          275. rjf | | #312

            Hello, Hello!  Your pattern maker looks promising and matching threads to the screen sounds like a good idea.  But printing out might give you another version since print colors don't often seem to match what's on the screen.  Does that mean you've finished the painting class?  Is there a part two? 

            Your new temari also appears in one of Diane V.'s books where it's called "Wishing Papers".  It is a pretty design and I want to make another since I gave the first one away.  Wrapping always sounds easy but then you're faced with bundling the threads around the obi and I never get that quite neat enough.  I'm stuck on a 4" ball on which I'm trying to reproduce a piece of printed fabric with Japanese designs.  It's more embroidery than temari. I like some of what's done and I guess I'll be satisified with the rest but now it's so close to the holidays that it will have to wait 'til later.  I need something with mindless stitching. 

            The discussion of "Life of Pi" was very lively.  There were no inbetweeners...loved it or hated it, but for different reasons.  Some people read it thinking it was for real,  some were very upset by the double ending but everyone seemed to enjoy the discussion.  Next month's book is "Michaelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling", non-fiction, which I don' usually like but this explained how he learned as he was doing so that made it interesting.  But so many names!  I couldn't keep them all straight!  And I wished I had known all that stuff when I actually saw the ceiling.  The woman who chose the book is my knitting group leader and her background is art so it was a fitting choice.      rjf

          276. Marion6422 | | #313

            The color class is over except for the final on Thurs. We had to turn in all our projects again, 12 all together, and will get them back at the final. It was a wonderful class -- really good projects and instruction, and really nice people.  There were 14 in the class, some older like me and some right out of high school, and we had lectures as well as studio time and got to know one another as we worked on our projects. During the last class day we actually had a party at break time where everyone brought food, something the professor said had never happened before. I'm going to miss it but need to catch up on some other things and will not be taking another class until next fall. There is no second semester for the color theory class and I will probably take two-dimensional design next.

            I got another temari wrapped today, at the Social Security office again. They are so overworked there they don't answer the phone and apparently don't even take action when you actually go there and leave paperwork that has to be processed.  Today I insisted on standing there and watching while they did what should have been done when I was there a month ago. Oh well, at least I got the Temari wrapped while I was waiting for my turn. I bet this one is really wrapped tightly!  I haven't decided what pattern it will be yet. Something simple and fast, I think.

            I bought a bunch of rayon challis at Hancock's last week for $1.99 a yard, 60 in. wide, can you believe it, to make a faux chenille vest and want to get started on that.  I had on the vest I had already made like that and while I was there, the sales clerk asked if I had ever thought of teaching a class in faux chenille. I just might think about that! Have you ever taught a sewing class? -- Marion 

             

          277. rjf | | #314

            I'm smiling at the thought of you wrapping temari at the Social Security Office.  You must never drop it and have it run across the floor undoing the last 2 minutes of work.  You've pointed out one of the advantages of a small town:  there is no line at the Social Security Office, but correspondingly, there is no Hancock Fabrics.  Your class sounded great.  Did you find yourself thinking about the latest assignment on your way through the grocery and other weird places?

            Is the faux chenille where you sew strips of bias stacked up and then wash until it's partly ravelled?  The quilt shop where I get perle cotton has something like that displayed as samples.  And there were many samples at the show at Novi.  It reminds me of the bathrobes my mother used to wear.  I've never taught a sewing class but have taken a few.  It ought to be fun because the students are there willingly.  It will be fun to hear how it goes, if you decide to do it.  Math classes were pretty easy, considering the subject but another course I taught was called "First Year Seminar"...lots of fun and games but uncontrollable and I'm not sure really accomplished anything.              rjf

          278. Marion6422 | | #315

            I know just what you mean about dropping the temari while wrapping but this time I was doing just a 2 inch one with no fleece or yarn and it was easier to hold on to. I don't know if I'm going to be sorry about the lack of padding. I was planning to do a wrapped one and didn't see the need for a softer under layer but now I've decided to do one with weaving also and am wondering if it will be harder to get the needle underneath without some give. I'm going to do one of the "sailboat" ones. There's a picture of it at http://home.cinci.rr.com/crainspage/images/DSCF0039_small.jpg

            I am having to guess about how to stitch the pattern, but I think I have it figured out.  Did you say you ended up using a dryer sheet on top of the wrapping that you were going weave down to, on one you made a long time ago that had a woven part at the obi? And I think you said you just trimmed off the part that showed after it was done and left the rest in place?

            Yes, I found that the art class projects did occupy a lot of thought time, some of it in the middle of the night! Interestingly, the professor got us started thinking about the last project, about a month ahead of time and kept reminding us to think about it and do what research we needed to do and to keep working on that project at home, using the studio time in class for other ones. That approach really occupied one's thoughts and I found I went from having no idea at all, at first, even about what subject I wanted the project to be about, to having a clear picture in my mind of what I wanted to try, almost magically appearing about a week before it was due.

            For faux chenille, you stack up layers of whole fabric then stitch on the bias and slash between the stitching down to the bottom layer, and wash and dry in the dryer to make it "bloom". You can get different effects using different fabrics and varying the distance you stitch. Some fabrics stay rather flat but soft rayons really fluff up. There's a photo here in Gatherings of a vest I made with a description of the method.  If you do a search for "faux chenille"  you get about 10 hits and my photos are  down at the bottom. It would be useless trying to teach it without having stacks and stacks of samples in various stages with different fabrics, all carefully marked, of course, and that would require a lot of preparation time for a short teaching period. I'm not at all sure I want to do that much. -- Marion

          279. rjf | | #316

            That's a beautiful web site. The temari are amazing and I wish there were directions but I do recognize some from various books.  Her choice of color is great; they're all bright and happy. http://home.cinci.rr.com/crainspage is the home page if anyone wants to visit.  I was surprised to see the "baby brother" celtic knot you've got because I thought I invented it but it must be an obvious follow-up.

            The one you chose looks as if it could be just wrapped but one round at a time so it looks woven but isn't actually woven.  There's one in Mary Wood's book, upper right corner of page 49, that looks a lot like the one you chose.  I did see the one you asked about: DSCF0026-small.jpg.  Pale pink with bright obi?  I'm not sure whether it was a dryer sheet or thin interfacing.  You almost don't need it because there's not that much weaving but it shows where to stitch the obi and keeps you straight. 

            Would you post a picture of your last project?  Do you think that maybe the brain keeps working even when we're not aware of it and when you come back to the idea, you find the wrong ways have been eliminated and the right way seems obvious?  Amazing!

            I'll check out the faux chenille site later when I'm tired of rolling Christmas cookies and want to sit down.     rjf 

          280. Marion6422 | | #320

            I had seen the "sailboat" temari in Mary Wood's book that's sort of a tease because she doesn't give the instructions for that type.  I hadn't noticed that the tumbling blocks one is very similar to the one I want to do and those directions are a big help. Thanks for pointing it out.

            There was an article in Time magazine recently about why we sleep and what goes on when we do. Sounds like the brain is working very hard sorting things out then.  Since you asked -- how nice that you did! -- I'm attaching the last project for my art class, where we were instructed to enter a design for a fictitious contest for a mural, to be placed on a wall at a particular location which each of us was to choose for our particular mural. It had to have a title and be accompanied by a written composition of at least 300 words describing why we used the colors we did. The site I chose was the soaring glass-enclosed atrium of the brand new Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health that I just retired from. My mural is computer designed and entitled "Pathways to Discovery" and to summarize the description, it is a visual metaphor of the physical facilities of NIH and the intellectual activity that leads to important medical treatments.

          281. rjf | | #321

            It burst upon the computer screen!  How big is it for real?  It looks like it's moving but then the lower part is pretty static as a contrast.  Very, very impressive.  You're going to frame it and hang it, of course.  Thanks for posting it.    

            I did a search for faux chenille and found the picture of your vest.  That's great looking, very soft and velvety.  How far apart did you sew the channels?  Yours looks much finer than the others I saw but I think theirs were cotton flannel.  I hadn't tried a site search before....worked very fast.  I'm impressed.       rjf

             

            Edited 12/17/2004 7:52 am ET by rjf

          282. Marion6422 | | #322

            Well, I just might hang two of the projects from the art class. That one done by computer and another one done with colored paper, which the professor chose as a candidate for a juried student art show in March, so I'll have to make sure it's preserved until that time. It's funny that you said my computer one burst upon the screen, because the professor said the reason he chose the other one for a juried show was because he thought it would "jump out" at the juror who would see it, that anything that looked like all the others, no matter how good it was, wouldn't have much of a chance because there will be so many submitted.

            The chenille vest I made is stitched at just about 1/2 inch intervals. -- Marion

          283. rjf | | #323

            I know when I took the computer graphics course, things looked great on the screen but when printed out, they became very drab by comparison.  But I can't imagine anything "jumping out" more than the one you posted. 

            I've moved all my temari stuff out of the way so the Christmas tree would have space but I've got some knitting to keep me sane.  After Christmas, I'm going to print some of the balls from crainspage.  They are very beautiful and maybe I can figure how to do some of them.  The cabinets were interesting. 

            Okay...it's on to cocktail sauce and clean sheets!!!  I won't say Merry Christmas right now because I'll probably be back before then.      rjf

          284. Marion6422 | | #324

            Well, I'm knitting, too.  But I haven't put my temari things aside. I now have three projects going and one that will interrupt the others before they get finished. This last one is some summer-weight pants and T-shirts for a trip to FL coming up mid-Jan. The others are the chenille vest which has no time limit, the temari, and the knitting of a baby blanket  which I will most likely present wrapped up as a Christmas present, in an unfinished state with knitting needles still attached and a note that I will take it back home and hope to return it finished before late Feb. when my great granddaughter will be arriving (my first GGC!). Actually, now that I think of it, that seems sort of appropriate -- a blanket in progress for the baby in progress. The temari is my relief project that I do when I get tired of knitting. I've decided to do it in a variegated blue for one direction and a variegated red-pink in the other, more like red sails.

            Where is "crainspage?"  Sounds like something I will have to look up, or maybe I already have and don't recognize the name.

            Just in case I don't get back in the next few days, I'll wish you a merry Christmas! -- Marion

          285. rjf | | #318

            Check out 99TB02 on temarikai.  It's a tumbling blocks pattern that has some very good directions and could be adapted to want you to do.     rjf

          286. rjf | | #325

            The "crainspage"  is the short version of the one you sent me in message 319 (I think) ((yes, it is)).  You said you were going to do a sail boat??  I wonder where she got the directions for all those temari.  Some I recognize but there are more that I've never seen.  I printed out two pictures and will puzzle over them for a bit, in between Christmas tasks.  Some of the poncho yarn is wrapped so the Granddaughter will know what's coming.  Merry Christmas.....if I don't find another reason to send a message.    rjf

          287. rjf | | #159

            I just checked the last message and there is some garbledigook that appeared from somewhere.  Sysop says there's work going on at Propero so perhaps thats the cause.  But I wanted to add that I used purple metallic floss for the guide lines.  rjf

          288. User avater
            ehBeth | | #101

            I am MAD for carousel. You may inspire me to try this yet. With Carousel, I can just imagine handing it to a 3 year old sitting on a sofa, and waiting for them to tell me the story of what is going on, on it. It is such a story ball!

          289. rjf | | #103

            " You may inspire me to try this yet."  Oh good, we need another addict.    rjf

          290. JeanetteR | | #38

            Gosh, you've stayed put in the one house for a long time. It must be very hard to have moved over Christmas with the snow and very cold weather, and you must have had many festive turkey dinners since then that always remind you of the first one!  It must be very energising and renewing to have such distinct seasons.  Our winter nights would rarely go below 5C.  The forecast for tomorrow is 32C - about 95 degrees F at a guess?

            The twins are aware we're moving soon, and we've visited the 'number 20 house' a few times each week, but of course they don't really know the upheavals this will mean.  There is family with little kid(s) next door but one, and hopefully more around.  We're 2 mins walk from playgroup where they've gone 2 yrs, which is adjacent to the new pre-school, and there were about 6 other playgroup mums I already knew on their first pre-school day.  Do you have any good moving hints? 

            So, you're a keen golfer!  Not much chance of golf during winter? last time I attempted putt-putt my score was truly woeful!   Your discussions indicate you started temari recently?  It seems to be a craft where you'll never run out of patterns, and will always look forward to the next one, or another variation.  I just looked back through the Threads archives and we had a discussion back last June about temari!  It is lovely to see the pictures of those you and Marion13 have worked, please keep them coming as you work them!   Looking forward to your interpretation of the Rose.  Temarikai had a pattern called Caousel rather like Marion's rose, but done around the Obi which was nice.      Jeanette

          291. rjf | | #39

            The only suggestion for moving I would offer is: Take this opportunity to throw things away!  I didn't know enough at the time to do that and since we're both packrats, the amount of stuff is overwhelming.  Once in a great while, we get to use something we've saved for 40 years.  I'd feel smug about it but the weight of all that stuff hangs over our heads and I begin to feel there's something sinister in the attic. 

            Your new house sounds well-placed for little kids and being twins means they have someone else to rely on for entertainment some of the time. At least, I hope that's true.  5C to 32C sounds like Florida weather to me.  Gee, you miss all the fun of running out to cover the tomatos so they won't freeze.

            Temari started at Christmas time when I got Anna Diamond's book.  I had only a vague idea of temari but I was instantly obsessed and continue to be.  Infinite variety!  And it's faster than knitting.  I'm going to check the archives for temari.  If I can't find it, i'll be back for help.  It was mentioned in an article in threads quite awhile ago but when I found it, it was about smocking and then covering a ball with the smocked fabric.                                          

          292. JeanetteR | | #43

            Yes, I'll take that suggestion seriously, and try to throw out or sell the excess everything!  There's quite a bit, it's amazing how the clutter gathers momentum after living in a house for a while.  I moved about 1/3 of my craft books, plus my bears and winter jumpers, to the other house yesterday. Perhaps the craft books are breeding, but the shelves at the side of the built-in are only about 11" wide so using more of the space than anticipated. 

            'Temari is much faster than knitting', and it's so nice to have a project finished in one to two nights.  Your later comment of how a tiny variation changes the look entirely is so true, and as with quilting, it's not always easy to guage the effect the small change will make until it's in progress.  Even which colour to edge the points of say a chrysanthemum against the background makes such a difference, and it's easy to go overboard with the metallic threads.  Looking forward to more pictures!  Happy stitching!

          293. Marion6422 | | #11

            Yes, Judy Shorten's site is one I really like and I haven't looked at it for a while. I have done a couple of hers -- theCoumpound 8 Wrap (I put a gold stripe in mine, which I was sorry about after it was finished since it interrupted the petal impression) and on the next page, the interlocking gray and white diamonds on the pink background (of course I chose another color scheme, a rainbowish one which turned out ok) and --surprise! -- I see she has a photo of the one I am working on now (the multiple interlocking diamonds) whose instructions I got from one of Diane Vandervoort's books and my "original " color scheme of shades of pink is just what the photo is of. I see her background is of a darker shade of the same color where I have used black. Maybe one reason mine seems shockingly bright is that black background.

          294. JeanetteR | | #14

            Yes the pictures are very good aren't they, it's lovely how a variant will allow you to go off on a tangent from what you've already done.  Were you doing a C-8 wrap, or a C-8 chrysanthemum design, I guess the latter would look more like a flower?

            I love the gold basketweave one and the silver Celtic knot one and havn't tried either of these....too many crafts and not enough time, maybe when my twins are in pre-school this year?  Renovating a house prior to moving shortly, so all the craft stuff has taken a back seat, no temari since September!

  2. Marion6422 | | #3

    Marvelous colors and stitching! I'm eagerly awaiting the reply about the wrapping thread shading. What is the metallic copper thread you used, where did you find it, and was it easy to work with? -- Marion

    1. rjf | | #5

      The varigated thread was a happy accident, as were the stitching threads.  I picked the purple and green and the orange just jumped out of the basket to join them.  Temari is fun because you can use colors you would never dream of wearing.  The varigated thread is Star egyptian cotton which I got at the quilt shop; very smooth to sew through but I now have a life time supply.  The copper thread is DMC 5279.  I found it at Walmart with the silver and gold.  It's getting easier to use and separate.  Three strands for the guide lines but for the one I'm working on now, I used 2 strands.  One trick I learned is slide the needle all the way down to where the thread exits the ball and then slide it back up for the next stitch.  That straightens it out and makes the threads lie flat and parallel so I don't run into catches which strip the metallic from the core.  I'm trying a swirl now and got the directions from temarikai.  There were two different methods for marking C-10 (?...I'm not used to that terminology) and I used the short short cut which was pretty easy.  Only 4 divisions of the obi and then you mark a diamond shape at each of 6 poles.  That gives you 6 slightly irregular hexagons to fit between the diamonds.  They kept saying the stitching itself is easy but I haven't quite gotten it yet.  What are you working on?  Any pictures?  I'm still waiting for the book that has directions for the one you posted.        rjf

      1. Marion6422 | | #6

        Is that thread wrapping the same as you used for the one with the 18 vertical sections?  It looked variegated, too, but I thought maybe it was the lighting. I really like the way it ties in the colors you use in the embroidery.

        I'm working on the interlocking diamonds from Diane's book I got from the interlibrary loan and it's turning out a lot brighter than I had envisioned. I hope with time I can develop some sense of what color combinations are going look like in the end. I'll try to get around to taking some photos this weekend.

        I don't quite get the picture of what you do with the needle when you stitch with metallic thread. Are you sort of combing the thread with the same needle that's threaded so that the thread slides through the eye?

        1. rjf | | #8

          The directions for the 18 section one called for fine metallic to be wrapped over 2 out of  3 sections.  The wrapping thread was pink in the book so the metallic and the pink were about the same value.  Since I used dark blue wrapping thread for the base, I wanted a darker color for those sections so I used dark purple 8/2 tencel from my weaving stuff and then just one strand of metallic for the shiny star shapes. 

          I pull the needle down the thread to the place where the thread comes out of the ball so the needle is against the ball and the thread hangs loose.  Then I slide the needle back up the thread to a good length to sew from.  If the strands were twisted or uneven, they straighten and lie flat.   I guess you could call it combing.

          I'm working on a swirly ball and it's giving me fits and starts...as in "starts over"!  I can make the sections look okay but not matching.  It must be a matter of practice to keep the stitches even from one place to another.    

          That diamond pattern had some strong colors in it and the shapes were fairly pronounced.  Maybe when it's done, it'll settle down?  Have you used all the colors called for yet?  Sometimes putting in the next color changes everything.       rjf 

          1. Marion6422 | | #10

            Well, maybe if I followed the instructions about which colors to use, I wouldn't have a problem. I always strike out on my own with my choice of colors. That particular ball in Diane's book called for about umpteen different types of threads which I have no idea about where to find unless I could order them on the web. By the time they arrived, the library book would have been long overdue, no doubt. I'm trying monochromatic colors right now and chose bright pink flosses from light to dark over a black base. A muted pink would have been better, I think, or just all darker brights, if that makes any sense. Recently I did a chrysanthemum pattern in old rose from light to dark over a white base. I liked the colors in the chrysanthemum but not that combination over white, so after it was all finished, I ended up painting the white thread background a light pink. Now I like it much better.

          2. rjf | | #12

            For me, color choice is often a matter of what's lying around but I am going to order from Herrschener's.  I am. I am.  I'm also going to order a color card for DMC. 

            However did you paint the wrapping thread?  What a good idea!  I have one on white and I've since decided offwhite would work better in most cases.  The knitting group that I go to is led by a woman who taught art and she has a very good eye for color.  Choosing what I like is not always successful...sort of, almost but not quite.  It's not a easy thing to teach either because none of us see color the same way.  Did you try a gold thread to outline the rose?  It might be enough to break up the stark contrast between the black and rose.     

            Diana usually specified a background to match one of the floss colors and when I've done that, it looks good.  But then you have to careful to keep that color inside the stitching, away from the wrapping.        rjf

            Edited 1/30/2004 12:26:19 PM ET by rjf

          3. Marion6422 | | #19

            Here's a picture of my rose chrysanthemum ball with the thread wrap painted after it was finished.

          4. rjf | | #24

            How beautiful!  The rose glows with the pink wash you put on...what a good idea.  And what  I especially like is that it's such a good close-up that I can see exactly what you did which is very timely since my oldest daughter says she wants a Valentine temari so I'm going to borrow your design if you don't mind.  At first I thought the gold was a marking thread but in the second picture, I can see you marked with white and the gold is decoration.  Nice!  On the other one, the diamonds almost pop off the screen. Wow!  That must have taken a while to stitch.  What are you working on now?  There are so many to choose from that it hard to pick one. 

            I had a stroke of luck yesterday.  We went to Michael's where I think they're getting rid of the perle cotton but I found metallic thread!  Kreinik Balger medium and fine braid in gold and silver and also DMC perle metallic.  It looks like they'll keep that.  Now I realize I should have looked for darning needles but forgot.  The perle metallic looks like what you might have used for the rose.  Whoopee. Onward and forward.              rjf   

          5. Marion6422 | | #26

            You're welcome to the rose design. It's sort of generic. On this one I used #3 perle cotton because that was all I could find that had 4 shades of the same color. I was worried it would be too thick to stitch easily especially at the kikui end but it wasn't since I started so far from the pole. I haven't started another one yet. The weekend was taken up with taking the photos and playing tennis (indoors, of course) along with the usual catching up with mundane things. I'm waiting on another book of Diana's that I ordered through the library that has a design I want to try.

            I plan to visit the local yarn shop after work today and see if I can find more #5 perle cotton there. In the meantime, I may try a swirl -- yours is so inspiring.

            What luck you had at Michael's. I see it pays to make the rounds often.

          6. betsy | | #203

            can anyone tell me where to find directions for posting a photo in this picture gallery (or elsewhere?)  thanks, Betsy

          7. carolfresia | | #204

            Hi, Betsy,

            Posting a picture is actually  just attaching a file. When you start a new message to post, scroll down to below the bottom of the screen, and you'll see a series of purple bars with various options, including "attach files." Click on that, and follow the directions it gives. Sometimes it takes a minutes for the files to upload. They'll be attached to your message, but until you click "post" and view the posted message, you won't see those little icons that appear in the message.

            Carol

          8. betsy | | #208

            thanks, Carol, I'll try it right now. Betsy

          9. betsy | | #210

            Carol, how do I make the file available to be attached? Oh, where are my computer savvy children when I need them?!? Betsy

            oops, attachments DON"T follow!, sorry

            Edited 7/13/2004 12:37 pm ET by Betsy

          10. carolfresia | | #211

            I see an attachment there, but it doesn't open up to be a photo. I think you're on the right track, though. To get the photo, you have to have it in a file somewhere on your computer; use the "Browse" box to go to that place, wherever it is (I'm sorry this is so vague--I kind of do it by feel, and I'm not the best at trouble-shooting systems other than my own, if that!).

            Carol

          11. betsy | | #213

            sounds good, I'll try it

          12. Marion6422 | | #207

            Be sure and let us know if you have any trouble posting photos from Carol's directions. It took a while for me to figure  out how to find my file to post and how to get it to the size I wanted ahead of time. If you preview the message and don't end up with what you want, you can always cancel it and do it over.  Takes patience the first couple of times but it's worth it.  It's so nice to see what others have done. -- Marion

          13. betsy | | #209

            thanks!

          14. rjf | | #212

            Don't forget to ckick "Done".     rjf

          15. betsy | | #214

            thanks!

          16. Marion6422 | | #216

            When I posted my last photo, I took notes to see all the steps I take:

            1.  Put your photo in a file on your computer and adjust it to the size you want it, if desired.  I set mine to 400 pixels across from the original 1600. Note how you locate the file.

            2. In Gatherings, hit the Reply button on the message you want to reply to and write in your message.

            3. Scroll down until you can see the line of  5 purple buttons and click on Attach Files.

            4. When a new window appears, click on Browse, then in the "Look In" window, find your file that the photo is in.  When you find it, click on it. The previous window will appear with a file name in the Look In window.

            5. Click on Upload and wait until the window refreshes itself and the Upload button is purple again.  It takes a while for this to be completed.

            6. Click on Done, which caused that window to disappear, and you can see what you wrote as a message and there is a notation that a file is there but you cannot see an attachment icon.

            7. Click on the Preview button and you can see how your message will appear and you can see the photo icon.

            8. Click on the icon and you will see your photo.

            9. Click on your Back button to get back to your Preview screen, then click on Post.

            That should do it if my notes are correct. Good luck!  We are eagerly awaiting your photos.

          17. betsy | | #217

            thanks for the clear directions! My problem is now getting the photo out of the folder (so that I don't post all images in the folder). I've lost it somewhere, and am going to approach again when my daughter returns from work; I can't spend any more time wandering through cyber space. Thanks, one and all for your help!

          18. betsy | | #218

            Marion~ a thousand thank you's! I just posted photos of the chuppah I am making in the Sacred Threads area, but will do it here too. Unsure what I mentioned before, these are preliminary stages. I am trying to decide if I want the little chuppah, bride and groom (shown here by a quick paper cut out, NOT what the final couple will look like). The leaves are also paper in that shot. The second picture is (I hope!) without the couple or the pieced grounds which were just placed on the background in the first shot. I welcome input! I'm not wild about the little people.

          19. rjf | | #219

            The colors are wonderful.  I like the pieced ground very much but agree with about the little couple.  One real couple is enough, maybe.  What is the actual size?  You should be very proud of what you've done!     rjf

          20. betsy | | #220

            The main body of the piece will be 72" square, then I'll add a border. I tried putting in two birds today; they look as out of place as the little people! A quilting friend just called, is on her way over for a consult!

          21. Marion6422 | | #221

            I'm so glad you got your photos posted. That is really beautiful. It's been interesting to read the discussions in the Sacred Threads on your thoughts about what you'd like to include and why and what the different changes look like. We'll all be waiting to see the finished result. Best of luck! -- Marion

          22. SewNancy | | #238

            Dear Betsy,

            Wow! It is really gorgeous.  Did you use the little bride and groom? 

            Nancy

          23. Marion6422 | | #18

            I'm attaching a picture (Ihope) of my Hot Pink Diamonds from Diana's book. It's so bright I'm thinking of overpainting the embroidery threads with tea to tone it down a bit but have no idea what it might turn out to look like. When I painted the white thread wrap of a rose-colored chrysanthemum ball after it was all finished, I first made a little wad of the thread I had used as a trial sample and painted it using a soft water color brush with a very diluted red (called Cherry) fabric paint with the name "Deka Silk, for silks, cottons, and synthetics."  The sample looked ok so I did the ball and was very pleased with the resulting soft pink.  The thread I had used was a 100% polyester serger thread. I'll send another message with a picture of the chrysanthemum later.  It takes me a long time to figure out each time how to include a photo.  One of these days, I'll write instructions to myself and also try to figure out how to get more definition in a small copy

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