kumo temari

kumo temari - on a break

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:04:00 +0000

I'm currently taking a break from the business of temari making as I recuperate from a flare-up of recurrent carpal tunnel. When & if I'm able to get back to it, I'll start posting again! Thanks as always for your support.

~ kt

series of 3: haiku by Matsuo Bashō

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:30:00 +0000

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

spring rain

spring rain

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

This is a design that I haven't done for some time now; it is a personal adaptation of a wrapped woven design that forms a star at the top and bottom where threads intersect. S6 division with no guidelines, but guidelines added in the S12 position for design purposes. Thread wrap in light pearl gray; embroidery in dark gray, a slightly-violet-hued sky blue, and butterscotch yellow (the same yellow and blue used in the other temari in this series). The haiku by Bashō is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.75 inches / 25 cm; diameter: 3.1 inches / 7.95 cm. Completed 21 March 2013 (no. 273).

For sale on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

temple bell

temple bell

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

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

For sale on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

the moon so pure

the moon so pure

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

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

For sale on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

series of 5 spring-themed temari

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 00:28:00 +0000

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

cut all the flowers

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

A layered kiku design — 2 x 4-point stars. S8 division in #5 dark moss green; thread wrap in eggplant purple; embroidery in 7 shades of moss and avocado green and ecru. The quote by Neruda is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 7 March 2013 (no. 266).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

it is spring again

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

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

very spirits singing

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

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

blooming most recklessly

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

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

a perpetual astonishment

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

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:20:00 +0000

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

dragonfly

dragonfly

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

An S6 wrapped design, just one thread for each colored row, with space between to give an air of . . well, air. A wide obi. Thread wrap in silvery brown (a squirrel brown); embroidery in 11 shades of blue and brown. The haiku by Issa is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 26 February 2013 (no. 263).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

the more real

the more real

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

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

the journey

the journey

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

An interlocked kiku design, 2 x 5-point stars. I have come to think of this as one of my signature designs; it's one of my favorite to make. S10 division, guidelines removed; thread wrap in medium navy blue; embroidery in 8 shades of blue and brown. The quote by Le Guin is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10 inches / 25.5 cm; diameter: 3.18 inches / 8.11 cm. Completed 27 February 2013 (no. 265).
Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

a little record keeping . . .

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:37:00 +0000

I have, at last, finished a special project of 30 temari (nos. 228–230, 232, 233, 236, 238–243, 245–262) — completed between 22 December 2012 and 21 February 2013.

Each temari generated a $25 loan to women in Bolivia, Chile, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Tajikistan, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.

I note this because I like to note every finished temari on this blog, and don't do well with missing gaps . . .

New temari will be in the shop very soon.

introducing artwork from kumo temari

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 04:37:00 +0000

Because of various commitments, I won't be adding new temari to the Etsy shop until spring (March or April). However, I am currently offering for sale original artwork — small (very small) mixed-media paintings and drawings; these, too, benefit Kiva.org. $25 from the sale of each artwork will be loaned through Kiva. My paintings and drawings are a mix of watercolor, watercolor pencil, gouache, oil pencil, pen & ink . . . and coffee. Hope you'll check them out, and thank you for your support!

my current storefront

begin in emotion

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:15:00 +0000

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

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

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

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

Compare the variegated gray petals at one pole . . .

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

transform

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:01:00 +0000

Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.
— Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

The rose garden design at either end, with merry-go-round descending kiku herring bone stitching around the middle.

Thread wrap in midnight blue; S12 division. Embroidery in lots of shades of blues and yellows, with highlights in metallic gold and silver. The quote by Pablo Picasso is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.625 inches / 27 cm; diameter: 3.38 inches / 8.59 cm. Completed 30 December 2012 (no. 235).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

always remember

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:55:00 +0000

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
— A.A. Milne (1882–1956)

A second go at descending herringbone.

Thread wrap in chocolate brown; S10 division in matching perle 8. Embroidery in eleven shades of browns and blues. The quote by A.A. Milne is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.625 inches / 24.5 cm; diameter: 3.06 inches / 7.79 cm. Completed 29 December 2012 (no. 234).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

next shop update

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 21:42:00 +0000

The next shop update will be January 1st, at 4 p.m. eastern time. It will be a small one! just two or three temari perhaps, but I wanted to do it on New Year's Day because temari are traditional as gifts for the new year (albeit the Asian New Year). It is (or was) traditional for mothers in Japan to make a temari and leave it by the bedside of her daughter to wake up to on New Year's Day.

So please drop by the shop on the first! Happy New Year, and thank you for all the support during 2012!

woven in plum scent

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Great moon
woven in plum scent,
all mine.
— Kobayashi Issa (1763–1827)

My tribute to the holidays!

Thread wrap in purple; S6 division, no guidelines. Embroidery in ten shades of violet, plum, purple, lavender, orchid, and metallic silver. The haiku by Issa is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.5 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.75 cm. Completed 22 December 2012 (no. 231).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

the more abstract, the more real

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:27:00 +0000

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

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

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

Sold to beneft Kiva.org.

only with the heart

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:33:00 +0000

Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
— Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–1944), The Little Prince

Warmth (maybe?) for the wintery season upon us.

S12 division in perle #8. Thread wrap in ecru. Embroidery in ecru, silver-gray, and black. The quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.375 inches / 26.5 cm; diameter: 3.3 inches / 8.4 cm. Completed 13 December 2012 (no. 226).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

thousands of candles

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:09:00 +0000

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

My second go at a C10 clockwise / counter-clockwise swirl; this time I realized I needed to put exactly the same number of stitches into each of the 120 triangles (as opposed to just filling them with however many it took), as well as always start the stitching at the right-angle corner of the triangle. I chose to tack all the C10 intersections with metallic gold in reference to the quote inside—all those candle flames.

Thread wrap in black. C10 division in golden yellow perle with metallic gold tacking. Stitching in golden yellow. Not counting the division or the tacking (or the stitches underground to get to the next triangle), 1440 visible stitches. . . . The quote by the Buddha is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11.75 inches / 29.7 cm; diameter: 3.74 inches / 9.5 cm. Completed 13 December 2012 (no. 221).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

art is . . .

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:42:00 +0000

Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.
— Edgar Degas (1834–1917)

Thread wrap in purple. S12 division in metallic silver. Embroidery in 11 shades of avocado greens (and a couple avocado browns). The quote by Edgar Degas is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.375 inches / 26 cm; diameter: 3.3 inches / 8.3 cm. Completed 11 December 2012 (no. 225).

Sold to benefit on Kiva.org.

the simple things

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:13:00 +0000

It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary . . .
— Paulo Coelho (b. 1947)

Thread wrap in brass yellow. S6 division in oatmeal. Embroidery in 4 shades of muted gold, rusts, and chocolate brown. The quote by Paulo Coelho is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.3 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.7 cm. Completed 8 December 2012 (no. 224).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

to deepen the mystery

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:26:00 +0000

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

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

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

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

castle in the clouds

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:24:00 +0000

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.
— G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936)

A completely spontaneous original design, created as I was stitching. I was watching the documentary "Painters Painting" and was inspired by a quote from Helen Frankenthaler: "A picture that is beautiful . . . looks as if it was all made at one stroke." I was also thinking of atoms, and movement.

Thread wrap in "hacienda" — a not-bright orange with a touch of red. S8 division in metallic white. Embroidery in two blues and pale orange. The quote by G. K. Chesterton is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.125 inches / 25.7 cm; diameter: 3.22 inches / 8.18 cm. Completed 3 December 2012 (no. 222).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

get the planet ready

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:54:00 +0000

When you've finished getting yourself ready in the morning, you must go get the planet ready.
— Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–1944), The Little Prince

Ribbed kiku herringbone. S8 division in ecru. Thread wrap in ecru. Embroidery in 15 shades of moss and avocado greens, with a couple browns. The quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.5 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.75 cm. Completed 25 November 2012 (no. 219).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

what is essential is invisible to the eye

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:14:00 +0000

Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
— Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–1944), The Little Prince

S10 division in metallic gold. Thread wrap in "pansy." Embroidery in 5 colors (brown, rust, pale yellow, violet blue, purple). The quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.75 inches / 27.5 cm; diameter: 3.42 inches / 8.75 cm. Completed 25 November 2012 (no. 218).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

curiosity

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:46:00 +0000

Curiosity is insubordination in its purest form.
— Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)

A C6 swirl stitched entirely clockwise, compared to the clockwise / counter-clockwise method.

C6 division. Thread wrap in chocolate brown. Embroidery in light creamy brown. The quote by Vladimir Nabokov is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 9.875 inches / 25.1 cm; diameter: 3.14 inches / 7.98 cm. Completed 24 November 2012 (no. 217).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

where your life wells forth

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:37:00 +0000

I could give you no advice but this: to go into yourself and to explore the depths where your life wells forth.
— Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926)

At long last, a C10 swirl that uses the clockwise / counter-clockwise method of filling the 120 little triangles created by the division (compared to filling larger shapes in with all-clockwise stitching). This is the next step up from the C8 swirl I finished recently — the number of triangles increases from 48 to 120. It reminds me (in these colors) of a hydrangea blossom. About 10–11 hours just for the stitching.

C10 division. Thread wrap in black. Embroidery in light [slightly violet-] blue. The quote by Rainer Maria Rilke is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 11.875 inches / 30 cm; diameter: 3.77 inches / 9.5 cm. Completed 23 November 2012 (no. 216).

For sale on Etsy to benefit Kiva.org.

new year's day

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:17:00 +0000

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

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

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

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

to rise above the little things

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:09:00 +0000

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: to rise above the little things.
— John Burroughs (1837–1921)

A C10-style swirl. The stitching can be excuted very tightly, as here, or more loosely. Since the embroidery thread is a near match to the thread wrap, I didn't feel the need to have the thread wrap color show through as much as if it was a contrasting / complementary color. Plus, I really wanted to see how much I could refine my stitching. I think this is the most "packed," coverage yet, which is nice to know I can accomplish.

Thread wrap in cinnamon (red brown). Embroidery in medium-dark rust orange. The quote by John Burroughs is in the bell box along with brass rings that make a quiet traditional rattle. Circumference: 10.5 inches / 26.5 cm; diameter: 3.34 inches / 8.43 cm. Completed 20 November 2012 (no. 214).

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.

thank you!

noreply@blogger.com (kumo temari) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 22:23:00 +0000

I want to thank everyone who turned out for my shop's holiday "shebang" — a great success! All of the temari sold, and thus I was able to make twenty-five $25 loans through Kiva.org, to women in Peru, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Philippines, Mexico, Mongolia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Senegal.

I have started posting each loan on my Facebook page, so one can see exactly which temari funded which loan.

This is the season to be thankful! (It is always the season to be thankful!)