It didn't take long but the International Temari Appreciation Day name has somehow been morphed (due to my laziness) to ITAD. With all the emails, posts here and over there I was wondering just when RSI would set in, so in the interests of preserving my time and wrists I have shortened the name to an acronym. Unfortunately it looks like something from the apple computer company, but I assure you that if you read ITAD in one of my posts it will relate to International Temari Appreciation Day. (I think an iTad might be an apple nanosecond or a tiny apple... and definitely be something cool my son would bug me for.)
So far I have been told that several people are just beginning to stitch their entries for the logo competition and if you visit the Flickr group you will find several entries have already been submitted there. I wonder how many different versions we will see of the S16 ball? The entries so far are really lovely. Keep up the good work ladies and gentlemen.
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Beginning my JTA Apprenticeship
I am happy to sing it from the roof tops... I am a temari addict.
I love everything about making temari. I enjoy gathering the materials to fill the base from all the recyclable items I have at hand. I revel in the calm that comes from the rhythmic action of wrapping the ball in yarn, slowly but surely covering the core material until only I know what is inside. I love to see the ribbon effect of power wrapping over the yarn. I am always in awe as I see the single thread wrap layers going over the ball and marvel at how, by some sort of magic, the ball suddenly becomes a smooth sphere. I like finding the poles and all the other marking points around the ball. I particularly like looking over my stitching thread boxes, full of many colours choices, and trying to find a palette of complementary (or contrasting) colours. I love the search for the meaning in all the lovely patterns in my library of temari books. Most of all I love the stitching, especially when many patterns require me to keep faith that although what I am stitching looks remarkably different to the model as I stitch further I begin to see the designs emerge. I find the anticipation of the pattern appearing really exciting.
It is because of all this that I decided last year to begin a temari apprenticeship. Now I'm not going to say that this is a necessary course of action for everyone. People (and the temari they make) who choose this path are in no way superior to those that choose not to. There are a great many makers of the most beautiful temari that have never considered joining the Japanese Temari Association (JTA) or studying for the various levels. I just really wanted to connect my own temari journey to the country where the art form came from and becoming a member seemed the best way for me to do this.
Although it's still quite a mystery, we in the west are learning more about the process every year. There is a lot of information to be found at TemariKai. Last year I decided to begin my study for the first of four levels. There was a number of people that also began this journey last year too. We all found out last weekend that we had passed. Phew! A big sigh of relief for all of us. Many people (who are braver souls than me) decided to apply for level one and two together. I hope to study for level two later this year.
Thanks to my own study group (Laura, Rosemary, Jane, Michelle, and Pam), our Shihan Barb Suess and to Ai Mizuta our wonderful JTA contact who is the lady that makes it possible for all of us living outside of Japan to become members of the JTA and undertake these studies. Congratulations to everyone that undertook JTA study this year.
You should all be pleased and proud of your achievements.
I love everything about making temari. I enjoy gathering the materials to fill the base from all the recyclable items I have at hand. I revel in the calm that comes from the rhythmic action of wrapping the ball in yarn, slowly but surely covering the core material until only I know what is inside. I love to see the ribbon effect of power wrapping over the yarn. I am always in awe as I see the single thread wrap layers going over the ball and marvel at how, by some sort of magic, the ball suddenly becomes a smooth sphere. I like finding the poles and all the other marking points around the ball. I particularly like looking over my stitching thread boxes, full of many colours choices, and trying to find a palette of complementary (or contrasting) colours. I love the search for the meaning in all the lovely patterns in my library of temari books. Most of all I love the stitching, especially when many patterns require me to keep faith that although what I am stitching looks remarkably different to the model as I stitch further I begin to see the designs emerge. I find the anticipation of the pattern appearing really exciting.
It is because of all this that I decided last year to begin a temari apprenticeship. Now I'm not going to say that this is a necessary course of action for everyone. People (and the temari they make) who choose this path are in no way superior to those that choose not to. There are a great many makers of the most beautiful temari that have never considered joining the Japanese Temari Association (JTA) or studying for the various levels. I just really wanted to connect my own temari journey to the country where the art form came from and becoming a member seemed the best way for me to do this.
Although it's still quite a mystery, we in the west are learning more about the process every year. There is a lot of information to be found at TemariKai. Last year I decided to begin my study for the first of four levels. There was a number of people that also began this journey last year too. We all found out last weekend that we had passed. Phew! A big sigh of relief for all of us. Many people (who are braver souls than me) decided to apply for level one and two together. I hope to study for level two later this year.
Thanks to my own study group (Laura, Rosemary, Jane, Michelle, and Pam), our Shihan Barb Suess and to Ai Mizuta our wonderful JTA contact who is the lady that makes it possible for all of us living outside of Japan to become members of the JTA and undertake these studies. Congratulations to everyone that undertook JTA study this year.
You should all be pleased and proud of your achievements.
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Out and about
I love a sleep in, but there was no time for one this morning as we had promised my niece we'd see her swimming class at 8:30am on the other side of town. It was freezing (ok 3C) when we left the house but a promise is a promise and she is way too cute to let down. The kids all had a swim until about 10am... Thank goodness for heated pool water, only after a bribe of a post-shower lollipop did they finally get out.
Afterwards we all jumped back in the car for a day out to Mundaring Weir.
This is one of the typical bush tracks leading to a bbq campsite in the park. See the swing arm with the hook for the billy pot and the flat plate for cooking. These pics are from a google search, sorry I forgot the actual links.
We found a little campsite with a concrete barbeque pit, the type with a movable iron plate and billy tea can hook, and set about gathering kindling and assorted dead wood for a little fire. Once Wesley (my 8 yo) lit his first ever fire in the pit we got onto cooking some sausages and onions for our no fuss impromptu hot dog barbie. (No way we could light a fire like this in the summer.) We were all starving... something to to with the cool weather and fresh air (mind you the 2 hours of swimming might have helped too). When there were just coals left the kids toasted marshmallows on sticks. We stayed until the coals were cold and then packed up and came home. What a great family day out. Next time we'll plan the day and take billy tea* and damper**.
Here is a pic of the weir. Much of our city's drinking water comes from here. Pic from WA watercorp website.
No stitching this weekend, but hopefully there will be lots this week as I'm minding my 92yo Step Nana for a few days... I'm pretty sure she wont want to go out rollerblading....
* Billy tea is just tea cooked on a fire pit in a big lidded can with a hook. It is usually suspended over the fire by some green wood sticks or (if your fancy) an iron A frame set with a pole between.
** Damper is an old stockman's/ bushman's bread cooked in the coals of a fire. See the link for a recipe and picture. If you want to fancy it up you can with herbs or cheese etc... but then if you want to be fancy why head into the Aussie bushland? LOL
PS Happy 4th of July to all my American readers. Hot it's not too hot/dry for fireworks. Set off a cracker or two for me... they are illegal here!
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Share you thimbles July 2010 from MaMercerie
Chloe Patricia announced the winner of the June Share Your Thimbles draw yesterday. I am on a lucky streak because I got drawn again this month. Wow! I have never been so lucky in my whole life.
This month Chloe Patricia is offering the thimble featured below to the lucky winner. It doesn't matter if you are a new or experienced thimble maker. All you need to do is make a thimble, load the photo and enter the draw by replying to the message in Flickr.
Here is the link to Chloe Patricia's blog where she offers detailed tutorials and advice about thimble making. You will also find all the information you need to join in on the draw.
Image from MaMercerie
I have lots of links to various thimble resources throughout this blog. Just click on Yubinuki (ThimbleRing) on the labels at the bottom of this page.
If I can make these thimbles you can too.
Logo Design Competition 2010 for International Temari Appreciation Day
Yay! I'm so excited to announce a competition open to all Temari makers to stitch a ball which will be used in the International Temari Appreciation Day logo for 2010/2011.
For all the details head over to the blog... here's the link
http://international-temari-appreciation.blogspot.com/2010/07/logo-design-competition-2010.html
I've included a sample ball at the blog to get your creative juices flowing.
This competition is the outcome of one of the wonderful suggestions I received when I asked for ways to celebrate the day. Keep those suggestions coming! Thanks to everyone who has contacted me so far.
For all the details head over to the blog... here's the link
http://international-temari-appreciation.blogspot.com/2010/07/logo-design-competition-2010.html
I've included a sample ball at the blog to get your creative juices flowing.
This competition is the outcome of one of the wonderful suggestions I received when I asked for ways to celebrate the day. Keep those suggestions coming! Thanks to everyone who has contacted me so far.
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