Thimbles a go-go. (Yubinuki # 8 and #9)

Two posts in one day??? Technically Yes but actually No... I just forgot to publish the previous one yesterday.

It seems I am hooked on thimbles right now.  Not too sure why, but my next project is definitely a temari because my eyes can't take the tiny stitches without bright light... and I am going to end up with work lamp tan if I make any more this week.

These are my latest efforts. Both are stitched with Gutermann 30 Sulky rayon in 4 colours on 6cm bases one has yellow bias and the other is navy.

You will notice the top one is fairly flat looking and I didn't really like that look so I plumped up the base on the next one to give it a little more curve. I am not sure it this flat look is due more to the height of the thimble rather than lack of padding. But adding a bit more thread to the second pink one certainly helped. 

The Gutermann thread is definitely not as nice to use as the Japanese thread but given that my thimbles are a little taller than the one I stitched in the Japanese thread the stitch angle may have contributed to the look.

If you are wondering 'Hey what happened to Yubinuki #7?' Well that is the one I have made for my Mum's birthday so I wont be showing it until next week. Sorry folks... check back next week :)

Making blanks

I love stitching temari and yubinuki.  Notice I say stitching. Prepping bases isn't a horrible job... but when the mood takes me to stitch a design the last thing I want to do is make a base.  This is why I regularly have blank making sessions.  I love having a stash ready to go.  This week I made 16 Yubinuki bases (4 each in blue, black, red and yellow) and 20 temari bases (8 black, 6 red, and 6 white). So I am all ready for the next pattern that jumps off the page (book or Internet) grabs me by the collar and demands to be stitched immediately.

I have finished a really lovely yubinuki tonight but I'm not ready to show it yet because it is a gift for my Mum's birthday next week.

Anzac Day Traditions

Today is April 25th. Every year we celebrate ANZAC Day on this day to honour members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I.  More recently it more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for Australia and New Zealand.  Many people begin this day by attending a dawn service in their local area. Other people line the streets for a parade where returned servicemen and women wearing their medals march to honour the fallen.  There is also a dawn service held at Anzac Cove, which is the small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on April 25 1915.

This ode is read at the dawn service:

~

They shall not grow old,

As we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them,

Nor the years condemn,

At the going down of the sun,

And in the morning,

We will remember them.

~

The crowd then responds with:

We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

~

This is a day to give thanks to all those that gave their lives to provide us with the many freedoms we enjoy today and to celebrate and keep alive the ANZAC Spirit which is based on qualities such as endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour, larrikinism, and mateship. The first ANZAC soldiers are perceived to have been innocent and fit, stoical and laconic, irreverent in the face of authority, naturally egalitarian and disdainful of British class differences.  Many of these qualities are the core of our Australian identity and I hope they remain so for many years to come.

There is another ANZAC tradition that most Australians know... making ANZAC biscuits (not to be confused with the ANZAC tile/wafer - biscuit recipe at the bottom of linked page).  I made a batch today (as I do every ANZAC day). I am glad I will be sharing them with my loved ones who are all safe at home with me today.

They are made using rolled oats, flour, coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, bicarbonate of soda and boiling water. Anzac biscuits have long been associated with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) established in World War I.  It is said that the biscuits were sent by wives and mothers to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation. These biscuits are an Australian favourite and are readily available in grocery stores.

Video Temari Tutorial Series released

I have been quietly working on this video tutorial project over the last few months and now it has been released in our supply store. Books and Internet sites are both fantastic (and highly recommended) resources for learning temari making but (if you're like me) nothing sinks in like an actual live demonstration.  I need to see what happens between the photos.  This tutorial series shows you how to make your very first temari.

There are five episodes (40+ minutes in total) demonstrating every step from how to prepare the temari base through to measuring & marking with pins into a Simple 8 division and laying the guideline threads. This series shows you how to make a classic simple obi and includes two traditional pole designs using Herringbone stitch. Use the two designs on the same ball or make two temari using a design on each.  A handy temari supplies shopping list and printable copy of the instructions are also included on the disk. 

A handy temari supply shopping list, history, colour & motif information and a printable copy of the instructions are also included on the disk.

I planned to offer this series as a download the file but size was just too large to allow it. You'll have no problem viewing the tutorials on a Window Media Player, it is a WMV file. (Mac: You may be able to download a converter from the Internet... and if you are a mac user you probably already know how or have done it.)

This is the ONLY item in our store that is set up to ship to locations outside Australia.  Visit our store to see all the details.

Free temari patterns and cool books you can buy

OK so you've discovered temari making and your mind is agog with potential, but you can't lay your hands on any books today so where do you go for a starter project or two?  So here is a little list of places to visit for some free temari patterns.  Don't we all love that word?! Free!!

Japanese Temari by Barb Suess (you can also order a great book written by Barb).
Temari Kai you need to click through to the pattern pages.  There are a variety of submitted patterns from many members ranging from beginner to advanced.
Math Info by Debi Abolt. There are many pages of patterns and very useful investigations about all things temari related.  Debi also has an awesome blog where she has been sharing her Yubinuki pattern studies.
Kathleen Hewitt's web pages have several free patterns to try.
WikiHow on this page you will find how to construct the base ball with a inserted bell.  Instead of using batting, I use a layer of wool wrapped in the same manner as the thread layer shown in the tutorial.

There are also some really great Yahoo groups to join:
Temari Challenge
Talk Temari
Thimble Rings

So until you can get your own copy of at least one of the great temari books available you've got some links to patterns to get you going toward your new addiction.  Our store sells many of the Japanese language books.  Click the supply store link  in the left column to see what's available.