It's a Temari-versary!

I realised the other day that it must have been about a year since I discovered (and subsequently began making) temari. When I looked it up on the computer, sure enough it was the 19th of April last year that I began making my first ball.

As previously mentioned I am a bit of a serial hobbyist, and so I didn't count the anniversary of temari making from the start of the creation (because it may never have been finished)- but from the completion of the project, which was exactly one year ago today! When I mentioned this to my husband he was suprised that it had been that long already, and that I had stuck to a hobby for more that a few months!

So, in commemoration of this grand event, I decided to make a ball especially for the day, and I finished it off this morning. It is a 6 SD, Mitsubane Kikkou design worked on a 24cm ball. I have used this colour combo before on a white ball and really like the effect, so this time I did it on a black ball. I love the brightness of the colours - they are happy colours, which represents what I like about temari making - it brings more happiness into my world. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.




And to make the day even more special - there was my latest order from Temari Addict waiting for me when I got home last night. I ordered some Cosmo threads and a new Japanese temari book - Azuma Temari!! Click here to pop over and see the fantastic things you can get from Rebecca's store!

Purple flowers

Well, if you have payed close attention to the temari I have made and posted about in the blog, and to the blog design itself, you will see one colour keeps appearing - purple. It would have to be my alltime favourite colour, and appears constantly in things I make or buy. This new ball doesn't even begin to sway from that path! I would say that I'll try to change colours for the next one, but I already have them picked out, so unless the ball becomes a UFO, then it too will contain some wonderful shades of .....you guessed it.......purple. Maybe I should challenge myself to make several balls in a row without touching the purple draw of threads, to try and break the habit. Maybe I should stickytape that draw shut for a few weeks. Anyhows, here is the latest.

Promising starts

A little while ago I heard a story on the radio about a volunteer program called the Pyjama Foundation. The Pyjama Foundations tries to encourage a love of reading and learning by sending volunteer 'Pyjama Angels' to read to children in foster care. Take a look at their website here for more information on the Foundation. I really believe in what they advocate, and so I signed up to become a Pyjama Angel. About a month ago, I received a call from the coordinator to say that she had found a child that may be suitable for me to work with. The Foundation matches you up with a child who is in a similar area to you, with times that are convenient for both parties etc. I met Max (for privacy reasons I have used a false name), and his foster carer. Max is 9, and I have read to him 3 times so far. Sometimes we play an educational game as well as read a book. While it's very early days, it looks like things are going ok and getting a little better each week, and I'm hopeful that things will continue to be positive.

Getting back in to stitching.....

Taking inspiration from the last temari I made, I have finished off this new ball this morning. In the last design, the corners of each square were interlocked (?) and I had wondered what it would look like if I did each square one round at a time, so that the corners formed diamond shapes. I also wanted to use the black/white/colour concept again, but with more focus on the black and white and using the colour for accent rather than to dominate. I also decided that 'something' needed to happen in the centre of the squares.

I had originally thought of using sakasa uwagake kagari, and then thought about an 8 point kiku, but thought it may look a bit odd as what I already had on the ball seemed to scream 'lines' and 'angles'. So I hunted through my pictures of temari, and came across a picture with two interlocked squares. I used this for inspiration for the square design I used on each face.

It was a lovely ball to stitch, and worked out really nicely considering it came from a combination of stitches I have learned and was not any particular pattern. Now to decide what's next.......!

Drawing homework

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been taking some botanical drawing classes. While this does cut down on my 'temari time', it is also something Ireally enjoy doing, and hope to get better at. I am doing a beginner painting class in a couple of months, which should also be very interesting - as normally, no matter how small the paint job, no matter how careful I am, I end up with paint all over me! Anyhow, I thought I'd share some of my classwork. The first is a bell pepper, or mini capsicum. Then we worked on some gumnuts. And this is the waterlily drawing I have been working on. It's not finished yet, but I'm getting happier with it.

Hopefully in the painting class I will learn enough to paint the lily. It was a spectacular pink colour that will (fingers crossed) look amazing.

New temari

This is my latest temari. It's taken me a while to do it, because I marked it and chose the threads and then it sat in the basket for a couple of weeks until I sat down for a couple of hours and stitched it. It is quite an easy C8 design, and I can see how the techniques could be used in different ways in other patterns.

I wasn't so wrapped with my colour choice (Unintended teamri pun!!I really like the black and white, although next time I would do more rows of each. The purple Nordic Gold didnt 'pop' against the pink background either, but overall it's not too bad.

Drawing Lessons

As I mentioned in the previous posts, I have been taking a few botanical drawing lessons. So far, we have been focusing on outlines. I'm really enjoying the classes, and looking forward to the next four weeks, which will focus on shading and adding depth to the pictures. I thought I'd post my picture of the orchids I drew. I chose to draw this plant because it was beautiful and the lines/shapes of the flowers/leaves etc were clear to see. And.....I had only bought it a couple of weeks ago, and I have never had any luck with orchids in the past, so I wanted to try and draw it before it went to plant heaven! I have also taken a couple of photo's, so that if I reach the stage where I get to add colour, I will have a reference. The flowers are a beautiful shade of orange. The drawing is very light, as it's only an outline, but here it is: