Japanese Temari

I posted before about learning to make Japanese Temari in the embroidery guild.  If you remember, I mentioned that I read that Japanese mothers would make them for their children and they would write their wish for their child and wrap it inside the ball. There are multiple layers inside each ball.  The first wrap is a soft yarn, the second wrap is thread (any color) and the third wrap is the color of thread that you want to show.

The wrapped under layers are called the "underground" and you need them to be able to stitch into.  You then divide the ball into however many sections you need for the design you're doing.  I learned two designs - the one pictured above is divided into four sections and the one to the right and below is divided into eight sections. (The one at the bottom is four sections also.). It's kind of hard to get the sections even because by the time you've done all the wrapping the ball isn't perfectly round, if it even was to begin with! (I started with a 2 1/2 inch styrofoam ball.)

 So! I made one for each of my four children!  And there is a mother's wish wrapped inside just for them, which they'll never see, but they'll know it's there :)

And I bet they can guess whose is whose by the colors I chose!


I put a little hanger on each because I think they will make great Christmas tree ornaments, so I'll be giving the balls to them around Christmas time (as long as I don't forget where I put them in the meantime - ha!)

I've been working on Woodland Whimsy!  I really hope to finish that in the next couple of months!

What are YOU working on??

Have a great weekend!!