My first Temari ball embroidery project!

I love reading threads like this that remind you of some craft supply you have stashed away :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: I went to a temari workshop many years ago and then some time after that I was at a craft fair and I found a vendor who made temari balls and was also selling rice hulls to make the temari core. So I just remembered that I have a whole bag of those hulls… I really need to actually use them to make a ball now XD

2 Likes

Yes, do!!! Again, totally love that these temari balls almost always use up items that would otherwise be discarded, like the rice hulls.

Where was the workshop you attended, @WingsoftheWind?

Over 10 years ago, Nov 2009! I found a pic of some temari balls I did for a craft fair. May have to dig out that how to book I have. I’m thinking rainbow ones.

The cool part about these is that they look awesome to everyone else, even when you know where all the mistakes are. And they are a good TV watching or travel craft. I use styrofoam balls. Mys struggle was always dividing the ball into equal areas. I never quite got them right…but who can tell?

6 Likes

These are so cool! I’ve never heard of them!

1 Like

Oooh!!! Yours are so pretty! You did a whole bunch of them, too.

Does it get faster once you get the hang of it? I’m thinking it takes too long to be a profitable craft-fair item… But I guess the styrofoam speeds it up, too, since you are doing less wrapping at the core.

Yahoo! You are one of this week’s featured projects. Way to go!

Thanks so much!!!

Yes it gets faster. The first one is a bear. The 2nd one is somewhat easier. And then on about the 3rd or 4th one you make every mistake possible because you think you know what you are doing. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: THEN, it gets much easier. :upside_down_face: Just like every other skill we learn.

Then you don’t do it for over 10 years and have to learn it all over again. Such is life. I wonder how many of us have abandoned skills that we don’t even remember having? Hey that might be a fun thread.

2 Likes

Yes! Maybe call it, “Things I used to know how to do…”
:smile:

1 Like

I tell my husband this all the time…when I look back at things I made when I was younger, and even just 10 years ago, I have no idea how I did it…I can’t remember how to do fair isle knitting but I have pictures of hats and scarves I made when I was a tween…what the heck?

3 Likes

This is how the Pam stitch was born. I have no idea how I started doing it. I was trying to learn embroidery and just thought the stitch I was doing looked better than the one in the tutorial, so I kept doing it. People say that it looks like a back stitch and I tell them, “okay, go with that.” :rofl:

3 Likes

:crazy_face:

It’s always fun when someone insists that something should be done in an exact way. Sewing, embroidery, painting. I mean, I got the job done didn’t I? I like it. Oh, no, that’s the look I was going for. Ha.

BTW I did a search on temari ball images. Whoa. Amazing. Now where did I put my styrofoam balls? And do I really need to start something new now?

YES!

3 Likes

YES, do it!!!

There are some amazingly beautiful Temari ball designs out there. Of course, the more complex the pattern is, the harder it is to measure and mark the darn thing! :confounded:

Ooh, the pattern on the bottom right ball is so cool it makes it look textured even though I can see that it’s smooth. Optical illusion Temari!

You did a great job for your first Temari ball!!

I’m sure if I made one it would be wonky too! Whenever I end up having something wonky, I think of the Navajo rug tradition that my mom told me about years ago: they purposely weave an error into the rug pattern to avoid trapping any evil spirits. :wink:

1 Like

It’s good to know that none of my creations have ever trapped an evil spirit. errors abound!

2 Likes

I’m sure I haven’t trapped any, either!!! :grin:

My sister told me that the Navajo purposefully put a mistake in their work, @Harlan. But she said it was to avoid offending God, since only God is perfect and humans cannot and should not pretend to be perfect. So it is like a symbol of humility to include the mistake.

I Googled it, and found that there are other explanations of why Navajos do this, as well! It’s interesting there are so many different stories about the reason. That’s what oral traditions will do, I guess!

1 Like

That is beautiful, even if you think it’s a bit wonky! I’ve loved the look of temari ball’s, but never had the courage, or patience to tackle one. Congratulations on being a featured project.

I put one wrong stitch in my knitting for rare diseases. Usually only I know it is there, but it still makes me feel better. So if I have ever knit you something see if you can find it, lol! I have 2 children with unrelated rare diseases that are not hereditary that is why it is important to me.

3 Likes

It’s cool that you do that, @Raury! I’d never heard of the intentional mistake being incorporated into non-Navajo craftwork.

Hope your kids are thriving.

Will look for your “missing stitch” if we ever swap!

2 Likes

The Amish do a similar thing with their quilting…I don’t purposely make mistakes in my quilts, so I think I am good…the intention is that no one is perfect and I like that…exceptional is fine but perfection is too high a standard…

2 Likes