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Have you heard of Longwood Gardens? You probably have. It is a world famous and enchanting indulgence in plants of all kinds. Located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania on over a thousand acres, they are always changing up their displays, and have some very spectacular seasonal shows. Lucky for me, I’m only an hour away or so, and I love getting to stroll around the gardens and marvel inside the conservatories. And a million and a half people agree with me, and visit every year! www.longwoodgardens.org But what does this have to do with temari? A few months ago, I was fortunate to meet some of the amazing people that work all year long on planning their seasonal displays. They develop coordinating themes and bring in artwork to enhance their botanical showcases. They labor months and months ahead of time, to come up with new and creative shows, and every year is different from the last. They had invited me to meet with them, and to show off some of my temari. I was able to explain to the team the history and traditions of this wonderful fiber art. But, as you probably know, seeing temari in person is always so … Continue reading “Holiday Temari at Longwood Gardens” →

As you may know, the last couple of years have been pretty tough for me. My father’s health has been ailing, and I had to step in and really take care of all aspects of his healthcare, even though I live about 3 hours away. During this time, I had to put many things that I love doing on hold, such as stitching temari. The hiatus came naturally, though, as the depressing nature of what I was going through sapped away my creative juices. Last fall, I was invited to give a talk about the art of temari to a fiber guild that I’m a member of . (https://www.centralpaweavers.com/) After the talk, I went out to lunch with a few of the guild members, whom I had not seen in over a year. I was discussing with them the creative funk I found myself in. It had been a long time since I felt inspired to make anything, let alone had any exciting ideas for original designs. Was I ever going to get that mojo back? One of my lunch companions related to me a story that she had seen on television, where they compared the act of creation to … Continue reading “A Breath of Fresh Temari” →

These days I have put my Japanese Temari Certification work on hold for a bit to focus on fulfilling a promise I made in January. The online community of temari stitchers knows as “Temari Challenge” is an open group of over 900 people that I am proud to be a part of. https://temarichallenge.groups.io/g/Main Each year, members of this group suggest temari patterns that they would like to learn to stitch, and volunteers step up to lead these as “stitch-a-long”s. During the year, the leaders study and stitch the patterns they have picked, and then break the process of making that temari down into steps. They lead the interested members through each step, giving plenty of time for questions and discussions after each stage. Finally, those that finish the ball share pictures of their work, and everyone is inspired by their accomplishments. Stitch-a-longs are a great way to expand your skills and try new patterns. The discussion periods help everyone involved, even teaching members things they didn’t think to question or examine! It really brings together members of the community in a fun way. Leading a stitch-a-long is also a wonderful way to get experience teaching. No matter how much preparing … Continue reading “Preparing for a Stitch-A-Long… A Challenge!” →