EGA Group Correspondence Course (GCC)
Japanese Temari Basics for Beginners
This course is offered through Embroiderers' Guild of America. Sign up with your local guild or contact EGA National.
Japanese Temari Basics for Beginners (Teacher:Barbara Suess)
Written for absolute beginners, this course will ease you in a fun and gentle way into making your own temari balls with classic, introductory designs. Portrait Temari (optional project) begins your journey in stitching on a thread-wrapped ball. Three more patterns created exclusively for this course are July the 4th, Quaker Ladies, and Bound Star. Learn how to make a well-wrapped temari ball by starting with a Styrofoam® ball or a variety of other ingredients, such as thread scraps, rice hulls, or dryer lint. Directions are given for finding the north and south poles, and dividing the ball into 8 and 10 sections. Temari techniques and stitches include wrapped bands, starbursts, spindles, double herringbone stitching, and stitching a 5-point star interlocked with a pentagon. Students are encouraged along the way to drop any tendencies toward perfectionism and just have fun playing with this ancient folk craft from Japan.
Project: Japanese Temari Balls
Size: 10 inch (25 cm) circumference balls
Threads: black sewing thread for wrapping, YLI Candlelight
or Kreinik #8 Braid for marking, DMC® #5 pearl cotton for stitching.
Colors: Suggestions provided but students are encouraged
to choose their own colors
Skill Level: Beginner
Prerequisites: None
Time: 5 meetings, 5 months
Text: $29.50 per student, 54 pages, unbound in a 2-pocket
folder, 5 pages color
