Japanese Temari: A Colorful Spin on an Ancient Craft

Learn How to Make Beautiful Japanese Handballs

With little more than a needle and colorful embroidery threads, Barbara Suess shows how to make beautiful Japanese temari-a folk craft dating back to the to the 12th century.

Crafted from the same silk threads used to weave elegant kimonos, temari balls evolved from playthings for children to an exquisite art form that delights all ages. Traditional temari incorporates centuries-old beloved patterns embroidered onto a simple handball.

In Japanese Temari, Barbara Suess shares the secrets of making temari balls passed down through generations. Showcased in beautiful color photographs are 24 designs, starting with a simple pattern that can be completed in an hour or less. For every design, color drawings show exactly what to do. Each design introduces a new level of skill, allowing you to build your temari repertoire as you work through the book. Made as gifts or as elegant home decorations, every temari completed will add light and delight to any decor. Suess has thoughtfully included inspirational watercolor drawings and haiku poetry that invite you further inside Japan's unique artistic traditions.

Japanese Temari features:

- 24 beautifully embroidered temari designs

- Complete, step-by-step directions and easy- to-follow color drawings

- A "ball prep" primer

- At-a-glance stitch guides for right and left-handed stitchers

- An illustrated glossary, plus a guide for temari teachers

Barbara Suess's Japanese Temari will give you hours of pleasure as you create objects of delight to have and to give!

This book is also available from Echo Point Books as a paperback (ISBN 164837168X).

Barbara B. Suess is the creator of Kiku Designs, an extensive online resource for enthusiasts of the Japanese crafts of temariand kimekomi (www.japanesetemari.com). A self-taught expert in Japanese needlework, she writes patterns, teaches classes, and even creates Japan-inspired jewelry. She is the author of Japanese Temari.