“Fine craftsmanship — manifested in attention to details and the creation of small objects — and appreciation of beauty invariably go hand in hand in Japan.” writes Patricia Graham as she presents “beauty in miniaturization and detailed workmanship” as one of the ten key characteristics of design in Japanese culture in her book Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics and Culture. “Complementing an emphasis on fine craftsmanship and technological innovation” Graham explains, “the Japanese have a propensity for appreciating the refined beauty of small spaces, arts of diminutive proportions, and art forms whose beauty derives from painstaking detail.”
Many of the beautiful art works I had the privilege to view while visiting Japan last year validated Graham’s point. A finely-crafted temari, for instance, definitely illustrates the beauty of attention to detail on a small object. The temari pictured below is one of my beloved treasures from the year I spent in Southeast Asia over a decade ago.
Temari, which means “hand ball” in Japanese, is an old traditional craft and folk art form. According to the Japan Temari Association, “The ancient Japanese temari is said to have its origins in the deerskin kemari that was brought over from China during the Asuka period [538-710 CE]”. Kemari was a non-competitive sport, similar to modern-day “circle kicking” or “hacky sack”, where players gather in a circle and work together to keep a ball in the air as long as possible. Players typically kick the ball with their feet but they may use any body part, except their hands and arms, to prevent it from touching the ground.
Over time, the women in the Royal Court made temari from scraps of silk fabric embellished with brightly colored silk thread. Temari evolved into a way to demonstrate, and perhaps flaunt, their superb hand-stitching skills. These new-and-improved versions of temari were treasured for their beauty and craftsmanship and, needless to say, no longer kicked around in a game of kemari!
The stunning temari pictured below was spotted at Kaga Temari Mariya, an extraordinary studio/shop specializing in temari, located in Kanazawa, Japan.
The Japan Temari Association goes on to explain “Temari was once woven with silk thread among the upper classes, but since the early modern period, with the spread of cotton thread, it has spread among the common people and is now being made in various places. Temari is a highly traditional artistic culture in which each item is unique … due to the creator’s free ideas and precise techniques.”
The Kaga Temari Mariya website elaborates “In the past Kaga Temari (thread balls) were children’s toys. Now they are handicrafts used in interior design to decorate rooms. … In Kanazawa there is a practice of giving these balls to daughters when they are marrying to bring them happiness.”
“At Mariya, we make everything by hand using traditional methods, from making the base to creating each stitch of the pattern. Please enjoy the beautiful and auspicious Kaga Temari .” They also offer kits, with prepared balls and the necessary supplies, to make these two temari.
I couldn’t resist! Here are the contents of the kit I purchased including the detailed instructions… in Japanese!
I readily admit, I’ve been daunted by this project. I did a little online research but still couldn’t quite see my way to tackling these temari. Then the annual Original Sewing & Quilt Expo came to Atlanta with a full slate of classes and workshops focused on fiber-related subjects including, you guessed it, a session on temari!
The workshop, Temari: A Special Gift of Friendship, was taught by Jill McCloy. In her course description, Jill issues an invitation to “Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Temari as you witness the allure of numerous artistic variations. Guided by Jill, you will craft a timeless masterpiece using a traditional base of rice hulls (provided), intertwined with yarn and thread. In this hands-on experience, precision takes the lead as metallic thread effortlessly divides your creation into sections, later adorned with the elegant touch of pearl cotton. The magic lies in the simplicity of the technique, yielding results that are nothing short of lovely. While stitching, unravel the fascinating history of Temari, adding depth and context to each careful stitch.” It was a great class. Jill generously shared her knowledge and expertise while keeping us entertained with interesting facts and amusing stories.
Here’s my temari as of the end of the Workshop.
And here it is, in its final state, viewed from the North Pole…
… and viewed from the Equator (more on those labels in a minute). Not bad for a first attempt!
I’ve learned there are four major steps to making a temari: 1) Design the Temari 2) Make the Ball 3) Mark the Guidelines and 4) Wrap/Stitch the Design.
1. Design the Temari
“Prior to mass-media communication, the patterns, styles and colors of Temari were regional within geographic areas of Japan, often following the customs and symbols of the district.” writes author Diana Vandervoort in her book Temari: How to Make Japanese Thread Balls. “Patterns were frequently derived from nature, many having the names of flowers, such as “Kiku” (chrysanthemum), “Ume”(plum blossom), or “Botan” (peony), while others have been named for patterns in nature that they might resemble, such as pine needles, shimmering streams, shooting stars, fireworks, ocean waves and fish nets. Complex geometric designs of interlocking squares, triangles, diamonds and pentagons provide another range of design categories.”
The Japan Temari Association hosts a monthly exhibit at the Temari Bunko gallery in Tokyo, Japan. Each “Temari of the Month” exhibit features a different seasonal theme. The March 2024 exhibit, for instance, showcased designs with camellias. Fortunately, the exhibits are also shared online—on both their website and Instagram (see More Info below). Here’s a screenshot from the Temari_Bunko Instagram page as of early April 2024.
But the best way to view these beautiful works of art is with the virtual reality option on their website which allows you to zoom in and turn the temari around to view all sides.
Here are a few examples from their November exhibit which was titled “Temari in Late Autumn”. As explained on the website, “As autumn deepens and the foliage bursts into vibrant colors, we have collected a collection Temari of autumn leaves. Temari thread conveys the beauty of autumn leaves and the charm of autumn. Enjoy the beauty of autumn leaves expressed by temari.”
The temari exhibited at Temari Bunko are created by highly skilled temari artists. Most of these patterns would be too ambitious for a beginner. But there are many simpler, yet beautiful, patterns more suited for someone just learning to make temari. In her book, Japanese Temari: A Colorful Spin on an Ancient Craft, Barbara Suess presents a series of 24 designs working from simple to complex. Each design is selected to emphasize specific techniques and to build skills.
The second design she presents is “Autumn Moon”. This is essentially the same design we created at the Temari Workshop.
“In Japan, a full moon symbolizes autumn, just as cherry blossoms signify spring, and snow is the sign of winter.” explains Suess. “Moon viewing parties, introduced from China, celebrate the full moon of mid autumn. … This is a time to gaze at the moon, sip green tea, and reflect upon the wonders of nature.
Autumn Moon is an elegant yet simple design, where thread is wrapped around and around the ball to divide it into four equal segments. A perfect beginner ball, you will learn how to wrap bands of color next to easy guidelines.” This pattern aims to build the following skills:
“. Marking a simple 4-division
. Wrapping threads to create a design
. Learning easy-to-remember symbols for the top (north pole), bottom (south pole), and middle-circumference (equator) of the ball”.
In regards to supplies for the design, the ball in Suess’ version of Autumn Moon (shown above) is covered in “blue jean gold” thread, embellished with brown, beige and black craft thread, and highlighted with gold metallic embroidery thread.
The temari I made at the Workshop, is wrapped with dark green serger thread, embellished with DMC Perle Cotton #5 in white and in “Caribbean Bay” variegated blue, and highlighted with silver metallic thread.
Traditionally, however, temari were wrapped and stitched with silk thread. The decorative thread included in my Kaga Temari Mariya kit is Kanagawa 100% silk (labelled as “equivalent to size 18”). It’s easy to see why Kanagawa silk thread (now known as YLI #1000 Denier Silk Thread) is highly sought after by fiber artists for embroidery, needlepoint, quilting and other hand stitching. The thread has a lustrous sheen and the colors are rich and vibrant.
After choosing your pattern and color palette, it’s time to make the ball.
2. Make the Ball
Temari are made with smooth, round spheres. They are typically about the size of a tennis ball although they can be made larger or smaller. Making a good core is the first, and arguably the most important, skill to be mastered.
Pictured below are a few different sized temari by Kaga Temari Mariya.
Long ago, the Japanese Royal Court ladies started their temari balls by winding scraps of silk fabric into tight balls. But many different fillings were introduced as the craft spread to the Japanese masses. “Traditional ingredients” explains Suess, “included dried seaweed, paper, rags, … unhulled rice, hemp, grass seeds, cocoons, dried gourds, sea sponge, dried stems of yam plant, wood shavings, husks from sago palm, strands from banana plants, rice hulls, and silk fibers.”
Nowadays, the core of a temari ball is more likely to be made with fabric or yarn scraps. It’s a great way to repurpose leftover fiber materials. At the Temari Workshop, we used rice hulls sourced from a brewing supply shop. Alternatively, you could use something like hulled millet as I did for my second ball (pictured below). The hulled millet, purchased at the local grocery store, was left over from making the juggling balls I featured in the previous blog post Felt Juggling Balls with Pouch – DIY Tutorial.
We placed our rice hulls in a piece of tissue paper. Alternatively, you could use the foot of a sock or stocking as Suess recommends in her book. What a great way to use those orphan socks hidden in the bottom of your dresser drawer!
This is the time to consider adding a noisemaker or rattle to your temari. At Kaga Temari Mariya, they pay special attention to the sound made by their temari. “The delicate sound produced when shaken is characteristic of Kaga Temari. It is said that if the sound comes through clearly, the person holding the ball will become lucky.” The balls in the kit I purchased at Kaga Temari Mariya make a pleasant, tinkling sound like a jingling bell.
At the Temari Workshop, we made a simple rattle by inserting a penny inside two metal bottle caps. The resulting sound is a deep, rattling noise. I spent some time experimenting with noisemakers for my second temari ball. Several references suggest making a small 1 inch-square box from cardstock to hold beads or other small elements. I was disappointed with the sound the cardstock box produced so I tried making boxes from thin plastic and metal foil. The sound made by a small metal jingle bell inside the metal foil box was most pleasing to my ear.
But I wouldn’t recommend this approach because, as I discovered after wrapping the ball, the sound is muffled and barely audible. Plus it was difficult to shape the ball around the metal foil box.
After settling on the filling and the rattle, it’s time to shape the core. Scrunch the tissue paper into a crude ball, taking care to keep the tiny bits inside. Pass the ball back and forth between your cupped hands making it as round as possible—much like you would if you were making a snowball.
Next this crude ball is wrapped with soft yarn and then thread. The thread becomes the background of your temari design so you’ll want to choose accordingly. The yarn will be hidden so, once again, it’s an opportunity to use leftover scraps or repurposed yarn. I would, however, choose yarn in the same color as the thread.
For my first temari core, I used a rather bright orange yarn which I later regretted. It required a great deal of thread to hide the yarn and, later when I started stitching the design, the orange yarn occasionally pulled out to the surface. Lesson learned! For my second temari core, I chose white tissue paper, white yarn and white thread. Here it is after a few wraps of yarn and after all the thread has been added.
It can be challenging to make a perfectly spherical core. The trick is to distribute the yarn (and then the thread) evenly around the entire ball by constantly turning the ball to change the direction in which the yarn/thread is being applied. It’s also important to check for lumps and bumps and to remove them as you go. Alternatively, it is possible to use styrofoam balls for the core, in fact some experts recommend beginners start out this way, but the resulting temari will not be as soft or flexible.
In terms of size, the balls in my Kaga Temari Mariya kit have a diameter of about 6.37cm (2.5”) and a circumference of about 20cm (7.9”) which is slightly smaller than a tennis ball which has a diameter of 6.54cm – 6.85cm (2.6” – 2.7”). As noted, previously temari can also be made with larger or smaller spheres.
3. Mark the Guidelines
The objective of this step is to mark a few guidelines with thread on the surface of the sphere. The guidelines divide the sphere into the number of sections required by the pattern. There are seven standard divisions used in temari ranging from “Simple 4-division” to “Simple 10-division” to “Combination 8-division”.
For instance, the Autumn Moon pattern requires a “Simple 4-division” which means 8 identical sections are marked on the sphere. To accomplish this, you divide the sphere into halves, then quarters and then eighths. You start by choosing a spot on the sphere for the North Pole (as it’s called in temari) and inserting a pin with a white pinhead. Strips of narrow paper, such as quilling paper strips, are used to measure and divide sections.
Start by pinning one end of the paper strip to the North Pole. Then wrap the strip around the sphere and fold the tail end where it meets the starting end. Take care to ensure the paper is wrapped around the fullest part of the sphere and doesn’t slide to the side. Ensure the ends butt up against each other accurately and are clearly creased where they meet.
Remove the paper and fold it in half to mark the midpoint. I found it helpful to snip off one small corner of the folded edge. Return the paper to the sphere, with both ends at the North Pole, ensuring it is placed around the fullest part of the sphere. Insert a pin with a blue pinhead, to represent the South Pole, in the bottom of the sphere at the midpoint indicated by the snipped crease.
Remove the paper and cut it into two at the midpoint crease. Then use one of the pieces and fold it in half (essentially measuring ¼ of the length around the sphere). Again, ensure the fold is clearly creased and snip off a small corner of the folded edge. Return the paper to the sphere. Carefully, hold one end of the strip at the North Pole and the other end at the South Pole. Insert a pin with a red pinhead, to represent the Equator, along the belly of the sphere at the midpoint indicated by the snipped crease. Carefully, slide the paper strip around the sphere and place red pins at all midpoints. Double-check each pin to ensure it was placed accurately.
Here’s how my ball looked at this point.
The next step is to finalize the placement of the pins around the Equator. Use the same paper strip to locate 4 equally spaced spots around the belly of the sphere and relocate the red pins to these spots. With the North Pole (white pin), South Pole (blue pin) and Equator (4 red pins) marked, it’s time to add the actual guidelines. Guidelines are typically wrapped and stitched using metallic thread. All subsequent stitching will follow these guidelines so it’s important to be precise.
Here’s my second temari core with guidelines.
4. Wrap/Stitch the Design
A combination of wrapping and stitching is used to create beautiful temari patterns with decorative thread. Several stitches from the world of hand embroidery, such as herringbone stitch, satin stitch and cross stitch, can be used. The temari pattern you’ve selected will explain how to create the design.
For instance, Suess’ instructions for the Autumn Moon pattern begin as follows:
“1. Mark the ball with metallic thread in a simple 4-division. Measure and cut enough brown thread to wrap four times around the ball plus 8″ more. Thread the needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread. Take one stitch underground (under thread wrap). beginning about 2″ away from your starting point. Come up near an intersection, close to a guideline. Tug gently until the knot pops down into the thread wrap.
2. Wrap brown thread all the way around the ball twice on one side of the guideline. The thread should lie right next to the guideline. Finish at your starting point.”
Here’s my second temari with the first couple of wraps around the ball as per the instructions (note I’m using rose-colored perle cotton instead of brown thread).
The complete instructions can be found in Suess’ book Japanese Temari: A Colorful Spin on an Ancient Craft (see More Info below).
Barbara Suess also shares a great deal of information on her website Japanese Temari (see More Info below). One topic she addresses online is the obi in temari design. An obi is a belt or sash worn with traditional Japanese clothing, most notably a kimono. To learn more about kimonos, check out my previous blog post Kimonos: The Ultimate Wearable Art.
“In the craft of temari” explains Suess, “an obi is a band of threads or strip of fabric wrapped around the equator. Simple division temari are ones that have a design on the north pole and a design on the south pole. Quite often, an obi is wrapped on the equator between the two designs.”
Examples of this pattern are shown below. Both of these temari have a design on the north and south poles with an obi around the equator. The beige strands hanging from the obi, by the way, are tassels designed to dangle below the temari when it is hung for display. I spotted these temari at a street fair in Tokyo—long before I knew enough to fully appreciate the patience and skill that went into making a temari. Oh, how I wish I’d purchased one of these treasures!
More Info
Previous blog posts mentioned in today’s blog post include:
. Felt Juggling Balls with Pouch – DIY Tutorial.
. Kimonos: The Ultimate Wearable Art.
The following books and articles were consulted in the writing of this blog post:
. Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics and Culture by Patricia Graham which is available here on Internet Archives.
. Japanese Temari: A Colorful Spin on an Ancient Craft by Barbara Suess which is available here on Internet Archives. Barbara Suess also shares a wealth of information on her Japanese Temari website.
.Temari: How to Make Japanese Thread Balls by Diana Vandervoort which is available here on Internet Archives.
The Japan Temari Association was founded in 1979 with the purpose “to inherit traditional Japanese temari techniques, enhance their artistry, and foster successors in temari making, as well as deepen mutual understanding among members, aid in international exchange, and contribute to the improvement of Japanese culture”. You can learn more on the Association website, the Temari Bunko website or the Temari Bunko page on Instagram.
Kaga Temari Mariya is a small shop/studio that specializes in temari located in Kanazawa, Japan. You can learn more about this special place or shop for finished temari or temari supplies on the Kaga Temari Mariya website.
The Temari: A Special Gift of Friendship workshop with Jill McCloy was offered by the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo at their Atlanta event. You can learn more about Jill and her various interests on the Jill McCloy Designs website. Check out the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo website for more information about their events.
Today’s Takeaways
1. “Fine craftsmanship — manifested in attention to details and the creation of small objects — and appreciation of beauty invariably go hand in hand in Japan.” Patricia Graham
2. “In the past Kaga Temari (thread balls) were children’s toys. Now they are handicrafts used in interior design to decorate rooms.” Kaga Temari Mariya
3. A combination of wrapping and stitching is used to create beautiful temari patterns with decorative thread.
2 Comments
@Marian, Thanks! Glad you liked it. Peg
Wow. Great post.