Earth Ribbons Temari

She’s big, dark like the season’s hibernating energy, fat and juicy. 8.6” diameter, 68.5 cm. circumference. The biggest wrapped mari so far. Her bell box at the center is a great aspect.  Size does make things challenging. Keeping the perfection of roundness was very hard. Even continuous checking while making the sphere, slapping  and pounding, whacking even, I found that once I started making the marking grid she was off round in some areas. Argh to say the least! So, a multi centered grid seemed out, darn it.

I had this cool ribbon purchased months ago just because it looked really cool and had been trying to use it somehow. Voila! A simple division of 20 spokes  as you can see. 9yds. of ribbon, many hrs. spent making the mari itself. Holding it and wrapping takes some serious patience and pauses, returning to it again and again over perhaps a week’s time. Needless to say probably, but it was eating an amazing amount thread.

Every Temari made so far has been a learning adventure. Knowing how this one would evolve was a mystery. I marked the spokes with trash thread, laid the first 10 arms that overlap each pole, only then realizing placing 10 more was ‘right’. Then cutting and fitting sections of the ribbon design into the equator to mark the belly brought me to the enough and finished moment.

From  facing the ready all black sphere and a pile of waiting ribbon came the gradual evolution into possibility. I will probably work with ribbon again  knowing now  more about what style, width and design to choose.