While there usually is a gathering through TalkTemari sometime during the fall each year, the 2006 fall get-together was postponed by popular request until January 2007, due to everyone having tight schedules through the fall of 2006. True to form, January 2007 found them descending upon Fairhope, Alabama thanks to the efforts of Blair H. Here's how it went:

From Blair: Another southern Temari gathering has come to a close. It is hard to believe it has come and gone. Since October, this gathering has been a part of my thoughts. My biggest fear is that, due to my job, I could not make the time to set up minute to minute details. So, from the start, I made it clear that this was to be a laid back weekend, one to talk, laugh, eat, sleep and stitch as the mood hits. Turns out it was just what we all needed.

I made it home about 3:30 on Friday to find Susan from Georgia already on my back porch. She had arrived perhaps 10 minutes earlier. My husband, John, wasn't home as he had gone to Pensacola to pick up Elsie from North Carolina for me. Susan gave me a chance to catch my breath (busy day at work) before we settled down back on the porch with a glass of wine for each of us. Elsie and John made it home about 4:15 to join us. About 6, Terry from Louisiana pulled in with Nicole from Tennessee. Terry had graciously arranged his drive to pick up Nicole at the Gulfport airport. We enjoyed the night breezes and each other's company on the porch for a while before heading for dinner at a local eatery called Manci's, home of the largest collection of Jack Daniel's decanters probably in the US. Ever seen the movie 'Twister"? Remember the scene at the end where they take refuge in the barn from the approaching twister only to quickly leave when they see all the sharp utensils hanging from every rafter and wall? That will give you an idea of the decor at Manci's. It definitely has character but, oh my goodness, fantastic burgers! John was sooooo disappointed that none of the females had to use the restroom. Why? Well, there is a male figure in the restroom (one-seater) located right where you can't miss it. He has a liftable figleaf. Thing is, when you lift the figleaf, a loud alarm goes off in the restroom and throughout the restaurant. Of course, when you leave the restroom, you are greeted with a round of applause from every one of the regulars who know what you were up to. Yep, we are talking character. We spent the rest of the evening examining my collection of Temari and doing some stitching. Bedtime arrived around 12:30.

Saturday bloomed clear and bright. The weather was so nice, we could have worn shorts and been comfortable. Terry arrived from his hotel about 9 but the girls took a while longer to get going. After a breakfast of bagels, coffee, and juice, we headed to the local needlework store. The store is closing for good at the end of this month and everything was posted at 50% off. Barbara, the store owner, had closed the store this weekend for us and given me the key so I could let us in and out at will. She even allowed me to play clerk and receipt everyone who purchased threads and supplies throughout the weekend. The DMCs were not plentiful but she had an assortment of other unusual threads such as Vineyard Silk and Silk and Ivory. I spent WAY too much, especially on the Kreinik, but it was on sale (good enough for me). I figure when the day comes I retire, I will have all my threads and metallics already in place. After some stitching, we walked to lunch at Mary Ann's Deli just down the
 block. Super sandwiches! After lunch, it was definitely time for a walk around the block to see a little bit more of Fairhope. We weren't back in the shop but maybe 20 minutes when we left again to find the coffee shop. The Fairhope Float was a definite winner. Finally, we settled back down for another stitching period. Terry was a great help in demonstrating his basket weave. By the end of the weekend, Elsie had finished a kiku and had started on her first weave. Susan was working on a S4 stitched in squares. Nicole was committing 'Temari murder' (ripping out threads) on a 'never ending' ball (one she has been working on for a while) as she was going to try a different approach. Me? I was working on a stained glass ball (#99PG04) on a mari that I quickly realized was unbalanced. I kept plugging, though, and did finish as far as I could go on it before I went back to school on Tuesday. Anway, we stitched until close to 6pm. As we drove home, everyone got to see the lights of the
 city Fairhope has lights in their downtown trees from Christmas through Mardi Gras. Dinner that night was my lasagna (Susan is a master at cutting cheese and, boy, Nicole knows how to layer her lasagna!). John made a salad for us along with garlic bread. With some nice jazz in the background, it was a really nice evening. Everyone chipped in to clean up and we were back in the living room, some stitching and all talking to close to 11.

Sunday was another gorgeous day. Terry showed up little later this morning giving us enough time to almost be ready by the time he arrived. We headed back to the shop after breakfast for a few hours of stitching and thread buying. Both days, we had chosen a table by the window. I don't think many people who passed by realized how easily we could hear most of their comments. For example, one shared with friends as they walked by, "Look, it is like an old fashioned sewing circle." Lunch Sunday was at Randy's, a restaurant located just down the road in a small area called Point Clear. We ate outside enjoying boiled shrimp, chicken quesadillas, sweet potato fries and much more. After lunch, it was time for another walk but this time on our city pier, a symbol of our community and only recently reopened since Katrina. It was sooooo pleasant walking on the pier! Perfect weather. Gulls and pelicans everywhere. Our one group picture was taken out at the end of the pier. Somehow, we tore
 ourselves away to head back to the shop for more stitch time. Again, we stayed until dark. We headed home to pick up John before heading out to the local Mexican restaurant for dinner. Susan chose to take the dessert route for dinner and totally floored the waiter when she ordered flan and sopapilla. The waiter was grinning at it all but looked at me to make sure he heard right. The margaritas were cheap, the company and the food was good but the Yolandas (Johns' dinner) came before Susan's 'dinner' did (you had to be there, I think).

Monday was still clear when we woke up. Terry was over earlier than usual as we had to say goodbye to Elsie who had to catch her plan in Pensacola. John drove her over as Susan, Terry and Nicole still had a little more time before their departure.  We headed back into Fairhope for beignets and coffee in Fairhope's French Quarter. One last walk was in order as the possibility of souvenirs was still eminent. We visited the local bookstore and the artist's gallery before Susan pulled out for her drive home (Susan, I meant to give you your canned drinks back!). Terry, Nicole and I went down to the pharmacy then a gift shop looking for a Fairhope fridge magnet. Not only were we successful but we also found black onyx egg holders, perfect for a Temari stand. Between the three of us, we bought them out. At the last minute on our way home, I stopped by our local castle. Yes, our castle. Craig Sheldon, a local artist, started building it many years ago. His daughter and son-in-law now live  there as they continue to work on the house and it's whimsical character. Quite a site. John made it back from Pensacola in time to help me say good bye to Terry and Nicole who left about 12:30. I spent the rest of the day quietly stitching and watching old movies (no, I didn't go to work, guys, I promise). Five people, five represented states, great weather, great food, great company - it was a super way to spend the weekend.

From Terry -
Blair surely did a good job of the weekend overall.  I will never forget the look on the waiter's face when Susan C ordered the two desserts.  It was a look to the rest of us....does this woman know what she is doing?  AND to add to the situation...these were ordered along with the drink special of the night....MARGARITAs. The mantra of the weekend...repeated sooo many times: "It's sooooo Japanese" My fun educational tidbit, after questioning everyone...there were more people who were inspired to try making temari after seeing/feeling one rather than just seeing one in a book.  Fairhope is a great, small coastal town.  Great restaurants and ambiance. Having the stitch shop closed for just our use was great.  We were "on display" via the picture window to the downtown walk-bys.  The thread buys....all at 50% off were great.  Not a big selection of perle but so many great other selections. We did have a temari exchange.  So kewl--I received the "famous" Susan C ball--the one she did for a friend, found later at a consignment shop and purchased.  Surely not many people end up buying their own temari! Plus we did a color challenge. Yes there was actual stitching done throughout the weekend---along with tidbits and support for a variety of JTA related concerns
(neuroses?).  Relaxation, fun, stitching, temari info....a great weekend.

From Susan: I was the first to arrive at Blair’s house – about 15 minutes before the appointed hour.  I pulled up to a yard with gorgeous blooming camellias and an expansive back deck shaded by spreading water oaks.  I could see the “Beware of Dog” sign meant nothing since the fence was not a complete enclosure (I found out later the sign was part of John’s “security system”), so I entered and made myself comfortable enjoying the wild birds.  Blair arrived home shortly thereafter, and we decompressed (she from school and me from the long drive) on the deck with a glass of wine.  Within about an hour, John arrived with Elsie (from NC), whom he had picked up at the Pensacola airport, and Terry (from LA) drove in with Nicole (from TN), who had flown into Gulfport.  So with our full contingent present and accounted for, the merriment began!     We were treated by John to dinner on Friday night at a local dive called Manci’s – great pub food and a décor that defied description … collections of everything from thimbles to Jim Beam decanters covered every nook and cranny in the place - walls, floors and ceilings – even in the restrooms!  Back at the house it was time for informal catching up with each other and ooohing and aaahing over Blair’s large collection of temari – those she has made, and GITS she’s received, and ones purchased by her in Japan. 

    On Saturday morning we gathered leisurely for coffee, tea, juice, bagels, etc. on the back deck.  Then it was off to Blair’s local needle-work shop.  Since Barbara, the owner, is going out of business at the end of the month, she closed the shop for our private use for the weekend – AND, get this, gave us 50% off on anything from the remaining stock that we wanted!  So, naturally, our first order of the day was an inspection of all the wonderful fibers.  Eventually, we did sit down to some informal stitching, but periodically we’d each get up to peruse the threads again and add to the purchases we had set aside.  Shortly after noon we took a walk around quaint little downtown Fairhope and lunched on yummy salads and sandwiches outdoors at MaryAnn’s Deli.  Back at the shop we continued to stitch (Terry explained Ai’s method for doing basket weave), buy threads and explain temari to the passers-by who would wander in thinking the shop was open (apparently the “Closed” sign meant nothing, or they just didn’t see it.)  Even one of Blair’s students, who has been doing temari in her class, stopped in with his mother and two younger siblings to entertain us for a while.  The afternoon was topped off with a break for coffee floats at a cute little cafe around the corner.  Back at the house, it was Blair’s night to cook her famous lasagna for us, and John did his best Julia Child impression while making a big tossed salad and killer garlic bread!  Actually, everybody migrated to the kitchen and had a hand in preparations, with wine toasts all around before and during dinner.

    On Sunday morning, breakfast was basically a repeat and then we headed back to the LNS.  Town, which had been bustling the day before, was slower in coming to life on Sunday, and the novelty (if not the excitement) of bargain thread buying having worn off, we did a bit more stitching then.  Not seeming able to get our fill of the gorgeous temperate weather, we decided to lunch al fresco again and went this time to Randy’s – best known for it’s seafood – enjoying shrimp or other delights fresh from the Gulf.  Afterwards we went and strolled the town’s landmark pier, recently reopened after last year’s hurricanes.  Back at the LNS we made one last go at the thread stock and settled up the accounts for our purchases, with Nicole hitting the ATM across the street for the second time!

    That evening we were unexpectedly, and most graciously, treated to dinner again by John … this time at El Giro’s Mexican Cantina … I think this was John’s choice because he wanted us to meet his girlfriend Yolanda!  (You’ll have to ask John, or better yet, Blair, about this.)   We had lots of good laughs, some to the apparent delight, but also confused dismay, of our waiter who spoke little English and understood less.  He was totally taken aback when I (who do not care much for regular Mexican food) ordered nothing more than two desserts (soppopia (?) and flan) for my dinner.  Hey, I was on vacation!  Back at the house we exchanged the temari we had brought to swap and Blair showered us each with little treasures that she had brought back from her trip to Japan last summer.  Sadly, the end of our spirited temari weekend was closing in on us.

    The next morning there were many rounds of sad farewell hugs and joyful declarations of “I’ll see you in New York in April!”  John left for the airport with Elsie and the rest of us went into town for a final  “fix” of Gulf Coast charm – coffee and beignets on the patio at a little place called the French Quarter.  Then one last walk around the block to pick up some little momentos of our wonderful weekend … mine a colorful t-shirt by a local artist.  Alas, all too soon it was time for me to get on the road … Nicole and Terry still had another hour or so before heading to the airport.  It was another fabulous weekend spent in the company of fellow temari enthusiasts … ain’t we all good folks!  There are no words to adequately thank Blair and John for their generous hospitality in making us feel so welcome, so comfortable, so at home, so loved, and so well cared for.  I can only hope to reciprocate someday!

more to come from Nicole and Elsie....