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Many/multiple-centers
temari can seem
to
be more than intimidating while being stunningly beautiful. They are
usually created by adding extra marking lines to a 10 Combination standard division
(although the principles also apply to 8-Combination division too). Many-centers are a technique that comes a bit later than in a beginner course in temari, but they are well within reach of anyone after they gain overall temari experience. You need to have a solid working ability of 10-combination divisions, since most all variations of a multiple-center marking originate from a C10 (and it also is a real good idea to keep a pin in each of those original 10 poles; they are indeed, poles and will keep you oriented). |
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Mutiple
centered designs are
involved, both in marking and stitching; but in the end they can create
some stunning
temari outcomes. They are usually rather intricate, and on a larger
mari base than you
may be used to using. Sometimes the designs are repetitions of a design
within the sets of pentagons/hexagons, and
create
a temari that looks like a multi-faceted wonder. Other times designs
may flow out from the pent/hex sets into different
pathways around the temari. Yet again, various abstract polygons can be
found and used to create different shapes and patterns with the detail
of the marking lines guiding those abstract ideas. Other times they can
form the grid that guides freestyle embroidery. While a perfectly
executed many-centers marking can itself make an impressive display
(especially with expressive color choices for the marking lines),
the
greater challenge is to create a design that branches out from the
usual sets of pentagons and hexagons; many design possibilites emerge
from the centers and faces created in the markings. The number of centers that can be created is limited only by the size of the mari. Obviously the more centers, the larger the mari is needed; miniumun is at least three to four inch diameter (usually larger). The mari nees to be as round as possible, with as accurate a 10 combination division as possible. (It's a good idea that if you still need practice on either getting round maris and/or accurate 10 combinations, you hone those skills before attempting a many-centers marking, since any ripple on those waves is going to knock things off kilter in a very noticeable way). Keep marker pins in the original 10 poles created by the 10 combination division, since that will keep you oriented for both marking and working a design on the mari. It can also help to tack as you go, as will using a fine, crisp marking thread. Of course, when you are working on larger temari you need to plan your stitching threads accordingly - thread consumption generally increases greatly (VERY!) - especially if you are using threads with dye lots. It can also be very helpful when you first start marking multi-centers to mark a few maris, using contrasting colored threads for the different stages of marking. It gives practice not only in visualizing the processes, but also tunes the technique of placing the extra lines. When you are done you will have a few reference maris to help see design possibilities, etc. Several Japanese books have sections that show preparing multiple centers, but they can indeed be overwhelming to try to follow if you don't read Japanese; we're fortunate here to have lots of help from Ai and her teachers, and additional Japanese translators. |
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Some basics: The
resulting multi-centers from a 10-combination divisoin are sets of a
pentagon surrounded
by
hexagons. A total
marking (complete all over the mari) can be described as perfect
or imperfect. Likewise,
individual centers are described as being perfect
or imperfect. "Perfect" describes when the resulting pentagons are fully divided into 10 equal wedges (number of sides times 2), and the resulting hexagons are divided into 12 equal wedges (number of sides times 2). Another criteria of a perfect marking is when there are no more wedges to be subdivided (more on that to come). "Imperfect" is when the resulting pentagons are again divided into 10 equal wedges BUT, the resulting hexagons may contain 6 or 8 unequal wedges (as opposed to 12 for perfect) - in other words, not every face is a perfect marking. |
| A perfect marking has all
perfect
centers.... but, an imperfect marking has a combination of
perfect and imperfect centers. Both are equally
important in temari
designs; imperfect markings can be "continued" to be made
perfect, which increases the number of faces on the final
marking. Indeed, this is how some multi-centered markings need to
be created. Also to note - "perfect" and "imperfect" are not the same as geometric "regular" and "irregular", as they are used to describe geometric shapes (think of "regular" as symmetical and even). Shapes that emerge in mult-center markings need not be and indeed won't all be regular. |
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There are two
subsets of multiple faces/centers, depending on which "original" face
of the 10-Combination division you divide. One works off of the large 6-Part
Triangle
AB. The other subset works off the 4-Part Diamond AC (this
subset
may be referenced in some books as being divided
from a smaller triangle, but it is much easier to visualize and work as
a 4-Part Diamond which, actually, is two small triangles). The 6-Part Triangle subset is often more commonly used since it's thought to be a bit easier and quicker, but the 4-Part Diamond set can be just as easy if you think of it in that manner. We've found the 4-part Diamond a lot easier to visualize and work when Ai showed it during her visit, and it also offers a more "smooth" path to add the extra marking lines so that is the focus here. To work either subset, start with a 10 Combination, and then locate either the 6Part Triangle shown in pink, or the 4Part Diamond shown in blue in Diagram 1. Depending on how many centers you want to end up with, you will start on either one of these faces, and add extra marking lines by dividing these into smaller units. |
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Example
for 6-Part Triangle: In
general, an easy way to divide the 6-part
Triangle sides, is to stitch extra marking lines around the
centers of
each of the original pentagon (formed from the 10 Combination
division), so that the sides of the 6-Part Triangles are divided into
the desired number - but always a multiple of 3. In this example (Digram 1) for a 32-faces, AB is divided into 3. Focus on the pink triangle, and side AB. The addition of the offset pentagons around the poles (Pts A and B), shown in dashed gray lines, divide the side of the triangle (pink line AB) into thirds (in this case, the thirds are A-1, 1-2 and 2-B). When dividing into thirds for a 32-faces, you are ignoring the original division line between 1 and 2 that crosses line AB at Pt "x". BUT - using any other multiple of 3 for the numer to divide the 6-Part Triangle WILL use Pt x as a placement for extra lines. |
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Another way of seeing things for
dividing the 6-part Triangle is to work within the Triangle - stitch
the sequence shown in Diagram 3 as an example. This shows the 6
part Triangle being divided into 6 sections (remember, multiple of 3)
and, pt x does become a used position for 6 sections as opposed to
ignoring it for 3 sections. Again, you could space the extra lines around the pentagon centers, or you can focus on the triangle and stitch the gray line ( 1-2-3-4-5-6-1) and the blue line (a-b-c-d-e-f-a) in each triangle. |
| The
32-Face marking is an exception, in
that it is fully perfect: all of the pentagons and hexagons resulting
from it are all subdivided into 10 or 12 (respectively) equal wedges.
A 10 Combination (12 centers) is
actually the most simple and it too is fully perfect - there are no
hexagons and 12 perfect pentagons. Results from dividing the 6-Part
Triangle by the remaining multiples of
3 are imperfect: the pentagons will be perfect but, the
hexagons will
have 6 or 8 unequal wedges in addition to some having 12 equal
wedges. Additional marking lines may be added to make them
perfect, and increase the number of centers. To determine the number of centers that result on the (initial) imperfect marking, the formula is: (1/3X²) x 10 + 2 = # of imperfect centers using 6-part Triangle, where X is the number side AB is being divided by (remember, X must be a multiple of 3). (To clarify the formula: multiple X times X, then divide by 3. Multiply that result by 10. Add 2.) There are also reference lists for the number of centers. |
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Example
for 4-Part Diamonds: This subset is presented in some books and
references as being worked in the smaller triangle that is half of
4Part Diamond (shown in blue in the diagram). It tends to be
easier to think
of the Diamond; the makes for a bit less work since it's a bit
more efficient. When shown this expanded visual, it was much
easier
for me to see and I also found it easier to stitch; it is
an easier rhythm (essentially, you are taking care of two of
the smaller triangles method in one larger diamond to add the extra
marking lines). Find and focus on one side of the diamond - line AC. How many centers you get will be determined by how many sections this side is divided into. Here it is into thirds, so it creates a 92 center marking. Bring your needle up at 1, and follow the path set up by the numbers in order, following the gray lines. Then, stitch the green lines 1-6, 4-7, 5-2 and 8-3. You will have created a nice little community of little triangles and diamonds inside that one larger one that was the focus to start. Repeat this process in all of the larger diamonds and it will have created a uniform multiple-center marking. Adjust as needed for the number of sections you are dividing side AC into. Another view of adding the extra marking lines is to stitch concentric pentagons around the original 10-Combination centers, focusing on the 4 Part Diamond and dividing its sides into the required number of sections. You can see how either of these "methods" are interchangable - for example in the diagram, Line 1-6 and 4-7 form the "top" lines of stitching concentric pentagons around the existing centers. It's therefore easy to note that 4Part Diamonds can be divided by stitching concentric pentagons around the original 10 combination centers, while 6Part Triangles can be divided by stitching off-set pentagons around the original 10 combination centers. |
| Again,
the resulting overall outcomes are imperfect (other than
starting with a 10 Combination/12 Centers) and additional marking lines
may be added to make them perfect, and increase the number of centers. To determine the number of centers resulting from this imperfect stage, the formula is : X² x 10 + 2 = # of imperfect centers using 4-Part Diamond, where X is the number side AC is being divided by. (It does not have to be a multiple of 3 for this method). (To clarify the formula: multiply X times X. Multiply that result by 10. Add 2.) As in the Triangle method, there are reference tables for the number of centers. |
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This
photo shows a zoomed in portion of the
photo at the top of the page. It's a 92 center temari showing diagram
lines show where the extra marking lines are in relation
to the finished design. Point A (red) is an original pentagon center of
the 10 Combination division. The white lines outline the diamond, for
using Option 2. Line AC is divided into 3rds and the added marking
lines that were stitched are shown in light green dash-dot lines. The
yellow, smaller dash-dot lines are lines from the original 10
combination marking that become part of the many-centers markings. You
can see the subset of small diamonds and triangles that are formed
within each of the original "anchor" diamonds. It seems that using the large triangle set is a lot more common (even in Japan) - this set initially impresses people as the easier set to work. Ai encouraged venturing into the diamond set since it's less common, and when I wrinkled my nose that is when she laughed and showed that thinking in terms of diamonds rather than small triangles was a lot easier. She was right! |