Talk Temari Stitch for Japan 2011

Stitch for Japan 2011
In Remembrance of the March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami

        It goes without saying that the Tohoku earthquake and resulting tsunami that devastated the northeastern areas of Japan on March 11, 2011 left us all horrified. Under any circumstances it would have had an impact; having a tie to the country because of sharing this very special art made it even more emotional. We watched the events and after-effects unfold before our eyes through modern media. No one knew what to do, what to say, or even what to think. It was - is - too much to comprehend.

        As the days passed, everyone felt numb and helpless. With the idea that doing something tangible would help, in spirit if not in kind, I suggested to TalkTemari to stitch a traditional Kiku temari using Uwagake Chidori Kagari - perhaps the most quintessential and traditional Japanese Temari design. "Kiku" is Japanese for "chrysanthemum", which is the centuries-old symbol and crest of the culture and country. It represents the Emperor, and is revered for its lasting beauty (the many petals on the flower drop slowly, thus allowing a long admiring time). While stitching these symbolic Temari, everyone was asked to follow the tradition of offering a prayer or thought with each stitch - another old tradition found in many cultures, including Japan (in olden times, men were sent off to battle with quilted bands to wear around their abdomens, stitched by the women of his town and quilted with 1000 stitches, to protect him from injury).

        The idea resonated in TalkTemari, since it gave us something tangible to DO, with the hope that all of those thoughts and prayers would help, somehow. Id been in touch with Ai quite frequently since the earthquake (she and her family were safe, thankfully) and mentioned what we were doing. She quickly suggested that for anyone willing to, please send their Kiku temari to me and then on to her. She would give them to the Japan Temari Association, as a message of our care and hope. When I posted this back to TalkTemari, where it was enthusiastically accepted. Through word of mouth we had several TemariKai.com readers as well as my local students participating, too. What had been a small grass-roots activity to channel emotions was now organized into "Stitch For Japan, 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami".

      A special note tag that could be printed from TalkTemari was created for people to attach their with their name & location and any special thoughts they wanted to share. Those participating sent their finished Kiku-design Temari to me,. They also could upload a photo of the temari (each person was free to create their own interpretation as long as it was a Kiku design using Uwagake Chidori Kagari, in order to hold to the historical and traditional symbolism) to share in an album on TalkTemari. As photos were shared, the project emerged as a great learning experience for many stitchers, as confusion about what a design versus a stitch was unraveled and one of the most basic stitches of Japanese temari-making was clarified ("Kiku" is the design, and "Uwagake Chidori" is the stitch).

    Through April, temari started - and kept - arriving. Whether brought by participants of the NYStitchIn , by students in workshops, or by mail, they came. Baskets on the table in my studio kept filling ... by the cut-off date of early May, the baskets were overflowing with some 67 Temari, made by 50 stitchers from TalkTemari members, some TemariKai.com readers that heard of the project, and my local students (including members of the Mid-Hudson Japanese Community Association). They represent 8 countries (US, Canada, UK, Cyprus, Sweden, Dubai, The Netherlands, & Australia), including 24 states within the US (AZ, AR, CA, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NM, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, TX, VT, VA).

    My local students pitched in one workshop night to help sort, log and check note tags. I then bagged each temari individually for protection, and boxed them up for shipping. Several stitchers on TalkTemari along with some of my local students volunteered help with postage costs. On June 13, 2011 the collection was sent by EMS mail to Ai, where they are now safely tucked in, to be sent to the Japan Temari Association in Tokyo in time for the 2011 Annual Meeting. Our hope is that the JTA can use the temari as they see fit to aid the relief efforts in Japan, and eventually that the individual temari might find their ways to people that lost everything in those few short minutes - that now impact generations to come.

    Thanks is given to the 50 Temari makers (some stitchers created more than one temari ) who gave of their skills, time and hearts, and the folks who covered the EMS shipping fees. With who-knows-how-many stitches on each temari, that adds up to a lot of prayer and care being offered up. While it's only a few in the overall scheme of things, we also hope that the temari may bring some joy to those who so need it.