Temari are, by
definition, balls. So, technically, there isn't something called a
"Temari Egg". But, many beautiful
designs
can be applied on egg shapes using the traditional Temari
designs. Use
pre-formed
egg shapes of some sort, either Styrofoam, paper mache, wood, plastic
etc....
making egg bases from scratch is not a challenge you really want to
take on. There
are
various sizes and shapes based on the species of bird - goose, hen,
duck etc. Styrofoam and wooden forms can usually be found year-round in
craft stores. Around Easter, you can find several sizes of the plastic
eggs that open and close for "stuffing" and hiding. These are a great
advantage if you want to add a bell or some rice as a rattle... just
pop it in and snap it closed. A plastic egg with some rice or dried
peas in it not only has a soft rattle but also creates a nice "in-hand"
feel, with just the right amount of ballast. However, choose
what you like.
It is easiest to stick to patterns that are polar in orientation when you are starting out stitching eggs, but then it is certainly possible to modify further divisions onto the egg shape. You will have to adapt, and it helps to have a solid working knowledge of combination markings on balls before you begin trying to adapt them to eggs, but it can be done. And of course, you can also use free embroidery with or without using geometric divisions.
Wrapping the bases gets
to
be a tad interesting since you do not have a symmetrical shape over
which
to distribute the wraps; but with a little practice you'll be doing
them
as easily as you do regular round mari. A TalkTemari group member
offered up a great hint a while back - for the first layer in the
wrapping, use a covering of gauze bandage. Be sure to use plain gauze
bandage, not "Kling" or other adhesive bandage. It works great, as it
gives more friction for the wrapping to "stick" to, as well as adhering
to itself a bit. Don't worry about a few small lumps or bumps, they can
be smoothed out in the wrapping to come. The thinner the strip of
gauze, the easier it is to wrap and smooth, but wider bandage is less
expensive and a much better bang for the buck. Buy a 2 or 3 inch (or
even 4) wide roll, and cut the entire roll into thinner sections with a
good pair of shears. The gauze is wonderfully
stretchy
and molds to the egg shape with little effort. Use a covering of
several layers deep of the gauze; I usually add 2-3 layers of gauze.
If you are using a plastic or other very smooth egg base to begin with,
use a small strip of double stick tape to get things going with the
gauze. Once you have one wrap going, you're fine but a very slippery
base can be challenging to get started.
Add a good layer of fine yarn as the next wrapping layer. It should be something like "fine" or "very fine" in the revamped current yarn standard. Keep the egg moving as you wrap, covering all areas including the "shoulders" between the ends and middle. Don't use a too tight a tension or the wrapping will slip and pop off. Take advantage of the friction from the gauze and be sure that you are covering the egg evenly. After the yarn then of course comes the thread - again, try to work evenly, and not too tightly. If needed, stop and cut the thread and take some long zig zag stitches around the egg to anchor things in place and then begin wrapping again. You want as nice a stitching surface for the egg as you do a ball, so don't skimp even if you are tempted.
Marking is very
similar
to a ball. You will have to eyeball the centers of the ends - and
sometimes
it does need some trial and error to find it. Use a paper strip or tape
measure as needed. If you are using a hard egg base, you'll not be able
to sink pins into it, which means working carefully. Using something
like shorter dress-maker pins, or even sequin pins may be helpful. I
actually do most of my dividing by eye and then check things with a
tape measure on eggs.... the oval shape can be a tad different to
"see". The usual needs and hints of dividing and marking a ball
apply to eggs, with of course some common sense adaptations as needed.
See the pages on dividing and marking mari in the How To section
for the basics if needed.
Many traditional stitches and designs can be worked or adapted to
egg shapes - use your imagination and perhaps a bit of trial and error,
and have some fun with them.
Some samples:
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Temari Egg Patterns:
A few to get you thinking - otherwise, just adapt from regular temari
designs
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| Egg 02 | Egg 05 | Egg 04 | Egg 09 | |
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| EggDL01 |