Temari Pattern 99GK08 instructions

1. Wrap mari in White or your choice of color. With paper measure and mark ball for a Simple 20. Mark obi with pins only, 4 repeats of 5 different colors in sequence.
2. On marking paper pencil hash marks for six 1 cm in line along an edge. Using this “ruler” mark a grid of 1 cm squares.   Place pins at line intersections. Centermost square centers around the NP,
3.   Stitch a “log cabin” type grid of Med. BR outlined with Dk BR. Work from threads adjacent to pins in both directions outward.

    On my sample I secured the grid with a final row of Dk Brown. Enter wrap thread and come up at edge of grid, over grid and down into the center of nearest Dk Br square. Go under and come up at the next Dk Br center. Continue to weave over and under on this same line until you exit the grid. Then change direction and weave the other squares on the return path. This should create a solid line which secures the grid. I worked each of the same pattern on each of the other lines in the parallel direction. The worked the same pattern in the other direction.     This completes the center of the flower. Work the same grid design at the SP. (The grid might have been secured by only working the squares at the outer edge of the full square. I just didn’t think of it before I began stitching.)

4. Stitch the Sunflower petals with doubled threads of Light and Medium Yellow. You will stitch 5 squares around the flower center. Use the colored pins placed in sequence around the obi to keep the squares on the correct mark lines.
Work the square on color pin 1 completely back to the start point. Then the square on color pin 2. Then the square on color pin 3; then pin 4; and finally pin 5. That completes one round. The round should overlap the brown square.
You might want to measure down from the NP pin and place some temporary pins where you think you will stitch the first round. Wrap-don’t stitch- some threads to be sure that you have proper coverage of the brown grid. This will save you from pulling out threads if you don’t like the placement. Once you are satisfied with the placement, stitch round 1.

    Stitch about 5 rows of Light Yellow followed by 5 rows of Medium Yellow. When you get to the end of the Lt Yl, eyeball it and decide if you want more. You may also decide that you want the Md Yl to be a little wider than the Lt Yl.

5. The Obi design is an interlocking diamond pattern found on websites and in several Japanese books. To understand it, it helps to draw the grid - here’s what you do:

* With a straight edge draw a horizontal line across the paper. That will be your obi mark line.

* Now draw 5 perpendicular straight lines 1” apart. These are your vertical mark lines.

* Now measure 1” from obi and place a dot on each mark line both above and below the obi.

* Number the grid in this manner: On the left side of the obi intersection with the far left mark line place a 12. Moving to the right on the next mark line place an 11 at the North dot, a 9 at the South dot, and an 8 to the left of the obi intersection. Moving to the right on the middle mark line place a 7 at the North dot, a 5 at the South dot, a 4 to the left of the obi intersection, and a 10 to the right of the obi intersection. Moving to the right on the next mark line place a 3 at the North dot, a 1 at the South dot, and a 6 to the right of the obi intersection. On the last mark line to the right place a 2 to the right of the obi intersection.

You decided how wide you want your obi diamond pattern to be and place pins accordingly. You may want your obi pattern to touch your flower pattern. Or you may want space between the elements. The description above was just for a paper chart. I stitched my flowers first and then worked the obi; you can reverse and stitch the obi first and then the flowers.

6. To stitch the obi diamonds you will work herringbone stitches around the mark lines at each of the numbered points, catching some of the wrap thread each time. Each time you will rotate the mari so you can stitch comfortably. Follow the numbers to stitch your first diamond (1, 2, 3, 4, 1). When you get back to 1, stitch under the thread wrap to 5 and begin another diamond (5, 6, 7, 8, 5). Stitch under the thread wrap to 9 and stitch your third diamond (9, 10, 11, 12, 9). Note that at point 10 you are stitching on top of the left point of your first diamond. Keep stitching diamonds all around the mari until you return to the start point. My obi was stitched in 3 rows of variegated Light Green followed by 2 rows of variegated Dark Green.