Temari Pattern 99IT01
Intermediate Pattern contributed by Iryna Troshina  / Download PDF file of this pattern
This temari I made for my husband – we are both oceanographers by profession and love everything that is related to the ocean. I saw this pattern on one of Japanese web sites. I tried to find it again but I couldn't. You can guess why it caught my eye! But, what is  advantageous about this pattern is a choice of images we can use instead of a boat  - for different people and occasions. The choice of colors is yours. For example, sails don’t have to be white. I was tempted to make them red, for one of my favourite romantic novels from the childhood on is “Crimson Sails” by Russian writer Alexander Green. The only reason to reject this idea was my other passion – white sails – they are marvelous on the sea background!

1. Divide the ball into 8 complex division and mark it with the sewing thread of contrast colour. We are going to remove guide lines after we finish the work.

2. When we look carefully at the ball we can see that it is divided into 6 squares (around each pole) and 8 triangles (4 around South pole and 4 - around North pole). On the picture, one of the triangles and its division is outlined with green colour. Boats will be positioned in the squares and the sides of triangles we’ll use as guidelines for making swirl pentagons.

3. Our next step is to figure out the length of pentagon side so that we could place pins and do swirl pattern. We can accomplish this goal with the help of simple geometric calculations. I don't want to particularize here, just give you the formula:  AB = DF/(1+ sin 60) ≈ DF/1.87.
Now we can measure the distance DF on our mari and find AB.

Webmaster's note - this is a lot easier than it sounds. The distance DF is half the distance between obi and pole, which you can see from the C8 diagonal marking line. Measure this distance, then divide it by 1.87. The result is the length of the side of a pentagon, AB. Use this distance and place pins to locate the pentagons to stitch swirls. Once you start marking off pentagons they all fit together along each other.....




4. Start doing swirl pentagons. First place pins according to our previous calculations at points: A, B, C, E and O, Outline pentagons with the thread you are going to use for the swirl pattern. It is not necessary to put additional guide lines but if you think that it would be helpful, go ahead!

5. Complete all 24 pentagons. On the picture at left they are outlined with dotted blue color (see A, B, C, D, E).


6. We have 6 negative spaces for placing sailing boats on each one. So let's do it. First we have to make additional guide lines using the sewing threads. Guidelines are - contours of the hull, sails and mast (violet color) and bisectors of all angles (black lines).

7. Do the hull starting from the center On the right diagram above first threads are drawn in blue. Go clockwise around the middle line, making herringbone stitch on every guideline and placing the thread in parallel with the contours of the hull. Complete the hull, make the mast.

8. Do the sails using the same method as for the hull.

9. The last step is optional - add some sparkling to the pattern by outlining it with silver thread.

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Last updated 10/2005 © From 1998 inclusive G.Thompson and Iryna Troshyna