Temari Pattern 99SH05
Intermediate  Pattern contributed by Sue Hayashi  /  Download PDF file of this pattern
Flock of Cranes
       Sue H sat making this temari at the first NY Stitchin and I made the "mistake" of admiring it - since once I did she left it with me a gift (not that I'm complaining!). This is another traditional pattern she learned while taking lessons in Tokyo from Sensei Ozaki. She shares it with us now.

Materials: 1 red (think Chinese Red) mari marked in a C8; gold marking thread; black and white #5 pearl cotton. Mark a the mari with a C-8 in gold.

1. Find the 4-centers, and mark them with pins. The cranes will fly in a counter-clock-wise rotation around each of the 4-centers.
 2. Begin with two strands of white pearle cotton #5. Bring your needle up at a point just below the line that crosses the shortest width of the diamond shape. Re-enter the mari at a point just above the line. Bring the point of the needle up just below (but not touching) the previous starting point, and carry the thread diagonally across the diamond shape to a point just slightly above (but not touching) the previous entry point. Keep the stitching lines straight.



3. Continue until you have 6 such lines that appear to pivot around the pin in the center of the diamond.
 4. Repeat this stitch pattern using double white thread at each of the other two diamonds that surround this “center”.

5. Using two strands of Black pearle cotton #5, bring your needle up at a point between the last two feathers furthest away from the “center” pin. Re-enter the mari at a point near the center where all the white threads cross.  Bring the point of the needle back up between the second and third feathers, then down near the center.
 6. Repeat until you have three black lines between the “back” feathers on one side of the crane. Do the same between the last three feathers on the other side. Repeat this for each of the three cranes that are flying around this center pin.  Double check to be certain you are adding the black to the hind feathers only.



8. Using a single strand of black, bring your needle up at a point near the center of the upper left quadrant of the diamond. Carry the thread diagonally across the center of the diamond shape and enter the ball slightly to the right of a 45° angle.

 9. Bring the tip of the needle up about ½ inch away to the left. As you carry the thread back across the center where all the threads cross, do a back-stitch around all the threads including the mari base to secure the “bundle”.



10.Re-enter the mari where you first began the “head” of the crane. Repeat this with each crane. 
11. Double check to make certain you have the head and feet traveling in the correct direction.  The cranes should be “flying” counter-clockwise around the “center” pin.

12. With a single gold strand, bring needle up just to the left of the nose of the crane.  Cross over the head and neck of the crane and re-enter the mari at a point just to the right of the black close to where all the threads bundle together.

Repeat on each crane to finish the body detail. Choose a new center and repeat the full process to create three cranes flying around each of the four centers.

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Last updated 1/06 ©  1998 G.Thompson and Susan Hayashi