This pattern, like many other temari patterns, is deceptively simple.  The biggest key is taking consistent stitches.  You can make this pattern with any ball division, but the C-10 seems to be the one shown in all the Japanese books, so that is what we will work with in these instructions. Webmaster's note - there are several ways to approach stitching this design so you will see various ones. This is an adaptation of the demo that a TT member, Paula G., gave at the Temari NY Stitchin Spring 2002.... we'll be presenting additional tutorials as they are prepared.

        Wrap a base and mark with a  C-10 divisions.  Since the marking lines will be removed, either use inexpensive thread and tack as little as possible, OR use a triple strand of thread that matches the base thread so it will disappear into the ball.  This pattern is very forgiving, so don't worry if things aren't quite even.

        Locate your stitching boundaries.  Looking at the C-10 division, locate the two connected hexagons as marked in the diagram below in purple.  Mark the hexagons' corners with white pins.  Mark the center of each hexagon with a purple pin.  Now add a white pin to finish the corners of the diamond above the hexagons, and another white pin to finish the diamond below the hexagons.   Put a green pin in the center of each diamond.  Next, rotate the ball towards you, following the vertical line of green pins until the next pentagon is facing you.    You will find that the next hexagon pair already has three corners marked.  Finish marking the corners with white pins and the centers with purple.  Finish marking the diamond above and continue rotating the ball on the green line and marking the hexagon pairs and diamonds in this manner.  When you get back to the starting point, you will have 8 hexagons marked and 4 diamonds.   There are two more diamonds that will need a green center pin.  Look 90 degrees from any of the other green pins and you will find the diamonds waiting for you.  NOTE:  You will find that every pentagon has a white pin in its center.Outline the marked shapes with your stitching thread. But first, remove your marking threads if you didn't use invisible marking.  Now, using the corner pins as guides, stitch around each hexagon with your design thread.  After all hexagons have been outlined, remove all the pins.

        Stitch a swirl in each shape:  Starting at an inside corner of a hexagon, stitch a line next to one side of the outline thread, angling slightly in toward the center of the hexagon.  The stitches should lie from right in the corner of one end, to a few millimeters in from the next corner.  Take the stitches working into the center of the shape.



Continue around, angling each stitch in toward the center slightly and taking the stitches PARALLEL to the next line.  Stay as consistent as possible.  Big even stitches look nicer than tiny, uneven ones.  Stitch until you fill the center of the design and voila!  Once you fill in all the shapes, they will blend into one another connecting the swirls.

You can try doing the same stitch on other divisions, or even random shapes outlined on the base.