[.ca] Temari: A Traditional Japanese Embroidery Technique (ISBN 1861080808)

From Amazon.com:
The ancient Japanese art of temari yields colorful embroidered spheres of astonishingly complex-looking geometric designs. Yet the materials and the basic principles are really pretty simple: wadded-up batting or a pair of pantyhose is covered with a plastic bag and wrapped with layers of ordinary thread to form the base shape, which is then divided into sections and systematically stitched with shiny cotton. Woven and interwoven triangles, diamonds, stars, abstract florals, and other elaborate patterns emerge over the surface. The process is time-consuming and some patterns are advanced, but the basic steps and many designs are not so difficult, and the results are amazing. In Japan, temari balls are given to celebrate major events such as birthdays or weddings, but you don't have to wait for a special occasion: use a bowl full of temari balls as an interesting centerpiece or home-decor accent, or turn different-sized versions into key chains, earrings, rattles, bell pulls, and ornaments. Consult this guide for a terrific introduction to the technique, with color photos of each of the 22 step-by-step projects. --Amy Handy

best diagrams:
nearly twenty years ago, i bought a temari ball in little tokyo in los angeles. i was fascinated, but had no idea of how to learn. (not living in l.a., looking for instruction in little tokyo was a non-starter.) i was thrilled several years ago to find a temari instruction book. i was less thrilled when i tried to follow the instructions. having just taken a class in beginning temari making, which made everything much, much more clear, i have acquired a couple more temari books for advanced instruction and inspiration. of the three i own as of this moment, this one has the clearest diagrams, and some of the best instructions and photos. ludlow mentions 'minor' points, such as when to hold the thread in position, that make actually accomplishing the design possible. the diagrams are varied, from 'maps'(the way a globe is flattened to a map) of the patterns to diagrams for stitch directions and where each section of the design starts. the photos are clear, and include some that show method, as well as those that show the finished product. there is even a section with line drawings to show how to develop patterns from the various divisions, a great help for designing your own. this is an excellent book for the beginner (and i wildly applaud anyone who can teach themselves this craft from written instructions)and for the somewhat experienced. ludlow's advanced designs may not be as advanced as some in other books i have seen, but she certainly does well by the beginning and intermediate crafter.

Clear Instructions:
As a beginner to the craft of Temari I must say that I found this book to be very clear and concise with easy to follow instructions and some excellent hints to make the constructon of the basic mari very easy to attain.Also appreciated was the instructons on making tassels etc. to add the finishing touches to the completed ball.All in all I would heartily recomend this book as an excellent beginners manual.

Beginners could give it a try:
A very basic book of the more simple Temari patterns, which could be good for the first timer. If you have already attempted and mastered any Temari you'll probably find it a bit disappointing. There are some interesting variations on basic designs, but use your own colors. For someone wishing to make their own base mari, there are very good step by step directions, and overall the directions given for the book contents are clear both in verbage and photo illustrations.