Don’t you think some of the best things come in small packages? “Small packages” as in Japanese Temari and Cartonnage (box making) at Sievers this past week. In the Temari Techniques class, Judith Yamamoto and assistant, Kathy Broer, introduced the art to some students new to Temari and challenged others with more experience to work with complex patterns and to create tiny, jewelry-sized Temari. In Cartonnage: The Magic Box, students focused on the Karakuri Bako, a Japanese box which contains a hidden compartment. Using bookboard, Japanese papers and a good eye for accuracy, these special double-hinged boxes came together with the guidance of instructor, Nancy Akerly. (You can see more of Nancy’s own work at Liberty Grove Paper Arts.) These […]
Threads in common
A common thread from the Open Quilt Studio week through the Japanese Temari class was…thread! As usual, quite a few quilt projects were started, finished or continued and ideas shared in the studio time. Whether it was finishing an eight-year project or experimenting with a new technique, it’s always inspiring to see the one, two (or more) pieces being worked on by each person during the week. A magazine photo was the inspiration for the start of this Landscape ‘Painting’ using fabric. The fabric artist and maker, Susan Hoffmann, will be teaching this technique in a class at Sievers in July featuring a scene with birch trees and golden leaves. Quilts blocks and tops, bright and beautiful! Some of the fabrics used in the piece on the left are from Sievers […]
Fiber “Candy”
We definitely had a feast for the eyes, ears and necklines this past week with Mary Hettmansperger’s Expressions in Jewelry and Judith Yamamoto’s Japanese Temari Techniques classes in session. Although the materials and methods range from copper and hammers to fine threads and needles, the end results were equally inspiring and creative. Bringing out the colors in the brass and copper sheets, embossing, layering and adding found objects opened so many avenues to create personalized jewelry. I’m sure the jewelry boxes at home were excited to see their new companions! Wrapping a ball, marking “equators” or obi’s to form a grid and using traditional embroidery stitches yields these dazzling results, with the basket shown below on the right the Temari made […]
