Is it Too Early for Christmas Decorations?

I am rarely so organised to have Christmas decorations up this early. However, yesterday, I used this display stand/ Christmas tree at the Hunter Art Bazaar. Most of the handmade decorations on it were sold, so rather than put the stand away for a few weeks, I hung some of my temari balls (some made by my mother and some made by me) and here it is on the dining table already.

I must admit I thought to myself that it is far too early for Christmas decorations and I checked , on Google, of course and it appears that I am a little premature in setting up any sort of Christmas tree.

November is too early for Christmas

According to an poll carried out in 2015 by Confused.com, over 86% of people believe that November is too early to put up your decorations. So, it appears that December is the most socially acceptable time to get into the festive spirit. And if the good people of Twitter are to be believed, there are many that support this. ( from https://www.confused.com)

So another Christmas convention broken...

Anyway, I rather like seeing these temari displayed like this, and even if I have been somewhat rash in setting up a tabletop metal structure which resembles a Christmas tree in November, we are going to enjoy having these stitched thread balls on show for all to admire.

If you are not familiar with temari....

Temari (手まり) balls are a folk art form and Japanese craft originating in China and introduced to Japan around 7th century A.D.[1]"Temari" means "hand ball" in Japanese. Temari are highly valued and cherished gifts, symbolizing deep friendship and loyalty. Traditionally, temari were often given to children from their parents on New Year's Day. (Wikipedia)

I say, put your decorations up whenever it makes you happy!

PS Watch this blog for the upcoming daily posts for Advent 2018.... from 1 December

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Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

From my workshop page....

Current Workshops Offerings Thinking of a workshop for your group in 2022? Art Doll Workshops : - Garden Thread Dolls (one day workshop - WoW -(Woman of Wisdom) - embellished stump doll with either cloth head or clay head. This is an a rt doll workshop .... either offered as a series of workshops or 2 full days days! - Message/Story Stick doll - doll made with found objects and upcycled cloth. ( one day) - Elemental totems - stick doll variation , with sculpture ( one or two days, depending on surface decoration of fabric) TEXTILE AND MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOPS Temari - embroidered wrapped balls in traditional style. - Dipping Into Tea - tea and embroidery on canvas with photo transfer on fabric. ( two days) work by Judith Bee, workshop participant. - Tea Bag sculpture : ...

"Temari Or Not Temari?" Tutorial

Background Information: Temari (literally translated “hand ball”) is a Japanese folk craft that is alleged to have originated in China and was introduced to Japan five or six hundred years ago. Traditionally, the balls were constructed from wrapped kimono fabric remnants and silk threads. They were made by mothers and grandmothers for children to play with. Nowadays, decorative embroidered temari represent a highly valued and cherished gift symbolizing friendship and loyalty. Recently I've wondered if your don't use traditional techniques whether you should call what you create "temari". That is an ongoing debate but today I share what I do to make a "non-traditional temari".... 1.I start with a polystrene ball ( traditionally the balls were wound silk scraps or other organic materials) and begin to wrap with approx 4 ply wool, turning the ball as I wrap. 2. I then wrap another layer of wool in a similar fashion , this time a 3 or 2 ...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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