Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

"But I can't draw ... " often bemoaned and heard when trying to create a pattern or an original design for textile art! Recently I had the opportunity to work with some  Design teachers, and I shared some ideas for encouraging students to explore creative design using everyday art  materials.  Both of these ideas start from using your name and are great little exercises when you feel your creativity needs a little stimulation... The resulting designs could be used to create embroidery, quilting, art journals, screen prints, mono prints, digital prints ... wherever your imagination takes you.  Idea No 1 : Your name ... Your initials  ( image above)   Materials : permanent marker, cleansing alcohol, some textured surfaces and   pastels or coloured pencils.  Step 1. Draw some lines with a permanent marker on a piece of cotton fabric. The lines could be straight or wavy.... Step 2 . In between the lines, write your initials.....

 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 ...