Sunshine can be ……distracting

The sun has been coming out more often the last few days. It’s hard to stay indoors and not get out in it. Thank goodness one can tat sitting on your porch! If you’re passing and see me, honk or shout out. I tend to get absorbed by the thread….and beads…and music….

The sunrise this morning was fabulous. I was reminded of a cool window I saw in an older home here. I managed to snap pictures of it and then forgot I had them! So, here they are:

And the nametag is ready for a chain…or something….

Now to settle the design for the Art Raffle…..

post storm....

Jane's TIAS 2017 Day 5

While there’s a break in the storms, I’ll through up a couple of progress pics:

We are feeling a bit waterlogged. Trees are coming down because the ground is so wet that the wind just blows them over. The roots can’t hold on in water. So far, our neighborhood is OK. I think that’s because of the underground stream we have on the hill; the one that’s seeping into basements. It always amazes me how water can break up cement and concrete.

I hope to finish a few more projects and designs in the next week. So, while the sun is shining, I’ll walk a bit and then pick up those shuttles!

Needing a bit more work. Adding pearls and sewing in the beads.

look what I found!

start of my nametag

So, here’s what sifting through my beads uncovered:

I found this pattern while looking at things Shuttlebirds. Shortly thereafter, it was mentioned in class, but I was in the throes of finishing up my TAT binders. Now, I’m finally getting back to it!

Oh, and here’s day 4 TIAS 2017:

Day 4 TIAS by Jane Eborall

Jane's TIAS 2017

Thank you to all who commented on my 5 Year Anniversary Blogging. Not only did people leave comments here on the blog, but I even had someone stop me while on a walk and let me know how much they've learned reading my blog (rants and all!)

Now for today's topic:

I’m having great fun with this!

Jane’s patterns are a breed all their own, fun, and whimsical! Seeing what everyone guesses is fun also. But the most fun???? The ripple effect of digging up a shuttle or 2 and some thread and maybe some beads!

So, thank you Jane! I’m so glad to be part of the fun!!

5 Year Anniversary

So, I’ve been doing this 5 years? Really?

I’m afraid I was slow on the uptake of give-aways to celebrate. I don’t use this blog to attract people to buy what I create. The music I give away is exclusively aural. The tatting I give away is usually gifts to individuals. In fact, most of my tatting falls into that category. Well, and my trials in new techniques and such. I wouldn’t call those good candidates for giving away to people who read my blog. Nor the trials of the designs I’m working on. The last time audit showed me with shuttles in hand maybe 10 hours each week. Not a lot of tatting time.

Anyway, 5 years ago I started down this rabbit-hole adventure. I’ve enjoyed it! I hope I’ve inspired some people to listen to more organ music, learn to tat, or get out into the world. I have discovered new passions (a historic house), revived others (weaving on a loom) and learned so much! I thank you for sharing this journey with me. If you have a moment and the inclination, please leave a comment telling me what this blog has meant to you. I won’t publish it if you put the request in the comment.

Thank you! And for the next 5 years………

Ice drop in black

This idea has intrigued me for years. Use tatting to work with a stone, gem, shell, anything really. Well, maybe not food. Or rain.

Ice drop (black size 30 with frosted white)

It’s been raining so much here. I don’t mind as much as some people. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Rain is normal there. When the sun is shining, you hurry up and take care of things outside that can only be done when it’s not raining. Those activities are top priority until it starts raining again. When we lived in the desert, I found myself getting stressed out. I was trying to pack as much as I could into my days. Because….the sun was out and it wasn’t raining. Silly me!

Anyway, it’s been raining a lot here. I spent several hours over the weekend taking care of storm damage between showers. Yesterday was no exception. Fortunately, the clean-up was pretty minimal. I was able to finish off this beauty.

I had a bit of black left over on a shuttle, so I started with that. Then I decided to continue with black as I liked the contrast; something for all those people who swoon over things black. ;) It’s also in size 30. Diane, Muskaan, and several others have published pictures of drops in size 20. I wanted to experiment with smaller thread and smaller objects. Why? Well, here’s a hint. The next one is in pastels (my favorite). But, it isn’t finished yet.

And tomorrow, TIAS coming. Don’t know when I’ll get back to it. A break in the rain. Time to clean up the front walk. And then……

12th Day of Christmas

Today is the 12^th Day of Christmas. 

Really. 

Look at the calendar and count. 

I know, I know….that carol is annoying, but it’s fun too. And celebrating more than 1 day of this Holiday can help reduce stress. For anyone who has found themselves hurting someone’s feelings because they can’t accept an invitation to something Christmas, having 12 days to celebrate can spread Good Cheer. And Twelfth Night can be fun! I had hoped to throw a Twelfth Night party for friends and neighbors this year, but it will have to wait until next year. That will be easier as it will be on Friday in 2017.

One of the activities that filled my calendar this year was throwing a Cioppino party for extended family. Now that was a feast! Crab is plentiful this year. And buying local is so easy in Monterey. I didn’t end up with a good picture to share. That’s because the bowl slipped. If you were there, you remember. For the rest of you, think pasta bowl heaped with seafood in a tomato base soup spilling onto a linen tablecloth. Yeah. It was a mess! But, we recovered and enjoyed the food. And the tablecloth looks OK. Thanks for the tip Altar Guild.

I’m focusing on finishing the angel today. I found these in a local store. I’m hoping one of them is the right size for the head. I need to find beads to use for the body still. The weather is supposed to be better today for yard work, so that may take a fair amount of time today. I still have some sorting to do in the studio also. That may have to wait for a rainy day….like Saturday. I really need to get organized and back to designing. Especially before TIAS starts and class starts up. I think a brisk walk will get me going! I’ll be thinking of a phrase I’ve heard a bit lately, “Go on out and change the world!” Join me?

Christmas Break inspirations and projects

The crazy part of Christmas is over. Consumers are no longer jostling at the stores. The right gift is no longer occupying people’s thoughts. The feasts are all laid out and washed up. Now it’s the part of Christmas that allows me to feel connected with my heritage and people throughout the ages. Any parent can relate to the story of birth and the first few days of a child’s life. Any creative person can relate to how traditions came to be. I hope you have been able to pause and enjoy a brief break.

We have been taking advantage of the time off from work to do some badly needed painting and sorting of boxes. The studio looks more like a storage room in the dim reaches of a theater. There’s instruments, stacks of boxes and furniture, paint cans and oh yes, a loom or two. Not much practicing or tatting lately. I did find more inspiration on a walk: 

 One of my walking buddies has picked and cooked mushrooms for years. She no longer pickles them or fixes soups daily, but she will tell you which mushrooms she likes to use for these dishes. I’m not as creative in the kitchen, so it’s alright I’m learning the Russian names for all these.

It’s almost time to get back to creating with fiber. I think I’ll practice again today. With Epiphany around the corner, I’ve dusted off Wie Schon Leuchtet again. I need to finish the angel. Oh, and I’ve only got a few more squares to complete in my Weave-It study series. Several of these yarn creations remind me of quilt blocks. Mmmmmmm

Oh, and Jane’s TIAS is coming. Now, that’s a gift we all enjoy!
Merry Christmas!