Fair results

I am very lucky. I live in a beautiful place. I have great music opportunities on the organ here. I have a great group of tatters that meet weekly. I live a charmed life! I’ve been able to connect with tatters and organists around the world through the Internet and through Guilds. I am very lucky!

A friend, who doesn’t play organ or tat, asked me the other day how I liked participating in the County Fair. It’s a positive experience for me. Lots of people see lots of creative items. The friendly competition spurs my creativity. There are things that are not to my taste: the crowds, how it manages to be the hottest weather all summer, people reacting to my tatting in a negative way. But overall, it’s positive because it encourages people to try tatting. (Get the picture here? It’s all about tatting for me. J)

This year, for Monterey County Fair 2019, I filled out entry forms for 4 items….just 4. Not a lot, I know. When it came time to turn the items in for judging, I couldn’t find 2 of the tatted snowflakes. They are here in the house somewhere. I hope to find them for decorating in December. Since they are missing, I did not have anything judged in the Tatting Division. There were quite a few pieces entered in that Division. They were magnificent! 

The 2 items that I did turn in were entered in Household decorations. These Cuffs for Candelsticks and my version of Martha Ess Two Hearts as One. They won ribbons: 2^nd place for both. I regret I wasn’t able to see the displays as I was wrapped up in Tat Days. I hope to find out exactly how many tatted pieces were judged and how many won ribbons. I call it another successful year for tatting at the Fair. 

What will be created for next year???

What I learned this summer

I learned a lot this summer. 

• My energy is not unlimited, even with a boost from coffee or tea. 
• I really do know how to tat. 
• I really do know how to play the organ. 
• I need to improve both skills. 
• I also need to improve my writing skill. 

Over the last few months, I’ve been very busy using all those skills creating and supporting those who create.

Inverted Snowflake by Martha Ess

I was thrilled to take a class from Martha Ess at Tat Days. I’ve enjoyed tatting her patterns for years. Here’s what we focused on in class:

I tatted this in vintage thread. I figured I’d need to learn the technique of the joins in the long picot arms. I hope to tat one in better thread next week.

Sonata BWV 1034 in pinks and purples

Here’s my version of Sonata BWV 1034 in pinks and purples:

Sonata BWV 1034

I tatted this up for Palmetto Tatting Group Tat Days 2019. I chose the colors to help students see the various elements. I based this piece on the vintage pattern Sonata that I found in a Handy Hands newsletter. Most vintage patterns call for tie and cut between rounds and such. Now, I’m not allergic to cut and tie, but if I can work a small short split ring or split chain, I’ll save the effort and time of hiding ends.

I recommend working each of the inner motifs in groups of 2. That means you’ll be working two split chains and hiding ends twice. You can easily climb out between rounds 1 & 2 and also between 2 & 3. But, between rounds 3 & 4, it is more difficult to create a seamless chain. I find my attempts at climbing out with a mock chain, split chain, split ring and such show with extra knots and awkward tatted lines.

And then there’s the color choice. That can dictate where you’re hiding ends. I had fun working in the variegated named Girly Girl. The pinks and purple just were fun!

I hope you enjoy this. If you wish a copy of the pattern, drop me a comment (leaving your contact info) or email.

Palmetto Tat Days is done....

I’ve arrived back home. Begun to unpack and settle back in to my schedule. After a walk by the Bay of course! Let me take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who welcomed me, listened to me, laughed with me, and tatted with me! I had a marvelous time! As I packed, I felt a pit like I’d been Trick or Treating! All those goodies!! I’ll be using them and enjoying them and thinking of all my new friends!

Now, it’s on to practicing for another Lunch Concert at St.Paul’s. I’m looking to focus on a compositional technique: Passacaglia. There are quite a few spellings of the word, but the concept is to take a phrase and repeat it over and over again for the length of the piece. I doubt I’ll be using the greatest of the organ pieces using this technique: Passacaglia in cminor. Why? Because I’ve had to re-finger and I just may not have time to unlearn what I committed to memory and learn what I must do to bring Bach to life!

As for tatting a pattern based on the wonderful Bach Passacaglia, I’ve got sketches!

I’m settling in at Tat Days....

As you read this, I’ll be settling in at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center. Tat Days is starting! It’s a bit different for me coming from California to stay at this center. I’ve stayed at Monasteries before and a Methodist camp on the Coast, but not at a Baptist Center. I’ll have tails I’m sure! I hope to have lots of pictures to post also! Look next week…….

Play Time coming up!

September is a wonderful time of year here by the Monterey Bay. The weather is usually bright and sunny. The tourist crowds have thinned. The school kids are out discovering new things. Occasionally, we get visited by jelly fish in the Bay. Remember this group? We saw another jelly on a walk last week. My picture didn’t come out great, but another person in our group took a video with a phone. 

Right now, I’m in the last throws of packing for Tat Days in Georgia. I’ve been tatting up in-progress samples of the patterns I’ll be teaching. They’re not usually pretty. I use contrasting threads so students can easily see the path of the thread. That is not usually pleasing. Some of those samples may end up in a larger project. Others will likely end up in a bag tucked in my “teaching box” for the next workshop.

I’ll have more details when I return from Georgia, but the next workshop will be in April at the Lace Museum. Here’s a link to theregistration information. If you have ever wanted to explore San Francisco, or Oakland, this will be a great time. So, for those who drool over the classes offered at San Francisco School of Needlework and Design, those that wish to shop at Lacis, those that wish to visit any of the dozen museums or so (including the Lace Museum), this is your chance to put together a fabulous trip! And if you plan a day or so in Monterey Bay, do let me know!