the word Progress

I remember that was a loaded word around the Holiday family table. Most of those who were doing the talking were older and had witnessed quite a lot of changes. Progress had brought into their lives many, many changes: cars, telephones, credit cards, etc. Until I was well into my adult years, I would cringe when people talked of progress. Now, I have learned a new definition. Progress is something to be celebrated. I will be celebrating my progress with pictures soon. Probably next week. I do love to celebrate!

Spring Tat-along

Announcing a new tat-along for 2020!

Renulek has started releasing her Spring doily! I like how the pattern looks this year. I’m still working on the 2017 “napkin” (gotta love Google translate!) so I won’t be starting this one. I see a patriotic color scheme though.

Join in! The doilies work up quite nicely.

Oh, and classes are beginning to fill up for Shuttlebirds2020. More excitement!

Joy in orange

😀

I’ve been working on this sample for months. Not steadily, but whenever the deadlines clear enough to pick up a pattern I can work in small sections. And because the center section has beads added as you go, not loaded onto thread prior to tatting, I didn’t work on this in the car but rather just sitting around the house. OK, those of you who know me can stop laughing! I rarely just sit. I’m usually doing two things at once: tatting and …… watching TV, talking to friends, reading a book on the computer, listening to music that I want to analyze/perform, ….. you get the idea.

Anyway…..

This sample is in vintage thread using size 15 blue beads. I rather like it. Orange is associated with joy and happiness, so this makes me smile. Or perhaps that is because I’m looking forward to teaching in April and May. Join me!

Lace in Sunnyvale

I spent a wonderful day Monday exploring the Lace Museum inSunnyvale, CA. They were in the process of photographing some of the recent donations, so I didn’t get out my little phone and get in the way. I'll be teaching there in April: here's the flyer. We’re going to have great fun looking at vintage and heritage patterns to update our imagination. If you will be in California just before Shuttlebirds, consider attending the 2 day workshop I will be leading at the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale. You will receive my Sonata pattern with one-on-one help tatting up the doily. I’m looking forward to learning a lot from those who come to tat with me.

The Blackwork Adventure continues

Like many who dabble with fibers, I love color in thread. I’ve had on my to-weave list for years to weave a color gamp like the picture here. I feel I have a lot to learn in the technique department before weaving a plain weave that needs to end up with lovely squares of color….not rectangles mind you. 

So, in the meantime, I’ll be stitching a study in color with the next Blackwork project I dive into.

Here's a link to a gallery that is inspiring me.

Vintage thread

As with many artistic endeavors, tatting can bring up arguments. You know the kind, based on opinions, facts, and experiences. How much people argue seems to be influenced mostly by how passionate they are about the art. I’ve been caught up in too many arguments to not be warry of leading questions. I’ve been asked, “What kind of thread do you like to work with?” so many times I tend to not really answer. I tend to ask questions back at the inquirer. I like encouraging tatting. At least that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

Whether you tat with vintage thread is one of those touchy topics. It can start all kinds of arguments! I feel compelled to be ambiguous. I do tat with vintage threads. I tat with crochet thread. I tat with all kinds of novelty fiber like paracord, metalics, floss, yarn….you get the idea. I tat.

So, when I started tatting a sample of a pattern for a workshop, I grabbed the thread I thought looked fun and would be easy to demonstrate with. Wonncha know it’s vintage! Busted! Now I have the tough decision. Keep using the sample, tat a nicer sample, or focus on the student.  Guess what I’m choosing????

Here's what I received

A dose of flu. No, I didn’t get really sick, just had to spend a week sipping tea constantly and dozing in my tatting chair. I’m back now. Just a couple more days and I should be back to full speed and full voice.

And so Epiphany….

I was amused recently when someone asked if I focused on Epiphany to chase away the Winter Blues. Well, I do get exhausted producing Christmas music so I have little energy for a week or so. But, like most things about my faith, it’s wrapped up in organ music.

One of my favorite pieces in organ literature is a setting of a hymn written for Epiphany: Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern BuxWV 223 by Dietrich Buxtehude. Like many compositions of this era, sacred and secular, this is a rif on the text while running through the common melody. For those who read music or know the chorale well, you can pick out the melody amongst the busy notes Buxtehude wrote down. If you’re thinking that’s a lot like jazz or folk, you’re correct. I particularly like this piece because you have the option within historical performance practice to change sounds frequently to set the sections apart from each other. So, I can provide an aural tour through an organ while providing a reminder of the tune and referencing text. If you’re thinking complicated, you got it!

I’ve been playing with tatting designs based on this piece for years. My recent dabbling in Blackwork has given me more ideas: create a Blackwork design to represent the chorale with the color and various rings/chains in tatting mounted on top the stitching. Perhaps beads too!

The next few months will be quite busy. We are getting closer to beginning some serious remodel on our Historic home, along with more substituting on the organ bench and teaching. I doubt I’ll get to putting into thread any ideas, but the sketches are piling up. I’ll try to give a window on that in the next week or so.

In the meantime, enjoy a listen to one of these videos of Wie schon. The visual is not much to look at unless you watch the one looking over the organists shoulder. Love her red shoes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyvMzIhiVxo (red!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPtjnhZZQq4 (channel with many hymns)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWxSAjesxPY (Baroque temperament organ in Germany)