New Music

I bought some new music yesterday! 

It feels fun to indulge in some retail therapy. What did I buy?

It is program music. In more ways than one. The composer based it on a poem from “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S.Eliot. She focused on Mr. Mistoffelees. Now, if you’re familiar with Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber, you will be hard pressed to consider the Overture by Rachel Laurin without prejudice. A bit like looking at tatting with cluny elements without thinking of a favorite trim or edging. The effort is worth it. She gives a table of some structural and musical characteristics related to the poem. I’m really looking forward to learning and performing this one!! Here’s a link to a performance that will have to suffice as a world premier in this time of COVID. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deD27fKCesc

And yes, I’ve already made some sketches of a tatting design I see when I consider Mr. Mistoffelees!

Replacements

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I would replace should I lose everything. It happens when the fires get close. You see pictures, talk to people, and realize you really should take care of details. I did take care of a few:

 - Updated my contact info with some of the family. Not that they didn’t have it, but I needed to remind them they are our contact from out of the area.

- Replaced the earring I lost. Back in February I lost one on a trip. I decided I really needed to tat the replacement. It would be much easier to pack a pair of earrings than to grab beads, shuttles, thread, scissors, beading needle, crochet hook, you get the idea!

- Cleared dead leaves and plants from around the house. This is an ongoing chore, but I pushed to complete as much as I could.

I’ve yet to take care of reviewing our household inventory to update pictures and to delete those pieces we’ve repurposed to new homes. I’ve yet to repack the current practice list of scores. I’ve yet to verify where certain information is. That last detail usually involves going to the bank. With the Pandemic restrictions in place, you need to make an appointment for that. I just haven’t thought it worth the bother. The fires don't wait for you to not procrastinate.

I’ll be glad when things settle back into a less stressful routine. Do you have a plan? Could you evacuate? At least take the time to gather important info. Here's to many more years of tatting......

A use for Direct Tatting

I’ve come to accept the term direct tatting in shuttle tatting to mean that you simply wrap the stitches rather than flip the stitches. I find I can only execute it without getting confused when using 2 shuttles. Depending on which shuttle I’m holding, the chain will naturally curve one way or the other. The technique is quite useful in designing.

Recently, I lost one earring of a favorite pair. I’ve finally gotten around to making the replacement. In my zeal to bling the pattern up, I’ve added silver sliver thread to the final round. I wanted to wrap the curled rings at the outer edge with the bit of metal thread, but not the chains between those curled rings. The first time I tatted the ring, I used the clumsy technique of holding the two shuttles together while tatting the half dozen stitches for the chains. Very awkward. 

Enter the direct tatting technique! I have changed to wrapping both threads for the core and using the single shuttle to form the chain DS. Voila! It means you’re switching shuttles to lock join and such, but I don’t end up dropping shuttles either! Now, I just direct tat the chains and manage just fine. Pictures once the sun comes out again.

The fires are still burning in the area. The smoke is getting bad inland. I took this picture mid-morning in the direction of the closest fire. Resources are getting stretched pretty thin. People and animals are being evacuated. No word on how much we've lost for crops and such. Our neighborhood is in the opposite direction from where the fire is spreading. We're trying to help as best we can by  staying out of the way and let the professionals do what they train to do.

Around me

Have you ever waded in the ocean with the sea swirling around your ankles? It’s fascinating to watch the water. The foam creates wonderful patterns. The sun glints off the surface. Water is very powerful and can push the sand around. Your feet can be sunk into the wet sand quite quickly. It’s easy to become really engrossed in what’s happening right at your feet.

And dangerous

The ocean is not to be ignored. Especially where we live a sneaker wave can come in and you find yourself fighting for your life in deeper and deeper water with no way to get to safety. It is a matter of life and death that you never, ever turn your back to the sea; nor do you ever forget to keep an eye on the surf. Even if you’re just strolling along the edge of the water enjoying the beach.

Right now around me is another situation where you never ignore your surroundings.  About 10 miles from my house there is a wildfire burning. It’s big. It’s going to be burning for days. It’s not threatening my home. But, the air is smoky. I still have taken time to be prepared just in case things change. I’ve got my eye of the surf. I’ve got my eye of the wind and alerts set up on my phone.

I am safe.

Save the Date

October 19,21,23 2020 Beginning tatting offered as a virtual class through the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale, CA

October 24-25, 2020 Tatting workshop focusing on the edging of a vintage mat in the collection of the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale, CA. The workshop will be offered using a virtual classroom.

Details will be posted on the Museum webpage soon!

I’ve been finishing, sorting, organizing, tidying a lot lately. Here’s my version of the Challenge Jon Yusoff created last Spring. I’ll be adding my bits soon.

What makes a tatting project complicated?

ready to go for a walk

On the surface, these bits added to the mask are not complicated. But, there’s plenty of fodder for making them complicated. I did that to the orange bits by adding beads (my idea was to suggest a monarch butterfly). I did that to the lavender bits when sewing them on (I practiced my lazy daisy stitch). I think they would make an interesting class project.

I love teaching people about tatting. That includes teaching them to tat. Once they get the basic DS down, moving on to joins and such usually leads to tatting a simple pattern. I love that tatting can be so practical. Incidentally, I’ve actually had people argue in front of me whether my tatting is a craft or an art. Me? I just tat.

Back to the learning bit….

I try to stoke creativity when I teach. Tatting does involve skill, so I do insist on a bit of planning and  a passing knowledge of those who have tat before. But, I love seeing people enjoy tatting, gifting tatting, and dreaming of the next project.

I’m sure if you’re honest with yourself, at least once you have bitten off a project that is beyond your experience and skill level. At least I hope so. That’s how new ideas get started. That’s how we continue to learn.

Back to the title of the post…..

What makes a pattern complicated? Each pattern is accomplished one DS at a time. There can be other facets: Cluny elements, pearl chains, daisy picots, stuff like that. Even if the hard parts are structural, one can usually edit the pattern to simplify if necessary. One can also add extras to a simple pattern to make it complicated. Sometimes a simple pattern can become complicated simply because it takes a great deal of time to execute all those DS. Because life can get complicated, I try to present the simplest form first, then encourage creative variations. Don’t get me wrong, I tat complicated stuff too often. I make sure I tat something simple every once in a while. Like the edging for the mask. It was very satisfying to just tat and sew. I didn’t think about it much. I didn’t practice a difficult element. I just did it.

Trust me, when I propose a class project, I pick one that can be complicated, simplified, and hopefully gets those creative juices going. So, if a class description or something I post here seems too easy or too complicated, I ask only that you communicate that thought. Come, join me to tat!

The tatter's mask

Anyone who has been awake the last six months has adjusted to wearing a mask. Goods friends have provided me with a set of fabric masks. This one is my favorite:

I finally finished a bit of tatting to add to it:

adding beads to negative space

Looking more like a butterfly

a vintage edging in vintage thread

Now to finish something for the other masks.

Time is marching on

Changes are afoot. I am beginning preparations for a new tatting class series (online only right now). No dates yet, but I think it will be exciting. I need to narrow down the possible pattern: edging for the mat from the Museum collection, edging for your fabric mask, earrings, door decoration in para-cord, cover for ornament, etc.

I’ve also decided I really must complete some of the projects for the house that I started too long ago to admit. That will involve a sewing machine. So, I must organize that part of the house. No, I won’t be sharing pictures! Well, maybe.

I’ll be reminding myself of this story when I get discouraged: 3 years to clean and reinstall the grand orgue in Notre Dame. I won’t take 3 years. Honest.

Oh, and time was extended last weekend. The bidding for the Art Auction to support Carmel Bach Festival will close tomorrow at 3 PM Pacific (11 PM GMT) . I hope whoever wins my piece will let me know. Maybe they’ll even send a picture to me. Well, one can hope.