I am a musician (organ) and a tatter (shuttle mostly) living in California. I have dreamed of combining both of these passions.
After consulting with my doctor, I made the tough decision
to withdraw from teaching at Shuttlebirds this year. My health is better than
when I was 40, but still not robust enough to fend off stray viruses. I continue
to be vigilant in Monterey as there are so many tourists and I will not be THAT
one that spreads COVID. Perhaps next year I will teach in far flung places
again. Please know that I truly wish to be teaching and joining the fun, but
needs must.
I’ve basted the edging onto the bookmark. (I used yellow
thread) So now it’s just one stitch at a time tacking down the inner row of
chains.
I’m pleased to announce that registration is going well for my classes at Shuttlebirds Tatting Days.
This is a sample of one of the patterns I will be teaching. I created this design in 2014 as a thank you for a gift of tickets to a concert. There’s a lot packed into this little bit of lace. I’ll be pressed to cover everything in 1 ½ hour class. It will be fun to see the students creating and learning.
Everyone who has done edgings to trim a hankie or shirt or whatever knows the corner is tricky. If you fall into the bad habit of adlibbing your pattern, you can find yourself in a pickle. I’m ready to turn the corner:
And this is my solution:
Incidentally, there’s a bit of a picot problem. Given the
thread size, I think my solution will be to join to the ring with the thread
going around the entire stitch. It’ll show, but that end will be in the book
and I’ll just have to make the top fancy enough to distract. Ideas anyone?
After a good blocking, the doily found its way to a small
table in our living room. I’ll be taking it to show a group on Thursday, but
then returning it to the table.
Well, the tatting at any rate….
Remember this project? Thank you again, Renulek, for sharing this design!!! I thoroughly enjoyed tatting it with
all these beads. I used up quite a bit of vintage thread too! My first idea was
to make a flower color scheme. Then I thought about adding the illusion of dew
with beads. The judge at the Fair really liked it! There are some misses in the overall design scheme, but I think it
works.
I’ll be finishing it with a good block and then my favorite
photographer will work magic with her camera. I like the way she captured the
Hidden Rose biscornu.
Now that this doily is done, (WHEW!!!) I plan to use my time
each day devoted to working with size 80 thread (those minutes with strong
sunlight early in the day before my eyes get tired) to finish the prototype of
a design I’ve been kicking around the tatting box.
As a tatter who wears samples of my work (earrings, edging, bun holder), I can find myself shuttle deep in interesting conversations. Last week was no exception.
Very, very rarely are these conversations of a negative
nature. Usually, I explain my lace and how I make it. I listen as the person(s)
respond and ask questions. I really don’t mind talking to people about tatting.
What I really get excited about is talking about pipe organs
and the music you can play on them. Last week I didn’t get much tatting done. I
was stitching a lot on the Ukrainian pattern and meeting with musicians to plot
how we could encourage more people to learn about and to play the organ.
Progress is slow. In all accounts. But, there is progress.
I’ll have pictures to share soon.
I’m still working on the bookmark edging. I’ve learned a lot:
Sewing thread demands a slightly different technique to tat
successfully.
I need to leave a mock picot at the base of rings for
joining with round 2.
Color can change what we focus on in a pattern/design.
Ok, this last point I didn’t just learn. I’ve known that and I continue to learn how color works
each time I load a shuttle with a different color thread and combine it with options in each pattern.
When I see “SAL” my mind translates that to Sing along. (Although why we use AL for along I’ve yet to figure out!) I have been thinking of music that I identify as Ukrainian. We did sing a bit last weekend as a prayer for the Russian people (Putin excluded) and Ukrainian people. But today, I’ll be posting about a Stitch along for Ukraine.
This website was passed on to me by a good stitching friend. She has encouraged me to gain new skill, knowledge, and just to try out everything. She has a treasure trove of odds and ends that has saved me bucks. She even learned to needle tat to join in my quest to combine tatting with…..everything!
Here’s my version of the center:
The cross shape (a symbol for protection from evil) was a good place to start.
May all know Peace
