Comparing Books

 I’m enjoying reading my newest tatting book. I’ll be picking up my shuttles soon, I promise. For now, I will read and ponder….

One of the thoughts that has come to my mind is the changes that have occurred with how we use tatting. While preparing for my latest lesson teaching tatting, I reviewed what books I would bring to the attention of the student. I discovered that Google Play has loaded quite a number of Beeton’s publications. The one I browsed was a manual of sorts on Running a Bazaar. The tatting section has a decent explanation of a bag with beads added. It’s gone in my to-tat list…..

Meanwhile back at the Ranch…..

I finished a trial tat of Antiks. This is not blocked completely. The thread is vintage of unknown manufacturer and was quite soft to work with. The design is by Muskaan and published in the Fall 2023Bulletin of IOLI. I’ve already started on a version with lots and lots of beads

Christmas gifts

 

Christmas this year has been special! I received wonderful gifts!! The ornament is stitched by a good friend, the bag woven by another good friend, and the book came from my son and daughter. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I don’t plan on putting the bag away. I plan on using it year ‘round. The bands are just too neat and colorful!

Ninetta put together this short history and explanation of her Treble Tatting Stitch with help from Muskaan. Truly an international effort. I have read the introduction. Next to dive into the background and a bit of history. I’ll enjoy it tremendously! She walks us through her Swirling Butterfly Doily quite thoroughly. Perhaps I can master the basic motif early in 2024.

I took time out

 I took time out from tatting the Antik snowflake/motif to teach someone to tat. We covered a great deal of information in the 2 hours. I used quite a bit of material that other people developed. Some of the names I know, others I do not. Thank you to those who gave of their work so that we can teach more people to tat. I have noted on my copies who to credit. I do use some material that I have developed, however I’m not confident of my writing so I haven’t printed much. I dream of going to a conference and spending an hour or two comparing notes with other teachers on where they source their materials. The last time I tried, I ended up starting an argument between two designers as to who should get credit for a drawing a third person used in their hand out. Sigh! Well, I can dream can’t I?

Oh, and at the end of 2 hours, the student had created a ring, chain and picot on each. Not too shabby!!

More of mushrooms

 

I seem to be focused on mushrooms lately. I don’t really spend a lot of thought on them. Just coincidence, I guess. At any rate, here’s my finished sample of the Mushroom pattern Karey Solomon shared with us at Palmettos Tat Days 2023. I had fun deciding where to add the buttons. A couple of them were sewed on after the tatting was finished. The colorful buttons were just the ticket to go with my “un-mushroom-y” purple thread!

Thank you, Karey!

Another interruption

 I used this morning’s interruption to TIP while reporting for my Jury Summons. My Civic duty is in process. This experience was much more pleasant. Court employees must have been educated on manners, politeness, and friendliness. In the past, I’ve been surprised the nametags didn’t say “Roz” (the character who oversaw the hapless employees at Monsters Inc.) and left feeling like my service wasn’t valued. Today was different. People actually replied in a calm, friendly manner. I actually saw smiles and was thanked for my service!

While I was waiting, I started on this snowflake: Antiks designed by Muskaan. When I have a bit tatted, I’ll show a picture. In the meantime, here’s what the side yard looks like now:

All sewn on

Pointed edging sewn onto huck lace sample

I finished sewing on the pointededging to the huck lace square. Whew!!! It’s been an adventure! I’m glad I adapted the antique pattern to be this edging. I’m glad I used the end of the workshop warp to learn a bit about huck lace weaving. I’m glad I was able to finish it!

Two done, one to go

 We put up a tree outside on our porch. It’s protected a bit from the worst of the weather. Just white lights as that fits the style of our home. This tree is set up in my teaching space. I’m sure more ornaments will find there way onto the branches. Perhaps after I finish decorating the third tree in our Living Room. Once that’s finished, I’ll get back to tatting!

Sewing away

 I decided to sew the edging on overlapping the row of rings with the hem of the huck. That’s the middle picture in this post. It will take me quite a few hours and my time is mostly taken up with recovery activities and music practice/performance. Hopefully I’ll have a picture of my progress ready for next week’s posts.

Hemmed and ready

Is that like locked and ready???? No! I know it’s not. But, it feels good to get this far!

I have a bit more pinning to do before deciding just how I’m going to sew this on. If I were going to be using this sample a lot, I’d run another batch of sewing along the hem. Just to lock in the separate picks and ends. (Weaving terms for the separate threads of the warp and weft.) But I don’t think I’ll be stressing it that much.

What option should I choose?

 

sewn on to edge

I gathered my courage yesterday and picked up my scissors to trim the huck sample and begin hemming. Before I started snipping, I took the time to fit the edging. I had been laying the tatting on the weaving just to make sure the corner treatment worked. I even consulted an experienced weaver who tats also to ask how I should hem the lace weave. I also took a poll of the family sitting and talking during our Thanksgiving celebration. Here’s the options I inquired about:

Which one do you like?

    

sewn on to hemmed area

sewn on to border

Finished, I think

 

I finally got this motif to the finished point. I think. The original bedspread had several more rounds to each motif. I chose to add just the one. The thread is Olympus metallic. It worked up just as well as the Liz Metallic. Still prefer cotton, but I wanted to experiment. Perhaps that’s why it took me so long to get this far……

Whew! Where did the last 10 days go?

 I’ve gotten good news on the physical front. So good that I’m almost back to work. Still taking it slowly and still at half time. But, that progress has put me back in the “what am I supposed to be doing?” phase. I lost track of posting to this blog. Mostly because I didn’t have anything I could share with a photo. I’ll have photos next week.

In the meantime, I’m still doing the exercises, practicing in short spurts, and slowly increasing the time I spend with shuttle or needle in hand. I’ll get there……..

Can I have an extension?

 That’s what I found myself thinking the other day. I haven’t been able to get back to work as quickly as I wanted to. If it’s one thing I learned so far in life, what I want to do isn’t what my body seems to be able to do. The ole can I, will I, conundrum.

So, I’ll be adjusting my goals and aspirations today.

Just to remind me

 I really love where I live. I have a hard time imagining vacationing someplace else. If I want to stroll by the Bay, I just head down the hill ¼ mile. If I want to hike up to the top of a hill, I just head up ¼ mile. If I want to curl up with a good book, I just do that. If I want to work on projects big and small, I can do that in a different room. If I want to play organ, or piano, or harpsichord, I have that chance. I really love where I live!

Just in case I don’t remember to be grateful, the house reminds me at sunrose with this:  

Our front door faces (mostly) East. This is what appears on a post inside when the sun shines through the peephole in the front door.

I am grateful!

Snowflake success

 

I have never had a difficulty using colors when tatting. Sometimes I struggle to get the colors right, but I enjoy combining the negative space of lace with the interplay of colors. I think it’s great fun!!

I like how this one came out:

It’s a gift, so I’ll be boxing it up soon.

I have quite a few patterns in the to-tat pile, but I just may have to tat this one in another colors combination. I’m thinking something quite subtle.

One down five to go…

 

We interrupt your tatting of a corner for the edging to bring you the outer round of December 3 snowflake from 24 Snowflakes by Lene Bjorn. I like the colors!

One down....three to go

 

I’m happy with this. It will work just fine to complete out the corner of this edging. Now to tat three more!

Is it my age?

 Warning: This is a bit of a rant and grumpiness.

You’re forewarned!

Have you ever wondered at how people react to your creative output? I have.

Having started performing at age 11, my experience has run the gamut. “You’ll learn how to play some year.” “It must be discouraging when you realize you’ve lost your edge.” I often wonder if people are just repeating what they’ve heard or curious or just plain mean. It doesn’t encourage young people to take up a creative pursuit. I was banking on being replaced by younger performers. I’m growing tired. But I can only control what I do.

Perhaps a lot of my situation is my choice NOT to color my hair. I don’t mind looking over 60. I don’t create to give people an escape from reality. Just to spread some beauty in the world and help people to feal in a cold, rough life. 

I find people still judge and assume. That’s part of creating. You have to accept that will part of the experience of creating and putting your work out there. When I play music, I have to accept that it won’t touch people the way it touches me. When I tat lace, I have to accept that it won’t bring smiles and joy to people. That’s what a creative life means. I can only control what I do.

I find more aspects of my life besides music and lace are being influenced by my perceived age. Where I live, what my house looks like, what I choose to attend and how I talk about my creative life. Maybe that means I’m involved more with people now. I’m no longer practicing and tatting in solitude. I’m out and about more. I’m teaching more. I’m in more situations where my creative output is for sale.

It’s interesting. I guess it is my age.

Or is it the age I live in?

It needs something

 

Remember the edging I showed yesterday? Well, I found a sample I wove of a Huck Lace pattern. I kinda like how it looks on it.

 But, I think the corners need something. Maybe this?

Almost finished

Many moons ago I started this edging. After many interruptions, aided by several plane rides, I’ve finished tatting. Now to see what I can do with it after blocking.

Getting organized

 It’s that time of year. I typically spend a few days in October organizing myself and all my “stuff” for the mad careening towards Christmas. So, I’ve pulled out my paper and pencil. I will likely end up using the computer at some point, but I’m usually moving around and sifting through stacks of music and patterns and such. Paper and pencil just work better.

You’d think with the weeks I’ve been in “forced inactivity” that getting organized would go faster. Unfortunately, it seems to be going slower. Perhaps I haven’t fully recovered enough to rev up to full speed. I’ll keep working at it.

I’m just so close to finishing a couple of projects. The finishing will be more complicated for the tatted projects. More in a couple of weeks!

Doing my best to ensure health

 My daily routine will include new activities to make sure I continue to regain my health. Some tasks will be ongoing forever: stretching and exercising, taking medications, and eating wisely. (I’ve never liked to use the word “diet” as I’m of slender build. You know how many times I’ve heard I don’t need to diet? Enough times I’ve stopped embarrassing those people and just move on!) Some tasks will be temporary or just once: inactivity, vaccines, countless tests. (The more I learn about what happened to me in February and March, the more I have to rely on data to figure out what to do next.)

I took care of one of those yearly tasks yesterday: I got a flu shot. I’m still not completely sold that it will help me that much. But now that I’m in the same health demographic as many of the target patients, I’m more inclined to get the vaccine. That hasn’t always been the case. The result this year is that I don’t feel bad, just a bit more tired. My heart rate hasn’t spiked, I’m not running a fever, and I was able to rest yesterday. Today I need to prepare for the rest of the week. It’ll be hotter tomorrow and the next day, so we need to water a few plants.

I hope to get back to the shuttles and such tomorrow. I’m so close to finishing the pointed edging. It looks good, but still needs the last few rings and of course blocking.

Back to the shuttles

I’m slowly getting back to work. I have sat down to do scales a couple of times. I’m not sure I want to, but I may have to train myself to quiet my heart rate while I play. When I’m not as engaged, I risk injury to my hands. Tough choice!!! I’ve drug out my stitching again. I hope to finish the border for the elephant in October. Again, I must take things slow.

But, the most fun and rewarding has been to pick my shuttles up again. I’m on the last repeat of the pointed edging. I’m also poking at some of the class projects from Palmettos Tat Days 2023. I’ll share pictures as I finish the tatting. Here’s step one of two from one class:

Slowly easing back into it

 I have a clear outlook for the next few weeks. Since I’ve been improving, I got the go-ahead to do a bit more. Slowly…. Sigh!! I am smiling though!

First step:  Decide what projects and activities are most important.

Then:  Figure out how much I can do each day so that I don’t over-do again.

Look out world, I’m on the mend!

Active *rest*

 A musician will tell you that a rest is an action. Music is organized sound and there must be silence for the noise to make sense. That pregnant pause at the end of the Hallelujah Chorus? Yeah. You figure out real fast that watching the conductor is crucial! Playing a rest is an action, not absence of motion.

So, I’ve been *resting* these past few weeks and have a couple more weeks to go. I knew I was going to be bored and people would be asking when I’m available again. I rehearsed my response. I learned as much as I could about how to recuperate/recover wisely. I gathered around me people who would support me.

I don’t do “invalid” well. I’m much more comfortable rolling up my sleeve and doing things. I’m still not used to claiming victory when I’ve done nothing all day. I know, I know, making sure I’m not tearing out stitches moving around is doing something! But, you know what I mean.

So, I’ll be at *rest* for a few more posts

How to *rest*

 Going into week 4 of this mandatory boredom… I mean *rest*…… I’ve been catching up on reading. I’ve read several magazines, novels, and a few sections of reference books I’d never made time to read before. It’s been…. Instructive.

I’ve also been thinking about what I should focus on when I do get back to work. Now, many of you heard how I very deliberately choose what to do each day. I do set goals (as in what could I do to make the most impact) and create task lists and project files. But this is focus. Sometimes the 15 minutes you spend talking to someone has a bigger impact than the 4 ½ hours you spend creating a piece of art.

Don’t get me wrong, ya gotta get the sweat equity in there! But, sometimes your focus needs to be getting that conversation going or writing that statement/article. That 15 minutes can create more to add to a focus than hours and hours. So, I’ve still been working in my planner/project file. Even if I’m not sliding onto the bench or picking up a shuttle or needle.

Oh, one of the articles I thoroughly enjoyed: But what’s your REAL job? In the June TAO by Sarah MacDonald.

Needs must

I find myself in grumpiness. I must take more time off. This time, I must do nothing…..

No organ playing, no tatting, no weaving…..

I must limit how much I sit at the computer also.

I’ll be bored!!!!

I hope to recover quicker than the doctors predict. We shall see. In the meantime, all are forewarned….

I’m grumpy 

What's in your toolbox

 

 Another question often heard when tatter’s get together. I tuck a lot of stuff into my tatting bag. There’s quite a few things on my shelf of supplies next to my tatting chair. These handy boxes will be keeping things more organized. They’re a bit large to just toss in for some TIP time, but some of these I don’t use but every once in a while. Like when I’m setting up my next project to tat. That reminds me…..

I’ll be getting together with the Embroidery group next week. I need to set up that motif that combines Mediterranean Knotted lace with tatting.

Another tablecloth

 

This is a small portion of a tablecloth we found recently. It needs some cleaning and it’s not tatted. 

But, we will enjoy it! 

And I do think I could tat something mimicking the design…..

Another small trip

 I’ll be taking another small trip. Hope to be back by Monday, so I’ll be posting Tuesday. Hopefully by then I’ll have more to share about the workshops I participated in on the last trip. Here’s a teaser from one of the classes:

And back home

 

I had a fabulous time! This is the view from my room. It was misty both mornings, which was lovely! Then in the afternoon, the view expanded as the mist wore off. 

 These are the chairs I spent the most time thinking in. Well, the rest of the chairs were used during eating and learning and teaching. I’m not sure I was thinking all of those times! 

More once I’m caught up and unpacked.

Just about there

 Coming from the West Coast, I have to take this trek in 2 stages. Stage 1 completed, now for stage 2.

Here are some photos of one of the class projects:

Ornamentation

side view Ornamentation

Just about packed

 

Just about everything is put into suitcases. I know I don’t leave until Wednesday, but tomorrow I have one of those appointments that takes hours and leaves me feeling foggy. They’ll be dilating my eyes also, so I doubt I’ll be seeing well until about dinner time. I’m planning on napping!

Adding a bit of bling

 

I’ve been tatting up a gift. The color choice is a guess from some hints. This will be combined with a variegated thread of reds and deep oranges. The plain yellow just didn’t grab me, so I thought of adding a sliver filament thread. I think this gives it just a bit of extra so that the contrast with the variegated thread doesn’t clunk. We shall see if the recipient likes it!

Ready to go to NC

I finally got things stitched up. It’s not perfect. I only tore out 1 seam. That’s pretty good for totally winging it how to sew it up. I still haven’t found the notes I carefully made when I sewed the first bag together. I know I thought, “I should make notes so that I know what to do.” 

Even after finishing the sewing this time around, I still don’t feel as though I know what to do. I’ll not be offering to teach a class in “How to Sew your own Tatting Bag.” I’ll be happy to meet up with someone who wants to tackle that subject. I’ll stick to teaching music and beginning tatting, and workshops on my patterns.

Now to gather everything I want to have while at Palmetto Tat Days!

Another fine Festival!

 Bach Fest has ended. I enjoyed it all so much. The new Maestra, Greta Pedersen, is so much fun! The theme running through most of the music choices was “beginnings” and this year was a great beginning! I can’t wait to see what is offered next year!!

I hope to find out who won my art. I wonder where it will rest and how much they will enjoy it. Soon…..

Steady progress

I’ve completed round 2 with a way to climb out using a split chain and a split ring. It was very fiddly and I never in 6 stitches got a sequence of steps figured out. Perhaps one reason is that I was using just a length of thread to create the split chain. Without a tool, either needle or shuttle, I quickly became confused which way to pull thread, which way to pass thread through gaps, and whether to pull the end through or leave a loop. Also adding to the confusion was the necessity for a join halfway through the split chain. Was it all worth it? I think so. Even if to demonstrate that using the end of a thread rather than thread with a tool (or even ball) is significant in describing steps.

Did I overthink it? YES!!

Distracted again

 
This time by Piecework magazine. The current issue, Fall 2023, includes a tatted motif intended for a greeting card. I was intrigued by how the pattern was written out. No diagram, ah well. A picture, but there’s a bit I thought at first was an error, turns out it just wasn’t blocked as well as I expected. I decided to tat up a sample using some metallic thread I picked up at Shuttlebirds.

This is Round 1 worked in Olympus lame with shuttle.

Slow progress on the tatting bag

 I’m making VERY slow progress replacing my tatting bag. I’ve taken this one all over the world. It was

time. The fabric was intended for upholstery, so it’s sturdy, but it had gotten worn.

And the plastic disc in the base had gotten cracked. I thought I would use an old CD. But, my resident 3-D printing expert has other ideas. She designed this:

I think it will work much better as it has a bit of give to it, so it should be supportive of the bag, but not crack.

Now to sew it up.

Vote for #51

 

For those of you who can get by Evans Gallery in Sunset Center, the volunteers will help you with raffle tickets. The money goes to Carmel Bach Festival. Once you fill the ticket out, you can tuck it in the box mounted under the frame. I’ll be tucking a ticket in a few other boxes when I get the chance. I’ve been enjoying several of the pre-Festival events. Haven’t slowed down enough to get my tickets. So much good music by so many excellent musicians!

Decisions, decision

 A question was posed the other day. What would you tat to give someone who knits fingerless gloves and loves to weave hand towels? Ideas were batted around. Nothing substantial came up. But it got me thinking…..

Could I use Takashima tatting, the hook tatting technique I learned in April, to create something that could be incorporated with knitting for gloves? Or would that be better for a hot pad or placemat?

detail from Rosemarie Peel heart

I need to uncover my sketchbook and get these ideas finalized.

Celebrate

 Today is the celebration of a Beginning. The beginning of a journey as a Nation. Like all things that are still evolving, we’re correcting mistakes, working to be better, and trying to find joy and happiness as we go along. May we have successes that help our future be brighter.

If you live in my corner of Tatland, please consider supporting this fundraiser:

I donated a piece again this year. I hope lots of raffle tickets are sold! The gallery where the art is hung is at the Sunset Center. Volunteers sell tickets before each evening performance and a few other times. I hope you enjoy!!

You see, I mean.....

 Explaining what I do in words has always been difficult for me. I guess because I learned to read music before I learned to read English. No, I didn't really think you'd take that seriously.

My brother would tease me, “Music is your first language, Sis. Stick with it and forget the English.” I’ve learned how to express myself in words….as long as I can edit them. It’s so much easier for me to just sit down at a keyboard and play or sing to convey what I wish.

The same can be said for tatting lace. What I see or imagine can be expressed in thread. I’m learning how to do that too. I still find myself trying to put into words what I’m tatting. For this blog, for the insert I add to my artwork, for friends who know that the lace is inspired by music. Next week I’ll begin another complicated piece of lace. Perhaps I’ll try to give a chronology of the process here. If I can figure out the words!

Off to edit the latest draft of writing about my lace…….

Deciding

 One question that often comes up, from tatters and those who don’t tat but love lace, is how I decide what to tat. That part of the creative process for me is the really fun part!

When I first started tatting, I followed patterns published in books. Sometimes I’d get so far and then I wouldn’t finish the piece.

Then I found patterns on the Internet. Sometimes I’d make several starts before I figured out how to tat the piece.

Then I found a group who discussed tatting on a weekly basis. Through that group, I was encouraged to design my own tatting projects. Sometime there’d be several trials of ideas before I’d come up with lace.

This is all part of the process of tatting for me: learning what has been done in the past, honing my skill to execute lace, and imagining new pieces. The deciding part is messy. The deciding part takes time. The deciding part can be unproductive and frustrating.

But the lace, is all good!

Returned and BWV 549

 

I have returned. And this is what I picked up from the framer:

My photography set up doesn’t include taking on art work framed under glass. But, you get the idea. I think it will work for a thumbnail to include with the pattern. I rather like how it all came out. The framer chose just the right mat to use with just the right frame.

Now to turn it in to the Fundraiser. When everything is set up, I’ll share info about it all.

Off it goes....

 Not with someone’s head. Just my tatting to the framer. I think I have everything in place, labeled, and ironed/blocked. We’ll see. I trust the to call if there’s any doubt or a question.

I also finished another sample for a class. This will focus on blocking. I used the wonderful Awareness ribbon pattern by Lenore English. If anyone has a link that’s active online, please let me know. I like to encourage new tatters to try it as it’s a little more involved than mignonette, and they can gift their tatting to someone who could use a boost. Here’s the tatting ready to block:

Now I’m off to pack for a short trip. I’ll be out for a week. Don’t expect I’ll get a chance to post Thursday. See you when I return to Monterey.

And here's how I do it

 

It occurred to me shortly after my last post went live that I’ve never really posted about how I prepare tatting for framing. So, here’s an in-process photo.

After finishing tatting the pattern and blocking, I visit a trusted framer to decide how it will look hung.

After a quick iron and lint-rolling, I place the black cotton fabric in a frame or hoop. If it’s too large, pinning on an ironing board or something works well. The idea is to make sure the fabric doesn’t move and the tatting can be tacked down easily.

Next come the guidepost basting. I do baste in a contrast thread. My eyes do not see square. They see very fluidly. So, I never, ever trust them to see if things are aligned. With the software I use to create diagrams, it’s easy to print out grids. Using a sharp needle as small size as I can limits the marking of the black fabric.

Next I baste the tatting down with help from that guidepost basting again using contrasting thread.

Now comes the slow part.

I pick the densest part of the piece and proceed to tack it down with a cotton sewing thread that matches as close as I can get. If I’ve used a variegated thread in the tatting, I match each section. That can leave a few knots on the back of the piece, so I try to make as small a knot as possible using a quilter’s knot to start each thread piece.

From there I work to tack down the rest of the tatting.

I do not trust myself to use self-sticking mat board. I know many people swear by it, but I trust a good framer more than my eyes.

Ready to mount

 I’ve blocked the tatting, found the black cotton, visited the framer to get the final dimensions needed. Now it’s time to do the very tedious part of sewing the tatting onto the backing material. This will take me awhile. I’ll have some in-progress photos Thursday.

Tatting finished, now to block and mount and frame

 

I finished tatting yesterday. It took me a few starts. I got the stitches counted, but forgot to measure the chain, remembered to measure the chain and got it laying flat, forgot to weave the chain, remembered to weave the chains, untatted a chain and undid a lock join, remembered to do everything….finally.

Now to block this beauty!!

BWV 549 ready to block

On to the chains

I’ve reached the trickiest part of the BWV 549 pattern. These chains are long: 75 DS on some, 45 DS on the shorter ones. Getting the stitches to lay nice is a challenge. Add to that the weaving over and under as I get to the final half dozen. I hope to finish these today. We’ll see if I have enough patience! 

All is revealed for the Fugue theme

 

The Fugue theme motif for BWV 549 is not symmetrical. The ring at the top left position is not the same as the top right motif. That’s on purpose. The music does that.

As I’m tatting up this iteration of BWV 549, I’m making notes and an outline for a class on this pattern. I’ll explain why in the lecture part of the class.

Meanwhile, I finished the Prelude round. And I used some of the cast-off Fugue motifs to make a pair of earrings.

One of these is not like the other......

 Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of puzzles: jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, crossword puzzles, and the like. Even those search puzzles where you find the differences between two pictures. I know, I know, but I’ve been put on “rest” for a trimester. It’s week 8 of 13 and I’m still not used to this lower level of activity! I’ve been tatting away a bit. Mostly patterns I know and love, samples for classes I’m teaching, and trials of techniques that I just haven’t got done yet.

I’ve been plugging away at BWV 549. I thought I had enough of the Fugue subject motifs tatted. Then, I found some motifs I tatted years ago when I thought up the design. After setting them side by side to compare color (I figured out I’m using the same color.), I discovered I had been making assumptions that are false. I missed a key design point. Can you spot what’s different?

One more time....and to be continued

 

I love teaching. Not the classroom kind where the “expert” who cannot actually play music or tat tells you how and when and where to teach. I guess too many times, someone’s ego gets in the way of actual learning. I like the teaching when the students seek you out and you get to expose them to what’s possible and help them gain skills.

This Friday, I’ll be teaching the final class of tatting at Slow Fiber here in town. I can’t wait to see what the budding tatters would like to create and what they are drawn to learning. I can’t wait to see what they have created in the last month. I can’t wait to share and be a community!

I’m also just about 1/3 of the way through tatting BWV 549. Once I reminded myself how to tat the motifs, things fell into place….literally. Now to remind myself how to connect them all together!

Oh, now I remember

 

I decided to re-tat BWV 549 for my Bach Festival donation this year for Art of Music. I found my notes…. except for the actual pattern. I thought no problem as I have clear pictures of the finished piece and all the notes. Hmmmm……about that…..

Well, after a few days of taking a stab at it, I’ve decided I’m glad I have revisited the pattern. It will be a good one for workshops. The part that represents that Prelude has 9 of these motifs. Each motif has 2 rings with a curled section, and lots of stitches to wrangle in the rings. I’m trying to see if I can create a pair of earrings out of it.

Continuing my experiments

 I tried out more yarn and thread with the Takashimabari. 

The red thread is size 3.

The pink is a mystery cotton yarn.

The multi is an acrylic yarn that I think is classified as sock yarn.

I’m getting better at gapsosis and pulling things too tight. I will have time next month to start a collar or vest of some kind. So, this will be set aside until Bach Festival piece is off to the framers.

Hook tatting samples

 I’m enjoying exploring this new to me tool. I found out at the workshop that the tool was invented decades ago. I view the version marketed by Annie’s Attic as a knock off. But then, there are those who prefer Boyle crochet hooks to others, so maybe I just prefer Takashimabari tool.

The green sample is tatting in Eliza size 5 with the smallest hook in the set.

The pink sample is Cebelia size 30 using the same hook. I also tried out how to climb out using needle technique for split rings. It worked, but I still need lots more practice.

After I finish a session on the bench…….