A familiar technique just a bit different

 I love how you can translate techniques and transcribe pieces. I love taking the familiar and presenting it just a bit different.

We add beads to tatting that can remind one of adding beads to kitting or crochet or cross stitch. Each way gives you just a bit different result.

We can play a piano piece on the organ, or transcribe an orchestral work for the organ. The music can sound very different, but there’s still a bit of recognition.

When I learned how to create a “cluny leaf” in tatting, I understood the technique, had fun creating the lace, and love using the technique in my patterns. I also understood that those who create a similar element in bobbin lace or surface embroidery stutter when trying our cluny leafs in tatting. Why? I wondered.

Well, this post on Mary Corbet’s excellent blog with videos gave me more insight:

Stitch Fun: Making Long Woven Picots without a Pin

I recommend watching this video also: https://www.needlenthread.com/2008/01/woven-picot-another-embroidery-video.html

Now I understand how to teach tatting a cluny so much better! Thank you to all who share and teach and put fiber arts out there for all of us!

I'm making progress

 

I decided to tat this pattern by Mimi Dillman to practice my Cluny technique. I remembered trying it out many years ago, but couldn’t find my sample. I doubt it was given as a gift. You can see my technique is not up to that standard! Nothing for it but to start a new one. I’m happy with the way the center section came out. I still need practice, but adding the outer row is helping to straighten things out.

I’ve already chosen the next pattern to tat again. I’m having great fun going back into my stack of patterns I’ve tried and retatting some of them. Yes, I’ve filed some away again without tatting them. Some of them were just not my “style” and didn’t grab me the first time.

To be continued…..

More loom use

 

Here’s a quick picture of my set up with the 3-D printed loom Tim sent me. I like the ability to have space between the warp and the frame. That makes using a shuttle much easier. I found I needed to anchor the bottom loop of the warp with something other than my hand. Passing the final warp pass behind the frame, catching the loop, and then anchoring the warp end did the trick. The extra warp passes allowed me to rest my hands and stretch. It also allowed me to use both hands to tension the tallies. A win all around!

Thank you again,Tim!!!

Cluny loom action

I’ve always loved puzzling out how cloth is made. Especially when there’s mechanical stuff involved. I like figuring out how to set up the loom. And of course, I gravitate to the “lace” weaves like leno.

As I learned more tatting techniques, I was fascinated by using my hands to create cool stuff from thread. I found I was limited by the hands I have. So, when I saw this:

 

available through Handy Hands

I had to investigate. I understand the tradition of the tallies in lace. I like how they add to tatting patterns. I Especially like the thought of using a loom because my hand wasn’t straining to make the element. Here’s what I’ve come up with. 

I’ll be sending this to be “judged” by veteran tatters. Some of those tatters will likely be proficient in bobbin lace tallies. I’ll be really interested to see what they think!

One down, one more to go then some more rings!

Cluny Loom Bookmark

Here’s a picture of my bookmark using the pattern included in the Ulitmate Cluny Loom package.

Unfortunately, there was a mix up in the registration (my fault), that lead to a mix up in what division the piece was judged. I used needle tatting techniques for my version, not cro-tatting. First place is good, though. I thought some other tatters in the area would enter needle tatted pieces. I guess they didn’t think their pieces would win over mine. I think they’re mistaken!

Oh, I used DMC Pearl Cotton for my lavender place-holder.

I almost missed it.....

I almost missed a deadline for CNCH. I’ll be working hard to meet it now. Pictures when I’m doing something other than stringing beads, tatting, blocking, and mailing the piece. Teaser: I’m expanding on Diane’s Ice Drop method.

I almost missed the wildflowers. I took time for a hike yesterday. It helped to energize me and clear my head. They are pretty. Didn’t try to see if they smell; I don’t fancy getting into Poison Oak. The pictures didn’t turn out as I didn’t take the time to figure out how to take a picture under trees on a foggy day.

I almost missed a great pattern. Dagmar combines simplicity and elegance in fresh ways. Thank you! I’ll be working this up to use with a nametag.

Best get busy catching up! Enjoy Spring and all its beauty.

Cluny conquered

Success with the cluny medallion! Wheeeeeeee

Now it’s on to a big doily based on a pineapple pattern. This will take a while to work. But, only 4 more to go in the binder! Whew!

Since I’ll be working on that for quite a bit of time, I’ll have to come up with other things to post about. I’ve begun a series of designs on the Bach 2 and 3 part inventions/sinfonias. Perhaps I’ll start posting about them.

In the meantime, Spring is here. In our house that not only means more time outside, but Easter. Whatever you find to nourish your soul, please nourish it. That is my Easter prayer. Passover is so powerful, Nowruz is fun, Spring Festival is delicious, etc. My humanity needs to be reminded frequently that I am who I am. All the precious gifts, all the ugly warts, all of me. So, find time to celebrate and feed your soul.

setback and a buzzing

I had a setback on my cluny pattern. I was concentrating so hard on getting the cluny shapes consistent and keeping the color blips to a minimum that I neglected to keep the right side the right side and let the RODS creep in on the right side.

If that doesn’t make sense, it didn’t to me either for a bit. I picked up my sample after a good night’s sleep and saw something wasn’t quite right, but didn’t have a lot of time right then to really study it. After I completed the appointment, I studied it again and saw that I had executed a ring with an extra picot and not enough double stitches. So, I set it aside while I exercised, then picked it up again to decide what to do. That’s when I noticed that I had tatted 4 rings as though I had the wrong side facing up. AND I also noticed that I had badly twisted a picot in a chain. Sigh!!!

I decided to not just clip out the mistakes, but to begin again……Finnegan…….Michael…..grumble, grumble!

Maybe that’s what the hummingbird was trying to tell me that buzzed me on my walk. Ever had that happen? They are loud, fast, and very bold. It’s enough to make one duck, startle, and walk quickly on. Tee hee.

Who knows what will happen today with shuttle or on a walk. If something amusing happens I’ll try to share it.

Cluny doily started....needs.....practice

So, here’s the cluny pattern section I’ve been working on.

practice cluny sample

I still think I need more practice at cluny leaves. These were described by the designer as needing to be shuttle shaped. I’m thinkin’ they’re a bit more like celtic shuttles than the one I’m trying to work with! I just may repeat a bookmark pattern I enjoyed last year.

Cluny bookmark by Georgia Seitz

(thank you Georgia!)http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2010/clybkmk2.jpg 

 

Maybe that will help cement the technique and the current doily pattern will work out better? Hope, hope, hope

flower petals ready to be assembled

Well, I think I have a good set of clunys to assemble into my poinsettia. I won’t show you the ones that were “binned”. (I think the Brits have a good expression there!) At any rate, I will be setting these aside for a day…..or so…..before assembling. And, of course, no photo of the complete flower here. At least not until I hear back from the folks that run the TATprograms.

cluny petals for a poinsettia

Now, on to the doily with cluny parts. No wires needed for those.

close, so close

I asked what you thought of the different cluny technique. So far, no one has weighed in. Well, I think I could use both techniques; just need to play a bit more to see what I like about each one.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on the knitting board. I’m so close! When I get this close to the end of a project, I have to be quite firm with myself. I tend to rush and make all sorts of sloppy errors. So, I will be careful in the last few rows.

a cluny technique to explore

I recently came across an intriguing idea: use wire to shape the outer parts of a cluny. Here’s what I came up with:

cluny leaf



cluny with floral wire

 

 

 

 

The one in gold without any white showing is completed with just thread using a loom, no wire or stabilizer help. The one in gold with white showing is completed using a loom and covered floral wire (in white).

Now, I’m not a crafter (just ask the Girl Scout troop I worked with); I don’t do flowers (silk or live); and this is size 10 thread (a bit larger than I like to use). Personally, I like the way the one with wire holds the shape, I just have to learn to deal with the wire. What do you think?