Fair results

I am very lucky. I live in a beautiful place. I have great music opportunities on the organ here. I have a great group of tatters that meet weekly. I live a charmed life! I’ve been able to connect with tatters and organists around the world through the Internet and through Guilds. I am very lucky!

A friend, who doesn’t play organ or tat, asked me the other day how I liked participating in the County Fair. It’s a positive experience for me. Lots of people see lots of creative items. The friendly competition spurs my creativity. There are things that are not to my taste: the crowds, how it manages to be the hottest weather all summer, people reacting to my tatting in a negative way. But overall, it’s positive because it encourages people to try tatting. (Get the picture here? It’s all about tatting for me. J)

This year, for Monterey County Fair 2019, I filled out entry forms for 4 items….just 4. Not a lot, I know. When it came time to turn the items in for judging, I couldn’t find 2 of the tatted snowflakes. They are here in the house somewhere. I hope to find them for decorating in December. Since they are missing, I did not have anything judged in the Tatting Division. There were quite a few pieces entered in that Division. They were magnificent! 

The 2 items that I did turn in were entered in Household decorations. These Cuffs for Candelsticks and my version of Martha Ess Two Hearts as One. They won ribbons: 2^nd place for both. I regret I wasn’t able to see the displays as I was wrapped up in Tat Days. I hope to find out exactly how many tatted pieces were judged and how many won ribbons. I call it another successful year for tatting at the Fair. 

What will be created for next year???

It’s almost the end of August and it’s time to reflect.

I had in mind to be looking towards the concert (which I need to print the programs for) and the Fair (which I won’t have time to really attend this year) and Tat Days (which starts in a week), but I find I must take a moment to breath. I’ve allowed myself to be committed to several big projects at once. That’s usually what happens when you’re a musician. I know how to prepare for everything. I can set my schedule to accomplish all I need to do and even some things I want to do. All that said, it means my schedule never becomes mundane, just a bit crazy. I like crazy.

Tomorrow I’ll pause long enough to share some of my favorite organ pieces at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas. Just a half hour or so of music. They’ll be the regulars. And a few eating their lunch. Maybe the PGE construction guys will listen for a few minutes. It’s great fun!

I miss helping out at the Fair. I’ve heard the atmosphere is quite different this year. I hope the gang is taking lots of pictures. I hope the judges liked the entries. I hope people discover new interests and celebrate hard work.

OK. Breathing done, time to dive in!!

Ready for Play

It is my custom to review what I do each day, each week, each month, each quarter……… You get the idea. I need to know I’m making progress, making the world a better place, meeting my goals…….

BWV 549 by Melanie Cervi

June, on that list, looks like one big celebration! When you glance at my blog posts, you see posts that seem to be wrapped up in just one project. I really was involved in more than that! Really!! (BWV 549)

Sonata by Melanie Cervi

(Sonata) July, on that list, looks like one big concert!Lots of listening and writing, not much tatting or playing. I did play organ several times. I set the date for my workshop in Sunnyvale.

August wasn’t so positive. The organ went on the blink. The snowflakes went missing. I played a lot, so the hands have been limping along. I’m determined to end with a more positive week!

Yesterday, I spent most of the day preparing for the concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas on Friday. Today, I’ll wrap up that preparation and work on repairing the organ. Tomorrow, I’ll be finishing my in-progress samples for the classes at Tat Days. (My classes are listed about half way down the page.) And Saturday is the last day of August! Whew!!

I'll be ready for some Play Time in September............

Ready or Not Here I Come!

My Fair items are ready for the judge. We’ll see what they think. I didn’t find the snowflakes. Ah well. That means I won’t have anything entered in the “tatting” Division. There will be things entered. I hope the experience is positive for the judge, the tatters, and the folks who volunteer for the Fair. I’ll be missing the time to demonstrate. I have taken on other jobs this year. Next year I will return!

Getting ready for ????

Well, still no sign of the pieces that went missing. I’ve entered them in the Fair confident that I would find them. But, no such luck! Ah well. The exposure at the Fair is limited. I would probably gain more if I had a booth in a Street Fair or participated in an Open Studio Tour. The former is sooo muchhh workkkk and the latter is too personal. I’m not the only one using the studio location, and I use it for organ also. I’d be hard pressed to seem relaxed and congenial. I think that’s very important in the artist community.

I’ve begun pulling together my samples for TAT Days next month. Nothing too crazy, just snippets of the patterns so people can see what I talk about. Pictures will be shared when I return. Now, it’s off to look at all the fantastic cars that are on display this week. I’ll be the one with the tatting shuttles in hand.

Carmel Bach Festival 2019 is completed.

Now back to my regularly scheduled life.

No seriously, I do love the Festival, but I’ve not been keeping up with the rest of my life. I have a concert to play Friday that needs more practice…..yesterday! I have 3 workshops to prepare for by Tat Days…..this week! I have a house to clean and guests to prepare for in 2 weeks. Oh, and there’s the 2 sub jobs I have to prepare for. Fair entries to get ready for display. Lots to complete.

 I think I’ll take a walk by the Bay first……

Fair possibilities

By this time of year, I’m usually lining up what I wish to enter in the Fair for judging. Slight problem this year. 

I’ve nothing to enter. 

I’ve tatted things to be sure, but everything that is complete and ready for judging is in someone else’s hands or going with me to Tat Days in Georgia. Mmmmmmm Someone else will just have to win the ribbons this year. 

I’m grinning whenever I think that as tatting has become popular enough here in Monterey County to have several pieces in a number of categories. <grin!>

Card Band Bookmark

One of the fun things about entering the Fair is getting the word out about workshops and encouraging each other to learn. The Tablet/cardweaving workshop was fun and sparked quite a bit of happy weaving time for me.

 I entered a sample from the warp finished as a bookmark. Not perfect obviously. The judge wrote some good comments. 

I’ve already tweaked the current tablet project in response. I like it better!

Next week some dreaming up new projects!

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.

The Fair is upon us for another year.

Actually, just the deadline to turn in items for judging. (2 days!)

Next, items for display need to be turned in (the 24th), enjoy the activities of Car Week (starting tomorrow), setting up the Weaving show that has a case for tatting samples (the 24th), and finally in a couple of weeks, enjoying the Fair (Aug 30 - sept 3)!

No pictures until after the Fair, but here’s the chain I tatted to go with the pendant:

Frustrated a bit......

The pattern for the candle cuff just isn’t coming together as I had hoped. No worries. 

The entries for the Fair are not all going to be done. No worries. 

What I’ve been spending time on is much more important!

I had the pleasure to help to produce, and enjoy, this:

http://www.saintdunstanschurch.org/event/music-at-st-dunstans-2018-08-05-chase-olson/

Here’s more info:

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/entertainment/music/young-artist-takes-on-st-dunstan-s-dobson-tracker-organ/article_e9c18582-95ea-11e8-a798-2f23083c37cc.html

The concert was wonderful and well received. If you were one of the few who didn't heard him play, he'll be back. But school comes first for a few months.

And to work out the frustration with the shuttles, I tried out this Benile pattern:

Dragonfly by Nina Libin

Dragonfly by Nina Libin

I love it! The top one is tatted in Crochet cotton size 10 with size 11 beads. The bottom one is tatted in Lizb Metalic Gem Stone. I do like working with this thread. I hope to see more sizes available soon.

It was a bit tricky to get the beads loaded so that they ended up at the proper place in the pattern, but I made notes and now it’s a fun thing to tat. Since all the beads are loaded prior to tatting, it’s a good one to do at the Fair!

Ready to go.

It took me a few days longer. That’s because I got “guilted.” 

I know the difference between talent and success is hard work. Legacy is built not of thought, but of lasting results. Ideas remain just ideas until there is communication and documentation. It’s details! It’s stuff! It’s al’ dat mind-numbing, boring, tedious minutia! So, I’ve been spending time tending to the Administrative side of my creative endeavors. I have to say that it’s been worth the energy. I slept better last night knowing I will have a clearer path today through the many, many distractions I collect for myself. Still have quite a number of loops to close, but just like a ring that refuses to snug up, settings things aside to rest has made it easier; just like a passage your fingers refuse to execute, playing something else has made the mistake show itself. Better late than never here!!!

I can’t resist showing you detail of the big project for the Fair:

It’s lookin’ real nice!

Successful workshop. I learned so much!

And the ideas I have hatched! It’ll take awhile to get something finished enough to show here. And there’s the current projects on the shuttles: Bach Festival Art Raffle piece; the study of curled rings; and the pieces I’m thinking of entering in the County Fair.

Two thoughts about Tablet weaving:

Tradition has shaped the pieces we weave. The thread needs to be tightly spun, so there is more processing before weaving than for a shawl from handspun. Contrast is encouraged in the patterns so there are lots of vibrant colors. The equipment needed is fairly simple with just cards and two points needed for attaching…think backstrap or simple frame.

The weaving goes fast:

Tablet weaving can produce shoe laces or harness pieces. Hat bands can be personalized. The bands are narrower, but good and thick. There was even a wonderful dog collar sample at the workshop!

Where I may venture:

Bookmarks with tatted edging. Accessories for hikers and outdoor activities. Remember the workshop I went to last summer? Neutrals……with pops of color added.

Time to get busy!!

More ideas than time....especially when the weather is nice!

Still playing with beads and curled rings. Several ideas worked. Two did not. So, forward progress overall. Keeping on task will be difficult. The weather is drop dead gorgeous, I was gifted a bag full of Workbasket magazines, and I have several more ideas to try out for Bach Festival and the earring design I’m working on.  It rained last night so the newly planted plants are happy. I’ve got more ideas than time, I’m happy!
Happy Tatting AND music making!

I may tat slow.....

I know I’m a year behind. That’s due to…….. “not important” stuff that turned out to be more “important” than this project. Just to prove that I’m sticking with it, here’s my solution for Round 8:

Wiosna 2017 by Renulek

My logic: the center has 6 rings. Round 9 will have 24. I wanted to place beads to see if I could keep the eye seeing a wedge out from the center. More of a kaleidoscope effect than a drop in a bucket effect. I figure the next round will be several trials before I’m satisfied with a color choice. That may not happen until after the Fair.

Something Old, something New, something Blue.....

I completed a few things lately:

The square for the Brussels monument

There are 4 of them because I practiced Direct Chain tatting using up thread and then tried both size 30 and size 20. The smallest one turned out fine although I couldn’t tell you what I’d done to make it come out looking OK. By the time I tatted the largest one in size 20 thread, I wasn’t paying close attention and had to start over twice as I’d forgotten to join, or Reverse Work, or all three! The thread is Cebelia. Too soft for my taste, but it was the only size 20 pink I could lay my hands on.

That’s because I was packing for the workshop last Monday. It went well. I covered both needle and shuttle technique for DS. The group caught on fast. Perhaps because they all stitch and are comfortable with needle, thread, and were ready to have fun with knots. I look forward to coaching them. Perhaps we’ll even see some more tatting at the Fair.

I also complete the next section of Jane’s TIAS:

Since I’m on a roll, I plan to spend more time today and tomorrow finishing up projects. This coming weekend, I’m taking the Rigid Heddle Class that the Craft Guild is sponsoring. I’ll be working with wool. It’ll be a long 2 days, but I should have a cool scarf by the end.

Earring challenge

Remember this challenge? 

Well, an earring a week was just a bit too much for my tat-load (workload of tatting projects). But, I’m thinking an earring a month will work. I decided that when I found a list of earring patterns I made a couple of years ago. There’s 9 on that list. Add to that the patterns I’ve discovered in the last year or so. And voila! An earring a month!

To motivate myself and convince myself I can actually meet this challenge, I’ve created this display.

Most of these entries were finished by the time summer began. Several were in the “because I can” stage when I registered to enter. Two entries weren’t finished in time. Two pieces I entered weren’t really finished either. I’ll be reorganizing my tatting display items next week.

Comments from the Judge

My items from the Fair, both exhibits and display, are back home. Boyhuey was it hot out there today. Fortunately, the wind is off the Bay so the house is staying cooler. I don’t envy those packing up the carnival rides.

As I stowed all the little tatted pieces, I took some time to look over the comments from the judge on the Needlecraft and Fiberwork pieces. I didn’t have a comment sheet for the Bux2Bach piece I entered in the Fine Arts 3-D show. I’m happy with 2^nd place. The piece that won 1^st place is very nice. Good execution, design and craftsmanship. I have already decided I need to enter the juried division next year. And perhaps a jewelry piece.

Anyway, back to the comments. Most of the observations were spot on. For instance, the piece that won best of show (insert jpegs) earned all 100 points possible.

 

“Beautiful stitches. Wonderful use of color and beads. Excellent.” I’m very happy with that. Now to add the other 7 rows. What color to use next? And beads or no beads????

I plan to help with the Entry divisions and classes list for next year. I really hope more people enter some tatting. And maybe even some crotatting!

Fair 2017 time!

A busy few days! I’ve enjoyed sharing my love of fiber arts! It’s so much fun seeing people get excited about creating. So many people wandered in and left with a bounce to their steps. It’s just plain fun!

The marketing team for the Fair has focused on the anniversary of 1967 Summer of Love events that happened here in Monterey. I was not here. I lived in Oregon then. I was begging my Dad to take my training wheels off my bike. I was not participating in the newsworthy events here.

It’s been interesting to hear what people are focusing on. I’ve heard stories of teen escapades, family and friends exploring the World, and sad, horrible stories of tragedy. To those families, I extend support to move on and make the world a better place.

Personally, I have no wish to return to that era. I like living in the present. I have a hard time with Living History. Maybe it’s my life as a musician playing 7 centuries worth of music in one day on a regular basis.  I don’t like dressing in costumes and using modern tools to tat. If I really wanted to be true to technique, I would be limited to post 1970 era. That’s not to say that tatting hasn’t been around a long time, just that I use modern shuttles, modern thread, modern joins, modern colors, etc. The future invigorates me. I go crazy trying to recreate the past. I get crazy creating the future.

Today, I’ll be helping out with the Embroidery Guild table. They’re a great group of ladies and several men who love fiber. There are those who stitch who spend a lot of energy “doing it right” and there are those who create and learn and dream. I’ve enjoyed learning with them. Time to pack a tatting bag and a stitching bag!

The real reason for finding out what’s on the shuttles

So I can start tatting this:

Tatted False Plait by Gina Brummet

I plan to use it for nametags. I am terrible at remembering people’s names. I can remember where they traveled last year on vacation. I remember where we met for coffee. I can remember what book they loaned me. Just don’t expect a name. I’ve decided some teacher cursed me with this hex because she didn’t appreciate my name. No, that’s just a bad joke. Anyway, nametags are a must for me. I can usually see well enough to catch the name, just can’t remember it.

The beads came from a bargain bin someplace. They were sewn onto netting to be used for collars. I happily snipped them off almost immediately. Tatting works much better than netting for decorating clothing!

The next post will be delayed a day. I’m helping out at the Fair on Thursday. I’ll catch everyone up Friday morning. See you then……