I love Christmas!

 I do love Christmas time. I always have lots of music to share. I always have lots of gifts to give. I usually have lots of tatting to share. I can’t show much of what I’ve been working on. But I will share this:

mini stockings with tatting in white

These were gifted me several years ago. I love them!! Simple velveteen for the background material, simple white lace for the embellishments. What’s not to love!! Well, when you hang them among the branches of your green tree, the background of the stockings gets lost. This year, I’m displaying them on the Tatting Stands! I can’t decide whether to place them on the mantle, on a window shelf, or on a small table. Where would you display them????

Nothing to see here.....

 Shhhh…….

I’m working on big projects…….

Like skylights, window coverings, and lots and lots of dusting.

When I do sit down with my shuttles, I’m working on the first 2 movements of the Saint-Saens. It’s been awhile, and I thought I should finish off the design.

And Round 3

Interwoven Picot Medallion
round 3

I’ve finished tatting the penultimate round. As a reminder, the full pattern was published in the IOLI Bulletin Vol 41, No. 4. Thank you Cajah Reed for sharing. Your write up is wonderful and the Medallion fun to tat. 

I’ll be adding more beads for Round 4.

It's a.....

 Pair!

Lace Day earrings designed by Muskaan

I like this pattern a lot. Thank you Muskaan for taking us down a rabbit hole curtesy of Frau Endrucks. The beads add just enough to the design, don’t you think?

In the metallic thread, with the pearl drop, it’s a bit large and heavy for earrings on my face. I know I have a big mouth, well at least large teeth, but I’m more of a petite earring person. Ears are not the only thing I decorate with thread tatted into lace, though…..

It was popular to decorate with lace, macramé, and quilts at the time when our house was originally built. I don’t succumb to the siren call of all things frilly, the wood work is rather plain. There are quite a few touches of lace and airy fabric. So, could I use these Lace Day Earrings in the home?

Yes!!!

We need to replace window coverings in several rooms. How about a very neat, tidy and practical blind that allows us to open the transom for air circulation? And just because I can, decorate the blind with this wonderful Lace Day creation!

More later as the blinds arrive…….

The adventures continues completing round 1

 

I like the way this is working up. I was skeptical using a variegated thread. But, this is working so far. I must puzzle more on that as I complete the pattern.

I also like the many, many programs that IOLI is offering. The member’s only events on the surface looked a bit, well one-sided, focusing on topics those who work bobbin laces would be interested in. As I’m not head-over-heals into bobbin lace, I was prepared to be bored or worse yet put off by snootiness. Occasionally, there is still a comment or phrase that implies if you don’t want to devote your life to bobbin lace, you’re not a “real” lacer. But, for the most part, the programs have been accessible and interesting. I now have a list of museums to explore. I hope to start on that list next month….at least virtually!

Off on a new adventure

Rd 1 color 1 of Interwoven Picot
Medallion adapted by Cajah Reed

Because I like contrapuntal* music, I like tatting patterns that weave into 3-D pieces. Being able to work them in different colors is just what the organist in me wants. So, I’m off on a new interwoven pattern:

I found this in the summer 2021 issue (Vol. 41, No 4) of the Bulletin published by IOLI. The name is very descriptive: Interwoven Picot Medallion and Ornament. Thank you to Cajah Reed for adaption this from Serena Watson’s Twirly. 

* Contrapuntal: A piece of music with two or more independent melodic lines. 

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 invite you!

 To sample a trunkful of lace techniques. Most are closer to a bobbin lace pillow or needle than a shuttle, but it will be fun and beautiful!!

IOLI UnCon virtual convention: The Silver Lining

This link will take you to the list of events open to the public.

See you there!

Still puzzling

 No, I haven’t found more puzzling situations. I’m just still puzzling where the ideas I’ve come up with lately will take my tatting. That involves lots of testing out things in thread. 

While I’ve been exploring those ideas, I’ve enjoyed watching the videos produced during Organfest 2021. After you get to the main page, you have a choice of 5 groups of videos that dropped each day of the week. I commend to you any and all, but especially the improvisation by Ivan Bosnar under the Friday tab. He is studying at Eastman after starting out in his native Croatia. The whole video is about an hour long. His part starts about 34 minutes in. I say, “Splendid” and worth your time…while tatting!!

An idea that just won't go away.....

 Sometimes an idea just won’t go away. I wake up in the middle of the night and think about it. I think about while trying to still my mind looking at the Bay. When I’m doing mundane things, like washing dishes, it just keeps resurfacing. I have learned not to ignore those ideas; still can’t tell you how I should deal with them. But, I’ve learned they are usually significant.

The idea of tatting executed to reflect stained glass just keeps coming back.

And yes, there is stained glass in our Historic.

Add to that concept this technique I learned yesterday:

The idea is to create french knots that mimic hooked rugs.

Now for that idea expanded.......

Could the surface embroidery be paired with tatting?

Join me in puzzling this idea out. I dare you!!!

Searching.....

I’m still searching for a finish to this doily:

 I gave up yesterday. 

I took a day to reset. I only did the must-do on the list and then stitched on the Elephant all afternoon. I made progress. It’s slow going on the background, but rather relaxing.

Now, I need to get back to organizing the organ music, straightening up the thread stash, and catching up on viewing the AGO videos. I’m long past comparing myself to those stars. I have to smile: there are more videos of organists in the 20’s than there are of organists in their 50’s. A very pleasant shift. One can hope that the organ will live and not die.

Just like tatting is not dying, organs will sound!  

Gift for a friend

Katrine by Lene Bjorn

 One of the things I like best about tatting is giving lace to friends. This will go out in the mail today as a thank you for the encouragement I received.

hymning

 

The class I’ve been taking is giving me all kinds of ideas for designs. Remember this bookmark?

Using the tune called Joy, I create a way to represent the melody in beads. We classify these tunes in meter – 8888 – eight notes per line.

Well, how about creating a way to represent the poetry? Meter in poetry is a little more complicated. But, it could work, right????

Shuttle Winding

 It’s time to wind shuttles for a large project. I’ve sampled, sampled, sampled. I’ve refined the pattern and color plan. So, it’s time for the tedium of tatting. I’ll be combining that with attending a class offered as a summer intensive. Tatting will help me to keep my focus that intensive.

A silk adventure continues

 Ok......UNCLE......

I admit it......

Last week was....frustrating.... in the design area.

Fantasia is still a fantasy; my edging for the Challenge doily is still a challenge; and with the remodel work, I'm reluctant to start anything new.

So, I revisited this stitching project: 

I rather like working with this combination of cotton perle and silk floss. It will do nicely for a background.

Biscornu finished

 I finished my tatted biscornu.

Tatted biscornu

biscornu tatted with beads

Thank you Muskaan for the pattern that inspired it all: Hidden Rose. I have ideas for more pieces!

How do you block a 3-D tatted piece?

 That was the question of the day yesterday. Here’s my solution:

More next Tuesday……

One side finished

 

I feel a sense of accomplishment. The photo isn’t representative of what the project will look like. That happens with 3-D tatting. To me, that’s a satisfying part of creating lace with shuttles or needles. The in-person version is always better!

I guess that’s why I continue to work towards more organists playing the organ more often. Recordings are nice, but the real thing: much, much better!

More beads hiding in rose buds

 I had some other ideas that I just had to try out: