We got rain!

I know with all the really awful storms the Midwest and East has been getting that’s not a cause for celebration amongst some of you. But it is where I live. And the rain looked at the calendar and gave us good weather for Golf. That’s important for our local economy.

Golf in February has been a tradition for many, many years here. Bing Crosby started a fun weekend of serious and not-so-serious golf. The planes have been coming for the last 3 days. The traffic is a bit heavy. There are more people trying to figure out where they are in our small town. I live less than 10 miles from the golf courses. I never go there myself. I may just have to find a place to TIP (tat in public) though.

I will probably just putter in the garden reveling in how the plants are perked up with the moisture. I do need to finish a few projects though……

Still working on mastering sewing

 I’ve been quite busy with organ events lately. Saturday, I helped introduce 18 kids to the organ using the Orgelkids kit. The material available on the websites really helps, but the best points to discuss whatever the kids, and their parents, are interested in and curious about.

Sunday, I enjoyed a wonderful concert offered as part of Santa Cruz Baroque Festival. The Director of the Festival: Jorg Reddin is so passionate about the music he chooses. I was fascinated with the organ at HolyCross as it is designed in the style of organs Bach would have played. I came away with several ideas for patterns and invigorated.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to ask for advice on how to sew embellishments onto the towels I’m working on. Everyone was encouraging even if they had never stitched something like my idea. I’ll be puzzling out what I should do today and hopefully finishing the stitching tomorrow.

I tatted this up to embellish a kitchen towel

Now to figure out how to sew it on so that it wears well. I adapted a motif from Tatted Lace of Beads: The Techniques of BEANILE LACE by Nina Libin.

More tatting please!

 I had the pleasure of introducing 10 people to tatting last week. Thanks go to the Carmel Harrison Library staff for opening their meeting room and helping with set up and sign up. I had great fun. Several people succeeded in creating double stitches. Everyone left with a shuttle or needle and a ball of thread. I hope to make contact with them again. I look forward to more tatting time at the library. I have so much to share!

Joining up

I completed the second square using the bamboo yarn in the tweaked stitch count. It’s much closer to what I like. Progress will be slow. I have several large projects on the list now:

A snood for a horseback rider

The donation for Art of Music fundraiser for Carmel Bach Festival

Wiosna 2025

A bun holder in bright colors for me

Another pair of baby booties

Oh, and several new tatting teaching opportunities.

I’ll continue to play the organ in the limited schedule my body can handle. I’ll continue to teach music. I’ll continue to use the Orgelkids kit to demonstrate how organs work. I’ll continue to care for our historic home. I’ll be busy.

What do you tat when you're busy?

 I’ve been busy lately. Tatting for sure. Nothing finished yet. Playing organ also. I can’t say I have mastered a piece well enough to share with anyone…. other than my long-suffering family (practice is seldom pleasant to listen to). Cleaning up and putting away and filing away. There have been a few slots of time when I pick up my tatting.

That got me to thinking. (I know….I know…dangerous to my “free time.”) What do other tatters keep available for those “busy” days. We’ve talked about what we tat while traveling or waiting or chatting in social circles. Those projects usually are what I grab when I have an hour or so to just relax. But…..

How ‘bout you?

Another try at the bamboo yarn

I decided to try again to accomplish this idea for a scarf/shawl. The pattern worked up OK in cotton thread using a shuttle. When I adapted it for this yarn using a needle, it didn’t lay flat as well as I liked. Especially when I joined two squares together. A bit of a tweak and it’s looking better. At least after 1 round. We’ll see what it looks like after 2 squares joined together.