Another place to see tatting in public

The area I live in has quite a bit of culture to offer for the population. Perhaps because tourism and hospitality are major industries here. Perhaps because in the past, artists escaping earthquake damage came to create in cabins by the sea. Perhaps because we who live here respond to the call to fill our world with beauty.

When the City Hall was built in Seaside, CA one passage is dedicated to displaying art. Not just room on a wall to hang paintings, but several floor to ceiling cases to show baskets and small sculptures and weaving and……

TATTING!

I gathered up a few pieces I use in workshops and when I talk about tatting to kids and adults. I really didn’t expect all of the lace to be “hung” as this display is to represent the Guild I belong to: Carmel Crafts Guild. We welcome those who craft, those who focus on fine art, and those who wish to learn to create in new ways.

Longtime readers of this blog will recognize several pieces. Thank you, Stephanie, for loaning me your jewelry display stands. I am quite “chuffed” (as my British friend says) that my Saint-Saens doily is hung next to Ann Pettit’s brilliant piece based on the Bach Chorale. I hope those local to Monterey Bay will make the time to drop by and take a look.

The Avery gallery is open 8-5 just like the Evans gallery (10-4) both waiting to help you explore local artists!

I'm excited!

 

Tonight starts another year of excitement with Art! There will be a wonderful selection of paintings, photographs, and other art. So……..  

Piece d'Orgue

Please come to the Artist Reception and Opening!

Show and Raffle

Margorie Evans Gallery, Sunset Center, Carmel, CA

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 from 5 – 7 PM

Benefiting the Carmel Bach Festival

My tatting will be in one of the cases. The short explanation is displayed in the binder of Artists’ Statements. For a more thorough version, comment here or send me an email. 

Enjoy!!

To observe is to create

 The other day a student had a revelation: listening to the music you play is part of the learning process. Now, before you scoff and say or think the obvious, please note that being aware of what you create is not automatic for everyone. The devil is in the details. We can miss the finer points as we produce our art. The parts of the process that are difficult for us sometimes are not important and other times are crucial to the success of creating. And yes, practicing those difficult skills can make the experience more successful for all of us.

So, what can we do to support each other? Ask for feedback, critique, and help.

I try to post photos of lace that I enjoy making. I try to post descriptions that help others make better lace. I try to encourage the exploration of new techniques. I hope that lends support to those who create.

What I have to offer today is an exercise I frequently do: work a pattern in different size, color, or fiber content thread. Here’s the simple round motif in Knit-Cro-Sheen, size 30 and size 80:

I hope you create something today!

All done and dusted

Well, on my part that is. The shows are still in the preparation stage. I’ve turned in my lace. After a few days of rest, I picked up my shuttles to tat up a couple of samples. These are in Knit-Cro-Sheen which is a 3-ply similar to size 10.

The round one is a pattern a student is trying out. She sees this as an earring. At first glance, I saw little to stumble upon. Then I realized this is one of those patterns that is worked in one pass starting with the outside and working in. So, a TOR on the second side of a SR.

The square is a shrunken version of a motif from a book of tatting patterns. They are put together by Japanese Vogue in a lovely book with plenty of photos and step-by-step instructions. I’ll be trying it out in the bamboo yarn next. I think it just might work well for my vest idea.

Still preparing

 I’ll be turning my attention to the piece I’ll donate to the Carmel Bach Festival next. The wonderful volunteers will be gathering the art at the end of this week. For me, that means labeling (somehow) my piece of lace and writing (another) Artist Statement. This is always a humbling experience for me. The binder where these papers will be gathered is always available. Sometimes I see people looking through it. So, I try to write something that introduces the piece and explains my design and a bit of the process. Yes, I will be asking my favorite proofreader to look it over before I hit print!

Some of you have shown interest in the grid templates I use. My favorite 3-D print shop has more options available now. Check it out!

Preparation is the key

 Tatters now this to be a truth. If you don’t prepare your shuttles well, you end up with kinks and twists and ugly DS. If you don’t prepare where to hide ends, you end up with bulges and extra thread and maybe even glue blobs. If you don’t prepare the beads on the thread around your hand, you end up without beads on the picots of your ring. Preparation is important.

I spend some time last week preparing to loan items for a show in a local municipal gallery. It’s tedious labeling your lace. It takes time to fill out forms and assign value and give credit where credit is due. Oh, and the Artist Statement. Yeah. It all takes thought and time. Don’t get me wrong. It’s worth it. 100%. I hope we tempt other people to investigate tatting with our local group. Or at least watch a video or two.

This week I’m preparing my donation for the Art of Music. Just a few more elements, hide ends, block, photograph, label and document, and then take that deep breath and hand it over to the wonderful volunteers. (I found out last month that my blog is read by some of them. Gulp! Thank you!!) I hope it helps to raise lots of money!

How to join .......

 

Even though I spent some time figuring out hiding ends in TDS, I’m still not sure how this is going to turn out. Time to take a deep breath, pick up the shuttles and figure it out.