Fantasia idea almost done and dusted

With the coming of Easter, and securing a vaccine appointment, I have been able to return to the design folder. I began this pattern idea in 2020. The center fell into place nicely. The middle section is sketched out. The outer round needs a bit of tweaking. Now to tat a sample with all 3 ideas connected into one piece of lace.

I think I’m closer to performing the piece than completing the design!

Inspiration struck....again....whew!

 Months ago I started looking at a Fantasia BWV 572 by JS Bach (surprised at my choice of composer? I hope not!).

The composition is a fine example of the Fantasia form in the Baroque era. Classic (pun intended) ABA with brilliance in the first and last sections with solid harmonies in the middle section. I like puzzling out the structure of the harmony and using the bit of Music Theory I’ve learned over the years. That can usually give me a good basis for putting the music into thread.

Except this time.

Until last night….about 2 AM.

A foray into the thrift shops yesterday uncovered a lovely little doily. I’m in the process of blocking it now so I’ll share a picture later. The center section can be recognized as tatting with a bit of crochet between it and the tatted edging. I’ve worked the edging many times. It’s a simple ring and chain that meanders from edge to center to edge and is fun to work.

That edging inspired the A section motif. I’ll use stacked chains for the B. (chortle with glee can be heard)

Boustrophedon

A common way of writing in stone in ancient Greece   Alternatelines of writing are flipped, or reversed, with reversed letters.

I came across this in my reading thisweek. In this Pandemic time, I resolved to learn more Bach (Fantasia BWV 572 for video see this post); finish a monster doily begun *ahem* several years ago; catalogue my music; etc. Oh, and learn more about teaching left-handed people to tat. Several veteran teachers have shared how they teach “lefties” and I have my own experiences to ponder. Because my right hand has suffered the most damage over the years, I try to learn new skills left-handed first, then if I just can’t manage, I try right-handed. I still write in my journal using my right hand as that’s not a *new* skill. J I was alerted to this article by Marjorie Mann written for Needle Arts (publication of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America. The series is on Left, Right, Up, Down, and Around in stitching. I found her insights very useful for teaching tatting.

In the second article of the series, Ms. Mann wrote of the concept of Boustrophedon in stitching. As she describes it, the stitcher economizes on thread by stitching “right-handed” one row, then “left-handed” the next row. In her opinion, the technique is both handedness neutral and handedness inclusive. I immediately saw that. It explains what I’ve observed watching a good friend stitch! Incidentally, weavers must learn to throw the shuttle with both hands. One learns which side is easier to keep a good selvage and keeps that in mind planning for the next warp.

So, shuttle tatting…..

In my opinion, lefties have an easier time learning the flip. They’re used to holding things in their right hand and moving them around. They have an easier time relaxing their left hand on command and usually find individual finger movements easier. I encourage a leftie to hold the shuttle however they feel comfortable. I’ve even encouraged trial tatting with me providing the hand with ring thread wrapped and ready. Only one person has decided they needed to hold the shuttle in their left hand. Taking the time to establish that made all the difference in the world for her!

It’s good to know the challenges stitchers face in handedness. I will be exploring boustrophedon in the future.

My motto: The knot doesn’t care how it’s made, the thread just wants to be lace!

Time is marching on

Changes are afoot. I am beginning preparations for a new tatting class series (online only right now). No dates yet, but I think it will be exciting. I need to narrow down the possible pattern: edging for the mat from the Museum collection, edging for your fabric mask, earrings, door decoration in para-cord, cover for ornament, etc.

I’ve also decided I really must complete some of the projects for the house that I started too long ago to admit. That will involve a sewing machine. So, I must organize that part of the house. No, I won’t be sharing pictures! Well, maybe.

I’ll be reminding myself of this story when I get discouraged: 3 years to clean and reinstall the grand orgue in Notre Dame. I won’t take 3 years. Honest.

Oh, and time was extended last weekend. The bidding for the Art Auction to support Carmel Bach Festival will close tomorrow at 3 PM Pacific (11 PM GMT) . I hope whoever wins my piece will let me know. Maybe they’ll even send a picture to me. Well, one can hope.

Class pictures

In case you haven’t noticed, I love it when tatters learn new tricks! Here are pictures of the pattern we looked at last weekend:

Inset tatted by Natalie Rogers

Inset tatted by Joyce Martin

 Just 3 more days left in the auction. I do hope people are bidding. I’m sure some of the artists are confident their pieces will sell for a tidy sum. Me, I just hope someone enjoys my piece for many, many years to come.

Art of Music Raffle

I’m adding to a common refrain today: support artists and musicians who have not been able to earn money.

Each July, in Carmel California, musicians gather to create a special Festival centered on the music of JS Bach. Heaven for this organist. Brigadoon for many of the fabulous musicians arriving from all over the world. The quality of vocal music and caliber of musicianship is so high it often takes my breath away. And I’ve heard some of the best in my time.

To help fund this yearly event, the community gets creative. Artists join in. There is an application process and the pieces are donated, with most of the artists living here really enjoying participating. It’s definitely fun to see what is inspired by the music we hear! Previously, the art was hung in the gallery at the main performance space: Sunset Center. This year, the show is presented via the main website: bachfestival.org

Above is my humble piece. I knew it would be difficult to photograph well. I like how the photographer captured the colors. The short description: I tatted 4 elements to be displayed on an ovoid ornament. The swirls of color represent the musicians and the audience. The rest is inspired by the Sunset Center hall: the gray by the lighting structure, the red by the seats and the beige by the marvelous stone floor of the lobby. I chose not to fill the ornament as I look forward to a future when we will gather together again to celebrate music and art and Carmel and….

Please consider bidding on any of the artwork, especially Ornamentation. Please support the musicians and artists as much as you are able. Please continue to celebrate Bach. There are videos offered daily on the Festival website to keep everyone in touch and inspire audiences and musicians.

What makes your tatting art?

The question arose again as I told a friend about my donation piece. I have no authority like a degree or financial success to argue that my lace is “art” or even that it is not a “craft” to be relegated to various pigeon holes. In my quest for trying to talk about what I do, I’m usually reading something about music or art. I’m currently trying to read a Google Books version of Eye of the Painter by Andrew Loomis. The author makes a distinction between “pretty art” and beautiful art. He talks of the difference between commercial art and fine art. Of course, this method is focused on painting only. He even says something can be pleasing as in a piece of embroidery or a design on wallpaper, but not really art. My reaction: Sigh!

My tatting strives to get people to think. About music, about how things can look, about remembrances of what they have heard. I hope it is pleasing to the eye. I hope it can be displayed in a home or office. I hope it stretches what people recognize as lace just a bit. Is it “art” or just…..?

I’ve decided I will create. For me. For the odd person who likes my ideas. I’ll leave the designation of “art” to others who seem more inclined to argue and parse than to enjoy.

Bottom line: Support the arts. Put in a ticket for my piece in the Fundraiser (link when it opens) and enjoy music represented in lace.

Turn in time

It’s time to turn it in: my donation piece to raise money for Carmel Bach Festival. As always, no pictures of the piece you can bid on, but here’s a small portion: 

Pictures of the full piece will be taken by a professional and posted when the show opens. I’ll be sharing links soon.

History really does matter

Those of you who follow this blog regularly know that Ialways keep one eye turned to what has been done before.  You also may have noted that I do not insist on any one particular method of tatting, not one particular method of learning music. Since the history of tatting has been obscured through time, and no two organs are alike, I don’t spend a lot of time on how to, I just try to focus on results and what works this particular time. Lest you wonder, I am highly critical of my own efforts. I record myself regularly when practicing, photograph my tatting from all angles, and seek out comments from those who know and from those who have never experienced the process. I may not have strict methods, but I operate on the knowledge that details matter. That’s where History comes in.

I feel we must know from where we come so that we can focus our energies and resources on what will matter in the future. It’s exciting to me to find out what other people have created. Sometimes I don’t like it. Sometimes I can’t get enough. So, I spend quite a bit of time listening tomusic, visiting museums, reading and watching and soaking it up. I hope that those efforts are not just wasted time, but the chance to discover what someone has found important. All that is to say, I don’t have pictures of what I’ve been tatting, I don’t have videos or sound clips of my organ playing, lately I’ve been playing with a lot of ideas.

I will share a link to a rather fun look at an organ competition: https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/videos/pipe-dreams/

This is a 55 minute show following several young organists as they compete in an International Competition in Canada. You’ll see a wide variety of organs, although nothing is shared about the individual instruments. You’ll see a wide variety of backgrounds, although nothing is shared about where the young people are now. You’ll hear a wide variety of music, although most of the clips are just highly edited snippets. 

If you want more, you’ll need to spend a fair amount of time on Youtube and other surfing. Since this competition is held every 3 years, you’ll have lots of time before the next one. In the meantime, please seek out local musicians and artists whether or not they enter competitions. We’re starting to get back to doing what we do best.

What fun!

This is part of the design idea I’ve had for a while. Not sure how I’ll use it, but it was just so much fun to create! I’m considering tatting a pair of earrings using this idea. But, what colors?

Another group of tatters loose on the world!

I had fun! And all tatters accomplished something. The most experienced student completed a study in thread size. The tatter who has been tatting just 6 months completed almost the entire pattern. She added beads in the center parts. Her choice of colors worked nicely too. The other 3 students came away with successful rings and chains. I can’t wait to see what else they create.

Celebrating those successes has made it easier to ignore the ugly in the world. Illness has not touched anyone I know personally, but the violence has touched where a friend works. He was “blindsided” as he and his family were unplugging to enjoy some R & R. I pray that his rest isn’t “left undone” for long. We will need all good leaders in the next few days.

I’ve also been immersing myself in a new design. I’ve almost completed a test tat. No pictures until the auction starts. That should be in July. More info, like how to buy tickets, as the time approaches.

A design idea during Shelter in Place

The last few years, June has always been an exciting month. It’s been my custom to create a piece to donate to Art of Music to raise money for the Carmel Bach Festival. Like all public events in 2020, things will be different this year. Even my design process has changed. I typically pick a composition that the Festival features and base my design on that musical work. Without the buzz of music being prepared, I was coming up with a blank. It was suggested that I try to evoke the unique events of 2020. I wasn’t coming up with a way to tat a COVID-19 virus. I wasn’t drawn to the colors that are typically used in graphics of said bug. I even contemplated asking the musicians for suggestions.

So far, this is all I have: a central ring with 19 points for joining rings of 20 stitches.

If it will be foolish to stand shoulder to shoulder to enjoy the Festival, we must find other ways to tell the world music matters. These rings that tightly encircle a central ring will have to do. Please find a way to say music matters in our world turned upside down by this virus.

I can finally share it!

This is my newest example of Sonata BWV 1034:

I wanted to give those who signed up and attended the Lace Museum class the first viewing. It’s so hard for me to keep a photo secret! 

We met for the first of 3 sessions yesterday. It’s always fun to see the grin people get when they have success creating lace. Each class always teaches me something. The learning curve has been a bit steep since it’s an online only class, but I think we had success overall. Of the 5 students, 4 are working with a needle versus a shuttle. I can’t wait to meet up again tomorrow and Friday!

Mark your Calendars

Announcing a virtual workshop:  May 25-29, 2020 Tatting with Melanie.

Register through the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale, CA For a copy of the flyer click: Here

This will not replace the in person workshop that was to be held in April. I will offer an in-depth look at Sonata (BWV 1034) along with tips and tricks. If you are a beginner, do not fear! There will be plenty of time to help you learn to tat.

Announcing a virtual Art Auction starting July 18, 2020 and extending through August.

This Art of Music Raffle online will replace the show in the Marjorie Evans Gallery. I will miss the Festival concerts this year. I know the staff continues to work to bring music through the other programs the Festival sponsors and staffs. I hope my small piece of tatting will help to raise funds during this difficult time. More information as the time approaches.

My final event is one you, and only you, can decide what it will be. I encourage each of us to continue to create each day. Sit down with your instrument and play music. Sit down with your pencil or computer and compose. Sit down with your thread, needle, or shuttle and create lace. Share what you create. We can make this crazy world a better place!

Phantasy

That’s what I’m leaning towards for the name of this year’sBach Festival Art Auction donation. I try to come up with a specific art piece based on a specific composition. This year, I’m inspired by Phantasy by RalphVaughan Williams. The background for his inspiration is intriguing. He composed it as a challenge to himself. That's what artists do. Challenge themselves to create art. How successful each artist is will always be discussed and even argued about. For this piece, I’m using a traditional embellishment technique for the background behind the tatted piece. The Bach Festival does a fabulous job pulling together programs that help us understand how and why the music has been composed and performed. I hope my piece is successful in expressing this grounding in the past while creating something new. I’m excited to pull all these separate facets together.

We're still Sheltering in Place. I feel so fortunate that we are where we are. Not that we're trying to keep from getting sick. Just that we have the resources to live comfortably while keeping out of harm's way. I'm old enough to remember drills for Armegeddan in small fallout shelters. We have it much better right now.

In the meantime, I'm designing and tatting and redesigning and retatting. For breaks, I’ve learned two more stitches for the Elephant canvas; now to finish that part of the stitching. I’ve dusted off some music that I imagine will be needed for services in the next few months. Jon Yusoff has named her Challenge Doily Thread that Binds. I’m starting Round 5 of my second attempt. I didn’t pay close enough attention the first time I tatted Round 3 and 4. I’ll post a picture soon. We’re progressing on our Spring Cleaning to End All Spring Cleaning. And of course our walks.

Cancellation

This afternoon, with a heavy heart, I agreed that the Friday Noon concert series must be suspended. I will not play tomorrow. I hope that music will prevail in this madness. I hope that music will heal and support those who seek it out. 

One of the pieces I had planned to play, not because it was particularly suited to the time of year or such but because I like it and it’s in a minor, is Wer nur den lieben Gott Lasst walten BWV 642 by JS Bach. Here are two links to Youtube files. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnGhgPqzjbY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYuvG5lIcLA

I will post regarding 3-20 Noon concert as soon as I can and definitely by Thursday 5 PM. I apologize for any inconvenience this change of plans has caused anyone.

It's better already

I haven’t even started the vacation and my perspective has changed already. Maybe that’s because I’ve finished playing 2 of 5 services/concerts. I’m looking forward to a few days away. But, before I take off, here’s the info on the Noon concerts:

Friday, March 6, 2020 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas, CA at Noon: Oh, I C

I’ll be playing a short concert. I challenged myself to put together a collection of pieces in C Major from different centuries. Pack a lunch, come on down, and find out what music spanning hundreds of years has in common.

Friday, March 13, 2020 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas, CA at Noon: It’s all relative

I’ll be on the bench for a 20-30 minute program of pieces in a minor. I haven’t decided yet if there will be a Bach Prelude and Fugue in the exploration of keys. It would be obvious to include an example of the form.

Friday, March 20, 2020 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas, CA at Noon:  It’s about 4 foot or 8 foot.

The music this week will highlight the 4 and 8 foot stops on the organ. We’ll have fun listening to how a piece can sound different on the same instrument.

I hope this tempts you to take a break and join us. Bring a lunch if you wish, or just come to sit a spell and listen. See you there!

Now to chase away the complacent practice habits

Recently, a colleague of mine played the Fugue in F Major BWV 540. I learned the Toccata that precedes this romp through the key with a b-flat….and others. The challenge was issued to learn the Fugue. I think that’s a great idea! Just after I sort my threads, organize my button and ice drop stash, and maybe even sort the pile of papers that has been growing for a while.  

Oh, and for those keeping track…. The Blackwork program was a success. I came home with less stash than when I started this adventure! Several experienced stitchers were thrilled to pick out a chart and fabric. I call that a win!!

Recommended for listening:
filmed in the church JS Bach worked in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-ummko047I&vl=en
a great explanation if you understand German: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9noAW3m4dc
for a female performer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wb6wRRzM-U

Gift idea!

Treat your favorite tatter to a workshop!

I offer these two possibilities:

 Adapting Tatting Patterns using Sonata in Sunnyvale, CA at the Lace Museum. I’ll be guiding students through looking at vintage tatting patterns, taking inspiration from music for tatting designs, and step by step guidance through my pattern Sonata. Side trips to area museums and local attractions will be encouraged! I plan to visit San Francisco while I’m there.

Celebrating in the woods close to Spokane, Washington with Shuttlebirds. The theme is Mardi Gras. I’ll be teaching my Joy bookmark pattern, a snazzy way to decorate candle sticks, and guiding students through my motif inspired by a Bach Cantata. I hope to get lots of ideas for ways to use tatting in costumes for Laissez les bon temps!

Both of my classes at these workshops will be taught using needle and shuttle techniques. So, rest assured, the lace maker in your life will be creating wonderful lace! You can find the registration form on the LaceMuseum website to use as a gift registration for the Sonata workshop, or create a coupon to be redeemed for the weekend in the mountains. Registration will open beginning late January on the Shuttlebirds website.

We’ll see you there as we have tatting good fun!

Palmetto Tat Days is done....

I’ve arrived back home. Begun to unpack and settle back in to my schedule. After a walk by the Bay of course! Let me take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who welcomed me, listened to me, laughed with me, and tatted with me! I had a marvelous time! As I packed, I felt a pit like I’d been Trick or Treating! All those goodies!! I’ll be using them and enjoying them and thinking of all my new friends!

Now, it’s on to practicing for another Lunch Concert at St.Paul’s. I’m looking to focus on a compositional technique: Passacaglia. There are quite a few spellings of the word, but the concept is to take a phrase and repeat it over and over again for the length of the piece. I doubt I’ll be using the greatest of the organ pieces using this technique: Passacaglia in cminor. Why? Because I’ve had to re-finger and I just may not have time to unlearn what I committed to memory and learn what I must do to bring Bach to life!

As for tatting a pattern based on the wonderful Bach Passacaglia, I’ve got sketches!