Challenge accepted and met

Threads that Bind 

 Remember this wonderful Challenge Jon Yusoff came up with?

She shared instruction for the doily one round per day on Facebook and her blog. We were to devise a final round. Here is a link to her albums: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2882479928472885&type=3

Like many of us during those crazy weeks of lock down, I tidied and tidied and sorted and tatted. I used a vinatge shuttle for some sections; and a two bobbin shuttle for other sections. I uncovered quite a few books and pattern copies and notes. I decided to try to evoke the plight so many of us around the world found ourselves in by working a motif in blue and black that reminds me of a house. After adding a few motifs for “bushes/trees” and “clouds” the doily seemed to be coming together. Then, I  dithered around for weeks trying to see if another round was necessary to tie all the colors together. I’ve decided it isn’t.

So, here’s my version. I worked it in vintage size 30 thread so there are "issues" with staining and uneven ring sizes. The yellow seemed to stretch out and pucker as I worked the pink sections. Really odd!! There's just enough yellow left to sit on a shuttle for trying out ideas. 

I wish everyone a safe and successful Fall!

Searching.....

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

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.

Learning to design

 I’m still working on figuring out what goes with these motifs to finish the Thread that Binds doily. I still struggle to figure out what may work for designs. That skill needs to be honed. For now, I usually end up thumbing through books that have doily patterns to see if one leaps off the page.

Yesterday, nothing looked like it would work. Sigh!

On to books with snowflakes.

A book I have with Christmas tatting by Monica hahn (Not capitalized on the book cover. Really!!) has an edging I decided to tat up in the thread to compare size:

I liked the way it looks. Reminds me of a special mouse. I think it just may work!

Incidentally, Disneyland is joining the effort to vaccinateagainst COVID. Thank you for helping out!

I can't let this one go!

 I should….I really should. I don’t have the excuse that I don’t have time. We’re still on lock-down. As each week passes, more and more families are touched by death and illness. I seem to want to escape by working on this endless doily. Here’s the idea I’m working with for round 16:   

It’s still not very large given the tiny thread and simple design for rounds 5-14. And I’m not working on it as steadily as I could. (I’ve been helping with planting roses. All 14 are in the ground.) I guess the small repeat motifs have been a bit calming. And we do need calm. Perhaps that is why I keep picking it up.

I look forward to getting back to teaching. Not enough students signed up for the Lace Museum classes next week. We’re looking at dates for the future. Keep an eye on their registration page for an update. Perhaps when I get back to a regular schedule I’ll finish this off. Well, one can hope……

How to fill in?

 I’m back looking at my idea for the Challenge Doily: Threadsthat Bind. With the Shelter in Place order active again, my calendar has been cleared once again without my permission. I talked on the phone yesterday about the situation, the loneliness of the others was palpable. My response was to play a bit, then pick up my shuttles. 

I really must try to put my design idea into thread: 
Once the geometric “pineapple” shape is complete, insert motifs in a contrasting color depicting a home.

Here’s my start:

May I ask a favor today? Pick up the phone and call someone who doesn’t follow a blog, tweet a thought, or have extended family they can safely meet with. Sing a song with them. We’ve all been practicing “Twinkle” or some other way to time how long to scrub our hands with suds. Reach out beyond what your habit is. We all need a bit of joy.

Challenge progress

 October is shaping up to be quite busy. I’ve taped two playlists for St. Paul’s for the Friday concert. I’ll be teaching a series of tatting classes/workshops for the Lace Museum. And it’s the time of year to put new plants into the ground so they can benefit from the rains and get a great start. That means lots of time spent trying to figure out the landscaping we wish to maintain and enjoy. So, I don’t have a lot to show for tatting. Just a trial for my Day 14 of Threads That Bind:

My inspiration is doilies from Jan Stawasz’s book TattingTheory and Patterns. I thought the motif looked like a house. Considering all the time we’re spending working from home, I wanted to try it out. The blue version will be the “house” with a roof added and the black version will be expanded in green to represent a tree. It may not work at all, but I gotta try!

Save the Date

October 19,21,23 2020 Beginning tatting offered as a virtual class through the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale, CA

October 24-25, 2020 Tatting workshop focusing on the edging of a vintage mat in the collection of the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale, CA. The workshop will be offered using a virtual classroom.

Details will be posted on the Museum webpage soon!

I’ve been finishing, sorting, organizing, tidying a lot lately. Here’s my version of the Challenge Jon Yusoff created last Spring. I’ll be adding my bits soon.

Thread can be stubborn

Like many households in the last few weeks, we have been cleaning, tidying, and sorting. I’ve picked up some projects that were put aside unfinished. Nothing is finished yet. I’ve cut out and revisited, and discovered again that thread can be stubborn. I’ve got time to work it all out now.

I’m continuing to work on Jon Yusoff’s Challenge doily she named Threads that Bind. I’ll be adding color in the next part. I hope my solution to how to add just a bit works out.

Challenge in vintage thread

Jon Yusoff Thread that Bind challenge doily

My Threads that Bind doily is continuing to grow. Here’s what it looks like after finishing Day 5 round. I have a feeling the white will not stay white as it comes off the ball. That’s the challenge of working with vintage tools and vintage thread. You never really can predict what it’ll look like.

Hope your days are getting more predictable with opportunities to create and enjoy beauty.

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.

Tatting by Zoom

That sounds like credits at the end of a vintage tv show. The Tatting Study Group met this week using Zoom. It’s a very popular app right now. It was fun to see everyone.

On a sadder note, the workshop in Sunnyvale is postponed. We’re talking about an online component that will be a much different format. More as that progresses.

I decided to start the Challenge doily over. I made several mistakes in the first few rounds. I’m liking the way it looks now. Picture as I finish the next round.