Make Your Mark

 I tell my students that frequently. Of course, they usually interpret it just a bit different than I do. I spend a lot of time encouraging the judicious use of pen (never pen) and post-it notes (seldom highlighter) so that their brain can focus on tasks that cannot be “marked” as they create.

Setting my organ hat aside, I have suggestions for those who look to me when I have my tatting hat on.

Understand and accept there is no standard notation. Just as there are many ways to write out how a team should line up for the start of play, there are many ways to write out how to execute a tatting pattern. I do recommend being familiar with the notation documented and made available to us by these wonderful organizations:

- Palmetto Tatting Guild: https://www.palmettotatters.org/patterns/StandardTattingNotationforPTGTatDays.pdf

- Shuttlebirds Tatting Guild: https://www.shuttlebirds.com/tatting_abbreviations1.shtml

I also recommend that you be kind to yourself. The more you note by marking a pattern, the more brain power you have available to create beautiful lace. You have a powerful brain. If you feel a bit overloaded and overwhelmed, chances are you need to use a tool (like a pencil or post-it) to help out your brain. By using thread grown, spun, dyed, and marketed by others, you’re already using tools. Using a pencil can seem like it slows you down, but your lace will be more exquisite if you make your mark.

Sonata BWV 1034 in pinks and purples

Here’s my version of Sonata BWV 1034 in pinks and purples:

Sonata BWV 1034

I tatted this up for Palmetto Tatting Group Tat Days 2019. I chose the colors to help students see the various elements. I based this piece on the vintage pattern Sonata that I found in a Handy Hands newsletter. Most vintage patterns call for tie and cut between rounds and such. Now, I’m not allergic to cut and tie, but if I can work a small short split ring or split chain, I’ll save the effort and time of hiding ends.

I recommend working each of the inner motifs in groups of 2. That means you’ll be working two split chains and hiding ends twice. You can easily climb out between rounds 1 & 2 and also between 2 & 3. But, between rounds 3 & 4, it is more difficult to create a seamless chain. I find my attempts at climbing out with a mock chain, split chain, split ring and such show with extra knots and awkward tatted lines.

And then there’s the color choice. That can dictate where you’re hiding ends. I had fun working in the variegated named Girly Girl. The pinks and purple just were fun!

I hope you enjoy this. If you wish a copy of the pattern, drop me a comment (leaving your contact info) or email.

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!

Ready for Play

It is my custom to review what I do each day, each week, each month, each quarter……… You get the idea. I need to know I’m making progress, making the world a better place, meeting my goals…….

BWV 549 by Melanie Cervi

June, on that list, looks like one big celebration! When you glance at my blog posts, you see posts that seem to be wrapped up in just one project. I really was involved in more than that! Really!! (BWV 549)

Sonata by Melanie Cervi

(Sonata) July, on that list, looks like one big concert!Lots of listening and writing, not much tatting or playing. I did play organ several times. I set the date for my workshop in Sunnyvale.

August wasn’t so positive. The organ went on the blink. The snowflakes went missing. I played a lot, so the hands have been limping along. I’m determined to end with a more positive week!

Yesterday, I spent most of the day preparing for the concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salinas on Friday. Today, I’ll wrap up that preparation and work on repairing the organ. Tomorrow, I’ll be finishing my in-progress samples for the classes at Tat Days. (My classes are listed about half way down the page.) And Saturday is the last day of August! Whew!!

I'll be ready for some Play Time in September............

Other Projects

“I have applied. “ When I told a good friend that and paused before trying to explain Palmetto Tat Days, the response was, “Well, I know you apply yourself. You accomplish quite a bit each day!” I like to gather people around me who keep me grounded. Helps me not to take things quite so seriously. And I have applied to teach at Tat Days. I hope they like my class ideas and patterns enough to join in the fun! Our budget can’t take the $1000.00 hit what with flying from the West Coast to the East Coast.

With that done and sorted, I’ve been able to pick up the Heart pattern again.

At several points in this pattern, we need to finish tatting a ring, but not to close it until we’ve switched to the other color and tatting 2 rings. That can result in plenty of confusion. I think I’ve got it now. I’m on to the final round and added beads of course! 

I do hope things work out for Palmettos. What with the money I’ve been spending to make sure I live, I’ll need help. That addition to the week’s schedule was further testing at the Mammogram Center. $800.00 later, we have added data to teach the computer program it’s just scar tissue. Moral of the story: seek care and get the testing, but be a wise and informed consumer of what the Medical Industry offers.

Enough circular thinking! I am tatting rings instead! After deep breaths…….