Fox marks the Spot

 That title is not original. More than one person made that pun. I think it fits!

Thank you Jane Eborall for such a fun way to start a New Year!! I always enjoy your Tat It And See!!!

Here’s my finished critter looking forward to marking a place in a book. Right now I’m reading my current magazine issues. Maybe a fox would like to look at new organs installed in places around the world? We shall see……

Preparing is exciting

 

I’m in the last throws of preparing for the round of classes hosted by the Lace Museum. I always feel a bit giddy and definitely excited as I pull together the materials. Today I’ll refresh my camera skills and make sure the computer will still play with the webcam the way I want it to. I know, I know, it’s software... not a kid. But for something that stays still, there are a lot of “moving” parts!! I’ll be ready Saturday for sure!

Our game with Jane’s TIAS is taking shape. It’s definitely a critter of some sort…..

Monday Start

 Some calendars start with a Monday start to the week. Other calendars start with Sunday. Me, I prefer Monday.

Why? Because when I’m playing a service on Sunday morning, my practice time for a piece generally trails off after that Sunday morning. Also, I have come to use Sunday afternoon to plan and set up for the next week or month. That’s when I am collected enough to not get too distracted and side-tracked. Oh, and there’s the habits I established of cleaning and clearing up after the rest of the family went back to their “day jobs” of school/office. So, I start on Monday.

Yesterday, I started…..nothing new. Perhaps that is why I was grumpy this morning! Well, it could also be because I’ve lost the last bit of Jane’s TIAS I completed. We’re to add to it for Day 14. I may have to find 3 more beads and tat a second Part II. Grrr. Perhaps the ceramic Axolotl ate it. I wouldn’t trust that grin!

Dissent finished and submitted

 To see what other lacers have created out of their stash, visit this link:

IOLI lace challenge 1: stash

To see my quick photo of the necklace, you can scroll down almost to the bottom or just search for my name.

Now for earrings to match. I have 4 great ideas. I usually try to come up with 5 sketches before I start putting the ideas into thread. I can’t wait this time!! One is a crackin’ goodun.

In the meantime, here’s my Day 7 of Jane’s TIAS:

 For sign-ups for the next round of my classes. These will again be held via Zoom hosted by the Lace Museum in Sunnyvale, CA. The link is at the end of the class description. Scroll down about half way and you’ll see both classes.

The deadline that is 10 days away is for those who will need to gather materials for the Beginning series (starting Feb. 13, 2021) With the disruption to shipping that normally happens in the winter, if you do not have a shuttle or needle and the recommended thread, register now so that you have time to order. The best deal is through the Lace Museum gift shop. Some of you are lucky enough to live close to a store that stocks shuttles and good thread. For the test of us, we need to plan, order, and then….wait….

I look forward to seeing lots of previous students signing up for the Continuing class to be held the first 2 Saturdays in March. I’ll not be specifying the thread size or color or fiber. Here’s a chance to try out that linen or silk thread you’ve wanted to explore tatting with!

Final thought: Jane’s TIAS 2021 Day 5:

Jane TIAS 2021 day 5

I really can tell my left from my right....really!

 Even though I read the Introduction and even talked about it with a fellow tatter, I still mixed things up. It’s recoverable. Here’s my sample so far:

 

So, what did I mix up? I wound my shuttles “wrong” for the TIAS. I will need to add thread later on. I can do that!

My life continues

That’s a positive that I’m grateful for. I’ve had my scares. Some would say I’m on my 4^th of 9 lives. I’m OK. I can still play the organ a bit. I’ve found real joy in tatting. I have a wonderful life of a fabulous husband (I don’t tell him often enough!) and two children who are growing into wonderful adults. It’s good! My life continues.

I wish I could say the same for those pieces I’m tatting and practicing. I seem to be taking a step back for every step forward. At least I think it’s forward.

Ah well.

This morning I decided to join in on the TIAS game that Jane Eborall is hosting. Here’s my sample so far:

Jane's TIAS 2021 Day 1

Swimming, swimming, swimming

It’s finished. Jane’s TIAS 2018. Pretty little thing. Easy to tat up, a mystery until the last, and just plain fun. Doing these tat-along projects keeps shuttles in my hand. I tend to want to rest after the flurry of snowflakes that seem to fall off the shuttles every December. Thank you Jane and Renulek for putting your designs out there for us to discover and join in the fun. I’m still working on Wiosna 2017 adding beads to the pattern. I’m playing with color in a big contrasting way. We’ll see if the end result is something to be held up as an example of what not to do when confronted with colorful thread and crazy beads.

I’m also considering starting a smaller doily. It’s only 2 rounds. I found it in the Handy Hands Winter 2018 Newsletter. Barb reprinted a Coats 1941 booklet. The unnamed designer, perhaps another musician who tatted away listening to others play, named the pattern Sonata. I’d like to use one color thread and several colors beads. We’ll see how that works out.

Do not flip..........

Still prepping for the workshop. I’m down to winding sample bobbins of thread. I find that’s the best way to give folks a good length of thread to use as they learn the DS. Should finish tomorrow. It’ll be nice not to be up late the night before teaching stuffing the kits!

I took a break yesterday to master a technique that has been intriguing me now for years: Tatting without the flip. Some have been calling this Direct tatting. This is simply NOT flipping the DS as in the second half of a split ring. It intrigued me because it allows a small section of chain to be tatted as though you switch shuttles without having to cut from the ball, load a shuttle, switch shuttles, forget which shuttle is shuttle 1, waste thread having estimated how much for shuttle 2, and generally easier set up for patterns.

I just couldn’t really execute the technique well. Call it unflippingitis. Yep, I kept flipping. Sigh!

So, when Muskaan related that she used the Direct method for the inner chains on her Brussels squares, I sat myself down and learned how:

These were done with much smaller thread as I wanted to use up what was on the shuttles. I’ll be using some size 30 DMC thread I think. That seems to work out to the correct size.

Oh, and here’s my TIAS:

February in Monterey

Well, Crosby weather hasn’t hit yet this year.  It’s been so wonderfully warm and sunny that the roses are very confused. We decided we needed to push the annual pruning up a few weeks. Glad we did. It would be nice to get one more day or so of gentle rain. It’s just so dry. And you know how they say, “Never say never.” Do to that and the other normal homeowner chores we do, there hasn’t been much time with the shuttles. Just Jane’s TIAS.

Day 9

I think we may be tatting someone from the sea. But then again, that just may be my choice of thread.

I’ve almost got everything prepared for the Workshop next week in Salinas. I asked that they cap registration at 20. It’ll be a fun day. Hope your weather is cooperating to make a fun Spring possible for you!

The game is on

Here’s my version of Day 2: 

And Day 3:

I have also added to my design sketch book. I attended a lovely chamber concert last weekend in Carmel Valley. The musicianship was superb, the room pleasant, and the selections enjoyable. Being chamber music, the venue felt quite intimate. I could almost hear the rustle of silk and smell a bit of powder or snuff on the air. Almost. I really have very little desire to relive that era. I’m very happy living today in this age. There’s much wrong with the world, and much right.

One of the selections was Terzetto by Gustav Holst. The piece is in 2 short movements scored for flute, oboe, and viola. Written later in Holst’s career, the piece was interesting and well executed. Through spoken “Conductor’s Notes” given before the concert by the Artistic Director of Ensemble Monterey, John Anderson, and also through written program notes, we learned that the score of this piece is written using 3 different key signatures. Each of the instruments plays in a different key. Sure enough, I could hear the difference. I could also recognize when the instruments ended up playing a chord in one or another of the keys. It made for some rather nerdy listening. The true artistry of the composition is how the music sounds positively melodious.

I immediately dreamed up a tatted motif. Each instrumental line would be in a color assigned to represent that instruments tonal character. Mostly chains, the thread will weave in and out creating a design. Even the negative space will play a part. Just as my ear filled in the missing pitches to recognize tonality, my eye must fill in the holes to recognize shapes. 

There are a few projects I must finish before I work on this. Whenever I have trouble motivating myself to finish a project, I’ll just need to look at this sketch!

Jane's TIAS 2018 has begun!

And the snowman isn’t finished. But that’s not a bad thing. I caught an error that couldn’t be improvised around. So, another start. And there were a few distractions. Nothing dangerous and mostly fun, just took time.

Here’s my version of Day 1 TIAS 2018

Jane's TIAS 2018 Day 1

Another milestone

Halfway through another 100 posts. Who’dathunk……

Not much to show as I’ve been cleaning up, organizing, and dreaming up another design. Soon, I promise! In the meantime, here’s my version of Jane’s TIAS 2017: 

Jane E TIAS 2017

She is worked in color Carousel. I thought these colors would be "Jane" and I think they fit nicely!

Crosby weather continues

Life has settled into a routine lately: A day or so of storm, a day or so of cleanup, a day or so of Spring Cleaning (yard and house). What I need right now is a day or so of tatting to finish off these designs! Soon….I hope.

Jane's TIAS 2017 Day 10

I have been tatting 

Oh, almost forgot to explain the title of this post! For many years, Bing Crosby hosted a golf event he called a Clambake. It still brings wonderful fun to our area. The best in Pro golfers come and play spectacular courses. Part of the event is a Pro-Am tournament that raises money for charities. Lately, Bill Murray has been entertaining all while making his way around the holes. Various sports celebrities also join in. The weather usually throws a bit in for the fun. The long-time residents call it Crosby weather. They will say with a wry grin that if it is going to rain and storm in February, it’ll be Clambake time.

This year is no exception. Rain, wind, and general chilliness are forecast. As I write this, the wind is howling, the rain is coming in sheets, and it’s just dank and cold. A good day to rest, tat, and sop up the water seeping into the basement.

Needing a walk on the beach

TIAS 2017 Day 8

Well, the design thoughts are coming fast and furious! 

I’ve not got much to show, just sketches on scraps of paper and several trials in thread that got binned fast. I’m hoping a walk on the beach will help focus me.

In the meantime, here’s my version of Day 8 TIAS 2017: 

post storm....

Jane's TIAS 2017 Day 5

While there’s a break in the storms, I’ll through up a couple of progress pics:

We are feeling a bit waterlogged. Trees are coming down because the ground is so wet that the wind just blows them over. The roots can’t hold on in water. So far, our neighborhood is OK. I think that’s because of the underground stream we have on the hill; the one that’s seeping into basements. It always amazes me how water can break up cement and concrete.

I hope to finish a few more projects and designs in the next week. So, while the sun is shining, I’ll walk a bit and then pick up those shuttles!

Needing a bit more work. Adding pearls and sewing in the beads.

look what I found!

start of my nametag

So, here’s what sifting through my beads uncovered:

I found this pattern while looking at things Shuttlebirds. Shortly thereafter, it was mentioned in class, but I was in the throes of finishing up my TAT binders. Now, I’m finally getting back to it!

Oh, and here’s day 4 TIAS 2017:

Day 4 TIAS by Jane Eborall

Jane's TIAS 2017

Thank you to all who commented on my 5 Year Anniversary Blogging. Not only did people leave comments here on the blog, but I even had someone stop me while on a walk and let me know how much they've learned reading my blog (rants and all!)

Now for today's topic:

I’m having great fun with this!

Jane’s patterns are a breed all their own, fun, and whimsical! Seeing what everyone guesses is fun also. But the most fun???? The ripple effect of digging up a shuttle or 2 and some thread and maybe some beads!

So, thank you Jane! I’m so glad to be part of the fun!!

Ice drop in black

This idea has intrigued me for years. Use tatting to work with a stone, gem, shell, anything really. Well, maybe not food. Or rain.

Ice drop (black size 30 with frosted white)

It’s been raining so much here. I don’t mind as much as some people. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Rain is normal there. When the sun is shining, you hurry up and take care of things outside that can only be done when it’s not raining. Those activities are top priority until it starts raining again. When we lived in the desert, I found myself getting stressed out. I was trying to pack as much as I could into my days. Because….the sun was out and it wasn’t raining. Silly me!

Anyway, it’s been raining a lot here. I spent several hours over the weekend taking care of storm damage between showers. Yesterday was no exception. Fortunately, the clean-up was pretty minimal. I was able to finish off this beauty.

I had a bit of black left over on a shuttle, so I started with that. Then I decided to continue with black as I liked the contrast; something for all those people who swoon over things black. ;) It’s also in size 30. Diane, Muskaan, and several others have published pictures of drops in size 20. I wanted to experiment with smaller thread and smaller objects. Why? Well, here’s a hint. The next one is in pastels (my favorite). But, it isn’t finished yet.

And tomorrow, TIAS coming. Don’t know when I’ll get back to it. A break in the rain. Time to clean up the front walk. And then……

12th Day of Christmas

Today is the 12^th Day of Christmas. 

Really. 

Look at the calendar and count. 

I know, I know….that carol is annoying, but it’s fun too. And celebrating more than 1 day of this Holiday can help reduce stress. For anyone who has found themselves hurting someone’s feelings because they can’t accept an invitation to something Christmas, having 12 days to celebrate can spread Good Cheer. And Twelfth Night can be fun! I had hoped to throw a Twelfth Night party for friends and neighbors this year, but it will have to wait until next year. That will be easier as it will be on Friday in 2017.

One of the activities that filled my calendar this year was throwing a Cioppino party for extended family. Now that was a feast! Crab is plentiful this year. And buying local is so easy in Monterey. I didn’t end up with a good picture to share. That’s because the bowl slipped. If you were there, you remember. For the rest of you, think pasta bowl heaped with seafood in a tomato base soup spilling onto a linen tablecloth. Yeah. It was a mess! But, we recovered and enjoyed the food. And the tablecloth looks OK. Thanks for the tip Altar Guild.

I’m focusing on finishing the angel today. I found these in a local store. I’m hoping one of them is the right size for the head. I need to find beads to use for the body still. The weather is supposed to be better today for yard work, so that may take a fair amount of time today. I still have some sorting to do in the studio also. That may have to wait for a rainy day….like Saturday. I really need to get organized and back to designing. Especially before TIAS starts and class starts up. I think a brisk walk will get me going! I’ll be thinking of a phrase I’ve heard a bit lately, “Go on out and change the world!” Join me?