I am a musician (organ) and a tatter (shuttle mostly) living in California. I have dreamed of combining both of these passions.
Ok......UNCLE......
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.
This is a trial of my latest music based tatting design:
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| Fantasia center |
Remember this pattern from the book of Visual Patterns?
Well, I love a good German Fugue, a rippin’ French Tocatta,
or a glorious English Voluntary, but….
When I tatted Mary Konior’s pattern the first time, I heard
so many possibilities in my head, I sat down and played through several pieces
before deciding the pattern was a Fantasia.
And yes, I DO encourage you to watch the Disney classic!
Yes, I know that’s a vague question. Last post was about marking your pattern. Many of us make a mark for tatting every time we gift a piece of lace, tat in public, or teach someone to tat. For the record, I meant both meaning of the word mark.
To continue the train of thought begun in that last post,
what do I mark?
- Since I’m almost always making a copy, I make sure my
photocopy has the designer name, where I located the pattern, the date I’m
working the pattern.
- Translate a visual diagram to written notation OR written
notation to a rough sketch.
- Picot sizes if joins will be structural.
- Size of thread I’m testing out the pattern with including
my estimate of how much thread I’ll need.
- Where I plan to hide my ends.
- Sometimes I’ll even be marking whether I plan to use
shuttle or needle.
- As I tat the pattern, I’ll add ideas for beads, correct my
guesses for picot size, add color options, and of course: where I need more
skill practice.
It doesn’t bother me when patterns are just suggestions and
not detailed. I do like to have a detailed diagram if there is no clear
photograph. I also like to have more detail when the technique is intermediate
or advanced. It does bother me when the pattern has obviously been edited by
someone who can’t tat. Remind me to tell you sometime about the organ piece
with pedal markings that were just plain wrong: the editor had placed all the
marks below the staff, even the marks for using your right foot. Yeah. I’ve
been known to cross my feet when pedaling certain passages, but I do use my
right foot, thank you!
Next post I promise to present a picture of my newest design: Fantasia. When I think about what I want to do while tatting, I’m always thinking of ways to help people appreciate and even learn about lace (specifically tatting with shuttle AND needle). I invite all tatters out there to make your mark!
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)
