Collar designing in progress

 Still in the rough draft stage, I'm finding some elements for my new pointed collar that I really like but putting all together is a challenge. I'll keep going! 

Sneak peek at my design work in progress

The cello solo "Paint It Black" is the inspiration for this project. The first set of sheet music that I tried for it made it clear that it's way, WAY beyond my playing level. But fortunately an easier arrangement was prepared by cellist Wendy Law. I purchased it and wow! I can actually play it and it still gives the effect of awesome cello playing... at least I can pretend!

Knit sweater progress and CWJ thinking

The sweater has reached the stage of stitch holders for the front sections while continuing to knit the back. In the photo it's with some new fabric that I purchased to sew a skirt. Included is the Shell Pendant from my Craftsy class and here's the reason I have it out (other than it coincidently does look good with the future ensemble!)

Someone asked for instructions on tatting the shell so that it would face the opposite way. Well, the easiest is simply to tat it as written, then turn it over - but then it's back side up (which most people wouldn't really notice) but we tatters do notice the details, do we not?

So mostly, "back side" up tatting means making the double stitches in reverse order (2nd half first, 1st half second) but then we reach the Catherine Wheel Joins (CWJ) on the smooth outer curve. A recent search of the Internet didn't turn up instructions for tatting CWJ from the back side, so I guess I'll need to do a video of it myself. Let me know if someone else does have a tutorial for "Back side" CWJ! Anyway, it's been added to the to-do list.

Weaving has not progressed very far but here's a photo for those interested.

It's quite jazzy with all the colors and pattern jumbled up together; I like it! Also it's giving me more ideas!

On an unrelated note - literally a music note - I just found out the musician's concert seating for the December 1st concert of the community orchestra I play cello in. I've been assigned to first stand! (The first row of cellos nearest the conductor.) So, it means I had better not skimp on the practicing!!! Ah well, all this excitement keeps my mind occupied with good things.

"Lake Effect" hand dyed

New colorway "Lake Effect" and I've saved the "recipe". 

Actually, what I was trying to do is reproduce the pastels of an old batch I did years ago which I never did write down. But, the result of my experiment has colors that are much more intense, and I like it! So, calling this batch "Lake Effect".

Tatted necklace and earring set from an older batch of hand dyed thread. The pattern is my own, which I'm calling "Loopy", but I don't have it written down! I only got as far as naming a folder for it on my computer.

By the way, the spring concert I played cello in was a shining success! The community orchestra that I play with is the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra (WIO), which has just been awarded a Creative Communities Grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Arranging necklace elements has begun

Early rough draft

I've pinned out what I have so far onto a display form, in order to think about where I'm going with my original design idea. My plan is to finish tatting all the motifs needed, then start connecting them together with a continuous outline of tatting. I'm still debating on the color to use for the outline. I've got some dark purple hand dyed, but am considering going with a lighter color or more metallic, I don't know yet. I do think I'll add a tassel of some sort at the bottom.

The orchestra concert I played in last week went great! The website of the orchestra that I play in is here: https://www.wiorchestra.org/ You'll see me sitting in the cello section of the first cover photo.

I need to practice now for the Christmas music at church. There will be 23 instrumentalists plus choir for Christmas eve and Christmas morning. I'll try hard to play well, but I believe the mistakes are appreciated just as much as the great notes. Like all gifts, it's the thought that counts!

Other Ideas Brewing

 While still thinking about how to proceed with my current tatted necklace project, I did manage to complete my very first multi-strand necklace in bead stringing. No tatting in it, but posting the picture here as I'm rather pleased with the result! ☺ I don't remember where I got the metal circles that I used, and for all I know, they might have been a gift from one of Lace-lovin' Librarian's "doo-dad" mixes!

 These earrings are old (well, about 8 years old) but I like them. I'm starting to think that there might be a way to add that design element to what I have in progress. The design, not the color. I'm sticking with the purple and gold theme I have going. The goal in mind is to come up with something fancy to submit to a magazine or a competition.

Slow going, as I have many other distractions, including practicing for 2 concerts that I'll be playing my cello in, as part of the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra. More info on that here: https://www.wiorchestra.org/performance-dates

Earrings, Fall, and Orchestra

Finished 4 pairs this week! 

I decided to wire wrap earwires for each pair, including matching seed beads in the wire. I used natural niobium wire, a pure, precious metal that is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction in anyone. The pattern is One Shuttle Glamour, found in the book Boutique Tatting.

Next up, fall colors. Sometime next week fresh batches of hand dyed thread will begin to be added to my Etsy Shop. I'll probably do Sugar Maple first (shown on the leaf in the photo below) and follow with Pizazz (the leaf I just started).

Some blog followers also are interested in the fact that I am a serious amateur cellist. I play at church with the choir and I'm also a member of the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra. The orchestra rehearsals begin next week, and the date for the next concert has been set for December 14. Can you find me in the picture below?

Projects looming and new cello

I've started warping my loom. This is a project that won't be finished at the "speed of the Internet". 
I actually prepared the warp months ago!       

The heddles on the loom shafts being threaded. The pattern will be an 8 shaft turned twill, for fancy dish towels. I've done a similar project, years ago! It's not that hard, just slow paced. Good for when you only want to relax, yet see some results...eventually!

That's me on the left, Ana on the right. We were tatting together at the mall.

The project that I was working on at the mall, all finished. It's a variation on the Celtic Triangle pattern that I teach in my Next Steps In Shuttle Tatting class on Craftsy. My affiliate link about that class: http://craftsy.me/2navHdI 

The finished necklace is listed in my Etsy shop.

The most exciting thing happened while I was still writing this blog post. My new cello that I ordered from luisandclark.com arrived! I have been wanting a carbon fiber cello for ages, and I'm very happy to finally own one! 

I'm enjoying my new cello on a beautiful spring day!

The shamrock and green heart

I still need to follow the illustration of the Celtic knot from Celtic Tatting Knots and Patterns by Rozella F. Linden every time I tat one of these shamrocks! Actually, I do it backwards from the illustration, using the paper clip end to weave the knot so that a Celtic shuttle isn't required. 
This particular shamrock pattern is mine, and you can find it here.

These green heart earrings are based on the "Sweetheart" pattern in Boutique Tatting, but I altered it. I'm always experimenting! Instead of 2 shuttles, I used 1 shuttle and ball, and when I reached the bottom, I lock joined, tatted the ring, and lock joined again. At the top, I substituted lock stitches for the Josephine chain.

After the tatting was finished, I wire wrapped an emerald green Swarovski teardrop, connecting it to the bottom ring while wrapping. I also made the earwires.

Not much tatting lately, since I've been busy with my cello music. Often choir music contains parts for several instruments in the score, but seldom for cello. The choir director gave me a trombone part, but after hearing it we both agreed that the cello is definitely NOT a trombone ☺ 

So, what I'm doing is transposing the "C" instrument part (usually intended for flute or violin) down an octave into bass clef for cello. I have music software, which helps, but I still have to do it note by note. Naturally, I'm putting my name in as "arranger" underneath the composer's name on my printed sheet music (I'm the only one who'll ever see those pages, anyway). ☺

Practicing

In my life outside of tatting and hand dyeing, one of the other things I do is play the cello. I learned how by taking lessons as an adult student, and now I've been playing 23 years. I've played in a few different community orchestras. The current orchestra that I'm in is called Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra, or WIO for short. Spring concert will be June 2 at 7 pm, at 135 North 76th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53213.

Sometimes I also play cello to accompany the choir at church (St. Rita's in West Allis). I sing in the choir too, as best I can. It's challenging, but fun! 

The cello tapestry is something I designed many years ago, woven of handspun yarn. Some of you may remember her as my first "yarnplayer" logo!
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Well, on to the tatting. Here's some photos of things I've finished lately:

The filigree centers are from Fire Mt. Gems.

Argentium silver wire wrapping with tatted cotton "flowers".

"Unfolding Heart", based on this pattern.

Blue "Sweetheart" earrings, based on a pattern from Boutique Tatting.

Current dye batch still in progress is "Spooky". It should be dry and listed in my Etsy shop sometime tomorrow.

Off Topic: Concert

A medley of the season's last concert of the community orchestra that I played cello in this past year.
So, here's your chance to see me play the cello :)

We are players of all levels, and just play for fun, so the music's not highly polished, but people seem to enjoy it anyway. The conductor of our group is Veronica Chairez, and she's very talented and super-nice!

I'm posting the video here to help it get more views and likes, to build self-confidence for the people in the orchestra.

My great big tatted frog closure and small hairclips

 The frog closure is on it's way to becoming an asymmetrical necklace, with the frog as the focal point and also used as the closure of the necklace...that is, if it works. It's still in progress, in size 3 Lizbeth thread, which is the largest size of that thread. The black frog measures a whopping 4 inches (10cm) across. For a size comparison, the white frog is tatted in size 20 thread, similar pattern. I'm using a Starlit shuttle for the size 3, since it holds more thread.

I've also started making small flower hair clips, using size 10 thread. All these things I'm going to display at my table in the maker's fair at Concinnity, April 13.

The other thing I'm doing this week, is playing my cello at church. They usually only add fancy extra instruments like cello to accompany the choir at special occasions like Christmas and Easter. So, I got called in to play in an ensemble that includes 2 violins, a french horn, and myself on cello. It's nice when they ask for volunteer musicians from the congregation, I think, it makes us feel needed.

Cello string choker

Well, I just thought it would be cool to make a piece of jewelry using one of my spent cello strings.

The tatted motif is one that I made up, sort of as I went along. It's a bit odd, but fits the string.

I used size 20 Lizbeth cotton and size 11/0 seed beads, with a jet faceted teardrop at the bottom.

Classical fantasy

Yep, that's me playing cello in the photo, wearing one of TotusMel's bracelet originals, "Happiness in Slavery".

Confession: I did have this grandiose fantasy about looking fabulously glamorous while performing incredible feats of musical skill - fantasy, yeah right. LOL!

Actually, I am only an amateur player and a rather weak one at that. To my dismay, I've discovered while practicing with the bracelet that it distracts and hampers my concentration just enough to mess up my playing - and believe me, it doesn't take much at all to mess up my playing, LOL. I've also tried it on my bow hand, but was surprised to discover how much my wrist flexes when I wield the bow, and so must remain au natural.

But, I am still proud to own a genuine TotusMel Original, and the bracelet will look fabulously glamorous at the orchestra banquet, and any other party event I attend. The bracelet is beautifully, impeccably made, and has given me a new appreciation for the different, softer feel of a needle tatted piece.

Hair scrunchie - and a music critique in tatting

Got my hair scrunchie done!
The idea came from TattingChic's post here. I made mine in size 10, and the color is my own hand dyed "Lola", which I am sorry to say that I'm currently sold out of in my Etsy shop, but I will get some more made.

O.T. I have been practicing my cello for a classical concert that includes difficult music by 2 very different composers. Here is my music critique in tatting of their respective styles:
Enough said.