Skip to main content

The Gentle Arts


The Gentle Arts book 
While I am always reluctant to make New Year’s resolutions, I openly declared that 2013 was going to be a “gentler” year. Coincidentally, while sorting books I came across “The Gentle Arts – 200 Years of Australian Women’s Domestic & Decorative Arts”. It is full of  amazing textile work – from hand coloured photos to filet crochet,  delicate embroidery to  weaving – fine and gentle work.  … which motivated me to learn shuttle tatting.  A friend gave me a shuttle and lent me a basic instruction book – first attempt not so successful! I hate to say I failed, but the results were certainly an alternate version of tatting! I just could not get the right thread knotting around the other!  
History of tatting in  Australia in "The Gentle Arts" 
Tatting instructions 
While on holidays, my mother taught me to needle tat and that seemed quite easy, so back to working with the shuttle with even more determination.  Fortunately my aunt visited and brought with her a giant tatting shuttle and some cord. I tried that and this was the turning point – yes, a successful tatted chain and with some little picots!
Samples of  my learner tatting ... top right hand samples of needle tatting, and others are tatted with a shuttle. 
Tatting is not only one of the gentle arts, but it is also one of those useful domestic arts that can be done while watching TV.  So thanks to the return of Master Chef in the evenings for an hour or so, I have continued to practise my tatting and make some temari which I think is another gentle art. 

and a special mention ... Happy birthday to a special nine year old. 

Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 31, 2013 at 12:09 PM

    I am definitely a failed tatter. My teacher told me I was her very first failure in 40 years. At least if you make a mistake in crochet, you can undo it. Don't have to throw it away.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownFebruary 1, 2013 at 7:06 AM

    Transferring the knot from one thread to the other is tricky! I couldn't get the hang of it until I saw a you tube video, written instructions just don't show it I found. There is a wonderful blogger that tats using her own hand dyed threads, if I find it I'll send you the link, her work is just beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wilma Simmons (Empress Wu Designs)February 1, 2013 at 11:04 AM

    Thanks Judi and Tracy,
    Tracy, good tip - I will have a look at youtube too but found the giant shuttle with rat tail cord worked really well. Judi, I'll show you when I come up to Hervey Bay in March.

    ReplyDelete
  4. BluMoonFebruary 2, 2013 at 7:52 AM

    I haven't tried tatting but you have made a good start! I love your Temari they are so beautiful.
    Jackie

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading my blog and please share your thoughts about my blog post by leaving a comment.Your comment won't appear immediately as comments are verified before publication in an effort to reduce the amount of spam appearing. Anonymous comments will not be published.

Popular posts from this blog

Gourd Art

Last week, I rediscovered a few gourds "drying" in our garage... In fact, I was searching for them after doing a doll making workshop where we transformed gourds into doll bodies, with the addition of polymer clay and apoxie sculpt.  I have researched a little to identify the gourds I have - they seem closest to the water jug shape gourds. The gourds we used in the workshop were Chinese bottle gourds.  my gourd doll - a flower child /hippy fiddler?  Workshop dolls - Christmas sprite by Jane Lambert , and my doll  Flower doll also completed in the workshop by Lee Hennequin  Balloon seller - gourd art doll by tutor, Janice Laurent  Working with gourds made me very curious about the history and cultivation of gourds. A  gourd   is a plant of the family  Cucurbitaceae  or the fruit of the two genera of "calabash tree" .  The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some witho...
1 comment
Read more

Countdown to Christmas 15 - Diamonds Forever!

How much would you pay for a Christmas  fruitcake?  The world's most expensive fruit cake has been estimated at $1.65 million. Yesterday, I wrote about the less than positive term "Christmas cake as it is applied to unmarried women, so again it amazed me that  in Tokyo, this most exquisite and expensive Christmas cake was created. It took six months to design and another full month to construct. The beautiful cake is fully edible ... that is except for the 223  real diamonds  used as decoration. This cake was part of an exhibition called Diamonds: Nature's Miracle  and was one of 16 exhibits showcasing creative ways with diamonds . Apparently, the cake was auctioned, fetching $1.65 million US. While there have been other very expensive diamond encrusted cakes since this one in 2005 with estimated values of up to $75 million, this Japanese designed cake was the forerunner of the extravagant diamond studded wedding cakes in the higher price r...
Post a Comment
Read more

Christmas Countdown 3 ; Christmas tree # 23 - Mannequins and Motors

Mannequin   and Mercedes Benz logo Christmas trees  Advent Blog Day 23 - Mannequins and Motors ... or... What does a Mannequin have in common with a Mercedes Benz?   I have been in such a dilemma as I have so few days left and so many Christmas trees I want to feature.  So, in the spirit of balance today, I've combined a couple of categories into the theme of Mannequins and Motors -   winsome wonders and winning wheels ....  Mannequin and motor oil   Christmas trees  Hubcaps and Mannequin Christmas trees  Not satisfied with auto parts? Decorate with the whole car....  Mannequin and Mini Cooper cars Christmas trees  And tyres seem to be a popular choice and somehow they go beautifully with these 'green' mannequin trees...  Tyres and red ribbons  Tyres and baubles on mannequin Christmas trees  Red bird  wire form and sparkly tyres  Ch...
Post a Comment
Read more