Yesterday I waxed poetic on the downside of a disappearing custom customer. Today, I'd like to share the bizarre upside of this phenomenon. I was asked if I could create a masquerade mask by a customer just the other day. They haven't necessarily disappeared, but even if they did, I was left with a very intriguing project which I'm doing one way or the other. The spark of an idea has entered my head and like my tatted hats and scarves it will not go away until the idea has come to fruition. I know that I said I wouldn't start work on a custom project without payment, but this one I'm doing just for the adventure of it.
These off the way ideas that don't seem to fit well with tatting are like a drug to me. I am not the most talented or skilled tatter by a long shot. I have seen those that create amazing three dimensional objects, animals, perfectly tensioned doilies and countless other projects far beyond my meager skills, but I am creative. My style and taste in tatting is very different than most I've seen and the chance to create something that has not been done before is not something I can pass up.
I've already begun and the process has already yielded yet another benefit. Through the power of split rings, I've re imagined a pattern that I could never do before. As a needle tatter, I am often confronted with a vintage shuttle pattern that I cannot for the life of me convert into needle tatting. While the occurance is rare it is none the less extremely frustrating. My overwhelming desire to creat this mask allowed me to work through the mental block and I have done it! To prove this, I have posted a rare photo of me and my gigantic ball of practice thread.
Here's the beginning of the mask with the vintage motif rescued through the magic of split rings. The final mask will be done in black, of course and I'm hoping to have one done in time for the Halloween season. This is definitely going to be an "art" piece that I hope even other tatters will be impressed with. I hope you won't mind being updated on this project as I'm certain it will dominate my thoughts for awhile.
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These off the way ideas that don't seem to fit well with tatting are like a drug to me. I am not the most talented or skilled tatter by a long shot. I have seen those that create amazing three dimensional objects, animals, perfectly tensioned doilies and countless other projects far beyond my meager skills, but I am creative. My style and taste in tatting is very different than most I've seen and the chance to create something that has not been done before is not something I can pass up.
I've already begun and the process has already yielded yet another benefit. Through the power of split rings, I've re imagined a pattern that I could never do before. As a needle tatter, I am often confronted with a vintage shuttle pattern that I cannot for the life of me convert into needle tatting. While the occurance is rare it is none the less extremely frustrating. My overwhelming desire to creat this mask allowed me to work through the mental block and I have done it! To prove this, I have posted a rare photo of me and my gigantic ball of practice thread.
Here's the beginning of the mask with the vintage motif rescued through the magic of split rings. The final mask will be done in black, of course and I'm hoping to have one done in time for the Halloween season. This is definitely going to be an "art" piece that I hope even other tatters will be impressed with. I hope you won't mind being updated on this project as I'm certain it will dominate my thoughts for awhile.
7 comments:
wow... won't this take you AGES to make?? i'm impressed... Good luck ;o)
I look forward to watching your progress! What do you do with your practice pieces?
It may take ages, but I'm willing to work that long! My "practice" pieces tend to sit around to inspire me...honestly I wish I had outlet for all those bitty pieces of partially done motifs.
What a cool idea! I didn't realize that doing needle tatting limits you from some patterns for shuttle tatting. Can't wait to see the progress!
Two years ago, we gave my lace group a challenge to create a mask and embellish it somehow with handmade lace. It could be made in lace or embellished afterward but it had to be their own lace. Then we used that as the theme for our lace day. I made 2 masks with tatted embellishments and had a 3rd in progress with romanian point lace that I still haven't completed. Everyone had so much fun coming up with designs. You can see the results on the April 18, 2007 entry on my blog. You'll enjoy designing this, I think.
:-) Gina
Beadweavers tend to do that too-- accumulate starter pieces:)
Sometimes we finish them, sometimes we put them all together like a freeform scrap bracelet:)
Keep doing what you're doing...the finished product turned out exquisitely! You have a gift.
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