The Mask Evolves

I am now burdened with glorious purpose...OK, that's overstating of course and I have clearly seen a certain movie too many times, but I do have a project and thus purpose. No, I didn't get some great order. I'm simply focused on making the new mask. These large masks are like giant puzzles where I have to not only fit together bits and pieces, but figure out how to make other bits and pieces to fill in spaces.

Sometimes I find the perfect pieces straight away and other times, I find myself snipping out my work to start a section all over. This was the first picture I took of my progress on the piece. This was after working on it most...OK, all of the morning. I had figured out the top edge and the bit about the existing mask, but I still had a couple of spots on the sides to deal with. Then I just kept staring at the piece I filled into the center. The more I looked at it, the more I hated it. Out came the scissors and I was starting that puzzle piece again.

Once I figured out a new, and much better center motif, the two side bits I needed filled in quickly. Then I just wasn't in love with the way the mask fit on the outside edges and had to think on that problem for what seemed like an eternity before another simple solution presented itself. I removed the outer wire and replaced it with a longer one so I could add some work on the bottom edge. Then I began the long process of covering the wires. Speaking of the wire though, you have no idea the wrench the added top wire throws into creating. It creates a solid barrier that makes tatting inside it an acrobatic feat. Since much of the work is done between already tatted sections, my hands are all contorted trying to not only hold onto the work, but even making stitches is difficult. I guess what I'm trying to say is that these things are terribly hard to make.

Today I shall endeavor to finish covering the wires and then move onto the embellishment phase. I'm thinking a sequins edging, assorted crystals and honestly I'm not sure what else at this point. Again, I am just making things up as I go. There is at the very least, one more days worth of work on this, if not two and I'm talking full 6-8 hour days here. Though I am getting much faster with these, so it could be done today. I guess we'll see. After I finish this project I have come up with a plan for future down time. I think I'm going to actively make some stock for the shop. At least then I have something to fall back on without all the 'woe is me, what shall I do' nonsense, right?