I’ve been teaching music at a local school for the past nine years. About a month ago we found out that the head of the music department is going on early retirement.
The school hasn’t found any replacement yet. We’ll have to see what happens next year. Schools are closing now and won’t reopen until the middle of January.
I put together a small parting gift – a tatted bookmark in a card of handmade paper. The quotation on the left is from Joseph Addison – Music, the greatest good that mortals know, and all of heaven we have below.
The pattern is Mary Konior’s Small Cross from A Visual Book of Tatting. A lovely cross to add beads to – there are plenty of chains to decorate. It is possible to add beads to a ring, but it means carrying them in the shuttle until they are needed, which can be a real pain. I also added two silver music notes, held by a line of Josephine Rings.
The Josephine rings weren’t part of the original pattern. I tried about four different ways to add the notes before I finally decided what I was going to do. I was tatting along merrily, when I realised I was running out of thread.
I normally never add thread to a partly full shuttle, specifically because it is then so easy to misjudge how much thread is left. What possessed me to do it this time I have no idea. I joined the thread with a knot, just so I could use as much as possible. It is impossible to tat over a knot, since the thread can’t pull through.
You can see how little thread was left!
I hope they find a good replacement – I’ve been very happy here.
How do you get a watermark on your pics? Is that something you have to buy? I worry about using other people’s pics, but less so if they have an identifier of some kind on them somewhere, like a web address or something.
The programme I use (XnView) has the feature. It is free to download. Here is the link http://www.xnview.com/
sad to hear this especially that you seem to have been happy there … I am sure that things will work somehow out for the better … bookmark, card all great …. musical notes added at the end …. MAHOOSIVE WOW π x
(people like you remind me I should give me tatting more attention … maybe next year π )
Thanks! Glad you dropped by. As for tatting – next year is quite close… π
After you left a comment on my blog, I had to see what yours was about. I came on the right day. I learned just enough about tatting from my great grandmother to know that I’m absolutely impressed with anyone who can do what you do. I love the cross book mark. Neat talent.
Thanks so much! Glad you came by. π
I would love to teach music but I doubt I have the ear for it. When we were in the States, I’ve joined the violin class and I cherished those memories.
If you played violin, you must have a good ear!
I actually didn’t train to be a music teacher, I took private lessons just because I wanted to do it so much. Then people started asking if I could teach them…
Lovely piece – adore the notes on the end of the lines of rings to hang out of the bottom of the book π All the best
Thanks! π
Just if you glance quickly at the music notes, they look like little high heel shoes…
Wonderful gift! I especially like the charms of the musical notes added at the bottom . What a personal touch that is!
Thanks so much! π
What a beautiful gift — both the bookmark and the card. π
Thanks so much! π
What a thoughtful, and composite, gift you made for your friend. I agree that the little notes will look beautiful peeping out of the book being read. The tatting is marvellous, the homemade paper, quotation and painting. How lovely. And you just made it! It is interesting how many risks we take with our sewing and other crafts – life can be quite exciting in an intimate way.
Thanks so much! I might make another one for myself…
π
Lovely detail.
Thanks. π
Such a nice idea with those notes :))
Thanks! π
Beautiful work!
Thanks! π
Your work is so delicate. I saw my sister do tatting when she was in high school and I was much younger. I think she has forgotten the craft, but sadly, I never had the chance to learn that.
What a lovely gift! And to think that you made everything with your very own hands! You are obviously very talented.
Thanks! But I am going to miss her. π
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