Remember why you're playing with bobbinlace

This is one of the gloves with the painting pattern all done, ready for embroidery. I have currently completed all the motifs that are anything but "gold" on both gauntlets. I almost have the first two tabs complete on the first gauntlet. The purl takes a lot of time to do...

I still can't get the maiden net pattern, and rather than spend more time on it right now, I'm reminding myself that the reason I'm doing this lace at all is to make a trim for the gloves. I have already mastered a simple braid pattern that is charted from the extant gloves, so I don't need this net at this time. I need to learn to do picots and I think I could start to play with the real thing. Well, it wouldn't hurt to learn how to do a fan or spiders, those look like the lace patterns of the period, so those would be good to know.

Tonight I'll set up a basic training pattern on paper that I can pierce and work with, with fans, spiders, whatever filler I need, and, hopefully, picots. I have clear tape to cover the paper so it will last a while. I did find that both the tool I was hoping would work as a pricker and the cork I'd picked up for a pricking board, worked well for the job. The biggest problem I had there was telling if I'd got all the holes.

Well, off to work on more purl on the gloves. It is slowly coming together and I'm really enjoying it.

bobbinlace!

I was good at the meeting last night and worked on the silver leaves on the second gauntlet, so that work is starting to happen. it wasn't a lot, but every little bit... It was late and I was tired when I got home so I didn't want to pull it out again, so I picked up the bobbinlace stuff. I mean the pillow is right there and, and... next thing I knew it was after midnight and I could barely hold my eyes open! I figured out another ground stitch, one I had already did, though I didn't have a name for it and started on another, being maiden's net? I got the first line of the pattern done, but could tell the next wasn't working so I undid that which was wrong and left it for tonight. I am finding it very easy to pick up, though I still feel like what I've done so far is rather...messy? not as tight as it could be? Still, it's fun. I also now have four sets of bobbins on the cookie pillow. I figure that I should leave all of them on the pillow, just to show how the different weights work and be available for people to try them out. Since it's all practice pieces and nothing I ever expect to keep I don't have a problem if someone wants to do a few twists or whatever.

yesterday I came up with some ideas on doing some art for the house, involving the SCA/A&S stuff I've done and am doing. The first is a shadow box type thing with a gilded framed copy of Lotto's painting that was the inspiration for Lucretia, with Lucretia sitting off to the side of it. I don't know that I'll include anything else in, but we will see. I also have to determine if there will a background fabric/paint/texture. The second one I'm thinking about is a reproduction of one of the lacemaker paintings, put into a black velvet frame that is wide enough for a lace border to either be tacked or pinned to. The lace strip will then trail to a pillow at the bottom complete with a pins, pricking and bobbins.

anyway, other than putting together the notes for my classes (they are in two weeks!) that's what's on my plate right now.

ugh, I've spent most of the day going over my references for the life of artists/painters. Lots of fantastic information, but most of it is about the paintings and their subjects, not their lifes and the business. It's now time to take the notes and then putting it together. then I can play with the bobbins or the embroidery, yah!!

I finished the squares for the embroidery class. I have determined I am truly a fiber snob. The day before I was working on them and abandoned them to play with the bobbins. I found working on a simple braid I definitely liked the bobbins with weight. The single wood bead was not on the list. I kept holding them by the tip rather than the tail. Moved on to pony and bone beads. Those were okay, but of the two I'd rather use the bone. Then I went on to the two bead woodens. Those feel a lot like the three's. I think I could put both in the same pattern and not feel a lot of different.

Anyway, back to the embroidery samplers, I went back to them and worked very hard to finish them. I used up all the plastic canvas yarn I had on hand. My hands felt icky the whole time. I wanted to wash my hands. When I ran out of that nasty, I used a bit of the wool from the last project and the thrift store. That was soooo much nicer to work with.

Then I rewarded myself with playing with the bobbins again. I did several tries with various bobbins. I did the cloth stitch and it was very plain, straight forward. Still have the same feeling about the bobbins. Those with weight work much better.

This morning was reading for the artist class, from a book I picked up this weekend. It is Painters of reality. Interesting content, discussing drawing and painting styles of Lombardy style from Leonardo to Caravaggio. It didn't really help for my class which is about the artist's life, workshops, etc. I have to dig that info out so I have something to present.

It's been so long since I've posted, so many distractions. What has happened in the last year...
I didn't finish the boards for the demo, still haven't actually. I keep putting them on my list to do, but I always procrastinate and never finish them in time. I think that I am unsure of what I'm doing, so I am hesitanting.

I did a decent display at Steppes artisan, I'll see if I can post those pictures. There was some good work, good feedback too.

I have my realization that I'm not going to be a laurel, leastwise anytime soon. SO I'm doing art for art's sake. If it's not period, or period materials, that's okay. I am going to have fun doing it.

Last winter I had surgery, so for a while I was out of doing anything particular. That meant when it came time to enter something in Kingdom A&S I didn't, and had a good reason for it. I made another trip to the Houston Fine arts.

I did make plans to do a display of artist supplies and stuff at Steppes this year, then I got distracted. I have decided to go back to fencing, and I need new gear. I still haven't got to the fencing, but I've been working on the gear, and one pair of spectacular gloves for tourneys. I reviewed period examples, designed the gloves and have commenced the embroidery. the silk work is done, but the goldwork is on going. One problem with the gloves was that all of these examples was with bobbinlace. Not needlelace, which I would be quite happy to do, no, it has to be bobbinlace. with all else that I'm doing on these gauntlets, it has to be bobbinlace.

So i've made a couple of pillows (stuffed with straw) and several batches of bobbins(dowel rods and beads) and even done the first piece. I rather like working the bobbinlace so far, but I have lots to learn.

This year's Steppes artisan will be all about these gauntlets, from the embroidery to the lace and since I'm going to that step, I will be also making the gloves too. I just don't know if it will be by hand or not.

I'm going to be trying to get photos up on those too. and all my bobbins and pillows....

the demo project

I picked up four pine boards for a demo project. I would have rathered birch, but it wasn't immediately available, and for what this project is, the pine will do. I also picked up regular gesso. I want to work with mixing my own, but since I haven't purchased the supplies for that and I have to do this NOW, I'll wait on the other.
I've got two coats on gesso on one side, one on the other and tonight I'll do a third. I see a lot of brush strokes so I expect I'll be sanding as well tonight.
Originally I was thinking I could use a doll as a model, but since this is a time crunch project and yes I actually sketched a couple of the dolls, I decided I'd be better off attempting something like a sphere or fruit for this.
Tonight the schedule is to finish the gesso, do an underpainting color - probably grey- and then the under painting of my subject, whatever it turns out to be on all of the panels. Tomorrow will be doing the underpainting of light and darks, assuming everything dryes fast enough, on three of the panels.
Next night will be the colors on two panels and lastly one panel will have full details.

I just hope it will dry fast enough in 24 hours that I can proceed. I want to display these at a demo this Saturday. I'm betting though, that I will have one, maybe two stages done. Sigh, what I get for not being inspired prior to this.

On another note, I did try out the graphite pencils and they were lovely to work with. I want to work with those pencils whereas the others were just not there for me.

Re-Inspired

I’ve been avoiding doing this work that I know is very important. I’ve even been researching and planning other projects other than these things.

This past weekend I think was one to help me get back on track. I went to an event near Houston. I spent a lovely day in the company other scribes, helping with overdue painting. Then I arranged to go to the museum of fine arts in Houston the next day with one of the other ladies. We had a nice lunch at a Greek place nearby before first going to an art store. That alone would have been inspiring with all the easels, supplies, tools and books on various arts that I love to indulge in. I browsed the books, looking over several books on my recommended list at Amazon, was able to determine not to buy some, put others on the definite list, and even bought a couple. I bought a set of graphite pencils that have a wonder feel to them. I can’t wait to try them out. I also picked up a couple of new brushes, a bristle, a sable and another I can’t remember the type, probably a sable, or mixed sable and synthetic. I also found some carving wax for the pewter doll project.

Then we went to the museum. I spent a lot of time just getting up close to the paintings, looking for hints of brush strokes, thickness of paint and so on. I was exhausted, but inspired. Waiting now for the day’s work to be over so I can sketch and get ready to paint…