Monday, September 22, 2008

A Leaf Falls

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l(a

le
af
fa

ll

s)
one
l

iness





e.e. cummings




Happy first day of Autumn.

I wanted to share one of my favorite poems with you on the day of the Autmnal Equinox. Yes, that is a poem in it's correct form. The title of this poem is “l(a”. The periods on top of the poem are the only way blogger editing would allow me to have the poem down far enough so that the original form that Mr. Cummings wrote it in would remain intact. What makes this poem so mesmerizing to me is the fact that Mr Cummings specifically wrote it in this format for impact, a very purposeful impact, to drive home not only the visual of a leaf falling and twirling through the air down, down, down to the ground, but also to separate the small case letter "l" from it's counterparts to drive home the feeling of loneliness. Notice that even the word "one" is separated out of the word "l(one)liness" and again the small case "l" which looks a lot like the arabic numeral "1" is also separated. Standing alone, by itself to compound the feeling of loneliness that this poem evokes. Can you see where the words "a leaf falls" are in the poem inside the word "loneliness" (in between the parentheses)? Cummings was a master of form in his poems. I admire his works greatly.
The poem is accompanied by a tatted maple leaf which will count as Motif #16 for the 25 Motif Challenge. It is the "Silver Maple Leaf" pattern by Karey Solomon from her book, Tatting Turns Over A New Leaf. It is tatted in the HDT (Hand Dyed Thread) by Yarnplayer called "Sugar Maple". It is done in size 20 thread. This particular pattern calls on the use of the SCMR (Self Closing Mock Ring) and the Roll Stitch techniques in hand tatted lace.


Thank you for visiting my blog today. Comments are always welcome. I hope you're having a lovely first day of fall. To my friends in the Southern Hemisphere...Happy Spring!



~TattingChic

59 absolutely fabulous things were said:

LadyShuttleMaker aka MadMadPotter said...

Happy Autumn!!!

Gina said...

The thread is the perfect complement (and compliment) to the pattern!

Grizzly Mountain Arts said...

Very pretty!

Free Art Printables said...

This is sooo cool! I could see a bunch of these hanging form a chandelier in different colors! beautiful!

Kathi~Lavender, Lace and Thyme said...

Happy Autumn to you! Your leaf is so beautiful, dainty with pretty colors.

Thank you for your kind words today.

Hugs,
Kathi :)

Celestina Marie said...

This is wonderful by Cummings. Your leaf is beautiful as is everything you do. Lovely and unique post.
Happy Fall.
hugs, Celestina
la rea rose

Margie said...

What a lovely, lovely leaf! I've never seen one that was tatted before. The colors are perfect!

Margie :)

Stephanie said...

Absoluely lovely! This is the first pattern I've seen using the roll stitch technique. Very interesting. I think I may have to order that book.

Karin said...

What a beautiful leaf! Thanks for the "autumn inspiration" :)

Fete et Fleur said...

Happy Autumn,
This is so very pretty! I love Cummings. Thank you for sharing this.

Nancy

Bella Sinclair said...

Oh my stars, I don't know why I thought tatting was limited to beautiful doilies and snowflakes and bookmarks! I can see now that my imagination was sadly limited. This leaf blows me away, and the colors are outstanding. Happy Autumn, indeed! I'm sorry I have no concept of thread size. How big is this finished leaf?

And thank you for the little poetry lesson. I learned something!

Lace hearts said...

That's absolutely beautiful. I love cummings' poetry - wonderful imagery.

Singtatter said...

Thanks for sharing the poem, it's so interesting. Since my boy showed me the different types of poems he learned in school, I love those with special forms like Haiku, cinquain, concrete poetry. This one is a good addition.

I love Karey's leaves too, tatted a few. Yep, perfect complement to the poem!

Kathleen Grace said...

Happy Autumn, that tatted leaf is spectacular!

Unknown said...

Oh I hate the thought that summer is gone but if I have to face it I can think of no better way than a perfectly tatted maple leaf in HDT that is dyed in colours that show the beauty of fall.

Marilee Rockley said...

Very clever how you got blogger to let you put the poem in its correct form. I remember that poem from my school days; it's exquisite - and so is your leaf! Love what you've done with the hand dyed thread.

Sarah MomE25 said...

Wow! Thats so beautiful.

Tracy said...

Hi, TattingChic! Wishing you a beatifuly autumn...LOVE the tatted autumn leaf...a beautiful tribute to the real deals outside changing colors now! Happy Days, my friend ((HUGS))

Unknown said...

Thank you, Lady Shuttle Maker!

Hi Gina, Thank you very much for your witty compliment...LOL! It complements my post...hee hee.

Thank you, Grizzly Mountain Arts.

Ah, Jen R, and you would be the one to do that. You have a creative and lovely way with chandeliers and home decor.

Thank you so much, Kathi~lavender, lace, and thyme. You are welcome, too!

Celestina Marie, thank you so much! I was wondering how my departure from my usual way of posting would be received. I appreciate your comment.

Thank you, Margie! I'm so glad to be the first to show you a tatted leaf!

Thanks Steph! I think you'll like the patterns' results. I have to admit that the patterns are not written in the best way, but you can muddle through the diagrams and writing. Be prepared; it's a few typing papers that have been photocopied and stapled in the middle/folded in half/and have a cardstock cover to make a "book".

Thank you for your lovely comment, Karin!

Hi Nancy from Fete et Fleur! So nice to have a fellow Cummings fan stop by!

Hi Bella Sinclair! I'm so glad to open your eyes to the world of tatting's versatility in lacemaking. This leaf; from stem tip to top leaf tip is approximately 3 US Quarter Dollars high. I'm sorry, my tape measure is still packed away somewhere...I have no idea what box it is still in...sigh!

Hi Lace Hearts! So glad you could stop by again! I'm glad to share Cummings with yet another fan of his! How delightful!

Hi Singtatter, glad you liked the poem and the leaf! Thanks for visiting!

Thank you, Kathleen Grace!

Thanks for your very sweet comment, Clyde!

Ah, yet another one who appreciates Cummings! Awesome! Thank you, your comment means a lot, Yarnplayer!

Thank you, Sarah!

Hi Tracy! What a lovely comment, glad you like the leaf. Happy days and ((hugs)) to you, too, my friend!

CIELO said...

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it... oh yes, and a Happy Autumn to you too!

cielo

Marty said...

Beautiful rendition of that leaf! The colors are wonderful and your stitches are so even.

Ele at abitofpinkheaven said...

This is so pretty. I could just see this framed in a black frame.

Unknown said...

Wow, Cielo, you REALLY like Autumn, don't you! You have such a lovely way with words! Thanks for visiting and sharing that lovely commment.

Thank you Marty! It always means so much to have such a huge compliment bestowed on me from a fellow tatter!

Ele! Thanks for visiting. I never would've though of that. What a great idea! A black frame would look very striking!

NeereAnDear said...

I absolutely adore your talent...
it must take a lot of time to do such meticulous and lovely work

Just wanted to say thank you for stopping by and giving me good wishes

I am on the mend .... slowly but one step at a time

HUGS

JO

Thimbleanna said...

Thanks for the poem and the peek at the beautiful tatted leaf!

Twyla and Lindsey said...

That leaf is absolutely GORGEOUS! Your talent amazes me!
Lindsey

Unknown said...

Hi, Jo! Glad to hear you are on the mend. Tatting does take some time, but I am much faster than I used to be! LOL! Thanks for the very nice comment!

You are very welcome, Thimbleanna!
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.

Awww...thank you, Lindsey, that means a lot!

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for your sweet comments on my PINK Sat post. Love your tatted Leaf..you are so talented!

Blessings...Lorena

Rebecca Ramsey said...

I love that poem too.
But that leaf...STUNNING!
So very pretty!

I can't wait to watch the leaves turn!
Becky

Unknown said...

Hi Lorena, your pink stuff is darling! Thanks for YOUR sweet comment!

Hi Becky, isn't Cummings the best! I love much of his work. The leaves will soon be turning for you, won't they? I have to tat leaves to see much autumn color here! LOL!

Draffin Bears said...

Happy Autumn ~ your poem is lovely and the colours and daintiness of the leaf are wonderful.

It is Spring over in NZ so warmer days have been great.

Hugs
Carolyn

Unknown said...

Happy Spring to you, Carolyn! Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment. :)

Cathy ~ Tadpoles and Teacups said...

I always loved e.e. cummings too.

Have a great day~
Cathy


P.S. No problems saving the widgets when I changed the background of my blog. :)

Carol Schockling Lawecki said...

Hi TattingChic, The leaf is so pretty with that thread. Now I must go look for this book and check out the Sugar Maple Thread. Twenty years ago I made a table scarf for my dining room table and cross-stitched fall leaves and pumpkins along the border. A few of these tatted leaves would really compliment this table scarf. I use it every fall on my dining room table. Thank you for the inspiration. Happy Fall!!

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh, that leaf is GORGEOUS!! I love it!

Thank you so much for your kind comment of encouragement on my blog! It meant so much to me. You are such a sweetie :)

BIG hugs,
Amy

Unknown said...

Hi Cathy, thanks for stopping by. I'm glad to hear that no widgets were lost when you changed your template with that site. Good to know.

Hi Carol, thanks for the nice comment! Your table scarf sounds lovely and I hope you post it with or without the tatted leaves!

Hi Amy! It's always so nice to have you visit! You have been missed, but I know, sometimes it is important to take a break from blogging. Welcome back!

The Little Miss said...

wow thats awsome! Looks like it would be so hard to make!

xoxo
casa bella chic

Grandma September said...

oh your tatting is so lovely!!! I tried to teach myself to tat a long long time ago.... and failed. :( There is some simple step that I just was not able to "get." Wow. Beautiful stuff. Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog!

Jessica Rodarte said...

Oh wow. I love this leaf. I love all of your work, but this one is just lovely. I love the different colors in there. You are a tatting DIVA. :) I love that poem by e.e. cummings. It's been a while since I've read it. Have a wonderful day!

Unknown said...

Hi Priscila/Casa Bella Chic, welcome! Thank you for your comment! The leaf took a few hours to make, probably longer than it should've as I was really tired when I tatted it.

Hi 1radchick! Thank you and welcome! Let me see if I can guess which part of that "simple stitch" you were having problems with. Would it have something to do with having to get the threads to "switch places" or as some people say "flip"??? This is a perfectly natural place to get stumped. If you're ever interested in learning again I understand there are some great videos on you tube and etatters at ning.com is a great FREE tatting community to ask questions. I'd love to encourage you to keep learning anyway, don't let that stop you as there are many more free internet resources available now.
Let me know if I can help in anyway!
Sincerely,
~TattingChic :)

Awww...thank you so much, Kid Napping? I'm Scrapping! Your very sweet compliment made my day! Okay, now I've got to figure out how to get my head through the door cuz it's starting to swell!!! Come back down to size...HEAD! ;)

Susanne said...

Happy Autumn to you and yes Karey's leaf looks great in that HDT.
Even though autumn means a lot of lovely colours in nature it is also sad to think winter is coming and that the tree's will be without leaves for a long time. But OK we will let the friends in NZ and Aus borrow the summer and warmer weather for some time then. And we can still tat, lol.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Dantatter. Yes, we can still tat no matter what the weather is like! That is a comforting thought for the coming winter months.

Little Blue Violet said...

Oh My! This is gorgeous !!!!!
smiles
DarLY*~

Paben said...

Thanks for leaving a comment on my cupcake cards and tatted doily!Your Autum leaf is gorgeous!The doily was antique I have collected laces ect.for years!I have a tatting bobbin that my Hubby's grandmother gave me to practice what she taught me!LOL I am not sure I remember how? I love that people are still interested in this Art!

Unknown said...

Thank you, Darly! :)))

Paben, thank you so much for the sweet comment. I think it's fabulous that so many antique tatted pieces have found an appreciative home such as yours. How sweet that you rec'd a tatting shuttle from your hubby's Grandmother! It's fabulous that she taught you to tat!

Mya said...

Wow I don't know how you do it; just beautiful

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the sweet comment you left on my blog last week (I don't think I ever left this note for you). That piece of framed tatting did turn out sweet. You're tatting is FABULOUS!!! So beautiful! If you ever want a piece encased in glass with the soldered edge let me know...it's what I do! (you make me really want to learn tatting)

Marie de la Chaume said...

The coulours of this one are absolutely fantastic! Congratulations!!!

busygnomes said...

the maple leaf is gorgeous, thankyou for your lovely comment on Alice's coat.Happy Autumn!

Creations by Marie Antoinette and Edie Marie said...

OMG !!! that leaf is beauitful.I have to tell Alexia to come take a look.Its just fab.The colors are fantastic.Hugs dear friend Marie A.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Mya. It's always a pleasure to have you stop by.

Welcome to my blog, Tinkerverve! I think it's awesome that you want to learn to tat. If you are ever serious about it, let me know and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction. I think having you solder a piece of tatting in some glass,esp with a vintage image sounds very intriguing!!! We'll have to talk more about this. I notice the edge you make w/ soldering on your pieces is very skillfully done!

Thank you so much, Marie de la Chaume! I'm glad you like it. The colors are hand-dyed by Yarnplayer. The link to her Etsy shop is on my sidebar under "Tatting Merchants" if you are ever interested and she does paypal which converts money internationally.

Happy Autumn to you, too, Busygnomes! I'm glad you like the leaf. The coat you made is truly beautiful.

Thank you, Marie Antoinette! Yes, do send Alexia right over. I'd love to have her stop by for a visit! (((Hugs))) right back atcha, friend!

CIELO said...

Just came by to say hi! Have a wonderful weekend!

cielo

Pat said...

A very beautiful leaf, indeed! And, thanks so much for your very nice comment on my blog today....I appreciate your visits!!! Pat

Jessica Rodarte said...

I'm back to leave yet another comment. ;) I've tagged you on my blog 'cause I've been tagged. Would you stop by when you have a minute?
Hugs!

Unknown said...

Hi Cielo! Thanks for stopping by, it's always a pleasure!

Hi Pat, welcome back. Thanks for your nice comment. I appreciate your visits, too.

Hi Kids Napping? I'm Scrapping! LOL! I've been TAGGED!!! ;)

AngelDoll said...

Your work is absolutely beautiful...perfectly even stitching. Do you use a needle or shuttle as I am hoping I will soon be able to practice my tatting again?...I have been preparing for a big sale October 19th, then tatting here I come...can't wait. I did manage to tat a few butterflies, but they just seem 'blah'...THANK YOU for your inspiring blog! LOVE IT!

Carol Schockling Lawecki said...

Hi TattingChic, I loved your leaf so much that I went right over to Yarnplayers site and bought some of this color thread. Now I have to order the book with the leaves. I will post a picture of the cross-stiched runner with the leaves on it after I make some of the tatted leaves to go with it.

I wanted to get signed up to be a follower of your blog, but I don't see a link there. How do I sign up?? Have a great weekend!!

Anonymous said...

Hey!!! thankyou soo much for being a sweet and kind blogger to me!! your comments on my blog touched my heart more then you could ever know!!! if there is ever anything I can do foryou when I get back on my feet please please let me know!! big mermaid hugs

toodles-
sarah

Unknown said...

Oh, Carol, your runner is going to look so fabulously fallish with the fall leaves on it. I'm going to be posting some more leaves this weekend with 2 other leaves from internet sources. I'll post where I got them from with that post. I can't wait to see your runner! How cool is that!!!

Oh, I almost forgot Carol. I'm flattered that you would want to be a follower. Isn't that a funny name? All you do is look at the title of the widget that says "followers" w/ the # of followers to the right of that word.
Right underneath that is a phrase that says "Follow this blog" and you just put your cursor on that and click on it and then it will take you to a page that will explain the rest! Thank you so much I'd love to have you.

Anyone is welcome to join the followers list that wants to it simply keep you updated on your dashboard when current postings happen on that blog you're following. That's all it is...that AND I get to look at your beauitful mug everytime I am on my blog...LOL!

Hi Sarah! I am truly honored that you feel my comments have been a help during this difficult time with for you. Ya know what you can do for me? Just keep that lovely chin up as much as you can and cry when you need to sing when you need to and continue to ask for help when you need to.
:) and ((hugs))
...if you ever get really, really bored and want to learn how to tat just give me a holler and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction. Did you know that tatting is one of the LEAST expensive hobbies to have? Well, unless you get ADDICTED then it's another story altogether! LOL! It only takes a cheap plastic shuttle and some crochet thread (I recommend size 10 for learning)to start with and that costs under $10.00 to buy!!! Good to know when you lost all your crafting stuff to Hurricane Ike. Just food for thought. ((Hugs)) again for reading this far in my comment back to you! LOL!