Wednesday 22 May 2013

Tatting Video - Improved?

I can't tell you how much time I've spent trying to figure out the right way to make clear, well lit videos.  It is much more difficult to take a good video than it first appears.  I've tried all sorts of different locations in the house, different lighting, different positions for the camera...  how to attach/place the camera for filming yourself to start off is already problematic!  If it's behind you, you can't see what you're doing, if it's in front of you, it gets in the way of trying to tat, if it's attached to you, it moves too much as you make the stitches... etc.  You get the idea?

Anyway, this is not a whinge post, no, no!  It's just that I think I found a good way today.  I won't even describe the set-up to you (too Heath Robinson) but I hope you will find that the lighting is much better in this latest attempt.  I still find there is room for improvement on clarity of picture once I get to Youtube though.  I don't know where I loose quality because the video looks great straight off my camera but then I need to transfer it iMovie, then from iMovie to Youtube, you have to choose the file size and maybe I still need to work on that.  Anyway, feedback would be welcome!

I'm not sure this particular video is needed but I made one about the up vs the down join.  I wanted something short, mostly it was to try my new set-up.

Oh yes, I kept my butterfly doily in the background on this video, just for decorative purposes but of course, I would normally just have a white background.



Now I do hope I've got this up and down thingie right!  I know I had them confused before!  You put the hook DOWN, to pull the thread UP through the picot... you put your hook UP through the picot to pull the thread back DOWN through it!  So which one is which??  Anyway, I think I have it from reliable sources that you do a DOWN join on the front of the work and an UP join on the back when working FS/BS tatting.  Yes?  Except of course when you are using different colours or variegated and a DOWN join on the front would show a blip of colour, then you would use an UP...  :-))

OK, now I've got you thoroughly confused, I'll end here!

Best wishes,
Frivole

12 comments:

  1. Yes, with FS/BS tatting on the front side you pull the thread DOWN through the picot, in which case you first have to insert the hook up through the picot. He he.
    and on the backside, you pull the thread UP through the picot which means you first put the hook down to catch the thread.

    By the way, when I do a DOWN join on the front side, I post the shuttle up through the thread loop, that puts the joining loop in the position to be the "waistband of the pants" at the top of the ds.

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    1. Hi Ladytats, so does that mean you have to pull the loop through, let go, then pass your shuttle the other way through the loop? What's your movement like? I wish I could see it.

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    2. Hi Frivole, Yes, I pull the loop through, let go, then pass the shuttle through the loop from the bottom up. You do have to make sure that the loop does not twist when you let go. I usually try to hold it with my thumb nail. I will see what I can do to make a video this weekend. I did one once before, but wasn't all that happy with the results. I will try again.

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    3. Thank you Ladytats - it's ok for the video, I can visualise what you do from what you said, don't cause yourself any work! Do you not find it quite slow to make the joins though?

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    4. no, but I have done it this way for years. For me it is quite easy and quick. I like shuttles with hooks on them, I can use a pick nearly as fast. I set the thread on top of the work, and hold my thumb nail close to the joining picot to keep the thread from sliding away. Then it is very easy and quick to do the join. But, as I said, I have done it this way for years.

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    5. I'll try your way, to see if I can get more efficient at it! Thank you!

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  2. I like to do a LHPJ if I'm doing multi colors of thread, but you definitely have the down & up right for single color tatting with FS/BS.

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  3. The lighting looks great! I use a down join most of the time, because I prefer the look of it. However, I don't pay much attention to frontside/backside tatting.

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  4. The lighting is wonderful- fun background too. And I love how your nails match the thread!!!

    This is not a criticism but just a point to note. If one looks at your video on a laptop computer, the text is available BUT if one looks at it on an ipad, the text does not show up.

    You could talk... : )

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    1. Hi Michelle, good point about the text. I noticed that because I can't see the text on my ipod either! But for some reason, when I convert the video, I have to choose a format and there isn't one that works for ALL electronic devices! So I choose large format which seems to work on "most" devices. I'll look into that again.

      Mmmmm, talking.... I'm very shy you know!

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  5. Hmm, every time I start to feel confident about computers, I do something with iMovie and am reassured that I really don't. I wish it were easier to understand the exported products!

    Talk, you can do it!!!!!!

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  6. I agree with Diane, I don't worry about the front and back tatting, I have always done the down join, or the first one on your video. The video was great the lighting was perfect, the background an inspiration to anyone learning tatting.
    After 42 year of tatting I am still learning but I think I will stick with the down way of joining.
    Thanks for an interesting post
    Margaret

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