I had always wanted intended to tat a Kokopelli since I first saw it on Jane's pattern pages.
It was on my to 'do list' waiting for it's moment............until I received Nancy Tracy's (of Be-Stitched)
May Newsletter. She had been on a visit to New Mexico and had fallen in love with the Kokopelli, and decided to design one.
You can find the pattern here.
No excuses now......I thought it would be fun to try to tat all three versions of the Kokopelli.
Now I must explain why there are three versions......
After a discussion with Debbie Flork about designing a Kokopelli, Jane suggested that they both try to design one. Jane says that with very little help Debbie came up with a design.
You can read about the Kokopelli here, but here is a brief summary.
Kokopelli is an ancient North American Indian legendary Flute player. He is featured in rock art in deserts and mountains in many sites....many over a thousand years old.
He is shown as a humpbacked flute player.
He is harbinger of Spring, bringing warmth and joy. He was often thought of as a fertility symbol and a trickster, visiting villages, playing his flute carrying his songs on his back, together with seeds and blankets. He would leave the village, leaving behind abundant crops and pregnant females!
The first Kokopelli that I tried was Jane's design.
The rings on his head twisted a lot so I cut and fringed them...looks quite cool!
Next up...here he is In my Coral Reef.....made a mistake with his hair..made the picots in the wrong order...another variation!
Then I wondered what he would look like in metallic thread...the One that I showed you here.
He was so lovely that I tried one in my favourite metallic gold, Coats Ophir.
They were soon marching along in a procession.
I think you can tell how much I like this design!
It really showcases Jane's skill and experience. Tatted in two sections..the flute and hands are tatted last.
Next to try out was Debbie's design.
In Flora 20 and again in the Bronze Altin Basak Nakis Simi.
Here you can see the size comparison.
This Kokopelli is tatted in several sections resulting in lots of ends! If you can face all these ends tho the result is brilliant! He is so jaunty.
The final one to tat was Nancy's one.
In Flora 20 and in the metallic bronze.
A very different equally cute design. The hair was to be pulled straight but of course this was impossible in the metallic. A clever design made in one part...yippee only one lot of ends!
Thread amounts in Flora 20
Jane...body..Sh1...1.3m, Sh2..1.5m
flute....Sh1... 55cm, Sh2 ...25cm
Debbie...body...Sh1..75cm ,Sh2..2.55.
for all the other little bits 1m is enough!
Nancy .... metallic...Sh1...1.85m, Sh2...1.35.
Here is a size comparison of the three designs in Flora 20.
Which do I like the best, which looks most like a Kokopelli... I can't say...they are soooh very different.
I hope this has been some use and interest to you, blogging takes such a long time that I often wonder if it is worth it.
Last week was my son's birthday ...never know what to get.. so along with his' dosh' I made him a Kokopelli in a coaster....with an explanation set into the back.
When he first saw it he thought that it was an 'amphipod'.....Jane you still haven't designed an amphipod for me!!!
His card was a footballer....in 3D Decoupage.
Oh but...
I had to tat some more Kokopelli just to see what they would look like......in...
my Flame Lantana and Oren Bayen .
Love 'em all....but it is so hard to stop those long picots twisting. It depends on the direction of the twist on the thread. When it comes off a ball of Flora then I load shuttle 2 first. With HDT it's hard to know...and with Oren Bayen I should have loaded Shuttle 1 first.
That's all for today...see you when I have some free time!
