A Interview Featuring Elena from the Ukraine - Part 1

Hi fellow bloggers, how is your week going so far? Well as you can see by the title of my blog, I am doing an interview featuring Elena from Crimea, Ukraine. My last interview with Gail from Michigan was 4/4-8/11. Gail makes very beautiful Ukrainian Easter Eggs. To see her interview go to http://cards4ubylouise.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html and scan down to Parts 1, 2 and 3.

So, you might ask, why another Ukrainian Artist? Well, to answer that question, guess I am just partial to Ukrainians......as my mother married into a Ukrainian family, I was sort of adopted into their beliefs too. I heard many, many stories of their former country and the life they led till they came to the United States of America. Grams was the best cook of Ukrainian food........oh yum, miss those days of family dinners and delicious food!!!! Pops is 85 years old and lives in Las Vegas, most of the family and friends have died except for a niece and nephew.

Well, I guess I could ramble on and on about those days, but I better get on with this interview, this is the 1st part. Part 2 & 3 will come on Wednesday and Friday. Following is a beautiful doily that Elena made called tatting. Enjoy........her works of art and her interview.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, and how did you got started on Etsy?

I live in Crimea, Ukraine. This is a wonderful place. We have a beautiful nature, sea, mountains, waterfalls, rare plants and animals, a mild climate here. I'm a happy wife and I have two grown sons (27 and 26 years old). I also have a pet (German Shepherd) 12 years old and it's a member of our family too. I am a Piano teacher and accompanist. I've worked 25 years at music and ballet school. Now I'm a housewife. I love giving gifts to family and friends. Gifts made by myself. At home I have a lot of handmade things. Friends have always said that such beauty should be shown at the exhibition. And my sister said that my products can not only be shown, but also to be sold! She advised me to create an Etsy hosted shop.

2. When and how did you become interested in tatting?

I've liked needlework since childhood. I was 7 years old and I asked my mother: Type series of loops on the needles, I'll knit a scarf for my doll! I grew up and my art became more sophisticated. I knit for myself and family. Sweaters and dresses with complex multicolored ornaments, knitting and crocheting, cross-embroidering, weaving, makrame, sewing patchwork. A year ago my sister gave me a set of needle tatting tools. Since then, tatting is my main hobby!

3. What is your inspiration for each idea and where do you get the ideas?

I find ideas everywhere: in magazines, internet, all around me. I see a yellow leaf fall from a tree and imagine a napkin, as it is similar to the sheet. I imagine a bag as similar to the autumn garden. I see a cloud in the blue sky and imagine the delicate white napkin, as the air! I watch a movie about a French king and imagine a collar of the dress just like a cape. Now I only have to make these fantasies by myself!

4. How many hours do you spend on each tatting doily?

Tatting is a very time-consuming and laborious technique. Operation times vary depending on the number of nodes. The more complicated the pattern, the longer it takes for the job. I made a small doily (5 - 7 inches in circumference) for about 40 minutes or an hour.

5. How did you feel when you sold your first tatting item on Etsy?

When I sold my first item on Etsy - it was a surprise and great joy for me! It was a large round white tablecloth!

6. What tools do you use for your craft that you cannot live without?

I use a tatting shuttle and needle. I love working with cotton mercerized thread.

7. What is a typical day for you and your favorte time of the day?

I do not have the same plan for all days. In different days, I'm doing different things: yard work, housekeeping, a trip to the store ... But I plan tatting every day for not less than 5 hours! I can not live without this art!

Hope you enjoyed Part 1 of this interview. Part 2 will be on Wednesday with a few more pictures. If you would like to visit Elena's Etsy store, go to: www.etsy.com/shopgift?ref=si_shop She is also on facebook and pinterest. You will see those addresses in Part 2.

Have a great day and keep looking up for your redemption drawth nigh.
Cheers ~ Louise