Lace-lovin' Librarian

Heart's Desire #3

2012-01-24T20:06:00.000-06:00

I just had to try one more time!

This time I joined the small free ring to the edge ring closest to it. Again, I should have blocked it, but even without blocking, I can see that the join works for me!

What a goofball!

2012-01-22T18:57:00.000-06:00

The only thing wrong with yesterday's Heart's Desire by Susan K. Fuller was the blocking! I didn't check it when I put it on the scanner, but it looked fine when I unpinned it.

Today's version turned out a little better. I think I'll use a little Best Press on both of these, and they'll be just fine.

Love that Raspberry Frappe thread!

Oh, and Suztats...

check it out in blue!

Heart's Desire... sort of

2012-01-21T17:23:00.001-06:00

I love this pattern by Susan K. Fuller!

Too bad I messed up! Why is it that we sometimes don't see our mistakes until it's way too late?

Still, I love the thread, size 40 Lizbeth, color #157, Raspberry Frappe. Maybe I'll get it right next time!

Tools, Totes, and Tatting

2012-01-10T20:45:00.001-06:00

My new shuttle with matching crochet hook from Emsyjane arrived yesterday! I had written asking about a hook and shuttle combo a while back, and I was thrilled when Emma listed it in her shop. I did leave it there for at least a week. When no one else pounced, I knew the set was meant to be mine!

Denise and I were finally able to get together to exchange Christmas presents on Monday. Yes, Denise and I have new Origami pouches with matching shuttles. Denise's bag is the opposite of mine, with the holly on the outside and the poinsettias on the inside.

I love these little bags!

I started another edging tonight, this time in Lizbeth olive green #678. This one is size 20, so it's quite a bit larger. I do like this pattern!

I'm still working on my rib warmer. I'm about halfway finished with the first side. I did find my old rib warmer. It looks much smaller! I think I must have used sport weight yarn. I'm using worsted weight this time around. I may have been a bit ambitious thinking I could finish it by this weekend, but I'm still gonna try!

Perfect!

2012-01-10T05:46:00.000-06:00

I finished my edging last night, and it is the perfect length!

My plan is to lay the tatting on top of the fabric. I know that the edging blends in with the fabric, but that's the look I want for this piece. I want a detail that isn't obvious. I want my friends to look at my purse and admire it, and then suddenly discover that there is tatting.

I have enough fabric to make another purse, and I think I'll make that one with a solid color so that the tatting is a bit more obvious.

All in all, I'm very pleased with what I've done so far. Now, where did I put those zippers?

Change of pace

2012-01-08T20:09:00.000-06:00

It seems that winter could finally arrive this week, and I need to be prepared! This morning I decided to start Elizabeth Zimmerman's rib warmer from Knitting Workshop. I made one for myself about 20 years ago, but I can't find it anywhere. I may have given it to one of my daughters, or I may have put it someplace really safe. In any case, I felt the need to have a nice warm wool vest. Luckily, I have a great stash of wool. I'm almost halfway on the first side, so maybe I'll have it finished by next weekend. I hope so!

I'm lovin' it!

2012-01-03T20:51:00.000-06:00

I'll take any little bit of tatting time I can get, especially when the results are as pretty as this!

As expected, school was a lot of fun today! Kids gave me hugs and told me how much they missed school. Remember, I work in an elementary school. Daughter Carol said the high school kids were not nearly as excited to be back!

Busy day!

2012-01-02T19:50:00.000-06:00

Today was catch-up day... laundry, cooking, talking on the phone. : )

I did find time to do a very little bit of tatting. I'm very pleased with the way Yarnplayer's "Knitty Gritty" looks in this edging.

I also did a little cleaning in my sewing room. I worked a little on four origami bags that I intended to give as Christmas presents... maybe next year!

It's back to school tomorrow. It will be a fun day! All of the kids will want to talk about their vacations and what they received for Christmas. I hope I have some energy left for tatting tomorrow night!

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...

2012-01-01T20:37:00.000-06:00

When Dave and I were visiting Mom in L.A. (Lower Alabama), we visited one of my favorite stores, Richtex Fabrics. I love to look for tassels and fabric, tapestry and upholstery fabric to be precise.

Mom found this pretty remnant and shared it with me. I took the smaller piece, and I have enough for two small purses. Looking through my threads, I found that Yarnplayer's "Knitty Gritty" is the perfect match for the fabric.

I love tatting with hand-dyed thread, and I hate to waste any of it. So I decided to test-tat the pattern that I think I want to use as an embellishment. Isn't it pretty?

It's edging No. 509 from Tatting: Second Edition, Designs From Victorian Lace Craft edited by Jules & Kaethe Kliot.

I think I need to shorten the chain between the motifs for my purposes. If I have time to play tomorrow, I may give it a try.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T08:47:00.001-06:00

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is winding down. Our daughters and their families have all returned home safely. We spent a wonderful five days driving down to southern Alabama to visit my mom, arriving home late last night. Yes, we have Christmas decorations to put away, laundry to wash, and housework to finish, but today will be a day of rest.

I have been very neglectful of my tatting and blogging lately. I'm not going to stress out by trying to catch up on reading all that I've missed. Instead, I'll start fresh today!

When I went through the mail this morning, I found a beautiful Christmas card from our daughter Joanne's father-in-law in Slovakia. I'd like to pass on the blessing to all my wonderful friends...

In the daytime, if the sun shines, so shall your expectations come true.
At night when the moon comes out, so shall you receive blessings.
Then, if rain falls, so shall it carry all your problems away from you!

Happy New Year, dear friends!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T07:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I stopped wrapping presents so that I could open my Tatting Forums Christmas exchange package. I was so excited to see that my package was from Patti Duff! My favorite is the tatted lanyard. I think I'm going to be working with my copy of Mini-Tats by Patti Duff in the new year! Thank you, Patti!

I still have packages to wrap, beds to make, kitchen to clean, an afghan to finish, and grocery shopping on my list for today. Joanne and Jan arrive today. Andrea, Jake, Lily, and Ella arrive either late tonight or tomorrow. Alison, Dan, Evan, Aidan, and Carol will all come on Saturday. We will have a houseful!

I don't see any tatting in my future until after the New Year... then I'll be going great guns! I'll be reading blogs when I can, but I probably won't be posting for the next week or ten days, so I'll take this opportunity to wish all my blogging buddies a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

O shuttle tree, o shuttle tree!

2011-12-16T05:30:00.000-06:00

I needed a place to display some of my shuttles, and I didn't feel like washing my tatted snowflakes (they're quite dusty and dull looking, probably from being left on display since I bought the tree a few years ago). So, I now have a shuttle tree!

If I have time before family arrives for Christmas, I'll get those snowflakes washed and back in place. It should be a pretty sight!

Jackie's hanky

2011-12-14T17:42:00.000-06:00

I finished Jackie's hanky about an hour ago, and I love the way it turned out!

The hanky is linen. It was one from a lot of hankies I won on eBay about a year ago. The white is much softer than the color that shows up on my monitor. The thread is size 30 Fincrochet that I purchased at the Lafayette Lacers Lace Day last spring. I think the thread is really soft, so it was perfect for this older linen hanky.

So, Jackie will have something old and blue for her wedding. I love making wedding gifts!

Reconnected!

2011-12-13T18:24:00.000-06:00

Talk about withdrawal! Keeping in touch with my blog buddies has become such a big part of my life, that I think I was suffering far more than I imagined possible with no Internet access from home for nine whole days!

Yes, I have been doing my best to keep up by using my smart phone, but it just isn't the same. I NEED my computer!

One advantage to being disconnected was that I did a lot of reading. I read the entire Hunger Games trilogy in eight days. What a great series! I didn't realize until we went Christmas shopping this past weekend that the series is being made into a movie. I'm usually disappointed with movies after reading books, but I'm sure looking forward to this one!

I received a lovely surprise from madtatter80 this past week. Isn't this a beautiful little case? And inside...

a hand carved Sea Turtle Shuttle! The detail is amazing!

I also finished a beaded bag for a teacher at school, who's getting married New Year's Eve. This isn't Jackie's bag. I forgot to take a picture of hers. This is the one I made for daughter Joanne's wedding in August 2010. Somehow, they each turn out a little differently!

I'm almost finished with Jackie's wedding hanky. I'll take a picture as soon as I've finished.

Today I was really excited to receive my Christmas shuttle from Chris and Erin Hinton at The Shuttle Shop!

Isn't it angelic? Sorry... I just couldn't resist! : )

Feeling out of touch

2011-12-12T06:29:00.001-06:00

I've only had about one hour of Internet access for the past week. I'm doing my best to keep up using my phone, but I'm losing patience! I hope my Internet provider fixes this problem quickly.

In the meantime, I'm reading and tatting as much as I can. I hope to be back online soon!

Christmas Giveaway Winner

2011-12-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

Please forgive my late post. Our Internet service has been out since early Sunday morning, so I'm trying to post from my husband's iPad. I hope this works!

I really wanted to post the winner this morning so that it would be just like Christmas, but better late than never!

Oh, did you want to know the winner's name?

Drum roll, please...

Sharren - Tatting in Greenwood, SC

Congratulations, Sharren! I think I have your address somewhere, but would you mind sending it to me again? Thanks!

A big thank you to all who entered the drawing! I wish I could send a gift to each and every one of you!

Christmas is coming!

2011-12-01T18:44:00.000-06:00

...and that always means presents under the tree!

What is that I see? Tatting goodies? I have to get a closer look...

Wow! An origami pouch, Lizbeth thread, and blinged Starlit shuttles! I guess it must be time for a Christmas giveaway!

Yes, dear friends, this is a Christmas giveaway. Just leave a comment on this post for your chance to win this entire Christmas set. That's right... only one lucky person will receive the whole shebang!

When will the drawing be? I'm thinking about December 6, Saint Nicholas Day. Good luck to all!

Baiduri

2011-11-27T06:06:00.000-06:00

I've done it! I've completed the next snowflake, Baiduri, from Jon Yusoff's wonderful little book, Elegant Tatting Gems. This time I used size 40 Lizbeth, color #143 (Royal Wave), which was a gift from my friend Denise. Don't you just love the blue and white together? It looks so crisp and fresh!

Mid-day at the oasis...

2011-11-26T19:12:00.000-06:00

is so much more fun than Black Friday crowds!

This isn't the greatest picture, but hey... I was holding my phone and taking a picture at the same time! From left to right... yours truly, Marilee, Sue Anna, and Jean.

We met about 10:30 and shared stories, laughter, and tatting goodies until about 3:30. We had a vendor come up and ask us what we were doing. One of her customers thought we were knitting for her! Ha! Ha! The vendor had heard of tatting, but didn't take us up on our offer of a free lesson. We certainly had enough supplies with us!

Michelle, are you sitting down as you're reading this? I was able to teach Marilee how to tat a single shuttle split ring! Me! Can you believe it? Sue Anna jumped right in and taught us both a neat little trick to make the SSSR even more easily. I'll have to play with it to see if I remember what she taught us. Sue Anna is a treasure trove of information!

Jean is a newbie, and she spent quite a bit of time perfecting her flip. We were all thrilled that she made her very first ring while spending time with us! Unfortunately, Jean doesn't have a blog... yet! We'll have to keep working on her to get her to blog. I do think she's addicted to tatting. How could she not be with Marilee as her teacher?

Sue Anna surfed the Internet on her iPhone to check out Etsy and various blogs. She is so much fun to be around! I wonder if she knows I call her Sue Anna the Enabler when I'm at home? She enabled all of us to tat with very generous gifts of Lizbeth and hand-dyed thread. She even gave me some shuttles to bling. I know she's waiting for the Random Number Generator to choose her number!

Marilee shared some of her hand-dyed thread with us. Her colors are beautiful! She also graciously autographed our copies of her new book, Tatted Jewelry.

Here's Jean working on closing her very first ring!

I'm probably leaving something out, but we did have a wonderful day together! Ladies, thank you for driving so far so that we could spend some tatting time together!

A perfect match!

2011-11-26T06:04:00.000-06:00

Did you see the pretty pendants that Jane's been making? I'm the lucky recipient of one of them! I wore it to school the other day with my new sweater, and oh... the compliments I received! Not on the sweater, mind you... on the pendant! I was very pleased to tell all of my admirers that my friend Jane made it for me. The kids were especially impressed by it, and I was asked questions about lace, England, and William Shakespeare... gotta love those teachable moments!

Thank you, Jane!

Success!

2011-11-17T18:56:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure when I'll use a single shuttle split ring, but now I know I can! After our online Tat 'n Chat on Saturday, I was determined to master this technique. Despite my best efforts, I just could not make another ring.

Last night, I went to YouTube and found Karen Cabrera's video. Suddenly, everything clicked! Thank you, Karen!

Almas

2011-11-16T20:56:00.001-06:00

I love this snowflake! It's Almas from Elegant Tatting Gems by Jon Yusoff in size 40 Lizbeth, color #163.

Don't look too closely, please. There are three, yes I said three, places where I forgot to join to a picot! I went back and sewed the "mistakes" together... after all, that's how tatters used to join pieces... and I think I did a fairly good job. However, I don't think I'll give this snowflake to a tatter. I'll give it to someone who doesn't know what she's looking at! : )

Tat 'n Chat

2011-11-12T12:13:00.003-06:00

Somehow I lost the picture... must be that I'm a computer pro! ; )

This morning Michelle, Cindy, Dena, Teresa and I connected on ooVoo for some tatting and chatting. What fun! I learned how to make a single shuttle split ring!

Notice I said "a" single shuttle split ring... the top ring is a regular old ring. The second ring has a decorative loop. The third ring is only half a ring... somehow I lost the rest of it. The fourth ring is true single shuttle split ring... yea! With great confidence, I tatted a fifth single shuttle split ring. However, after I took the photo, I noticed that just like the second ring, it sports a decorative loop. I guess I need more practice!

It was a lot of fun! Thanks ladies! I really enjoyed spending time with you and learning a new technique. Now, if I could only find that picture...

There it is! Proof that we got together!

First snow

2011-11-11T21:32:00.000-06:00

As I was leaving school yesterday afternoon, thick, wet clusters of snowflakes the size of quarters were falling. Our first snow only lasted for about 15 minutes, but it was enough coat the ground. I'm glad I took this picture this morning, because the snow was gone by mid-morning.

Keeping with the snow theme, I decided to work on Adan from Elegant Tatting Gems by Jon Yusoff. I was fortunate to be a test-tatter for Jon's book, and I think I've made this pattern three times now. I think I like it because it's so close to my grandson's name, Aidan. : )

I really like this color, #130, size 20 Lizbeth, but I think I'll tat my next snowflake in a different color... no sense in letting the other threads I have just lie there!

Good news!

2011-11-10T06:37:00.000-06:00

Two Starlit shuttles hold one skein of HDT! Yippee!

Can you guess what I'm tatting? It's been a while, but I just gave four of them away, so I really need to tat some more. Yup... my favorite pattern... Mary Konior's Spinning Wheel glass mat!

This is size 20 HDT, but I lost the tag... again! I think this is one of LadyShuttleMaker's threads. I'm proud/ashamed to say that I have so much thread, that without a tag, I am clueless!

While I'm very pleased with the amount of thread these shuttles hold, I am not a fan of the pic, but then I'm not really a fan of any shuttle with a pic. I tend to separate the threads when I'm joining to picots, and I find a crochet hook much easier to use. The pic is similar in size to the old Boye shuttles. It does not come to a sharp point like the Clover or Sew Mate shuttles. The plastic is closer in feel to the Sew Mates. If Handy Hands comes out with the same shuttles without pics, I'm afraid I will be forced to buy every color! : )

I really, really, really like the thread holder! I had forgotten that it came with a ball of size 20 thread, which is inside the holder. There's no choice in color, but who cares? It's a bonus in my mind!

All in all, I'm very happy with my new purchases. Now all I need is a little more time to tat!

Drum roll, please...

2011-11-09T20:13:00.000-06:00

The winner of the November shuttle is Teresa! Congratulations, Teresa! Please let me know which shuttle you would like to have, and I'll mail it off to you ASAP.

It's pretty amazing that you share a birthday with my Dad. I'm sure he's looking down from heaven and chuckling over our love of all things tatting. Happy birthday to you!

By the way... is that red wine? ; )

What did you do this morning?

2011-11-09T06:53:00.000-06:00

I opened my package that arrived from Handy Hands yesterday. I was too tired when we got home last night, so I decided to wait until this morning so that I could fully enjoy opening my package of goodies!

Yes, ladies and gents, I ordered the new Lizbeth Thread Holder (with a free ball of Lizbeth thread) and Starlit Tatting Shuttle! Let me tell you, the thread holder is fabulous! I love the way the ball of thread spins around on the pin. The thread comes out of a hole on the side... very smoothly, I might add!

The shuttle package even has a free butterfly pattern on the back! What's a girl to do? I just had to tat a butterfly this morning!

As you can see, the Starlit shuttle is much larger than my Once Nekkid Shuttle from Karrieann.

It's also larger than my Sew Mate shuttle from Lacis.

And, it's smaller than my Tatsy. I think this could be the perfect size shuttle to wind on my beloved HDTs for Spinning Wheel glass mats! I'll try tonight and let you know.

Yes, I did indeed tat the butterfly from the shuttle package this morning. What a great way to start the day!

I think I NEED all the colors... don't you? : )

P.S. - The drawing for my blinged November shuttle will be tonight. If you're interested in a chance to win make a comment on the November shuttle post.

November shuttle giveaway!

2011-11-06T19:03:00.001-06:00

I got a little carried away with the glitter nail polish, but that's okay. I love the way these shuttles turned out!

I even decorated the backs!

Would you like a chance to win one? Leave a comment on this post for your chance. The drawing will be Wednesday, November 9 in honor of what would have been my dad's 80th birthday.

I don't think Dad understood my obsession with shuttles, but he did make me a beautiful display case that I cherish. I remember him telling me that I had to stop collecting shuttles when my display case was filled. Luckily, my sister Janet gave me another display case for my birthday a couple of years later, and my husband built a display case for me last Christmas. I wonder where my next display case will come from? ; )

Note: If you are interested in seeing my display cases and some of my shuttle collection, type "display case" in the search box for my blog.

Much too busy!

2011-11-04T06:34:00.000-05:00

I've had very little time for tatting, but I did manage to complete this bookmark last night. The pattern is "Simple Bookmark" by Dianna Stevens. I used size 20 Lizbeth, color #130. This will be a gift for my friend Nancy, who is in awe of my tatting, and makes me feel like a superstar whenever I finish something!

Look what arrived today!

2011-11-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to have Marilee's new book! I'm taking it along the next time we get together. Maybe I can get her to autograph it for me! (I feel like such a tatting groupie!)

Adiratna

2011-11-01T06:54:00.000-05:00

I suddenly have the urge to tat snowflakes! I think I'm going to try and work my way through Jon's wonderful book, Elegant Tatting Gems. I've already tatted over half the patterns, but I don't believe it's possible to have too many beautiful snowflakes!

This is the first pattern in the book, Adiratna. I used size 20 Lizbeth, color #130. I know it's not a traditional snowflake color, but white seemed so boring! : )

Spooky shuttle winner!

2011-10-31T20:51:00.000-05:00

For some reason I can't get the Random Number Generator to show up in Blogger, so you'll just have to trust me.

The winner is...

#9 - Lenhen

Congratulations! Please send me your mailing info (DianeCademartori at gmail dot com), and I'll get your shuttle off to you as soon as possible.

Thanks for joining in the fun, everyone! Happy Halloween!

A spooky giveaway...

2011-10-30T17:26:00.000-05:00

I haven't decided which shuttle I can part with, but one of these spooky little cuties will go to a lucky commenter. The drawing will be on Halloween.

Leave your comment on this post for a chance to win!

A gift in the mail

2011-10-24T19:48:00.000-05:00

I won a drawing on Jon's blog, and my prize arrived today! Isn't that a lovely shade of green? I'm really looking forward to getting started with all these wonderful goodies. Thank you, Jon!

I haven't had much time for blogging or tatting for the past week. My youngest daughter's father-in-law is visiting from Slovakia, and Joanne and Jan are driving down from Minnesota with Jan Sr. for a visit this Thursday. Dave and I have been busy getting the house in order. That has involved finishing window frames in the bedrooms upstairs, cleaning up the mess, and getting the rest of the house clean. Believe it or not, I even worked on my sewing room! I still have quite a way to go, but at least I can move around and work in there.

I am making slow but steady progress on my Yes-U-Can doily. I had wanted to finish it last weekend, but I guess I'll have to shoot for the upcoming weekend. : )

Tatted Jewelry by Marilee Rockley

2011-10-22T05:24:00.000-05:00

I received my notice this morning that Marilee Rockley's Tatted Jewelry is available to order through Annie's Attic! I've placed my order. Have you? : )

Congratulations, Marilee! My next big thrill will be when they stop listing tatting under "Technique: Crochet."

Plum tuckered out!

2011-10-16T11:39:00.000-05:00

No tatting Friday. No tatting Saturday. Sunday's not looking too good either...

This weekend was the first weekend of the Jaycee's Haunted Trail, and I was drafted as a volunteer. It was lots of fun, but I have no energy left! I never, ever stay up until 11, and that's when the trail ended!

Friday night was chilly and windy. I stood outside, braving the elements (luckily I had dressed in layers), taking tickets from 5:30 - 10:45. I talked with lots of people, and even told a ghost story to two little boys! I don't know if it was adrenaline, chill, or being over-tired, but the last time I looked at the clock, it was 1:45! Did I sleep in? Yup... I didn't get up until 6 a.m.!

Dave and I had lots of errands to run Saturday morning, and I decided to take a nap so that I could help again Saturday night. I slept from noon to 3:30... longest nap I've ever taken when I wasn't sick!

Saturday night was a little easier on these over-tired bones... I got to ride a hay wagon as a supervisor for most of the evening. Dave jumped out of bushes and scared people until his voice gave out. Guess who he scared the most? ; )

We were home by 11:30, and I did manage to sleep in until 6:45. I've been playing catch-up this morning... laundry, mail, housework... doesn't look like there'll be much chance for tatting today!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 12

2011-10-14T05:42:00.000-05:00

I only managed two more pattern repeats. I think I must be part bear, because I feel like I'm going into hibernation mode... always hungry, always sleepy!

After experimenting with different stitch counts, I think I like the instructions I have written. If you try my version, please let me know what changes you'd make. My version of the pattern can be found at the top of this page. This challenge has been a lot of fun!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 11

2011-10-13T06:13:00.002-05:00

I haven't made much progress, only two pattern repeats. I've been so sleepy this week that I find it difficult to keep my eyes open once I sit down in my chair!

If you take a really close look, you'll see that this last round does not have consistent stitch counts in each pattern repeat. I decided to make minor stitch adjustments to see what I like best. So, there are no mistakes in this round... it's a sampler round to see what I like best! ; )

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 10

2011-10-11T06:36:00.000-05:00

I didn't get much tatting done yesterday, only two more pattern repeats...

but I did finish cutting squares for a new quilt!

Just for you!

2011-10-10T10:20:00.001-05:00

Dear Tatting Friends,

Some of you have asked for my directions for the Yes-U-Can Doily. If you follow the link at the top of the page, you'll find my interpretation of the doily.

I'm not a designer, and my pattern writing skills leave a lot to be desired, so please be patient! If you do find any glaring mistakes, please let me know so that I can correct my copy of the pattern.

Enjoy!

Diane

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 9

2011-10-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

I think I have the final round figured out! It took me three tries, and I may find that my stitch counts don't work, but it looks pretty good right now!

Yes, I have been writing down the pattern as I go. I don't know how to save it as a PDF. If you're interested, send me an email, and I'll be happy to share what I have written down. Please keep in mind that while I read patterns regularly, I've found that writing patterns is a royal pain in the neck! I make no guarantees that you'll be able to follow my notes!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 8

2011-10-07T21:01:00.001-05:00

The floral motif round is completed! Now for the real challenge... the final round!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 7

2011-10-07T05:22:00.000-05:00

Whoa! Did I click on something yesterday? Were there Blogger changes overnight? Has something been going on when I wasn't paying attention? The page for new posts looks totally different! Something new to get used to, I guess! : )

I can't believe I only have three motifs to go before the final round! With any luck, I'll get them finished tonight. Then I'll really have to put my thinking cap on!

Martha's new book arrived in the mail yesterday. There are some glorious designs and tons of new techniques for me to learn. I'm thinking of digging into my hand-dyed thread stash for these beautiful designs!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 6

2011-10-06T06:04:00.000-05:00

Three more flower motifs completed! The more I work on this doily, the more I love it!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 5

2011-10-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

Two more flower motifs! That means this round is 1/4 finished!

Slowly, slowly, slowly... it's coming together!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 4

2011-10-04T05:40:00.000-05:00

It really didn't take me long to figure out the little flower motif for the next round. Still, I didn't get much tatting done last night... too many phone calls! ; )

Remember Corinne's game?

2011-10-02T20:53:00.002-05:00

I finished the second round a few minutes ago!

It's been a busy day... starting with a 5K walk, part of our town's Oktoberfest. I met my goal... finished in less than an hour this year. Now I'm pooped, so I think I'll head off to bed early.

I'm sure I'll be tatting some more tomorrow!

Note: Thank you to Jeff, who let me know that the original source for this pattern is the wonderfully talented Nancy Tracy!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 3

2011-10-02T12:38:00.000-05:00

I managed to get the chains I wanted, but the result was a rather ripply piece! I pinned and steamed, but there's still a little bit of ripple. The good news is, I have the correct number of rings!

Sometimes it pays to be last!

2011-09-30T16:57:00.000-05:00

Congratulations, Icela! You are the winner of one of my Mary Engelbreit blinged shuttles!

Please send me your mailing info, and I'll get it off to you by Monday. (DianeCademartori at gmail dot com)

Thanks for joining in the fun everyone!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 2

2011-09-30T06:19:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to blog today, because I didn't feel like I made any progress. However, I truly believe there is so much to learn from our mistakes, and I made several last night!

At first, I attempted to tat this next round with bare thread between the rings. I'm not a fan of bare threads in tatting. To me, the tatting looks weak. I tried three different lengths of thread between the rings, and two different stitch counts on the larger ring. I didn't like any of them, so... snip! Snip!

What you see is my last attempt before heading off to bed. I like the look, but I can see that this round isn't going to ease into the curve. It's too straight. After looking at the picture more closely, I think I need to add one more picot and two double stitches to each larger ring. I think the solution to creating better ease might be to add stitches to the chains between the four segments and use longer joining picots between the outer rings.

If you have any ideas that you care to share with me, I'll be glad to try them out... that is, if you can understand my ramblings! I probably won't have a chance to try out my ideas today, but I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge - Tatting Progress Day 1

2011-09-29T05:59:00.000-05:00

Not too bad for my first evening of tatting!

For those of you who might be interested in joining the fun, the Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge is going on at InTatters. There is no pattern, just a picture on a tin. The challenge is to tat your version with no time limits!

I'm using size 40 Lizbeth, color #663. My schedule looks pretty busy for the next three days, so I'm sure many of you will be able to surpass my efforts. I'm really looking forward to seeing how everyone interprets this doily!

Yes-U-Can Doily Challenge

2011-09-28T06:24:00.001-05:00

A few years ago, Kersti found a tin with a picture of a tatted doily on the lid. The center of the lid says, "Yes-U-Can." She created a challenge on eTatters to tat the doily. The challenge has been resurrected, and I decided to join in the fun!

I've chosen size 40 Lizbeth, color #663. Will I stay the course? Can I figure out how to tat the doily? Will I become distracted and put it aside? Time will tell!

Care to join the fun? Go on over to InTatters, and you can find a picture of the tin to print out. Just think... I have another excuse to avoid housework! ; )

Update: For those of you who would like the link, here it is: http://www.intatters.com/showthread.php?6205-The-YES-U-CAN-Doily-Challenge&p=62053#post62053

Please note, there is no pattern, just a picture!

Back-to-school shuttles

2011-09-27T06:29:00.001-05:00

Nothing says back-to-school like primary colors! For me, the queen of primary colors is Mary Engelbreit. So, for my September shuttles, I chose Mary Engelbreit fabric.

I love her saying, "Life is just a chair of bowlies." A bit discombobulated, but perfect for the way my school year has started! There are so many changes at school this year, and I had become very comfortable with my teaching routine. Luckily, I'm finding that I'm up to the new challenges!

Oh... I guess you're wondering about the shuttles...

As I've done before, one is for a drawing here on my blog, one is for Denise, and one is for me. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and tell me which of the three shuttles you like best... green, yellow, or orange. Since I've taken so long to decorate the shuttles, I'll have the drawing the last day of September... 30 days hath September, April, June, and November...

Look what came in the mail yesterday!

I've been interested in this book for a long time, so I was thrilled to find that Heidi had it re-printed! As I was flipping through, I was excited to discover that I own some of the shuttles shown in the book.

I don't think blinged Clover shuttles will ever be book material, but they sure are fun!

P.S. - After proofreading this post, I realize that it doesn't flow... very poor writing style. Sigh! I hope my discombobulation disappears quickly!

Done and done!

2011-09-26T20:17:00.001-05:00

I finished binding my quilt Thursday morning before school... 7:05 to be exact... and I left the house at 7:10!

On Saturday I made matching pillowcases. It took me all day to make four pillowcases... too much time on the phone with friends and family, plus laundry. Somehow, the house cleaning never got done. : )

On Sunday afternoon I washed all the sheets and re-made the bed with my beautiful new quilt. Luckily, it was nice and cool last night!

Then tonight, best of all, I finished my blue doily! I am thrilled with it! This is Project #1 from Tatted Fashion by Teiko Fujito. The finished size is 12" in size 50 Altin Basak, color #363. It's 12" in diameter. I think this is the largest piece I've ever tatted! I don't think I ever would have attempted this piece without inspiration from Barbara Payne. Thank you, Barbara!

Now, I think I'll take a little time to catch up on all the blog posts I've been missing!

Tatting and singing in Illinois

2011-09-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

Although we couldn't be at Palmetto Tat Days, Denise and I did get together from 5 - 5:30 central time to join in the fun. What fun you ask? Setting a record for the most tatters tatting the same pattern at the same time! Guinness Book of World Records... here we come! ... and yes, we did sing the song!

I love my dining room table!

2011-09-19T06:24:00.000-05:00

It belonged to my mom and dad.

It's great for family gatherings!

And when there just isn't enough space in my sewing room...

it makes a great work table!

While Dave worked on the replacing siding all weekend (yes, even in the rain), I worked on the binding for my quilt. The machine stitching went fairly quickly, but the hand sewn part is taking forever! I've stitched about 2/3 of the seam binding, so I know my quilt will be ready for the big cold snap when it arrives.

Yes, I did spend some time tatting!

I'm about half way around the next to the last row. My goal is to finish the quilt and the doily this week. Wish me luck!

Hangin' off the edge!

2011-09-16T05:51:00.000-05:00

My blue doily has grown to the point where it hangs off the edge of my computer! This round was the most difficult for me for one reason only... each of those little flower motifs cupped terribly. Thank goodness for Best Press and a little shot of steam! If I had noticed the cupping while I was tatting, I think I would have increased the stitch count from 3 to 5 on the short chain either side of the flower.

Still, I can't complain. All worked out well, and the good news is... I only have two rounds left! Time to wind the shuttles!

Quilted!

2011-09-15T06:16:00.000-05:00

My friend Carol finished quilting my quilt! I'm so excited! I was told it would take two to three weeks, and Carol finished it in eight days. Now, that's what I call service!

I picked it up last week, and I've had a tough time deciding which fabric to use for the binding... the blue paisley backing, the subtle yellow, or the pink and green swirled design.

So, every night I have unfolded and fondled my beautiful quilt trying to decide which fabric to use. Finally, I asked Dave for his opinion, and he chose...

my favorite fabric in the quilt! I made my binding last night. Now I have to make some space in my sewing room so that I can attach it. I've made many things over the years, but this is the first quilt I've made for me! I can hardly wait to see it finished. I promise I'll share pictures!

Out of sync

2011-09-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

Apparently I shouldn't try to blog, fix rotated pictures, talk to my daughter, and cook dinner at the same time! I was just re-reading my earlier blog post, and I realized that three of my pictures were missing. I must have neglected to click on something...

A few weeks back, I won a drawing from Clyde the Mad Tatter. Clyde and I share a love of HDT (hand-dyed thread). I have long admired his tatting, and I was thrilled to win this beautiful doily!

I've been showing it off to my friends, Clyde. They're all impressed with your beautiful tatting! Thank you so much! This is a doily I will cherish forever!

Lelia and I met at the Downers Grove Lace Day. She is so sweet, and she takes on so much to promote all sorts of fiber arts! She even took the time to tat this beautiful little heart for me. Thank you, Lelia! Your friendship and thoughtfulness mean so much to me. I hope to see you in Peotone on Sunday!

Another tatter I greatly admire is Frivole. Have you watched her videos? Her movements are so smooth and fast, and everything she tats is beautiful! Recently Frivole posted pics of some adorable pin cushions she made. I was so surprised when I opened the mail last week and found this little beauty, along with a bit of Frivole's beautiful tatting and a lovely bee charm. Thank you, Frivole! Your thoughtful gift made my day!

Now I ask you... am I the luckiest girl around, or what? I think I'll take some time to tat tonight. : )

To blog, or not to blog...

2011-09-12T17:10:00.000-05:00

That is the question! If I take time to blog, I have less time to tat. If I don't take time to blog, I lose touch with all my blog buddies. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I'll soon be ready for retirement. Don't get me wrong... I LOVE my job! However, there are days when I just want to stay home and tat, knit, crochet, sew, quilt, read... my list goes on and on!

Since I haven't been blogging much, I have accomplished a lot! Just look...

I finished a Lily-sized shrug (girls 7/8)...

and I started an Eva-sized shrug (girls 9/10).

I made a little progress with Corinne's doily, which I really like...

and I finished a little over half of the next round on my blue doily. Some day I'll figure out why some of my pictures rotated, and I'll find out how to fix the problem! : )

I also received some wonderful surprises in the mail!

JennyPennyPoppy sent me a blue Kanzashi flower. I love it, and some day I will make one... or two... or three... Thank you, Jeanette!

I received a lovely thank you note from Jane along with this beautiful cross. Believe it or not, I was just thinking of purchasing a frame at Hobby Lobby specifically for framing a cross! I think the frame I had my eye on will be perfect for this beautiful piece. Thank you so much, Jane!

Oops! Here's another picture that won't rotate... grrr! Kelly sent me a beautifully tatted piece in my favorite color... blue! She also sent me a piece of fabric so that I can decorate a shuttle. I was totally surprised! Thank you, Kelly!

I guess I really have accomplished a lot in the past week... so, again... to blog, or not to blog? What do you think?

WIP no longer!

2011-09-06T05:52:00.000-05:00

As you may have guessed from my blog name, I love lace! So, when I saw this design, I just knew I had to make it. What is it?

An adorable little shrug from Berniolies Designs! This is the lady who designed the shrug that I made for daughter Joanne's wedding last year. This one is Ella-sized (3T). Ella is really into Minnie Mouse (in pink) right now. Her sister loves blue, and her cousin loves pink. Guess what I'll be working on next? : )

Corinne's game

2011-09-05T07:38:00.000-05:00

Corinne posted a challenge or game the other day. Tat this motif in colors of your choice and post the picture. Last night, I decided to play the game while Dave and I watched a movie. I used size 20 Lizbeth, colors #628 and #684. It was a very easy piece to tat, and I really like the color combination I chose. Thanks for the bit of fun, Corinne!

For me, one of the joys of tatting is using beautiful shuttles. My all-time favorites are my wood post shuttles, but I do enjoy working with these little beauties from La Cossette. She has a mocha paisley shuttle in her shop that I adore, but I've gone a little crazy with my spending this summer, and it's time to stop spending and start using what I have! Sometimes being a tatting shuttle addict can be so burdensome. ; )

At last!

2011-09-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

I've finally found some time to tat!

The beginning of this school year has been unusually busy. My schedule changed three or four times, and I've had to adjust my yearly library/computer goals because of the number of times classes will meet. Just about the time I thought I had everything straight in my mind (and my plan book), our building principal would apologetically tell me that she needed to make another change. It looks like everything's on track now, so hopefully I'll be able to develop a routine that allows more tatting time!

I picked up my shuttles and my blue doily yesterday, and I was able to complete another round today... only three more to go!

I'm really enjoying having a large project to work on. There's something very relaxing about finishing a section of each round in between other activities. However, I am feeling a very strong urge to tat snowflakes!

I'm going to try and be good and finish this doily before starting another project. Or maybe I should finish one of the three hankies I'm working on, or the beaded bag, or the star afghan, or... oh, dear! It looks like I've bitten off more than I can chew again! : )

For Doug

2011-08-28T07:55:00.000-05:00

Our friend Doug's father passed away a few weeks ago, and I've been trying to tat a cross bookmark for him. I think I have started and given up on seven crosses in the past three weeks, but I finally finished one! Even this one was started three times. I guess I'm a little distracted with the beginning of school. I was very relaxed as I worked on each cross... so relaxed that I left out important picots, or joined in too many places!

I just kind of finger-pressed it in place. I can see that I'll probably need a little Best Press so that the bottom arm doesn't bulge just below the center motif. I really do like using Best Press!

The picture already says it all, but I think I'll be a bit redundant today. The pattern is from the Motif section of Cathy Bryant's Tatting. I used size 40 Lizbeth, color #117. I used one of my wonderful shuttles from Dave at Grizzly Mountain Arts.

Do you see the corner of a magazine at the top left of the picture? It's the Autumn 2011 issue of Crazy Quilt Gatherings from Pat Winter. I love ordering this magazine! Pat gives a heads up when the new issue is available, and your copy of each issue is printed and mailed after you pay for it. It's also available as a PDF if you're not interested in a hard copy. No subscriptions are necessary. You just order the issues you're interested in. Of course, I've ordered all three so far. : )

This issue was especially interesting to me, because my friend Lelia from Stitches of Life II wrote an article on Kanzashi flowers! Maybe I'll do some retail therapy this afternoon so that I can try making some of these adorable fabric flowers!

Oh, dear!

2011-08-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

I didn't realize that it's been so long since I've posted! I've been busy getting ready for school (we started Monday), and I had a few quilting odds and ends to finish up. My tatting has been sporadic, and not at all productive. I've started several cross bookmarks, and I've abandoned every single one. I guess I have too much school stuff on my mind. I just can't seem to follow a pattern correctly!

I don't see much tatting time in the next couple of weeks, but I will be back!

Diamonds

2011-08-16T16:04:00.001-05:00

The next design I explored in Tatting Techniques by Elgiva Nicholls is "Diamonds." It's a pretty simple design, but I was surprised by a couple of things.

First, the author states, "The fourth ring joins to the first picot of the first ring. This join is a difficult one as it is an awkward position. It occurs in many medallions." That's it. Period. She gives no suggestions on how to make that last join! I can see where that would stop many beginning tatters from going any further.

The next thing that surprised me was the join between motifs. See how there are 5 picots on the outer edge of the ring? The directions call for joining the 2nd and 4th picots in that cluster. It made no sense to me. The center picot was just left dangling, and if anything, it looked like I had forgotten to join it. So I backed up and joined all three of those picots. It makes a nice firm join, which I imagine would be helpful if it's being used as an insertion.

Still not satisfied with the join, I decided to leave out the center picot, as you can see on the right hand ring.

I thought it might look a little different, and it might have if my picots were longer. I don't think there's a significant difference in the look. However, there is a difference in the feel. If I decide to make more of the insertion, I think I'll stick with joining the 3 picots because of the nice solid feel.

On another note, the cream color is size 20 Lizbeth. The blue is size 50 Oren Bayen. I think there's a significant size difference, so I'll make sure I don't combine these two threads in a single piece.

Hmmm... seeing these together makes me wonder how this motif would look as a coaster or table mat. That's an idea for another day!

Sue Anna the Enabler

2011-08-15T14:24:00.002-05:00

When Sue Anna and I drove to Cincinnati to visit Jane, we had a lot of time to talk, and we did! We talked tatting, school, blogging, family, religion, politics, and bobbin lace. You would think we had known each other all our lives!

Sue Anna and I met in person for the first time at the Downers Grove Lace Day in June, and the focus was bobbin lace. Sue Anna had wanted to take the bobbin lace class, but it was filled. Lucky Sue Anna owns the video Successful Bobbin Lacemaking for All Occasions with Christine Springett, which is the accompanying video for the book Lace for Children of All Ages. Sue Anna told me how good the video was, and she offered to lend it to me.

Anyway, the video arrived last week, and I finally had time to watch it on Saturday. Sue Anna was right... it's wonderful! I finally learned the correct way to fill my bobbins... so much easier than what I was doing, and the hitch actually held! I watched it from start to finish. I found Christine Springett's voice very soothing. I love English accents!

Sue Anna also included samples of Gold Rush embroidery thread... luscious! Blue, two shades of green, pink, white, yellow... all sparkly colors! She also included some silver beads for eyes. Yes, she's an enabler!

I learned a lot from doing this snake. First, it is easier to undo bobbin lace than it is to undo tatting. You see, when I got down past that third bend in the body, I discovered that I had missed a pin further up. Sigh... time to undo more than half of what I had accomplished. When I reached the part where the pin was missing, I discovered that I had missed another pin further up... more to be undone! Okay, I reached that missing pin, only to discover that there was another missing pin above the eyes! So, I learned that I can also undo bobbin lace with beads woven in! In addition, I learned the importance of tensioning at the end of each row. The second time through, my snake had far fewer lumps and bumps!

He doesn't show up very well, but I am very pleased with my snake. I'm sure the kids at school will get a kick out of him. In fact, I think I'll have to make another!

Thanks for enabling me, Sue Anna!

Note to self... learn how to use your camera!

Daisy Chains

2011-08-14T15:28:00.001-05:00

I decided to keep reading and take another lesson from Elgiva Nicholls. This time, the lesson was Daisy Chains. Now Daisy Chains look fairly simple, but this little pattern did present a few challenges for me. First, I decided to eyeball the size of the picots... pretty uneven. I used a picot gauge on the last daisy, and I was much happier with it. So, I think I'll stick to using picot gauges. I knew there was a reason I started using them!

Do you see the mistake between the first and second daisy? Apparently I'm still having trouble following directions. I joined the second daisy to the wrong picot. Oops!

I decided to take my Daisy Chain lesson a little further. The bottom row is the Daisy Chain from the first picture. The top row shows my continued lesson. I used my picot gauge for all of these daisies, but I also decided to use the width of my shuttle as a measure for the thread length of the "chains" between daisies... much more even. I used a smaller picot gauge for the first four daisies. They seemed too mushed together (notice my used of advanced tatting vocabulary). I then switched to the larger picot gauge pictured. I think the daisies look much better, but I think I could have gone with an even larger picot.

Do you see how the daisies look a bit wonky (another technical term) at the beginning of the row? I started out dropping the shuttle through the ring before closing. I've been told that this makes it easier to open the ring, if necessary, and that the ring lies flatter. I must be doing something wrong, because my rings look terrible! The last three daisies were made without dropping the shuttle through the ring. I guess I'll stick with the method that works for me. Do you have success with dropping the shuttle through the ring?

I also experimented with my joins. On the pink Daisy Chain I used all up joins, the method I originally learned. On the cream colored Daisy Chain I used all down joins. I had read somewhere that a down join gave a smoother look to the ring. After experimenting with the two joins again, I've decided that the down join is for me. Which join do you prefer?

A new challenge

2011-08-14T12:05:00.000-05:00

After reading Cindy's posts regarding chains, I decided it was time I learned a little about them myself. I am a voracious reader, but if I want to remember details, I need to go back and read over and over again. Even then, details don't always sink in!

I've read, or maybe I should say I've skimmed, Tatting Techniques by Elgiva Nicholls several times. There are some fascinating pieces in this book, and my favorite is a shuttle shaped design on page 97. I also adore the corner piece on the cover! However, reading/skimming and practicing the techniques presented are two different things, and this morning I decided that maybe I should do a little practicing.

As Glinda the Good Witch states in The Wizard of Oz, "It's always best to start at the beginning." And so I did...

I've never understood why anyone would start their tatting with a chain. However, right there on page 15, I found instructions for starting a chain on a continuous thread. I read; I tried; I conquered! (My apologies to Caesar and Michelle.)

This is very exciting for me! I now understand why there's a need to use a paper clip or striver (so you don't lose your picot at the beginning of the chain, if you want a picot). I also am beginning to see how I can accomplish tatting the beautiful piece on page 97!

I love when I start to understand something!

Just in time!

2011-08-12T14:56:00.000-05:00

Yup! This beautiful bookmark arrived just in time for school! I always like to take special bookmarks to school. The kids get a big kick out of seeing what my bookmark of choice is, and thanks to several of my blogging buddies, I have a nice selection for the upcoming school year! This latest one is from Lily, and I know the kids will be fascinated with the beads. Who can resist a little glitter and glitz?

Thank you, Lily!

Queen size!

2011-08-11T08:32:00.000-05:00

I just finished the quilt top for my queen size bed... literally, just finished... about 15 minutes ago! Daughter Joanne came down to visit again this week, and with her encouragement, I've been putting in time on my quilt top. That's Joanne behind the quilt. Isn't she adorable? ; )

I liked the fabric when I bought it, but now that the top is finished, I LOVE it! Since school is starting very soon (the 22nd), I know I won't have time to quilt it before winter. I'd have to give up tatting, and that just isn't going to happen. So, I'm going to take this to my local quilt shop (40 minutes away is about as local as I can get), and I'm going to have it machine quilted.

I wonder what colors I should use in my next quilt?

Shaded Sun by Bri

2011-08-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

Isn't it pretty? Bri graciously allowed me to test tat her pattern, and I love it! I chose to follow her suggestions and tat the first one with two colors. It really does help me to see how the design flows. I used size 20 Lizbeth, color #621 and 103. It measures 5 3/4" from picot tip to picot tip. The best thing about this pattern... it's a diagram! I find diagrams so much easier to follow than written instructions.

Thanks for the opportunity, Bri!

What color should I try it in next? Maybe blue! ; )

My blue heaven

2011-08-07T12:14:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have guessed that blue is my favorite color. I know Bree figured it out! Look at the box of goodies that came my way. Thank you, Bree!

August shuttle winner

2011-08-07T06:37:00.000-05:00

Blogger won't let me add the image, so you'll just have to trust me... again!

The August shuttle winner is... drum roll, please...

Carol Lawecki

Congratulations, Carol! Please send me your mailing info, and I'll get your shuttle off to you ASAP.

Thank you to everyone who entered. It's really a boost to my ego to see so many people interested in my little shuttle escapades!

August shuttle giveaway!

2011-08-03T08:37:00.001-05:00

This little cutie is decorated with fabric left over from my Dorset bag/origami pouch. I don't have any pink shuttles left, so I used green. I think the green, chocolate brown, and cream look really spiffy together!

Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win. I'll be drawing the winner's name this weekend. Good luck!

Can it be?

2011-07-31T18:09:00.001-05:00

Yes. Sadly, I am out of pink shuttles. I can't find a single undecorated pink shuttle in my house. So, I had to settle for purple...

...to make my new shuttle and bag sets!

What do you think? Is it overkill?

I had so much fun making bags with matching shuttles for Jane and Sue Anna, that I went back to Hobby Lobby for more pink and brown fabric. Wouldn't you know... the fabric I used before wasn't there, but I did find these two fabrics, and I'm very pleased with the results. I even figured out some improvements for making the bags, like measuring carefully! : )

I ask you, dear readers... can a tatter have too many project bags or too many pretty shuttles?

Christmas in July

2011-07-30T13:03:00.000-05:00

Aileen put together a Christmas in July exchange, and my goodies arrived this week!The guidelines were to send a package worth $5 and include something old, something new, something sparkly, something blue. Of course when I read something blue, I just had to join in the fun. Val sent me these goodies. Oh, boy! Am I ever going to have fun!

Thank you, Val!

Paying the piper his due...

2011-07-29T14:12:00.002-05:00

I've spent this morning cleaning. I figured I had to catch up since I've been having so much fun this summer! What fun, you may ask...

Well, I've finished another round on my doily.

My progress has slowed down. I tatted for too long, and my arm protested mightily! Lesson learned... a little here, a little there, and I can accomplish so much more!

On Tuesday, Sue Anna called me and asked if I wanted to drive to Cincinnati with her to meet Jane. I thought... are you kidding me? Of course! I would love to! was my eager reply.

I wanted to do something special for these two special ladies, so I decided to make some Dorset bags, also known as origami pouches.

Lucky for me, I have some stash!

These fabrics are from a fat quarter pack I found at Hobby Lobby a while back. I'm not normally a pink person, but I do like pink and brown together!

Sue Anna picked me up at 6:00 Thursday morning, and we made it to Cincinnati around 10:30. Unfortunately, we forgot about the time change, so we were an hour later than Jane expected. I think she forgave us! ; )

We spent the afternoon at Panera Bread, enjoying each other's company. Although I only met Sue Anna in person in June, and this was my first time to meet Jane, it was is if we had known each other forever!

Jane showed us some of her beautiful tatting. It's so much prettier than any picture!

Sue Anna and I took lots of pictures and video clips with our iPhones. Jane showed us how she organizes patterns and photos on her iPad. We're such geeks! ...and I mean that in the nicest way!

Do you see that Pop-A-Bobbin shuttle by Sue Anna? She has quite a collection of them. I am sooooo envious! Well, I'm a little less envious now, because Sue Anna gave me one of hers. Lucky me! : )

We did have a lady come up to us and ask us what we were doing. I believe she said her aunt used to tat. We offered to give her a lesson, but she declined. It's very flattering to have someone come up and ask about tatting!

We asked some young ladies in a booth near us to take pictures, which they graciously did!

We had Jane home by 6, and we had the pleasure of meeting the very handsome Nick!

Sue Anna had me home by 9:30, and she was home before midnight. That just goes to show that there's a world full of fun to be had in one little day!

So you see, I really have been having too much fun, and it's time to pay the piper his due. Bedroom and bathroom are done... off to the kitchen!

And another two rounds...

2011-07-24T20:29:00.000-05:00

funny... each round seems to take a little longer! ; )

And then it could be that I've been a little distracted...

putting together 9 patch squares for my quilt.

I wonder how I'll get anything accomplished when school starts four weeks from tomorrow. The summer is really flying by!

Meeting of the minds...

2011-07-22T18:59:00.001-05:00

or at least the like-minded! Sue Anna, Marilee, and I met at an oasis on the Illinois toll road for a fun-filled day of tatting, chatting, and sharing. I think the photos say it all...

A table loaded with tatting supplies,

Marilee designing a new piece,

Sue Anna winding thread for a future project,

threads from Sue Anna and Marilee...

all in all, a wonderful day! Thank you Marilee and Sue Anna!

Two more rounds!

2011-07-21T18:17:00.000-05:00

I really haven't felt motivated to do much with all this heat, but I did manage to complete two more rounds of my doily!

Sporadic Internet and cell phone service are driving me crazy. Can it be due to the heat? I guess time will tell.

More inspiration!

2011-07-19T09:57:00.000-05:00

This time I was inspired by a facebook post by Barbara Payne. She had a lovely coaster, and I asked for the name of the pattern. Believe it or not, I have the book!

It's funny that sometimes patterns seem so difficult to me until I see what someone else has done. Why is that? I guess I have to see that someone other than the designer is able to follow the pattern!

This is the first doily pattern in Tatted Fashion by Teiko Fujito. If I'm counting correctly, I have ten rounds to go, so this one will take me a while to complete. The thread is size 50 Altin Basak, color #363. So far, so good! Thanks for the inspiration, Barbara!

I also had the urge to bling yesterday.

This time I decided to make a personalized shuttle for myself. Can you see the sparkly little "D" in the middle? Of course, I had to add a touch of blue!

Inspired by Ann

2011-07-18T05:48:00.000-05:00

The other day, Ann posted a picture of edging No. 52 from Old-Fashioned Tatting Patterns Book 1, edited by Barbara Foster. I immediately knew that she had tatted from a book that I had merely skimmed. Have I ever mentioned that my collection of tatting books is greater than my tatting? Anyway, I went and searched through my tatting books, and to my dismay... I couldn't find it! So, I shuffled off to bed.

After a little shopping spree yesterday (unfortunately we shopped for mulch, not tatting supplies), I started thinking about that book again. I was sure it had a lavender cover. I looked in the bookcase again... no luck. I went to the Handy Hands site and looked up the book. Yup... that's the book... back to my sewing room for a more careful look. Guess what? It was right where it was supposed to be! Somehow it was pushed back a little, and the edges of other books had covered it up. You'd think a librarian would remember that these things happen!

I had just a little bit of Confetti Sprinkles from LadyShuttleMaker, so I decided to look for a shuttle only pattern.

There it is, that tiny little piece under the word "Tatting". I just thought I'd show you the cover of the book in case you can't remember where you put your copy! ; )

Isn't it cute? I need to work on my bare thread lengths to keep them uniform, but I still like the way it turned out. This is very similar to the edging Ann tatted, which I didn't realize until I looked at the picture on her blog again. I followed the pattern for Tatted Insertion-Edging No. 20, which has slightly smaller rings, and does not show a crocheted header.

Several other patterns caught my eye. Just what I need... more ideas! Thanks for the inspiration, Ann!

Two new shuttles

2011-07-18T00:01:00.002-05:00

I just can't help myself... when I see a new and interesting shuttle, I get the urge to buy it. I think I may have a problem!

These two lovelies arrived recently. Have you seen LadyShuttleMaker's copper shuttles? She also has some beautiful silver shuttles. I now am the proud owner of two of her copper shuttles, as well as one silver. I feel very special tatting with miniature works of art!

The wood shuttle is hand-carved in Chile. I ordered it through a friend at InTatters. The shuttle is incredibly light weight. I liked it so much, I ordered another one in a dark wood. If you're interested in finding out more about the wood shuttles, e-mail me and I'll get you in touch with my friend.

Along with my new copper shuttle, I ordered some size 50 HDT, Confetti Sprinkles. I think it makes a terrific Spinning Wheel glass mat! Believe it or not, I was able to wind the entire skein of HDT on the two shuttles, which are each about the size of a Clover.

Just think... if I ordered a shuttle with every skein or ball of thread, I'd have quite a selection at home. Oh, wait... I do!

Another snowflake from Jon

2011-07-17T19:24:00.003-05:00

I love this design! It's called Adiratna, and it's the first design in Jon's new book, Elegant Tatting Gems. This one's done in LadyShuttleMaker's Confetti Sprinkles, size 50, and it measures 3" across.

I really, really, really like this book!

Lovin' Mary Konior!

2011-07-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

Yup... I had the urge to tat another Spinning Wheel glass mat by Mary Konior! The Lizbeth "Juicy Watermelon" just kept calling my name and urging me to tat with it! What's a girl to do?

I did decide to expand my horizons and tat another design from Mary's fabulous Tatting with Visual Patterns. Call me silly, but I never had the urge to tat the little piece in Lizbeth "Caribbean" because of it's name... "Dress Trim." I didn't have a dress I wanted to trim, so there was no need to tat it!

The other night, I was taking a break from tatting, and I decided to read... yes, I said READ... some of Tatting with Visual Patterns. I was interested in Mary's information on designing with hexagons. Funny, I had never thought of this design as a hexagon until I read the information. Sometimes I can be so dense!

So now my next decision is... do I content myself with one motif and move on to another design? Or, should I tat some more and make a doily or a table scarf? I guess I'll just have to wait and see where inspiration takes me!

13: Ratnasari in green

2011-07-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Here's another test-tat for Jon Yusoff's new book, Elegant Tatting Gems. I love the way the colors flow in this pattern!

Jon may have changed the pattern slightly after seeing our test-tats and reading our comments. I don't mind saying, this is destined to be one of my must-have books!

3. Almas

2011-07-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed tatting this one in blue and white, but I think it shows up much better in red. Imagine how good it will look when I block it properly! ; )

This is one of my test-tats from Jon Yusoff's new book, Elegant Tatting Gems. Jon has asked us test-tatters to let you know that she may have changed the design slightly after seeing our efforts and reading our comments. She did a fabulous job with this book, and each pattern is so beautiful!

13: Ratnasari

2011-07-14T06:22:00.001-05:00

Not traditional snowflake colors, I know, but I love this little beauty from Jon's new book, Elegant Tatting Gems.

Did you read Jon's big news? She's had so many entries to her post about her new book, that she's decided to give away two copies! Be sure you post a comment here for your chance to win a copy.

Please note: this was a test tat, and Jon may have changed the design a little before publishing the final version.

Suztats

2011-07-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite blogs is Suztats. Why, you may ask? The answer is simple... Suz is teaching me about art! I'm fascinated by the artistic process, even though I've never pursued anything other than following directions. Painting eludes me. I don't know if it's a mental block, or what... still, I love learning about what goes into creating a beautiful piece of art.

Last week I received this beautiful card from Suz:

Isn't it gorgeous? I feel extra special, because Suz remembered that blue is my favorite color, and she chose this card especially for me! Thank you, Suz! I think I'm going to frame this little beauty!

Lily wants a star blanket...

2011-07-12T05:53:00.000-05:00

light blue and dark blue, with flowers in the middle. So, as any good grandma would, I went searching for a pattern, and I found this...

Gotta love the Internet and YouTube! Mikey gives very clear directions here, in case you have a little person who wants a star blanket.

Lily says I'm supposed to make a star blanket for Ella in rainbow colors. I wonder what Eva and Aidan would like?

Bud Fragments Bookmark

2011-07-11T00:01:00.003-05:00

Have I ever mentioned that blue is my favorite color? At the Downers Grove lace event, I purchased a few balls of blue thread, including this beautiful Oren Bayan size 50. I had the urge to tat a bookmark, and here's what I came up with.

The two motifs are Mary Konior's "Bud Fragments" from Tatting with Visual Patterns. I decided to be brave and try tatting it all in one piece, and I surprised myself! I tatted the fragment on the left first, tatted my chain, and then started the other motif with a split ring. It was a bit of a challenge for me to tat the pattern in reverse order so that it resembled Mary's design, but I achieved my goal!

Now for my product review... Best Press. Normally, I just steam my smaller pieces, and I'm usually a bit displeased with the end result. For larger pieces, I thoroughly wet and use my blocking board. This time, I tried steaming, and again, I wasn't completely pleased with the result. Then, I sprayed on the Best Press, and positioned all the rings and chains... they stayed exactly where I wanted them! I think I'll be using Best Press regularly. : )

Fun in Minnesota!

2011-07-10T14:41:00.002-05:00

Three Tatters: Michelle, Cindy, Diane

Last week, Dave was on vacation, and we decided to take a quick trip to Minnesota to visit two of our daughters and their families. Before reaching our destination, I was able to take time out the meet two of my blog buddies, Michelle and Cindy. I think our original plan was to meet for a half hour, but we managed to stretch it out the a little over three hours without even trying!

We shared tatting ideas, and special finds. Cindy brought safety pins without coils, which I've been looking for and haven't been able to find. We talked about Best Press, and I found some at a quilt shop in Forest Lake (more on that later). I had my picot gauges with me, and I showed how I use them. We discussed how we could make our own picot gauges and what materials could be used. I'm a bit lazy, so I think I'll just buy my picot gauges! ; )

Gosh, we talked about so much, I can't even remember it all!

Recently, Cindy blogged about making jam...

Cindy shared...

and we enjoyed!

Can you tell?

Michelle brought along her beautiful daughter, who was tatting a choker. Oh, how I wish I had learned when I was that young! Think of how much I could have accomplished over the past 40-some years!

Michelle also brought along, and shared, tatting goodies...

beautifully tatted motifs,

hankies and thread,

all from Aunt Rose-E's collection. Michelle was very generous, and I feel very lucky!

Thank you for a wonderful visit Cindy and Michelle! I feel like I've known the two of you my whole life, and I look forward to getting together with you again!

Patriotic Shuttle Winners!

2011-07-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

You'll have to trust me on this, folks. Blogger is not letting me add pictures. The lucky winners are...

#3 - Jane Eborall

#25 - Karen T

#10 - Sharon D.

If you'll please send your mailing info to me at DianeCademartori at gmail dot com, I'll get these off to you at the beginning of the week.

Thanks for joining in the fun, everyone!

Coming soon...

2011-07-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

...Jon's new snowflake book! Keep your eyes peeled, tatters!

I am honored that I was a test tatter for some of the snowflakes in Jon's new book, and let me tell you... they're wonderful! Those of us who test-tatted have been given the go-ahead to share what we've done, with the note that these are test-tats. Jon may have altered the designs based on our comments and scans.

Sneak peek...

3. Almas

This was the first one I tatted. While I really like it in person, the scan just doesn't do it justice. I think it may be because of the white on white... and the poor job I did of blocking. Scans just seem to pick up every little detail, and I guess I'm not as much of a detail person as I thought. ; )

Trust me... Jon's is much prettier!

Simply fob-ulous!

2011-07-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

I've been having a great time making...

scissors fobs!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T00:01:00.014-05:00

4th of July Bling!

I hope everyone has a safe, happy, and fun-filled 4th of July!

To celebrate, I've blinged some shuttles. Three of these shuttles will be given away on Friday, July 8. Sorry... the other four are spoken for! Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win. Good luck!

A little MK...

2011-07-03T17:04:00.001-05:00

will set me straight every time! I was feeling frustrated with all the mistakes I made with my tatting yesterday, so I decided to spend a little time with my beloved Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. It worked!

This is one of Mary's "Briar Fragments" in size 40 Lizbeth, Col. 126. Just a little dose of Mary, and I'm back on track!

Okay... true confession time...

This is the first Briar Fragment I tatted today. I was getting ready to weave in the ends, when I realized my tatted piece looked different from the picture. I couldn't figure out why, so I poured myself a cup of coffee, and then I looked at it again. Duh! I didn't join the flowers!

After successfully completing the pattern, I decided to work some more with Anika's beautiful hand-dyed thread. I was feeling bad about the motif, because it wouldn't lie flat. I almost gave up. I'm glad I didn't!

A little blocking worked wonders! I'm very pleased with the way it turned out, but I'd still like to know how other tatters manage to have perfect pieces without blocking!

The pattern is No. 1: Motif from The 3rd Tatting Book by Kirstine Nikolajsen and Inge Lise Nikolajsen. If I ever figure out how to tat without blocking, I think I'll make the hat on the cover! ; )

Free style and 3D tatting

2011-07-03T07:38:00.000-05:00

Yup... that's what I'm calling it. No one needs to know...

that I forgot to switch shuttles...

twice!

or that I made my center ring and picots too small.

Yup... free style and 3D tatting... that's what I'm calling it.

Mom and me

2011-07-02T08:28:00.001-05:00

While Mom and Joanne were here, Joanne pulled out all the old photos she could find.

I think these two pictures, Mom (born January 19, 1932),

and me (born June 16, 1952),

show that we are definitely two peas in a pod! Lucky me!