Monday, February 28, 2011

Spring bling!


Are you ready for spring? I am! I have the worst cold I've had in years, and I can hardly wait for warm weather, sunshine, and green grass!

To celebrate the advent of spring (only three more weeks!), I've blinged three shuttles... one for me, one for Denise, and one for someone who leaves a comment on this post! I'm going to change it up a little this time. The winner may choose which shuttle he/she likes, and Denise and I will choose between the other two. The drawing will be this Saturday, March 5. Have I mentioned that my favorite number is 5?

Did you notice the thread coming off the green shuttle? That's a sign of laziness! I wanted to bling this shuttle, and it still had some thread from a previous project. I decided to bling it with the thread in place. The results weren't too bad, but I think I'll take the thread off next time!

In case you're wondering why Denise always gets a shuttle, it's because this monthly celebration was her idea! I make no promises about coming through with a shuttle every month, but so far I've been having tons of fun, and I haven't run out of shuttles... yet!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Test tat two


When I went looking for some HDT for my sister's tatted vine, I found this beautiful green, which I believe is size 40. I don't have a tag on it... again! I think this might be from KrystleDawne, as it was near some other threads that I know are hers. I like the shading of this thread, but I think the size 40 is too small for what my sister wants.

The green and white pattern repeat is just under 3 1/2" x 2". The variegated green is about 2 3/4" x 1 3/4". I'm going to keep on working both pieces. I really like the green and white for myself. Janet originally wanted solid green, but liked the idea of the variegated green, so I'm pretty sure she doesn't what white in it. Although the variegated seems too fine for Janet's purposes, I really like the way it's working up. I'll bet I can find a good use for it!

In the meantime, I've done some more stash searching. I think Yarnplayer's "Fern" is a little too bright, but her "Spring Grass" might be just what I'm looking for! I'm really enjoying test-tatting!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Test tat


It took me three tries, but I finally have one pattern repeat finished of the meandering vine pattern that my sister asked for! I have a difficult time following older patterns, and this one was no exception. However, after I took the time to write the pattern out line by line, I was able to follow it easily... with a Post-It note to guide me, of course! This is such a pretty pattern! It's #8861 from my old Coats book (1944?). Mom gave me the book when I was visiting a few years ago, and I'm very happy to be tatting something for Janet that connects the three of us!

Speaking of connections... after closing second through fourth rings in the four ring cluster, the pattern says to join the ring to the picot of the first ring in the cluster. I didn't do that. I just tatted each ring and closed the cluster by tatting the chain. Does anyone have experience with this? Should I be joining the base of each ring to that picot?

Next up... find the right thread! I love this color, but it has too much white. It may be time to explore my HDT stash again!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Geraldine

Geraldine, my emails to you keep bouncing back. Can you try emailing me at DianeCademartori at gmail dot com? Thanks!

Diane

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Gimme dat bling!


Even though I wasn't feeling up to tatting this past weekend, I did manage to bling some shuttles!

These are all spoken for. However, if you see a shuttle that I have blinged, either here or in another post, I will be happy to make one for you if I have the materials. I love swapping for decorated shuttles, but since I'm running low on them, I'll even swap for undecorated shuttles. I don't sell my shuttles. I only swap. Make me an offer. I just may be able to get you the shuttle of your dreams! ; )

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

I'm back!


Well, I haven't really been gone. I just haven't had anything to blog about! ...until now. Isn't this a pretty little doily? It's pattern #31 from A New Twist on Tatting by Catherine Austin. There are some beautiful pieces in this book, but I find the patterns difficult to follow. I did fine with rounds 1 and 2 of this doily, but I could make no sense of round 3. Finally, I decided to just look at the picture and figure it out. It was really very simple, and I'm pleased with the result. It's 7" across in size 20 Lizbeth, color #651.

I've also been working on a TSTP (top secret tatting project). The two that I've tatted are beautiful, but I'm not free to show them to you yet. Stay tuned!

My hanky is taking forever, probably because I keep getting distracted by other projects! This weekend I spent more time blinging than tatting. I just wasn't up to using any brain power, and it takes far less brain power to decorate shuttles. Pictures later, after they finish drying.

Friday I came home from school and went to bed at 3:45. I got up at 6:20 Saturday morning, and I was back in bed within a half hour. I slept until 12:30! I just felt awful! Needless to say, I was no help with daughter Carol's move. I still have time to help, because we unearthed a lot more stuff that needs to be packed and shipped to her house! Sunday I woke up with a migraine... wiped out until mid-afternoon. Monday... another headache, but not nearly as intense as Sunday. Happy three-day weekend to me! It's not all bad, though. I'd rather feel lousy on a weekend than have to take time off from school.


I did have some fun yesterday. My sister Janet called and asked if I would tat a piece for her 18" long and less than 3" wide. I enjoyed searching for a pattern that would please her. She decided on edging #8861 from an old Coats book, #207. I found the pattern because of some wonderful discussion with some ladies at InTatters. Their suggestions gave me the kick-start I needed. Janet looked at all of the suggested patterns, probably 10 or 12, and chose this one. It's kind of cool, because the booklet is one my mom found and gave to me because of the beautiful tatting!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Another busy week...

Where does the time go? It seems that I've had very little time to do what I want to do, yet as a family we have accomplished a lot this week. I get to have a little time to myself this afternoon. Carol is working on sets for the high school play, and Dave is at her new house painting. The grocery shopping is done, and everything is put away. I do have two loads of laundry to finish up, but I can spend some me time while the machines are running.

Still, I have spent some time in tatting related activities...

First, despite my resolution to use what I have, I just had to purchase one of LadyShuttleMaker's beautiful new hand-painted ceramic shuttles. Isn't it gorgeous? It's my second favorite shuttle from Sherry. My most favorite is my Diane shuttle, which is in cobalt blue with tatting impressed into the ceramic.


I also took some time to finish blinging some more Clover shuttles. These are for Ann, a thank-you for my wonderful tatting press. I was hoping they would arrive by Valentine's Day, and they did. I hope you enjoy them, Ann!


Yes, I have been tatting, but I have nothing completed to show you. These are the pieces I'm working on. The blue is some Lizbeth that I picked up on clearance at Hobby Lobby. The pink/red is HDT from Krystledawne. The blue Aero shuttle is from LaCossette. The other shuttles are ones that I decorated.


I think these are all the shuttles I received this week... a win from eBay, my wonderful ceramic shuttle, and two more beauties from LaCossette.


I guess I've been a little self-indulgent. Oh, well... the bills are all paid, so I guess it's okay. : )

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Thank you, Murray Lincoln!

Murray, The Tatting Whisperer, has been sharing his love of tatting on his new blog. Following his lead, several bloggers have shared their tatting stories. I find everyone's story interesting! I know I've shared mine in the past, but maybe there are a few people who don't know it. So, here goes...

When I was in high school, we lived in Elmhurst, Illinois, a sleepy little town about 20 miles west of Chicago. Elmhurst is not so sleepy any more, but that's another story. My dad worked for Sears at Homan and Arthington in Chicago. It seemed that many of my high school friends were also sons or daughters of Chicago Sears employees. Elmhurst was a very popular place for Sears employees to live because of easy access to the Eisenhower Expressway.

The summer before my junior or senior year in high school, a Sears family moved into our neighborhood. My mom suggested that my sisters and I host a getting-to-know-you party for our new neighbors since the kids were all about our ages. I really don't remember the party, but I do remember getting a lovely thank-you card with a beautiful cross bookmark enclosed. I still have that cross, although the tassel disappeared years ago. My mom told me it was tatted, but she did not know how to tat. Unfortunately, the new family moved very soon after arriving in Elmhurst. I don't think they even started school that fall, or if they did, they were there for a very short time. So, I did not have the opportunity to learn to tat from someone who knew how to tat.

I don't remember where Mom and I went, probably the local five and dime, and I purchased a tatting shuttle, some thread, and a little book. I tried to learn from that book on and off for about 20 years. I might as well have been trying to learn from ancient Latin text!

One day, my friend Denise (Lace Rn) called me up and told me she had discovered a tatting video and had learned to tat in about 20 minutes. Oh, the excitement! Denise lent the video to me, and I also learned to tat in about 20 minutes. However, since Denise and I have such different schedules, we were never really able to get together and give each other inspiration. Denise pursued tatting and joined different exchanges and collected newsletters. I would pick up a shuttle now and then, tat a small motif, and then I'd return to knitting, crocheting, or sewing.

Several years ago, I discovered Sherry Pence's beautiful ceramic tatting shuttles. I was not the first to purchase one, but I was an early customer. I corresponded regularly with Sherry, and she encouraged me to tat and blog. I read Sherry's blog, and eventually discovered The Tatting Goddess. Denise and I attended a lace event in Lafayette, Indiana. We met Gina and Carol, whose tatting fascinated us. We were so pumped up, we also attended a lace event in Downers Grove. That's when I began tatting in earnest.

I started my blog on my birthday, and it's because of the online community that I have continued pursuing this beautiful lace-making technique.

Thanks to my parents, I have a love for both the craft and the tools. My mom seems to be able to create anything she desires. She sews, knits, crochets, weaves, embroiders... the list goes on and on! Dad loved wood-working, and he made some beautiful pieces for all of us. My two favorite pieces are my jewelry box and my tatting display case. Dad told me that I had to stop collecting shuttles when I ran out of space. That didn't happen! Instead, my sister Janet bought me a chest for displaying shuttles, and then Dave built my lighted display case. Last summer, Janet bought a beautiful apothecary jar for displaying my threads. Yes, I have a family filled with enablers!

Thank you, Lily!


I was so excited to get mail this week, because I received a wonderful shuttle exchange package from Lily! Gosh, Lily... how did you know that my favorite color is blue? ; )

I love the beautiful blue beads, the little bag, the earrings, but most of all... the gorgeous shuttle!


I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but there are two little diamond-shaped "gems" at the tip. They look like an open book to me... perfect for a lace-lovin' librarian! Thank you again, Lily! You made my day!

And the winner is...


#30 ~ creativasuculencia

Congratulations! Please send me your mailing info. I hope your shuttle arrives in time for Valentine's Day! You can reach me at DianeCademartori dot gmail dot com.

Thanks for entering, everyone! I can't tell you how pleased I am to receive your compliments on my posts.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Hearts and Flowers


Several months ago, when there was no snow on the ground, Cindy sent me some lovely napkins for decorating shuttles. I loved the way those shuttles turned out, so I decided to finish some more.

I was very pleased with the way these turned out, but something seemed different. Guess what? I forgot to separate the layers of the napkin, so these shuttles have a very different look. All three are decorated with the same piece of napkin, which had beautiful flowers on it. Denise gave me the heart "crystals," giving the name hearts and flowers to these shuttles. I've decided to keep the butterfly for myself. The purple shuttle is for Denise.

Guess who the third shuttle is for? I can't tell you yet, because you have to leave a comment and have your name drawn in order to win it! I'll draw a name sometime between now and Sunday. I want to mail the shuttle off by Monday so that the lucky winner receives it in time for Valentine's Day. Good luck!

A Terrible Beauty

Yes, it's nasty out there, but does it really count as a blizzard? I'm not sure. In the years that we've lived here, I've seen snow storms that dumped more snow at a faster rate, and we've had sustained high winds that prevented me from seeing the shed from my front door. That didn't happen this time. Still, I know we won't be going any where today, and possibly tomorrow.


This is the view from my front door. I think it's going to take a while to move this stuff! I remember the winter of 1983/84. The snow drifts in front of the shed were 15 feet high, so we could only see the peak from our front door. Daughter Alison remembers climbing to the top of the drift and sliding down.


Looking out the back door, things don't seem so bad. The snow is about 6" deep on the ground, and about 3" deep on the porch. Everything looks so serene!


Looking to the left from my front door, we can see some awesome drifts, evidence that the wind was, indeed, blowing. It's snowing some more right now, and the prediction is that it will snow until noon. We'll be okay as long as the wind doesn't kick up. Dave's out taking pictures right now... I think he's having fun!


So, what's a girl to do when she's snowed in? Tat, of course! A while back, Fox sent me some thread samples. Was it Valdani? I have a terrible memory, and I'm too lazy to go back and look. Any way, I wound thread onto one of my tortoise shell Clover shuttles, and my pretty little shuttle from Tatting-Marie. I love the way Mary Konior's "Star" motif turned out! The finished size is 2 1/2".


I think I may be on the verge of a "Star" binge! The pattern can be found in Tatting Patterns by Mary Konior. I hope you're lucky enough to own a copy of this book. I think it's fantastic!