Calling all tatters!

Well, all tatters who live in or can drive to the Chicago area and would like to join us for our next Tollway Tatters meeting. We'll be meeting on Monday, February 18. If you'd like to join us, email me and I'll give you the details.

Today was a busy day around our house. Dave spent the day working on the remodel of our back porch, and I spent the day having my own fun!

I spent most of the day working on this stack of Origami pouches that I started back in August. School started, and my pile of Origami pouches languished until today. I made good progress, but there's still a lot to do.

When I needed a break from hand-sewing, I worked on my latest Spinning Wheel. It's coming along nicely!

I ended my craft-filled day by completing Jane's TIAS. I think this baby buggy is adorable! Now I think I'm ready for a good night's sleep!

Before school!

After my last post, I looked at the clock and thought... You can do it, Diane. And I did! Day 10 of Jane's TIAS is complete. Now I really have to hustle and pack my lunch, eat my breakfast, and get off to school!

Baby buggy?

I just finished the Day 9 installment of Jane's TIAS, and it sure is looking like a baby buggy!

I managed to finish my Raspberry Sorbet Spinning Wheel before I left for school this morning. I'm not normally a pink person, but this sure turned out pretty!

So, what do I do with all my Spinning Wheel glass mats? Most of them have become gifts, although I have selfishly kept my favorites for myself. Some line the drawers of one of my shuttle display cases. Some are used as doilies around the house, and I have a few in a little round tin just waiting for a home. It's nice to have something I really love to give as a special gift when an occasion arises!

Tatting here, tatting there...

tatting projects everywhere! Yes, I have been tatting this week, just in small doses... not enough to blog about. However, once I put all my little bits of tatting into perspective, I see that I have accomplished far more than I realized!

This morning I took time between laundry loads to tat Day 8 of Jane's TIAS. I'm afraid if anyone actually watched me tat a split ring, gales of laughter would be heard throughout the universe... yes, it is that funny to watch my contortions, both finger and facial! Nevertheless, I am managing to keep up with the TIAS for the first time ever!

I'm also test-tatting "Romantic Hexagon" by Gunhild. I LOVE this pattern! I think I will have to make it in a variety of colors. I love the way the pattern flows, and I keep looking at my apothecary jar and imagining which colors I could use for the next one!

I did make a little progress with my Hen and Chick edging. I love working with size 70 thread, as long as I don't make a mistake!

This morning I started on the 7th spoke of my Spinning Wheel glass mat from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. This is the only project I have going that does not require a copy of the pattern. I wonder why? ;-)

Day 7 TIAS

Thank goodness for Jane and the 2013 TIAS! This is the only tatting I managed to find time for today... a few split rings, and voila... a feeling of accomplishment! Now, if I could only figure out how to make that accent mark...

Before and after

I finally managed to transfer photos from my iPhone to my computer. I have no idea what I did differently, but it worked and I am happy!

Here's what daughter Carol's fireplace looked like at the beginning of the project. It was a little too plain for her taste, and she requested a new mantel for Christmas. She did not get a new mantel for Christmas. However, after Christmas Dave decided to undertake the challenge.

The timing was not perfect for Carol. She's in the middle of putting together the high school production of West Side Story, but we did manage to squeeze in some time this weekend to complete the project.

Here's how it turned out... one wall painted, mantel in place, and one happy daughter! I wonder what we can do to contribute to the happiness of our other three daughters?

The winter storm never appeared. It started drizzling about an hour ago. This is very strange weather for northern Illinois in January! Feeling kind of lazy, I decided to catch up on Jane's TIAS.

I completed Day 5 with very little trouble...

but Day 6 almost did me in! I wonder if split rings and I will ever become friends? They didn't turn out too bad, but I did catch Dave glancing at me every once in a while when he heard me mumbling!

There was a question on InTatters today about Lyn Morton's 5th Book of Tatting Patterns. This is a book I look at every once in a while, and then I decide I don't have the brain power to do that much work. Today I decided to take the plunge and try the center flower, using up the last of my Hydrangea Dark HDT from Yarnplayer.

I know Camelias aren't blue and purple, but I wasn't concerned about color, just technique. The pattern was very easy to follow, but I'm not sure if I was tatting it correctly, because it was very ripply. A little pinning and steaming did the trick, and I think it looks just fine. I'm not sure I'm ready to undertake this project yet, so I think I'll put the book back on the shelf for now. It might make a good summer project!

TIAS Day 4

I learned a new tatting technique today... make that two techniques... the Catherine Wheel join and undoing the Catherine Wheel join. I was quite pleased to complete the bottom row, until I realized that I'd put my very small picot in the wrong place. So, I retro-tatted the row and reworked it. I'm not thinking flower pot any more, I'm thinking coffee cup!

Since we had no school today, I spent my time between doctor visits (just routine, nothing wrong) tatting simple pieces. Yes, that's another braided doodad on the left in Lizbeth 166 Pink Cocoa, which makes me crave a bowl of Neapolitan ice cream! I played with layered flowers again. This one has three layers, which I'm not sure I like.

What's that in pink? Could it be another Spinning Wheel glass mat? Yes, indeed! I'm using thread that I've been saving for something special, and what could be more special for me than a Spinning Wheel? The thread is size 20 Coats HDT from Tatskool. The color is Raspberry Sorbet... yum!

Call me intrepid!

I finished Day 2 of Jane's TIAS using a split chain and a split ring! It's my first split chain ever! Don't look too closely, because it's not very good, but I did it!

My split ring technique leaves a lot to be desired, and it's not good enough to take the next step in the Jan Stawasz doily that intrigues me. Still, I feel like I'm making progress!

I was so excited about tatting a split chain, I forgot to tell you that Frivole's YouTube video is what got me through. Thank you, Frivole!