Liz Metallic Mocha Brown

I am enjoying trying out these new metallic threads. Today's offering is Mocha Brown. I never would have thought of using brown for a metallic thread.

It looks pretty good! Of course I used another pretty shuttle from LaCossette! 😄

I finally warped my new Gilmore Mini Wave Loom. After I finished, I told Mom that I couldn't believe I made such a big deal out of it. Now that I know what I'm doing, the whole process will go much more smoothly next time.

The rest of the day was spent doing laundry and cleaning up a sewing machine I found on eBay. It had quite a bit of sticky tape residue, and I'm still trying to get it all off. There are lots of scratches and nicks in it, but I'm having fun. I haven't tried running it yet. That will happen after I finish cleaning it. I sure hope it works!

Liz Metallic Iridescent

You guessed it... I played with another metallic thread today!

I think this thread is really pretty, but I found it a little more difficult to work with than the other Liz Metallics. It seemed bumpier to me. Maybe my fingers are just sore from working with metallics. I do like the look, and I think it makes a great Ice Drop. As you can see, I used another beautiful shuttle from LaCossette.

While bobbin shuttles are not my go-to shuttles, I do enjoy using them with the metallic threads. My main reason for not using bobbin shuttles is that I feel I can wind so much more thread on a post shuttle. However, since Ice Drops take from 3 - 5 yards of thread on the shuttle, I find the bobbin shuttles to be very convenient!

I finally finished round 8 of Renulek's Wiosna 2018! It did cup a little, but a quick shot of steam from the iron set everything right. On to round 9!

Liz Metallic Gold Dust

Have you guessed that I'm trying out all of my new metallic threads? Since I'm multi-crafting these days, an Ice Drop a day is a great way to keep tatting on my mind!

I'm sticking with the basic Ice Drop pattern for these tests. I do love Gold Dust! The shuttle is another of my beauties from LaCossette. She has a beautiful Red Glass Tiles shuttle in her shop, but I'll have to pay all my bills at the first of the month before ordering another shuttle. I'm trying to be good! 😉

I made pretty good progress on round 8 of Renulek's Wiosna 2018. It's all about setting goals for myself!

I didn't spend as much time on the phone today, and my rounds are getting longer, so it doesn't look like I made much progress on my Granny Square afghan. I'm using Lion Brand Mandala. It's kind of nice to have color changes without having to change yarns!

Today I learned how to use my mini warping reel from The Woolery. It's about time! I've had this for a couple of years. The design of the ones available now are slightly different. I've only used warping pegs before today, and I'm so glad Mom kept encouraging me to try my warping reel. It's so fast!

I've put the warp on the loom, but it's not threaded through the heddles yet. For some reason, I had a terrible time understanding how to use the reel and how to put the warp on the loom. I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out both, but it took a morning and an afternoon call to Mom to finally put two and two together. I'm afraid of messing up because I'm brain weary from all the thinking I've done today. So, threading the loom will have to wait until morning when I'm sure my brain fog will have cleared!

Emptying shuttles

Today I felt the need to empty shuttles, not because I needed a shuttle... heaven knows, I probably have enough shuttles to open a shop! No, I just felt the urge to use up the bits of thread left from other projects.

These are all doodle flowers. The three that look layered, are! I decided to see if I could layer my flowers without looking at anyone's directions, and I am quite pleased with the results. I have an idea for using my little pieces of tatting, but I'll wait to see if I follow through before telling you what I'm thinking of doing.

The two bobbin shuttles are from LaCossette. The shuttle on the left is a Clover that I decorated with origami paper a couple of years ago. I'm becoming more comfortable using bobbin shuttles, but I do still love my Clovers!

Weekend Tatting

What do you do when you get new shuttles? I ooh and ah over them, rub them between my fingers...

turn them over and admire the loving care that went into creating them...

and then I put them to work! In case you don't recognize the craftsmanship, these lovelies are from La Cossette. From left to right... Cherry Blossoms, Kaleidoscope, and Green Fairy. I've been waiting for Green Fairy to be available again... she is a wonderful tatting companion!

I finished three Blue Ice snowflakes on Saturday...

completing the set of seven.

I thought of dropping this round one from my collection, but it appeals to me even though it doesn't really look like a snowflake.

Today I tried tatting with metallic floss. The sheen doesn't show up very well on the computer, but they are very pretty in person. One skein yielded two snowflakes. I used three strands of the floss on each shuttle. They're a little larger than the size 20 Lizbeth flakes, about 3 1/4" across.

Needless to say, floss is much more expensive than a ball of Lizbeth! I don't think I'll tat with metallic floss very often. It's time-consuming to separate the threads, and it's very hard on my fingers!

Thank you!

You made my day!

Sulky Blendables #4018 ~ Summer Grass

I think this thread is named appropriately, especially since it's the exact color of our grass as I look at it with the morning sun shining on it. We've had quite a bit of rain over the past couple of days, and we're very glad to have it!

This is a very busy time of year for my husband. He's a wholesale tropical plant dealer, and the month of May can either make or break his business for the year. Since the weather has been beautiful, it looks like it will be a good year for him. Yippee!

Sadly, this is the last LaCossette shuttle I have to share with you... unless I happen to purchase some more! This one is named Ornate Teal. Believe it or not, I'm not even halfway through the shuttles in my lighted shuttle case. I'm really enjoying using each of these little beauties and remembering how they became part of my collection!

Sulky Blendables #4017 ~ Lime Sherbet

I think of lime as having more green in it. This looks more like the center of a lime than lime sherbet to me, but it still is yummy thread! The shuttle is my new Regency Clover shuttle from LaCossette. I hope she doesn't make any more... I'll be tempted to buy them! ; )

So, another set of Stumpy motifs is in the mail the Chris Hinton at The Shuttle Shop! I'm really looking forward to seeing how these shuttles turn out, especially the Peacock Plume and the Valdani.

Sulky Blendables #4016 ~ Peacock Plume

Oh, how I love this color! I'm thinking of making the Peacock out of it. I wonder if I'm up to the challenge? Maybe I should try it in a thicker thread first. : )

I absolutely love my new shuttle from LaCossette! It's perfect... my favorite color, my favorite inexpensive shuttle, my favorite flower... a shuttle to be used again and again!

Another lovely mail call!

We all love LaCossette's shuttles, don't we? Did you know that she's started offering Clover shuttles? I feel so lucky to have been able to purchase these two. I love blinking shuttles, but LaCossette's are much more refined than mine, and I just had to have a pair. I love the names, too... Rose on Blue and Regency. Maybe I should read some Jane Austen now! ; )

I also "had" to order another Roly Poly Bag and Poke Proof Pouch from Jane Eborall. When my daughter Alison and her family were down visiting a couple of weeks ago, granddaughter Eva decided she wanted to learn how to tat. Eva was really excited to learn that I have a friend in England who enjoys tatting, so I gave her the last set I had purchased from Jane. That's okay, because I really wanted this set as well. : )

Sulky Blendables #4014 ~ Ocean Blue

Is it possible that some colors of threads are smoother than others? I think so. This Ocean Blue was so silky smooth, I know I'll use it again. It didn't kink at all, and some of the colors have. I love this little shuttle from LaCossette, Robin and Friend.

YLI #V85 ~ Nordic Fjord

This may be my favorite color combination! I love the shades of deep, dark blue. However, I will be sure to not wear dark blue pants when tatting with this thread. I really need a light background so that I can see what I'm doing! The shuttle is another favorite from LaCossette, Chocolate Ice.

YLI #V76 ~ Kyoto Garden

It's been a busy week! I can't believe that I only managed to tat one set of Stumpy motifs. I love this color. The blues, greens, and yellows flow so beautifully! The shuttle is another favorite from LaCossette... Pansies.

Daughter Alison and family came to visit this afternoon, and daughter Carol joined us as well. My granddaughter Eva, who will be ten in June, has decided that she'd like to learn how to tat. So, being a good grandma, I sent her home with her very own starter kit! Eva told me that she'd like to learn how to decorate her shuttles, so we have plans to do some blinging this summer. Keep your fingers crossed... I may have a new tatter joining the fold!

YLI #V77 ~ Alaskan Twilight

I wish you could see this thread in person, because it's so much prettier than it shows up in the photo. I chose it because the name, Alaskan Twilight, reminded me of Georgia Seitz. Georgia is the one who introduced me to the Sulky line of threads. Thank you, Georgia!

The shuttle I used this time is my new Wisteria from LaCossette. I think I'm becoming a serious bobbin shuttle addict! ; )

YLI #V80 ~ Danube Blues

The YLI threads that I purchased have been sitting on my table calling to me... Forget the Sulky! Tat with me! So I caved. : )

I really couldn't help myself. After all, the thread is called Danube Blues, and those of you who have been reading my blog know how much I love blue! I decided to use my new Lily shuttle from LaCossette. This could be my new favorite shuttle from LaCossette!

Sulky Blendables #4012 ~ Baby Soft

I'm not a big fan of pastels, but I think this thread would be really pretty tatted up as trim for a baby bonnet or Christening gown. The Lily-of-theValley shuttle is one of my favorites from LaCossette.

I love Lily-of-the-Valley. My grandmother had a patch outside her front door in Philadelphia. The story is that Dad and his friends disassembled and reassembled a motorcycle in the yard, and Grandma could never get anything to grow there again, except for Lily-of-the-Valley.

My other Lily-of-the-Valley story involves a popular scent when I was in high school... Muguet du Bois. I worked at a local pharmacy, and purchased some because it was so popular among my friends. One night at dinner (I always sat on Dad's right), Dad became very upset because I smelled like cigarette butts! I was very much a good-two-shoes in school, and I was horrified that my dad thought I'd been smoking! We figured out that the lovely scent of Muguet du Bois did not react well with my body chemistry. So sad!

Believe it or not, I've lost some of these little Stumpy motifs, so I decided to make use of a little dish I purchased from Grizzly Mountain Arts. It's perfect!

I have another set of Stumpy motifs to send off to Chris & Erin Hinton at The Shuttle Shop. It's my understanding that Chris will soon be posting pictures of his Tatted Shuttles (shuttles with tatting encased in epoxy) that are ready for purchase. I wonder if my shuttle collection will increase? ; )

Sulky Blendables #4011 ~ Milk Chocolate

Yes, dear friends, I have finished tatting Stumpy in another Sulky Blendables thread with a luscious name! The shuttle is Zingy by LaCossette. You may remember that in an earlier post I mentioned that I was having trouble with the thread binding. I'm happy to report that since I've been more careful with my winding, and since I take the time to move the bobbin with my fingers if it feels tight, I haven't had a problem. I'm so glad I asked for advice!

I've had some wonderful surprises in my mail box since my last post. Lelia sent me some thread samples and bookplates. Thank you Lelia!

Jess and Livi sent me a blinged Starlit shuttle wound with some beautiful hand-dyed thread. Do you see the heart that Livi drew for me? Thank you, girls!

Last, but not least, my newest LaCossette shuttles arrived! The top one is Lily, the bottom one is Wisteria. There were two more in the package, but they were presents for friends, and I didn't think to take pictures before sending them off to their new homes.

I have other projects in the works... two Spinning Wheel glass mats in size 20 HDT, one Spinning Wheel glass mat in 12 wt. Sulky, Baby Lace hanky edging in size 80 Lizbeth Grape Splash... those are the ones on the table next to me. Maybe I should find the UFOs in my sewing room and finish some of them!

Sulky Blendables #4010 ~ Caramel Apple

Why oh why do some of the threads have food names? It is so hard to tat and not think of luscious caramel apples when the thread name keeps popping into my head! I think I've gained weight this week just thinking about the color name! To make matters worse, I chose to use my Blackberry shuttle from LaCossette. I LOVE blackberries! Let's just say it's been a mouth-watering week!

Daughter Joanne has been visiting from Minnesota this week. She's been spring cleaning my house and cleaning my carpets. Lucky me! Today we took a break from household chores and went quilt fabric shopping with my sister-in-law. Joanne is going to make a quilt for her. I was very good and did not buy one piece of fabric. However, I did find some more beautiful threads that just might be nice for tatting!
These are YLI machine quilting threads. The colors from left to right are Danube Blues, Alaskan Twilight, Kyoto Garden, Nordic Fjord, and Vineyard. How could I pass up names like that? Let me know if you'd like some samples. Be quick, though... I only have 500 yards of each color. ; )

I also treated myself to this book, Cathedral Window Quilts. I love the Cathedral Window pattern, and I have a beautiful section that my mom made. She gave up making the entire quilt, and gave a nice big section to my sister Janet and to me. I've been meaning to start using up my scrap fabrics. Who knows... maybe I'll be inspired! Or, maybe I'll just enjoy reading and looking at the pictures!

Just one skein...

...of Nectarine hand-dyed thread by Yarnplayer was used to make all of these goodies: One Spinning Wheel glass mat, two Stumpy bookmarks, and a length of Curds and Whey. What do you make with one skein of HDT?

The Spinning Wheel glass mat is in its new home under some of my gorgeous ceramic shuttles from LadyShuttleMaker. It may seem silly to hide such a beautiful piece of tatting under the shuttles, but I love picking up a shuttle and seeing that beautiful lace underneath. Besides, I have to put my tatting somewhere!

Speaking of LadyShuttleMaker, her new book arrived today! I've read through it, and I am very pleased with the detailed explanations of techniques. I'm really looking forward to trying this step-by-step process, but I'm afraid it will have to wait until school gets out. I need to really concentrate when learning something new.

Did you notice my two new shuttles from LaCossette? Like I needed another shuttle! She has a beautiful blue and white shuttle in her shop now called Little Hens. I'm trying very hard to resist!

Mystery Thread

The next shuttle in my collection is Vineyard from LaCossette. I LOVE this shuttle! Normally, I don't care for purple, but I knew this shuttle had to be mine from the moment I saw it. As I took it from its place in the display case, I saw that the bobbin was fully loaded, but what was the thread on there? I've looked through my Handy Hands thread chart, and none of the colors seem to be the right one. So, unless one of you can help identify this pretty colorway, it will remain a mystery thread!

LaCossette was kind enough to respond to my plea for help with the thread binding up in the bobbin...

I thought about what you said about the thread sometimes getting imbedded on the bobbin, making it hard to unwind. I would guess maybe that's when the bobbin is a bit tight and you have to pull a bit harder on the thread to make it unwind and that forces it in between the layers of thread below. Might that be it? In that case, you just have to be a bit more careful to help the bobbin along rather than just pull the thread out. It has happened to me on a rare occasion, but I know what you mean.


I paid close attention as I was tatting, and I think she's right... and, I think that uneven winding of the bobbin contributes to the problem. I may try using the bobbin winder on my sewing machine to load the next bobbin. That way the tension and the winding would be more even. I'll be sure to let you know if that helps!