A few of my favorite things...

It's been a long time since my last blog post. I've had lots of fun doing all the things I love, and I just didn't feel like taking time to sit down at my computer.

Yes, I've accomplished a lot since my last post, including finishing setting up for the start of school on Monday. Here's just a little of what I've been doing...

I'm sad to say that I've only finished one piece of tatting since my last post, another motif from Tatting by Myra Piper. However, I did start another Spinning Wheel glass mat! I'll post a picture when it's finished.

With school starting next week, I figured I needed a new supply of blinged shuttles. Here's one side,

and here's the other. I love the way they turned out! I'll have to work on some more this weekend, because I gave a few away.

Tollway Tatters met on Tuesday. Sue Anna told us all about her trip to Alaska. She brought back some really cool beads that she's planning to use for earrings.

We celebrated Marilee's birthday... 29 again!

Carol and Barbara took the lead in picture taking. I always bring a camera along, but I'm not very good at remembering to take pictures!

I've finished two more bags. They're so much prettier in person. I keep saying that I'm going to learn to take better pictures, but I guess it's just not at the top of my priority list!

I think this might be my prettiest bag so far! It's too bad the colors look so faded. It's really shimmery, with pretty sequins sparkling here and there.

I've also been watching a Craftsy class on spinning, and I've been practicing with my drop spindle. Can you tell I'm getting ready for retirement? ;-)

My favorite Myra

We all have our favorites, and this is my favorite design from Tatting by Myra Piper. It's motif No. 12, and it's the center I chose for my Tribute to Myra. The link to my pattern is one of the tabs at the top of this page. I no longer have the original piece. My sister had it framed for her daughter-in-law, and I'm happy that it has a loving home!

Believe it or not, Dave has been a great motivator for my bag making. He'll tell me that he's going out to mow grass for a little bit, and gives me "permission" to weave a bag. ;-)

It takes me about an hour and a half to make a bag from start to finish. So, can you guess how long Dave mowed grass yesterday?

Unplugged

Do you ever feel the need to unplug? Don't get me wrong. I've learned so much from reading blogs and having the instant access to information that the Internet provides, but there are days when I look at my devices and long for a simpler time.

Since last Tuesday, I just haven't had the desire to spend much time on my computer. I'm sure I've missed out on a lot, but I also found time to recharge my personal batteries! I spent time tatting, weaving, reading, visiting family, and taking naps... good old summer time fun!

I'm continuing with motifs from Tatting by Myra Piper. This is motif No. 11. I really should switch to a solid color for these motifs, but this green thread is so pretty, I just keep tatting with it!

As you probably guessed I would, I've started a Spinning Wheel glass mat from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. I'm curious to see how much this ball of green thread will yield!

My bag production has slowed down, probably a result of so much time spent reading and napping! I love using this chenille yarn that Mom sent to me. The fabric is soft, and I can make each bag unique by including snippets from other projects.

This bag did not yield the contrast I was hoping for. I used a bulky acrylic and a very soft bamboo yarn. Both had the same color scheme, but the textures are very different. You can fell the difference when you touch the bag, but you can't see the clasped weft results very well.

My summer tatting kids had a great time last Wednesday. There were 12 kids... 10 girls and 2 boys. We really have had wonderful weather for outdoor tatting this summer! The rest of this post is pictures of the kids and their tatting. Enjoy!

More Myra

I dug into my stash today and pulled out a ball of size 20 Omega that I've had for ages. These are motifs No. 9 and No. 10. There are times when I don't think multi-colored or variegated threads work well, and these motifs are an example. I think they would look much better in a solid color. I do like the feel of the thread, and I think it would look good in my favorite pattern, Spinning Wheel glass mat by Mary Konior.

I had a request for a bag that would hold a Kindle keyboard, so I set to work today. I really love this one made out of bamboo. It is so soft!

This one is a little firmer fabric, and the fit is little more snug.

This one is also a snug fit, but I love the colors!

I think I may play with bag sizes tomorrow afternoon. I'd like to make a bag that's a little more square than rectangular. I have a hard time understanding how the fabric will work into a bag, but I think I've worked out how to get the look I'd like to achieve. We'll see what tomorrow brings!

Monday, Monday

I had great plans for today... get back in to a routine before school starts in three weeks, clean, meal plan, etc. Somehow, I got sidetracked! Instead of starting on the right foot, I went shopping with daughter Carol. We had a great time, and I was home by 2:00, so I still had time for some tatting and weaving. I guess the cleaning and meal planning will just have to wait!

This is motif No. 7. This was a fun tat, but not one that I'm likely to tat again. It's too loose a pattern for my liking. I'll be skipping No. 8, because it has too much bare thread. So, on to motif No. 9!

I love the way this little bag turned out! I will admit that I felt a strong craving for chocolate while I was working on it. ;-)

I could not get a good picture of this bag. The yarn is silver with a fine wrapping thread thread in sparkly pink, blue, green, and gold. It just shimmers in the light. I might just have to keep this one for myself! 

More tatting with Myra

 I took it easy today and tatted two more motifs from Tatting by Myra Piper.

No. 5 is a pretty little snowflake. Of course I wonder if I could adapt it to have a doodad in the center! Maybe I'll look to see where I stowed my doodads tomorrow.

No. 6 should make a pretty doily center. I guess my fascination with doilies continues, even if I don't the ambition to start another right now.

I finished another chenille bag. The inclusions are snippets from other bags I have made. I braided the strap with chenille and the yarn used in the inclusions.

I love the way this little bag turned out! The bottom half is a bulky acrylic, and the top half is a worsted weight with a ribbon wrap. The two braided together make a great strap. My favorite part is the button!

I can hardly wait for another day of creativity!

Done right!

It bothered me that I tatted this pretty motif incorrectly, so I tatted it again. I'm still working with size 20 Lizbeth, Arctic Waters. Isn't it a pretty color?

I do like this pattern, and I thing it would make a pretty doily center. Somehow, it still didn't look like the picture in the book.

I flipped it over and... ta da! This is what I was looking for! Motif No. 2 from  Tatting by Myra Piper is one of my favorites. Myra calls it a "Another 'Hanky Edge' Snowflake." I know I've stated this before, but I'll say it again. I cannot call this a snowflake, because it is a nine pattern repeat. Snowflakes have a symmetry based on six points. Still, it is a very pretty motif!

I skipped motif No. 3, because it has 7/8" of bare thread. I don't care for that much bare thread, which is why I haven't completed any mignonette patterns.

This is motif No. 4. The picture in the book has it blocked so that the chains are straight. I didn't bother because, again, I do not consider this a snowflake. Am I a snowflake snob? 

The bag-making continues. Here I was trying a technique called clasped weft weaving. It looked great on the loom, but I didn't take into consideration that the fabric would be folded to complete the bag, so the pattern was lost when the bag was completed.

Despite my design "mistake," Dave liked this bag the best of the ones I've made so far. I guess that just goes to show that we all see beauty differently!

This bag is one of my favorites. The beige is chenille yarn from Mom. The green inclusions are sari silk. I think the silk and the button really make this bag interesting.

I'm not much for pink, but this bag did turn out cute! I think it's the blue button. ;-)

One of the disadvantages of going on a creative binge is that I want to do everything! I've really had a strong urge to knit this week, but I couldn't think of a project that I really wanted to undertake, so I turned to dish cloths. I love knitting dish cloths! They make great little hostess gifts, and I love the thickness of them. Besides, I need to use up some of my cotton stash!

For us

When I finished Letnia the other night, Dave asked me who it was for.

It's for us, of course! It think it's absolutely beautiful!

I think it's new home will be on the hutch in the dining room, but I may change my mind. ;-)

My tatting buddies were here today, and we had so much fun! Peyton learned how to join two rings.

Dylan was working on a motif.

Grace chose new threads and spent time winding them.

Janie worked on chains.

Shelby worked on her ring and chain edging.

Kennedy practiced Fancy Pants. I didn't get pictures of Allison and Elizabeth tatting. Allison was warming up under a blanket, and when Elizabeth arrived I forgot to get the camera out again! It was a chilly morning, and we all wore sweatshirts!

Now that I've finished another large doily, I really felt the need for a little instant gratification. I planned to tat snowflakes, but I didn't feel like looking for the doodads, beads, and patterns. So instead, I picked up my copy of Tatting by Myra Piper. I love this little book! I tatted the first motif yesterday afternoon.

I tatted the second motif when the kids were here today. Somehow, I interpreted the pattern differently this time.

The motif on the right shows the way it's supposed to look. I can see what I did. I joined the first ring in the pattern repeat to the last ring of the previous repeat, which is not what Myra intended. I don't think it looks bad. It's just not right!

Should I try again, or should I move on? I guess I'll have to decide that once I have my shuttle loaded again!