For Doug

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!

Weekend tatting challenge...

My mom asked me to tat 3 crosses to embellish a liturgical stole that she's making. This is how much I managed to finish the day I broke my arm, Dec. 30, 2007. My tatting challenge is to see how much of the cross I can complete over the weekend. I'm using Marilee's Golden Glow. Wish me luck!

Transitions in Tatting

It's here! I just got home from a day out and about, and when I opened my mailbox, I found Sharon Briggs's book Transitions in Tatting from Flat to Floral. I'm so excited! I've only had time to quickly flip through it, but I can tell I will enjoy it thoroughly! There are beautiful pictures, both color and black and white, detailed technique descriptions, and fabulous patterns! Thank you, Sharon!

Beatrice

Yes, I've been tatting! I'm working on "Beatrice" from Tatted Doilies by Iris Niebach. I'm using Altin Basak, size 50, color #3004. It's funny how my attitude toward thread has changed. This used to be one of my treasured balls that I was saving for when I really developed my tatting skills. I think the thread is really pretty, but I chose it as practice thread before turning to my precious HDT!

I don't know what I did with the scanner, but this is one of the clearest scans I've had so far! The colors show a bit brighter than what they actually are, but I like the way the piece looks.

My therapist took range of motion measurements yesterday, and she's very pleased with my progress! I do my exercises faithfully, and I tat a little bit here, a little bit there... you get the idea! It's paying off. I'm very glad I worked with size 3 thread for a while. I now have a much better understanding of how everything goes together. I'm also glad that I'm forced to work on this doily slowly, because my stitches are so much neater than they used to be!

Laura's Victorian Heart

I'm pretty sure Laura never envisioned her beautiful Victorian Heart in size 3 thread, but here it is! It was wonderful therapy, both mentally and physically! Laura's clear directions made this an easy pattern to follow. I look forward to creating it in finer thread some day, but for now I'm happy to have completed a tatting project!

Teaching Mom to tat

Mom and I have been having a wonderful visit, but the best part has been that Mom has been learning how to tat! I finally found something I could teach my mom!


We started by watching Bev Dillon's Tatted Lace From Start to Finishing, and Mom was hooked! However, Mom was having trouble getting the flip, so we switched to Mildred Clark's Tatting I - The Basics. As we were watching, I realized that this is the video I learned from. I like Mildred's method, because she has you use two different colors, which helps you see how the double knot is formed. Mom and I went shopping for size 3 crochet thread, loaded up a Tatsy shuttle, and then Mom was able to easily see how it all worked.

I called the Yarn Barn in Kansas to see if Mildred's video is available on DVD, and it is! So, Mom and I each ordered it. I watch it every once in a while to try and perfect my technique. I love having videos as reference tools, probably because I learn more easily when I watch than when I read!


I went to the doctor yesterday, and I have graduated to only wearing the brace when I go out. I begin physical therapy next week (3 times a week for 4 weeks). Yes, I tatted with size 3 thread and a Tatsy, along with Mom, but she lasted much longer than I did! My wrist let me know it had had enough after two chains and two rings. That's o.k. Today I'll shoot for 3 rings and 3 chains! Pictures are courtesy of daughter Carol, who refuses to be drawn to "the dark side"!


It looks like it's going to be a blustery day here, so Mom and I will spend the day talking and tatting... life is good!

Anticipation

Only 10 days left until I get my cast off! I might get a different cast, depending on how my arm's healing, but I will definitely be getting rid of this one! Hallelujah! Change is good!

In anticipation of this great event, I've been working on reorganizing my sewing room... a monumental task, especially one-armed! I've unearthed some fabulous treasures (it's been a while since I've dusted my sewing room, so unearthed is an appropriate term).

I tend to be a goal-oriented person, so I've set some goals for my return to normality. One of those goals is to try some crazy quilting. I've been inspired by Melissa's work, and I think crazy quilting will be a great way to complete several tasks at one time. The fabric is from a jacket that my mom loved, but it didn't fit her any more. When I admired it, she pulled out her scissors and cut it into panels that fit into my bulging suitcase. I found my box of DMC floss, which I've never used (daughter Alison used a little bit for a sewing project). The basket holds my Danish Flower Thread, which I bought for some cross stitch projects about 20 years ago. I only finished one of the projects... I hope the thread isn't rotten! I also found two books. I've obviously thought about crazy quilting before!

How does tatting fit in? I love the way Melissa has incorporated tatted lace in her CQ blocks. I think it's a fabulous way to showcase tatting, and I have quite a few ideas for CQ blocks. I have several of Dad's ties that I can use to make blocks with a patriotic theme or a nautical theme. Will these ideas bust my stash? Not a chance! I think it's time to open up my sewing room to the public!

Girls just wanna have fun!

...and since I needed to have some mental down time this weekend, I chose to do some tatting yesterday. It's amazing how much I can accomplish during football season! I watch the games with Dave, but I keep tatting/sewing/knitting/crocheting while the game is on. I consider it to be guilt free "me" time!

My granddaughter, Eva, started kindergarten this year. When did I get this old? Anyway, last week a couple of kindergarteners showed me where they had lost baby teeth, and I decided it was time to start working on a tooth fairy pillow for Eva. We just used a sealed envelope when I was little. The great mystery was, how did the tooth fairy take the tooth out and put the quarter out without tearing the envelope? A friend of mine made Alison a tooth fairy pillow when she was in 1st grade. That pillow made the tooth fairy's task much easier! I decided that a tatted motif on the pillow pocket would make the pillow extra special. So now my quest is to find the perfect motif in the perfect color to decorate that little pillow. Of course, I was too lazy to choose material and coordinating thread yesterday. I just used what was in the basket next to my chair! I'm not sure how I'll use these pieces yet, but I had fun making them!

The blue variegated is size 20 Flora #55; the design is Nr. 2: Lille krans from page 24 of Orkis by Kirstine Nikolajsen and Inge Lise Nikolajsen. This is one of my favorite designs from one of my favorite books. I think this is the third time I've made this motif, and I finally put it together correctly!

The pink motif is size 20 Coats #403; the design is Eightsome Reel from page 50 of A Pattern Book of Tatting by Mary Konior. I love this book also! I just purchased it recently on the Internet. It's in amazingly good condition! I think this motif would be wonderful done up as a multi-colored mat similar to Tattycat's (see Laura's Tatting Muse link on the right side, August 2007 archives).

The multicolored floral motif is Anemone from page 73 of A Pattern Book of Tatting by Mary Konior. The thread was leftovers from lace sock edgings. I know the purple is Flora, and I think the blue is Hakelgarn. I was attracted to this motif because it reminds me of the Jacobean flower designs I used to love to cross stitch... I haven't done cross stitch for probably 15 years!

I'm leaving lengths of thread attached for now in case I want to use them to sew the motif onto the pillow. I think I'll just keep tatting these little pieces until I'm inspired to make the pillow. What a good excuse to keep trying new designs with different threads!

Pieces for my purse...

The other hip of Joanne's jeans is now my purse! I finished sewing the bag on Friday and carried it undecorated to Stitches Midwest on Saturday. It's a great little purse! I've tatted a few pieces with no real idea of where they'll go on the bag. Each of these is done in size 10 Royal, which is a very soft thread. It will be fine for the jeans purse, but I'm not sure I'd like it for a doily... it's too floppy.

The only pattern I followed was for the lace across the top of the pocket... #35 Tatted Edging from Coats Book 1405, Edgings: a Collector's Book. The other pieces just tatted off the tips of my fingers while Dave and I were t.v. shopping. We lost our t.v., VCR, and phone in a thunder storm a little over a week ago. It sure isn't as easy to shop for a t.v. as it used to be!

Joanne is all settled in at Andrea's in Minnesota. I guess she's really staying. She went to the DMV today for a rules of the road book so she can study for her written test. She also has 3 job interviews set up within the next week.

School starts next week. I've been trying to get the library ready, but we're also trying to get a new computer database set up, so I've been sidetracked with helping enter data. I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone by! Last year I had 18 fifth grade students who were interested in learning to tat. I think I'll see if there's any interest with this year's 5th graders!

Yo-yos

With all the recent chatter about yo-yos, I decided to try one... yes, for the very first time! I never was impressed by yo-yos, and I still can't say that they thrill me, but with two granddaughters and quite a fabric stash, my mind has been reeling with possibilities... headbands, barrettes, little purses, scatter pins, bracelets. I didn't like the yo-yo by itself, so I added a button, then I decided to doozy it up with a little piece of tatting. I think Eva and Lily will love these little gems!

I've been working on a jeans purse for Joanne. I made the purse Saturday and have been tatting orange bits for decoration. Joanne says orange and blue are in this fall. I don't pay much attention to what's in or out, but I had orange on hand, so that's what she's getting. I'll post pictures when I finish it.

Progress

I picked up my tatting again last night, and only had two minor problems... frogs and flies! I spent so much time taking out mistakes that if I had followed the directions the first time, I'm sure I would have finished my "Spinning Wheel Glass Mat" from Tatting with Visual Patterns by Mary Konior. I'm back on track now and can't wait to see the finished piece!

There's also a pesky fly in the house. I can only find him when I sit down to tat. As soon as I pick up the fly swatter, he disappears. As soon as I sit down, he's back. I know it's not my imagination... Dave saw him too. He offered to go after the fly, but I was not willing to be swatted in the process!

Alison and the kids are visiting today and spending the night. Maybe after the kids are asleep I can tat!

I can't believe it took me so long...

Can it be? Did I finally figure out how to add a picture to my blog? If it worked, this is a picture of my first lace curtain panel... can't wait to see if I succeeded!

I can't believe it took me so long to read an Agatha Christie book! I just finished Murder on the Orient Express. It was great! A few weeks ago my favorite store, Barnes & Noble, had a sale of Agatha Christie books (but 2 get 1 free). I just couldn't resist! I like to read a little in the morning and a little at night, and sometimes I read a lot in the middle of the day when school's out! Of course the housework and the knitting/crocheting/tatting/sewing suffer, but I'm happy!

I finished four repeats of my second lace panel yesterday... only 34 to go! Dave and I are taking a short road trip next week, so I'll have plenty of time to work on it in the car. I'll also take my traditional road trip project... dish cloths!

Denise and I set another challenge for ourselves yesterday. We're planning on attending Stitches Midwest in August. I went last year with my daughter Alison, and we had a wonderful time. Of course we saw people wearing beautiful knitted pieces, so Denise and I want to go wearing something we have knitted. Convention centers can be chilly, so we plan on making ourselves shawls with yarn I purchased at last years convention. We chose the Garter Lace Triangle Shawl from Martha Waterman's Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls. I made this shawl years ago when it was featured in Interweave Knits. It's very simple to do and very pretty when finished!

Yesterday's mail was fun to open... I received my Ring of Tatters newsletter... can't wait to try some of the pieces! I also received some hand dyed thread from Yarnplayer Arts (Marilee Rockley http://yarnplayer.etsy.com). This is my third skein of thread from yarnplayer and it is beautiful! I'm thinking of using it for an Iris Niebach pattern.

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my 55th birthday, and I have decided to celebrate by starting something new... my first blog! What's up with the name? I love lace... I knit, crochet, and tat. I also love to read... mysteries, ghost stories, craft books, cook books, and children's books. Just a note... I read more than I do, so I plan on using this blog as my personal inspiration to complete projects.

I'm also a collector! I have way too much fabric, yarn, thread, books, and knit/crochet/tatting tools. I feel the need to justify my collections, so I'll try to share my collections when appropriate.

There are some very special people I want to thank for inspiring me to begin this endeavor... Mom, thank you for teaching me that part of learning is making mistakes, and mistakes can be fun! Dave, thank you for putting up with all my clutter these past 26 years, and for building spaces for all my stuff! Alison, Andrea, Carol, and Joanne (my daughters), thank you laughing with me and teasing me about my obsessions. Denise, thank you for being such an inspirational friend... your "flights of fancy" have kept me on my toes! Sherry, thank you for "hinting" that I should start a blog!

There won't be much more today... I have to wait for Joanne to get back from Minnesota to help me with pictures!