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!

High tea

Yesterday my sister Janet treated us to high tea at the Drake in Chicago. We had a wonderful time! Clockwise from the lower left: granddaughter Eva, daughter Carol, niece Dierdre, sister Janet, moi, Mom, daughter Alison. Missing are my daughters Andrea and Joanne and granddaughter Lily (Andrea's daughter) who live in Minnesota, sister Lisa who is in Italy, and niece Phoebe who lives in Washington D.C.

Sorry... no boys allowed!

I was too tired to tat when I got home, but I did manage 2 rings separated by a chain today. Maybe I'll be able to tat a little more later on.

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!

Pay it forward...

I found this on Jon's blog, and I think it's a wonderful idea! As a condition for participation, I need to post this pledge:

My Pay it Forward Pledge

“I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”

I hope some of you will join in the fun!

When life hands you lemons...

Life didn't exactly hand me this lemon... it was of my own making! I was trying to tat Laura's Victorian Heart in size 10 Flora, color #133, with my new Grizzly Mountain Arts signature shuttle. About half way through the second round, I realized I was tatting the wrong number of stitches. I wasn't in the mood to retro-tat, so I finished up the round and added the final ring.

I didn't want my tatting to go to waste, or even sit in a basket waiting for me to be inspired. So, I decided to start a crazy quilt block. Of course, I needed colors that would compliment the heart, so I looked at my fabric stash and chose fabrics that were left from previous projects... a rather simple task, considering my stash! My fabric choices don't always thrill me when I'm piecing a quilt block, but somehow I'm always pleased when the block is finished. We'll see if that holds true for this one!

I've crazy quilted Christmas stockings before, but they've been completely machine embellished using stitches on my sewing machine. This will be my first attempt at hand-stitching embellishments. I've pinned the tatted heart in the spot where I think I want it to be, but I'm not ready to sew it on yet. I think I'll try some embroidery work first to see if the heart still fits in this spot.

Thank you, Melissa, for all your CQ encouragement and inspiration!

Progress

Several people who read my blog have experienced problems similar to mine, or can empathize with my situation. Their words of encouragement have kept me going when I've wanted to just give up. Thank you to all of you!

I'm thrilled with my progress, even though my tatting, knitting, and crocheting abilities are greatly diminished compared to what they were before I broke my arm! Two weeks ago, I had trouble getting thread or yarn into position on my left hand, let alone trying to accomplish anything. I'm still having problems trying to keep an even tension. You might be able to tell from the two pieces I'm working on that I have a little better success with size 10 thread than with size 20. I'm sure part of the problem is the brace I have to wear, but the brace is a tremendous improvement over the cast!

The yellow is Mary Konior's Spinning Wheel Glass Mat from Tatting With Visual Patterns, size 10 DMC Cebelia #745, tatting shuttle by Grizzly Mountain Arts (the back side of the shuttle I commissioned in memory of my dad). The pink is Laura Blanton's Victorian Heart, size 20 Coats Mercer Crochet #403, tatting shuttle by Sherry Pence aka LadyShuttleMaker (crazy glaze shuttle chosen to coordinate with the pink thread!... I'm getting into matching my shuttle and thread since seeing Marilee's posting of her Celery thread with one of Sherry's shuttles).

After viewing my blog, I realize this isn't a very good picture! Hmmm... operator error? ...need a new camera? ...bad lighting? Who knows!

Yesterday...

My exercise routine takes up a lot of time, but I don't mind! The day passes very quickly when there's something that has to be done every hour. Besides, I can see and feel improvement!

This is what I was able to accomplish with tatting yesterday. I'm not ready for finer threads yet, so I'm sticking with size 10... luckily I have a little of that lying around! I wound three shuttles with thread before starting. I wanted to make sure that I'd be able to finish what I'm working on. I've made this piece before, but with all the pattern reading I've done over the past 10 weeks, I realized that there were some ways I could make my tatting look better, so I'm trying it again. I'm sure it's too soon for you to tell what I'm working on... maybe you'll be able to tell more tomorrow!

This shuttle is very special to me. After Dad passed away, I commissioned Dave at Grizzly Mountain Arts to make this memorial shuttle. Dad admired Dave's work and bought one of his scrimshaw shuttles for me last summer. Dave has started making a series of numbered shuttles, which he sells in his Etsy shop. They are very light weight, smooth, and a joy to use! If you're interested in buying one, you'll need to check his shop often... they are listed when he finishes making them (one at a time, of course), and they sell quickly!