Answering Questions From Yesterday's Entry

Thanks to everyone for the compliments on yesterday's TTT blog entry! Some of you had questions about the items in the pic, so I'll talk a little about those items.

The shuttles are wood & are made by Georgia Seitz. Georgia's contact info is on her online tatting class:
http://www.georgiaseitz.com/
I don't know how others find out about when her shuttles are available. I'm in the online classes & received an email with pics of shuttles that were available. You may be able to get that info by emailing here (see the link.)

The thread winders. Well, that was me making do with what I could find. I went to Hobby Lobby, & in their wood crafts section, they have all types of wood cut-outs. I found these nicely, already painted snowflakes. They're the perfect size for a 50 yd skein of HDT, & they're nice for winding off those leftover threads that you just don't want to throw away. I found some rub-on transfers & used them on a couple of the snowflakes.

The little hook came in a set of 3 from lacis.com, & handyhandstatting.com carries them as well. I use the smallest of the three most often, so I attached a chain to it & this pretty mother of pearl ring. The ring came from silverneedle.com. If you haven't been to that site, it's a must visit!! On the left side of the home page choose Product Lines, then Accessories, Gifts & Gadgets. Have fun!!

The tea cup. I'm collecting tea cups for my granddaughter. Hobby Lobby had flower tea cups one year, so every time I went to Hobby Lobby, I picked up a different flower tea cup. They're all so cute!

Tatting Tea Tuesday - Brrrrrrrrrrrr

Brrrrrrrrrrrr! Yesterday it actually got above freezing. Some of the snow & ice has melted from the streets, but we still have several feet of snow & 5 foot drifts, & this a.m. it's only 8 degrees f.

As I was tatting up another heart in my Fairy Sky HDT, using my new GS shuttle, I reached for a threadwinder & picked up the one with all the flowers & insects on it. Well, all those together got me to thinking about summer. I got out one of my flower cups & saucers, & took this pic. Raising my cup to summer time flower gardens & picket fences!

Lovely Shuttles

Look what came to me from Georgia Seitz!  I purchased the 4" one right before Christmas, then decided it was so pretty, I needed some of Georgia's small shuttles. Aren't they about the prettiest shuttles you've ever laid eyes on? The price of Georgia's shuttles is unbelievable, & the quality is top-notch!

I did a test tat of one of the small shuttles last night. They are just as lovely to work with as to look at!! They're just the right size & shape for me, & I didn't have to "get used" to them, I was just tatting comfortably right away. I love my Clovers for comfort, but these just bumped the Clovers down a notch. I really love fine, wood tools & these are just that!

Georgia sent my shuttles the day she got my order, so they arrived in a flash! The large shuttle came in it's own tin, & the 2 small ones came together in their own tin. Now, you all know my lust for tins. LOL! I'll shop for some coordinating felt to line them, & my GS shuttles will always have a safe home, although I don't think they'll lie idle very often!

Motif #3 of 2010's 25 Motif Challenge

I gave Yarnplayer's stained-glass idea a try. This is unblocked, so it looks wonky. I used my own HDT & black Lizbeth both sz 20. The square pattern is from http://free-tatting.com/

Last night was the monthly meeting of the Lincoln Lacemakers, & we had a class on Maltese Rings. Now that is an interesting technic!! I left the class able to do the rings, but I'll have to practice to retain what I learned.

It was iffy there for a few minutes while I struggled with tensioning. I mean, you're sitting there with the ring thread around your left hand, then the instructor stays, "Now take the other shuttle over your left hand & wrap it around your pinky." My eyes crossed, my fingers all went into spasms & then she says, "Now make a stitch only on the thread wrapped around your pinky, not both threads, & don't flip it." I began squirming in my chair, then I was feeling, & probably looking like a contortionist as I struggled to keep tension on 2 threads, make the, "Oh shoot! I dropped my shuttle." stitch. Once, I had the required 2 ds's on that 1 thread, the instructor (with a wicked grin, I swear a wicked grin) says, "Now take the thread from around your little finger & pull it. It should feel just like closing a ring." Me - no response, bug-eyed, praying as I pulled the thread. My heart sank, because (of course) it wouldn't budge.

I persisted, though, & I finally had her sit next to me & show me. Apparently, that's the only way I learn any new tatting technics. I have to SEE it being done! LOL!

After all the struggling, you know how ecstatic I was when I left. I can do Maltese Rings!!!

Motif #2 of 2010 & Tatting Tea Tuesday #1

Well, since I started the 25 Motif Challenge late it 2009, I'm going to start over for 2010. It just seemed odd to start a new year on motif #9, maybe even bad luck since 9 isn't a lucky number.

So this Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm showing you the 2nd hanky I did. It's the same clover edging done in Lizbeth sz 40 & the color is #117 Country Side which is antique turquoise, dark fern & dark blue medium. I think this one is for me.

I'm sooooo happy. The local shop that used to carry supplies for cross stitchers & embroiderers, has expanded to supplying threads to lacemakers. She now stocks Lizbeth theads in sz 20 & sz 40! Hobby Lobby here is still carrying the same 35 colors in sz 20 only. (sigh)

The Beatrice Potter tea cup was a door prize at the YaYa Sisterhood annual craft day. It's awfully pretty! It's one of my favorites. The cinnamon-orange tea is from a shop in Pike's Market in Seattle from our vaca there last summer. I've talked about that tea in previous TTT posts. It tastes like cinnamon candy. Yummmmmmmmmm!

Happy TTT to you all, & I'm relieved to know this tradition will continue for another year!

Motif #9

First Motif of 2010- Sweet Heart by Birgit Phelps in Yarnplayer's Midnight Oil HDT

A happy & wonderfully peaceful year to you all! Thanks to those of you who've been following my blog. This is all still pretty new to me, including tatting.

I won't make any resolutions, 'cause I never seem to be able to keep them. It's easier on my self esteem if I just work each day on me, changing what I can about me that needs changing.

I do want to improve my tatting during 2010. I'll be working on split chains & self-closing mock rings first. I want to dye some more thread's for 2010, too. I don't know if I'll sell, but that's a possibility.

Oh, & not to forget all those wonderful threads I have to try out from the Thread Exchange. All of my partners came through, although I didn't get a chance to post pics of the last 2 envelopes & their contents. A great big THANK YOU!! to each & every exchange partner for making my first ever thread exchange so much fun!

Motif #8 & Tatting Tea Tuesday

Wow! The past week is pretty much a blurrrrr. House guests arrived on Wed knowing they wouldn't be able to make it for Christmas day if they didn't get on the roads then. It began snowing Wed night, & we were snowed in until Sun. Out of town guests couldn't leave for home until Sun because of snow drifted roads between Lincoln & the towns they lived in. I made a trip out on Christmas day to get my step-son, then a return trip to take him home (inside the city.) That was the last trip out for 48 hours as the streets weren't being cleared. Wed thru Sun is a blurr of cooking, serving up food, cleaning up, etc.

Well, that's all passed now. I finally got the out of town gifts to the PO today!! Sheesh!!

Tatting Tea Tuesday has been a most appreciated, blessedly quiet day! I finished the edging for the hanky last night, & I sewed it on today. My first hanky with tatted edging! This evening, I'll choose thread for the next hanky. The edging is a generic clover leaf pattern that I tweaked a bit. The thread is Lizbeth size 40 in Caribbean.

Motif #7 of 25 - Christmas Tatting

Here is the only Christmas ornament I tatted. The first branch & the trunk are a wee wonky. I'll do another one, since that was the first time I worked the pattern. It's going to my sister, who I know didn't set up a tree this year. Everyone needs a Christmas tree on Christmas!! The pattern is from Be-stitched.com

More Goodies from the HBT Thread Exchange

I'm sorry I don't have any tatting to show this week. I did something to my wrist/thumb carrying a laundry basket, so I haven't been able to tat all week. Waaaaaaaaah!

Instead of tatting, I've decided to share with you what I've been receiving from my Thread Exchange partners. This is turning out to be one of the best exchanges I've participated in. I do feel a little bad, though. You see most of my partners have sent letters along with their goodies sharing about themselves & their lives. All I sent was an eentsy note saying thanks for participating & happy holidays. I'm realising what on opportunity I let slip by to let them know something about me personally.

OK, well it's my first thread exchange, so I guess I can go easy on myself. LOL!

Here's what I received from Robert, who it turns out, is my next door neighbor in the state of Iowa. As you can see from the pic, he doesn't just tat. He's been a quilter for many years as well. Isn't that the sweetest little pieced stocking. I wish you could see it up close, because it is perfection. Each piece is cut & sewn together with such precision! He sent a really wonderful letter & some Valdani thread. Valdani thread is made in Romania. I've used it for punch needle embroidery. It's lovely to work with there, so I"m hoping it will tat up nicely, too. There's also a lovely post card of the nativity which is now gracing my coffee table.

If you have never experienced a thread exchange, I hope these posts will encourage you to sign up for the next one you hear about. You won't be disappointed!

HBT Thread Exchange

Ohboyohboy! I received 2 more packages from the thread exchange. From Sunela a very pretty card & 2 thread samples. One matches the card - cute! The other is a sample of Lizbeth #20. Both very pretty threads.

From Mary a lovely handcrafted card, a snowflake & glow in the dark thread. The snowflake glows in the dark!! Now that's coooooooooool! LOL!

While searching for ideas for sending my threads to my partners, I decided on one of my HDT's. It's #8 Fairy Sky. I dyed matching solids, also. I  found instructions for these very cute origami envelopes, so I sent the threads in those.

HBT Thread Exchange

I'm in the HereBETatters thread exchange. My threads will go out to my 6 partners on either Sat or Mon. I received one of my exchange packages yesterday! It's always so exciting to get packages. This one came from Anna in Memphis, TN. Here's a pic of what was in this package. I'm really going to love trying this thread, & Anna sent me the cutest shuttle bag made from a vintage print fabric. I LOVE it! The green thread has a gold metalic thread in it. The little cardboard shuttle has a white size 150 thread! There's a postcard of Memphis & a very sweet note on Santa stationary. Isn't that the cutest shuttle bag ever?!

Tatting Tuesday a Day Late

Well, Tatting Tea Tuesday breezed right past me without me even noticing. I did post on Tues, though.

The city is at a standstill. Road crews have cleared only the main streets. Downtown hasn't been cleared & the news is saying don't bother going there - it's dangerous.

I have my faithful Jeep, so I forged my way out of our side street onto a cleared snow route. I decided to come to work today & not waste a vacation day. I work at the local PBS station in Engineering & our Chief Engineer couldn't make it into town, & most everyone else is taking the day off. We had some problems yesterday with servers, so I'm here making sure they're all working properly, making sure the operators are keeping snow out of the satellite dishes, etc.

I'd rather be home with my shuttles, but jobs are hard to keep now days with the economy.

Tatting - I decided I didn't like my Crinoline Lady in size 20 thread, so I started over with size 40. It's looking so much more delicate. I don't have any size 40 thread in white, so there won't be any white ruffles at the hem of her dress, but that's ok. I'm going to need a solid size 40 for her bonnet, though. Oh darn! That means ordering thread! tee hee!

Secret Santa Exchange Package

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! What a day! It's been blizzarding all day. I had to work, & when I got off work, I had to clean all that snow off my vehicle. The drive home was just plain scarey, so you can imagine how happy I was to find my Secret Santa Exchange package in the mailbox. Thank you postman for braving the elements to deliver it!

It came all the way from Winnepeg Canada! There's a beautiful red bookmark tatted in very fine thread, a package of seed beads, an Aero type shuttle with 2 bobbins, an eentsy lovely tatted angel (who's dancing in the branches of the tree), a package of charms, a ball of green tatting thread & a cute card with a puppy on it. All these fun goodies came to me from Monica Smith. I'm in heaven!! Thank you Monica!

ladyshuttlemaker Shuttle

I finally have pics of my ladyshuttlemaker ceramic shuttle. I chose it for the teal color & the beautiful tatting imprint. I'm very proud to add it to my growing shuttle collection!
You can see more of these ceramic shuttles here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LadyShuttleMaker?section_id=5052044

Waiting for Santa

Merry Christmas to All

Christmas Tatting

It's very quiet & peaceful as I sip my Starbucks this a.m. My husband left for a week-end hunt with the guys. So, I have an entire, glorious week-end to craft. We put up the tree before he left last night, & it has yielded the Christmas spirit. I have one tatted snowflake - my first ever. I didn't know when I tatted it, that it would be so huge. It's from Jon Yusoff's Quantiesque pattern done in Lizbeth sz 20 Jelly Bean. Here it is as a small doily under a collectable Finton glass tree. I'll need to tat up snowflakes for the tree one of these days before Christmas.

I've started my first tatted Christmas present. This is the Crinoline Lady from Tatting Treats Two by Pam Palmer. I'm tatting this little lady for my sis. The pattern calls for sz 40 thread, but I'm using Lizbeth sz 20 in Christmas Delight & the bonnet is Christmas Red. It's a bit larger than the pattern, but I'm thinking my sis can use it on a quilt block since she quilts. The plan is to send her a Crinoline Lady on each holidy in 2010, so  she can make herself a holiday quilt. This is an easy pattern, & the instructions & diagram are so easy to follow!! Here's the bonnet & the bottom of the sleeve & the pic from the book.

 

Motifs #5 & #6

Finally, I'm finding time to blog! Yesterday, I was wearing my newest tatted Sweetheart, when my co-worker said, "Nice tatting!" I was amazed that he (not a she) knew what tatting was at a quick glance. I had to ask how He (now held in much higher esteem than previously) knew what tatting was when most females can't ID it. His sister-in-law tats, & He & his wife have her tatting hung on their walls as "wall art". Now, is that amazing or is that amazing?!

OK, here's the latest Sweetheart in one of my own HDT. This is DMC instead of Lizbeth sz 20. I have to say, I like the Lizbeth much better - it seems to have a sheen in comparison to the DMC. From now on, my HDT will done with Lizbeth.

I had to make one of Yarnplayer's little rings to go with my other Sweetheart. It's a fun & easy pattern! You can find it here:  http://tinyurl.com/y9b57q7

Here are the older Clovers from my sister & 2 new balls of Lizbeth in size 40. I tatted the newest Sweetheart with one of the new old Clovers. I'll tat her a snowflake to include with her Christmas card - tatted with one of the shuttles.

Scrappy Mini Lunchbox

During my mini-vaca in CO, my niece & I made our annual day after Thanksgiving shopping trip. We only shop for yarn & scrapbooking suppplies. She had found another yarn shop for us to visit. It was behind a huge mansion, along a stone walk-way & inside a carriage house! It's was soooooooooooo awesome! I found a skein of handdyed yarn for a woven scarf to-be.

We next made our way to the scrapbooking store we always go to when I visit. Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, they had these mini lunchboxes. IknowIknow. Yet another tatting box!!???? Remember, though, I gave my other tins away as gifts. Well, here were these mini lunchboxes all scrapbooked up, & I'm telling you, they were CUTE!!! I'd like to be able to say I snubbed my nose & just walked away from them. I'd like to say I was tough on myself & didn't buy. I'd like to say I didn't, but I can't!!! I had to. OK, so there was the box, & this paper that would be so cute on it, & the little jewel stickies, the wee, round letters & the lace butterfly edging... IhadtoIhadto, so I did! I had a great time scrapbooking my mini-lunch box tatting tin!!!

Now, I swear there was purple in that paper when I was choosing the lining. It's more than obvious I need to use my Ott light in the basement at night. There's NO purple in the paper, it's BROWN! So, this box will get a new lining of pink & green. Anywho, I'm loving it!!

Tatting Tea Tues - Late

I'm a day late with my Tatting Tea Tuesday post. I just returned from Thanksgiving in CO where my sister lives. We had a wonderful & fun Thanksgiving, but I'm way behind on everything!! I have several pics I want to post, but they'll have to wait til later in the week.

I tatted another of the Sweet Hearts. This one is done in one of the new Lizbeth colors. I can't remember the name of it - nothing new about my lack of good memory.

I didn't find any tatting threads, but my sister did root around her sewing room looking for shuttles. She's sure she has what may be a bone shuttle, but couldn't find it. She did find an unopened package of the older Clover tortoise shell colored shuttles. They are my favorite Clovers, too! Isn't that a funny coincidence? Now that I know she once wanted to learn to tat, I know any tatted pieces I gift her with will be loved!

Unfortunately, my sister has very poor hand/eye coordination from having rhumatic fever as a child. She had to learn to walk, talk, etc 3 different times until she was 9 years old. All of the fiber crafts I love doing, she just can't, so I want to share as many of my finished pieces as I can with her. She's very limited where crafts are concerned, but the one she can do & has become a master at is sewing. She's a master quilt-maker & seemstress! She has an amazing ability to love unconditionally, too. She can always find somethng good in even the rottenest people! Our mom died in a car accident when I was 9, & my sister Joyce took me in. She's been my mom, my big sister & my best friend.

Raising my cup to Big Sisters!!

Tatting Tea Tuesday - Christmas Gifts & Tea

Mmmmmmmmmm! I'm enjoying another cup of cinnamon candy flavored tea this morning. It got me to thinking about Christmas & gifts.

I love little tins for tatting. They have to have hinged lids, though so I don’t have to chase the lid. LOL! Last month I showed my tatting tools tin made from a little tin that came with sewing notions in it - until I re-purposed it to be my tatting tools tin.

I decided that tatting tool tins would make great Christmas presents for my tatting friends, so I went on the hunt for hinged-lid tins. They aren’t easy to come by, I can tell you! I found these very cute ones at Hobby Lobby, though!

Hobby Lobby has an incredible selection of felt squares, so I found a square that was textured & matched the tin. That got me to thinking it would be cute to color-coordinate everything to match the tin. I lined the tin, & made a coordinating pincushion to attach to the inside of the lid (I don’t like chasing tiny pin cushions, either.)

While waiting in line to check out, I spied these cutest of manicure sets - just the right size to fit into the tins & color-coordinated to boot! I took out the scissors & nail file & replaced them with one of my decoupaged shuttles. I left the tweezers & the nail clippers in for opening rings & cutting thread.
I grabbed a couple square bead containers, & put together enough color-coordinated beads for a small tatting project or two. I added a skein of HDT to pull it all together & put in 2 snowflake thread winders (also found at Hobby Lobby - in the wood section.)

Since I used my own HDT, the whole shabang came to around $13. The only issue I had was that I needed one for myself! Merry Christmas to me, too & thank you Santa! LOL!

Katie