A new book and the Christmas tatting starts!

A new book always inspires me to get in the Christmas season. And here is a picture of the new book edited by Barbara Foster from Handy Hands at www.hhtatting.com/ . It has 18 patterns for different snowflakes and motifs that can be pinned on satin covered balls. The directions are easy to follow and there are diagrams. The pictures of the finished work are done in color. (No I don't get paid for advertising-I just found this book fun and had some fast and easy, yet pretty snowflakes).

This is my attempt at snowflake #1. OK it's missing a point-so I guess mine is really a star. The directions call for a long picot that the other 5 center rings are going to be joined to. I hate to have too much picot left sooo I didn't make my center picot big enough. Oh well I'm still going to use it on one of my satin balls!:)- I used size 20 in 'Western Sunset' Lizbeth thread. I can say it didn't take long (less time if the telly is off!) and was fairly easy to tat since it really is only 2 rings repeated.I usually avoid things that have thread space-never really get them right. But this wasn't that hard. Maybe I'm just getting better at it, not. Well I need to get back to Sunday dessert making (we are having Raspberry Funny Cake yummm.!) TaTa for now.

Tatted angel with double picots.

My little tatted angels pattern by Nancy Tracy of www.be-stitched.com/ , called 'Tatted Angel'. The angel on the left is shuttle tatted in size 20 Lizbeth thread 'Spring Fling'#106. The bigger angel is in size 5 hdt by Yarnplayer 'Rhubarb Pie' and is needle tatted. (I like to use the needle for size 3 and 5 Pearle cotton threads.)

Nancy's pattern only calls for 6 picots on the head, but I want to make the size 20 into earrings and the size 5 a tree ornament ; so for hanging purposes I added another picot. The penny is just for size comparisons. I also had to practice my double picots and see if they would work with needle tatting. They do.

Becki only has a 3 foot tree and large ornament would be over powering.

I also have made a few fabric origami pieces in the shape of cranes for her. They are done in green batik fabric I bought.( Not enough time to make my own, maybe make some batik fabric this summer for next Christmas. Anyone who has worked with dye will know what I say when I say that dying is time consuming. Batik requires several dye processes with set time between each one-so next time.)

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Turkey Day and have a great week! Remember there are only 27 tatting days left till Christmas! :)

Ah Ha moment.

WE all have them, those moments when we look at something and it finally clicks! Well I had mine today. I have never tried double picots before. I just didn't- no good reason. Maybe because when I was doing most of my shuttle tatting I wasn't exposed to them. And I don't know if you can do them in needle tatting.(have to think about that for awhile) So I googled how to do them. Got directed to online tatting class and Mark Myers lovely pictures. Let me back up here I don't learn by just pics alone- I am an Audio and Visual learner. So to stare at picture alone doesn't cut it in the instruction group for me. But if I read them out loud I usually can figure things out. So the pic below is my 1st successful tatted double picot.Yeah!

O.K. so it isn't exciting and now I should make something that uses them I will in time. First have a whole bunch of ufos screaming 'finish me!'. Next pic is one of those pesky ufos- Marilee's pattern 'Keyed Up' available in her Etsy store, done in size 20 Lizbeth thread. (forgot which one I used I think it is Purple Pizzaz). Now to hide threads, get the other leaf on it's mate and stiffen- and ANOTHER pair of earrings!Lol
It was fun to make.

Last weekend we sent Becki back to Alaska. It was such a short time she was here. She really enjoyed her ORFF Conference in Milwaukee, but she was really tired. She stopped off in Anchorage on her way back to Met and didn't have as good of a time as she'd hoped.(ticket prices are $1200 or more so that is a very good reason she is not coimg home.)

So-we are putting a Christmas package together for her. Homemade fudge, tree trimmings, hand made ornaments and some other goodies so she can trim a tree and not be too homesick.(1st Christmas away from home ever for her). Of course what is tree without tatted snowflakes?! Jim wants to make some wood ornaments for her. She is going to have one fine tree there in Metlakatla Alaska if you ask me!

Life just keeps us all busy. Hope everyone out there in tat land has a great week! TaTa for now.

30 years and still counting!

Happy anniversary to us! Today marks 30 years of wedded bliss! Here is a family photo taken on Bill's birthday of us all. The three striking 'children' in front are James, Becki and Bill. Me and Jim are in the the rear. It has been a wonderful 30 years and I really hope all of us are around for the next 30 years! :)

Tracy's Heart

My first 'Heart for Tracy'. Sorry didn't quite get it straight on scanner, but you get the general idea. There is a story here about the love of someone who is helping a dear friend through a very hard time. The designer of this pattern is Heather Johnston and her dear friend Tracy has stage 4 Breast Cancer. Heather designed this heart and asked those who would to tat it and send it to her so she could use it in a fundraiser to help with the cost of Tracy's care. This is truly a labor of love. I have lost way too many dear friends to this horrible disease. Heather's friend is only 33.Way to young I think to leave your loved ones behind. So if you would like to tat this heart and send it to Heather to help her cause you can find out how by visiting her blog http://thetarnishedtatter.blogspot.com/ for Tracy's Heart pattern by Heather in her October posts. There will be more information there. There is a link about the fundraiser for Tracy when you access the pattern.
I will remember Heather and Tracy in my prayers and definitely will make more hearts.
(The thread is size 20 'Purple Pizzaz' in Lizbeth)

WOO HOO I Won!

Woo Hoo. I found out Friday I had been one of 3 lucky winners of Yarnplayer's(a.k.a. Marilee Rockley) giveaway to celebrate her being published ! Well actually a beautiful picture of some of her lovely tatting! And today look what came in the mail! Here is a scan of the actual page that shows Marilee's beautiful necklace.

And then there was this very nicely wrapped package.

And inside- a nice surprise of size 20 of some Marilee's very own hand dyed thread! I screamed for about 5 minutes when I found out I won. I enter giveaways, but am the bridesmaid never the bride. Until this time!

Thank you Marilee for your very generous gift! I have to think of something someone would want that I do for a giveaway. Maybe a tie dyed T-shirt or crochet dishcloths or crocheted rug or maybe some of my many balls of thread and and some tatting shuttles? I have to work on it.

On a different note. I have been tatting, but I have had the attack of a pinched nerve in my back and left leg that has made even sitting less than fun. After many trips to the Chiropractor and Massage Therapist I can stand up straight-literally. So I hope to finish my ufo's soon.

And Becki the long lost child(not really she has been in Alaska working) is coming to town for the ORF Conference in Milwaukee this weekend. We are excited to see her as this will be the only time she will be down until summer! :(

I just can't thank Marilee enough and I am very excited I won. I am very proud of Marilee and am happy she is part of tat land. She is a very talented person. And I for one am blessed for having her out there! Ta ta for now.