We are having a heat wave!

Anyone who lives in the Midwest know heat and humidity = awesome sweet. At the rate we have had our latest run on high heat index days we should have bushes and bushes of lovely sweet corn. lol. I do not have air conditioning except in the bedroom, so the heat slows me way down. To do anything strenuous means total wipe out and end up in the bedroom to bring core temp. down. But it hasn't stopped me from working on my tatting.

My motif for Lighthouse Lacers.

 So my lace group (Lighthouse Lacers) is doing a tatting round robin. This is my entry. Jane made a suggestion since it starts with SCMR in doing a SR for the last ring . I haven't  tried it that way since the  motif would make a cute snowflake. I do have to give credit to Jon Yusoff for the center as it is inspired by her snowflake. And since it is similar to hers I don't think I can share a pattern for it legally as she has it published in "Tatted Snowflakes".
I have a very nice one that when I get my row done I'll share, until than anyone with a connection with the powers that be to cool the temps down please help! lol :)

Life's surprises!

We are not hermits but can be close to it. Our house sits about 200 feet from the road surrounded by tall trees. You really can't see us from the road and we like it that way. We have three entrances to our driveway which is  tree lined so you have to come around the bend of the driveway to see the house. People walking by who haven't been here have no idea that we are here. So when strangers pull into the yard it takes us by surprise and them too. ( I can tell when people drive up and they usually get met somewhere up the driveway). Ok we like our privacy . To continue with my story: Saturday my son was outside in the yard picking up his tools. He had just finished working on  a friends car. A woman with a cat carrier(cockatoo inside) and a small dog walk up to him and asks if she could hide in our woods to hide from her ex boyfriend who was a cop.( there is about 4 acres of woods surrounding the property). Of course my son said no. He watched her leave or so we thought. He finished his clean up and didn't think anything about.
At 4 am the next morning my daughter came into our room and said she just got a text from my hubbie's phone. (see our spare room 'luxury accomidations' for guests)

The spare room.

My hubbie got up to look for his phone. No phone anywhere(he forgets it in his car all the time.) So he and Bec took the camping lantern out to his car, as my daughter hung back she heard her father yell 'What are you doing in my car!' The questionable woman was in his car sitting with her dog. Yeah that did not go over well. She plead with him not to call the police and took off thru the woods toward the road. My husband checked to make sure everything was ok with his car. He locked it and my car came in and went back to bed.
Sunday goes on and husband stays home from church to make sure the lady does not come back. Son and husband have to go outside for some reason and my son turns around and finds the lady asleep in the grass by my raspberry bushes! Police are called and when they finally get here she is still asleep. Apparently she has been on the police watch list for some time because she has a mental illness and there hadn't been enough to commit her.( not enough complaints so the police were grateful to us calling so she could get the help she needs!) Are we in the twilight zone??!! Or what?? At least all ended well.
So this morning Becki was to fly back this morning. She came out with two pieces of luggage and left with three more so she could take good Illinois corn home.
We are going on the tollroad and the car starts driving funny-flat tire and no jack! Quick call to son. He rescues us and hubbie and Bec are off to the airport-she made it with one minute literal to spare. Good thing her flight left late! Murphy's law what can I say.

Becki and Jim the Bee Whispers!

Jane's hexagon mat!

So I am closing with a few fun pictures. One of hubbie and daughter after checking our bees(yum home grown honey!) and a small sample of Jane's completed mat! So when life gives you those little speed bumps just smile and be happy you have good family and friends to be there for you-and of course tatting! :)

Lake County Fair And Presents!

To say I crammed a lot into one week is an understatement.  So Wednesday my daughter flew in from Alaska for her last big adventure before her work starts up . So she decided to visit to go to the fair and take home sweet corn. And there is nothing like Midwest corn! So on the way home it started to rain and plan b got put into play.

Beck and Bill at Fred's

So a quick stop to one of our favorite diners to have a great breakfast. After Fred's it stopped raining so off to the fair!

Bill with a pork chop on a stick .

We saw the piggies, the bunnies, the chickens, sheep, cows, and goats. After the livestock it was time to go inside for air conditioning and the exhibits.  My youngest son Bill meet us there and had his traditional chop on a stick. He loves to 'ham' it up for the pictures. lol.
After 4 hours I was faired out( and broke).
That was Wednesday. Two aspirin a short night and I was on my way to Diane's and Cincinnati.

Lovely brooch that Jane gave me.

And we heard from both me and Diane how Thursday went. Isn't that a lovely brooch I received from Jane. Diane took the blue one.( of course)
Friday I spent the day shopping with Becki ( broke again lol). We went to a shoe store and Lane Byrant. It was nice to find clothes that fit for this full figured gal! So by Friday night I was falling asleep in the chair lol.  Way too much fun I guess.
Today it is more shopping with Becki( food shopping this time). Find time when all three of my children can get together again. It is always nice when that happens. And more extended family time. We never know when Becki will have the time or money to come down to the lower 48. Well time to get going! Ta Ta for now.

Meeting of the Minds!!??

Presents from Diane.

First let me say I did not die nor have I any real good excuse why I haven't posted for so long. I can say I have had a busy summer. With that said I say that on July 22nd we had the first meeting of the minds when Marilee Rockley (aka Yarnplayer) and I meet up with Diane Cademartori (lace loving librarian) at an Oasis on the Illinois Toll road. Gifts where exchanged, many laughs and a lady had to ask what we where doing. Then she said 'I thought that was tatting'. That was a great time and it was so great to get to know Diane and Marilee better.
But wait for it! The next best day of the summer was Diane and I drove to Cincinnati Ohio to meet up Jane Eborall truly one of the greatest minds in tatting! All I can say it was like we where friends always. Jane is such a sweet, funny and talented person! She sounds in person just like she does on her blog!
Ok yes I did take pictures, and will share. We spent six hours talking tatting , solving and learning. Jane even took my work and unpicked my mistakes lickity split. All the time telling me oh I love to unpick mistakes. She was so willing to show and share!
Diane showered us with more gifts and I gave her one of my pop a bobbin shuttles.

Diane, Jane and me.

Jane Eborall and her beautiful mat!

Doesn't  it look like I had fun! I did!

Marilee from the 22nd.

So wish Marilee could have joined us I know she would have loved Jane. She was missed from Diane, Jane and my adventure!
Tatters are truly the nicest people!

What happened to Spring???!!!

It seems like winter has come back! Woke up Monday to 1" snow on the ground. The last few days have been rainy, windy and in low 30's. My poor sinuses and Sunday is our big Easter program and my voice is getting froggy.Instead of Alto I'll be signing Bass!lol Mother Nature can't make up her mind. Last week we had 90 degrees on Sunday!
I thought you would enjoy a pic of a traffic stopper my daughter sent me.

a traffic stopper in Anchorage!

 You don't see one of these every day in Illinois! But it is common place in Anchorage. Oh yeah, so are the bears!(Don't go alone and don't forget your gun!)
Now I have to brag about my friend I have been working with on tatting!

Lindsay working on Helen Bailey's Celtic Egg Pattern

Now Lindsay was originally taught to tat by her Grandmother when she was 6 years old. But she hadn't picked up a shuttle for a long time. We have been working together for about 8 months and Lindsay has mastered many techniques.  This piece is tatted in size 20 Lizabeth thread. The pattern is off Georgia Sietz's web site and by Helen Bailey. Sorry no URL address, I have trouble getting to Georgia's site and usually google it.
I think Lindsay has done great so far and is by far a faster tatted than me! She hopes to get it done for Easter.
Weather hope continues as temps are suppose to get to 60 by the weekend. Of course we've been lied to before. lol :)

Happy Tatting Day!

'Celery' and 'Rhubarb Pie' in size 20. Pattern from 'Workbasket'

Hope everyone had a great day wearing tatting, eating chocolate and tatting! My friend Lindsey worked on a very new techniques with her. We had wonderful Dove chocolate and I taught her Teri Dusenbury's folded join(or not really folded) and the Catherine Wheel join.  Yarnplayer has a great video on the Catherine Join and Jane Eborall had a link to Teri's folded join. The  picture is a pair of earrings using Teri's method for doing the last ring without a twisted picot!
The black thing the earrings are on is my new magnifier. It has two magnifications and is wonderful for seeing those small stitches for sewing in ends. It was a Hobby Lobby  find and am sorry to say I use it a lot!
So Happy Tat Day and keep those shuttles and needles going!

Lighthouse Lacers' display.

The month of March at the Kenosha Northside Library the Lighthouse Lacers are displaying  several items of different handmade lace. We have Hardanger, Bobbin, Needle and Tatting laces displayed. Marilee Rockley (aka Yarnplayer) has  a lot of her own designs on display. There are several pieces that where made for me by Jane Eborall( sorry I didn't have anything of mine to display this time.).  Tatting is very well represented! Enjoy the pictures I took on my iPhone. Click on pics so you can see the beautiful detail of the work.

The vest is Hardanger, the earrings/necklace set Bobbin lace.

The green necklace is Marilee's. The butterfly I believe to be Bobbin as is the piece in the frame.

Several more Marilee necklaces, a practice doll that has tatting on it and another Bobbin lace with some bobbins.

This wall hanging was made by Silvia (?). She Bobbin laced this. You really need to click on it an see just how beautiful it is!

And last we have Needle, Tatting and more Bobbin lace. See the butterfly and seahorses, guess who (Jane E.) made them!

I hope you enjoy the pictures. Janet, Trish,Jim(Janet's husband) and I had fun creating this display. If you are in the Kenosha area visit the Library at 1500 27th Street, Kenosha, Wis.
Next Saturday the 12th from 1-3 pm members of the Lacers will be demonstrating different techniques.
On another note I did finish my TIAS! It is on Jane's TIAS blog. It was one of 80 Jane Airlines to 'fly' in.