Teresa's Crafting Stuff

Sometimes Technology Just Sucks!!

2011-10-08T00:13:00.000-05:00

Finally ... finally. My 3-year notebook computer DIED the Monday after we got back from TatDays! Don't know why but the motherboard conked out and that makes the 2nd time in about 15 months!

I wound up purchasing a new one and then my online backup service had to restore my files twice!! Their techs worked with me for several evenings until the wee hours each night. I only had to rebuild two weeks of daily stuff that I do but my critical files are back and whole.

Now, I'll be able to get some serious tatting done ... YEAH!! Maybe I can even get pictures posted. Fall is here and almost wish we were going up the Blue Ridge Parkway; I'm betting that the foliage will be beautiful for the next ten or so days.

Home Again ...

2011-09-25T17:18:00.001-05:00

Another Palmetto Tatters Guild TatDays Event in the books ... and on-line! In addition to a wonderful slate of teachers with fun and challenging patterns, we went live Friday night to create a World record consisting of the largest number of tatters, at the same time, tatting the same pattern. The recorded video can be found at World Record 23-Sep-2011. In addition to the 62 who were in the room at Toccoa, GA, there were another 65 from all around the world who joined us via FB or U-stream. It was really fun and there are a lot of pictures posted from others on FB and hopefully their blogs.

There were so many new faces this year ... many that I've corresponded with during the last ten or so years. Of course, we always welcome the faces who come every year and want to thank the entire Guild for the planning and hard work that goes into an event like ours. Our international traveler's this year included Riet from The Netherlands and Maria from Mexico.

Also joining us were Tracy and Bill of The Lacemaker from Cortland, OH. Of course they had the latest Lizbeth colors as well as some proto type shuttles that will soon be available (I think) from Handy Hands. They are interesing! In size between a SewMate and a Tatsy, they remind me of overgrown Boye plastic shuttles. They appear to hold a lot of thread!

Will post more later!

Has it really been that long?

2011-09-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a really busy year. Just returned from our monthly Guild meeting in the Columbia, SC area. Lots of cars on the road with flags for the Clemson Tigers (played and beat Auburn) and the USC Gamecocks (played and beat Navy). Lots of folks getting their tailgating needs as well.

Last weekend, we were in Raleigh, NC for DS#1's wedding. DS#2 was the Best Man; he gave a heart-felt speech about the relationship between Lee and LaWanda. LaWanda is a beautiful bride ... I'll have to get some pictures of the edging she wanted me to add to her wedding gown.

Thursday I leave for PTG's 9th Annual Tat Days again this year at Toccoa, GA ... a beautiful venue with great teachers, wonderful food and many tatting friends. DH will be joining me hopefully sometime Friday. He's having to make an emergency meeting in TX because of his j-o-b. That 'thing' always seems to interfere with his vacation plans. He spent half his "vacation" in Montana last June working.

DS#2 graduated from MMI in Orlando FL in August and has moved back home along with the dog he rescued. Chris is a certified motorcycle mechanic in Kawasaki, Suzuki and BMW! In fact, he was the only 'wrench' in BMW for that class. Looking for a position but most of the shops around here are gearing down for the non-riding months. Funny ... DH doesn't park his KLR650 during the winter but he sure gets cold some days!!

More later and hopefully I won't wait so long to post. BTW, Friday, September 23, 2011, Palmetto Tatters Guild on Facebook, 6 to 6:30 EST (USA East Coast). Pattern at 2011 Tat Off Pattern. Comment or Chat with us on Facebook. Let us know your location by country. How far can we reach? We're hoping, with the aid of all the Tatters around the world to set a record for the most tatters SIMULTANEOUSLY tatting the same pattern. We've filled out all the paperwork and have a journalist who is willing to certify to the Guiness people. In the end, it will be up to the Guinness folks to accept our numbers. We're also planning a live broadcast at Streaming PTG Link. Join us if you can and we'll show the world that "TATTING IS NOT A LOST ART."

A Lazy Saturday - Link to Knotless Tatting Technique

2010-10-16T17:25:00.000-05:00

Just a lazy day with heat on my neck when I not doing the exercises to correct my posture and relieve some of the pressure on the nerve going down my right arm. DH is home for a week ... the longest since I went to my niece's wedding in July. He's been criss-crossing the southwest, midwest and west coast. I've not be able to keep up with my schedule, much less his. LOL!

I've been doing a lot of catching up with the various on-line newsgroups and forums that I've sorely neglected for a long time. It's been fun to catch up with everyone since my situation with the pinched nerve has adversely affected my own ability sit for more than ten minutes to tat. I've also been putting together some jewelry for Palmetto Tatters to sell at craft shows and fairs after the SC State Fair. That has also been rather slow going as the arm takes a bit of punishment when I manipulate jewelry pliers.

There is always discussion on the use of the Magic Thread to hid ends in our Tatting. The link here
Shuttle Brothers Knotless Technique is the result of a lesson Gina Butler and I received several years ago from the Master himself, Mr. Gary Houtz. I asked and received permission from Gary and Randy to edit a couple of handouts that they used at Camp WannaTat. They've also seen and approved the final edit presented in the link. Gina did a wonderful job with the photographs and Randy's diagrams are pretty easy to follow. Hope you enjoy the information in the technique.

PTG TatDays 2011

2010-09-18T20:41:00.001-05:00

Save the Dates: Friday and Saturday, September 23-24, 2011

We'll be back in the beautiful Georgia mountains at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center which is just outside Toccoa. Registration, class rooms, vending, and sleeping (what? who sleeps at TatDays?) rooms are all in the same building with the Dining Hall just a short walk. The Dining Hall overlooks a beautiful little lake; here's a picture GBCC Dining Hall.

There are a number of small sitting areas throughout the building that were certainly well used this year. I'm sure they will be well-used in 2011. The theme is "Tatting in a Winter Wonderland" so I hope everyone will submit their logo ideas whenever the call for the logo contest is put out on the official website: Palmetto Tatters Guild.

There will also be a call for teachers on the website. Certainly hope to see you there.

Items from 2010 PTG TatDays

2010-09-08T22:16:00.000-05:00

I wasn't happy with the Garnets & Grapes pendant after I had redone the earrings so I re-tatted the pendant and mounted it to small pin-back. Final steaming is yet to occur but I'm better pleased with these results.

I've ordered more garnet rounds with one of my sisters in mind since her birthday is also in January. Nina's designs are so lovely and appear to be really difficult but they are quite easy once you study the unique terminology she uses for some of the component descriptions.

I've also completed over the past week the Half Ring Braid Bracelet kit from Martha Ess. It was fun to work this piece of jewelery as well. I ran out of thread in Martha's kit to complete a pair of Patti Duff's easy earrings and sent Martha an SOS very late one evening. She was still up and answered me very quickly. I checked my thread inventory and l had that manufacturer color and size in my stash. Then I had to check some of my extraneous beads because I was 20 short (ten for each earring) for the pattern I wanted to use (didn't want to make a design change at this point). I found some very similarly finished beads in my miscellaneous bottle of beads but I managed to get this set completed.

Nina's Garnets & Grapes

2010-09-03T10:06:00.001-05:00

I worked on the Pendant from Nina Libin's Garnets & Grapes pattern this week as I was able. It hasn't been steamed yet to really complete the piece. I will also need to determine whether I will wear it as a brooch or as a pendant from a chain around my neck. The picture was not taken with my better camera but it will be a pretty piece when I finish it. I also need to re-tat the accompanying earrings ... maybe over the long weekend.

TatDays 2010 - Fall Into Tatting into the books

2010-08-30T11:25:00.001-05:00

These never seem long enough. It was so much fun to see everyone again this year and to meet new tatting friends. Took Nina Libin's Garnets & Grapes class. She is such a wonderful teacher and I had a good time although I wasn't the best student. My pinched nerve prevented me from being able to fully pay attention. I'll need to remake the earrings and the pendant is under "construction." It too will be added to my UFOs but I hope to finish more of them as the year goes forward.

So enjoyed working with The Lacemaker again this year. They are so much fun and personable. I wasn't going to buy any thread this year but that Tracy (the "evilly" smart businesswoman) knows my weaknesses. She had some Anchor thread and I picked up several hand fulls. The Lizbeth 80 was in and of course I had to have some of that. Adding that to my thread inventory will also take several hours to complete and put away. Karey Solomon had also brought some size 15 Rocaille beads in the colors she knows I love so I just had to give them a home.

The quilt drawing took place and DonnaT (the newly installed Guild president) called the lucky winner. He was very surprised and said that his wife had told him he had to purchase a chance. She, like all of us, is also a fiber/craft junky. There were also several wall hangings that were created from the extra blocks that were sent into Georgia. These were auctioned off in a very-lively and fun time. Several other items were also auctioned including Ruth Scharf's "Neue Blätter" (which I won!! yeah, a prized and often hunted addition for my personal library) and some nifty items from the 3rd Season of the History Channel's Ice Road Truckers.

The 3rd Season of Ice Road Truckers moved out of Canada and to Alaska's Dalton Highway. The trucker who retired at the end of the season, George Spears, is the "little" brother of our own Georgia Seitz. A short bio can be found at http://www.history.com/shows/ice-road-truckers/bios/season-3-truckers#slide-5.

This year, it was announced that the generosity of the tatting community enabled us to fund seven full scholarships for tatters to attend TatDays 2010 and two partial scholarships. The funds raised this year between the beautiful large quilt, the live auction on Friday night and the silent auction which completed it's run on Saturday afternoon probably raised more than $4,000. This will go a long way in allowing the Guild to help more tatters attend our next event who otherwise would be unable to do so.

The banquet entertainment brought Connor O'Doul to see us. He is a magical creature captured by Veronica Moore. He is a really nice and funny guy and sings in a falsetto contralto voice. The facilities were really quite nice at the new site. This year found us in the Georgia mountains just outside Toccoa. The Georgia Baptist Conference Center is really a nice place and treated us well. Registration, vending and classrooms were all on the same floor. All the "sleeping" rooms were in the same building and there were two elevators to take all of us and our 'stuff' up and down. Everyone seemed to like the facilities. There were lots of areas, inside and outside, where small groups of us would gather to chat and tat.

Hope and Lori did a wonderful job scheduling the entire event. There was scheduled free time so that everyone could take a breather and just have time to finish a class project, ask a teacher about a specific technique, shop or just clear their mind for the next class. It was good to see Wally and Sue as we hadn't seem either in a couple of years. It was good to meet new faces and put names to faces for those who we knew from online, whether in the online classes or some of the various online forums/news groups. That's all for now ... pictures of UFO's and other stuff later although I didn't take my own camera out of the case all weekend.

Five Days and counting down

2010-08-22T15:23:00.001-05:00

Getting all the final chores completed before loading out and heading to Toccoa on Thursday for Palmetto Tatters annual Tat Days. DH will be heading out before me on his motorcycle. He's already made the trip down there three times as he doesn't like riding the Interstates.

He knows the important landmarks for us. Distance and time to the nearest Walmart and the nearest hospital (which we certainly hope we don't need!). Driving time for me, according to Google maps is just under three hours so I'll head down I-85 around 9:00 AM to meet up with the lunch-bunch at the Cornerstone.

Looking forward to seeing everyone that I haven't seen since last year or before. I also look forward to meeting some of the folks who will have their first trip to our party this year!

I didn't get a real chance to look, but Hope and Lori have accumulated some really interesting items that went into the goody bags. Can't wait to get mine at registration and see EVERYTHING! Just hope I get a decent report from PT on Wednesday as the doctor's test last Friday didn't give me the results I was hoping to hear. Having a pinched nerve has really cut into my tatting time.

Another Week Gone

2010-08-07T11:31:00.003-05:00

PTG 2010 TatDays - "Fall Into Tatting" is fast approaching. I did an inventory of my thread before going to Montana in June and decided that I needed to get some tatting done before I buy anymore. I'm sure though that The Lacemaker (our key vendor again this year) will have plenty of items to tempt me. On-line registration closes Wednesday, August 11 PTG 2010 TatDays Registration. Closing registration gives the Guild the best opportunity to have everyone's registration packet complete. The registration packet includes each individual registrant's class schedule and the class notes for those classes. The schedule this year includes blocks of time that each registrant can use to catch their breath and clear their mind for the next class ... or go shopping in the vending room, or catchup with tatting friends they haven't seen since last TatDays attended.

The highlight of the year (well actually several) will culminate in a drawing to receive a Crazy Quilt. This effort was been "ram-rodded" by AKTATTER (alias Georgia Seitz) and is open to all. Tickets are $5.00 each and all proceeds benefit the Palmetto Tatters Guild Scholarship Funds. Additional information about the project and tickets can be found here: Crazy Quilt.

Another week has gone by and I'm back in my new 'permanent' digs at the office. Still have to unpack the boxes that I had unpacked back in March when I moved from my previous cubicle to the new digs. I must say, it is really nice to have the new paint color on the walls. The color is a very relaxing, slightly greyed, robin's egg blue. The carpeting consists of 24" color squares in a charcoal grey. There are slightly patterning in the squares and they are laid at 90 degrees to one another. The creates a cross-hatching type appearance. I've considered using carpeting squares in one of spare bedrooms at home but that's just another upgrade we haven't gotten 'roundto.

Scissors protectors

I've been doing a little tatting although with a pinched nerve, I haven't tackled anything of significance because I can only tat about ten minutes at a time before I need to put down the project and ease the nerve. These little projects are really great for that. Thanks to Gary and Randy Houtz (the Shuttle Brothers) for the idea and for sharing. The tubing which scissors are inserted is in this case oxygen tubing and the technique used is Bauble Tatting by Bobbie Demmer. The technique is shown and discussed, with Bobbie's permission, on JaneE's site at Demmer Bauble Technique. There is also an additional information showing the two ways to do Bauble Tatting here: Bauble 2Ways. The scissors protectors start with a ring in which the stabilizing threads are incorporated into the core of the first ring. Each is unique and incorporates a charm at some point. the ends not shown have a largish ring that is used to attach the protector to scissors. I used Josephine chains, lock-stitch chains, single-shuttle splits rings (ala Matthew Takeda) between the bauble portion and the end ring, again each one different. They are fun and I'm looking forward to doing more.

A Little Breathing Room

2010-08-01T17:10:00.000-05:00

Back at home for a few weeks. Spent a long weekend in July in Amarillo, TX at a niece's wedding. It was a great party and the bride was absolutely lovely. A wonderful time was had by all.

Quick move at the office while they finish painting and installing the new carpeting in my area. TatDays 2010 is fast approaching. New venue this year is at the Baptist Convention Center at Toccoa, GA (which is just across the South Carolina/Georgia border north of I-85). Registration is still open if you can attend but haven't registered TatDays 2010 Registraton. I'm planning to take one of Nina's classes and am really looking for to that ... 'course, that's only if DH will handle the oversight in vending during class time. I'm sure he will; I'll just need to be sure we both know everything we're supposed to do! LOL

Last night in Montana

2010-06-28T21:33:00.001-05:00

Tonight is my last night in Montana for 2010. I've stopped in Livingston, MT which is at the intersection of I-90 and US-89. If I were to continue south on US-89 instead of going east on I-90, I would go into Yellowstone National Park (the NE entrance just past Gardiner, MT).
This picture is taken from the hotel parking lot looking southward toward Yellowstone which I believe is beyond this mountain range.

I really had a great time at Camp WannaTat again this year. It was really neat to see everyone I hadn't seen in at least a year's time. Shuttle Brother #1 had a hip replacement in February and is getting around wonderfully well. He and Shuttle Brother#2 brought #1's daughter-in-law with them. She is a wonderful young lady and does beautiful tatting as well.

I did finish three of the four projects presented by the teachers. Irene from Yukon, OK presented a pearl-tatted bracelet (Picture to the left). The Shuttle Brothers presented a scissor protector (shown below on the right) that uses the bauble-tatting concept and starts with a ring and is tatted to fit a piece of tubing. I purchased a number of charms and was given a bunch of tubing. I plan to make a number of these and will probably donate for Palmetto Tatters (door prizes anyone ... not the scissors though LOL) TatDays 2010 which is fast approaching. The ones that will be used for door prizes will have charms, beads and other embellishments added.

Karen from Snohomish, WA presented an earring pattern that I need to look at the actual construction bit closer when I return home. I know the concept but wasn't happy with my results so it went into the tin for a later do over.

Deb with DS9Designs presented a Patti Duff earring pattern that is really quick and easy but looks so much more difficult. Lots of possibilities for the individual to play with different styles of beads. I didn't keep the pair I completed but donated to the Guild in Thompson Falls for their sale later in the fall. Didn't even get a picture but they are so quick and easy ... I'll probably add several different thread colors/bead combinations into my personnel tatted jewelry.

My drive tomorrow will take me out of the Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota mountains and onto the rolling prairie land of southern South Dakota ... all on I-90 East. Tata for now.

Mitchell, SD

2010-06-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

Stopped for the night in Mitchell, SD. Whenever DH and I drive this, we usually stop at the HUGE Cabella's shop in Mitchell. I believe it to be as big as any Bass Pro Shop. Not too much rain but the roads were a bit wet this morning when I left Peoria. Every where we go it seems that there is road construction. The interstate system in the US is really showing its age and all the wear and tear. There is always construction in the summertime along I-90 through South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. Winter weather, I'm sure, is especially rough. Going to grab some dinner and hit the sack early.

It's out West I go!

2010-06-21T06:21:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a well since I posted but I've been asked to keep my guild members posted on my current travels. We had a very good Guild meeting on Saturday the 19th at the Lexington County Museum. What a great place to meet. Although we have to bring in a number of Ott or other day-light type lamps, the atmosphere is really great. The staff always sets up the tables for us. After we left from eating supper together, I drive as far as Hendersonville, NC where I stayed Saturday night.

Yesterday morning I hit the road about 7:30 AM and drove to Peoria, IL. Had a good rest but have woken up to a thunderstorm. Looks like my drive today will be in and out of thunderstorms so I may not get as far as yesterday. It's very tiring to drive through heavy rain and varying wind speeds. Will also need to keep a weather-eye out for potential severe thunderstorms. Will post more when I stop tonight as I need to get onto the road.

A New Year

2010-01-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe that it has been nearly four months since I last posted. I haven't been lazy ... I've started working on Ineke Kuiperij's Trainset and Station. I've completed the tatting for the station and the locomotive but haven't stiffened the pieces yet so that I can put the roofs onto the station and put the locomotive pieces together.

The station is was done in six stages (not counting the frames for the windows and door and the door itself). Ineke's designs are really nice to work up. Using a translator in conjunction with her wonderful diagrams, it was pretty easy to follow.

The locomotive steam boiler I tatted in a single, 3-D piece by starting at the concave portion on the front and then completed the boiler by using split rings. I have the coal tender about 75% completed and will be very glad not to have black, size 80 thread all the time.

I wouldn't same the this is my very best tatting, from a technical standpoint, but I am having fun with the project. I'll get some pictures shortly (need to charge the batteries for the camera) and post. I think I'll do a before and after for the locomotive pieces.

For those of you in the northern tier of the US and the UK and northern Europe, I hope you stay warm and well. The weather has been very cold and snowy, more so than usual (although with weather how do we really know what is normal?). For those in the Southern Hemisphere, I hope your summer is pleasant and not terribly hot.

Back to Tatting!

2009-09-28T20:38:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, I was trying to "organize" some of my stuff. While going through several patterns I've received during several visits to CWT, I re-discovered the 1999 Hedgehog pattern by Randy Houtz. This pattern using a tatted bauble methodology to create a 3-D hedgehog. I've photographed it with a SewMate shuttle for scale. The finished size (tatted in Lizbeth 20, color 692) is 1 1/2" long and stands 1" tall. I think he's really cute, what do you think? The picture's not all that clear (I'm still playing with new camera so the focus isn't as clear as I'd like).

If you would like to try a bauble, Bobbie has worked with Jane Eborall to post the technique to Jane's website at http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/baublebobbie.pdf.

2009 TatDays in the Books!

2009-09-14T19:46:00.001-05:00

The Palmetto Tatters Guild 2009 event "I've Been Bitten by the Tatting Bug" is now history. I believe everyone enjoyed themselves ... I know we (DH and me) certainly did. Lots of work but it was worth it to see everyone we hadn't seen for a year and meeting face-to-face tattings friends that we had only meet through the Internet. There was lots of shopping, classes, shopping, laughs, shopping, chocolate (of course!), and did I mention shopping!!! Kudoes to JoannieC and HopeB as the co-chairs! Both of them, with the rest of their team, did a wonderful job. As everyone was leaving yesterday, the phrase we heard over and over was "Hate to go ... but we'll see you NEXT year!"

Tracy and Bill Jackson of The Lacemaker did another terrific job to bring all the newest threads that have just recently become available. There is the replacement thread for Coats Opera (discontinued a couple of years ago) ... it's called Freccia. Some of the balls (as they appear in that form) remind me of a perle cotton while others are closer to Opera. The thread has a pretty firm 'hand' for a 3-cord ... much firmer that Opera did and a bit firmer than Altin Basak. I do believe that Lizbeth 40 has become my favorite thread. I love the 'hand' when tatting ... nicely firm, beautiful sheen from the mercerizing and luscious colors. There were also lots of books and tatting tools whether it was shuttles, needles or other "stuff."

Georgia Seitz has to be the most OUTRAGEOUSLY entertaining auctioneer and game show hostess I've ever seen. The treasure chest put together by the Tatting World was so HUGE that it was broken into least three prizes. I couldn't tell whether AKTTTER was a female version of Monte Hall (Let's Make a Deal) or Bob Barker (The Price is Right) ... well, maybe more Monte Hall. Erin Holloway did a wonderful imitation of Carol Merrill ... the hand gestures and voice inflections were PERFECT. The auction for the Tatting Treasure Chest was a lot of fun but it raised some serious money for the Guild's scholarship fund. Watch for announcements about quilt blocks for the next PTG Scholarship Fundraiser!!

There were so many of our participants who also brought WONDERFUL items for the Silent Auction. The Georgia-Lina Tatters (one PTG's Palm Fronds) had issued a challenge to the other fronds. Everyone certainly lived up to the challenge!! The Lacemaker put in a couple of items ... I lost out of the bidding on the jar of threads, tatting tools and other goodies I was watching but I known Sharon will enjoy her additional stash. Each of our teachers contributed items. Several other tatting groups whose members were attending also contributed to the Silent Auction ... in fact, we had a wonderful challenge of finding enough table-top space to display all of the items and put the bidding sheets with them.

We also hosted the first ever, LIVE TAT IT AND SEE. Donna T was posting various stages as they were completed onto the Guild's official website. It was a lot of fun ... there is one stage that if you switched working shuttle, you could have wound up with a perfectly different critter!! In order to participate, we had to sign a SUPER, SECRET CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT for Part 1 (because some of us were a bit antsy about blood, there was a red ink pen). To receive each consecutive part, you had to show the completed parts to JaneE, DonnaT, JoannieC or BonnieG in order to get the next part. Had a great time with that!! There were just enough distractions that I had to retro more than I usually do but with everyone having so much fun it was no problem!! My part 5 can be found here: TIAS - Part 5; my first effort was one of those that would have been very strange (went into the round file) so I changed from two decorated shuttles from SLT to a laminate shuttle by Richard Seitz and a Texas Fence Post shuttle from Jack Coen so that I could tell the difference between Shuttle 1 and Shuttle 2 ... multi-tasking brain cell disappeared!

DH rode his Kawasaki motorcycle down and there is a picture of it (sans the cover) on Lori's Facebook page: The 650! He had a good time and it was a nice ride down from Gastonia on US 321 for him. Because he had his own transportation home, I got to join the Chocolate Therapy frond at the Mall Sunday afternoon for a bit more tatting but instead of chocolate we had ICE CREAM!! Better dash and take care of some reports and maybe pick up a shuttle to put some double stitches onto a core thread and make more lace!

Countdown - 7 Days!

2009-09-03T22:29:00.003-05:00

Just a week until Palmetto Tatters 2009 Tat Days - "I've Been Bitten by the Tatting Bug!"

There are a lot of last minute details that are being completed. The goodie bags have lots of very useful stuff this year. I've had several boxes of goods from various consignees for the vending room that have arrived for transport to White Oak.

DH and I have been our staging area to load the car to go to Winnsboro on the morning of the 10th. If the weather continues to be nice, he's talking about riding his street bike down. We'll take US321 down from the Charlotte area. That is such a lovely drive.

Lots of folks are listed as coming and it will be so much fun to see everyone we haven't seen for a year. Others we haven't seen for several years. There are even some "newbie's" for attendance but certainly not strangers to our Guild.

I'll try to better about getting pictures this year but take a look at the Guild's website. Donna and Jeff (in there spare time --HA!HA!!) have put slide shows from our 2008 event. http://www.palmettotatters.org/events/TatDays2008/TatDays2008.shtml#slideshows is the URL. There are three slide shows that are fun to watch!

2009 Tat Days Preparation

2009-07-19T20:10:00.005-05:00

Doesn't seem possible but we're only about 2 months from PTG's 2009 Event "I've Been Bitten by the Tatting Bug." Vickie Clarke from Canada submitted the winning logo and the pattern is sure to be on the PTG 2009 Pattern CD which is available after Tat Days ... unless you'll coming to White Oak Conference Center for the event. It's sure to be lots of fun. Additional information is available on the Guild's official website http://www.palmettotatters.org.

A little birdie has told me that there is a Tatter's Treasure Chest to be auctioned by Pirate Captain AKTatter. She's even 'threatening' to bring along her cutlass to coax bids from the captive tatters. Promises to be lots of fun ... ARRRRGH!!! Proceeds from the auction and other silent auction donations go towards the scholarship fund that Palmetto Tatters Guild has to aid tatters to attend the TatDays Events.

Bill and Tracy from The Lacemaker will be trekking down to South Carolina again. I really think it surprised them last year at the amount of thread was purchased. Other items of interest will be available in the vending room from other tatters. Marilee (The Yarnplayer) is sending a box of HDT and hopefully copies of her book. She did send a copy of her book for the Guild's Library and looks to be one that many of us would like to add to our personal libraries.

More later ... if you're thinking of attending, remember that on-line registration is only open until August 5th. We have eight lovely ladies who will be teaching lessons this year and I have my normal dilemma ... how do I clone myself to be in all the classes and yet see all my friends from past years, meet new friends and oversee the Vending Room. DH will also help out there and there's not much telling what Tracy will be bringing that will intrigue this year. Last year I picked up a couple of Lucet's and Tracy gave me a quick lesson in Kumihimo. Both are intriguing, especially the Kumihino.

In the meantime, I'm also working on some items for a craft sale the Guild will be participating in at Greenwood, SC two weeks after our TatDays Event. Bookmarks, crosses, angels and perhaps some earrings are items I'm planning to donate.

On the way home

2009-07-01T11:00:00.002-05:00

It was really good to see Gary Houtz this year and to finally meet his lovely wife, Vera. We all had missed Gary last year but are certainly glad he felt well enough to make the trip. Irene and her husband had all kinds of issues with their "new" motorhome ... but the dealership will really take care of the issues when they return to OKC. I know I certainly wouldn't want Irene on my case as she is TENACIOUS!! Good to see Deb from CoSprings again and to meet several new folks and tat again along beside old friends.

I was finally (about time, too) to make a decent looking tatted bauble. I can hardly wait to get down with a couple of other small projects and then 'tackle' the bag pattern from Bobbie. The pattern is a re-creation of a bag Bobbie had found thrown away, probably because the silk lining had been riped. The original bag had crocheted baubles but the one I want to make will, of course, use tatted baubles.

I left Bobbie's on Monday morning and stopped at Casper, WY. I had once visited an aunt and uncle, along with their children, many years ago ... probably somewhere between 45 and 50 years. I don't remember much of the town but I remember how long it took us to drive from our home in the Texas panhandle.

I drive into my sister's in Amarillo last night arriving about 8:30 PM CDT. I hadn't told them I was coming. She and her husband are hosting a mortgage-burning party on the 4th (this Saturday). I won't get to stay as I still have two days driving before I get home and I have to be at work on the 6th. I'll also get to surprise my mother when she arrives at the Amarillo airport on the 3rd. She has no idea I'm here either. Since I missed her 80th birthday dinner in April, I thought this might be a good surprise as well.

Since I'll be here several days, I do have a couple of friends to try to see and also to see my aunt and uncle while I'm here. I haven't seen their new place so I hope I can catch up with them but I know my aunt is busy and my uncle has had some health issues this year.

Greetings from Western Montana

2009-06-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

Arrived at my westward most destination about 4:30 PM MDT. Really enjoyed the drive ... well except for all the road construction. Road construction however has to be done during the summer months in the more northern states because concrete and other paving materials just are not maleable during other times of the year.

Our lacing conference this weekend is a full house but it will be lots of fun. There will be tatters from Washington, Oklahoma, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Colorado and North Carolina. It's always great fun and inspirational. New techniques, technique improvements, new designs are just the start!

Montana ... well, nearly!

2009-06-23T21:21:00.003-05:00

I'm really bushed ... left Omaha, NE about 7:30 AM CDT and arrived at Sheridan, WY at 7:00 PM MDT. The day started out in Omaha rush hour drive and of course, I didn't listen to Gypsy (my GPS co-pilot) and made one wrong turn. Didn't take us long though to get back onto the correct road. I did go through a very bad thunderstorm as I approached Sioux Falls, IA on US Interstate 29 North. No hail but heavy rain, lightening and lots of wind!

It was a really lovely drive though after going through the thunderstorm. I was under cloud cover until about half-way across South Dakota on US Interstate 90. I drove out from underneath the clouds and the sky was magnificent. There must have been a couple of years (DH & I haven't made the drive since 2006) of good winter/spring moisture because the fields, pastures and foot hills in South Dakota were absolutely GORGEOUS ... I don't remember ever seeing them as green and lush as they are now. I can really tell that I'm in cottonwood country too as the cotton is flying all through the air ... I've also got some hay fever.

One more day and I'll be at my destination until Sunday or Monday and then it's back in the car and the journey to North Carolina as I have to be back at work on the 6th. More later!!

Westward HO

2009-06-21T20:12:00.002-05:00

My vacation has started and I've begun my annual trek to Montana. This year I'm driving and look forward to a number of days in the car, listening to several new books on CD. Tonight, I'm in southern Illinois and will travel to the Omaha area to spend tomorrow night with a relative. I also look forward to seeing all the Western US tatting friends who will gather for a great weekend of tatting later this week.

New Stuff -- FINALLY

2009-05-30T10:51:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Karey Solomon, Palmetto Tatters will be teaching her beaded body dragon fly during a couple of meetings. For the June meeting, we'll create the wings using the pearl tatting and monofilament (fishing line) as the core thread. Monofilament used as the core thread creates a stiff wing ... pearl tatting helps too ... without stiffening.

Karey is teaching at the 2009 PTG Tat Days and the technique for the beaded body is one of the classes she is doing. With that in mind, Guild members attending the September meeting will go other that technique and finish their dragonfly.

Tatting Treats

2009-02-11T21:44:00.003-05:00

When I got home from the office tonight, I had some pleasant treats.

First, the 2nd book from the Shuttle Brothers has finally arrived. Aptly named, Tatting the Self-closing Mock Ring for GR-8 Design, it is truly inspirational. I think Gary and Randy have done their usual excellent process of taking the individual tatter beyond where he/she thinks they can go. Having been in classes that they've taught and sat with them during other classes, their minds are always racing ahead.

While the book is black and white, all the diagrams are excellent. There are pattern diagrams as well as drawings of hand positions. The photographs of the tatted models are extremely well done. It is the perfect companion book to their 1999 book entitled, Tatting the GR-8 Self-closing Mock Ring. The three-page discussion of Front side / Backside Tatting is probably the clearest explanation I have ever seen in writing and they included a number of drawings illustrating the discussion (you know, the old "a picture is worth a 1000 words" kind of thing).

Secondly, I received that shuttle I had won on some of the Ebay auctions. This one is from Dublin, Ireland. The wood is described as "Bocote" and is a beautiful shuttle. The pictures on the item (see 330302222643) do not do this work of art justice. I'm very pleased with the shuttle as I like smaller shuttles (length-wise) but I think it will hold a lot of thread because of the design.

Last week I also received the ceramic shuttle I ordered from LadyShuttleMaker. It is very nice as well; I can't believe how light it is. Thanks, Sherry!

TAT - Intarsia Star

2009-02-01T10:57:00.009-05:00

I have learned (through the Tat Across Time Tatting Proficiency program) many new techniques and appreciate all the hours that must have gone into designing the program, creating the phase manuals, and producing samples/diagrams. There are many talented designers who graciously gave permission to the TAT group to use their designs and techniques.

I have learned that my biggest challenge in my tatting is to complete the project. It wasn't until I did this program that I realized there are many items that really need to be blocked. Once the tatting is complete blocking really shows effectively all the time, effort and love of our lace that we all invest in our craft. This is especially true if you are creating a piece that could become a family heirloom.

One piece uses a technique termed as "Intarsia." In the TAT glossary: "series of even or uneven split rings with two colors incorporated to create a design, often with 2 core threads." I know the term is sometimes used in knitting but my knitting is so simplistic, it's never been anything I've encountered.

In this case on the split ring rows that are the first and last of the piece are the only ones which are not padded. This design from Nan Alsbrooks of Texas is really more of a challenge in following the directions to obtain the look ... in my case, an orange, five-pointed star on a field of blue. The second row of the design introduces the thread color for the star and the rings become padded as a second core thread has been introduced.

Another challenge of this technique is to remember to NOT to flip the stitch on some of the rings with the secondary color is used ... has to be direct tatted or the guess what ... the ring WON'T close.

I really enjoyed the technique though it is a bit fussy at times. As a native of the great state of Texas, I have considered tatting a Lone Star Flag using this technique ... just haven't gotten a 'roun-tuit.'

Update on Gary - SB1 and the NEW BOOK!

2009-01-22T23:40:00.006-05:00

I just spoke with Randy (SB2) and got an update on Gary. Randy says that Gary retired both the walker and wheel chair just before Christmas. Gary is using the walking stick that Randy carved him to get around ... well, unless the snow is too deep and then it's time for the crutches. He's working as best he can and still doing rehab. Gary is expecting to have more surgery and will wind up meeting with his doctors probably in May to continue moving forward on his rehab. He's still not driving yet but his spirit and determination are unflappable!

I'm sending a check to Randy tomorrow for their new book. I was privileged to see one of the final drafts last summer while at Bobbie Demmer's. It is a wonderful addition to their first book. Randy says that he hopes that the third book, currently in the works, won't take so long to put it together.

Speaking of new books ... I usually buy my own Christmas and birthday presents because DH says, "I don't know what to get you but I know you want some more tatting ' stuff ' so have at it. DS#1 and his girlfriend gave me Jon Yusoff's "Tatted Snowflake Collection" for Christmas and then an original "Priscilla #1" book for my birthday last week. The Priscilla book is more than 100 years old and WILL not go onto my bookshelf but will have a more protected place to reside. It will stay in the armoire where I keep the books I refer to most often.

I also purchased a really first-class reproduction of "eThe ART of Tatting and Netting" originally published by The Butterick Publishing Co. I have seen bits and pieces of this book reproduced through the years but never the entire collection in a single binding and the quality is excellent. Kudoes to Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions!

Flowers of Lace - Samples

2009-01-21T10:56:00.002-05:00

One of the lovely ladies who is purchasing the Flowers of Lace fundraiser book has asked a question. Judy is wanting to know who has tatted the rose in the book. The photo shows the rose with a spray of tatted Baby's Breath.

If you have tatted the rose, please share a link to the photo and share size of thread used and approximate dimensions. I haven't had time to do anything in the book yet.

January 2009 update

2009-01-10T22:50:00.003-05:00

I always have the best of intentions ... but sometimes the follow through is a bit sketchy. A few more of the fundraiser sets have gone out. Last month, I attended a craft fair with one of our Guild's members. I made 18 pairs of beaded earrings and several dozen angels of which we sold about half of each. We also sold a number of other items that had been made by our guild members so every little bit helps.

In addition to preparing lesson plans for the Guild, I've been test tatting some patterns for a designer who lives in the Western US. Hopefully, her next book will be ready and available soon. The patterns are variations on a theme and the concept is a bit different from anything else I've encountered.

We had a quiet holiday season, with DS#1 spending several days at Christmas. He gave me Jon Yusoff's "Tatted Snowflake Collection" for a gift. I really hope to get to some tatted soon. DH mentioned when we were taking down our Christmas tree that he thought it would be nice to have it decorated something with just tatted items. Snowflakes, Hearts, Angels etc. I think he would also like the tatted "garland" that Dianna Stevenson did some time ago. Don't know if she got her domain back but I think I can find the instructions somewhere in all the printed stuff I've never organized but have printed off the Internet.

DH is scheduled for eye surgery in early February ... cataract removal, replacement lens and corneal transplant on the right eye. Recovery from surgery is expected to take a bit of time and DH has never been known for his patience. Well, better get back to doing something.

Wish all of you a prosperous 2009!

Another update on SB1

2008-10-09T21:06:00.003-05:00

I've also received orders for the small handouts from the following:

Marty from Salt Lake City, UT
Donna from Garnett, KS

Thanks, ladies.

Also had a new update on Gary on one of my other addies and I don't think he will mind if I share. Considering everything I think it's positively MARVELOUS!!

"Hello All,
I tied my shoes today!!!!!!!!
Gary"

Getting a little tatting done but not much. Just working on some bookmarks ... one of my favorite patterns. I am using a lot of my vintage Star threads with newer DMC Tatting Cotton. By winding each thread TOGETHER onto my shuttle, I can create some very interesting colorways. I'll try to get a picture later to show what the way a single, colorway of lavender, white and lime can look when combined with a solid color thread of white, lavender, kelly or black. They are very interesting!!

As October is breast cancer awareness month, I'm currently tatting a bookmark in two shades of pink, pastel and hot. Once I get it finished, I try to post that picture as well. DS#1 is coming home this weekend ... maybe he'll remember his digital camera since it is so much better than mine.

Take care and happy Tatting!!

Last Day in September

2008-09-30T18:36:00.003-05:00

I must say it's been an interesting couple of weeks. I'm mailing a check for $500.00US to the Credit Union in Colorado for Gary Houtz's fund. Thanks to everyone who has participated so far:

Palmetto Tatters Guild participants from TatDays 2008
Heart of England Tatters: Rosemarie Peel
Shuttlebirds (Spokane, WA): Patti Duff
Red Hat Lacers (Chula Vista, CA): Patsy Goodman
Sunflower Lacers (Manhattan, KS): Ronna Robertson
River City Tatting Club (Evansville, IN): Dorcas Newkirk
Marcella Ouzts (Muskogee, OK)

Thank everyone so much who expressed their interest in helping Gary. While it's not much, every little bit helps but mostly, your thoughts, best wishes and prayers go a very long way.

Happy Tatting!!

Tidbits of information

2008-09-15T13:25:00.002-05:00

The last week, especially since the 10th, has been very eventful. The orders for Gary's Fundraiser have come it at atonishing rate. I have to print more B-U-T I've have a challenge to overcome. Currently I have orders for 55 sets of which 48 more sets have to be generated.
The challenge has been that I had a major breakdown of our home network last week. When I got home Wednesday, our DSL modem was off-line (a doorknob would have been more useful!) which meant waiting until a new one arrived on Friday. When hooking up the new modem on Friday, I discovered that whatever had gotten the modem ALSO got my network card in the computer itself. So off to the PC doctor, but still no connectivity after an hour with "customer service" from my provider.
DH was driving in from Lufkin, TX because good(?) ole Ike had closed the Houston airports. He arrived about 1:40 AM Saturday after being on the road for 14.5 hours. Up early on Saturday and then back to the PC Doctor, tower and DSL modem working okay in the shop. Back to the house, put everything back together and finally got some connectivity around 5:30 PM. Then on the phone with the router manufacturer, then back to my ISP to bridge connections, then back to the router/print server manufacturer to get the rest of the connections operational.
Had planned for a lazy day on Sunday but DH decided to put together the computer armoire he had me purchase in January. The two boxes had been taking up space all this time and he decides he'd had enough. Eight hours later, the armoire is together and we start moving the network. Three hours after that, the network is up and completely operational. Furniture rearranged and even the floor swept (although my poor vacuum needs to visit the shop too). Into bed but the night certainly wasn't long enough.
Hope to get all the printing done tonight then tomorrow night start on making the filament loops for the fundraiser. Wednesday I'll complete the binders and then Thursday, I hope to be able to start mailing packages.

2008 PTG Tat Days & Update on Gary's Fundraiser

2008-09-10T08:56:00.006-05:00

Finally getting my 2nd wind ... why does it seem to take longer every year? I still have the same dilemma each event though, haven't figured how to clone myself so that I can take in all the classes, work the vending room and see EVERYONE!! Hanna didn't come to see us (thank GOODNESS) although several of our usual participants were unable to come (missed Katie and Lorena!) because of her presence along the eastern Carolina shoreline but we still had a good time.

Sales of the Knotless Tatting Fundraiser in the vending room were $133 and with my matching funds, that's already $266. So many of the gentle tatters from around the world have responded so that I need to make up more of the little kits and it looks like I'll be sending at least an additional $150, more than $500 - WOW!! Thank you everyone.

I just sent notes to everyone who had contacted me at tattingteresa@gmail.com about shipping. If you are interested and didn't receive a note directly from me, please use the gmail addy to get me your contact information.

I am really humbled at all of the generosity that all of you have exhibited. It is a real testament to the esteem that the tatting world holds for Gary.

Gary's Fund Raiser - How to Order

2008-08-28T19:48:00.002-05:00

I promised I'd work out the details. After Palmetto Tatter's Tat Days, I'll be ready to print these on an as requested basis (for those of you who haven't already contacted me). While I would prefer a check or money order, I will take PayPal if you are willing to add the minimal cost of the PayPal service to the funds. For a personal check, email me as tattingteresa at gmail dot com, and I'll send you my mailing address.

For example, if you wish to purchase 5 packages at the suggested minimum of $3.00US each, the amount to send via PayPal is $15.74US. PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE QUOTES DO NOT INCLUDE POSTAGE, I'll need to quote you at the time of your order. The PayPal fee is 2.9% of the price + $.30. I can then make up any shortfall to ensure that the full $15.00 will be forwarded to the credit union for Gary's account.

Wide Wonderful World of Tatters

2008-08-26T11:45:00.004-05:00

Although not surprised, I am truly and honestly overwhelmed with the responses that I have received about the little fund raiser I had planned. I'll be getting back to the individuals who've requested this information. Some of you I've already answered and will answer everyone else. Just give me a little time.

Today, our area of North Carolina is receiving the remnants of Fay. She has really wandered all over the landscape but we do so need the rain. In fact, some of the rain today has been a real gully washer!!

I do have another treat instore for those of you who are ordering multiple sets of the fundraisers so once we have all the small details worked out and you have received your packages, look for another little thank you from me personally ... it is a surprise ... SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Fund Raiser for G.Houtz

2008-08-24T17:00:00.001-05:00

During the upcoming Palmetto Tatter's Tat Days 2008, a fund raiser is planned.

A special fund rasier will be conducted in the Vending Room during Tat Days 2008. To benefit Gary Houtz, the 'older' Shuttle Brother who was severely injured in a car accident in May, a technique package for "Knotless Tatting" will be offered.

This package consists of three pages of instructions and a package containing two different types of filament loops (two each) bound in a plastic binder that will allow additional techniques to be added. The instructions represent two class handouts from Gary and Randy that were edited by Teresa Woods with pictures from Gina Butler. Diagrams are from Randy Houtz and Ron Butler.

All materials have been donated by RT Woods Consulting with a suggested donation of $3.00 minimum per binder. In addition to the donation of materials, RT Woods Consulting will match up to $150.00 all sales of the binders for the fund that has been set up for Gary with the Southwest Colorado Federal Credit Union.

The instructions represent a way to use filament and thread loops to start elements in tatting that lend themselves to SECURELY finishing a round of tatting so that knots don't have to be tied and then the ends need to be hidden in various ways. This technique takes a "magic thread" and goes a couple of steps further. Although fussy at first, the end result is well worth the learning curve ... at least that's my personal opinion.

PTG TatDays 2008

2008-08-10T10:36:00.003-05:00

TODAY is the last day to register on line. Click on http://www.palmettotatters.org/events/TatDays2008/TatDays2008.shtml then on "Who's Coming" in the left navigation panel to see everyone who is registered. I had the same dilemma as always ... how can I attend all the class sessions with all the teachers. I don't have the answer yet although with the pattern CD it does help but I miss the instruction of the teacher and the interaction of the class participants. So most often I am found in the vending room.

Our key vendor this year is The Lacemaker from Cortland, OH. Tracy has told me that they will have lots of goodies and better yet some SALE merchandise. See Tracy's website at http://www.lacemakerusa.com/ for more details of the items they carry and will probably be bringing a LOT of the merchandise with them.

We have a number of our teachers and guild members who will also be selling items in the vending room and consignors. Check back here and at the Guild's website for more exciting information about the vending room as will have more ad's for our consignor.

Sheron Goldin has book available that is a good discussion of double bobbin shuttles (DBS). She compares the various types known to be currently available, including pricing. Her book also has patterns, adaptations of patterns and a good primer about using DBSs.

As I've been printing them for her to sell (I do have a small print business that I run on the side), I've also been very impressed with her discussion on color which leads essentially to a design methodology. Although Sheron's own mind is the source of the book, it does represent a collaborative effort in that Jane Eborall has lent her diagramming skills, Georgia Seitz her editing skills. Marie Smith did a lot of the testing and allowed Sheron to incorporate her split chain.

Promised Picture

2008-07-17T21:54:00.007-05:00

Here is the promised picture of Gary's shirt. Randy was taking this back to him. There are a lot of items here that we did at CWT. There are angels on both shoulders (which don't show up very well).
There are a number of hearts where we were playing with Mark Myers Dizzy Double Stitches. There are snails and mystery motifs. The button also holds some of Patti Duff's beaded bookmarks. Any number of SCMR style butterflies had flown in and attached themselves to the shirt. Jack Coen had even carved a Lady Hoare style shuttle and there's thread wound on it and a motif started for Gary to finish.
The green "mass" on the right shoulder (upper left on the picture) was our representation of Gary's bag ... and even sometimes what he does to some of our bags -if we leave them in sight and unprotected. LOL
You can also see a number of Randy's Bumble Bees. The cute little critters using two shuttles tatted in the alternate thread method and the wings are double stitches on picots.
While we did miss Gary, we did get to talk to him briefly on Saturday, the 21st of June. Randy did let us know that Gary is at home now and has been going through all the cards that had been sent. He has a very long road to recovery and would probably appreciate cards through the long months ahead.

A long plane ride back had me playing with techniques. The picture of the butterflies, while not the best quality, was an interesting experiment in double stitches. All have the same stitch count; larger wings are 6 - 6 - 6 - 6 and the smaller wings are 6 - 6 - 6. The one on the left uses standard double stitches (DS).
The one on the right uses the Dizzy Double Stitches (DDS) and the center uses Ruth Perry's Balanced Double stitches (BDS, also described as a sliding square knot). For DS and BDS, there is a very definite crown to each stitch upon completion.
When tatting in either of these two methods and tatting frontside / backside, it is quite easy to glance at the tatting to determine which have of the stitch should be done next. The DDS on the other hand is another story altogether; I also found the tension more difficult to control with the DDS. I want to try to get a paper together, along with better scans of the butterflies as well as some test rings I did. The test rings, like the butterfiles, all have the same stitch count but I hope to show more detail of the stitches on both the front and back sides.

Greetings from Montana

2008-06-23T10:58:00.004-05:00

It's really hard to believe that this is my last half day at Bobbie Demmer's. We have had so much fun since I arrived last Thursday. Yesterday afternoon was the traditional trek to Little Bear's in Thompson Falls for ice cream. I had the Pecan Pie which is hand pressed ice cream (mmmmm!) with chocolate, pecans and Butterfinger candy mixed together. It is nearly decadent.

The weather has been delightful as well. In fact as I write, I'm sitting in the classroom with a long-sleeve denim shirt over my blouse but it nice. We've already had so much hot weather at home. I'll be swinging over to Mead, WA later today to see a girlhood friend I haven't seen in about 40 years so I'm really excited to see her and meet her family tomorrow.

I fly home on Wednesday and it is an all day affair. While I've enjoyed the trip, I'll still be ready to get home to give DH a break from puppy sitting. Pictures from the trip will follow and a picture of the shirt we all decorated for Shuttle Brother #1. We certainly missed his presence but was glad that Shuttle Brother #2 was here to give us an update. We also spoke with Gary during the weekend. He has a long recovery ahead but is filled with good spirits and tremendous determination.

Happy tatting everyone!

Meet Esmeralda - TIAS Day 11

2008-06-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Well, she's finally decided to have her hair all curled and if the picture were clearer, you could see pearls entwined at the scalp line in eight places to match the pearls at her throat. She's ready for a night on the town ... or wherever else she might want to go.

The curls are made by using slightly fussy method that I first saw in one of Elgiva Nicholls' book in my personal library. I then was reintroduced to it a couple of years while in class with the Shuttle Brothers. They use this method to create "ruffled" picots which adds more of a three dimensional effect. The method is accomplished by a combination of set stitches and 2 sized picots.

If you want to play with this method, try a ruffled wing butterfly. d=1st half of a double stitch and s=2nd half of a double stitch; p is a medium-sized picot and lp is a large-sized picot; + is a join.

Upper right wing:
12ds (lp dd p ss)x4 lp 3ds sp 6ds [Note: there will be 5 longer picots which will layer to the "bottom" while the 4 other picots will layer to the "top" of the wing.]

Lower right wing:
6ds + 6ds p 1ds lp 1ds p 4ds sp 2ds

Lower left wing:
2ds + 4ds p 1ds lp 1ds p 6ds sp 6ds

Upper left wing:
6ds sp 3ds (lp dd p ss)x4 lp 12ds

Tie the thread ends together for the antennae. Optional: tie an overhand knot near the end of each antennae.

TIAS - Day 10

2008-06-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here is Day 10. I did make one change. The beads that are effectively the eyes I did make a change. I found some slightly larger rocaille-type beads while the beads in the skirt are size 11 irridescent seed beads.

If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I'd just stay up until the Day 11 instructions were posted. I do have a design variation on her left arm ... I think she's had her spinach because the last split ring before the hand has too many stitches. I didn't catch it until I was hiding the ends using the magic thread and just decided I'd have her related to Popeye.

TIAS - Day 9

2008-06-07T23:00:00.001-05:00

Here is Day 9. I used size 8 pearlescent beads for this portion and what I loaded onto the shuttle. Not exactly sure how the color will work - I may wish I had found another color but we'll just have to wait on Jane's next installment!!

TIAS - Day 8

2008-06-06T01:00:00.001-05:00

Here's my finish on Day 8 ... looking pretty good. Still have no idea what we are tatting. It will be hard to wait to see how Jane will introduce the third color!! I have a feeling it will be very creative and once we see the final instructions, we're all going to say DUH!

Catching Up!!

2008-06-05T20:17:00.006-05:00

When things were a bit quiet last weekend, I did the TIAS that Diane Saunders had posted quite a while ago. I know that I'll never see a tulip with all these colors but I'm please with the way it turned out.

The flower is 2 strands, both size 80. One is a pink and the other is one of my favorite pastel variegated threads ... there is pink, lavendar, yellow, green and baby blue. It's a totally different look but I use a lot of "dual" threads to tat bookmarks. It's especially useful to use two-as-one if one of the threads is from my vintage thread and could be slightly weakened from dry rot. Of course, there are some of my vintage threads, really dark and intense colors, that I've just had to toss.

The stem is Olympus 50 but I do a little extra for the split rings. Because I really wanted a "sturdy" look and feel, the split rings are variations from Diane's original although the stitch count is the same. Here is the scheme:

R 1 sp 7 + (base of tulip) 7 sp 1
SR 1 + 6 sp 1 /1 + (previous ring) 6 sp 1 **
**repeat this ring 5 more times; 7 rings total at this point.
R 1 + 14 + 1

The last join is a bit tricky because it is essentially a first to last but it can be easily accomplished with a bit of practice.

TIAS - Day 7

2008-06-02T23:30:00.003-05:00

Well, finally finished through Day 7 although I actually had to completely re-tat the whole thing ... again. Had a bad day at the office, just filled to the brim with frustrations and had my normal efficiency drop to about 25%.

At least DH got dinner tonight but it was reminiscent of how bad the entire last 24 hours has been. My salmon was nearly burnt ... just remind me not to get the grilled salmon from Applebee's anymore. While waiting for hubby to return with our food, I thought I would get out my shuttles and finish Day 7. That's what I get for doing my own thinking. While closing the last ring, I broke the thread and rather than just adding in a last ring, I cut away from the button, recycled the beads and did it again.

The best part of this was I took the time to work on Jane's JR method. I'm getting excess twist in the process but I understand the method ... just need to practice.

TIAS - Day 6

2008-06-01T09:19:00.003-05:00

I really did complete the Day 6 work on Friday evening after getting from the office. I've just this moment however gotten a chance to take a digital picture and post.

I posted to my blog even before sending to Jane ... bad, Teresa. Well, it's in the post to Jane now.

TIAS - Day 5

2008-05-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished this last evening just after returning home from the office. I really do enjoy Jane's mindset I'm just having trouble wrapping myself around her instructions for the modified Josephine Ring. I'll want to try it sometime when I'm not so tired and can follow the methodology.

I don't have a clue as to what we are all creating but I am enjoying the process. Oh, Jane ... how many clues can we anticipate?

TIAS - Day 4

2008-05-25T12:51:00.002-05:00

Here is Clue 4 and can you see a difference from previous installments?

I changed my mind and decided that I wanted the colors reversed so I started over again this morning. I really like this version better ... at least at this stage of the game. Being female however, I do reserve the right to change my mind.

Hector Bracelet Plus

2008-05-24T20:13:00.003-05:00

Well, even charging the batteries on my camera didn't help much. Since it is only a 3.2 megapixels, I think that the problem. At any rate, I finally finished the bracelet I started the 3rd of May. Yorkie Sue was still in the U.S. and we had so much fun.

It's difficult to see but the charms (starting at 1 o'clock and proceeding clockwise) are:

Ruth Perry's Little Heart
Sue Hanson's Ankh
Sue Hanson's Lucky Horseshoe
Lori Dunlap's Hat (tat off pattern from Palmetto Tatters Tat Days in 2005 Fan-TAT-istic)
Sue Hanson's Blue Moon (mine is terrible; doesn't do Sue's pattern justcie)
Sue Hanson's Button Sun
my block tatted fan - no pattern; just an experiment
Sue Hanson's Lucky 4 Leaf Clover
Sue Hanson's Mini Star
one of my beaded butterflies
Sue Hanson's Celtic Triangle (I LOVE this pattern)

TIAS - Day 3

2008-05-23T22:12:00.005-05:00

Here is Day 3 of Jane's latest Tat It And See. I have no clue and Jane just doesn't release the clues fast enough. Of course, I say that about and "craft"-a-long.

I just wish I had my son's camera. While mine does an okay job, his does so much better. He also has a wonderful eye and does take some wonderful pictures.

TIAS - Day 2 and other ramblings

2008-05-21T20:37:00.008-05:00

I've already sent this onto Jane and she has posted to the TIAS blog but I thought I'd go ahead and post the picture here as well. I've been haunting the TIAS blog this evening hoping that the time would hurry so that I could do another of the exercises before heading to bed for sleep. Of course, it would be very early for Jane (~2 AM) as I write so I don't think she's about yet.

So I'll spend some time on my "infamous" soccer tablecloth. This is a project that I started a number of years ago ... probably as far back as 2001. The picture of the lace was taken in 2005 when my mother was visiting from Texas. The size at the time made it an overwidth tablerunner. I've since added another 9 rows of medallions along the length and need to add another nine rows to the length.

The name of this piece salutes the hours that I've spent with my boys at practices, games, and tournaments through the years. I could tat a stack of the individual medallions. When I would get home, I could then pay a bit more attention to the work to tat the medallions together into strips (usually about 8 long) and the tat the strips into blocks and then join the blocks. At the time the picture was taken, I figured that I had nearly 300,000 ds in the fabric itself.

I've challenged Ruth Perry (this medallion is her original motif) to design an edging to complete the cloth. I'm really excited about the prospect because Ruth is another of the designers whose work I love to tat. She uses negative space so well; her designs are really pleasing to my eye. The second picture is a closer picture of the way that each medallion is joined to the next. Originally, Ruth's suggestion would have joined the medallions on the corners but I wanted a more substantial (takes a lot longer too ) cloth. I plan to clean off the table this weekend (I really need to chase the dust bunnies!!) and lay out the lace onto my table again. This will really allow me to check to see whether or not the cloth needs to be bigger before I start the edging.

Newest TIAS

2008-05-21T08:00:00.003-05:00

It certainly took me longer than usual to select my threads and the accompanying beads. the first day's tatting (hope it's not too far off the mark). I've also included The royal blue is Hakelgarn and the complimentary color (orange) is a Flora as is the "natural" I chose, a medium to light value gray. The beads are some hanks that I had gotten YEARS ago on a trip to the Cary-Raleigh, NC area when my boys were playing a tournament, probably a State Cup in that area. The beads simply scrumptious although I don't know the original brandname. They pick up and reflect so much of the light and reflect the thread colors but the beads do not appear to be irridescent.

The orange plain Clover is currently loaded with the six beads and the royal blue Hakelgarn. The orange Flora is loaded onto a beautifully decorated Clover shuttle. Hope Bates from Palmetto Tatters had a number of these at our Tat Days last September and I believe she is planning more for this coming September. The shuttle in the foreground is one made by Richard Seitz (yes, Georgia's DH). This one is made from laminate used for countertops and is a really lovely shuttle. I have several more pieces of laminate to send him that I picked up 2 years ago and had put them into a safe place. So safe that it only took two years and a little spring cleaning (good grief, but I need to do more) to find them. They'll go out in the post later this week.

PTG Lesson - Betty Magill's Heart of Gold Earrings

2008-05-19T19:04:00.006-05:00

While I'm still working on Sue's charm bracelet (with fat wrists, I needed to make some more charms), I did finish a pair of earrings from our lesson the 17th at our Guild meeting. The prime purpose of the lesson was to share Sue Hanson's dimpled ring method. This method uses true dimples but the manner of working and closing them makes it very easy. Jane Eborall has posted the technique at http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/dimplerings.htm. The primary difference appears to pay omage to Gary and Randy Houtz (The Shuttle Brothers) use of self-closing mock rings.

The pattern is a variation of Kim Millar's Basic Earring pattern that she posted to the web in 2000 (URL: http://www.geocities.com/kimmtats/basicearring/basicearpat.html). I love this pattern and the variations are practically unlimited ... of course, imaginative people use it unlimted, I need help. The change that Ms. Betty asked us to incorporate was on the center ring (where the jewelry findings are attached). We used a dimpled ring without any beads on it.

I used kidney wires for my jewelry findings as that is my personal preference. The thread is Flora 20 in a light to medium value grey and the beads are from some that I picked up YEARS and YEARS ago at the Hook, Shuttle and Needle shop in Cary, NC. If I remember correctly, one or the other of our sons was playing in a soccer (football to the rest of the world) tournament in the Raleigh area. I say the shop, an old house converted to a reatail shop, and the name intrigued me. I did a quick U-turn and spent a couple of hours exploring. I picked up 5 hanks of beads, the ones used here, some milky-white, translucent beads and some really sparkly, royal/emeral/purple beads.

Vist with Yorkie Sue!

2008-05-03T20:48:00.003-05:00

Just got home from a wonderful day with Sue Hanson. She is such a trip with her purple hair and cape! Really enjoyed her lesson ... she has a wonderful way to manipulate a dimple ring. Her method really makes it so easy to close a dimpled ring. I hope she'll share it on either her blog or the HBT list on Yahoo.

There were nine of us and we laughed, shared goodies, tatted a bit, laughed some more, had soup together. When I had left, Karen L. had taken Sue, Erin, and Anitra on a shopping expedition to AC Moore's in Lexington. The store was having a sale.

When I get my charm bracelet completed (Sue's pattern), I'll post a picture. In the meantime, Happy Tatting to all.

PTG lessons

2008-05-02T12:47:00.007-05:00

I'm really trying to complete some small projects this year, especially the lessons our members at Palmetto Tatters are willing to share. The above picture is a bracelet pattern designed by Deb Strickland, one of our newer members. She's had some health problems which have prevented her from tatting. Deb gave everyone kits with thread, rice beads, jump rings and a size 5 tatting needle.

Sharren Morgan from Greenwood, SC (one of the super teachers scheduled for Tat Days 2008 in September) helped demonstrate and most of us learned to needle-tat. I hadn't pick up a needle in a long, long time and had to have Sharren give me a personal tutorial.

When I first did the pattern, fifteen split rings to add the beads just wasn't long enough to go around my fat wrists, so I dug into my bead stash and decided to "stack" 3 size 8 beads. The center bead in each group of three doesn't show very well in the scan above, but it is a smoky, translucent bead that really sets all the color variations well. The finished piece is just under 8 inches (20 cm); I just have to get some silver-toned jewelry findings to add to the jump rings and I'll be ready to wear it.

Mystery Medallion #1

2008-02-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

After doing this one three times, I finally have one that I am happy to post. Of course, the other two versions weren't bad either ... they just fell into puppy antics or rather the curiousity of our new puppy, BJ, who chewed the knots in several places.

I did make one major change in doing the first portion of the medallion. The initial instructions had the first ring being made of 12 double stitches, a LONG picot, 12 double stitches, then the remaining 7 rings being made as 12 ds, + (into the long picot of the first ring), 12 ds. I opted to have the rings being 10 - 4 - 10 for the first ring, 6 rings of 10 + 4 - 10 and last ring of 10 + 4 + 10. I really like this look. The medallion still needs to be blocked but I'm happy with the overall effect and plan to make a larger mat using these medallions and some GORGEOUS vintage, ecru DMC cordonnet, size 30.

Tat It and See - Solid colored version

2008-02-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

Here is the second version of the Hippo. His name is "Happy" and he is the perfect companion for "Flora." Because of the background, he appears to be a cream color but the thread is camel-colored Cebelia 30.

Tat It and See

2008-01-26T23:17:00.000-05:00

Here is my first rendition of Jane E's wonderful hippo pattern! I've named her FLORA since she's dressed in her best to find the best waterhole! I hope to do a friend for her, dressed all in a brown suit tomorrow.

I loved doing this and hope Jane ... possibly others as well ... will do more. ?????-a-Longs are always a lot of fun regardless of the craft involved. Thank you, Jane. See the link to the Tat It and See under "Some of My Favorite Links."

A New Heart Design

2008-01-22T19:24:00.001-05:00

Please note the changes/corrections to the end of Rows 2 and 3. THANKS, Katie Verna for catching my goofs in writing the pattern. That's what I get for throwing it together during lunch and not taking the time to re-tat from the instructions after I'd slept a night or two.

I haven't been inspired to do a new heart design since 2001. While waiting on my car to be serviced last Saturday, I sat down and sketched out a heart. Not sure why the center inspiration was block tatting but here is a scan of the 3rd heart I tatted. The one I actually tatted during our Guild meeting in Lexington met its demise with our new pup and his need to chew ... just as well as it really, really needed some help. Maybe I'll try that one later.

This one is simple enough. Using whatever style of block tatting you prefer (I used Jane E's braid method) and two shuttles CTM:

Row 1 Ch 4 sp 4 (odd rows have flipped stitches while even rows are unflipped).
Row 2 Ch 1 sp 4 + (core thread to picot on Row 1) 4 +
Row 3 Ch 1 sp 4 + (lj with core thread) 4 +
repeat 2nd and 3rd rows once more
Row 6 Ch 1 sp 4 +
Row 7 Ch 1 sp 4 +
repeat row 6

SR 4/4
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (last picot on Row 8) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (same picot as prev ring) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (picot between 5th & 6th row) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 vsp 1
R 6 + (picot from row 1) 6 SS
R 1 + (adjacent chain) 4 - 1 lp 1 - 4 vsp 1 SS
Ch 1 +(adjacent ring) 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (core thread at halfway point on first row) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (start point of block tatting) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 6 + (same picot as prev ring) 6
Ch 3 - 2 - 2 - 3
R 4 + (turning picot on row 5) 4

Securely tie, cut and hide ends. Of course if you thought ahead, magic thread loops can be put into the last chain and within the last ring.

New Year

2008-01-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

I hope to post more often on my blog. We've really enjoyed our new puppy and he has really grown. He is very personable and loves to play and sleeps well most of the night. He uses DH & DS#2 as big chew toys but that is partly their fault. This picture was taken by DS#2 on his UNC blanket. BJ (the pup's name) is really kinda a ham. He will stop and 'pose' for his closeup when we call his name.

I'm walking around in an ortho boot because of a Jones fracture on the left outside metataursal. I slightly rolled my foot in mid-December but didn't see the doctor until last Monday. Have completed more than 1/2 of the last round in the Mystery Medallion that Gina Brummett posted but haven't yet started on Jane's tat-along.

I also need to send a note to Sharon Briggs to get into the 25 Medallion challenge. I do have several that could be counted that I've completed within the last month ... just don't remember what Sharon's exact guidelines are so I'll go back and review.

PTG Tat Days 2008 - Tatting is in My Heart

2007-12-22T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Palmetto Tatters Guild have announced time and place for their 2008 event. We are really excited as this will be our sixth annual event. There is a lot of information already posted on the website: http://www.palmettotatters.org/There are already important items posted with specific deadlines:

Key Vendor - application due by 15-Jan-2008. Information at: http://www.palmettotatters.org/event...orVendor.shtml
Logo Design - due by 10-Mar-2008. Information at: http://www.palmettotatters.org/event...hemeLogo.shtml
Teachers - all materials including application due by 12-Apr-2008. Information at http://www.palmettotatters.org/event...Teachers.shtml

The Guild has decided NOT to have a juried competition this year but will have a lace display, so be sure to bring your items to share. Plans do include several prizes, based on popular vote, for displayed items so be sure to watch the website for official communication.

Hope to see you in Winnsboro, SC in September 2008.

Our newest fuzzy kid

2007-11-16T15:07:00.000-05:00

Meet our new puppy ... Ronnie (DH) and Chris (DS#2) go to meet the breeder in the Biloxi, MS area tomorrow to pick him up.

We had a choice of two little males (their sister had already been spoken for). The larger one the breeder's grandchildren had named "Bear" as he was the biggest of the litter and a bit on the 'pudgey' side. He is also carrying the long-haired trait. So we decided on the other one since he's a short-hair. We sometimes get AWFUL infestions of ticks and they are easier to spot on a short-haired animal.

For now we are calling him "BJ" calling up memories of the old TV series "BJ & the Bear." Information from the breeder in Louisiana says "Now, Bear's brother (we have not named him) ... he is also very playful he likes to give lots of kisses and loves to be held if it was left to him he would glue himself to you. He also has a great personally. He nor Bear is shy."

I'm so grateful to Cheryl for letting me blubber over the phone. She has some really cute doxie pups and seems such a sweet lady.

A Sad Day

2007-11-14T17:36:00.000-05:00

All I've done today, it seems, is blubber. Our 12 YO daschund, Bouncin' Brownie, succumbed to congestive heart failure. I had dropped him by the vet's office this morning because his breathing was so labored.

Unfortunately, he was so weakened that he didn't respond well to treatment. At least he wasn't alone ... and the family was spared from coming in from working and finding Brownie.

I know he's not hurting anymore ... no arthritis, no tummy problems; he has joined our other pets other the Rainbow Bridge and awaits us when the good Lord decides to call us home too.

Time gets away!!

2007-09-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I signed in and wrote. Once we got home from Montana in early July, it's as though the time decided to move to the end of September in the blink of an eye!

I finally finished all the tatting from my TAT Master's phase. Just need to block the pineapple piece and everything will be ready to send off.

Had a good but tiring time at Palmetto's 5th Annual Tat Days ... even took a class this year from Iris Niebach. She is such a lovely lady, patient with her students. Not only is her own tatting beautiful but her designs, while appearing very intricate, are simple enough when broken down to the elements.

I've picked up some knitting and been working on the Mystery Stole 3 Knit-along. This is a simply fantastic, asymmetrical stole that simply takes your breath away. Not only was this my first KAL, but the first time I've ever knitted with lace-weight and to top it off, added beads!

Montana Vacation

2007-06-26T00:14:00.000-05:00

DH and I are vacationing again in Montana but took some time to explore around Yellowstone National Park. I was there last in 1968 with my parents and siblings.

We are now in Thompson Falls (southwestern Montana) about halfway between Missoula, MT and Coer d' Alaine, ID. Had a wonderful weekend with Bobbie Demmer with lessons from Gary and Randy Houtz (aka The Shuttle Brothers) of Colorado and Irene Morgan of Oklahoma. Great to see Heidi and Katrina from California again as well as Gwen, Patty, Diane, Donna and Tess. Planning to spend more time in the area until we fly home on the 3rd of July. DH is having a super time playing with all the big trout in the Thompson Falls river.

Doing quite a bit of tatting buy don't have any scans yet to add to my blog. Will try to get some digital pix soon.

Preparation well under way for Palmetto Tatters 2007 Tat Days, theme Flower Garden in September (see http://www.palmettotatters.org) and knowing Donna and Jeff, registration will be up and ready before DH and I get home!

Happy Tatting !! more later ...

May 2007 Challenge - Daisy Mat

2007-05-17T15:11:00.000-05:00

Wow, has it been nearly a whole month since I posted? I've been working on several things ... including a couple more of the tatted pieces for the TAT Master's program. I'll post pictures after everything is done and has been evaluated --just hope I won't have to re-tat much. I've finally gotten a 3D bee that looks presentable but I've got a half dozen (in various stages) that didn't suit what I wanted to accomplish.

I decided for a bit of a change to work on the May Challenge from eTatters (soon to be eCraftWorld) at http://www.etatters.com/showthread.php?t=3541.

I decided to call this a Daisy mat for want of a better name. All the daisy flowers consist of 8 rings (both true rings and split rings) and the buds are all split rings. The far left of the picture is part of my progress (instructions later!). This is worked frontside/backside with all split rings on the front side and split ring joins accomplished using the technique on the right side of the picture. All "normal" joins were treated as the first half of the next stitch with normal rings worked using Shuttle 2 as RODS. Since I'm still working on the piece, it hasn't yet been blocked.

The daisy flower rings are variations of 2 - 5 - 5 - 2 with the split rings being either 2 - 5 / 2 - 5 or 5 - 2 / 5 - 2 (written in working order). All the picots on the daisy flowers should appear as small or construction picots. The buds are all split rings with those in the "line of progression" being 2 -- 2 -- 2 -- 2 / 2 -- 2 -- 2 -- 2 (where -- is a longer picot). Buds at the ends of the rows are asymmetrical ... more complete instructions later.

The technique for split ring joins is one I came across in some of my stuff from Bobbie Demmer, courtesy of RoseMarie Peel of the United Kingdom ... aren't her diagrams WONDERFUL! This technique goes 'hand-in-glove' with the lesson taught at Palmetto Tatters at our April meeting.

One more - a Baker's Dozen

2007-04-20T22:54:00.000-05:00

I was surfing earlier today and found instructions on Jane Eborall's pattern/technique website for a variation of block tatting. I had this cross nearly completely and decided to try Jane's method for the tassel. The method is really easy to do ... I just had to determine a method of tapering. See Jane's instructions at http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~nickeb/braid.htm. This cross-shaped bookmark will be turned in tomorrow at our Guild meeting (making 13 for me for this month) for the DOTN Purple & White project.

Using the technique, I used five stitches instead of 3 for twelve rows, then decreased the number by one stitch every twelve rows. I did use two stitches on the rows where I was decreasing before doing the very small picot. The final portion of the braid is actually a josephine chain (using the second half) and I added the thread tassel.

The cross pattern is one of my favorites (from either a Workbasket from the fifties or a McCall's craft magazine from the mid 70's). With the exception of the inner rings and chains on the inner corners, all rings are 3 ds (picot, 3ds)x5 and all chains are 3 ds, picot, 3 ds. The rings are joined at two picots.

To turn the corner, chain 3 ds, picot, 4 ds. Rings of 2 ds, join, 1 ds, join, 1 ds, picot, 1 ds, picot, 2 ds. Then chain 4 ds, picot, 3 ds. The chains at the ends of the cross arms consist of 5 ds. Modern day notation, starting at the top:

R: 3 (- 3)x3
*Ch: 3 - 3
R: 3 (+ 3)x2, 3 (-3)x3*

Repeat between asterisks for the desiered number of rings, continue to corner by

Ch: 3 - 4
R: 2 + 1 + 1 - 1 - 2
Ch: 4 - 3
R: 3 + 3 + 3 +(free ring of the previous large ring) 3 - 3 - 3
**Ch: 3 - 3
R: 3 (+3)x2, 3 (- 3)x3**

Repeat between double asterisks for the same number of rings as the top portion. Ch 5, then start back along the arm by:

R: 3 (- 3)x5
***Ch: 3 + 3
R: 3 (+ 3)x2, 3 (- 3)x3***

Continue between triple asterisks to where the last chain begins, repeat the inner corner turn and continue down the base for the desired number of large rings as indicated in the instructions for the top. Then continue with the same ring and chain combination as before. All chains with join the the adjacent chain in the previous arm/base line with the exception of the arm/base ends which are Ch 5.

Several finishing techniques can be used. The original pattern used large picots on the chains that would accommodate the lacing of a 1/4" ribbon between the arms, with the ribbon on the top/base extending beyond the tatting to form a "tail."

Strawberry Fields - Revisited

2007-04-14T16:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a much clearer picture of the completed piece from the PTG March lesson by Mary Donohue. My older son took this one with his digital camera. As you can tell, he has a much better camera than mine. The sheen of the perle cotton in the pistils really shows itself in this picture.

Tatting Thoughts

2007-04-14T14:50:00.000-05:00

I've been tatting for a long time and like anything requiring a skill, my work improves with every stitch I do or every project I accomplish. There are two specific things that have really helped me to improve my work and to be really, really embarrassed by some of my first efforts.

The first item was being drafted, at the last minute to train as an apprentice judge during the 2003 PTG Tat Day. This was the Guild's first event and one of the highlights was the Juried Competition. We had established a number of entry classes and Dianna Stephens from Washington came to the event as our Head Judge and one of our Premier instructors. The Juried competition was a means to evaluate each entry against criteria but was not judged against other entries in the class or competition. Dianna's clear and concise explanations have done far more to improve my own work than she could image. Her presentation is available online at http://www.domesticarts.com/Judging/judginglecture.htm.

The other event is actually a program I am still trying to complete. This is the Tat Across Time, Inc. Tatting Proficiency program (Additional details available at http://www.tattersacrosstime.org/. This is designed as a correspondence course consisting of three stages: Apprentice, Artisan and Master. Each phase has its own book of patterns and glossary of terms. I've completed both the Appretice and Artisan phases successfully and have completed about half of the projects in the Master's phase. Not only are the patterns, diagrams and techniques well done but once the evaluations are completed and returned, along with the evaluators' comments, my own work has really improved. I pay more attention to the small details like using picot gauges and tatting frontside/backside. My work, at least to my own eye, has become more attractive.

Most of the items I tat have been done as gifts or remembrances for friends, co-workers and family although I've started to keep more items for DH and me. I do know that my youngest sister has yet to give her step-daughters the snowflakes I tatted for them all several Christmas' back. She says, "I won't give the tatting to them until they can appreciate all the time and love that their Aunt Teresa puts into each one." ... My personal opinion, she wants to keep them for her own tree because she's afraid I won't do anymore.

Tatting is a good way for me to de-stress and has become more important in that function as I go a bit older. Tatting is very portable and the very rote of a single knot over and over is like a mantra of my hands.

Strawberry Fields

2007-04-14T14:40:00.000-05:00

Mary Donohue gave the lesson for Palmetto Tatters' March meeting. Consisting of mignonette-tatted beaded strawberries, flowers and a small collection of leaves with the steams encapsulated from the threads of each element. This one is really a hodge-podge of threads. The strawberries of Altin Basik with Mill Hill seed beads in a pearlescent pale yellow.

The pistils are made with size 12 perle cotton in old gold and pale yellow. The flower petals are size 30 white Cebelia. The leaves and stemwork are done with Olympus 40.

Photographing this was a bit of a challenge. The red strawberries don't show well on my black display board. I placed the piece onto a manilla background but the flowers got lost. Finally, I used a CD case that is a gold color. This is the picture here and gives decent contrast.

Mom's Birthday Card

2007-04-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

This is my first attempt at a hand-crafted card of any kind. Good thing my mom DOES NOT do the Internet. It goes in the mail to her Monday (needed to let the Glitter Glue dry). I chose a white linen card and used pastels to create the subtle shadings for the sky and grass.

A friend loaned me a stamp for the basket and the grass, leaves and stems are free-handed as is the lettering on the face of the card. The flowers are tat-bits from the DOTN Purple & White bookmark project, as is the butterfly and there is a dark purple snail making his way from the basket edge to a flowering plant.

Because my calligraphy skills are very rusty, I chose to print the inside greeting on lilac-colored paper stock. The corners have been cut out and embossed ... I then used a water color pen to actuate the embossing. I don't think its too bad for a first-ever effort.

April DOTN Purple & White - Part 2

2007-04-13T21:12:00.000-05:00

Tatted with Olympus 40, Color No. 67, this is pattern 31 (graph on page 72) of one of my Japanese books, Pretty Tatting Lace Articles. Unfortunately, I can't read the name of the lovely lady who put this book together but the photographs (page 16) along with the graphs make it simple to tat any one of the lovely pieces shown in the book.
Pattern sourced from another Japanese book, Tatting by Yusai Shokoin ... photo on page 22, graph on page 73. This book has a little bit more English but any pattern is doable from the beautiful, clear photography and the graphs.
A variation of one of Ms. Beeton's classic patterns and another example of two small threads wound together to create accents by heathering the colors. Solid color is a medium value lavendar would together with a white to deep purple ombre ... size 80 DMC.
Tatted with Olympus 40, Color 67, this is a shortened version of the Midnight bookmark shown on page 22 of Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns.
A pattern I found on the Internet (will have to look up the person later ... long story about a blind dacshund and Japanese shrimp sauce). It's a lovely pattern; two threads wound together (Vintage Star deep purple and white) and worked as a single thread. The designer is Nancy Price and was one of her first attempts at desigined (1997!). I think she did a great job.
Another bookmark I found on the Internet ... more long story but another ribbon winner. Thread is Color 67 Olympus 40.

Haven't decided whether I'll do more bookmarks for the last opportunity, i.e. due date, at our May meeting. Will make that determination when a count is given next week at the Guild's April meeting.

April DOTN Purple & White - Part 1

2007-04-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

As I'm always seemingly a day late and a dollar short, I finally scanned the bookmarks for our Guild's project for the Daughters of the Nile. I thought I'd share a bit more detail since each of this month's bookmarks are different patterns and even different threads.

Top to bottom:

An adaptation from Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns. The bookmark is based on the Small Cross on pages 88-89 with a cloverleaf at one end. The thread is Opera 50, Color # 67.
The second is an adaptation from Betsy Evan's "Rainbow Heart Bookmark" first published to the web in 2001. The colors are vintage Star threads in cream, lavendar and a very, very royal purple (It's a shame that it's so difficult to find truly deep colors like this today). There are all size 70.
The third is another pattern from Tatting with Visual Patterns; one of my very favorite patterns, Curds and Whey, featured on page 12. The tatting is two, size 80 threads wound together and worked as a single thread. The colors are a medium value lavendar wound with an ombre from white to deep lavendar. Usually I will weave a 1/4" ribbon through the large rings in the pattern but decided to create a braid ... I know I need to fix the BUKs at the ends. The braid was created using four threads and a lock-stitch chain. Three threads as the wrapping thread and a single thread as the core. I made three lengths and then simply braided them together and wove them through the large rings of the tatted piece.
The fourth is a pattern that I had printed from Kersti's website a number of years ago. I love how this one works up and will need to look up the actual pattern name. Threads are a solid white wound together with a white to deep purple ombre.
The fifth bookmark is yet another adaptation from Tatting with Visual Patterns. This time I used the first row of the Bridesmaids edging shown on page 34. I used two different Olympus 40 threads. The ombre used for the rings is #62 while the chains are a very light lilac. It was another one of those times when turning the corner 180 degrees was not planned but I just let the shuttle and thread tell me how ... not too bad, but this area would have looked better had I used variations of the larger rings with picots and not the smaller ones with only construction picots.
The last bookmark is another from Mary Konior's book (can you tell I LOVE this book!!??!!). This is the Anniversary edging shown on page 8 using Olympus 40, Color No. 67 ... did you notice I scanned this one upside down? That's what I get for being in a hurry!

I'll be posting up the other six bookmarks either later tonight or tomorrow. I have to get a card made for my Mother's birthday ... she'll be 78 on the 21st. She really has a cool birthdate; she shares the day with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom -- pretty good company. Also, when she was growing up, the banks and state/local government offices were closed in recognition of San Jacinto Day to celebrate the independence of Texas by the defeat of General Santa Ana of Mexico in 1836. It was really neat for my Mom to tell my Dad's folks (after they were married) that her birthday was recognized by the State of Texas.

Bookmarks Sold!

2007-04-09T15:29:00.000-05:00

I received an e-mail from one of my co-workers last week. She and I, along with ~30 other fellow employees, had worked together on our company's Arts & Science Council fundraising project. She had purchased one of the bookmarks I had tatted and presented it to her mother. Her mother wanted three more booksmarks to give to her sisters.

Over the long weekend, I was playing with some of my vintage threads and come up with the three bookmarks here. They were made by winding two different threads onto a shuttle and treating them as a single thread. All three bookmarks have a solid pink and a variegated (colorway) thread with green, pink and white. The variations in hue for the bookmarks overall is from the solid colored pink thread. The lightest shade is shown on the left (DMC) with mid-range in the center (Coats&Clark from Jodi) and the darkest pink on the right (Star from my stash). Each of the solid colors matches one of the pink hues in the colorway thread.

The color numbers are:

Colorway of Green and Pink - Coats & Clark #159 (Size 70)
Light value Pink - DMC Special Dentelles #776 (Size 80)
Medium value Pink - Coats & Clark #65 (Size 70)
Dark value Pink - Star Tatting Cotton # 108 (Size ~80)

These colors just looked like Spring flowers and I was really wanting some spring weather. It definitely wasn't spring temperatures with our highs Easter Sunday ~52F.

More of the Purple/White bookmark notes

2007-04-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

I'll have to get pictures tonight or tomorrow. I'm planning to turn in an additional dozen bookmarks at the next Guild meeting on the 21st. I decided that repetition was not going to be the theme for this month's task. Each of the bookmarks will be a different pattern and even perhaps different threads. So far, I have 10 ten and have used patterns I found on the Internet and used Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns as the inspiration for several others.

Some of the bookmarks are two small-sized threads wound together to create a marled or heathered appearance (new vocab words added after a search on Wikipedia for "variegated"). Several of the others are ombre in Olympus 40 ... gosh, that is a nice thread!! Pictures later.

Bouquets of Bookmarks

2007-03-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of the 18 Purple & White bookmarks I'll be turning in at our Guild meeting 17-Mar. These are in addition to the dozen I turned in last month. Our Guild is working on a project to complete 175 bookmarks by our May meeting. The results of our efforts are on behalf of the Daughters of the Nile. We've had such excellent response from our local members that I'm sure we'll be able to meet our goal.

One of these days (Part Deux)

2007-03-13T10:21:00.001-05:00

Well, that didn't work out very well so it's back to the drawing board. One of these days, I'll try to get the URL loaded into my profile but for now ... the photo in the previous post was one taken about 9 years ago. Hair is a little shorter (at the present time) and definitely thinner on top. Glasses are updated too. Maybe I should get someone to take a newer picture, huh?

One of these days ...

2007-03-13T09:42:00.000-05:00

I might learn how to do some of this. Since I'm not sure yet about posting a picture that has to be hosted, I am trying to follow the instructions in the "help" section of blogspot. Now, as they say, the proof's in the pudding and we'll see if I've been successful.

ASC Fund Raising

2007-03-03T12:57:00.000-05:00

Every year, the company where I work conducts an annual fund raising campaign for the Arts & Sciences Council. This year I was asked to help conduct a silent auction. We had lots of stuff in the auction from a fox-trimmed leather coat to a gourmet, home-cooked French meal. A number of crafty things were entered and raised just over $1,300.00US. These two tri-color bookmarks (shown on the left) represent 2 of the 4 similar ones that I donated. I also donated 4 single-color bookmarks based on one of Mary Konior's crosses in her Tatting with Visual Patterns book.

Purple & White Bookmarks

2007-03-03T12:45:00.000-05:00

Our guild is currently working on a project that will create 175 purple and white booksmarks for the Daughters of the Nile. We've had excellent response and I've even contributed some. These are the ones I turned in at our February meeting. These were done by winding 2 size 80 threads onto a shuttle and then working as a single thread. One of the threads is a solid color, i.e., white, lavendar, purple and the other is a variegated using the same color scheme ... white to a purple.

Variation from Sadie's book

2007-03-01T14:20:00.000-05:00

Here is a much clearer picture of the variation from Sadie's book. Not sure what the little "speckled" line through the picture is but I'm sure learning as I go. This was a fun piece to make up. Sadie's book is a lot of fun to go through and inspires lots of things.

Sadie was actually inspired by a session of tatting with Rose Mary Peel of the UK; Rose Mary certainly does inspire lots along with Mary Konior. I have several of Rose Mary's Lacet Publications as well as a number of the patterns she's published on the Internet. Mary's books are excellent too; in fact, Tatting with Visual Patterns is one of my favorite books and stays in my travel stuff, along with Jan Stawasz's book. Someday ... too many patterns/thread SIGH too little time.

Instructions for inspired cabone-ring ornament

2007-03-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

The picture on the left (of the first post) actually goes with the second paragraph. JaneE is wanting the pattern but it's really a no-brainer ... cause sometimes I have no brain! I'm going to have to have my digital camera fixed or (get a new one) as the pictures are TERRIBLE. Here is a scanned picture ... much clearer and the color is actually the thread color not the orange that my camera indicated.

I did 5 SCh stitches onto the ring, then used my shuttle to make a
R 5 - 5 - 2 -- 2 - 5 - 5
*SCh 5 (onto ring)
R 5 + (previous ring) 5 - 2 -- 2 - 5 - 5*
repeating between the asterisks around the ring to the last ring.
SR 5 + (previous ring) 5 - 2 / 5 + (first picot on first ring) 5 - 2.
The chain is a josephine chain using the "over" stitch of a double stitch. The length is just over the height of the ornament piece, then I just covered another, smaller ring, tied the thread ends and hid them.

Of course, instead of picots, beads could always be introduced. I think the easiest way would be to have the beads on a ball shuttle and use a false ring or self-closing mock ring (ala Shuttle Brothers) to move the beads into position.

Cabone ornaments

2007-02-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of cabone ring ornaments I finished just last night. Done in Olympus 50 thread ... gosh, but that's a nice thread (just wish the balls were larger). One is taken from Sadie Allison's Tatting Over a Cabone Ring: A Different Look for an Old Art. Because Olympus is a smaller thread that the Manuela Sadie used in her samples, there are seven groups of long picot joined rings as opposed to six in Sadie's book. The picture isn't very clear so I'll try to get a better picture through scanning the piece.

The other ornament was inspired by a lesson we had at Palmetto Tatter's Guild a couple of weeks ago. Marie S. shared her method of doing split chains (over a cabone ring for practice) and Theresa O. asked about thrown-off rings. So Theresa and I sat there after Marie had demonstrated and just talked and this ornament is the result.

2007-01-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

Decided to finally start my own blog. Will add files, photos etc. as I get 'round tuit. I seem to have files, thoughts and ideas spread around on 4 or 5 hard drives. Hope you enjoy and I appreciate comments and thoughts.