I have an excuse to tat a hummingbird now. Found 4 patterns!!!! First, I thought I might do Kathy Lowe's hummer. It might be too big for my purpose, however. Then I remembered seeing one in my books so I went on a search to compare. I found one in Tatting Online by Elizabeth C. Zipay and another in Tatting With Friends by Jana Nicol-Holley. Both books can be ordered through Georgia Seitz but she's in the middle of a big move so it may be awhile before anyone can order, likely sometime in October. Both of those hummers were outlines though and I want it filled in. I contacted Carol A., remembering she brought one to our Lace Day in April that she made. Gorgeous colors, but hers was in 3D and stuffed. I need a flat one. She led me to here , where I found a hummer by Sherry Matthews, as well as numerous other patterns. A nice MSN Needle Tatting group to join, if anyone is interested. I've decided to use Sherry's as a model, but I wanted different wings, with long and graduated picots, to give that fluttery effect. So far, so good. I'm ready now for the tail and beak, not sure what I'm going to do with the tail as I don't want rings - actually, an idea just came to me. I'm making this into a bookmark so it needs to be tiny - I'm using DMC size 80 tatting thread. I'll put the hummer at both ends of a tatted cord done in ric rac or twist stitch. With this fine thread, it will be about perfect. The body now is about 1 1/4" long and the wings are a bit longer. I may change the wings to make them a bit shorter. With the long picots, it might look better.

I taught myself to tat in 1998. I can't believe how much tatting related stuff I have accumulated in five years! Once upon a time, I could fit everything into a little wicker case, not much bigger than a lunch box. Sure can't say that anymore! I've got the two towers filled and once I have the bookcase where I want it, it will hold everything else. I hope!



I'll show the hummer bookmark when I'm done. I'm still playing with the design for now.