This morning I was reading my last entry and checked the Michael's Crafts link further. You can find a store in your area by entering the zip code and then see what classes they are offering. If I had a Valentine, I could learn to make Valentine candy for my sweetie! You can also click on a tab at the top which designates different categories. Then when you get to the category, there are projects listed. For example, I clicked on Needlework and then there were 3 categories of projects. I picked Embroidery and it came up with 37 projects in pdf format. The pdf file included patterns and all the threads and supplies needed as well as directions to make them. I saw a lovely butterly coaster with silk ribbon embroidery. I'm thinking it would look super with tatting around the edge too. The butterfly shown was purchased, I believe, but with the pattern shape, you could easily make your own by cutting out the shape and making a tiny hem around the edges. Or using a buttonhole stitch to finish off the edges............... I see a few other projects that are calling to me too.

Going into this a bit further, it has a print-friendly version you can click on. I love sites like that. Takes all the extraneous stuff out! Also has a skill level and you are invited to review the project. When I clicked on that (rating) it invited me to be the first to submit a review, so I take it that means all prior reviews would show if there were any. And these are FREE!!!! Now I'm checking out beading projects, but I'm going to leave it to you to explore on your own.



Now, let me tell you about another place I visited earlier this week. E-Patterns Central This site has different needlecraft patterns for purchase. I chose the tatting category and found four I wanted. I paid for them online................and found out they had to be downloaded instead of mailed to me. That explains why there wasn't any postage. LOL! My computer at work wouldn't do it, even though I have Adobe Acrobat reader there. No problem - I'd just do it at home. But Acrobat wouldn't do it there either, giving me the same error messages as at work. So then I downloaded the Adobe version they gave me the link to, which is 6.0, a newer version than the one at work or on my computer already. That one worked fine! These patterns are from Annie's Attic. They only show you part of what is in the set. That was fine until I got to the last one and when I saw the photos, I recognized all the patterns as being in The Big Book of Tatting, which I already had. The patterns aren't that expensive, but it was still a waste. I might have picked a different one if I'd known that. In the end, I spent about $10 on 12 patterns. One set was 5 hearts that were very similar so I hesitate to count each of them, but I did. What I'm saying is that I've spent the same amount on books with that number or less of patterns. If you don't have the means to download and print off a pdf file though, there are no other options.

Tomorrow I'm attending the Tatting Guild meeting in Greenfield at Zig-Zag Corner. Kaye Judt will be presenting a lesson using fishing line as the ball thread. Doesn't that sound intriguing?

I've got my son's graduation celebration scheduled so that's one less thing on my mnd.