We didn't start at 9:30 a.m. sharp, but folks drifted in and settled and oohed and aahed over each other's "stuff". The set-up was beautifully Victorian...flowers and china teacups in our goody "bags". Additionally, the quilts hanging all around were pleasing...some definitely of Victorian flavor, others far more contemporary. It was a bit of a squeeze, space-wise, but we managed.

I was surrounded by Marys! Mary Anna from OH and Mary Harris from Avon, IN were on my right and Marie from Detroit, MI was on my left. Then Gail from OH and on up the table and around...names I'm not always clear on, but amongst them Jennifer (owner of Zig-Zag Corner, Nicole and her mom and at the other table were 5 or 6 more! We introduced ourselves, name and city and then a poem was read that ended with TATTING!

Kaye explained the project - a shuttle-shaped tote bag big enough for needle tatters to put their needles in. Kaye is always good about providing instructions and concepts for needle tatters. The tote has a tassle, a motif with needle weaving, a ribbon handle with tatted lace, and an antique button closure. Kaye provided real antique buttons for us to choose from and mine is in a safe place - so safe I can't find it to scan yet, but it's blue. LOL!

First, Kaye explained the process of "knotting" from the Victorian era. It's simply roll tatting....3 rolls and then close the ring...but I had to make 4 rolls since my thread was a bit smaller than the size 10 called for. I was in a rush trying to find everything in the morning. You make a strand of evenly spaced knots - and I think normally, those are cut apart and stiched down by the threads from each end of the knot but we are using 6" strands of knots in the tassle. Kaye explained the tassle ahead of time since she knew I had to leave early. It sort of looks like pearls in the tassle when it's all done.

Secondly, Kaye explained the wire contraption in our kit....it's a piece of wire (floral wire in this case) bent at each end and then wound with thread. The wire is used as a shuttle and fits through the picots for joining. You just thread the whole wire and thread through the picot and continue tatting. It was kind of tight at first but the more thread you used, the easier it went through. Obviously, your picots have to be a little bigger than what we now consider a joining picot to be and we had a picot gauge to ensure that we were making them all the same size. This is the motif I tatted with it and later, the thread that is still attached will be used to make a needle lace center, a spider web. Kaye also showed that before I left so I hope I don't forget the details! We were to put 3 yards on the wire shuttle and I kept saying I didn't think it was enough thread to make all 8 rings....well, it was plus there is thread still for the needleweaving. Kaye is pretty good about measuring how much thread you need too and I knew that but it sure didn't look like it was going to be enough! LOL!

You can see in the slide show the tatting brought for Show and Tell and the tatted gloves contest. I don't know who won but my guess would be Mary Anna's gloves. They are fingerless mitts done in black and with black beads...so elegant and so sexy. Whooo! Beautiful work - and the photo I took does not do them justice. It's hard to show detail and beads with a camera when the thread is black.

Lunch was very Victorian too....little crackers and breads and spreads plus desserts and candies. I didn't get to open my goody bag til this morning but there is a post-it dispenser and a tapestry needle on a hook and a stick of chocolate for your drink, a pencil, and candy. I was trying to see the designs on the cups through the cellophane because they were different - but they were all so pretty! I'm quite happy with what I got.

Kaye also covered the construction of the tote and I'm anxious to have a block of time to really go at it but I think it's going to be awhile yet.

I had to leave early for a class reunion so at 2:00 p.m., I bid adiu to everyone and headed back to Lafayette. Once home, I took another shower and changed clothes and headed to Wea Community Center where I would meet up with 16 other former high school classmates. It was a fun evening, lots of laughter and catching up and after 5 hours with a tatting group and 5 hours with classmates, I was exhausted!