I was up until after 1:00 a.m. finishing up the second bootie last night. I had to have it done today because Paula leaves tomorrow for Houston to see the new grandbaby. They really are sweet. The pattern called for a 2nd yarn for a contrasting color but I made them all one color. There was also a loop at the ends for the buttons but I knitted a buttonhole in. I should have made the strap longer to accommodate that but I didn't even realize it until last night and I wasn't going to knit yet another set! These are bigger than the first pair.

This is a butterfly from Ruth's book. It's the variegated butterfly although I didn't match up the colors as she suggested. I was emptying out a shuttle and more interested in the shape than the colors initially. I also couldn't figure out the magic body. It was too late Monday when I got to that part so I just made one up. The Magic Body somehow encapsulates the threads of the wings so you don't have to hide them, but I was beginning to be all thumbs by the time I got to that point. Maybe next time.

Last night was the last meeting of my lace group members for tatting. Only 2 could make it. Dagmar is working on a 3D snowflake by Toni Storer. She's braver than me! I'm her mentor and so far we've figured it out, but it's the most difficult pattern in the book. Cathy switched from the bell she kept redoing the center of to a Christmas tree. It was a good move. She was almost done with the tree before we left. I worked a bit on the trash to treasures bag and also tatted on the hatband of the blossom I taught year before last at Hector. I have 2 samples in progress from that time that I never got around to finishing up.

Someone brought up the T.A.T program and how I was progressing on that. Ummm.....I do have it out to take with me on vacation. The only challenge about it is being absolutely correct (which takes all the fun out of it sometimes) and getting it done. I've never been one to go for awards and certifications unless I had to...and I don't have to. It's a personal choice, a personal challenge. It's a good program to pursue. It pushes you to do your best and figure out details you might not otherwise - but unless you are teaching, there's not a lot to push you to complete it. Even so, I would encourage anyone who has the time and motivation to give it a shot...Tatters Across Time -T.A.T. I have to say I was quite envious of Abby Small's display at Palmettos - she has completed the entire program and framed it all nicely. If I don't get it done while on vacation, it will have to wait until after the beginning of the year...and actually, I don't think they accept them for evaluation now until January.

For some reason, I don't have Carol Amich's blog listed in the sidebar but you should go there and check out her 3D witch.

Life is very busy right now. After next weekend I'll be in FL for 2 weeks and I'm not sure how much posting I'll get to do.

Yesterday I went to the Greenfield Tat Guild, the 1st time in months and the last time for the year. I don't have it done yet, but I was tatting Kaye's project for Hector, NY tatting guild next year. I'll have to find out if early publicity is desired once I get it done. You'll love it!

Shortly after we got started, Ruth Perry, aka Rozella Linden, showed up. A day trip with a friend...and she joined us, finishing up another Mr. Clank while there. He is every bit as clever as he looks on her blog. She also showed a picture of a bat she has in mind next. You'll love that one too. As an added surprise, she gifted my lace guild, Lafayette Lacers, with a copy of her latest book! You can be sure I'll tat a few goodies out of it before I hand it over to the library. Actually, I won't see the Keeper of the Lending Closet for awhile, but I'll be sure to let the group know it is available. Thank you Ruth!

These are a couple of blossoms inspired by Tatting Collage by Lindsay Rogers. I was emptying some shuttles and found the blossom.....it's a center ring with long and short picots with chains making the petals afterwards. The chains were 35 stitches long....I shortened it considerably, mostly because I didn't have that much thread left on the shuttles and I didn't want to tat such huge petals either. A few picots on the petals might be nice too.

A coworker was showing me a Chinese knotting technique she learned at a craft fair she was at last weekend which prompted me to get out my book of Chinese Knotting when I happened across a spool of cord this weekend. These are two very simple knots. When I tried one that was a bit more sophisticated.....I gave up. I think it was simply too late for my brain to function that precisely. Maybe on another day.

Today I've been going through a bookcase, trying to sort it out...it's largely cookbooks. Why can't I get myself to part with them? I gave away a dozen or so several years ago...only to find the remainders multiplied when I turned my back. I have a few set aside for my son and I haven't been through all of them yet. I do have a box full of other books to dispose of though. I'll offer to a few friends first and then off to the library's book fair. Not a single tatting one though.

Speaking of tatting books, while I was at tatting guild, my sister called from a used bookstore telling me about 6 tatting books she had in hand and did I want them. I had 3 and the other 3 I wasn't sure about so said, "Get them!". I know one of them is Rosemary Peel's that is out of print but online. (Tat 5?) I'm looking forward to getting them in hand!

Bette sent me the link to a beader recently and I found this goddess bead made by Sheila Morley. You can get to her blog and several places where she sells her beads from this link.

I have been tagged by http://celticdreamweave.blogspot.com/

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 3 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Facts, just the facts, ma'am!
1. I was barely a month past 18 when I got married, a mother at 20 and widowed at 25.
2. I taught myself to knit and made my first sweater when I was 13, which I then sold to a neighbor for $5 because I didn't like it anymore.
3. There is full-blooded Cherokee in my background, as well as English, Irish, German and Dutch blood.
4. I know how to drive a stick-shift and once had a small pickup truck for 3 years, which I loved driving.
5. I have an online metaphysical group with which I sometimes do online meditations, remote views, dream interpretation, and color therapy.
6. My cousin pierced my ears when I was 16 with an ice cube and a needle.
7. My favorite dog was an Irish Setter named Foxy.

I tag Gail http://glow-tats.blogspot.com/
I tag Clyde http://ca.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-H4GUNLUyfrYbz2N3pLyTNyo-?cq=1
I tag Jon http://tatsaway.blogspot.com/

Speaking of knitting, last night I knit this bootie for my friend Paula's first granddaughter, Brenna. I was going to knit the 2nd one tonight but didn't get home til nearly 9:00 p.m. and I've been on here since I got home. It's a sweet Mary Jane pattern but there is another one that I want to make even more that has the straps crossed. I knit this pattern from here but the one I want to make is from Saartje Knits.

So now, I'm going to at least cast on and knit a few beginning rows before I go to bed.

Card Tutorial #1

It's really easy to dress up an existing greeting card with tatting. I thought I'd show how I transformed this one step-by-step in a tutorial. There's nothing unusual about the tatting...all simple rings and chains. I'll be making another card like the one I showed in the last post soon and I'll do the same thing with it. It's just meant to give you some ideas that you can apply to your own cards.

Here is the “naked” card. I pick out the spots where tatting will work and leave the rest alone. In this case, I’m tatting yellow blossoms, green stems, and the leaves below. The leaf shape is perfect for clunies, but frankly, I’m not in the mood to make so many clunies so I’m just going to approximate the leaves on the stems and there will be a mass of green for the bottom…vague and not very precise. This is how some paintings are done…with suggestive shapes and colors but nothing really defined. I’m not particularly fond of the “frame” on the card and I could tat a simple edging instead. I need this card fairly quickly though as well as 2 others so I will not take the time to make an edging for this one.

The thread I’ve used is size 60/70/80 throughout. A bigger card could take bigger thread but this one is only 3 x 5 inches and bigger thread doesn't permit much detail on a card this size. Even though I'm not using much detail, I can still tat more of what is there than if I used bigger thread.


I’m making very simple rings for the blossoms, 4 ds, 8-10 picots with 1 ds between, 4 ds, clr. I’m using a larger hatpin as a picot gauge to make the picots uniform. I usually just eyeball it, but you can see the difference here. Can you tell which one is eyeballed? It only has 4 or 5 picots. They seem bigger somehow. In this particular case, the hatpin gauge works well.

I always have trouble deciding what to do for the stems. I tried purl tatting on one…didn’t like it. Too bulky for this size card. I used a regular chain with small rings for the leaves in the end. Some have a regular chain ending with a lockstitch chain, which is straighter normally, but not in this case. I pressed all the blossoms but they still tended to curve sharply at the bottom. As long as I get most of the curve out, the rest will ease into the right shape when I glue it. The leaves aren’t going to match each stem exactly. I tried to make them close to what was on the card, but it would take more time than what I have to make it exact.

After I glue the blossoms on, one by one, I let them dry. I’m just using a string of rings for the mass of green at the bottom but I’m using 2 shades of green, like real foliage, to give the impression of light and shadow and newer & older leaves. Again, it’s not exact, but for someone who is willing to go to that much detail, it’s possible.

The contrast between the print on the card and the tatted pieces shows up more on the scan than in person. It tends to look more blended but in some cases, I’m sure it would be more obvious. I could add a tiny tatted butterfly or a bee charm as well as a tatted edging frame if I had more time, but you can see that even a small amount of tatting makes the card special.

Here's the brooch! I couldn't find my stiffener so I used watered down glue and it took forever to dry out. I still need to either find my stiffener or buy a new bottle. A new bottle would be good...not sure how long I've had the other one. Years.

I got stumped trying to do the Tatmeister's wide picot. I thought I had it figured out but every time I tried to close the ring, it only closed the loop, not the original ring. So I emailed Dan...hope to hear back soon.


I finished ONE of 4 cards I'm making. They're all the same - and figuring out what to tat for each segment was the hard part. Next time I will skip the pot on the left. It's really fun...just tedious. And I have glue all over my fingers. I need to find a nicer way of gluing so that it isn't so in-your-face. We had tornado warnings tonight and the sirens were going off and I kept checking the radio and computer. I figured as long as there were crickets chirping and cicadas singing then all was well.

Last night I met with guild members for tatting. Since I'm helping everyone, I don't tat anything that requires much focus. In fact, I just emptied shuttles and made the 2 brownish flowers and the butterfly. After I got home, I tried to tat some florals for some cards but someone called and I find it very difficult to cradle the phone between my head and shoulder and tat at the same time, to say nothing of talking and trying to pay attention to a pattern. So....not much done.

Tonight, I took a nap since I got up extra early to make it to an early inspection. I still tatted - after I put everything back into the storage bin I was going through at the weekend. I just got tired of everything on the floor and I couldn't remember which pile was for what. I did keep out a few printouts to play with. One was Beth Zipay's TatChat Shuttle which I printed out almost exactly 9 years ago. 10/19/98 - a year after I learned to tat. I don't know what prompted the design but I think there was some kind of challenge or exchange behind it. I remember seeing a few patterns that were labeled "shuttle" and were shuttle-shaped.

So I tatted this one tonight but I used a SCMR at the 2nd end because I was trying to get the same effect as the 1st end which started with a tiny chain and tiny split ring. I know it was supposed to look like the pick on a shuttle....I see now that I should have eliminated the chain and just done a small ring. Maybe next time. I also wanted this to back a button, a shank button, so I tatted it in. It's on the blocking board now, drying with stiffener.

Funny thing, I've been talking about the 1975 Maple Leaf in Workbasket and that Workbasket was in that storage bin. In this version, like Tammy's, the rings are all the same and the chains are all the same, so the early Workbasket version is different.

BTW, I'm amazed that Beth's pattern is still online at the very same location! I'll show the finished one next entry. I could take the hairdryer to it but I shoulda gone to bed 20 minutes ago!

OH look look! An Grianán. A friend from Cork took some courses here and told me about it...the sort of thing I've envisioned for years! A school for all the crafts! I love knowing it exists. I had this link in drafts and nearly forgot about it. Pam said she had a wonderful time there.


My sister and I visted Helio's Tearoom in Carmel, Indiana at the weekend. The rooms were filled with PINK. There were 8 or 10 Red Hat Ladies in their red hats and purple clothes. Sorry...it hurt my eyes to see so much red and purple together. I understand the concept, but no thanks. I'll wear the red hat or the purple suit, but not together. Afterwards, we walked down Main Street and shopped. We also had to chat up the locals, as you can see. She bought a few things in The Addendum....the clerk being someone from Lafayette who recognized her name but didn't know where from. I bought some linens in the antique mall. There was actually some tatting there - very well made and starched and pressed. Also in one booth, there was a T-shaped piece of cloth with tatting in the open blocks. Big thread, not pressed...the label said "unusual" and it was, but I didn't buy it. Just didn't like that big thread.




He's done! And I don't want to make another one. I would like to make a bookmark sized one but not another mat like this. I enjoyed doing it...once. LOL! Okay...maybe later, but not for several months.



After the filet crochet, I was nearly out of thread on the ball - or thought I was, so I thought I'd tat something small and be done with it. I was also going through a storage bin, trying to figure out what to get rid of and what to keep. There are some very early Workbaskets I bought this year that were a disappointment. I was going by the picture on the outside of the mailing envelope and thought I was getting something I didn't have. It turned out the picture on the envelope was a pattern you got when you subscribed. I already have most of these, but there were a few I didn't have. These are the fold out versions of Workbasket when they first started. I decided to make this little hexagonal doily. I had to add one stitch to the count and I used split rings and split chains to do it all in one pass. It turned out nicely. I'll probably put it on Ebay later, with an updated pattern notation and diagram.

Now here's the next one I tried. Different Workbasket, same kind of foldout. They are exceptionally preserved and this is one I did not have. I think most people who tat know about the Maple Leaf pattern in the February, 1975 issue. I wonder how many people know there is an even earlier one?

I tatted this exactly the way the instructions said to. They suggested using 2 colors and they said it was for a handkerchief corner but that it made a fine edging when the leaves are attached together. I made it in size 50 Altin Basak and you can see it turned out on the smallish side. I haven't compared it with the 1975 pattern to see what the difference is but I know they are slightly different. I don't know why but I was surprised to see they actually said RW (reverse work).

Tammy Rodgers has yet another version. Hers has all rings the same size and all chains the same size. The one I've tatted here has a larger center ring in the clover and the chains between the clovers and rings below are shorter. No stem. If you remember the mask I embellished last Spring, it was from Tammy's version. I think. LOL! I don't remember if I used my printout or if I pulled out the 1975 Workbasket.

It appears that I lost my earlier entry today. Ah well...I suspect I clicked before I saved, even though it automatically saves. These are some strawberries I tatted last week to show my guild program chair. We're looking at a few different versions to see which might work best for a certain project. These are from Workbasket, July 1995. I added the leaves at the last minute and don't like them but the pattern actually calls for them to be sewn to green felt and I didn't like that idea either. This is a mouse pad that has a "window" compartment that had a card showing help instructions for something at work. I decided to put the berries in there for the time being.

Whoops! Can you see my mistake? I'm glad I scanned it - I kept thinking the border wasn't quite right but couldn't see it last night. This morning it GLARED at me! Tonight I ripped out the 6 rows I had crocheted the night before. I'm almost where I was last night now. I hope to finish this over the next 2 nights. Until this morning, I thought I'd get real close tonight to finishing. I wonder if I can adapt this to a bookmark somehow?

This is an experiment - I'm using the antique gold thread I bought from Rita Cochrane in Ayr, Ontario with a strand of sulky gold and an adorable angel button. I really need a shank button instead of a 2-holed button but it looks so nice behind this one. This is actually the center of a snowflake and I plan to tat the rest of the snowflake around it. I started a second center with larger picots but I don't think it will work with the rest of the snowflake.

So Much Going On!!!!

I have not been tatting much...still working on the filet crochet...and I wanted to get THREE of them done???...I don't think it'll happen. It's more than half done now and you can see it taking shape. This was actually a cross-stitch pattern that I adapted to filet crochet. I will need to add an edging. I don't like them left naked. I always like something with a little more substance to help them keep shape.

I started a new blog to show all my thrift store finds. This is one of them. I believe it is a candle holder from PartyLite but I'm going to use it as an ornament display. The bottom is not nicked - that's just the carpet coming up over the edge. I was inspired to buy this after seeing Carolyn Regnier's win in the I.O.L.I. Bulletin. It's on the back cover inside, if you have the newsletter. Carolyn's tatting patterns are also in there. She won 2nd place in the Original Design contest. Kelly B.Corretore of NY won 1st place in Technical Proficiency with her tatted doily from Traditional Tatting Patterns edited by Rita Weiss. I also wanted to mention that besides the traditional article from Bobbie Demmer (Thoughts on Tatting), Judith Connors from Australia also has an article on Inverted Tatting. Bina Madden has a continuing series on tatting that will carry on in the next issue. So...this is way more tatting than I've seen in the Bulletin for a long long time.

Okay...back to the candle holder...I plan to hang some ornaments with tatted covers on it...the small balls, only 1"...and we'll see what else I can do to it. I think the spiral is level enough that they will stay in place, but if not, I can wrap it with small diameter greenery or tinsel.

Mary Donohue is stepping down from the International Tatting Exchange at the end of the year and Rachel Jackson will take over at that point. The new site is here if you want to see the offerings for 2008. There are still a few exchanges open for the year at Mary's site if you want to participate in those. I had fun with them and you should check out the photo albums to see what was made.

I noticed Ruth Perry is giving advance notice of a new book. You can contact her from her website if you want to pre-order. Sherry Pence says she has a book almost ready so keep an eye on her site. I mentioned Karey's Solomon's newest book in my post about Ayr, Ontario. There is an ongoing collection of book reviews at Georgia's site if you want an idea of what is in other books. The newest ones won't be there, of course.

The 25 Motif Challenge has a whole new group starting - you can start anytime - so if interested, just contact Sharon at that site.

My Lace Group tatters met on Wednesday night at the library and got started with their individiual projects. I realized I can't really sit and tat if I'm going to help them...but I didn't take anything with me anyway other than samples and inspiration for them.

I really wish I had a couple of weeks off so I could tat, knit, crochet, quilt and paint to my heart's content. I also found a project with polymer clay I want to try.

So much...so much....and so LITTLE time!

I gave myself plenty of time to get there, leaving Thursday afternoon. Tom-Tom and mapquest both say about 9 hours to get there. I stopped in Battle Creek, Michigan and stayed overnight. Went to a Hobby Lobby I found down the road and got these things.The tin with the vintage-looking tools was originally $22.97 and marked down to $4.97. I could NOT pass that one up. I think we are doing a hussif in my lace group and it will work nicely in that. The beads were not on sale and look much more color coordinated than in the picture. I don't know what I'll do with them yet.

Got up the next morning and ate at a nearby Denny's before taking off. I noticed as the day wore on that I was not the least bit hungry and every time I stopped and got out of the car, I was dizzy. I was fine driving, but getting out was disconcerting. I had a wait at the border - I swear I was in the slowest line. Once I got through, it was smooth riding and I got to the hotel around 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. I was still dizzy so I laid down for about an hour before heading off to the Curling Club. I hoped to at least find a convenience store or something to pick up something to take, but I didn't and the detour threw me a little bit. Tom-tom didn't recognize detours so I was backtracking a few times before I figured it out. When I got there, there were several people I recognized, including Georgia and Rita. There was plenty of food so I guess I didn't need to worry about bringing something. It was fun saying hi to everyone and watching them catch up. I was fine sitting and talking or driving but walking made me dizzy still so I left before dark to make sure I made it through the detour again and thought I'd go to bed early and feel better the next day.

I got there just at 8:00 a.m. and only a few carloads of us were there but soon everyone was showing up. We had plenty of social time beforehand. Ruth was at the registration table and we got our program and name lanyard (Canadian red leaf maples on the lanyard along with a holder for a cell phone, camera or ipod and a break-apart key ring) plus we picked a little "garbage can" for our goody bag. The can doubles as the challenge to decorate next year. As you can see, there were lots of nice suprises. I meant to leave the Workbasket - I know I already have that one. Maybe I'll send it there next year.

After much socializing and looking at raffle items and the stuff at the vending tables, we got started. There was one class in the morning and one in the afternoon. I took Karey's class in the morning. There was a choice of several leaves to make but I love the maple leaf and decided to do that one. Karey provided buttons and I ended up making 2 of them! I plan to make a 3rd and use all 3 on a table topper or something. Karey had some beautiful yarn and I succumbed....I hope there is enough for what I have in mind but if not, it will make a lovely scarf.

Lunch was catered and delicious but if I were to change anything, it would be the lunch. I'd rather have something lighter. At the end of the day, I wanted to go eat with others, but none of us were hungry. More about that later.

Heather is from the UK and visiting family so that was someone I would not normally meet. She had yo-yos on the bottom of her skirt and on the ends of a stole or wrap. She loves making them. She almost has me convinced I should try them. LOL! The 2 Shirleys were at Palmettos and it was nice to see them again. Actually several ladies had been at Palmettos but I didn't really have much time to talk to them then.

For the afternoon class, I took Nina's class of beaded earrings. Rita was able to fill in for Nina after Nina was unable to come. I'm not showing mine because I just did a sample in some beads and thread I already had but I have the kit and will make them up later. The sample does not look nearly as nice but it was good to practice the technique with. I've taken a class with Nina before but I needed a reminder as to how the technique worked.

During breaks I walked around and checked out the vending tables and what was going on in the other classes. The bags for sale were done in Crazy Quilting and were gorgeous. She also had some buttons that were shuttle-shaped. Georgia has some short hooks in size 15 & 16, which are smaller than what I already have plus I wanted some of those "celtic" shuttles. I got some thread from Rita...although I was hard pressed to find thread I did not have. I also met Clyde, a Canadian tatter taking part in the 25 motif challenge that I've not met before. He's in the Hawaiian type shirt. Norm, another male tatter I had not met before, is in the red shirt. I think you only see his back.

Brenda Franklin taught a knitted bangle bracelet class and had some beautiful knitted beaded jewelry for sale. I think I only got one small picture of her in the background of another setting. She's very talented and had some beads and books to die for. There were several people from Ohio. One from Pennsylvania, some from NY, and most of the rest were from Ontario.

As it turned out, we had to close up a bit early since the Club had overlapped in their booking. The raffles and live auction went well, providing funds for the Fringe Element Tatters to do this again next year! For those in the northeastern half of the States, it's a good alternative or addition to Palmetto or Hector. Got to as many as you can !! but sometimes timing doesn't work out - so keep all of them in mind. I won't be able to go to Ayr next year as my son has set his wedding date within just a few days....don't think I can do both and remain sane. LOL!

The hotel at Cambridge had been booked for some late night fun, knitting with Karey and a shuttle bud with Shirley. I felt much better as the day went on and the dizziness had disappeared but I wasn't sure what to do with those 3 or so hours in between. Since no one was hungry, it looked like everyone was going back to their hotels or sorting out other stuff until the 8:00 p.m. gathering. My hotel was 15 miles in the other direction and I was pretty sure I wouldn't come back for that. So I missed out on some good fun but I think it was probably good to rest up again. I was a little dizzy again yesterday morning and even this morning. It occured to me that one of my coworkers came in sick last week, really sick, and finally missed the rest of the week. I rarely get sick and when I do, it's usually so mild I don't even know it until after the fact. I kinda got to wondering if that's why I was dizzy and not hungry? I'll ask her tomorrow just what kind of symptoms she was having. I hope it was just a matter of trying to do too much.

Anyway...it was great fun and I'm glad I went. Oh...Karey has a new book,, Flutter Home, which you can see in the slideshow. I made 2 of the dragonfly pattern in it Friday night so you can tell they are a fairly quick tat.

And Saturday night, even though I was missing out on the fun with the gang, I was still tatting. I emptied out a couple of shuttles tatting this Christmas tree and flower from Jan Stawasz's book. I like the way the tree looks but I don't like cutting & tying at the end of each row. The only way I see around that is to start at the top and work down but even then, the split chains could get fiddly. I've done them that way before...almost as much trouble as cut & tie. I'll use this as one of my samples of holiday tatting with my lace group on Wednesday night.

Now, I know you are waiting anxiously to see what I've got to tell you about Tat Day in Ayr, Ontario with the Fringe Element Tatters, but it's going to take me a bit to pull it all together (and recover from travel) so I'm putting this video here in the meantime. It's about 30 minutes long. If you have dial-up..you might want to view it someplace with a faster connection, but it's well worth watching.

I have another list that is more esoteric in nature and we often talk about the different physical senses as well as non-physical senses and how we interpret energy through those senses. That's how someone was prompted to post the link to this video. Keep in mind that Evelyn Glennie is a deaf musician.

"Evelyn Glennie's music challenges the listener to ask where music comes from: Is it more than simply a translation from score to instrument to audience? How can a musician who has almost no hearing play with such sensitivity and compassion?

The Grammy-winning percussionist and composer became almost completely deaf by the age of 12, but her hearing loss brought her a deeper understanding of and connection to the music she loves. She's the subject of the documentary Touch the Sound, which explores this unconventional and intriguing approach to percussion.

Along with her vibrant solo career, Glennie has collaborated with musicians ranging from classical orchestras to Björk. Her career has taken her to hundreds of concert stages around the world, and she's recorded a dozen albums, winning a Grammy for her recording of Bartók's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, and another for her 2002 collaboration with Bela Fleck."

We all have the potential to use our senses far more than we do. We use our senses to interpret the energy around us, visually, audibly, by touch, by aroma....and we each uniquely bring an offering of that interpretation to others....as tatters, we translate all that we see, hear, feel, and smell into bits and pieces and sometimes grand symphonies of lace. We use color and texture in a mixture of fibers in new ways. Even the "old" ways are colored by what we are continually learning.

I have to admit this is always on my mind when I go to lace events - I am so amazed at the different interpretations we each have of this ONE teensy little knot. Have you ever thought about it? It's ONE knot. It has a 1st half and a 2nd half, but it is one single solitary knot. Globally, we are a minority in the laces...but look at what we have accomplished in just the past decade! I think it's incredible.