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!