TotusMel on Etsy has been posting some excellent information and opinions about selling tatting (or anything). I don't wear tatted jewelry. Earrings rarely - only because they were made for me. I like the brooches, but it's just never been a habit of mine to wear jewelry like that consistently. I do not like tatted necklaces. Period. I do like to look at them. If you could take the same design and attach it to a sweater or another piece of clothing or household furnishings, I would love it. But that has nothing to do what I'm wanting to say here. Pamela (Totusmel) has made some excellent points in her blog and I encourage you to read it if you want to make money selling your tatting.

I particularly liked what she said about a customer base. It was funny because I was just thinking before I read her entry - seeing that new hand dyed threads were available - that I can't afford the HDT habit. As a treat now and then, yes, but on a regular basis - I just can't. But that doesn't mean the makers shouldn't make it, price it and enjoy a profit from it. There is a customer base that CAN afford it. And I know too, that if it were important to me, I would learn to do it successfully myself - or find a way to afford it.

I get an online newsletter, Knitting Daily, which promotes their magazine, of course. I don't really knit a lot these days but it's fun to keep up with. One of the periodic features I like is the gallery, where they show the same sweater on several of the office staff so you get an idea what it looks like on different figure types. I find it interesting that a sweater rarely looks as flattering on ANY of them as it does on the model. I'm often completely turned off of a pattern by seeing how it looks on everyone. The women aren't ugly...they are normal women like you and me. These sweaters should look good on them, for the most part, in my opinion. Now you know why you often aren't happy with something you've made. I suppose adjustments could be made here and there for a better fit, but it's not just the fit - it's the style. And maybe it's just me and my idea of what looks good.

I've been busy lately working up the class on Romanian Point Lace for my lace guild on the 10th. I've also been going to the pool and doing water workouts which really eats into my evening time. People think I've been really busy but most of the busyness is traveling to exercise, exercising, showering, and then traveling home again. Two hours just for that. And then there is the usual after work errands, dinner, and .....I have maybe an hour and a half at most left before falling into bed. The disturbing thing is, I haven't lost weight! I was losing until I had such problems with my feet that I had to quit going to the gym. So in the time period that I didn't exercise, went to the doctor, traveled to Hector and back, I gained back all I lost. This is my 3rd week with water exercise. I can feel the difference, but haven't seen it on my body or on the scales yet. I'm trusting it will come though. My feet are better, I don't even take the medication every day now, so I think I can probably start back at the gym - gently as far as the footsies go. I'll continue with the water exercise too. I don't go every day, but the days I don't go are still full of catching up from the days I do go!

I did tat one of the motifs from Martha Ess's lastest block tatting book that I purchased at Hector, the daffodil. I did a poor job of it, getting one of the base petals backwards, and I was using whatever thread was on the table. I'm also tatting a motif from an old McCall's Needlework and Crafts. The instructions weren't as clear as I hoped and I will have to go back and retat one section. At least I'm getting a little tatting in!

And the next mystery motif ...will be soon! I should use this one from McCall's! Even with the photo, I had a hard time figuring out the text instructions because a glass dish was on top of the part I needed to see!