Progress on the beaded bag! Actually, I'm even further now. I took it with me to the doctor's office this afternoon and made it around the end and I'm well on my way down the other side.


As part of the design course, we test-tat the written text of another tatter's pattern. The first one I chose was by Pat Tinney and you can learn more about his motif on his blog. I thought both of these threads were size 20 - I've made this mistake before and you'd think I'd remember. In fact, I pulled out both threads side by side and they looked the same - until I started tatting. Arrggghhhh! Still looks okay but the rings would be bigger in the variegated if it was really size 20. It's actually size 30.

I thought this design was quite clever because it is divided in the outer round simply by not joining that pair of rings. It is done by some fancy manipulating but it's fun!

Guess what arrived in the mail today???? The BOOK I've been looking for! I can't believe how quickly it arrived. Yeah, I know - that isn't tatting on the cover, however there IS a poem on page 52 about tatted lace. There are pages showing her original writing and the stories/poems are sentimental, chiding, appreciative, and sometimes nonsensical.

You can order your own copy from http://www.back40publishing.com. The cost is $10 plus shipping. James did not have the website set up to include orders for this book yet, but it might be by now and you can always contact them at that site and express your interest. There are a couple of "tea" poems too.