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A fabulous contribution from tatters all over the world! Click on the link above the quilt for more background information as well as how YOU could be the lucky winner of this special quilt!

Lark's Head Knot

Just a quickie to answer a question that someone asked - what is a lark's head knot?

On Bina's website, she has links for techniques. You can find an explanation and drawing HERE.

And HERE in #2.

I wasted a lot of time today one day surfing around but I'll show you the results of that in another post. I ended up checking my blog links because at the end of my list are several that do not have RSS feeds so they don't show up at the top when they're updated. There are also a few blogs that haven't been touched in nearly two years now so I guess I should delete them.

Amongst the live links but not showing updated is Bina Madden's website. I was delighted to see a butterfly pattern dedicated to Wilma Walker. So I printed it out and made a few notes on it to tat it tonight that night.

In the delightful synchronicity that I live in, when I got home, I found the latest issue of Tatting Times, a quarterly publication by Karey Solomon, and inside what did I find, but lo and behold ~ the very same pattern!

That meant I HAD to tat it, right?

Bina writes an excellent column in the I.O.L.I. Bulletin about tatting, btw. I think Bina is a brilliant designer. What I've noticed about Bina and a few other brilliant designers is that they seem to have engineering minds. They can't help it. They need to be challenged. They see every line, curve, angle and proportion of space. Their minds are always ticking and their fingers clicking (with shuttle sounds, of course).

I work from a different perspective. Not better or worse, just different. Not brilliant either, just different. I believe in the KISS principle. KEEP IT SUPREMELY SIMPLE! ( I don't use that other word.) So when Bina throws in larks head knots and front and back tatting and such, I just sort of zone out. Don't get me wrong - she does the same thing with my patterns. So what we each do is adapt the pattern to fit our personal tatting tastes. That's not a bad thing. I'd rather someone adapt my patterns to suit their way of tatting than to not tat it at all. Of course, it does take a certain amount of experience and skill to know how to do that - so keep learning everything you can.

That's why I made notes on the pattern when I printed it out. She was doing FS/BS tatting and a few other things. I just wanted to know how many stitches in each element. There weren't numbers on the diagram so I had to read the pattern and figure out the stitch count. If you've ever tatted Jan Stawasz's patterns, another brilliant designer, you know what I mean. I LOVE his designs but tat very few of them because I have to rewrite them in terms I can tat from.

So I tatted the butterfly.

Twice.


I was a little confused by the difference in numbers from top to bottom which I knew was the FS/BS notation but I didn't always interpret it right. It turned out pretty good except I made a join wrong at the very bottom. I also had to reverse the order of the half stitches of the ruffles depending on the direction I was going in to make sure they all turned the same way.

So I tatted it again. I really didn't like the ruffly effect on the last wing chain and I was going to change it to picots but I didn't. I got sidetracked just as I was beginning the wings on version 2 with some personal issues and didn't get back to it til last night. I'd lost my motivation by then. Other than that, it's pretty much the same, I think. I finally got around to blocking it a bit ago but I did fix those bottom rings.

Inspiration

Where do you get your inspiration? I know I've asked this before and I'm not looking for an answer so much as prompting you to think.

I followed a link on Craftzine the other day and found this handmade doily.

Not your ordinary doily! I can't see what she is using as a hook but this is super-sized crochet! The rug will be featured in a book, Crafting a Meaningful Home, and you can learn more about it at ladiesandgentlemenstudio.com

So why wouldn't you do this in tatting? Shuttle issues, for one thing. How would you make a ring? How wide can you spread your fingers for something this gigantic? I think a doily made entirely of chains might work. A needle tatter might be able to use the largest size knitting needle to craft it too.

Just a thought......

Souvenirs ~ a stone I picked up at Winona Lake

Stones collected by my parents and myself over time

More stones that sit on my ledge outside

I've mentioned from time to time that I liked rocks. I actually have a box of rocks somewhere but with all the moving around since my son moved in, I couldn't remember where they were. So I used the stone from Winona Lake, and inspired by crochet work of Margaret Ooman from Resurrection Fern, and prompted by a tutorial created by her and featured on Purl Bee.com, I set out to make my own ~ but with a tatted center. Once I get the hang of this, I'll try tatting the remainder where I've now crocheted, but crocheting is a whole lot faster and easier to rip out than tatting! This one isn't actually quite done, but you can see how it will look. I need to make a few more rounds to secure it underneath.

I had to take this pic of Diogi guarding the rock outside my bathroom. It's pretty big to tackle now but just wait til I get better at this and she is not looking.......bwah-ha-ha...

Oh, and check out the Flickr Group of Lace Covered Stones. There are some very creative folks there!

It's been a busy day so far! I was up early (for a Saturday) to go to the Fairgrounds to collect my entries. It didn't take long at all and I expressed my concern about the booties being out in the open unprotected. Nicely. But next year I will be calling before I even preregister to find out what they have in mind.

On a brighter note, I collected $40 for the two big ribbons I won. Since it's my birthday, I also promptly spent it on the following:

We had Tatting Guild in Greenfield today. I haven't been there for at least three months and completely missed that Kaye Judt has published a new book! I had second thoughts about purchasing it since I have tatted almost every single one of the 24 projects in the book. But - that's part of the title - "projects for my tatting guild". There are a few I missed. So - for all those people who have emailed me about the apple and pumpkin corner bookmarks shown on my blog a few years ago...it's in the book!

Today we tatted a 3D acorn. I still have the cap to finish but it's part of a larger project so I won't be showing it until it's complete. I missed last month's beginning of the project so I'll have to catch up with that too.

I also missed that Iris has completed and published the book she's been taunting us about but it was there, at The Tatting Corner, so I bought it. This one is edgings and insertions. ELABORATE edgings and insertions. I kept going through it and wondering, "will I really ever tat these?" but you know, chances are I'll tackle the challenge one of these days. If I wait til then to buy the book, it might not be available.

And then there was this one, the Japanese one. I think I've looked at this one a few times and couldn't make myself buy it. Pattern books from overseas tend to be so expensive - but hey - it's my birthday! And I had $40 to spend. That didn't cover half the cost of all three, but it sure did help. I can't believe I've bought FOUR pattern books this month, counting Marilee's! All these books are at The Tatting Corner if you want to buy in the US.

Now...it just happened that going to pick up my Fair entries made me about 45 minutes early when I got as far as Pendleton, so I stopped and checked out a few of the antique stores (and ended up being late to guild!) I collect ceramic "sachets" or potpourri holders. Most of them hang but I found these that sit on a flat surface and couldn't pass them up. I did pass up one that didn't have a stopper. I was only going to get one bird but it turned out they were half price so I went back and got the other one.

So...I think I'll take a nap. Family will be out tomorrow as we get ready for the BIG Family Summer Birthday ce;ebration next weekend. Bonfire, grilling, campout for the teenagers, good times for all!

I'm experimenting!

I started this late last night to wind down after our trip South and back. HOT and steamy but we didn't get rained on.

I picked up some souvenirs which I will use for a tatting project I have in mind. This experiment ties into it. I just realized I tat from left to right in most cases and crochet from right to left.

Well, I'm really tired already so will close out and go home.

One more time!

This time I used size 40 thread and 3 colors. The center is done with a Perfect Quilter thread that I thought matched the size 40 of the other two but I think it's smaller now that it's done. No split chain since I wasn't going to continue with the same color. The middle part is a Coats size 40 and the outside is Venus size 40. I was kind of hoping for that same stained glass effect but it might show up more if I reversed the first two colors as the center is the more colorful of the two. I don't know what it is about this that makes me keep wanting to try something new with it!

You can see here with the size 20 and the size 40 side by side how they differ in size. I scanned them side by side with two different colored backgrounds. White doesn't show up on the white back of the scanner and the dark paper absorbs the darker motif.

See? One idea leads to another......here they are layered! Okay, I'm done for now. Did you notice how much better the white motif looks since I blocked it properly???

Tatting Tea Tuesday 7/20/10

Most likely, by the time you read this, I will be on my way to or in Southern Indiana. I might be inspecting a farm or eating an Amish lunch or enjoying a German dinner. I'm sure tea will come into play at some point. I'll probably take a tall glass of iced tea with me to begin with.

I haven't decided whether to take tatting or not. I usually do but by the time we get to our accommodations on Tuesday night, rest, eat and return to our respective hotel rooms, it's pretty late. I do plan on taking my laptop which now has my drawing software loaded on it and hope to find some time to play around with it. I also intend to take some of my patterns to diagram. Whether I will or not is another matter. I'll probably take a book to read too although there is generally lots of conversation in the car (4 of us) and I'm too busy when we're out of the car to do anything else. I always end up thinking I packed too much so I'm trying to be very spartan this time. I just finished cutting off some black slacks and hemming them into Capri's. I'll wash them out at the hotel and wear them again the next day. I always take something nice for the restaurant. A fresh top for the next day's inspection too. I don't mind wearing black pants several days in a row, partly because I have several pairs, but I really like at least a different top for both days. If it's as hot in the South as it is here, I'll probably need it.

This wasn't my year to do the inspections but my coworker is having some health issues and couldn't so it's me. Good thing I love to do them, right?

So to post a bit about tea - I bought this tiny teapot at Goodwill a few weeks ago. The name badge is one made by Georgia Seitz. It's the same size as a shuttle and has my given name on it. I think she still makes them and it was at such a reasonable price I had to have one. I've had it for years now....and forget to wear it at tatting events. Not that I've gone to any this year.

Oh hey, since I'm digressing, my sister & I have been talking about a trip to Oregon next year to visit relatives. I said that would be great, especially if we could plan it around the time of the Spokane Tat Days and Bobbie Demmer's tatting event. I've been trying to find a way to justify the expense of going to Spokane so that might work out just right. But we'll see.

Back to tatting and tea....I was on my way back from the fairgrounds and in a funk so I was trying to think of a way to distract myself. Shopping! Well...not a lot of money to be spent now, but Goodwill is always good for a cheap thrill. LOL! Actually, I remembered that the car we take on the inspections does NOT have cup holders in the back. Have you ever heard of that? It's such a pain to hold your cup all the way, so last time I said we'd have to get a portable cup holder for the next time. I've seen them in Goodwill before so it was worth a stop. Didn't find any (I'll check the other two later) but I did find the black slacks that are now Capri's and in the washer and these two teapot picture frames!

Okay, they might be coffee pots but I'm saying they're teapots! One of the things I thought about putting in the fair this year was the flat tea set I tatted of Martha's patterns. But I'd already picked all my pieces and I still haven't framed this vignette the way I want to. Maybe another time. Unfortunately, it's too big to fit in either of these frames. I'll have to tat something especially for them, don't you think?

One last thing about traveling - I almost always take the teabags from the room. I don't fix them while I'm there, but I bring them home to try. If it's winter, I have one of the flavored teas with my continental breakfast. What do you do with hotel room tea?

Motif Study

Every so often I find a tatter in the 25 Motif Challenge Blog who has managed to stay under my google-alert radar. Yesterday I found Nami's blog and proceeded to look through it because I also have an interest in beaded jewelry. To my delight, I found a motif she designed and tatted and she posted the diagram for it.

I wanted to try the motif out and I wanted to test a ball of Lizbeth thread I got on clearance at Hobby Lobby a few days ago. It's called "Leaf Swirl" and is similar to another thread I used to use for tatted alligators which is nearly gone. There is not enough variety of green shades in the Lizbeth so I won't use it for alligators but it will work for foliage in some cases.

Anyway, part of the challenge was figuring out what to do next. I always try to find ways to climb from one round to another with a minimum of ends to hide. I didn't realize until I really studied the diagram that the petals were chains, not rings. L-O-N-G chains. I was afraid they would be unwieldy and they are a bit. If I choose to play with this more, I might try to figure out a way to make the petals shorter. So I began with a ring and a mock picot, starting my chain after the mock picot. Easy so far; with very long chains that meant I had to pay attention to tension.

The tricky part was that I wanted to climb out of this round, not cut and tie, so that meant a split chain. Not just any old split chain, but one in which the beginning of the split where I attached the thread was at the base of the first chain and I had to join twice to the first chain on my way up. Most tatters find it hard to estimate the correct amount of bare thread space to leave to accommodate the stitches but when you're talking about 16 stitches and a join, it was pretty much a guesstimate. Can you tell where I made the split chain in the first motif? It was actually a bit longer than I needed.

I didn't feel the green/ivory thread was the best showcase of the pattern so I decided to do it again in a solid color and ended up using white because I have a ball of size 20 Hakelgarn that is nearly empty. I knew from the first attempt to fill both shuttles and I actually measured 9 yards out for each shuttle. I also wanted to do this a second time to work on my chain tension more and see if I could do the split chain better. I think I did. This is where I ended. This time the thread left for stitches was almost too short! I also find those joins on the last join not quite as smooth as the others. I tried it both ways. I usually join pulling the core thread up through the picot but I tried going in the opposite direction and that was even worse.

Here's the finished motif in white. I just steam ironed it for this so the middle is not as nice as it will be when I wet it and block it to even the petals out more. You might notice this pattern does not have any decorative picots. I usually like a few but one of the things about this design that really attracted me was the clean rounded outline. I think that part is so pretty!

Out of 9 yards (or full length arm pulls) I had about 10" left on each shuttle and enough for this small butterfly. Barely! This happened both times so if you try it in size 20, you might want to wind a bit more thread. Oh - and it measures nearly 4" across!

Thank you Nami for a fun challenge!

Well, here is the big winner, the necklace and earrings I tatted and then tried to Scotchguard which turned the beads green. Who knew it would be the winner?

My next big winner was an embroidered bag. Big surprise there but I'm not sure there were any other items in that category - well, had to be as they would get the purple ribbon.

The booties got a blue ribbon. I felt almost sick though when I saw they had all the small items out in the open. They used to have them under glass.

Got a blue for the bookmark too.

Another blue ribbon for the Romanian Point Lace I did last year.

I also got a blue on the Irish Crochet pincushion and red on both the needlelace leaves and my little pouch.

It was so very hot that I didn't stay long. I was already annoyed that the drive where they let people in had no parking so you just drove out but it was blocked by an incoming semi and following those were pickup trucks hauling something else - tractors, maybe. I just thought it was very poor planning. Plus having my items out in the open for any ole five finger pickup didn't set well with me.

I saw one other tatted item and one crocheted doily. Everything else was yarn which is a different category. So....did I even have any competition in my categories? Oh well...my point in exhibiting is to remind people that lacemaking is alive and well.

Whoo Hoo! Marilee's book arrived Thursday! This is a vacation day for me and my plan was to reupholster that icky chair in the living room I mentioned some time back. I'm pretty sure it will take me all weekend! But I will probably have to take a break and tat something - don't you think?

Actually, I did already. Last night was a free night so I tatted the simple stained glass pendant, minus the ring to hang the pendant from.

There is a nice assortment of projects. Marilee has been showing us several of them but I wanted to mention that the required skills vary from project to project so there is something for everyone. Some very easy ones, some with the opportunity to learn a new skill, and some more challenging. Since I rarely wear tatted jewelry, I generally only make it to give away or to use in another way. For some reason, Marilee's designs always attract me so I was anxious to try something out.

I also want to make those earrings Iris had on her blog a few months ago. Now see where my resolve for my 4 day weekend is going??? Add to that the dinner & movie and gallery walk I'm doing with my son tonight for his birthday, Dancin' in the Streets Street Fair on Saturday, and a job fair I want to go to on Monday, and check out the fair wins........and I wonder why I feel overwhelmed sometimes?

So...I started this last night, knowing today was a vacation day and feeling a little pressured about all I intend to get done. I woke up early, fed the cats, checked the computer, talked with my son a bit before he left. Then I decided to lay down on the sofa with a cold compress because my back felt a bit stiff. Wasn't a bit sleepy - but I slept for nearly two hours. Sigh....realistically, this is not a good weekend for the chair. I'll think on it before I jump into it. I DO need to mow and the temps aren't too high yet so that's my next plan. I'm sort of making this up as I go. Can you tell?

But I am SO glad it's not steaming hot and it's sunny and I have the day to catch up outside. I have a fun evening planned. I have a fun Saturday planned. Sunday and Monday might see me accomplishing something. I'll have to wait and see how it goes.

Got 'er done! And this time, I got the eyes in the right place and twisted the picot ears before blocking, like I was supposed to! Hmmm...can't remember the thread but it is size 20 and had some beads already strung from some other project. My guess is Lizbeth but I'm not sure since I'm not home. I think I got this and another solid to work with a variegated all at the same time. The beads weren't exactly planned out so I forgot to put them in a few places. Still...I'm happy with it!

If you haven't already noticed, I've added/changed some of my patterns to direct links. You do have to sign up at the site (free) to access them. The others that are in Esnips will eventually be changed to direct links too but this was all I had time for last night. I also plan to review/retat every pattern and make a diagram for it. Obviously that is going to take some time. I'll also make them all pdf files. I didn't realize so many were word documents. So..if you have or do tat one and find issues, please email me privately and I'll attach them to the pattern at home so I can address them when I redo it. I know Jeff had a problem with the gingerbread boy and someone else made some adaptations, which might have been personal preference or might have been a result of a problem. Anyway, I would like to know about them. Some are quite old now and need to be updated and it's very possible my wording or order of doing things could be improved.

I had a chiropractic adjustment yesterday (which is helping my hip issues greatly!) but I was done a bit too early to take things to the fair so I came home instead. In fact, I thought I'd wait until this morning to take my fair items in, but after eating dinner and catching up elsewhere, I realized I still had plenty of time to take the stuff in so I did. It pays to wait, I guess. Not a person in line! It was no problem to substitute the booties for the dragon. I'm really anxious now to see what else is entered but I'll have to wait for the weekend for that.

So on my way home, I was in the mood to wander Goodwill. There is a nice clean one on my way and so I stopped. Besides, Wednesday's are senior citizen discount day (one discount I do take advantage of). I don't need a stitch of clothing but I have sort of been on the lookout for a simple summer dress to wear at home. I have one that I love but it gets dirty and has to be laundered. LOL! Dresses are sometimes cooler than shorts and tops. But it has to be loose and comfortable and with pockets.

I did find one and it also had a red tag which meant it was 50%off. Then I found another dress, in linen, that I'll never wear but it was also red-tagged and for that, I couldn't pass up the fabric. I've got one book about linen crafts and some of the embroidered bags in another frequently use linen. There's plenty of fabric for that! I'll admit I buy an awful lot at goodwill just for the fabric or buttons or trim. When it's 50% off plus the senior citizen 30% off - well, hey, I'm smiling all the way home! That linen fabric only cost me about $1.75!

I also got this little bird pulling a basket wagon. I've been trying to figure out what to put in the wagon. Make it a pincushion? Dried moss and miniature flowers? Pretty buttons (or beads)? Chocolate? So many choices!

I started the dragon wing too late last night. I was about half way through when I realized I did not do the "opposite rings" on the previous round. I could fudge and use the existing round to make a ring back to where the original would be but I know it would be a tight fit and it would not match the other wing. Nope....will start over tonight.

I spent some time getting my fair items "packaged" to drop off tonight. I had to cover a piece of styrofoam with fabric to display the earrings and necklace on. Yeah, this motivated me to put the findings on it so it's finished. I'm still bummed about the now-green beads but someone will like it. I wonder what the judge's comments will be? I used some lovely brocade in a beige color for the background. I pinned it around a small styrofoam lid I found at work and then stitched it closed by hand. I hated cutting into the fabric but frankly, I have no idea why I bought that one. It must have been on clearance and I had an idea in my head at the time. There is still a good sized piece left and I'll take this one off the styrofoam after the fair.


I also entered the booties. I wasn't going to since I'd already given them to Ellie but then I thought, why not? If they win a ribbon, I'll give them the ribbon when I give the booties back!


There is a bookmark that I made for the T.A.T. 2 course. I don't have a photo of it here. I also entered my little pouch, the one I made for myself originally. I could not find it for the longest time and I knew I had just used it in recent months! I gave up and later found it - it had fallen between two boxes so even though I was in the right area, I couldn't see it.

All of these are old photos so you can't see how I "packaged" them. I framed this and will probably hang it on my wall when I get it back. I like it so well that way. I also framed my needlelace leaves at the last minute last night. I had listed them to enter but then I felt they weren't very good and I probably shouldn't since there is always some beautiful hardanger of some kind but my main purpose in entering is to remind people of all the beautiful handmade laces and that they are still being made and maybe inspire others to take it up too.

I wanted to enter something crocheted too and thought about the crocheted thimble holders I made for a program I did with my lace group but then remembered this pincushion, one of my favorites, and decided to enter it instead.

I finished up the little embroidered bag I was making at the weekend so I could enter it in "Surface Stitchery". You can see it on my other lace blog.


I haven't mentioned anymore about Winona - my how time flies! My camera battery had already died when we went to the antique stores but I have to tell you about the very first one we went into. First off, my sister found a long white nightgown that she fell in love with. It was fairly simple in style but it went all the way to the floor. My sister is taller than me, around 5'7" and most long nightgowns hit about mid-calf and she wants them to go all the way down to the floor! She haggled with the owner and got $15 knocked off. In the meantime, I was wandering around and found an old tatted runner. For $75!!! I know it was old because all the motifs were tied together at the picots. LOL! It was done in ecru and it was a pattern I know I've seen in the older vintage publications, mostly big round motifs. It was in excellent condition. I took it to the lady and commended her on pricing it well. I hate seeing something like that for $5. I could have afforded it then, but what a shame to devalue some one's work like that. I found a few other tatted pieces elsewhere but nothing as big or intricate as that one. Sure wish I had a photo now though.

I won't be able to see how I placed at the fair until either Friday night or later at the weekend. I love seeing what else is entered too. Hope I remember to take my camera!

Tatting Tea Tuesday

So far, I haven't even had any tea, but I know I will before the day is over. I also haven't tatted, but I have one wing left to do on a dragon which I'll probably finish up tonight. I intended to tat a trio of dragons for the fair but I can't find the others I've tatted (haven't even looked really) and I don't have time. I didn't realize that not only was the registration deadline last Saturday, the items must be taken in Wednesday night or Thursday morning. It's early this year! So, I've been scrambling getting things together. Last night I drove to my son's house to get the booties I tatted for Ellie. I'll enter them in the fair in place of the dragons - hopefully they will let me substitute what I said I would enter for tatting. You can enter 2 items in each category so I've got 2 in tatting and 2 tatted items in "other". I also have some RPL and embroidery that I'm entering. I haven't entered the past few years and I noticed the lace category didn't have that many entries. Gotta keep the inspiration alive!

Sometimes when I visit Etsy, especially after my monthly payday, it can be dangerous. Last week I ordered this adorable bird hook. I think I actually found some interesting stuff on someone's blog and went to their etsy shop where I found it. OH...I've got that much money! I'll order it!


Now, over the next few days I sort of berated myself a bit. I knew when I ordered it that I would redo it. I don't like the distressed look. It was a sign of improper care or laziness when I was growing up. Slap a coat of paint on there and nobody will know! The details get lost after awhile and it just looks cheap, IMO. I don't care what the current trend is - I don't like it. The seller offers to do it in a different color on her site but there is an additional cost and I didn't want a different color. She'll probably freak if she finds out I'm going to strip it down and start over. Her specialty is finding old iron, cleaning it up and doing something like this to it. So, I guess it's kind of expensive in the end by having to redo it, but if I don't, those worn spots will take my enjoyment of it away and what's the point of that?

So it arrived on Thursday. I love it! I'm not sorry I ordered it. I WILL redo it, but I LOVE IT! The branch will go back to being wrought iron but the birds will be painted. Or the branch may go white and the birds pale yellow. It's going to my bedroom which I plan to paint white, with white furnishings, and only a tidge of yellow here and there.

Just remembered I need to go buy some "points" for picture frames, to hold the backing in. Maybe I'll get to post later this week!

I've been back for three days but working and catching up with other things meant blogging had to wait. I didn't think I really had any pictures to share but once I got some on here, I decided I had too many and removed some for another day!

We went to Winona Lake, a town originally inhabited by the Potawatomi but later developed by various religious organizations, including evangelist Billy Sunday. Wikipedia speaks very kindly of him but the literature in Winona mentions his bigotry and prejudices in a less than flattering light. The town has now been restored and developed under a new vision and houses artisans of all sorts. We lunched at the Boathouse Restaurant, which is located right next/on the lake. If you sit outside, you could stick your feet in the water. It was too hot for that so we ate inside.

Since we got there on Monday which was celebrated as the holiday because the 4th was actually on Sunday, many of the establishments were closed by the time we got there. I'll talk about the B&B at another time. One of the places we scouted during a walk on Monday was an ice cream shop that had a gift shop above - but it was closed so we came back on Tuesday. We were not disappointed.

My sister and I went from room to room, ooohing and aahhhing over everything while my brother-in-law sat down in the ice cream shop and enjoyed a cold soda.

This was a RED section. LOL! I was snapping photos right and left of teapots and birdcages and lots of shabby chic stuff all over.

My camera battery gave out after this one......but look at the bottom of the photo! LOL! My sister and I are reflected in the mirror. I had no idea of it until I downloaded the pics.

My sister and brother-in-law the evening before when we were out walking and scouting out the attractions.

I'll tell you about the antique stores in Pierceton and other places we went to and the B&B in another post. Don't let me forget to tell you about the gorgeous tatting that I do not have a photo of since my battery was dead.

So...back at home...and I've tatted a bit of Mary Konior's "leaves". Actually I took this with me and tatted most of it during the car ride back. I'm surprised I tatted so little during the trip. At night I was reading about Martha Washington's life and was just about to the part of the Revolution (which is what July 4th is about) when I went to bed that night.

I was only tatting about 5" of this edging to put around this package. Ribbon goes through the "leaves" very nicely. On another one that I'd finished before I left, I added a button, threading the ribbon through it and tying it all together. Such a simple closure but very pretty.

I have two more motifs for our charity tree to tat and want to give them to the organizer at our meeting on Saturday so I started one last night. I thought sure I had the same thread but see how it's bigger than the one already completed? I was puzzled because I know my tension doesn't vary that much. Then I got to thinking this morning and can vaguely remember using almost all of a small ball of thread this very color. My guess is that I used size 80 for the first motif since this thread is size 70. Same color and seemingly so close in size it wouldn't matter, but clearly it does. The pattern is from Lene Bjorn's 24 Snowflakes in Tatting. The first one was almost too big for the size limits we have for this miniature tree so do I continue with a 3rd one or not (we tat groups of 3 of each design) or do I look for something smaller???? My self-imposed deadline was July 1st and I have all but this group done. Since the meeting is tomorrow and I have bobbins I want to prepare for the program, I probably won't get them done! But it's okay. It's only MY deadline. I can extend it another week. LOL!

Oh...just remembered...fair registration deadline is tomorrow!

The Winner is......!!!!!!

Number 14 ~ Sally Kerson!

14. Sally Kerson said...
Just want to win because its my birthday!!!!

Well, Sally, you got your birthday wish! Please send me your mailing address privately and I'll get that out to you! Happy Birthday too!


My day has been pretty quiet and I'm perfectly fine with that. I noticed early that it was warm and muggy and decided I would put mowing off til later. Well...then it rained. I'm good with that too. I'm just being really lazy today. It's one of the perks of living in this great nation.

I did do a semi-cleanout of some boxes in my bedroom that I've been meaning to do for weeks. I want to clean the whole bedroom but for today, it was just 3 boxes and several bags on top of the boxes where I tend to dump them. One of the bags contained this box of vintage hankies that I bought a week or so ago. The lace is machine made and there are only 2 hankies there though it looks like more. When I opened them up and folded the edges back, there was discoloration on the white one. I washed them and noticed it didn't go away. I may have to soak them in something. If that doesn't work, then I guess they won't become anything special.

Here's another thing I found in the cleanout. When I visited Pat Winter in April to check out where our dye class would be, I stopped at CVS, probably a potty call, and saw these tinkly chimes. Only a few bucks and mostly plastic but they appealed to me for some reason. I was going to put them in my car and kept forgetting once they were in the house. I've hung them from the chain on my overhead fan in my studio. They have the lightest tinkle.

Tomorrow I am going to Winona Lake in Warsaw, Indiana, with my sister and her husband. I'll let you know what we do. I think we're going to eat out on the water.