Last project of the year!

My brother-in-law collects flying pigs. At a loss of what to get him for Christmas, I decided to make this ....ahem....Ms. Pig....and turn her into a flying pig by giving her wings. It's so out of character for him...but he has a wonderful sense of humor and I'm sure it will add to his huge collection - and it's ONE OF A KIND! LOL! I'm a little late with it. Will deliver it tomorrow. It seemed like I kept having to go get something for it. Or dig into my stash which took forever.

I actually have 2 more sewing projects that are cut out and need to be finished so I can put all that stuff away. One is a smaller egg Santa like the one I showed before. And I have a xmas bag cut out that needs to be finished and put away with the Christmas stuff when I get a roundtuit.

For now....I'm to going to go tat the New Year in!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Squatter's Rights
My sister loaned my son this blanket while he moved the table to my house. I'm in the process of moving things around so the table is in my living room with the blanket folded on top. The black and white cat has seldom budged from that spot since I put it there and is now joined by his sister. They'll probably be traumatized when I take it away!


I went meandering around today. I went to several dollar stores along with other errands looking for some frames for someone. I managed to buy OTHER stuff too, like this photo album for $3. I was looking for one to put tatting in. I've filled up one of my little ones and I know I have more someplace, but I'm not sure where the someplace is.


What I like about this album is that there is a space already there to write in. As long as I don't change the page they are on, I can record the pattern, thread and date.






My first stop was an antique store on the way to Frankfort. I got some tatting in there once so I keep going back even though it has different owners. This time I found a copper vase for $3 that I backtracked and picked up after I'd been through the whole store.
















All this jewelry was in 2 small bags which were 50% off so I got it all for $2. Some of the earrings have mates and some don't but I definitely got my money's worth. I'll have to find something creative to do with the unmatched ones.

While I was there, I saw a smocked bonnet and also a smocked dress and matching bonnet - both had tatting on them. So I picked up the card at that booth, saw the lady is from Wolcott - though she may only have the booth and is selling the baby things for someone else. It was very pretty.

I nearly forgot I was going to add more today!

I haven't done much today - just cleaned up little bits of odds and ends. My arm and shoulder are sore so I haven't been inclined to do any big cleaning. Maybe nearer the end of the week. I was going to return an unwanted package to the post office today but it was closed when I got there. Crafter's Choice....I thought sure I had declined everything til January. The post office told me the last time that it was a scam. I think it is a bit of a racket. I think you should only respond if you WANT the selection, not if you don't want it. It took me forever to fulfill my "committment". I like to look at the descriptions of new books...and then I get them elsewhere much cheaper. If they didn't have to pay for all that unwanted shipping, they could probably sell them at a decent price. LOL!

Here's what I got from Secret Santa as part of the exchange:

I haven't decided exactly what I will do with the snowflake - it's BIG so I could applique it to fabric and then do any number of things....a quilt block, a pillow, a bag, frame it....my house has lots of purple in it so it will go anywhere. I don't have to only bring it out for Christmas!

She also made me the celtic earrings! Lovely work - thank you! I just figured out what to do with all those pink beads....Valentine's Day! I'll use them for that.


I was emptying some shuttles today - seems like I'm always emptying shuttles. I made lots of little blossoms but I also made this little flake using 2 different colors which makes it look different. It would make a lovely frame for something very small - some embroidery, for instance.

I fell asleep on the floor this afternoon. Not sure why - I got plenty of sleep, but I dozed there for about 1 1/2 hours so now I'll be up way late. sigh....my week off typically ends like that....staying up way late and sleeping late. I'm a night person but I've pretty much adapted to early mornings, unless I'm off several days in a row.

SS Surprise!

I got a package that said it was from my Secret Santa. I was expecting it. All was well in my world.

Then package #2 arrived.

hmmmmm.....

then #3, and #4, and #5...and so on. Something was definitely going on but like a good girl, I waited until Christmas to find out. This morning I opened 9 packages which was a delight in itself! I hear I still have one coming too!!!!

Several members from my secret santa exchange decided to surprise gift me - I understand it was instigated by a certain Sue character who resides across the pond. And what a surprise!!!!

Jane Eborall sent me this tiny teddy along with a bookmark from her own pattern. There are also 2 shuttles there and a tatted motif. I put the bear in my tree - I think I'll put the motif on him too. The red shuttle is one I've never seen before. It will hold tons of thread!






These delicate earrings were in a package postmarked from West Lafayette, IN and arrived right after Bette Carson mentioned sending her SS out and she did say packageS when she told me. Aren't they the most feminine pretty things?











Mints in a lovely tin and dark chocolate, individually wrapped! Chrissy lives in the UK and is a new member - so that was definitely the surprise!









Karey (I think) sent me the little green bear with the tatted collar. He is now perched in my tree too.









Creative Gail - wow, remembering my love of sock monkey dolls, she crafted this fantastic flannel bag. And the felted monkey with the candy cane - he is also perched in my tree next to the plastic sock monkey ornament I received in prior years. There is also the beaded green glass ornament - it's on my tree now too. And the tin of mints and the M&M zippered tin. What a fun bag to carry!






I think these 2 gals must have put their heads together. Nell sent me this teensy sock monkey key ring! I think he is too precious to risk losing so I'll probably put my scissors or some tatting tool on the keyring part.








This brooch by Sue Hanson is stunning! I wore it to a family event today. As I held my 2 month-old great-nephew Jackson, he kept turning his head and gazing at it. That's beaded tatting around the center square. The photo doesn't do it the justice that in-person seeing does.







Sweet Tanya who took off on a belated honeymoon yesterday sent me this lovely bag with a pale lavender velveteen egg, variegated thread and beads to coordinate. Her card has tatting on it too....and as I was showing it to someone today, I discovered something else in the bag. LOL! A package of teensy curved needles. I looked and looked at them, wondering why she sent that...and then remembered she is a R.N....so these are probably suture needles. I'll have to wait until she is back to find out if those were meant to be included or were they an accident? They'll hold beads nicely but I'm not sure I can get thread through the eye of the needle!



When I got Sherry's Christmas card with this tatted Santa, I was immediately taken with his tiny bowtie! And that snowflake charm in his lower half! I love having such creative and talented and generous friends!

There's something about being in the midst of such talent that inspires and motivates me beyond words. I appreciate these wonderful people so much. I wish they lived next door. I'll bet you do too!

Tomorrow I'll post what my original SS sent to me as well as what I've made and had to keep under wraps until now. Stay tuned!

Oh wow! That long since I posted?




I have had this shuttle based for a couple of months and just finally got around to painting it. It's kinda tricky working with something that small. it's not realistic. Those aren't holly leaves but there are several kinds of bushes and trees that have red berries. I wish I had a bunch more to play with but I don't have time right now. I need to touch up some places on this one. Acrylic goes much faster than nail polish because it covers better...and you can wash it off quickly if you make a mistake!



I've been working on these bags. They're so cute! Also some larger gift bags. Pretty soon I'll be able to show everything I've made. I'm still working on the lady pig but it's time to call it a night for now.

It's been a BUSY weekend but I did tat while watching some Christmas movies in the evening. These were all quick work-ups. The tree is a pattern originally by Sheridan Femia in Oz and modified by Susan Moore. The candy cane pattern is by Abby Hegwald. (Sorry, I had the wrong last name but it's corrected now!)

The tree is done in size 20 thread and I was amazed at how small it turned out. Can you imagine it in size 80 thread? I just love it!

I tatted the candy canes in size 80 thread because it happened to be right by me at the time I decided to do it. The yellow one is also size 80 but it has a gold blending filament added - really made it significantly larger. It's the yellow I used for the star and garland on the tree. I had barely enough left on the shuttle to do the cane.....finger tatted the end of the last ring and chain, in fact.

There is a partridge in a pear tree by Kathy Lowe that I considered doing but decided it was a bit more than I wanted to tackle in the time I had available. I also wanted to do Ruth Perry's Celtic tree in a heart but again...I have so much trouble with the weaving that I decided to wait for a calmer day.

I was in the office earlier today. I usually decorate the display window right after Thanksgiving but I didn't get to it this time. I thought I'd just throw a little holiday glitz in there to add interest over the next week but I ended up taking the current stuff out and then putting Christmas stuff in. I didn't have to do anything with the background though and all I really did was put things on the shelfs so it didn't take all that long. Then I stopped at the grocery on the way home. Had stopped to get gas on the way in. I was still gone for 4 hours.

I started a list of things I wanted to get done today this morning. HA! I'm not sure I got even one thing on the list done but I did get a lot of other stuff done....and there are half a dozen things that still aren't on the list. Yikes!

Definitely need an early night tonight.

The wife of a coworker collects Santas and he always gets her a new one at Christmas. I offered to tat him this one...though I expect he'll still get a 3D one for her. The original pattern is from Mark Myers, aka Tatman. I took some liberties with it since I didn't want to cut & tie that much. The hat is probably the biggest difference - simply because I wanted a bigger hat. There is a strand of pearly white blending filament in the white which gives it a bit of sparkle. I really think making the eyes like that was a stroke of genius on Mark's part.

I think I'm done tatting for Christmas. I'm ready to embark on something new or finish up other projects. I've felt like every single minute of my time has been consumed over the past few weeks. That means it's time to slow down.

I had a letter from Palmettos today saying I wouldn't be included this year. It was a bit of a relief, to be honest. I was thinking about it yesterday and decided if I hadn't heard by mid-January, that I wouldn't do it anyway. I want to know what I'm doing this summer NOW. We have too many birthdays to plan around. I used to be able to improvise but this is one area I don't want to and there are other places I want to go to. Some events are too close together timewise for the distance I have to travel too. Besides, I've already planned some vacation time in NY during the Spring with friends I met a few years ago when I traveled East. I don't plan to go anywhere this summer now. My house and garden thanks me. LOL!

I was talking with a friend the other day about the Artisan phase of T.A.T. I really haven't had time to pursue it but I want to get at it after the holidays. I've already tackled what I thought was the most difficult part. I may think differently when I work on the rest of it.

This morning I was hurriedly looking for some special cards with oval and circular openings that I bought in Ireland. They are perfect to display tatting...or a photo. I did find them but ...gee, I also found lots of Christmas stuff that I meant to use this year....little boxes and such. I may yet. I tend to collect this stuff all year and put it aside "for Christmas" and then FORGET! At least I found most of my gift-wrap stuff before it was too late. I have the pattern I never found during all of Christmas last year.

I'm off to wrap and sort gifts and see what else I want to get. I have put off shopping until I get this part done!

It started out when I discovered I had about 5 shuttles with the same green thread in them. I'm not sure how that happened....probably my favorite green shade to work with on holiday projects. I thought it was time to empty them so I leafed through various patterns and books. What do you make with green besides wreaths and holiday trees and flower stems and leaves? I really didn't want to do anything holiday-ish. I needed a little break from it.


Then I found it. A motif used as an insert in some linens. On page 64 of Il Lavoro Chiacchierino #10. There is an expanded version too, which features a doily like center. It's combined with cutwork...sort of. I didn't want to do the whole thing. There wasn't enough thread on all of the shuttles for that - but I thought there was enough to make a sample motif.



There was enough for one motif. I had to keep adding in new threads...but can you tell? For the second motif, I wound the shuttle full and kept it attached to the ball. I took 5 yards of thread off the shuttle after I finished tatting it so it doesn't use as much as I thought. So, now I can't just set these aside as samples. I have some green fabric I dug out of my holiday fabric stash and I'm thinking about making mats out of it - and putting the motifs in the corner as an insert. It will give me practice using tatting as an insert in fabric and make something pretty too!



Happy Holidays!

I tatted the single rings while I was in the eye doctor's office the other day. After seeing Sally's pincushion, I think this might be a nice addition to some embroidery on ....something. LOL! The edging below it was on my end table by the chair where I tat. I honestly don't remember why I tatted it - whether I was emptying a shuttle or trying out a pattern or what, but it will look nice on some embroidery too....after I block it.



This is my memory angel for my friend Paula. Actually, I'll put another angel in there from the same pattern. I remembered to make my joining picots tiny on the second one and it's just better in tension. Everything is the same though. She can put this on her tree every year and keep the memory of her mum alive. She could even take the tatted angel out and put in a photograph if she prefers.

My thread, shuttles and patterns are becoming a mess again. That's what happens when you haul it everywhere you go....and can't remember what is in the bag so you always throw a little more in just in case you don't have everything you need.

Well....time to call it a night.

I get to show these because they were given away at my Lace group's exchange tonight! We just give something small and inexpensive or handmade. I bought this photo frame at Michael's on sale last week. I was going through Mini-Tats the other night and found several flakes small enough for this opening - I hoped! LOL! I wanted to use a gold blending filament so I used a size 40 white thread. Anything bigger would have been too big in the end. It fit into the frame perfectly!





That little triangular bag that I couldn't figure out? I did take it apart and it's as easy as I knew it had to be. I made TWO already! This one was filled with chocolates and given with the frame. In a lovely sturdy little box from the Dollar Store. Total investment was within the $5 limit we set - if you don't count the labor. And I already had the thread and material. And who got it? Bette! LOL!


I got this beautifully embroidered pincushion from Sally! She's a beginning tatter and see how she incorporated her first rings into the design? KEWL! She also made the gift bag! We had a wonderful time this evening. Lots of scrumptious finger food. We also had the pleasure of having Elizabeth Kurella as a guest. She is giving a presentation tomorrow about embroidery ....some history on when it became a form of lace. I'm looking forward to her talk.



Then last night I tatted 2 more mini-tats, partially for emptying the shuttles and partially just for something to do without it having to go to anyone. The green one is about the size of a quarter so you can tell the angel isn't very big either.

Now...a very strange thing is happening. I think somebody(s) are having lots of fun with me. I got my Secret Santa package at the weekend, right? It's wrapped in bright red paper and says "Secret Santa" on it and "Don't Open Until Christmas". So, I've dutifully laid it under the tree along with gifts I've got for family members so it's not there on the table mocking me everytime I walk by.

Tonight I get home and pick up my mail....and there's a plain brown packet - no return address, exactly, but it's from Cincinnati, OH. At one end, it reads "Meyers, Kaobu (?), Fountaintown, Cork, Ireland. ROFTL! I'm not sure, but I don't think anyone in our exchange is from Ireland -or even on the list, to be a partner in crime. I don't remember ordering anything so I open the envelope to find 5 little blue foil wrapped packages. No note. Nothing. Yes, I've been squishing them, trying to feel what they are. LOL! Initially, I thought maybe someone wanted me to send them to their partner so the person wouldn't know where they came from but with no note.....hmmmmmm.....must be for me?

But I've got my SS package, right? This is turning into a puzzle.

Oh geez! It's after 11:00 already! How am I gonna get to sleep wondering about these little blue packets?

Speaking of Gingerbread Boys

It didn't come up in my google search a few weeks ago but it did this weekend - Patti Duff has a gingerbread boy and girl in her book Mini-Tats. I think if you wanted to make a gingerbread family, here's the kids! LOL!

I've been sewing gift bags - Walmart had Xmas material on their $2 table some time back and I stocked up a bit. I haven't made this one yet, but it looks intriguing. It is fairly large, 41" x 41", so I think I might try to minimize it. Here are some simple gift bags. If you want ideas, just look over the selection here!

Here is a Tudor Rose Bag which has nothing to do with Christmas but I find it unusual. I'm actually looking for a little triangular thing like I bought at the Storeybrook Cottage in Australia. It is a handmade fabric pouch with a drawstring...so sweet, but I can't figure out how it's made. I was going to give it away...but...NOT til I figure it out!

This is not it, but doesn't it inspire you? Here's an interesting organza ribbon flower tutorial.

Well...I may have to take it apart. I could have already done that in the time I spent surfing!

More fun with design

Betsy Evans has a lovely snowflake pattern on Gale Marshall's website.



I couldn't help but think how nice it would look as an ornament cover with a few beads added at the drop down point. It fits very nice over a small 1" glass ball ornament. Unfortunately, Betsy's email wasn't on the website so I can't send my adaptation to her until I track it down. I made a second version for a gift exchange so I won't show it here just yet, but in that one I used size 40 thread and added a few chain stitches between each ring in the center because it's a bit tight going over the ornament center. I couldn't use the split ring when I did that, so if I make another one, I may just leave a length of thread to help open the center up. You can't really see it in the photo, but at the point of the flake, I used a grouping of 3 beads besides one at each picot on the side. I thought it would help weight the points down. The first one I wet and formed it around the ball, letting it dry on the ornament. On the second one, I blocked it on the styrofoam board. I don't use a stiffener. I thought it was dry when I removed it but it was just a teensy bit damp - which may have helped form it to the ball again. Blocking it first though, I was able to shape it better.

Do you see how the drop down point kinda looks like an angel? It really wouldn't take too much to make those side rings look like angel wings....some graduated picots maybe?

The one you see here was tatted in size 20 thread. The one I tatted in size 40 thread came out smaller, not hanging down as far - more about halfway.

I have 2 more shuttles I'm painting, but I'm not quite sure how I will finish them. For now...I'm sewing gift bags.

The Evolution of Design

He's done! Finally! I've been working on this fellow for several weeks now. I was thinking Christmas thoughts and tatting for my Secret Christmas gift exchange - one of them anyway....and I saw a tatted teddy bear which made me remember I had asked last year, or the year before, if there were any gingerbread designs out there? I guess not - I sure don't remember seeing any, but I forgot about it after I asked. So of course....I HAD to give it a try.



My first attempt was based largely on the teddy bear but I didn't know what to do with all the picots. And when I tried to add "frosting", the picots looked even stranger so I added a plain border around. And then I wanted him to have eyes. You always gotta put raisins or chocolate chips for the eyes and button fronts! But my beads were too tiny and he looked....beady eyed.


So that meant bigger beads. I didn't like the way the round motifs worked either so I had to come up with a different design. I also needed to make sure I could chain the border around and have places to attach it to. And writing all this stuff down in the process! I have pages of scribbled out notes. I say this is version #3 but that doesn't count 2 efforts that were tossed in the trash. I also got in a hurry the other night and made his legs one set of rings shorter than I meant to....but he still looks okay.
I wanted to give him a nose and a smile but that sort of escaped my inspirational musing. LOL! I've got the directions on my yahoo group but if you aren't a member and would like a copy, email me. Just click on the "Email Tatting Goddess" link to the right. I have it in word doc, pdf, and plain text.

Merry Christmas!

I decided to take the Daremore Quotes off. They weren't changing and an email to the site was never responded to. I like it when it worked.

Some Show & Tell

I do have a few things to show. I got these kangaroo cutouts while I was in Australia....the last place I went to with Maureen. I've painted and varnished some to use and also to gift as thread winders. I would like to do some more detailed painting of them, but this batch is pretty simplified. They hold 10 yards nicely. Guess how I know?


This is a snowrose I decided not to give away. Good thing too. As I scanned it this morning I found a mistake. In fact, I made the same mistake TWICE! Can you see it? I'll tell you at the end. Late night tatting isn't necessarily a good thing to do.

I came to work yesterday to find my favorite bead store had a serious fire. The news today is that damage is not as bad as feared and they hope to reopen soon. The bookstore segment will open but the bead section had some structure damage and will need repair.

My surprise is almost ready!! I'm going to my sister's tonight to meet up with some cousins so I can't finish it yet. Still have to proof my directions. Every time I make IT, I change IT. heheheheheheheh or maybe I should say HOHOHOHOHOHO.

My lace group is demonstrating Saturday for Dickens of a Christmas in downtown Lafayette. We'll be in the Cajun Connection storefront. I haven't been there since they expanded.

So...my mistakes....I joined at a middle picot instead of a side picot...twice. It also looks like I didn't chain enough in at least one place at the base of the white. I think I got confused with another pattern I'm doing. It was in size 80 thread too. And my rose petals swirled instead of spoking straight out. I do love Denise's snowroses though. Very much worth the $6-$7 it cost.