I drove 6+ hours only to get this....

Six balls of thread (I put two others back), a spool of metallic thread, two commemorative bobbins, two plain bobbins to match the two I'm missing from a dozen (not pictured here), and a gift.

Lunch at Omega's (a huge BLT plate with cole slaw, fries, a muffin and sesame bun) with some tatters!

Who just happened to be these ladies, minus Diane. Sue Anna from Sue Anna's Blog, whose computer is on the fritz; Diane from Lace-Lovin' Librarian, Barb Gordon who does not have a blog but is a familiar voice on many lists, Merrilee from Yarnplayer's Tatting, and me. Diane was not there until we returned from lunch.

Of course Diane felt compelled to give us one of her fabulous blinged shuttles! I'm getting quite a collection now. It's almost embarrassing! You'd think I was stalking her just to get one of her pretty shuttles.

I traveled with my lace friend Sally who took the bobbin lace class and finished up a gorgeous snake bookmark. She ordered the lunch L.A.C.E. provided, so didn't join us. Another member of our lace guild, Regina Bouley, came separately and also took the bobbin lace class so Sally wasn't without company.
I also got to meet Lelia, from Stitches of Life II and her friend, Karol, of Rosebud's Stitching.

It was a fun outing even if I was tired as a dog by the time I got home and crashed on the sofa for an hour. If I didn't mention it, this was the Lace Day sponsored by the Lacemakers of Illinois, L.A.C.E., Lacemakers and Collectors Exchange. My bobbins were hand painted by L.A.C.E. member Kate Wild.

It's been a loooooooooooooonnnnnnnggggggg week.

We're finally starting the interview process to replace all those people we lost to early retirement. Yessirreeee. Long Week. So I finished up some tatting I started last night. Is there any such thing as a blue magnolia? There is now.

The pattern is by Nancy Tracy from Be-Stitched.com. Look for Feb 08 on the linked page. I'm very impressed with Nancy. When she started her newsletter and committed to a free pattern every month, I didn't think she could keep it up. I've seen lots of people try and get burnt out. Nancy smolders now and then but she always manages to come up with something. Additionally, she has a favorite recipe every month too. She's been doing this for at least 6 years and I think she deserves a hand for everything she has done to promote tatting. I have to admit that I buy most of my tatting supplies at lace day events or in person at The Tatting Corner but when I have ordered from Nancy, it always goes well.

I think the threads I used are Altin Basak. That brilliant blue is such a pretty color but the dye doesn't penetrate completely through and as a thread gets pulled or rubbed, the white shows. Some AB threads have been known to do this. Most of my stash is OLD and I'm slowly working through them with samples and practice pieces. I do not plan to replace them with the same. The size 50 is not a standard size 50 either, another annoying factor. I do have some of the newer solids and they tat beautifully but only a few and really....I'm not going to restock.

I plan to sew this weekend. I've sketched out that pincushion I plan to use for one of the DMC insertion pieces probably a zillion times in my head and half a dozen times on paper. I think it's time to put this segment behind me!

I've also been working on a crochet bonnet and another bobbinlace bookmark.

And by the way....Indiana Lace Day

It's coming up soon - two weeks from Saturday, on April 9th. There's more information about Indiana Lace Day IN THIS POST.

I plan to have the work I've done so far about the DMC Tatting by Therese de Dillmont there to see and also the bobbinlace I've been learning.

The last time we had a Lace Day, I remember a bunch of us went over to the pizza place across the street for lunch. I was thinking, if maybe a bunch of tatters (or lacers of any kind) wanted to eat together, there is also a place about 3 blocks down, not far from Walmart, Hunter's Pub South, which has a big variety of sandwichs and meals where we could eat. Not everyone goes for pizza - just an option you might consider if you're coming.

It's been busy lately. Thursday evening I had loads of mail delivery show up. A book I'd ordered for 75¢ plus postage came, non-tatting. The yoga mat and bag I'd picked as my 20 year anniversary gift from Purdue arrived. I just opened it today. Now...to find a yoga class.

My new buttons from Older Rose came and you'll see them further on down. A few other things I'd ordered came too. What an evening!

So in the last post I told you about knitting, practicing the continental method.

This is how far I got before I decided to rip it all out and start over. This all cotton yarn has a soft feel to it and I decided to make it into a winter neck scarf for one of toddlers in my life, children of friends. I decided this one was too wide for little people and I really thought a pattern that looked the same on both sides might be nicer. Not that kids care about right side, wrong side at that age.

So I started over with the garter stitch and a narrower width. This might go to my great grandson or one of the two baby sons of a friend but I will have to knit a second one no matter who it goes to for the "other" toddler in their family. One is a girl and I haven't decided if this will look too girly for boys or not. Need outweighs looks though.

I couldn't believe how fast these buttons arrived! I ordered two more of Gerry's buttons and she surprised me with an extra button, one with roses! Oh my...wouldn't that look nice on the crocheted sachet I made a few years ago?
In fact, I had to go in and dig it out of my sock drawer and lay the button on it to see! I think it would need a clever bow behind it, but doesn't it look pretty? It might be better on something similar but square shaped so the button would be centered and the main focus.

I went to Gerry's Etsy site to get the link and I see she has a haunted house button, for all you Halloween enthusiasts! Only ONE. And now I want a chickadee button, but it will have to wait for next month's paycheck.

Yesterday morning was my lace guild's meeting, Lafayette Lacers. We have a new member, who is also named "Regina". She tats! A newbie, but we'll fix that. While I'm on the subject of my lace guild, I want to mention our Lace Day, the one we have every other year, alternating with Circle City Lacers, will be April 9, 2011, so mark your calendar. It will be at the same location, for those who have been there before, at the Methodist Church. We'll have the usual fabulous array of vendors including Tracy Jackson Kathy Kirchner, Kaye Judt/Jennifer Titus, and John Aebi. We're also having several mini-classes - different laces and subject, not all tatting since this is an all-lace guild. It's 10:00 - 4:30 Eastern DST. Go. Now. Write it on your calendar! Did I mention it's free? The only charge is for classes. Details later.

I've mentioned a few times that we've been getting ready for a month long exhibit at the Tippicanoe Arts Federation which starts October 29th. Yesterday we were trying to wrap up loose ends about the exhibit. Another project we have going is a small Christmas tree that we decorate with handmade lace and donate to a group that auctions it off as a fundraiser. Last year they got $300 for it. The tree this year will be part of our exhibit until we have to take it to the auction group. Carolyn Regnier has been coordinating the tree (and Lace Day) and as an incentive to get our ornaments in and to destash, she has been offering thread. Yesterday, she also gave tatters a shuttle. A blinged shuttle. (Wendy, see what you started???) A new colored Clover shuttle!

Here's the one I picked! I've already tatted with it. I used the one I got from Wendy and this one to tat another teapot bookmark in ecru. I didn't bother to scan it since it's the same basically as the last one. It went in the dye bag. I can't wait to see how those pieces are going to turn out!

Late last night I felt a need to tat with color again and I got out Jane's Christmas Tree/Brooch Pattern. Jane likes to put the beads on as she goes. I don't. I like to have them on the thread and ready to push whereever I want. There are advantages to both methods, but I decided to work out how to add them first. This is very similar to the way Dianna Stevens designed her beaded amulet bag. I wasn't real sure about the sides so I made the split rings but when I do it again, I may try just chains. I don't think it's too bad for a nearly-midnight tatting adventure. I want to try it with two colors of green beads like Jane's photo too. I really do love all the different Christmas tree patterns. I might make up a collage some day of all the trees I've tatted.

One last note. I borrowed this Christmas Tattig book by Rosemarie Peel from the I.O.L.I. library. I think I borrowed it before but I wanted to see it again. It's one of the few books of Rosemarie's that I don't have. I see a few motifs I want to try before I send it back.

I haven't forgotten the giveaways or the tatted cowboy scene I've mentioned in the past month or few days...but I'm still not prepared to show them. Soon!

Tatting - that delicate wispy threading of air pockets that makes an enduring lace. It's become an obession with me - more than crocheting was, more than quilting, more than even painting - only because it was more portable.

I hope to do a little more with this site. I've not seen any other tatting blogs.........and the working process is as fun as the end result. There are wonderful tatters that I communicate with and share ideas and experiences. We talk designs - others and those coming into our heads. I want to show some of that process - share some of the tips, the pleasures and the frustrations.

Right now I'm tatting something for a grandson. It started out as an alligator to put in his birthday card and then my youngest son flatly said: "He'll lose it". Aaaaackkk - 2 or 3 hours down the drain.....maybe literally. Humph! Well, I have these see through acrylic rulers that I bought for the specific purpose of inserting my tatting and giving as gifts - mostly to the grandkids - but never got around to it in time for Christmas. So........the alligator is now in the ruler and I'm making a little patch of grass and reeds with 2 little ducks to go with it. Next is a little turtle..........and maybe a frog........and a fish... This is how little projects turn into big ones!

I'm also working on fans for my lace group's Lace Day coming up in April. I've got a couple done but there is one in particular I want to make in silk thread .............very pretty. I haven't started. Just picked up some silk thread last night. Hobby Lobby had silk floss on sale for $.88 and rayon embroidery thread for $.31/skein.

And here is my other big huge project. I want to tat Pam Palmer's elephant for my daughter who has a thing about elephants. I have no clue why, but she does. Her birthday is in March. I want to use the rayon thread because it is so bright and shiny....... and slick as SNOT as Hopie pointed out to me (like I didn't already know). But it will be soooooo pretty! This is like a circus elephant with the blanket and head dress. I'll add beads and gold and silver blending filament too! So.......separating embroidery floss is NOT fun. Hopie passed on a tip about using a piece of velcro, the loopy side, and running the strands through that to easily separate them. I'm going to try it. Will let you know what happens!

I've also got 3 thank you bookmarks to make and a birthday RR to tat for, my granddaughter's birthday in March too, besides her mother, and a couple of "thinking of you" somethings to tat. I also need to rework a section on a baby bonnet. More on that another day.

While I was looking for "boy" critter patterns to tat last night, I came across the reindeer ornament I had started to design before Christmas and got sidetracked. It will be the end of April or beginning of May before I get back to it. Maybe in time for the next Christmas.

Once I learn how to navigate this blog, I'll have links to the heart and butterfly I've designed so far. Well, actually, you can get to the butterfly here

I have a few angels too, but they aren't written up yet.