Here is step 1 of the self closing mock ring (SCMR). The ds for the chain are done and you're getting ready to make the SCMR. You hold the chain thread as usual. Create a loop from the ring shuttle thread by looping it over a finger - I used my ring finger here - and then make the initial ds for the SCMR. In this case it starts with 3 ds. For step 2, drop the ring shuttle and start a ring with the ball shuttle.



This SCMR is made up with 3 ds chain between the 3 ds, p, 3ds, p, 3ds, p, 3ds rings and there are 7 rings in this particular pattern. You just continue to alternate, using the ball shuttle for the rings and then dropping it and picking up the ring shuttle when doing the chain stitches.



Once the sequence of rings and chains are done, you take the ring shuttle and insert it through that first loop that was made. You need to make sure your chain stitches are tucked in nice and close before you do each ring so there aren't any gaps. Be careful too, when you do that because it is easy to pull that core thread and decrease the size of your loop inadvertently. Of course, you can always pull it bigger, but you don't want to accidently close it and lose your work!





Then pull on the ring shuttle thread and close just like you do a normal ring. You might need to go a little slower since there are considerably more stitches and it has a tendency to get stuck. When you are done, it looks like this.



You can get those directions from here.

Egad! I'm leaving for vacation on August 2nd. Barely a month from now. I'll be visiting the east coast, from VA up to VT and maybe even Montreal. I haven't even posted in any of my tatting lists to see if I could meet up with anyone. I'm already meeting 10 people from some other lists I'm on and don't think I can squeeze in any more, but maybe I should ask where the good tatting shops are. I have to bring back a shuttle!

If anyone reading this is from VA, NJ, NY, MA, CT, VT or Montreal..........and you know a good tatting source, pop in over there on the right and email me or leave a comment.

Yikes, I'm going through OH, maybe I could stop for a second and see Gail? I will be stopping in at the Lace convention in NJ - the sales room, probably on the 6th. I can't afford the convention and classes themselves, but I'm sure I'll buy something there to support the whole shebang!

I'll be in NJ for several days, but part of that time I will be in NY, commuting from NJ. I'm thinking I better get back into the tatting mode this weekend. I was planning on taking several bookmarks with me as momentos.



For some reason I didn't tat at all last night - I was on the computer, but I'm not sure I really accomplished anything. LOL!

Butterflies Are Free

This white picot gauge was actually in the quilting part of Walmart originally - then moved to clearance, so I got it for $1.75 a few days ago. It picks up where the smaller wooden one leaves off. The wooden one was $40 + in April. But it's soooooo pretty!

I was tatting along, finished with 2 SCMR's and realized I only had 6 small rings on each big one and it should be 7. So I went ahead and finished another one. I'm going to have to start over. No way around it. Getting lots of practice with self closing mock rings this way.


It's so very hot today. It'll be late before I tat, if I tat at all. Got bills to make out. But with the holiday weekend, I'll probably have some extra time.

Melinda's bookmark that I mentioned in an earlier entry is now featured on Bellaonline here. It wasn't showing up yet, but it'll be there eventually. I was going to use the pastelles thread to make it, but the strands got too fuzzy and I didn't realize this bookmark was made up of self closing mock rings, which means the core thread is under even more stress when you close the ring. It kept sticking and then breaking, so I went to another thread. I've scanned some of the steps and have a few more to do - then I'll show them on here, along with the completed bookmark.

Wow! tomorrow is July 1. Fair is only a few weeks away! Fan! Bonnet! Bookmark! Earrings! I'm almost ready!

I've spent hours the last two nights trying to separate this floss. It's a cotton floss and not the smoothest of threads. It gets fuzzy and that creates tangles. It's soooooo pretty though. I bought several different ones at Hobby Lobby on sale for $.30 each. I have a habit of trying to separate 2 strands at a time but in an experiment with rayon floss, I found it easier to get one thread out at a time intact.. Belatedly, like halfway through, I remembered that with this, and sure enough, if I only pulled one thread, it went more smoothly. I'm still soothing out some snarls however so it will be awhile before I get to tat with it.


I have a couple of more goals for this site when I have time. One is to get the links listed on the sidebar. The other is to learn how to do thumbnails so you can see the scan in more detail. I try to keep it smaller on the page so that loading time isn't so much, but then you can't see as well. I know I like to see DETAILS - especially for certain stitches.

This is that single shuttle motif. I'm thinking this might be a good shuttle emptying project. As long as the thread is the same size, I could keep joining motifs and end up with a patchwork sort of mat. It might get interesting. Looking at it here, I think you could make the side small rings even smaller and make the big rings bigger, even make an onion ring or two there, change the bottom samll ring to have only 1 picot - and you'd have a butterfly!

I added LINKS to the sidebar, but need to change the color and then add the links. I was guessing it would show up and it's so slow loading here at home, I think I'll wait til tomorrow to add links - if I have time. It's a busy week.

I'd scan my other 2 shuttles from lace day and the picot guage.................but I'm concerned about how long it takes to load the page. I'm thinking there are too many images for now. Or maybe it's just a super slow connection today.

Well, I've piddled around and it's almost too late to get my walk in, but I'm going to anyway.

I still have some bonnet thread on the shuttle so I'm trying a small shuttle only motif from Tatting Patterns and Designs. It's a square, or diamond, depending on how you use it. In the book, it's hung on a mobil from the large ring so it looks diamond in shape.

I finished up the bonnet detail tonight. It's now soaking in some Oxy Clean to get the hand oil and grime off. Then I will block it and put ribbon ties on it. Then I need to dig out my notes and transcribe them.

Below are examples of how I empty my shuttles. If I'm in a hurry, I just put the thread on a floss holder, but usually I just keep them in a baggie and then one evening when I'm not really in the mood to work on a specific project, I'll make daisy rings and simple butterflies. The rings are varied. Some have same size picots and others have a combination of large and small. So simple yet quite elegant when gathered together and tied with a tiny ribbon.

I ordered Tatted Artistry from Georgia today - well, I have to paypal her but still, it's ordered. It's by Teiko Fujito, who also designed Tatted Fashions, the book I got the edging pattern that I used for the last bookmark. You can see Tatted Artistry and a sample of the pattern style here.

Sigh.........I've got 1/2 hour to get started on that bonnet edge. I think I have to wind a shuttle too.



Here's a shuttle I bought during our Lace Day in April. The tiny bonnet is a result of my first attempt at recreating the center of the Dorcas Bonnet, shown earlier in this blog. The flower is one I made while emptying shuttles. The yellow is rayon floss and the green is thread with a blending filament. I should put some sheer ribbons on the bonnet, tiny 1/8 inch ribbon ties.

Well, I would at least like to get the shuttle wound.

Last night I snipped out the extra part on the bonnet and hid the resulting ends. Hopefully, tonight I will tat that last edging row on and find my notes and type them up for Georgia. It really is quite pretty. I was late for class last night and must have missed out altogether. I thought they were there for an hour but no one was in there.

It's so hot out, I may stay home and walk the treadmill instead of going up to the school and walking the track there. But then, I probably won't run on the treadmill. Decisions, decisions!

The pattern for the bookmark was really an edging, not an insertion. The nice thing about an edging is that you can join on either side and have two different results. I'll have to try this one again and join the chains instead of the rings. I think it will show the rings off better that way. I just kind of guessed at how to finish each end but it worked out well. I made a chain with picots, then a ring which could have been from a 2nd shuttle ball thread, but I did the shoestring trick, crossing the threads over and then crossing back to continue on the chain for the other side. For the top ring, I added picots for decorative effect, but for the bottom, it was just a plain ring because I knew I wanted to put the tassel there.

I got this blinkie from this page. Creative people are so cool!

Time to go home!

A quick scan of the finished bookmark - I'm sending it to someone tomorrow - I think!

I emptied some shuttles last night, making simple flowers and butteflies that I put on cards and notes. Then I decided to make a bookmark from an insertion pattern in Tatted Fashion , a Lacis publication, with some Valdani thread.


Cool! I learned I can put a label or title on a graphic! I'm trying to find the link where I bought the thread - still haven't transferred that part from my old computer so I'm using what I exported from my work computer and they aren't quite the same. Oh! Here we go. The colors seemed to scan a little brighter than they are but they remind me of pansy colors when worked up, which I didn't expect. I've been wanting to try something else with these threads and decided on the spur of the moment to play with this pattern. Like I don't have anything else to do.

So I guess I better get busy!

I can't believe how little I've tatted the last few weeks!

I found a bookmark pattern on Melinda's Tatting Exchange site which I didn't even know about until she posted she was closing it down due to time constaints. I like the pastel variegated thread on this one.

I'm already bored with the idea of a moose bookmark........but I happened to have some little square frames from the dollar store that will frame that smaller moose head perfectly. I might do a few of those in addition to bookmarks - earrings are out. I'd have to do two mooseheads for every pair in that tiny thread.....nooope, not fun, I decided.

I also need to be thinking about the county fair - my fan will go in one category. Maybe I could get the bonnet finished by then too.

Speaking of bonnets, it's June, the wedding month, and here is an updated version of the heirloom handkerchief/baby bonnet. Can't see the photo very well, but the instructions are more detailed than before. This one doesn't actually have any tatting, but that's a simple edging to put on. If you go to the projects page of this site there is a cute stuffed fish that is actually a cat bed!
Actually it is a Simplicity pattern with Elna embroidery instructions, but I can adapt. I like the napkin cuffs too - if I ever have a formal table setting.

This might be a good time to finish cleaning the sewing room out.........and SEW! If it continues to rain this weekend, I will do just that. I need to make a little stuffed something to put all my tatted boo-boos on too. I'm not really a teddy-bear person. Maybe a monkey? ROTFL!

Early tatting from 1999-2000. I learned to tat in 1998 and took part in exchanges and lists as documented here. I'd never remember all that stuff I made if I hadn't put it in online albums!
Tatting in 2001.
Tatting in 2002.
This year's tatting which I haven't kept up to date so well since I started this blog!

This year I am tatting more for family and friends, instead of doing exchanges. Hardly any of my tatting has gone to my family.............found out my sister bought some tatting on ebay 'cause she likes it so well.

Dreams of Lace: Easter Eggs 2002

Yeah, Easter is long gone, and these patterns are even a year old, but I didn't see them before. Might be a nice touch on a wooden egg too. Paint a little scene on there.......

and oh my! I haven't checked tatting links in quite awhile it seems! Kersti got married! Ah well, looking at the updates, she just put the photos up last month. I looked at the recipes - had to look up "copha" to see what it was It's a vegetable based shortening. Then I saw the gingerbread - which would be a cookie here, but when I think of gingerbread, I think of cake, with whipped cream or ice cream on a freshly baked square. mmmmmmmmmmmmm.........I'm hungry - my tummy is growling.

So, I'm off to run an errand or two and get home!

Here is the latest moosehead! Tatted in sulky quilt thread, it measures much smaller. This would work for earrings.


I didn't mention where I got the pattern. Dianna Stevens is the designer of this critter - an inspiration during her days in Alaska.

The sulky quilting thread is slightly smaller than size 80. I'm not sure if it's the looser twist or what, but it's not exactly the same. It does tend to shred if you don't pick it apart carefully when retrotatting.

I finished the lavendar crocus today. Two of the flowers are in size 20 and two are in the turkish thread size 50, which I always thought tatted up the same but they are definitely different sizes. The 20 crocuses came out larger. I got some stamens over the weekend and hope to finish those up soon. Our county fair is in July, so I need to be deciding what to enter. I have big ideas in the winter but as it gets closer, I have to settle for what is already done!

Finally, the bookmark. A good one for males, I think.

Here's that last amulet bag. The cat, Chewie, was playing with it one day - I got it from her before she chewed something apart. She never bothers my tatting.............I hope this isn't a trend.

The moose head is done and I'm working on the bookmark part - close to being done and I even scanned it, but decided to wait until I've completed it and blocked it before I show it. It will look better then.

Long day, mostly spent driving - went to Muncie to do some work related stuff. Haven't felt like doing anything this evening but did tat for a change - cause I can just sit and vegetate, more or less.

Now that I've got a scanner that shows such nice detail - I'll have to scan my shuttles. When I have nothing better to do. (((ggg)))

So when is someone going to come up with Tatting for Dummies ?

I screwed up the moose........finally found my printout with the graphic intact. I was having trouble knowing which direction and if there was an extra join........there wasn't. So do I retrotat or cut it and hide new ends?

Straight home tonite - no errands! Jesse wants me to cut his hair though.........and I'm making a strong effort to clean and sort in the kitchen. It's driving me crazy!

There's an online class to do the split cluny tonight! Split cluny appears to be a new technique. I don't really like to do clunys because I don't do them enough to be consistent or even good at it. It's a nice change of texture though, so I really would like to get better. There is a violet spray pattern to go along with the lesson and I'm thinking you could use any flower motif. Think I'll be trying this out pretty soon...........after the bonnet and the bookmarks and the crocuses.

I started a tatted moose last night. Wish I could find the printout with the photo - the graphic is broken on the site I got it from but I printed it out a long time ago - it's buried in tons of printouts in a storage tub that I haven't had time to go through. I want to get this one done, see if there is way to make a bookmark with it, and also try an earring version.

Okay, I got a doll to try the bonnet on and more than ever, I'm convinced I need to take a few rows off the back, so that's my next project.



I've folded under the last 2 rows on the back - so I need to cut those out and redo the edging. And then find my notes! This was the Dorcas bonnet from Georgia's files. I offered to document, not realizing all I would have to go on were the photos. I've taken a long break from it but now I need to wrap it up.

Checking out the new scanner! Here are the crocuses I've done so far. No stamen, stem or leaves yet.

Well, I can't make the graphic from yesterday bigger. I didn't save the original and when I try to enlarge this one, it loses resolution. And I didn't bookmark this particular one and the bidding ended yesterday so it's no longer listed. But go see the others they have. I may have to bid on one or two of them myself!

I worked a little more on the crocus last night - very slow going these days. I'm making it a point to walk the treadmill each night and by the time I get home and do that and shower, eat, and catch up on email, my evening is gone. I swear the hours are getting shorter. 60 minutes is more like 20 minutes these days.

No tatting again! Maybe tonight. I uninstalled the scanner because it continued not to recognize it. Not sure what to do now. The computer told me my digital camera was not compatible. LOL! It is pretty old. What an excuse to get a NEW one! I can use the one at work in the meantime. I wanted a new scanner anyway, so I will probably get that before I get a camera.

One of the people who works in my department is a woodworker on the side. He made me some boxes once for a friend - meant to hold floppy disks but they were just a tad too small so he sold me two for the price of one. But he has made some fabulous other pieces, miniature treasure chests and small trunks. Even a little inlaid stuff. Anyway, he sometimes stops by and asks me about crafty stuff. He had some bobbins once that he wasn't sure what they were. They were the kind used for weaving, before any of you bobbin lacers get all excited. Nothing special about them. The other day he stopped buy and whipped out some keys on a braided leather strap and asked me if I knew how to do that. Welp, nupe, I didn't. Seems he was the one who did it to begin with, but forgot how. LOL!

So I did a search last night on the web and found some interesting braiding but nothing quite like what he had. It was 3D and created a cord rather than a flat braid.

So browsing ebay and looking thru some of my favorite sellers .....I see this GORGEOUS crochet hook by Graydog Woodenware . The current bid is $75.00. Hey folks, they have size 14 hooks available! The nice thing is they will put in the size hook you want and sizes range from 00 to 14. I may have resized this too small - will make it bigger tomorrow. This one is Mother of Pearl.

Last night I downloaded the printer and the scanner, but the scanner still isn't showing up, so I'll have to check all the connections there. Still have to load the digital camera and a few other programs. Got word finally in.

Tatting .............. nothing. I have a crocus in process and I found the moose pattern. I might try the moose in size 80 thread and see if it's small enough for earrings. Not that I really want a moose hanging from my ears, but it might be appropriate for a certain event. And hey, I am a Moose Lodge member of the Women's group. Not that I've been there in years, but that might be a market if I want to unload what I've made, once I make it.

Gillian Buchanan is the host at BellaOnline. There are tons of tatting instructions and links to free patterns for anyone wanting to learn to tat or improve their skills. I recommend a visit there! Cluny appears to be featured right now. I've made some cluny leaves but haven't been able to be consistent with them. Practice might remedy that, but other than an occasional textural change, I wouldn't use them that much. I do like Mimi's coaster.

I just found a link on Threads home page for some instructional videos online using Real Player or another media player. Feature Page I looked at the one for sewing a turtleneck on the body of the top. Also learned I can make adjustments on real player - change the size of the box and adjust the color and sound..........other than sound, I never knew you could do all those things! Oh! If you look on the left hand side of that page and click on one of those subjects, there are little videos available in those areas too! Whoo Hoo! Embellishments, cool! I recently came across a book I purchased at Half-Price Book Store in Indianapolis last year about beading on the sewing machine. I get these fabulous books and then just set them aside. I think that's where the computer has become detrimental.

I'm slowly adding links to my favorites on the new computer. I imported the old favorites but they are still in a separate file. So many links don't work and this file is huge, so I'm just going through them as I have time. Now I'm drooling over all the things I want to do. Just got through the jewelry making file. So what am I doing here???? LOL! Well, first I better do dishes ......and then get a little tatting in. I started a lavendar crocus last night. I'll have to dig around to find where I hid my stamens back when I was cleaning out other craft boxes. My labeling on the storage totes didn't stick so it's a little confusing. Fortunately, I can see through most of them and have a general idea of what they hold.

Oh wow! I was just reading Not Martha and her bit about finding a quilt at the Salvation Army and remembered my shopping trip on Thursday afternoon! I love 2nd hand stores and garage sales, tho I don't indulge near as often as I used. Not a garage sale yet and this is a great weekend for it!

Anyway, on Thursday, I found this great shaded blue chenille bedspread at Trinity Mission. It has rows of squiggly chenille that look like waves of water. I may put it on a bed after Jesse moves out or I may use it on the sofa for the time being, until I get a new sofa. I also picked up a little pillow that turns out to have magnetic circles in it - says not to attempt washing and drying because of the magnetic pieces. Now what does that mean? Will it mess up the magnetism or the dryer? I didn't buy it for the magnetic properties, but that might be interesting, if you like little hard circles pressing into your head.

Let's see, what else did I get? Oh, some silverware to take to work. I took some a few years ago and it disappeared. This is a mismatched set - 6 forks, 6 knives, 3 regular spoons, 2 soup spoons. For one buck!

I also bought 2 male dolls, GI Joe type - one has jointed knees - which is exactly what I was looking for when I looked for props for the display window at work. I often dress the dolls as characters for the situation. I had a Barbie doll with jointed knees but not a male doll. The dolls were $.50 each. And in perfect shape!

This store used to be a good source for hard to find craft stuff, but there doesn't seem to be much now - wait til garage sales are in full season - then people take their leftovers to the thrift stores. This is how I got such a bunch of wood items to paint on...............which are calling my name, asking if I've forgotten them.

I'm trying to remember if I got anything else. I need to get outta here and plant my garden so I can play!

Catching up on mail today and cyberlists. I no longer get mail from any of the lists - listed as no mail and unsubbed from many. I looked in on one today that I haven't read for quite awhile and saw there was an exchange for the Colonial Lady - deadline...................yesterday.

Oh well. I might bait a few friends to do this with me later. I'm avoiding any more committments for the time being.

I was looking for my printout of the moose pattern on Friday and couldn't find it. It may be in a storage tub of single sheet patterns. I could just go to the website, but I still don't have my printer downloaded on the new computer. Maybe later today.

I'm still tired from my drive.

Oh yeah, wanted to mention that I still had extra thread on the shuttles from the crocus. I had about a yard left over on each shuttle. I'd put 7 1/2 + yards on the ring shuttle - probably closer to 8 yards, and 3 yards on the chain shuttle.

I finished a yellow crocus while at a workshop today. I suppose I ought to add the stamens and stems and make a few leafs pretty soon. I want to make a few more and have 6 to begin with.

If it still hasn't rained tomorrow, I'll plant my garden finally! Bought the tomato plants yesterday and a few pepper plants. I'm just planting salad stuff and green beans and flowers this year. I need to work in the herb garden too. I have such big ideas and not enough time to do anything with them.

Gotta test this smilie out! Got 2 petals on the crocus done tonight!

I found the wild yellow and there is also a bright marigold color and a few other possibilities. Unfortunately, not a stitch of tatting the last few nights! I measured the thread the last time I made the crocus and put approximately 9 yards on each shuttle- size 50 oren bayan which tats like size 20. The ring shuttle had slightly more than 2 yards left on it. I haven't measured the chain shuttle yet but I didn't use much at all, probably not much more than 2 yards. So for this next crocus, I'll put 7 1/2 yards on the ring shuttle and maybe 3 yards on the chain shuttle - I'll probably measure what is left on the last one to get a better idea. I got one of those handy dandy shuttle winders from Tatting & Design through Lily Morales and those babies are superb for unwinding as well as winding.

I was sorting and cleaning in the sewing room tonight and then walked the treadmill, showered, and here I am - past my bedtime again. sigh.................
But a long weekend coming up so I'll have plenty of tatting time in there somewhere!

I forgot to mention that I finished a second crocus. Hot pink and electric neon blue now........I believe I have a wild yellow to make another one with. Then maybe a white one..........how many for a bouquet? I better get the daggone scanner hooked up so I can see if it even works! I think I will actually use the camera at work to photograph it though when I am done - detail will be much better!

-- getcrafty - making art out of everyday life --

Ever the recyler! Turn those old tshirts into underwear!!! I haven't figured out how to enlarge the pattern though. Me thinkin' it's too much for the copier to get on one sheet! LOL!

It looked like rain and, in fact, it was sprinkling while I was en route to the Fort. But it ended as I got there and Maureen was sitting at a picnic table, waiting. So we told the director what we thought was the Lacer's Tree (it wasn't) and she brought us some chairs and we sat with our wares at hand. Demonstrating at the Fort requires you to dress in period clothing and I had borrowed Cathy's. Chemise, 2 skirts, vest and cap. Cumbersome, but I was glad for the layers since the wind was chilly. About 10 minutes later, Chris showed up, so we sat there chatting, Chris doing her bobbin lace, me shuttle tatting, and Maureen needle tatting. Once I get my self started in knitted lace, I might take that - depending on whether it is in line with the time period. I doubt they knitted much lace, but maybe. It's still hazy and chilled and overcast. The sun came out for a bit, though not too brightly.

Three hours of tatting and I had about 12" of a single ring edging and about 4" of hen & chicks edging.

I've been online since I got home, reloading some things that were on the old computer. So much yet to do. I'll do a bit at a time. Hopefully the printer and scanner tomorrow. I think I'm going to get off here soon so I can get some other stuff done. The day is pretty much gone, but I really would like to have more free time tomorrow, so the more I do today, the more time tomorrow.

I finished a crocus - the flower part anyway. Still need to do leaves, but I think I will make several of the flower parts and then do the leaves - I may decide to go with artificial leaves instead of tatted ones. This is the one from Sharon Briggs' newsletter. I want to make a little bouquet and I also want to make the heart motif she has in the same newsletter.

3D doesn't scan well on my scanner. Ah, just remembered - I'll have to download the digital camera too! sigh................got the webcam done tonight. I can do video emails again!

I am so ungodly tired tonight. I think there is a hormonal surge going on. Almost forgot what those are like. Earlier this evening, J. was going at it on his drums, which I usually really enjoy, but this time I was ready to crawl up the walls. Teeth on edge sort of thing. I also need to download weather bug so I can tell what the temperature is and the forecast. It seems to be more reliable than the weather channel on satellite. The other J. is doing well with his tonsillectomy. Their dad doesn't sound too good. His hand went numb and he called J to come and get him but refused to go to the hospital. He did go to the dr. today.....diagnosis was anxiety attack. He also has emphysema and a liver condition of some kind.

Maybe I'll get a new scanner next month. But I need a computer desk too. Decisions.

I finished the bag last night. I got a new computer this week and my son set it up last night but the scanner isn't hooked up yet - in fact, I don't even know if it's compatible yet. I need a new scanner, but it's gonna be awhile before I can get it. Besides, how many amulet bags do you want to see???

Well, if it were me, I'd want to see them ALL because they are different!

My next goal here is to set up links. Haven't figured that part out - I thought it was an automatic feature, but it seems not.

I'll be leaving here in about a half hour to go out of town for the afternoon. Didn't bring any tatting with me - well, I always have an edging with me if I get really desparate, but I don't expect to have time to tat. My middle son had a tonsillectomy this morning. I just called to see how it was going and he just went to his room and all looks ok so far. I'm finding this upsetting, trying to be there for 2 kids at once. I thought I was done with that when they were little!

I'm really on a roll with these little tatting bags. I'm wanting to make some more as gifts, and I also have some bookmarks to make. My tatting time has been drastically reduced and I'm not even sure why.

I'm almost done with another amulet bag. About 6 inches left on the handle/necklace part. I used a blending filament with a gutterman top stitch thread. In the early days of my tatting, I bought quite a bit of the top-stitch gutterman thread since I could only find white, black, and ecru in the size 12 tatting thread. There wasn't much around here specificaly for tatting. I ordered a few colors of cebelia, then Hobby Lobby started carrying it and I stocked up there. Then I found more sources and got better threads here and there and everywhere. The gutterman doesn't slide as nicely as the other threads so I don't use it as much. Certainly don't buy any more.

I'll be demonstrating at Fort Ouiatenon on Saturday, 1 - 4:00 p.m. Wearing Cathy's Feast clothes - I gotta make my own soon. The chemise will be easy. Skirt is too - just a drawstring waist. It's the fabric that is a challenge. Gotta be 17th century - like they had much in the way of prints!

It's late - took a nap, so I'm not sleepy, but I'll regret it if I don't at least try to sleep.

I tatted a tiny angel like this for my aunt last summer when we learned of her illness. It's one of my favorites - from Mark Myers "A Gathering of Angels". Mark is such a talented tatter, lacer, designer, graphic artist........who knows what else? See his wife's work on the site too. They work together beautifully!

In Memory of My Favorite Aunt Joyce who passed away this morning. Her spirit sings out in this photo taken last fall and her smile warms my heart always. I love you Joyce!

Finished up the 2nd amulet bag during the lace meeting. Once I hide the ends, I'll scan it. I'm thinking now about giving them to my daughter and my daughter-in-law for Mother's Day. Now that it's done, the rayon thread didn't turn out shiny and smooth like I thought. Might as well have used a plain black. Would not have had the snags, for sure.

I was in Hobby Lobby and Michael's both today. Couldn't make up my mind what to use my coupon on at Michael's so I ended up getting 2 more Clover shuttles. I was looking at some card stock to do watercolor cards on and I kept thinking I bet I have some. Better to get back to practicing and using what I have than to get more.

Well, I have things to do..........

Last night I got back to the amulet bag. I was hoping to bring them in today but when I realized I still had to string the beads for the 2nd half, I knew that was a no-go. So I'm tatting along, by this time I've got the rhythm of it all and getting consistent tension on my stitches and just the right length on my beaded picots..............down to the last few split rings before I start attaching it to the 1st half.............and I realize I've got too many beads on a picot, 2 rings back. Not just 2 rings, 2 SPLIT rings. Sigh...........nice thing about rayon thread is that the stitches loosen up easily. I got one undone and stopped before doing the 2nd one. It's opened up, just not un-tatted. Got online to check mail and that's all she worte. (((GRIN))) I was very tired and didn't last long. Tonight I'll finish up.

I'm anxious to get more organized. I had a friend out the other nite to work up some estimates for work I need done. So now I'm getting enthused about the changes I'm making. Which means I probably won't have a lot of time for this for awhile. I think I might paint my sewing/craft room too - even though we just painted it a year or so ago.........nah, I'll just get around to putting neat stuff up on the walls instead!

I finished the first half of the bag and haven't gotten any further. Too many other things to distract at the moment. Maybe tonight as I want to give them to the girls.
I love this site for recycling everything! Right now there is a challenge to create a use for those recordable CD cylinders - once you've used the CD's what do you do with them? Of course tatters look at everything as a potential carrier of tatting supplies!