I think it's finished - the horseshoe

I went down the town yesterday in yet more rain (our roof's leaking even faster!) and bought some ribbon for the horseshoe. An exact match to the gold thread I used.
Then I sewed some more of the gold beads into some of the spaces on the outside. Now's the time to put it away for a few days and then take another peek!!!
Next I'll probably play with some earring rings that SueH sent me a couple of weeks ago and also play with the sequins again too. I want to make something pretty fast for the sequins so they will be my Christmas giveaways. I have to do roughly 30 so they do have to be FAST!!!!!

Talking about tatting

Before I start talking about my tatting talk at Loxley I've been asked what the W.I. is so here's a link.

What a hoot the evening was!!! I arrived and immediately found myself in a time warp!!! It seemed that nearly every lady who arrived was a face from the past!!! There was the lady who'd bought a 10 year old freezer off me twenty years ago who took great pleasure in telling me that it was still working!!!! Then there was the lady who's hubby had taken a garage away for us on a 'free to whoever will collect' basis and then converted it into stables. Next there was a friend I was at school with and another lady who's kids went to the school I taught at! Aileen was also there who is a friend from the past and who I help nowadays with computer stuff.

I started the talk in a 'serious mode' but this soon developed into the usual hilarity that seems to accompany me wherever I go. I think it went well and out of about 15 people I got two started on the basics and they will hopefully get in touch for more help.

Ooooh, there was supper afterwards and THE most delicious lemon cake - homemade, of course.

Horseshoe - nearly done!

Well last night I thought it was done but now I'm not so sure!!
Obviously it needs some ribbon to carry it or even a tatted cord but now looking at it today it still needs something more.
Nothing will get done today as I've a busy morning followed by (hopefully) some more sewing on the bags this afternoon.
This evening I'm giving a talk out in one of the villages to their local W.I. group about - guess what?
'How to plant your potatoes'.
No, seriously, tatting!!!

Horshoe again

Simply MUST tell you about yesterday.
During the morning my neighbour came round to use our internet connection (she's having trouble with hers) and I put on my laptop where she sat with it on the sofa. I was pleased that the horseshoe wasn't lying around and whispered that to Nick. After a while she said 'darn' and I asked what the problem was. She'd generated something which then told her to print off the email receipt. No probs, says I - we can print it off from the main computer and I toddled off upstairs followed by neighbour!!!
Fortunately I got into the 'office' before her and noticed that I'd left the scanner open (remember the black background to yesterday's picture?) and quickly closed it before she noticed the horseshoe lying there on the platten. Phewwwww, a narrow escape!!!!
In the afternoon I went to give my 70th donation at blood donor. I kept getting the feeling that one or two of the staff were watching me while I was donating. Afterwards I sat and had the usual cup of tea (darn, no bourbon biscuits this time) and then went to leave to walk home a few minutes later. As I was nearing the door three or four of the staff descended on me. Was I still doing that ........ you know, making butterflies?
So out came the tatting again (I'd had a quiet tat as I was waiting for my 'turn') and away flew a few more butterflies. I made my next appointment and left. When I got home I started thinking about what to do instead of 'boring butterflies' and have decided that next time I go (in November) I'm going to take them some beaded hearts like these.
I finished the outer trimming to the horseshoe last evening and started on a narrower one for the inside. This is definitely a 'make it up as you go along' project!!!!

Horseshoe in progress

In case anybody was thinking I'd packed my bags and left tat land well, no, I haven't!!! I'm giving brain cell # 3 a break at the moment and just 'playing'.
We're going to a re-wedding in September and I wanted to make something special for the bride (our neighbour) so I'm making a horseshoe. This is it 'so far'. I want to decorate it lots and am currently working on a gold (beaded, of course!) edging which I'll show in a few days time. Meanwhile here it is mounted on fabric and stiffened.
Oh, this is the reason I found the way of adding beads while working - too lazy to decide ahead which ones to load onto the shuttles!!!
Ah, so does this make it truly a lucky horseshoe?

Katie's man and turtle!!!

This is from the bonus button family and came from Katie. I'm going to share what she said -
"I wanted to send you also the man from the button family that I made. When our little tatting band met at Janie Armstrong's for Mark's workshop, we all brought some little tatties to make a b-day and thank you card for him. I took the red-headed man with a shuttle and Mark's turtle. I don't have a scan of the final card."