A day at the NEC

In my last post I mentioned that that I spent Thursday at the National Exhibition Centre with the Ring of Tatters. Here are some pictures for you to see.

Talking old and time again!!!

Well to all those who wrote in about my ramblings yesterday - thanks!!!

I did actually get the better of time yesterday!! Why? Well I was lucky enough to be chosen to help out at the NEC (for all you foreigners - that stands for the National Exhibition Centre) by the Ring of Tatters. Each year there is an exhibition called the Sewing for Pleasure held there in one of the enormous halls. For any Americans reading my ramblings - we can do 'BIG' in the UK at times!!

The Ring is given a stand there to show the public how to tat if they are interested. We always get a lot of attention and this year we were visited by a lot of youngsters (ie younger than ME!!).

Time flew by (yet again) but this time I think I was on the same wave length as time!!! Boy, did I feel old by the end of the day, though. Another great buzz to this day at the NEC is meeting fellow tatters in the Ring. We talked for England and tatted for the universe when there were quiet moments.

Hopefully I'll show some photos tomorrow. I took a few! I did have a few problems when it came to packing up. The tattysaurus decided to stay - he loves the attention!!! He (and my other mobiles) are staying until Sunday when I spend another day there.

Big surprise when I got back was the award that Sherry left for me. Blog Queen? So pleased to see the letter 'l' in that word!!! Now, when do the golden carriage, silver slippers, ruby ring, footmen, private aeroplane etc arrive, I ask myself? I'm waiting, Sherry!!

As you get old

As you get old.

Now, I'm not the only one getting old - I have it on good authority that it happens to everybody. BUT as I get old life tends to get 'silly'.

Where does that commodity 'time' go to? I wake up in the morning and the pot is full of time.

I have things to do, time to do them in and life looks good. I get to lunchtime and I realise that things are 'slipping'.

By the evening that commodity has long gone and I'm looking back over the day and wondering where it all went.

Ah, I know, I've been robbed!!! Robbed of MY time. What can I do about it?

PLEASE, if anybody's got the answer do let me know.

Bookmarks from Jane in South Africa

A few days ago I had the following sent to me from Jane. Remember Jane from a few days ago?

She said

The original pattern is from Anna Burda magazine, May 1984, page L14. I 'converted' another braid on the Anna page, but this one was very easy, as you can see. Also much easier and neater using split rings. I used size 10 thread and turned it into bookmarks by adding a tassel.

The pattern for the bookmarks looks like this:

SR 1: 6/6

R each side: 4-2-2-4

SR 4: 6/6

R each side: 5+5-2-2-5-5

Repeat, with the next small ring each side joining to the large ring, 4+2-2-4.

I ended with a split ring after two small rings, and attached a tassel to the bottom, and used size 10 thread.

Christmas baubles

My sister was in town last weekend and we went out for the afternoon on Saturday.

She showed me her Christmas baubles which I managed to sneak a photo of!!! Aren't they gorgeous? They look even better in real life.

Now, before you ask, she hasn't written the pattern down!! I've given her a ticking off about that and am hoping that with a bit of 'nagging' from me she'll eventually write down the pattern!!!

Still playing with buttons!!

Although I've officially 'finished' with buttons somebody suggested purple and red!!! So, here we go - purple and red!!! I've also added the t-shirt which I've sewn them onto. I didn't put them 'in a line' or 'round the neck' as I wanted something different. When I get the time (and inclination!) I'll take a picture of 'the old git' wearinig it!!!

I managed to upload the pattern page yesterday although I spent nearly two hours trying to get the link working back to the home page. I was almost ready to throw the computer through the window and it still doesn't work!!

I couldn't spend any longer struggling with it as I had arranged to go and try to help a lady who lives round the corner from me. We first met at Silver Surfers and she popped into the library last week to ask if I could help set up her computer on broadband. I did warn her that I'd never done that before but heroically set off to try. Before I got to her house I'd got soaked and hurt by a terrific hail storm.

I am over the moon. I managed with no bother at all to set up the broadband connection, do all the necessary downloads (virus signatures, windows updates, java, Firefox, etc). Does a new career await me?!?!?!

Back to normal!

Yesterday evening I got 'back to normal' on the tatting. I needed to sort out tat corner and see what needed finishing off!!!

I'd been asked to test tat a small teapot for Martha during the past week and (I'll admit it!) happily abandoned the black tatting for an hour or so to do that. Problem was I 'lost the plot' on Martha's pattern. I can tell you that it was nothing at all to do with the pattern - it was entirely MY fault. I left the teapot 'as was' with the mistake but read through the rest of the pattern to check it for her. I wasn't too far from the end.

So a priority was to retro tat and finish off the teapot yesterday evening. I was then tempted to finish off my TIAS but the purple buttons called louder. I'd got a shuttle with enough thread on to make up one. Well, I thought I had but ran out just as I got to the last ring!!! That rarely happens but will get resolved today!!!

See the teapot below. Well you didn't think I was going to give the game away, did you?!?!? I can't wait to see this book finished - it'll be another gem from Martha.