Yet MORE oh dears!!!!

After reading Gina's post on the tatting goddess blog (Thursday's post) I thought about the plethora of utter nonsense I talk but then decided that as I'm only talking to myself then that's OK!!!!  Now Gina talks sense and her blog is well worth reading.  So, I must ask why are YOU reading this instead of hers?  OR, are you reading both and making comparisons?!?!?!

Anyway, I'm afraid that I might not be blogging much for the next week or so as I've had a baby. Yup, a new baby - at the ripe old age of 66. 

Imeant to have this baby two/three years ago but I chickened out and put back the birth.  It arrived yesterday.  Straightforward birth - ordered online 24 hours earlier, sight unseen but from a good genetic background.  Trouble is that because of the new baby I have to do a lot of work. I have to learn new stuff but so far there have been very few teething problems - mainly due to the (very green with jealousy) male partner who already has experience of this 'breed'. Oh - a new brain cell has been brought into play - temporarily - brain cell number 4!!!!  Bet he won't stick around for long, though!!!

So?  Are you wondering if I really have lost the plot? Probably.  I'll explain.  It's simple, really.  I've bought myself an Apple Imac. The PC was rapidly losing the plot and I was losing my temper with it!!!!  Vista (and/or) the computer wouldn't find any hardware I plugged into it and messed me around BIG TIME on several things.

So far I've managed to transfer quite a few files and stuff but now have to find a new drawing programme.  I've got most things 'sort' of sorted but it's on with the game and thus there won't be much going on with showing much tatting.

Having said that I will be tatting in the evenings but may not be able to put a web page together until I've worked out 'how to' do (a) pdf's and (b) html pages without sharepoint designer.  So, any advice would be very welcome on appropriate software - preferably free!!!  I can probably 'do' the pdf's already - just haven't got 'roundtuit'!!!!

So, tat's all from me today.  Please don't leave planet Jane - I'm just temporarily 'out of sync'!!!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!!!

What happened to my resolve to change my ways?

I seem to have got myself into the same old state as usual.

I was determined that I would work on just one project at a time.  So once back from our trip I decided that the most important thing to do was to decide on my Christmas giveaway design.  Not easy because it has to be something that isn't 3D and which is not too time consuming to make.  So, brain cell # 3 was commisioned to start on this task.

Well, half way through I remembered the earrings.

A few days later I decided to start on another pattern I'd been meaning to do for two years.

Then, on top of this I realised that a design I'd been working on before the trip really needed to be 'progressed'.

YIKES - what's wrong with me??  Are the men in white coats about to visit - again?

Over the Top

No, I'm not referring to anything in particular and not even about my own behaviour which has been criticised for being 'over the top' in the past!!!!

I'm referring to a join.  You see when I did this pattern a few months ago I referred to an 'over the top join' (OTTJ).  Now I knew what I was talking about but I'm not sure that anybody else did!!!  It's the sort of join that 'old timers' like wot I am would 'fudge'.  So, I thought I'd better write it down. 

Before I show you I must also admit that a few 'gurus' in tat land that I've run it past haven't really understood what I'm 'getting at'!!! This is the reason that I've been lollygagging (wonderful American expression) about putting it out on my site.  

Anyway, I'd really appreciate it if you would take  the time to look at this and see if you can fathom what I'm rambling on about!!!  It has a limited 'raison d'etre' but it's still useful - well, I think so!!!!

Live (and 'dead') TIAS fun

Well for those of you who weren't at the Palmetto tat days I'm going to mention the live TIAS.

This was new territory for both myself and the Palmetto 'gals'.  We went to places 'no man has gone before' with this.  It took lots of discussions on the 'how do we organise this' lines and eventually we came up with the idea of putting part 1 in the student's folders and getting them to sign a declaration in blood (well, actually a red pen!!) that they wouldn't show or discuss their progress with others!!!  IF they did (and nobody was actually caught!) then they had to forfeit all their tatting stuff before leaving the site!!!!

Thanks must go to Joanie and the team for not only nudging my aged brain to make decisions but also for the fantastic way the whole daft idea worked.

Now, for those who weren't there.  Don't fret.  You can still do the TIAS in the privacy of your own home and in your own time.  How?  Well the pattern is on the Palmetto CD.  Donna has put it on the CD in 'parts' just as it was given out 'live'.  What better way to tackle a TIAS than in your own time, eh?

Also on the CD are all the other patterns which the teachers taught.  Here's where you can see them.  Don't just drooooool, take a few dollars out of your piggy bank and order  a CD!!!!  You'll never regret it, promise.

Earrings # 2

Another pair of the earwigs.  I'm so pleased with the colours of these.

Very 'me' being bright and cheerful.  I wore them yesterday to cheer up a dull Monday morning.

Why is it that although I retired some years ago that Monday always has a dreary feel to it?

Thank goodness it's Tuesday and we're already heading towards the weekend.

Silly woman - why does the weekend make any difference?  We do nothing at all like most of the rest of the week.

Stop rambling, Jane.  Get on with life!!!

More about the Elgiva Nicholls book.

Isdihara put a comment on yesterday's post about wanting more information about the contents of the Elgiva book.  Sorry, folks, I just assumed that everybody knew about my hero's work!!!! 

The book I'm selling on ebay is not really a 'pattern book' as we know them today - BUT she does explain in detail how she makes the elements of the flowers, leaves etc.  A fantastic resource for designers.  The thistle instructions are particularly intriguing.  So I guess these are patterns but just not written the way we would today!!  The book is a wonderful source of inspiration and one which I'm forever taking out to look at for ideas.

Elgiva was a forerunner of our 'modern' HDT ideas as much as her research and innovative ideas.  She told me that she dyed her own threads when I met her in 1976 - aren't they pretty?  I saw the one on the left in 'real time'.  She gives instructions on how she dyed her threads at the end of the book.  Also tips on assembling and mounting work.

Please ask for further information if you need it.  Below are just two of the pictures from the book.  There are two further colour plates and several black and white.