Back at the Buzz

I was back at the Buzz cafe again yesterday.  A VERY quiet day - BUT look  what happened.

The lady who's hands you can see (she's wearing a white top) came in on Tuesday just to see what was happening.  When she saw me tatting she was thrilled as she'd inherited her grandma's shuttle.  She brought it back with her yesterday to learn.  BOY is she a fast learner too.  

The other lady is another demonstrator who came over to 'play'.  She didn't come til later on but picked up the principal of the 'flipping flip' very quickly too.  Tell you what - I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the morning.  I'm meeting the first lady (Julie) again on Monday to have another 'go'.

Watch out tat land - here she comes.

Nearly done!!!

I don't like using my blog to advertise very often - it's not why I have it but this time I'm going to break my rule to tell you that I've got a load of stuff to go in the Etsy shop later today.

Now can you tell me if I'm bonkers or not?  I sit for hours and hours making all this 'stuff' and then I don't want to sell it!!!  I'm very reluctant to part with it and I don't want anybody to buy it for a while!!!  Is this normal or have I truly 'lost the plot'?

A few days after stocking the shop I then start fretting if nothing has sold!!!!  How weird is that?  NO, don't answer, please - I know I'm not normal!!!

Bit of a crisis going on here - the foot pedal on my sewing machine is playing up again.  Nick's sorted it twice but suggested I order another 'just in case' next time he can't fix it.  I think  he said there's a loose connection but, of course, he could've been referring to one in my head!!!

Now, trying to find something like this (a foot pedal) is like looking for hen's teeth.  In the end I found a new replacement on Fleabay.  Oooops, sorry, I mean Ebay!!! £60.00 or thereabouts it cost me but although I reeled at the price it's a small one to pay to keep me quiet and out of mischief!!!!  

Here is some of the stock going into the shop!

More sewing!!!

What I want to show you is what I made for myself more than twenty years ago - long before the 'four bad years'!!!!  I still carry this rather scruffy looking object around in my roly poly bag which is in my handbag.  It's a bobbin holder - the top two pictures are my scruffy one!!!!  SO useful to have pre-wound bobbins to use when I'm 'out and about'.  These are easy to use as you just 'squeeze' the bobbin out from the bottom and you can easily see what colour thread you've got on each too.

So I decided to make a few for the Etsy shop (well, only three so far - all in the same fabric!).  They're not listed yet - I want to get all the sewing done and then they should all be in the shop tomorrow, I think. 

The ones that I'm going to list are below the scruffy one and also hold six bobbins.  I have put a piece of velcro just to keep them folded over.  Not sure that it's really needed but it added a little 'something' to the whole thing!!!!  I'm forever trying to improve things!!!

Yesterday!

OK, not very good pictures but least the OG tried!!!

We have a community cafe in town - right opposite Shakespeare's Birthplace and a mere three minutes walk from home.  This week and next they're running a community arts project and they asked me if I'd like to come and take part.  Well, any excuse to sit on my ample backside and tat DURING THE DAY is very welcome so off I trotted.

Last year it was cold and miserable there and nobody came near me to see what I was doing.  This year I set off rather unenthusiastically and expected the same.  BUT it was totally different.  For starters here are two pictures of ladies who were spinners/weavers and knitters etc (there was another lady but I didn't get her picture) and they were smashing - very friendly.  

Then there was the little nine year old girl who came in to learn to do anything 'crafty' and she really took to tatting.   She soon learnt the 'flip'.  Later there was another lady who'd got her grandma's tatting shuttles at home and she's coming back on Friday to learn to tat with me.  She'd got her husband with her yesterday so couldn't stop long.  So, all in all an excellent day - especially when I won a prize on the tombola - a BIG fluffy wabbit!!!! I know a little girl who'll love that!!!

Oh, there was a downside/upside to all this - as I left the hall the heaven's opened and we had RAIN.  LOTS of it.  We're desperate for rain round here and this was very welcome although we do need loads more.  I arrived home with a dry wabbit (he had his own plastic dustbin bag) and a very soggy body!!!!

The end is nigh!!!!

Phewwwww, the end is really nigh!!!  The situation on Sunday was that the bags were finished.  Twenty 'sets' of Roly Poly Tat Bags with matching Poke Proof Pouches.  When I started making these some years ago I did wonder whether to sell them as sets or as individual items.  I'm glad I went with the latter as it gives a lot more choice.

Oddly it seems as if the pouches are more popular than the bags which I didn't expect.  I'm going to make a few more of the pouches over the next few days - after I've photographed, cropped the photos, re-sized and listed these.

Also I've bought some spanking new ziplock bags for each item and along with new inserts they'll make wonderful gifts.  I've NOT made the bobbin holders this time as they are SO fiddly and time consuming.  Also research showed that not many people wanted them.  BUT I am going to make some 'six' bobbin holders too.  I'm hoping to get all these things listed by the weekend - keep your fingers crossed that this actually happens!!!

I'm feeling 'sewn out' now - I've spent hours and hours making these and put such a lot of pressure on myself to get them finished.  Why?  Well I think it's cause I'm stark staring BONKERS!!

Not ANOTHER?

First today I'd like to put out an appeal.  Jane of janemactats has the sort of problem we all dread.  Well, I know I do.  

She's not going to have enough thread to finish her project.  Here's her initial post about it.  Now here is the thread she's looking for - please leave her a comment if you can help.  Also do take a wander round her blog and have a look at her designs.  Stunning.

All I've got to show you is another motif!!!  A new variegated and yellow in the centre and the light green with the same variegated green that I've used on the other green ones on the outside.

Tomorrow something else - promise!!!!