A day at Jane's house

A lovely lass called Jane, who belongs to the Fringe group, kindly set up an 'open house' for all the organisers of the event on the Monday after Tat Days. She'd been hosting Randy and Wendy and invited the rest of us to spend time with them. WHAT a privilege. 

Although I've met Randy several times before we've never had time to really sit and play tatting together. This we were able to do. I took some pictures of his work at Tat Days but he doesn't want them put online and so I'm not going to. It was work he'd done on the book called Tatting Alternate Threads.  I've already got that book.  Thoroughly recommend it too.

Well what he showed me was mind blowing. 

Something I can show you - Randy tatting.

Down the pub!

On the Saturday evening I was led astray. Honestly, I was bound and gagged and kidnapped and taken to the pub!!!! Yes it was almost a 'real' English pub and probably more authentic than English pubs are nowadays!!!! 

When we got there (Kelly, Vicky and I) we bumped into the South Carolina contingent along with my other dear friends Riet and Martha. What a lovely time we had before heading back to the hotel to play tatting again.

In the goodie bag

Nick said yesterday that it looked as if my tatting cupboard had been sick!!! Why? Well, I'd put my gifts and purchases from the trip on the floor outside the cupboard with the door open. He was right - it did look as if the cupboard had been sick. So I decided that I ought to do something about it. 

In the goodie bag we were given at the Fringe tat days there were some of these mesh tubes (see below - top picture). Lots of other things too, I might add!!!  I was given some last time I was 'over there' and they proved to be most useful. Kelly also gave me a 'few' more. As part of the tidying up campaign I decided to sort them out. 

The first thing I did was sew up one end. This was very simple to do on the sewing machine. Next was the task of allocating them to their new job. 

My thread drawers are always getting in a muddle and these little mesh 'bags' are really good at keeping it tidy. I put a ball into the new 'bag' and tuck the ends up into the centre of the ball. Works a treat. Below are the before and after pictures of the drawer. You can still see the colour of the thread through the mesh which is really good. 

Now to tackle the rest of the cupboard. 

Some random photos

First of all we managed to persuade Martha to put on her drop dead GORGEOUS collar that she's been blogging about for a few months. It's truly exquisite. What a lovely smile too.

Under that is a picture of a vegetable display in the store where Kelly works. I couldn't get over the different varieties of veggies that are available in the Canadian stores. Lucky people.

At the bottom is a waffle I made!!!! Yes, I do love to make my own waffles!!! They have the 'technology' to make them in the Best Western Hotels both in Canada and America so that's always my first 'stop' at breakfast if I'm ever staying in one!!! I'm a pathetic (and quite rotund) old git now!!!!

Two hearts

Two hearts but the same pattern.  Both were made in Canada!!  The first one is made with HWT which dear Ginny sent to me (picture at the bottom). 

This is a lesson that Kaye Judt taught at the Fringe Element. Everybody who goes to this event gets a folder with all the patterns in. That's a real bonus as nobody can get to every class!!!! Specially when you're teaching. 

I love, love this little pattern even though I 'lost the plot' in the second one (white) that I made I still managed to tat myself out of the mess I'd got myself into!!! I can definitely recommend this pattern although I've no idea whether Kaye will publish it or has published it already.

Now, where was I?

Ah, at Tat Days in Cambridge.

It was a busy but very satisfying two days. I'm going to put some pictures up so you can all see the fun we were having. There was very little time to take photos, though.

The first is a general view of one of the classrooms.

Second is a few of the raffle prizes which were amazing.

Third is the youngest tatter there although she doesn't know that's what she's going to be when she grows up!!!

Next is what I considered to be the star item in the auction which was conducted (in the final picture) by Vicky and Randy. The tree was spectacular and has gone to a very good home, I believe.