New whirly motif

In my quest to find ideas for teaching I've been looking once again at this Catherine Wheel Motif pattern. I showed you the original test one I worked last week on Friday.

This is a new version of the same idea. Now I prefer this one as it doesn't have two rounds!!! I know - I'm lazy!!! 

All I need to do now is to re-write the pattern and do the new drawings. As the centre is roughly the same then it shouldn't be too big a project.

BUT - this is a BIG BUT - BC3 now wants to know what would happen if I joined these together!! I guess that means I'm heading out on another adventure!!! I'll be back!!!

Spooky or what!

Last Sunday Nick was watching Dr Who on the telly and there were ENORMOUS spiders on that episode. 

Just as a huge one emerged from a bath these two arrived in my inbox!!! They're from Katie who said.

"Hi, Jane, thanks so much for the spider pattern. Fun to tat! Decided not to stiffen them; only steamed them a bit. Hope the legs don't get too wonky!

Made earrings for my daughter and for my daughter in law--just in time!"

Thanks for the giggle at the coincidence, Katie.

Another commission piece

One of the people who took my details from the library popped into our new craft group in the local Stratford library last Thursday to confirm an order for a purple bracelet.

She'd seen the button bracelets that I'd got on sale (I had a brown and a red one) and she wanted a purple one. So that's what I settled down to do over the weekend.

Now this lady also wants to learn to tat. As I hadn't got my teaching 'kit' with me we arranged for her to return next Thursday for her first lesson. 

I've got the kit packed and ready to go with me in my 'take it and go' bag. I hope she likes it and gets the hang of tatting too. 

By the way it's properly packaged now too.

Found in a charity shop

I'm trying to rationalise my wardrobe. This is NOT easy as you all know.

I have clothes in there that must be 20 or more years old and it's NOT a big wardrobe either. So a few clothes were taken out last Thursday and I toddled off down the town and took them to my favourite charity shop - the air ambulance one.

Of course I had to have a smooch round to see what was there and I found a pile of 3 Coats thread boxes. Number one (when I opened it) was a total disappointment with just a pile of grotty threads. Number two was slightly better but still didn't appeal. 

Number THREE was, at first glance much like number 2 but I did rummage my fingers through it and noticed a shuttle. I bit more rummaging and I found two. I decided they needed to be re-homed and I paid for the box and left. 

When I got home two hours later and got the threads out I found the bone shuttle hiding in there too. The metal one has no markings on it so I haven't a clue what it is. Do I need more shuttles like this in my collection? Of course not but my theory is that they might have been thrown away if I'd left them there!!!! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it - even under torture.