The motif again!

OK, so this is a fine design as far as I'm concerned and is probably worth putting on the pattern pages. The two examples below are worked in a number 40 (on the left) and number 20 (on the right). The only 'concerns' I have over this being my Christmas giveaway is the amount of time it's taking me to do the centre. As I need to work between thirty and forty of these they have to be relatively fast to make. I am going to have to look at this again carefully. The part that slows it down for me is adding beads to the central SRs and performing a lock join at the same time. Perhaps it's a case of me needing more practise doing this. However I will see if I can simplify the pattern by replacing the chains round the SRs with larger SRs

A grand idea

Joanie Culverhouse sent me this picture yesterday. Remember the stork carrying a baby in a sling? It's here.
Well she used the baby in the sling for an announcement card. Isn't this a grand idea? LOVE to see what people do with my ideas.
Thanks for sending this, Joanie.

Back to the motif

I seem to have mislaid another two scraps that I did for the centre of the motif but I think the two below will show how I progressed with it the other evening. The larger of the two scraps (below left) shows how I decided to try a different centre and then promptly got into trouble with the colours and moving outwards!! The smaller of the two scraps is a result of an email from Marie Smith (she of the fast and easy split chain) who suggested that I tried the following.

Take a chain out from the centre, do a SLT and then make a SCH back from the previous round out again. The second scrap proves that this is the answer!!! I didn't use it on the large trial snowflake as the email didn't reach me until I was well out of the centre! Thanks, Marie for a great suggestion and the answer to another problem!
Oh, if you click on the motif you'll find that I've added beads too. They will be an integral part of the design as they help to hide places where there are two colours of threads used to progress from round to round!!!
More tomorrow when I hope to have the basics of the motif completed. For anybody who might be remotely interested in this design - I've done the drawings to go with it so it shouldn't be too long reaching my pattern pages!!!

Treasures unearthed

For reasons tooooo boring to mention I've been having a HUGE tidying up session. I found the following photographs which are very interesting and which I'd forgotten I had!!!
These were supposedly taken in 1966 (at least that's what it says on the accompanying letter) and I think it was at a tatting event which took place in Leicester. Not really sure about that, though! Looking at me in the photographs (horrid idea, I know!) I'm sure that it was much later than that as I couldn't drive at the age of 23 and I know that my ex husband never took me to any tatting events!! I think the year should be 1996.
However, I digress as usual!!! In the first picture you can see me with Toshiko Takashima who was the lady that invented the Takashima Bari Tatting hook/needles. I remember that Toshiko had come to the event with her daughter who did all the translation for her and that she was booked into my morning class. She then asked to come to the afternoon one as well. She was a lovely lady and we kept in touch (via her daughter) for some years.
I would LOVE to know what happened to them both. The second photograph shows us in a group and you can see in both pictures some of my tatting in the background and part of Pam Palmer's dragon on the back of my jacket.
I met Pam that day too and she took photos of my back - much the best pictures ever taken of me!!! I will blog those another day!!! Beneath the photographs is the letter I received some months later from Toshiko.

Dear Jane October 6, 1966
Thanks very much sending a bird patern and other paterns so fast. I will make it soon.
Thanks again for teaching a wonderful technique of biginning of tatting. It is marvelous idea, is there special way of technique at the ending? We are glad that you are interesting in our Takashima-bari. I am sure you find it very easy and fast.
We heard that some member asked to have work shop of Takashima-bari. If possible, we want to have the work shop so that the person having Takashima-bari will fully master how to use and fully use utilize it. We enclose herewith a picture taken on that day. It was really a exciting day for us to attend Tatting day, especially your work shop.
We are very much impressed that so many persons loving Tatting got together and exchange such a nice knowledge and fasten friendship. We wish to attend a Tatting day next year again. Looking forward seeing you soon.

Yours sincerely Toshiko Takashima

First attempts

This is a report about what I did on Monday evening - I'm a day behind with blogging this!!
Now to all intents the following look like a good start to the project! I always use two shuttles with contrasting colours as this helps me 'plot' where I've been and what I've done - particularly if I'm 'on a roll' and can't be bothered to type out each step on the laptop.
The first attempt (below) and I realised that I'd got too many ds on the chains.
The second one shows something better BUT there's a horrid space in the centre.
The third picture shows me trying fewer ds on the chains but I could see immediately that this wasn't going to work.
Finally (and quite out of the blue!) this is what happened.
You may well think that this design is almost there and I actually like how it looks in the final picture - needs beads but that's all. The problem is (if you click on it and look closely) there is a SR which progresses out of the centre and which is in two colours and is butt ugly!!! To avoid this I spent the whole of yesterday evening trying out different approaches to the design. I'll show those putrid pieces tomorrow. I'm now at the 'throw it out of the window' stage!

Starting another design

This is going to be my Christmas giveaway. Each year I send out very few Christmas cards as I don't believe in giving them to people I see every day. What is the point when you can wish them a happy Christmas anyway? Also the whole event has become so commercialised that I have now got to the stage in my life when I avoid the shops as much as I can. Another thing that worries me is that there is such a lot of wasted paper/card from them which is mostly not re-cycled.
Instead of sending cards to those friends who live far away I send a letter. This is a standard letter telling them about the past year (each person has that plus a personal bit too) and how it's been for me and mine. Inside the letter I tuck a little tatted piece. I started this idea some seven to ten years ago and it's become something that my friends look forward to. I make the pieces in all colours so that they can keep them 'hanging around' all year. Gives me great pleasure to see Roz's kitchen with them hanging on her cabinets when I visit!!
Yesterday afternoon I started off with some drawings on the computer. This was what I thought I might do!!!! This time I cheated by using another design I'd done a couple of years ago as a 'starting point'. Yes, I know the drawings don't look much like the original but that's how I started on this design. I never tackle a new idea the same way but always use the 'hit and miss' method!!!
In the evening I sat down to try them out but I'll show you what happened tomorrow!!!

Final piece - a bracelet

This is the last of my 'catch up' pieces for an order that I received when I was in America. Good job the lady wasn't in a hurry!!! I love these colours together - they're SO rich.
Oh, it's the final piece that I needed to complete before starting on new designs. They're in the aged brain but I just know that neither will 'work out' straight away. One I will be sharing as I work it but the other you'll have to wait for - all will become clear one day!!!!

Motifs by the hundreds!

About ten or twelve years ago I answered an appeal in the Ring of Tatters Newsletter for help needed with making small tatted motifs.
This came about at a very good time for me as I was struggling financially and sometimes working a day job followed by another three hour temp job too. The motifs were for a lady who was setting up doing handmade tatted stationery for weddings. She paid me for doing them and still occasionally needs some help.

We've become very good friends and met up a few years ago at - wait for it - a Funeral Directors Trade Show/Exhibition!!!!!! (I didn't know til then that there could be so many styles of coffins and had never given any thought to all the other paraphernalia that undertakers need.)

Back in April/May she asked if I'd like to do 100 of each of her small and large snowflake designs while I was in America. Strange now to think that these were tatted in Cincinnati and Marblehead (up on Lake Erie) and in blistering heat!!! I ran out of thread before I completed the second 100 so finished them when she'd sent me further thread back here in the UK. I thought you might be interested in seeing a couple of 'bundles' of them - all ready to be mailed sometime this next week.
Now I've got all my 'autopilot' things completed I'm ready and raring to go on my next design. Oh, one more item to complete (hopefully today) before I start on my next adventure!!!

Split Chain again!

This is just SO funny. I didn't know that Mark (Tatman) Myers was also working on instructions for Marie's Fast and Easy Split Chain until yesterday evening when I read his message on HBT!!! I'd just settled down to tat for the evening when we got chatting on YM. Fatal when us two get talking - no tatting done yesterday evening!!!!
Anyway I've now added a link to his version (which I think is a lot better than mine) on his site. Thanks, Mark.

Fast and Easy Split Chain

When I was in SC Marie Smith showed me her way of doing a split chain. I offered to put it up on my site and this is the link.
BUT Mark is also doing his version too and he showed me his last night. Personally I'd wait and see his because his is much clearer than mine.
Thanks Marie for this really clever way of doing the split chain.

Back to the Tatbeads!

I was in bed last night reading through the messages in a book given to me by Karey and which came from all the people that the family met on their travels. Thank you to all who wrote in the book - this will be treasured for ever.

I've finally found the time to divide them up and can now tell you who they all are!!!
Before I start I'll add the complete picture again here!!!

As I said a couple of days ago - Karey has the red hair and green crutches.

Next and to the top right of the picture is Dani 'The Geek' Rotach.

Ginny Weathers is at the bottom in the centre.

Kathy Robinson is also at the bottom but on the left.

Shirley Putzig is next and can be found to the right of Karey.

Tanya Walsh (who is a nurse) is standing to the right of the Finger Lakes.

Finally at the top (on the left) is Amy - though whoever wrote that it was her in the book wasn't quite sure that they'd got the right name! I do hope that if it's wrong somebody will let me know so that I can alter the post accordingly.

The lakes are where Karey lives and are called the Finger Lakes and you can see why on this link. In fact in the middle of this map and two thirds down you can see Hector. Karey tells me it's a beautiful place and from doing a Google search I can see that she's right.
Once again thanks to all who wrote messages in the book and I'm also relieved to hear that the Tatbeads behaved themselves so well. Perhaps they'd be better living in the USA!!! I do know that I miss being in America BIG time and can't wait to do another trip.

More tidying up of loose ends!

I think I've nearly got to the end of the unpacking!!
On Friday I found the part tatted designs with shuttles wound ready (should I need them) for the Tat Day lessons. I try and have projects 'part done' in stages and in anticipation of any problems during lessons. This means I travel with lots of shuttles!! I finished the frog on Friday evening and yesterday mounted him in a ring!!! This will be sent as a gift for somebody who collects frogs!!!

Tatbeads and Palmetto!

Something else that I found when unpacking - a new branch of the Tatbead family!

A week or so before Palmetto Tat Days I remembered that my branch of the family was still with Karey Solomon and I decided that I'd better email her to remind her to bring them to SC. Well, as anybody who knows me will realise, my memory is poor (always has been) and I forgot!!!
Met Karey and had a good natter shortly after she arrived at the White Oaks Conference Centre and again forgot to ask after them!! Duh!!!!
Imagine my surprise when their arrival was announced at the banquet!!! Not only that but another branch had come with them - see below. The one at the top left with the green walking aids is Karey herself (love her hairdo!!). With them came a book signed by all the people they'd met up with in America. Each person on the picture is named in the book. To say I was overcome was to understate my feelings.
Thanks, Karey, for organising this and also for the pin and thimble also in the package.

How can you ever?

How can you ever say a big enough thank you?
I'm spending the morning unpacking all my tatting treasures from the Palmetto Tat Days and remembering so fondly the fun of those days. Everybody, but everybody was so generous.
Below is a heart which Mark Myers gave me. It's incredibly beautiful. It measures three and a half inches across by two inches high.
Right, back to the dreaming and unpacking!!!

Tatting a cartoon

The missing suitcases are in the U.K.!!! You can now track them online which is a great help. How things change in two years since the last time mine went AWOL. They should be delivered sometime today!

Right, back home and back to tatting seriously. I remembered yesterday that I'd never shared a 'design' that I did a few months ago.
When SueH was going through a rough time with her flat renovations I decided to do something to cheer her up. I took Mark Myers cartoon of her on her soapbox which is on the front page of Here-Be-Tatters and decided to 'tat' it. Mark and a few others know about this. When it was all done I sent it to Sue as a surprise!!!

Here's the progression in pictures!! First of all I drew it on the computer.

I tatted this up but it really was a 'bad hat day' and the coat was way too big too. I wasn't happy with the colouring or the arms either.

Next a re-draw.

Followed by another 'tat'!!!!

Duh! Who forgot to change the hat? I did change the coat and this made the whole thing a lot better. I then decided that I'd have to change the colouring a bit for 'design purposes' (whatever THAT means!!).
Now that looks better and the hat's a great improvement too.

Finally the 'extras' which was the fun bit - decorations for the hat, hair, soapbox, shuttle and tatting. Next task was mounting it and framing it.
The final results are below.

Home - but!!!

Home and tired to face a load of mail (some of them bills too).
I'm home, Nick's home but my two suitcases are not!!! Nick's arrived on the carousel - his is bright pink with lurid spots on (don't ask)!!! Mine are somewhere between Newark and Birmingham. This has happened before but with another airline and another airport - my suitcase last time too!!! ALL my special things from Palmetto are in the one and I'm so hoping that they both turn up tomorrow. The certificates I won in the competition, my pattern CD (and one for the witch in London!!), the threads and other goodies I bought for myself (and the witch in London!), beads etc, etc and worst of all - the gifts I was given.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll be picking up a shuttle to start a new project.

On the way home tomorrow

Well we're all packed and ready for the long haul across the pond tomorrow. We leave here at around lunchtime to go to the airport where we have a three hour check in. There's a forty five minute stopover in Newark which is a bit worrying as we'd originally booked with two hours to get from one hub to t'other. Still, we'll keep our fingers crossed that the first plane is on time.
It occurs to me (and I can't be bothered to go back and read it all) that in my Palmetto report I didn't mention the fact that the Palmetto 'gals' had run a competition to design the logo with the teachers being invited to submit ideas. I thought about doing a design but in the end 'threw' a wheelbarrow and some flowers on the scanner and sent that. I picked the 'bits' up a few days later and popped them in a plastic container and promptly forgot about the whole thing. Much to my delight - followed by consternation - I was told a month or two later that I'd won. The consternation came about as I realised that I'd no idea where the 'bits' of the logo were!! A frenzied hunt round the house found the plastic box in a corner under a table.
It was really great to see 'my' logo being worn by people at tat days. Thank you to all the Palmetto gals for the compliment.
Right, tat's it from the USA - back to blogging when I'm in the UK!!!

Sunday

Sunday and the last day.
After breakfast the Palmetto gals finished taking the bits and pieces to their cars. Lots more goodbyes and hugs too.
Afterwards the people at White Oaks told us that as long as the bedrooms were cleared early they weren't bothered how long we stayed on in the classrooms. As inveterate tatters and always wanting to learn new things a group of us 'drifted' together in the 'social' classroom. Here Mimi took on the role as teacher to show us how to put a bead into the centre of a split ring. Just as we were going into this impromptu lesson I realised that Tonya Smith was still around so she quickly got 'kidnapped' into the session too. Her instructions are here. This was a very good winding down to the event when those who were left really, really didn't want to go home!
Eventually Hope and I piled into Joanie's car and we went back to her house for lunch and to watch the hummingbirds again.
Now you may think that that's the end of the story - no, there's more to come!!
After lunch the three of us set off for the mall. This is where a group of the Palmetto girls and any others meet on a Sunday afternoon. They 'take over' part of a mall and move the tables and chairs to make a good place to tat and chat informally. This is great fun and also gave me time to chat to those I'd missed over the weekend like Pam and Jerry Freck, Babara Havener, Jane and others. We covered a few techniques and had a good natter.
On the way back to Joanie's we popped in to see Ricki who seems to live at his store!!!
Now for the things I'd forgotten to mention in my other posts!!!!
I must thank Jane who was my teacher assistant in the Fantasy Flower. Such a charming lass who said she hadn't managed to do the flower before class. Whatever she said she was an invaluable assistant and was much appreciated for handing out and collecting the teacher appraisals and giving out the certificates.
Forgot to mention that Mark was also presented with several Bat/Tatman items by Erin at the banquet. There was a 'sort of' bingo game held too which was great fun on Saturday evening.
Heck, I'll just add things as I think of them!!!!
If anybody wants a copy of the Palmetto Tat Days pattern CD then do get in touch with them. It's well worth the money and has all the patterns - plus Sid on it!

Saturday

Another glorious day dawned at White Oaks and I knew that this was going to be a full day!!!
First part was a conference call with Mimi. This is a great opportunity for anybody who isn't in class to 'grab' a teacher for individual help or advice. Actually I've found that this is also a good opportunity for the teacher to learn too!!!
Next was my watering can/wheelbarrow class which I thought wouldn't be too hard to teach. I'd managed to hook up with one student a couple of times before class to teach her the SCMR so everything went swimmingly as far as I could tell! Poor Bonnie who was my assistant in this class didn't manage to come along as she was too busy (she's one of the Palmetto 'gals').
After lunch was the dreaded Red Eyed Tree Frog - double time of three hours. Now I say dreaded as this was the one pattern/lesson I was really worried about! It had taken a long time to design and there were several complications (as I thought) along the way!!!! There was a blackboard in the classroom (actually it was brown!) and chalk which proved useful for this lesson and I will be forever grateful to Katie Verna who was my assistant and who had made two frogs during the previous month or so to test the instructions. Now Katie's two previous attempts at home were great but somehow she 'lost the plot' which resulted in a frog with a front leg which bent downwards - limp wristed! Many giggles resulted from poor Katie's frog. I was extremely pleased to find that several people not only managed the pattern but also completed their frogs. Pheeewwwwwww.
Saturday evening after dinner a lot of us met up for more fun and games. This was huge fun with lots of giggles and some 'cheating' too. Well, I would think that as our team didn't win a thing!!!
There were a few farewells as people headed for home too.

Friday

I forgot to mention yesterday that Sid the Scintillating Slug made his first appearance at dinner on Thursday evening. As the theme was flower gardens and there are always pests in gardens, it was interesting to see several slugs turning up in people's salads. How they managed to survive two flights and several weeks without food in my luggage is anybody's guess!!! Perhaps I'm now classed as a pest too! The pattern for Sid is on the Palmetto Tat Days CD.
Friday again dawned with beautiful weather. We went to breakfast - what a huge choice of things to eat including grits (not sure about those still!!). After breakfast I found out that unfortunately the vending room had opened - this was fatal for me as there were so many goodies on sale. I bought some threads and then found some fine crochet hooks on sale by Georgia (AKA) Seitz which had been shortened and had a hole and split ring through them. I'd been looking for hooks like this for ages so (as I invariably lose things) I bought two!!! I managed to get my mucky mitts on a CD with all the patterns on for my old mucker back in the UK - you know the one who rides around London on a broomstick!!!! All the teachers were given one so I'd already got mine!!
A fabulous talk was being given in one of the classrooms by Karey on how to dye threads. Unfortunately I missed the beginning as I was still letting the moths out of my purse in the vending room. Next was lunch followed by my first lesson - the Fantasy Flower.
I planned to teach the unbeaded version of this as the weaving of the picots is quite intricate but not complicated. I'd not realised that a lot of tatters didn't hide their ends in their start rings so this was added into the lesson. I think the lesson went quite well although it would be interesting to know the feedback on this.
During teacher orientation we were told we could 'sneak' into other teacher's lessons when we had free time. I took the opportunity to go into Mimi Dillman's class on the Cluny Tatted Kite. I'll admit freely that I've never really wanted/needed to learn the cluny but as a result of this excellently taught class I'm now very happy with the technique and can see it becoming part of future designs - once I can make them neatly. Thanks, Mimi, I really enjoyed this class. By the way I caught Mark having a 'private' session with Mimi on clunies too at some point during the latter part of the weekend!!!
After classes it was time for a change of clothes. Oh, forgot to mention that all teachers were given a blue tshirt to wear for classes with the logo on. I won the teacher's competition to design the logo for these and it was fantastic to see my work displayed on everybody's chests!!!
Now it was time for the banquet. The room was cosy and intimate but with plenty of room to move. The speeches were hilarious with Georgia also giving a very interesting talk about the history of tatting. Awards were given out for the competition pieces and I got a shuttle with 'my' logo on it. (I actually got all blue ribbons, except one, with two 99% and one 100% for my pieces!) which I was thrilled about. AKA also auctioned a very special shuttle with a fairy on for the Palmetto tatters and this raised a lot of money for their scholarship fund. Riet was given a family of sock monkeys, previous teachers received a bag of flour (don't ask!!!). All sorts of fun and frivolity went on throughout the dinner which was delicious.
Afterwards there was the tat off. I missed the start as I was showing somebody a technique but arrived when it was in progress. I won't tell you who won!!! Oh, OK, I will. It was Mark. His speed is fantastic and he just keeps his nose down and 'goes for broke'.
Later in the evening Riet led the 'night owls' lesson in which everybody was taught a Dutch song. I didn't spoil things by singing and ruining it - I don't 'do' singing and Nick would tell you why if you asked!!!
Bedtime and a few moments back in the room to make sure all my lessons for the next day were ready.

Thursday

OK I know it's Wednesday in 'real' time but I'm going to try and tell you about last Thursday at Palmetto. Well the parts that I can sort out from my brain!!!
The day dawned with glorious sunshine and hummingbirds galore on Joanie's feeder right by her kitchen window. That in itself was worth the air fare to see. Cardinals and other birds fed on the other feeders too but the hummingbirds were mesmerizing. After a leisurely start we set off to meet other participants at a restaurant called Hootz (very appropriate venue for a lot of laughing tatters!). We 'took over' the place almost and had a smashing lunch. This was my first (and thankfully not my last) meeting with Iris Niebach. Let me tell you a bit about her. She's everything I'd love to be. Young, slim and very pretty plus, as we all know, very talented as a designer. She was wearing some of her tatted jewellery which was beautiful. Iris speaks excellent English and every time I saw her over the weekend she was also wearing a humungous smile. All the 'usual suspects' were at lunch.
Afterwards we made our way to White Oaks where the tat days were to be held. A beautiful setting for the event. On our arrival the well oiled and honed Palmetto Tatters went straight into action. Wheelie trucks of all kinds were quickly put into use as we 'took over' our section of the conference centre. What a place. Clean, welcoming and - well, I'll tell you the rest as we go along.
After reception had been set up and the vending area plus competition area started too we all went into dinner. Oh, forgot, there was also 'teacher orientation' presented by Joanie and Mary too. The layout was so simple that it was almost impossible to get lost!!! Other information was given too which was very useful. Dinner was very good but the main and only dissapointment in the entire weekend was the - wait for it - lack of ice cream!!!! The ice cream machine had broken down!!! Dear Joanie tried to find some but sadly I had to manage the whole weekend without. I shall see the doctor on my return to the UK to see if my body will ever recover!!!!
After dinner etc we all sat around and talked - tatting!!! I was rooming with Hope Green which was a match made in heaven as we discovered we were both 'late to bed and late to rise' people!!!! Hope is just a hoot too and after a bit of chatting and giggling we finally (and late) got to sleep.

Back in Cincinnati

OK so I'm home (second home) in Cincinnati after the Palmetto Tat Days. I'm going to take my time with telling about the weekend as it was such a super time and my brain is still fried from over 'input'!!!
I managed the trip down to Columbia ON MY OWN and it was really, really easy. (Many thanks to Sue Hanson and all the others who said that I could do it). It was really strange cause as soon as I knew I was 'on my own' and was walking through the terminal at Cincinnati I felt a weird sense of achievement and my shoulders went back and my head raised and it was as if I was sort of 'born again' inside myself.
Anyway I arrived in Columbia to find Joanie Culverhouse and Hope Green there to meet me and that was another load of worry off my aged brain. We had been invited to Bonnie Geiger's house for lunch (that was yummy, yummy) and a tat natter. You should see the crafts that Bonnie does aside from tatting - wonderful work in all of them. BTW her hubby just smiles and smiles and is a sweetie too.
Then we went to (now, was it Hobby Lobby or Michaels - or was that the next morning?!?!?) to buy 'stuff'! As you do when you're in America!!! After that we popped in to see Joanie's hubby (shame he woudn't fit in my suitcase) at his store and then onto a restaurant called Fatz for the yummiest dinner - with peach cobbler for desert (to die for). I loved the grits with cheese and have now changed my mind about grits. When we got to Joanie's house there were two humungous green 'things' on her counter which looked like melons. They were avocados that Hope had brought from Miami (off her own trees). We had one later in the weekend and it was delicious - so fresh and mmmmmmmmmmmmm. We met Tinkerbell (sometimes called Stinkerbell) which is Rick and Joanie's beautiful grey cat. Joanie's house is 'craft heaven' with all sorts of projects going on. What a talented lady. Would love to live near her to spend more time with her.
More tat natters and then time to hit the sack. More tomorrow or later today when/if I can get to the computer!!!! Pictures will have to wait til I get home (the one in the UK!!).

Explanation!

I have had a few emails asking if I'm OK as my blog has been at a standstill for nearly a month. The answer is yes, thanks, I'm fine. I'm just a long, long way from home and my own computer!!! So this will be a boring post as I've no pictures to add. We've been in Cincinnati for nearly three weeks now are having a great time. The weather has been sunny except for one morning. Temperatures are from 90 - 100 + so we haven't been out much in the daytimes as 'old gits' are advised not to go out in this weather. I must say that there hasn't been much time and that the temptations of playing with five young kiddies (Karen minds three others and has two of her own) have allowed me the luxury of reverting to my 'true' age during the daytime.
The American economy is now picking up thanks to the price of clothes etc being so good and us getting a whole two pounds to the dollar - yippeeeeee.
It's been a round of parties since we arrived. Karen turned 40 and Athena 5. Who needs an excuse, though.
We spent a week up at Marblehead on Lake Erie soon after we arrived here and that was amazing too. Found some fantastic places to eat too.
Must say that I've not swum in about fifteen years and while here have hardly had a day out of the pool. Managed twenty widths or lengths (not sure which as they both looked the same to me) yesterday.
Another ten days or so and I leave for Palmetto. Nerves over flying have already set in. I'm fine if there are two of us but this time I'm 'going alone'. One of the fears I have in life is going places on my own. I have problems even in the UK over this. The one long term effect of my breakdown some fifteen years ago. Wonder if doing this trip on my own will finally cause my recovery?
Well, tat's about it for now.
Off to do some vacuuming upstairs and check to see if the ironing's piled up again.

Daisy, daisy, give me your answer do!

I'm afraid there won't be much new on in the way of on-going designs here for a while - BUT there may be a some new ideas of what you can do with some of my old stuff!!! Below is the sunflower which you can find here. I've tried to make it into a daisy just by using different colours!!! I have changed the stem too and it's now a series of split rings.

Oh, to my friend Pamela (the gecko lady!) who complained bitterly over my colour choice on the blog yesterday - I offer my sincere apologies!!!! Well it got her attention anyway!!

Three pairs of earrings

I was sorting through my earwigs the other day and trying to work out why I didn't wear some of them. There are several reasons but first I must admit to why I have so many pairs!!! This goes back to the teaching days when it was assumed that I would wear a different pair every day. Kids can be such hard task masters!!
As I endeavoured to 'grow up' after the age of sixty (something I've not yet achieved - I hope) I reverted to being a slob! By that I mean that as I was no longer 'in the workplace' then I didn't need to wear smart clothes like blouses, skirts, shoes with heels and tights. I could revert to 'norm'. Jeans, t-shirts and trainers/sandals. What a joy! BUT the earring habit didn't go away. To 'jolly' my days I 'needed' more earrings. I 'needed' a pair to go with every t-shirt, coat or jacket I owned. Fine - until I went to America on my first trip and discovered the joy of shopping. I came home with a suitcase full of - yes, t-shirts. They were of all colours and styles. More earrings 'needed' and made. Then after a while I found that I 'needed' a choice of styles so more excuses to make more earrings. Back to my sorting the other day. As I have far too many pairs now I decided to throw some of them out.
First out were the styles that 'didn't work'. These are designs that I never published because after they'd been worn/tested a few times they rapidly began to lose shape. Thus they stagnated in my jewelery box (cheap plastic Tupperware type box). They never got out into the public arena because they were, quite frankly, naff. Nothing I did would encourage them to hold their shape.
Next out were the pairs that didn't sparkle and had none of the 'wow' factor. Others that went were just plain 'old' (by that I mean five years or more). All the findings and a few 'special' beads were re-cycled, though so I don't feel so guilty. Below are three new pairs all using the doodle f pattern again but all slightly different. With the light purple/lavender pair I have taken a very large beaded picot from the first side ring and joined it to the third side ring. I think this may well be my favourite. Sadly again the scanner doesn't do them justice as they really, really sparkle.

More invisible earrrings!

Here are some more earrings made with the invisible thread. Not the easiest thread to work with but then I do like a challenge!!!
The orange ones on the left are 3D and based on a flower idea.
The other pair are using the pattern which can be found as one of my doodles (f). This time as more of a challenge to myself I added an extra long picot at the base and inside the main long one. I also used invisible (or nearly invisible) beads too!!! In 'real life' this pair are stunning.
One thing I've found with this thread is that it's very strong and however hard I tug on it it's never broken on me. Also it's remarkably easy to undo when you make a mistake - tat's if you can see it, of course!!!
PS I've just looked at the enlarged picture of the earrings on the right and I can see two ends that need 'snipping'!!! Wonder if I'll be able to find them when I get them out and have got my clippers? It's very, very hard to find the ends after you've completed a piece with this thread!!!

Daisy, daisy give me your answer, do!!!!

I'm afraid there won't be much new on in the way of on-going designs here for a while - BUT there may be a some new ideas of what you can do with some of my old stuff!!! Below is the sunflower which you can find here. I've tried to make it into a daisy just by using different colours!!! I have changed the stem too and it's now a series of split rings.

Oh, to my friend Pamela (her of the geckos!) who complained bitterly over my colour choice on the blog yesterday - I offer my sincere apologies!!!! Well it got her attention anyway!!

Buttons

I've had these pretty buttons now for ages. Gina Brummett sent them to me (along with lots of others - she spoilt me rotten) in a button exchange that she ran on her tatting goddess list. They are the sort of thing that you get given and just don't want to use because they are just too pretty. I've been looking at them for ages as I realised that they were too fragile to use as a 'normal' button as the paintings on them would wear off eventually. I decided that they needed to become a brooch. They are transparent (or should that be invisible!!!!) but to work with invisible thread onto an invisible shank might be way beyond my patience! So, I chose a white thread and some pink beads and this is what happened. I've scanned them with two different backgrounds to try and show them at their best.

Two work them I joined two opposite inner rings to the shank and the other four are joined to their opposites through the shank.

Mermaid card

I've just finished this card for a friend. I just can't resist the mermaid that Martha Ess designed. If you want the pattern click on the title as she's kindly shared it online. Thanks very much, Martha.
I've made at least six of these mermaids over the past year or so - just for the pleasure of making them - they also make me smile. I love the way she gives a warning on her web page about this design. You have to go look at it. (Whoops, just did a typo and put a 't' in front of the last word in the last sentence - good job I spotted it before posting)!!
This mermaid was tatted in a no. 80 thread. I didn't give her a navel ring as the ones I've got would've been too big and heavy for her and she would probably have drowned!!

How I started designing

Talking to SueH on the phone the other day we both realised that I had never really told anybody how and why I started designing. Well, here is the story!!!
I would have been in my early forties and had been tatting for about twenty years when I fell into designing quite accidentally. I'd always 'jiggled' with patterns but never ever thought of making my own.
Over the years I'd also learnt other laces including knitted, crochet, bobbin, hairpin, netting and filet. There were no lessons available on any of these and so I had to find out 'how' from books. I also used to make clothes for myself, do patchwork, clothing repairs etc. All this combined with a full time teaching job. Really I was just so busy and it was relaxation to just sit and follow a tatting pattern in the evenings. Anyway, I digress!!!!
One year when I had a particularly large and difficult class of reception children to settle into school I thought hard on how I could ease them into the classroom situation each morning. I decided to wear some funny earrings. After a while those who had previously been nervous and clingy with their mums would dash in to see what teacher was wearing in her ears each morning - success!! I started off with things like dog biscuits, sweets, tea bags, bath plugs, clothes pegs and anything and everything I could find round the house which were light enough to wear. My boss hated it. The County Council Infant Adviser loved it and wanted me to write an article for a national magazine about admitting children into school life. I now have to remind myself why I didn't do this article. The reason was that I couldn't type and didn't have a typewriter.
At this time I had two teenage daughters, a home to run and a husband who was away on business a lot of the time. All on top of an ever changing and stressful job!! The earrings continued over the next few years with the children making me their own 'versions' out of paper, toilet roll middles, Lego etc. I wore each and every one with pride although it was very embarrassing when I forgot to take them out when I went into town shopping!!!!
It then occurred to me that this was all getting a bit 'silly' and expensive as I was also buying 'daft' earrings too. The boss was getting more and more 'unpleasant' about my various ear 'decorations' so I decided to tat my own - he could hardly object to that! I've still got the old notebook somewhere that I wrote the patterns in. I made things like cats, squirrels, giraffes, elephants, horses, traffic lights and eventually a few 'pretty' ones. The kids loved them too and the boss couldn't object!
A bit more time passed and my husband went off into the mist with my friend and I was left in a bit of a 'stew' with many very big problems to deal with. One of the many was redundancy so there I was at 48 with no job, a mortgage and very few skills to fall back on and to offer to the workplace. I decided to take a crash course in basic office skills - particularly typing as it was becoming clear at this point that computers were going to become the new office skill which would be needed. I spent hours and hours in the middle of the night taking the basics that I'd learnt during the day and expanding on them.
One day, shortly after I'd finished teaching and while I was doing the courses, I cycled into town to look through the craft magazines in W H Smith. I couldn't afford to buy them so I squatted down on the floor behind the shelf and wrote down addresses on a scrap of paper. I started sending out some of the tatted earring patterns to magazines. They were all accepted and in due course published. I found a few problems with this. If you sell to a magazine they are often 'sponsored' by a thread company who then require you to sign over the copyright to them. I found that for a pattern they would pay around £60 - £70 which isn't a lot considering how much time went into a design and certainly wasn't going to be a good 'career shift'!! Certainly NOT enough to pay my new mortgage!
Some years later when life got better and I started designing for other magazines I refused payment so I could keep my own copyright. I still stick to this principle as it also helps keep the craft accessible to the magazine world as nobody has to find money to pay me! I had already decided that office work might just pay the bills if I was very careful so I embarked on a career of temping!!!
The internet came into my life shortly after I moved in with Nick a few years later. Woweee, there were other tatters in the big wide world. I found that people suddenly wanted my patterns (one of the first I'd done was the Tattysaurus) but on dial up and emailing them to each individual this became expensive and time consuming!!! So I had to find out how to make a web site. Fortunately I had a long term temping assignment (3 years!) at a software company where the young lads encouraged me, gave me hints etc to make my first web site.
The designing continues as it's now an integral part of my life.

The last for a while

This is the last one for a while. Next project is to make a birthday card and then nothing for a while, perhaps!! Really have a lot on for the next few weeks.
This is another alphabet bracelet with a braid which links it to the clasps. I can manage to put these on and off on my own with this type of clasp which is an advantage!
Guess what? It's raining again!

Bracelet, tag, zipper pull?

The constant and very wet rain here in the UK has stopped gardening, housework (well, I'm it as an excuse!) and shopping but not tatting. In fact it's made more time for tatting!!!
When I first went to the USA a few years ago I was let loose in Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Walmart and picked up all sorts of odds and ends which could be used for tatting. Alphabet letters were amongst my purchases. I've diddled and daddled with them in the past but never come up with anything I was truly happy with. So, trapped by rain the following are what came about!!! The letters actually rest firmly in the tatting and I'm very pleased with the results. The pink and orange one is my first attempt and doesn't have beads. I only put one split ring on it so it will be a 'dangle' - unless, of course, I cut it up and make it into something else as there's a mistake in it!! The second one has split rings added at both ends so that when I meet up with Athena I'll be able to make it into a bracelet for her.

Another Bracelet

This is the last one (for now). It's the one with the Whitby jet button. I love this jet which used to be a necklace and which came to me when mum died as nobody in the family wanted it. Such a shame. I used the other pieces to make bracelets for all the gals in the family and still have three or four left. I will make them into a necklace some day.
The larger cream ivory/bone button will have to wait for inspiration as I'm now working on another 'quickie' which I'll share later today or tomorrow.
As it's still raining and there are bad floods in the UK it seems as if there'll be plenty of time to tat!!!