The life of a kidnap victim

For all those who have been with me for at least two years you'll probably remember that last time I was in Cincinnati I was kidnapped by two friends - Gina and Gail.  Well this time another kidnap was arranged after we all got back from the ocean holiday (known as the 'holiday in a holiday').  Unfortunately due to a last minute work crisis Gail couldn't join us so poor Gina had to put up with me on her own.

Well we all know Gina as a kind and generous soul who is extremely generous with her gifts, her time and her knowledge.  Here's a lovely picture of her surrounded by sunflowers which I feel reflect her sunny nature.  Actually we talked our socks off and this is the only picture either of us got on the day and this was as she was leaving me!!!!

Here's her version of the day!  It was a wonderful time - she led me beautifully astray in Hobby Lobby and Michaels but unfortunately we couldn't get into Jo-Ann's as it was closed!!!  However Gina introduced me to her favourite book place too!!! 

This lass is extremely generous and she gave me this box full of goodies.  I'm only showing you a few as the rest are still awaiting photographing!!!!  First the box which came home full of treasures!!

Now just SOME of the 'goodies'!!!  Can you see the cushion there on the right?  The tatting on it is exquisite.  I've been looking for Gina's post about it but can't find it - jet lag hasn't left me yet and sleep hasn't returned to normal.  Think I need to tat in front of the telly tonight!!!!  That'll put me to sleep!!!!!

Tomorrow I'll show you the bell she gave me. 

OK, here we gooooo

As I promised some bits about my trip!!!  

First of all did you know that I'm a trained and competent lifeguard?  Betcha didn't.  This is somebody who can swim in a haphazard fashion and looking like a drowning whale at the same time!!!

Here is a picture of me at work!!!   AND the kids I'm looking after!!!

Now who said 'where's her rescue tube (or even a noodle)'?  Who said 'where's her bikini' (what a horrifying thought)?  Who said (and I  DID hear you in your corner of Tat Land) 'what's she doing'?  

Yes, I am minding kids in the yard while tatting!!!!  Well, what else does an old git do when she's on vacation!!!!!

Home again

Well the AB (Ancient Body) is home but BC#3 (Brain Cell Number 3) hasn't caught up yet!!!

Be assured - all will return to what counts as 'normal' in this wee corner of tat land as I give you MY version of the trip!!!  Well, the tatting version!!!!!

Coming soon - not a lot!!!  Please bear with me for a few weeks while I'm away.  I've actually been on holiday for the past ten days and the recent posts were all scheduled!!  

Tomorrow we go adventuring again on a 'holiday in the holiday' so I won't be back during that time!!!

However, between shopping, child minding and acting as 'lifeguard' when the kids are in the pool I am managing to progress the diamond mat which I will try and show you before our return to 'normality' (call that boredom'!!!

Finally!!!

Yes, I really, really, REALLY mean it this time.

Just couldn't resist trying the Fandango in blended threads.  There are Swarovski crystals in the middle too.  

SO pleased with this one that I'm going out on a 'high'!!!!!

Hmmmmm, another 2 Fandango pendants!!!

So I thinked and I thunked and I thought darn hard (well, not really!) and came up with a new look Fandango motif!!!!!

First of all I wanted to make the centre 'cross' a bit more prominent and so I found that all it needed was one SLT to do the trick!!!!  How easy is that?

Then I thought - why not MORE beads, as you do, so this is what happened - see below.  

Actually I used my favourite metallic threads.  I get them from Lyn Morton at Tatting and Design.  

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday little sister!!!!  Hope you have a great one.  I won't mention your age but I wish I was 21 again like you!!!!!


In CASE anybody had missed my sister's blog - here's the link!!!!

Final book chat!

Also amongst the books was this final small one which I'd not seen before - a Workbasket.  This is volume 14 and number 6.  It was published in March 1949 when I'd have been 5 and a bit years old.

Finally I'm showing you the handwritten notes that were in the package.  These SO reminded me of the ones that gran made and which I have somewhere in the house.  Little notes as reminders on working the patterns.  I really, really wonder who the person was who owned all these treasures.

More about the books

Today I'm showing you the two most exciting finds in the collection.  Not exciting in looks but pretty darn good in content.

Both are Dutch.  For that reason I wrote to Riet to tell her about it and she said this:-

"There are three books about tatting from ESKA and also a bobbin lace book.  I have those books all 4 The first tatting book is the book I bought when I was 17 years old in that book is the oval dolly That I tatted for my Moeke (mum) for mothers day."

The second one is more of a leaflet and the front cover has been damaged.  Nonetheless the contents are good and there are some interesting netting patterns which I'm hoping to find time to do too.  Actually I'm not sure if this is Dutch or German so I'll have to ask Riet about that!!!!

Interesting story about one of the books!

Now to show you the one book which does for me have a story.

When I was in my teens and my gran and I were 'heavily' into tatting we suffered a real dearth of books.  We had the Penelope and Coats books which came out very rarely but that was about all.  

Somehow gran heard about the 'Every Woman's Complete Guide to Tatting Illustrated'.  She asked about it in the local library and about six months later they'd found a copy in a library 'up north'.  Remember that in those days everything was done by letter and/or phone so it took time.

Well we were so excited when we were loaned a copy for a month or so.  BUT that wasn't the end of the story.

A few years later and at the age of 70 my gran took a round the world trip with the main intention of meeting her brother Harold whom she hadn't seen for 40 years.  So she landed up in Australia where this book was published and where Harold lived.  Whilst there she 'advertised' on the radio and television for this rare book and was offered a copy which she obviously bought and brought back home with her.  I now have this book.  I did make a few things from it back then.  

Below is the copy I won from the Ebay lady.  OK, the cover is 'tatty' but the 'innards' are excellent.  I think I'll probably sell this on Ebay later this year.  We'll see.  

Of course we now know that the book was by Norma Benporath and has since been re-printed.  I really wonder how this copy got to dear old England - was it like gran's and travelled back with another tatter when it was new?  If only books could speak.

Dissecting the Ebay win!

OK, following up from my ebay win I'm going to show you slowly and surely what was in the packet. Now, where shall I start?

Let's start with the things I've already got and which I'll be 'letting go of' sometime later this year.  To good homes, only, I hope!!!

First of all will be La Frivolite - a book which I bought brand new many years ago.

Then there were two of these leaflets - Penelope 1338 and as you can see one is in better condition than the other so one will go into the bin or something!!!

Also in this category is a Penelope Book 4 with my all time favourite doily in - Snowflakes on page eleven!!!!

More of the Fandango motif!!!

I know I promised you (well, I don't think I actually used the word 'promise') no more on the Fandango but I do have two or three or more posts about it - this is one of them!!!

I desperately wanted to see what would happen with more colours so this is what I did.  Of course half way through this little exercise I suddenly thought of something else - which I'll show you soon. My apologise for interrupting the flow of books AND for not ironing this very well either!!!!

Do you know what?

Do you know what a favicon is?  Well I didn't until Saturday!!!

I think I told you that I woke up a week or two back to a 'new look' blogger which was a total shock to the aged mind!!!!  I do like it although I've found that if I 'schedule' a post and then go back to alter it later (which is something I do a lot) then the darn thing 'changes' and I occasionally hit the 'publish' button and find that the post has gone straight away.  Sorry to those who have suddenly found something and then it's disappeared.

Well t'other day I was reading help files and comments on blogger's own blog and spotted something about 'favicons'.  Well it was one of those mornings when I'd got nothing particularly planned (or, shall I be honest and admit I was avoiding the dreaded H word) so I settled down to play!!!  It wasn't that hard in the end - particularly if one READS the flipping words and doesn't 'skip to the next paragraph'!!!  That's me, though, butterfly brain.

So, I drew the image below and followed all the destructions (whooops, sorry, INstructions) and it worked.  Easy to add to the blog but a bit more 'problematic' when doing the web site.  

The favicon seems to appear in some browsers but not in others.  It should appear before the url. I was SO proud of myself even though when it was all done and dusted it really wasn't that hard!!!!

Ebay treasures

Do you remember the leaflets I sold on through the blog a while back?  Well, to recap, these were part of a batch of tatting booklets sold on ebay.  The seller had listed them as 'buyer collects' and when they didn't sell first time she re-listed and then I wrote and asked if she'd mail them to me IF I won them.    

Well, we did a deal and eventually at the end of the time I won them fairly and squarely, I paid the extra for mailing them and tat was tat.

Just over two weeks ago I had an email through ebay from the same seller telling me she was listing more tatting leaflets so my ears pricked up big time.  I waited for them to appear.  

When they did there wasn't a picture and the listing was for '8 tatting manuals'.

Fast forward a few days and still no picture but a list saying just this appeared.

8 pieces
2 books
6 magazines
good condition
sent via royal mail or collection

I waited and waited (no pictures still) and so I asked her for further details and she mentioned the one book that I'd already got (another story about that another day!!!) and a few leaflets.  Eventually there was a bid on them and I thought I'd let it all go.  Then I took a gamble and put on a very high bid - after all in the last 'lot' there were one or two leaflets I'd not seen or heard of before and this might happen again.  A gamble from an OG who isn't a gambler by nature!!!!

Eventually I won - no, I'm not saying what I paid!!! 

More on Monday but here's a quick picture for you of the whole lot!!!!!

Two more and the last!

Promise - these are the last two pairs of Winsome Drops - for now!!!!

If you look closely you'll see they are a little different.

I wondered what would happen if I made the long beaded picot start in a different place.  I can never leave things alone!!!  The top pair were made by putting the LBP (long beaded picot) near the start and end of the ring.  Gives it a sort of bulge but not a lot different to yesterday's.

Now, the red ones I LOVE.  The LBP is made just a bit before the finding is added and a bit after.  I used a heart shaped bead between the ring and split ring and then happily and accidentally found that  the LBP formed a heart shape too!!!

This is what I was aiming for and THOUGHT would happen in the pinkish pair.  I'm never sure at the outset what will happen in situations like this!!!

Remember these?

Well they're DEAD.  They had a serious case of 'scissoritis' a few days ago.  

Why?  Well I just didn't like the way the lower SR didn't stay in line with the top ring.  It sort of swung to lie sorta sideways on.  So, it was death by scissors!!!!  BIG TIME.  The Swarovski crystals were put back in the crystal box and the findings were used again on these.  Here are the new pair.

All I did was add two very small beads below the joins to the very long beaded picots.  Simple solution to a worrying problem - I hope!!!!  

One at each corner!!!

I THINK this will be the final version of the Fandango square.  This time with joining picots.

These were a pain in the wotsit to get in the right place but finally brain cell # 3 came to the rescue - long may he live!!!

I can still see more potential in this design but time's running out for me so I must abandon them for a few days!!!!  Can you see the four below and imagine them with beads?  I can!!!

So, having played with this over the past week I can now announce the birth of the 'new and amended' pattern which you can find here!!!!

Must point out that it's a shame I didn't just stick this under the iron before scanning it - I'm such a lazy moo at times.

Another variation on the beaded Fandango

I'm stuck in a rut again but this time with the Fandango square!!!!

I'll still be working with this for a while - with side trips to do other things too!!

This will be another pendant with a plethora of Swarovski beads at the bottom!!!!  I'm hoping that Diane (Lace-lovin' Librarian) doesn't spot this as it's her favourite colour!!!

A star by any other name!!!

Not really sure what you'd call this.  I call it a star even though it isn't really!!!  It's now a pendant as you can see!!!  

This is a variation on the star pattern that Donna will be teaching at Palmetto Tat Days in September.  If you take a trip down this page and on the left you'll see the original.  You'll have to wait until the CD comes out with the pattern on OR get yourselves down to SC in September!!!!   All I did was just added a bit more 'bling' in this version (also known as beads)!!!!


One or two people have asked me recently about adding beads to tatting and I think it's about time I put in a weeee plug for this invention.  I THINK it was mine and it's one I'm truly ashamed of.  Why?


Well, after over fifty years of tatting (and a good many of those with beads!) it hadn't occurred to me that there was a better way than adding them to the shuttle or chain thread until roughly 2007/2008 when a bit of thought and a good day for brain cell 3 happened and the long beaded picot was born!!!!

Beading the Fandango!

Well, you saw Sally's post here the other day and here's what I've been doing with the Fandango square down below.  This isn't a diamond as I'm sure you'll realise - it's a square standing on it's 'pointy bit'!!!!!

I'm really pleased with these and they'll make splendid pendants, I think.


BUT tat's not all!!!  I have another development in the pipeline (also known as brain cell 3) which I'll show you when that's finished!!! 


Also I'm making up the web page too - along with the full abbreviations which are absent on the current page.  I've 'tweaked' the stitch count too so if you've not got to downloading the pattern then please wait until I've got my act together properly and you'll have the whole 'properly finished' deal!!!

Introducing the TTTB

Now this has been a nightmare to get out of my head and into 'real life'.  Very simple concept but I just couldn't see the finished item 'working'.

It holds loads too.  I put in some large balls of thread to hold it while taking photographs but will 'trial' it as a travelling bag.  

The real reason for making it was initially to carry my tatting press in that Ann gave me - here's the link.  I just was so worried about that getting dirty.  The press fits a treat so it was well worth all the agonising.  Now to make one to match the colouring of the press.

What do you think of it's name?  The Terribly Tidy Tat Bag (TTTB - as in the title of this post)?  Isn't that just the corniest name you've ever heard?  Mind, it might be easy to keep tidy as there are no corners to lose things in!!!!  Well, there are corners but they're easy to see into.  I've used velcro to close it and also to hold the handle back out of the way when it's being used - see the last photo.

I might make some more when we get back from our trip.  Depends on how much I spend while we're away - heee, heeeee, heeeeeeee!!!  If I've overspent then I'll put a few in the Etsy shop.  Having said that - I showed this to a friend and she's already put her name on it!!!!

Oh sad, sad day

There I was walking back from Morrisons when I felt my necklace fall off.  It was a metal one that I'd put this Rainbow Taffy pendant on.  I picked it up and hunted for the pendant but it was nowhere to be found.  I was SO angry with myself.

So I made another!!!  Here it is with TWO Swarovski crystals hanging from it.  I hope I don't lose this one.  Still it was a good excuse to get out the Rainbow Taffy again!!!  Sadly the ball is looking very depleted now - what a good excuse to order another!!!!

Actually I think I like this one even more than the original pendant!!!

Two more bracelets

Today I have two more bracelets.  Mainly to co-ordinate with my clothes but also just because I'm 'in the mood' to make them!!!!  The first one is just plain shell beads using the Winsome earring idea again.

THEN I thought about the thingamedooos that Kelly had included in her packet here and also some of the red beads that Ridgewoman sent me ages ago.  Actually I've used lots of the red beads but still have a few more to play with!!!  


Can you see what I've done here?  DARN IT - now I can see another pendant that can be made with these metal thingamedooos.

More pendants!!

While I'm still 'in the mood' here are another two pendants!!!

I'm now cheating like crazy!!!  I've got them made onto ring findings which allow the necklace clasp to be threaded through.  This means ONE necklace will hold all of them according to the colour of the (inevitable) tshirt that I'm wearing that day!!! HOWSAT for a stroke of genius, eh?

I've also made a 'cord' type 'carrier' for the pendants too (you can just see that on the red one below) so they can either look 'formal' (on a chain) or 'casual' (on a cord).

As I generally class myself as a slob I really don't know why I bother except that I'm having fun 'bothering' - If you can understand!!!

Actually I enjoy wearing these - almost as much as earrings!!!!

More of the same!!!

I do like to do a few of the same things when I get started so here are two more!!!

The top one is made in my favourite colour (at the moment) which is the Lizbeth Rainbow Taffy.  I just LOVE this thread.


The other is a thread which I pulled out of my HDT stash.  This purply colour was truly lovely and is a soft silky texture which I thought wouldn't be really suitable for a pendant as it was working out to be a bit 'bendy'!!!!  


I've given this away now in a dangle (which, of course, I forgot to scan). 

Yesterday was great - I listed all the shuttles, it rained all day and all of them sold.  Kept me delightfully busy and I didn't go 'stir crazy' being kept in the house.  I didn't want to get wet!!!!!

Quick reminder!!!

I know that it's unusual for me to post on a Sunday but I thought I'd just put up a quick reminder about the shuttles going live later this morning in my Etsy shop.

They'll be ready for sale at midday - that's British Summer Time.

Right, off to search for breakfast!!!

Off on another track!

Before I start - don't forget that tomorrow has been designated 'shuttle day'!!!  They will go 'live' in my Etsy store at roughly 12 mid day. 


Oh, it's also Ridgewoman's birthday too so Happy Birthday, Ridgewoman.


Yesterday I mentioned the pendants - well, here's the first 'batch'.  

Remember the magnetic brooches which are still (for another week or so) for sale in my Etsy shop?  Well I suddenly thought they'd make lovely pendants too so off I went on another track!!!

Here they are - both made using blended threads.  I think two were Sulky and one was a quilting thread all of which came from the USA.

And after the bracelets?

Before I start - did anybody else wake up to the 'new look blogger' the other morning?  It's taken me a couple of days to re-train brain cell 3 where to find things but now I LOVE the modern look.  Well done blogger.


After the bracelets?  The inevitable necklace, of course!!!!

Again I'm back on the Winsome drop earring pattern idea again.  I'm just SOOOO boring!!!

I made this so it would go with the earrings and bracelets - well everything except the red earwigs!!!  Now, of course, I'll have to come up with something to go with the red earrings - watch this space!!!


Actually I'll let you into a secret - DON'T TELL ANYBODY but I'm making pendants too!!!!!  All will be shown in due course as I don't want you fainting with too much eye candy!!!!  

More Pop-A-Bobbin Shuttles!!

My little sister was in town on Tuesday and she brought more of the Pop-A-Bobbin shuttles with her.

I will be adding them to my Etsy shop on Sunday 12th June at 12.00 (midday) BST.  I have

2 Cherry (with hooks)
2 Walnut (with hooks)
4 Yew (with hooks)
1 Yew - without a hook
4 Cocobolo Rosewood (with hooks)
1 Cocobolo Rosewood - without a hook
4 Purple Heart (with hooks)
1 Purple Heart - without a hook
1 Ebony (with a hook)
Prices and pictures can be found here.

Here are two to tempt you!!!!!