A story!

This is a story of a wonderful gift.  This came from Val in Singapore.  We've been online buddies for a time now and Sally met up with Val when she was over in Singapore in June.  They went shopping.  When I say shopping I mean SHOPPING!!!!  

Val sent home (via Sally) a wonderful box of goodies for me to play with.  Can you see the contents in the top photo?  There are big beads, small beads, wooden ones and crystal ones.  Bright and beautiful.  Then there are two reels of Sulky thread and a thingamajig to make whatsits which I've got to work out how to use!!!  There are findings and charms and many many other things - BUT just LOOK at the picture beneath.  Those earrings are just plain stunning.  The colours zingadingding.  I'm going to wear them at the weekend as I'm going to two small gatherings.  They may even frighten the rain away with their brightness - well I can but hope!!!  

Pop a Bobbin News

I will be listing the following in the Etsy shop here on Saturday at 8pm (BST).  

I think 'im in the garage has been having fun this time!!!  There's one of each of the following in different woods!!  He usually makes two or three of each wood but this time I think he's been playing!!!  

For those of you going to Palmetto Tat Days in September I'm pleased to say that you'll be able to see, touch and BUY the shuttles there.  Sally and I are taking a good supply of them with us.

Pop a bobbins all with hooks.

Zebrano 1

Yew 1

Olivewood 1

Pear 1

Cherry 1

Apple 1

Oregon Myrtle 1

Cocobolo Rosewood 1

Oak 1

Ebony 1

Maple 1

American Black Walnut 1

Purple Heart 1

Hooks with Hats (0.4mm)

Teak 2

Zebrano 1

Fandango Bookmark

Now next weekend I'm off to a housewarming party round the corner.  This time I can't really give them a bottle of wine as the people who's party it is gave ME a bottle a couple of weeks ago!!!  SO kind of them as I'd done very little to help them in my opinion.  

Anyway, I thought about things and decided that probably they'd each like a bookmark.  Here's the first one.

This is done with two strands of HWT.  One is a sewing thread (plain) which I bought on a trip to America some years ago.  The other is a variegated (old) number 70 (or thereabouts) thread.  There's something satisfying with HWT as it gives a totally different look to 'ordinary' variegated threads.

Oh, the pattern is here.  It's the Fandango bookmark.

I can't resist earrings!

I know some of  you are going to groan when you see another pair (nearly finished) like these but there are two reasons for making another reddish pair.  Well, that's my excuse!!!

Reason number one is that I wanted to have an 'all red' pair.

Reason number two is because I wanted to try adding more beads over the button.  In the last pair there were 'two beads per picot over button' but in this pair I've added four to each one coming up through the button hole.  This makes this pair really shiny.  

Now ALL I've got to do is add the shepherd's crook findings and I'll be the smartest gal in town!!!!

Sorry, amend the last sentence as I'm well past my 'sell by' date and should've put old git instead of gal!

And it rained AGAIN

As you've probably heard - we've had the wettest June in the U.K since records began in 1910 and it looks as if July's going to be the same too with a whole month's worth of rain in one day - yesterday!!!

So, because of that I was mainly 'trapped' in the house which is the worst thing that could happen to me.  In the end I settled to 'play' on the computer.  I decided to change the favicon on my sites.  

Favicon?  Did I hear somebody ask what that was?  Well it's the tiny, tiny picture that sits at the top of your page above the browser bar.  You can see what I'm talking about in the picture at the bottom - you can see my blog site and web site with the favicons next to the title.  Here's the favicon as it was generated - isn't it SMALL?

They're really easy to make - just google 'favicon generator' and follow the instructions.  Great fun and a better way to pass a miserable day than doing the dreaded H word!!!

Oh, by the way, it's going to rain again today!!!

Look what I found

I've absolutely no idea where I got this from but it certainly wasn't from France!!!!  

I've scanned this to show you because of the back of the card mainly.  Can you see that there's a picture of how to put the bobbin on the end to wind the thread?  Interesting.  

One packet I bought (in English), a thousand years ago was almost the same.  That one (long destroyed in the joy of a new shuttle to use) had the same picture BUT with another showing how to load the bobbin back into the shuttle.  That was my eureka moment and converted me to bobbin shuttles way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Two other interesting points on this packet which may point towards it's age is the bar code (see this link and this one too) and the post code (another link).  Bar codes were introduced into regular use in the UK in roughly the mid to late seventies and around the time post codes were forced upon the populace (that's what it felt like at the time) too.  Translation here for Americans - post code = zip code.  If you put the post code at the bottom of this packet into google maps you'll see that there is a modern building there nowadays.

Do you think we ought to designate it as a shrine for all tatters and go and worship there?!?!?  Just another of the daft ideas from yours truly!!!

First bangle done and dusted.

This is the first one finished.  Well it was finished a couple of weeks ago.


OK, I'll admit to it being a little fiddly but not as bad as I thought it would be.  I worked the outer parts attaching to the rims first and then the split rings last joining to both the sides as I went along - they were a bit fiddly.  

I deliberately kept it simple (rings, chains and split rings) as I felt it didn't need really fancy stuff particularly with the joining being a bit 'problematic'!!

I'm SOOO pleased with it I'm going to make another but with more 'bling'.  Oh, these are both Lizbeth colours but I'm not sure which.  As usual I'm hopeless at remembering which I've used.  My mid year new year's resolution will be to note down what I've used!!!!

Talking bangles!!!

Have you ever seen these before?  I spotted them on Roseground Supplies page a few weeks ago.  Of course I HAD to have one - or two - or three!!! They offer a pattern to buy to go with the bangles but me being an independent old git didn't want the pattern!!!  I looked at what they were offering and realised that the pieces were sewn on after they were made.  That's NOT my way of working.

I have a 'THING' about adding 'stuff' to tatting after it's finished (or, come to that, adding tatting to things!) whether it be beads, sequins or accessories.  I never, ever think that's a safe thing to do.  Glue gives up 'gluing' in the end and thread comes undone if things are sewn on. 

In the bottom picture you can see my initial experiments.  The rest you'll have to wait for!!!

What a PAIR!!!

As usual I've got something to say before I start talking about my main 'theme' - here it is coming to you loud and clear.  Palmetto Tat Days registration is open here and Sally and I have registered.  I looked to see again this morning and see that 34 people had already signed up.  That's FAST, I think.

Now when I say 'what a pair' I'm talking about myself and t'other Jane who is here!!!  

Yesterday I had an email from another friend who was looking for Jane's bookmark and couldn't find it.  Not a problem thought I and off I went to send her the link.  DUH and DOH I couldn't find it anywhere.  Not even the original pattern in a doc format.  I sort of thought it was on the blog originally and nowadays blogger makes it really easy to search using the box at the top, left of the page - but no sign of Jane's bookmark.  I then decided that in my enthusiasm I must've lost it when moving the web site.  Having decided that, I wrote to Jane asking her if she knew where it was and all she could remember was that it was on my blog somewhere!!! 

She looked for a copy on her computer but this is a new computer and the little stinker couldn't be found there either.  So she kindly wrote it down again.  I've now made sure it won't be lost again and have put a copy of it here and a link on the 'guest designer's' page so we'll ALL be able to find it in future!!!!  Here's a picture to remind you which one it is.

Yes I have been tatting!!!

Yes, I have been tatting - in the evenings while the web stuff was going on in the daytime.  


This is a pair of earwigs that I made the other evening.  It's this pattern but the outer part only.  Can you see how I've added beads to the picot coming through the button's hole?  I LOVE doing this!!!  It's a tad fiddly but well worth the sparkle it gives to a plain button.

Roundabout pattern itself

Before I start today I want to have a gripe.  I belong to lots of groups on yahoo and on one group I am on permanent moderation as the owner doesn't trust me to post messages that aren't contentious!!!  Anyway, I don't mind about that but what really makes me cross is that my messages (the same messages which I send out to all the yahoo groups) are always deleted and never appear there.  That STINKS in my opinion.  I feel like leaving the group but I do find from time to time that I can help answer a question privately (obviously no good trying to do it in public or my help would also be rejected).  Just so annoying as I can't announce a new pattern or TIAS matters on that group.  Moan over!!

Now for a big thank you for those who have been offering input on the width of both the blog and the web page.  I'm slowly getting there even though I don't understand the web page stuff very well!!!  Keep me posted, please as help is always welcome.

OK, on to more cheerful 'stuff' here it is - the pattern for the Roundabout motif.

Tat's all for now so on with the day!!!

Shuttle winners announced

The web site is finished and WHAT a relief!!!  I have had somebody say that the front page doesn't fit on their monitor and that they have to move over to the right to see it all.  Does that happen to anybody else?  Is it the settings on their computer or (more likely) is it me and the way I've got it set up?  Any and all comments and help on this would be VERY welcome.

Yesterday afternoon I had the following message from Barb at Handy Hands regarding the naming of the new Aerlit shuttles (for more information visit this post).  CONGRATULATIONS to the winners.  This is what she said.

"We have the winners for the Aerlit shuttle names. So you can post on the blog, we will let them know later. We found that there were several that had the same name idea but the ones that submitted first will be our winners."


Later in the day (early evening) I was told I'd won a set of shuttles with one of my suggestions.  I'm just over the moon and back again - thanks Barb a million times.  Here they all are with their names.  


A strange notion crossed the mind of brain cell 3 - will Barb have a ceremony to present herself with a set of shuttles (see mint chocolate) or will she mail them to herself?  There's a conundrum!!!

After the scrap bags even more!!!

At the time of this post I have just a dozen or so pages left to sort out on moving the web site.  So yesterday I decided to 'move people' over by putting a big link on the old site to the new one!!!  How's that for genius thinking, eh?  I'll be SO glad when it's done as it's a really BORING job but needs concentration while you do it.  Here's the new link if you don't know where to go!!

So, as I didn't find the last bag was 'quite me' I set off on another adventure.  

This one is squarer and has a zip on the top but under a flap.  Now, I like this one but I'm still not sure it's right for all occasions!!!  I'm such a fusspot.  It's just right for my teaching sessions in the library but not quite big enough for when I go walking!!  Told you I was fussy!!!!

More about the Roundabout motif

I'm now motoring on the web pages so will soon put a notice on to say that the changes are finished.  I'm 'down in the doodles' section.  Not looking forward to the techniques section as there are so many - BUT they'll be quick as there are only the home page and footer links to do.

Here are a few more of the Roundabout motif for you to look at while I get on with sorting the pattern.

This is a simple pattern OR an advanced (ish) one depending on how you want to work it.  I'll give instructions for both ways but the 'advanced' way has the megga advantage that you only have the finishing ends to deal with. It's worked from the inside to the end without any cutting and tying.

About Aero shuttles

Before I start - progress on the web pages is going well.  I'm about to start on the heart section today or whenever I get some time.

I had a message asking me to clarify the differences between the Aero bobbin type shuttles so I'm going to try and see if I can explain it - as I have fathomed it.

Milwards and Aero were, the same company and were at one point part of Needle Industries in Redditch - a few miles away from where I live.  This is an interesting link.  This also makes sense from what I know too.  Another link here is interesting as I read somewhere that the molds for the shuttles were destroyed in a fire but here it would appear that it was the records which were destroyed.  As my ex husband worked there after this date and found shuttles still there then I feel that it was simply that the mold was taken over to Germany for manufacturing in that country.

The company started off making the Milward black shuttles with the 'dip' in them and the hook with a green ribbon on.  I started life with those at the age of 13.  Then I tried the 'new' grey Aero ones as they had the integral hook.  It wasn't until I bought one with instructions on on how to load the bobbin and which way to put it in the shuttle that I became comfortable with using them.

So from what I've gathered over the years I thought there was just a Made in England grey bobbin shuttle.  They were easily available and cheap so I suppose I never gave them much thought.  Then the making of the shuttles was re-located to Germany and some of them were a bit problematic.  They even tried using carbon hooks on them as I've mentioned in a previous post - a disaster.  I got round the odd problems with the German ones by swopping bobbins and they used to work fine for me.

Barb actually told me the following last week which goes to prove how little I thought about it.

"I do not know if you know this or not but there are 2 different old shuttles.

1.       “Made in England” – this is all it states on the shuttle and is the OLDEST original one-in my opinion is the BEST and those that have this one agree it is the BEST!

2.       “Aero Made in England” – this is what it says on the shuttle, this was made second and has a little different design in the middle where the bobbin is.

The “Aero Made in England” one – Pony and Susan bates tried to copied this one.

The “Made in England” – this one is the same as the original Made in Germany ones. – but the mold was used so many times and needs re-worked it finally lost its click click."

At the end of the day it's all down to the skill of the mold maker and the type of 'plastic' which is used, I think!!!!

These things are sent to try us

I'm SOOOO fed up with BT.  They're our isp and they suddenly sent this message which you can read below.  This means that EACH and EVERY one of my files has to be changed on my web space.  


A few years ago I decided to buy space on freeservers for the excess files which wouldn't fit on the BT free space but I kept the main home page with BT.   Now I've got to change every darn link in every file.  


Fortunately I did upload the entire site to freeservers when I first bought in so at least I can find stuff there - with a bit of 'research'.  Now every image, home page link, other links and all the footers have to be changed too.  I'm also cross as it does appear that they'll give us very little final notice so I need to get it done quickly so I can find the links on BT easily to 'match' to freeservers.

Soon you'll see a message on the BT front page saying that I'm moving but I want to get more done before I do that.  I've done the animal section (that's taken almost three days) and I'm going to go down the site in a logical order except that I've not done the Tips and Techniques section as there aren't any images to link to - I'll leave that until last!!!

So, please if you're interested do bookmark this page as my new home page while I slowly and painfully work my through.  At a guess there are roughly 300 files that need 'attention' and I can get probably 8 done in an hour!!!  If you find links that are wrong in the animal section then please let me know.  I'll update you on progress.

After the scrap bags - more!

Now you've seen the larger shopping/tote style bags and now (sadly for you!) you're going to see what happened next!!!

This one is a simple box shaped bag with a fold over flap - like a messenger bag.  I like it lots (ideal for carrying a phone and an ipod touch when walking) which is really what it was made for - but.  It's not quite right for me.  It's perfectly made but there's something about it which isn't 'quite me'!!!

Don't worry - it won't be thrown away as it'll become a gift for somebody or even, maybe, a part of a giveaway sometime in the future.  I just love to play!!!! 

More on the shuttles

Now I expect most of you out there in Tat Land know about Handy Hands and their offer of 25 free balls of thread if a colour suggestion is chosen for the Lizbeth thread but what you may not know yet is Barb's latest offer which I for one am thinking HARD (ooooh, brain cell # 3 is HURTING big time) about too.

She's offering a full set of the Aerlit shuttles (see this post) for suggestions on what to call the colourways.  Below is her last message to me and pictures of the colours.

"I have attached the colors the color on the left is the shuttle color and color on the right is the bobbin color. We are looking for names for the combination so if someone comes up with a name they will win a full set of ALL the colors. There you can see we have some named mint chocolate."

I've added them all below including the already named set (mint chocolate is second one down) so that you can see the colours and a good idea of the sort of name that Barb's looking for.  


PLEASE don't try too hard cause I want to win a set!!!!!  Mind, I'll have to give brain cell # 3 a rest after this - he's working SO hard on it.  If you come up with a suggestion then please email Barb - her address is here.  

Here's another post about the Aerlit shuttles too.  I didn't know that Ambitatterous was testing too!!!

Seriously - good luck to all of you. 

Fantastic shuttle news

Not Pop A Bobbins, sorry.

No, this time I'm showing you the prototype new Aerlit shuttle from Handy Hands which will be available in the Autumn (translation to American - Fall).  Barb has spent a lot of time and effort finding a supplier to make a replacement for the original Aero Made in England shuttle.  She very kindly sent me a couple to try out last week.  These (as you will see - cause you're all clever) are black but they are going to be in colours which will be fantastic when working with two shuttles.  I have resorted to a 'blob' of sharpie on the shuttle I use as shuttle 1 just to try to remember which is which when I'm using England Aeros!!!  What pure joy it will be to have different colours and us bobbin shuttle users will be able to play catch up with all the post shuttle people who have Starlit, Clovers, Sew mate and other 'varieties' of shuttles to play with.  You will no longer be able to brag about colours over us boring bobbin shuttle users - so THERE!!!

Now I set off with great enthusiasm on Friday to try the pair out.  They were stiff but the feel of them is EXACTLY like the original Aero England.  By Sunday I'd changed bobbins (yes, Barb sent spares) and now they work just as I like them.  Actually I don't think the stiffness has anything to do with the bobbins - the shuttles just had had no work experience until I got them put 'out to work'!!!  There's just enough tension on the thread and no screeching noise when I pull it.  I'm totally and utterly in LOVE.

When I mentioned this initial stiffness to Barb she did say other test tatters had found the same and that they do need a little breaking in.  I'm going to start saving now for one of every colour.  Roll out the Autumn when they arrive in the USA.  I'll be there drooling and ordering.  It'll be SO hard to have to wait but I'm a patient OG.

Roundabout motif part 3

So, after I'd killed the last trial it was a case of starting again in the middle!!!  After another evening or two I came up with this.

Next problem was 'what do I call it' so I asked Sally who suggested it looked like a roundabout - the sort you see in Children's playgrounds.  So it's got a name now!!!!  Quite nice when you've got a name, isn't it?  Now to tackle the drawings and getting the text and drawings put together.

After that a space of a few days to allow myself to forget how I did it and then I'll try the pattern again - to see if it makes sense to me!!!!  

Final bags

OK, here they all are in all their glory.  I actually made six of them.  I kept thinking of reasons for making more every time I started sewing!!!  Fronts on the top photo, backs on the next and then the fronts of each bag.  

Note - one of the bags has no tatting on - that's for Sally so she can add her own.  I'm going to give one of the bags to the Palmetto tatters for them to do 'what they like' with to raise money for 'whatever they like'!!!!  They usually put any extra money towards their scholarship fund so that would be good.

The other four?  I have plans for those!!!!  Not telling what at the moment but you can bet they'll not go in my Etsy shop as I'm sure they'd never sell.  I'd have to ask waaaaay too much for each one to pay for the time involved - least I think I would.

Actually I've no idea what they'd be worth.  Any suggestions?  OR put this another way - what would YOU pay for one?  They're fully lined and washable.  I have a 'tamer' version of a scrap bag that I've been using for about three years now.  In fact, it's this one and it's been through the washing machine a few times too.  I use it most days!!!