Can you believe this?

A couple of weeks ago Sue Anna wrote and asked if I'd tried the Lizbeth threads to which I replied that I'd got a few - actually very few!!  The problem is seeing before you buy so I tend not to buy.  When I was at Palmetto, Tracey from The Lacemaker in Ohio had a fantastic range and I bought loads and loads for a couple of friends back in the UK but only three balls for myself!!!!  

Why?  Well - basically cause I couldn't make up my mind and I wanted to get theirs sorted first.  Bearing in mind that I had to get them back to Cincinnati and then from a re-pack to the UK too.  Not an easy task when you're with the Palmetto tatting 'lot' as they're fantastically generous too.  

So I said yes please I'd love to see other colours and Sue Anna said she'd send me a few yards.  Well when the packet arrived I was amazed at the size of it.  It 'bulged at the seams'.  When I opened it (by this time Nick was wondering what was going on) I was gobsmacked.  You can see why below.  Not only were there yards and yards of the threads BUT they're all wound onto thread holders.  AND there's a skein of HDT too.  It's Yarnplayer's nectarine.  Yummy, scrummy.

I am SUCH a lucky old git.  I'll be able to tat myself to sleep forever and ever.  THANKS Sue Anna.  I'm delighted with another gift from you.

Not AGAIN!

Yes, again!!!!

Two more butterfly bookmarks.  

This time the reason was because I wanted to try out some glass beads I bought in America.  They were cheap (well, they'd have to be for me to buy them!) and looked really good in the packets.  Time to show them the light of day!!!

Here they are on the two bookmarks.  I was SO pleased with them as they show up well and sparkle very prettily.

WARNING - do NOT read at risk of jealousy

I can guarantee that if you read and look any further than this you'll be turning greeeeeen with jealousy.

Teri Dusenbury read my grumble about my 75th blood donation and felt sorry for me.  Wasn't that kind?  This is the link in case you've got time to read it.

Do you know what she did?  That extremely kind lass went and made me this necklace to cheer me up.  I mean, would you ever, ever trade a National Blood Donor certificate for something like THIS?  NO WAY.

Not only this necklace which I haven't been able to do justice too but also the beads, two spools of Dual Duty threads AND some other samples too.

HDT v HWT

Now most of you know I love colours - all colours even the 'not quite so bright' ones.

Recently I've started using HDT threads either because I've become curious or because I've won them in giveways on blogs (I won another yesterday - yippeee).  

Before this minor discovery of HDT I used to use HWT.  I think, at the moment, this is still my favourite way of getting colour into my work - but as a woman I'm allowed to change my mind constantly.

Oh, did I hear somebody ask what HWT is?  That's my abbreviation for Hand Wound Thread.

This is where I take two or three threads and wind them onto the shuttles together.  Normally I use a 60, 70 or 80 variegated thread with another plain one of the same type OR a machine quilting thread (again plain).  A little care has to be taken to keep the tensions of the threads even whilst winding them on but it does give stunning results. 

You've probably seen the experiments that I did with this idea a few years ago but I'm going to bore you with them again (see below).  I started this mat to use up a huge stash of fine threads that I'd collected over the years but - well, you know how it goes, the stash kept growing because I 'needed' a bit more of this and a bit more of that!!!!

This isn't the end of the story, though!!!  There will be more on this subject and further experimentations over the next few days.  Keep watching!!!!

A birthday card!

First of all may I start by saying I HATE making cards!!!  There, that's better!!!  

I hate the thought that they're looked at for a very short time (a few days to a week) then put away or thrown away.  I'm not mean or anything - I just don't see spending hours and hours making something that's really got no other purpose. 

Also, and probably because of the previous paragraph, - I am useless at making them too.  


Occasionally I feel that I have to do something for a particular occasion and the card below was made for my youngest (dare I admit YOUNGEST) daughter's birthday.  She and her DH had a frog themed wedding some years ago and this is the reason for the frog.

I did enjoy making this one as it was for somebody very special and wasn't 'fussy'.  Cor, I do hate fussy cards too.  


Simple, amusing and straight to the point - tat's me!!!  Actually I think that applies to me in all aspects!!!

Remember the HDT?

Remember the HDT that I won in Krystledawn's giveaway?  Well last night temptation got the better of me and I got it out to play with.

This pattern is on my site somewhere.  

Hang on, I'll go and see if I can find it!!

Here it is.

I've converted them into bookmarks - as you do!!!!

I must say that I do like the results on these wee hearts.  My instincts were right as I wound it onto an Eze-bob!!!!  


Just re-read this post before it goes out and decided to see if I could source the Eze-bobs in the UK.  I bought my meagre supply on my first trip to the USA and have now got them all working hard at storing threads.  They are really useful too when you're out and about and are much better than a ball of thread to work with.  Having said that - I rarely work with a ball of thread as I always use two shuttles - the second one being (of course) in place of an Eze-bob or the ball of thread!!!!


Here's one link to supplies in the UK of this clever little accessory.

Before and after

When I was at Palmetto last September they announced a fund raiser for this year's Tat Days.  Georgia is IC (In Charge) of this and I (foolishly!) picked a square out to do.

Why foolishly?  Well because I'd never ever decorated a quilt square before.  There I was thinking this would take just a day or two in the long winter months and would be easy.

Oh no it wasn't - easy, that is.  AND it took a lot longer than a few days even with the help of brain cell number 3!!!!

I finally got it done although I'm not sure it couldn't have had more work and time spent on it but in the end I told myself it was finished and I mailed it to Georgia a few weeks ago.  I do hope it's OK.

The top picture shows the 'before' and underneath is the mess I made of it.  

Chicken wings

Yes, that's what I said - chicken wings.

Wouldn't you be a bit puzzled if you got an  email with the subject line of chicken wings?  Well I was!!!  

Margaret who lives here in the U.K. sent in the picture below of this pretty little doily.  She explained (good job as I'd never have got the joke) that she'd used Norman's wings and put them together to make it this coaster.  What a BRILLIANT idea.  

I must say a tremendous thank you to Margaret for pointing out that I have inadvertently designed a doily (if only a very SMALL one) - my first ever.

Thankfully she's sent the text for this so I'll be able to put the 'chicken wings coaster' together soon.  I've finished the major drawing for Georgia now so I should have time to do the web page soon.  Life permitting!!!

Giraffe re-visited

I've just re-visited the big giraffe pattern and 'modernised' it the 'Jane way'.  

This isn't necessarily the 'right' way to put patterns down but it's the way that I've got used to over the years but even that changes as those who have been using them will have realised!!!!

When I first started tatting all patterns were written longhand and all jumbled up on one line - with words instead of symbols.  These were very hard to follow so one of the first things I decided on when writing down my own was that each new element (ring, chain, SCMR, SR etc) should always start on a new line.

Some time ago I did some research into how long it is since the 'shorthand' versions of writing patterns was started and was totally gobsmacked when I found (thanks to all those online tatters worldwide) that this has actually been around since the 1920's or thereabouts.  There - and I thought it was 'modern'!!!

Over the years even my 'little ways' have changed so that's why the giraffe has now been slightly re-written!!!  I've done it so that it can be worked more easily (I HOPE!) with more emphasis on getting it right sided.  Just need the time to put it on the web page!!!  


Come on, who stole my time?  I know one of you did!

Thoughts on HDT

Not sure whether this post should also have been titled 'thoughts of a grumpy old woman' (AKA git!).

You see it's like this.  Or as my dad insists on saying 'the point about it is, Sally'.  Yes, I know my name's not Sally but in my 66 years he's not yet learnt my name!!!  Sorry, I digress.

I have never really liked variagated threads.  There, I've said it.  Why?  Well I think they're too fussy for me.  I grew up craving colours but the one or two vari ones that Coats did way back then weren't that appealing to a kid (I remember a cream to brown one which I now crave for animals!!).  Anyway, along came the dawn of HDT.  Old grumpy here has avoided it.  Grumped and groaned about it but saw the odd pattern worked in it which looked very pretty.  AH, perhaps this is part of my problem - it's the fact that most of the time it seems to destroy the pattern and the intricacies of the design get lost.  

Until Tatskool sent me some of her HDT.  That was pretty darn cool.  Then Sue Anna gifted me some of Yarnplayers HDT - that was stunning.  Then I won some from a giveaway by Krystledawn.  That's pretty darn cool too. 

It arrived the other day and it sort of looked - well, see the skein below - not that inspiring.  UNTIL, yes, UNTIL I started winding it onto an Ezybob.  WOWEEEEEE.  I love it and can't wait to use that too.  I've used some of the Yarnplayer HDT in the leaves AND for something else which I can't show yet.  Tatskool's has gone too.

The old git is slowly and steadily changing her mind.  Well, being a woman I am allowed to. 

Pop-A-Bobbin shuttles

All of the current supply have been sold or are pending people's payments!!

I will leave this page up as a guide to what will be available in the future.  All shuttles can be made without hooks - please ask well in advance if you require a particular wood without one.

Cherry

Sycamore

Elm 

 

 Walnut

Here it is!

Finally assembled.  Let me tell you about this.  

This was originally the lanyard I made to wear at Palmetto Tat Days last September.  Here's a previous post about it.

I'd left a picot at each end with the idea that eventually it would become a pendant.  

The motif in the centre is the one (well, the very central part) that I taught at Palmetto and the pattern is here.

As the original motif was made to fit in a 1 3/4" ring (which would be a bit unbalanced with the 'bulk' of the lanyard) I sorted through my stash and found a 2 1/2" pink bracelet.  Another round had to be added to make it 'fit'.  

With a bit of 'jigging' this motif would make a fabulous Christmas giveaway so I may even use this later in the year - unless brain cell 3 comes up with something else, of course!!!

Do you ever have one of THOSE days?

Those days when you know exactly what you want to achieve but you never quite get there?  That was Wednesday for me!!!

Each day I have a 'tat plan'.  This is what I decide I want to do in the evening which is designated 'tat time'.  So on Wednesday I was going to tackle the first of two tasks that I'd promised myself to do.

Off I tootled into the 'other room' (in the afternoon) - that's the one where the tatting cupboard is.  I knew exactly what I needed and exactly where it was.  I tidied this cupboard up in September and it's kept that way ever since so finding the right beads and threads shouldn't be hard.  No, it wasn't hard - it was impossible.  In the end I grumped my way back into tatting corner and mumbled and fiddled all evening.  I experimented with adding large beads onto thread in a slightly different way and just generally did nothing.

Thursday afternoon I decided to have another look.  I found the beads in exactly the right place - where I'd looked the day before.  So the evening was spent making up the one task.  NO, it's not put together yet so you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see it.  It's BRIGHT, though!!!!

The final dove

The dove is finally finished.  Thanks to Sally test tatting it for me I can now pronounce it 'done and dusted'.

Next question - when will it be available.

The answer is sooooooon.   The hats are being tested at the moment although I'm pretty sure they're fine.

All I have to do now is to get the web page tidied up and ready to go!!!

Finally all three in PINK!!!

The patterns for the Sassie Lassie Hats is now done.  I'm going to put this on my web site at some point - along with the dove which I still have to test.  

Below are the 3 hats done in pink.  

Last in the set

The last hat.  I'm bored with hats now although I now need to work them all again to check the text and drawings.

I like this one best.  I've never worn a hat.  I've got a very small head so the only ones that ever fit are kid's hats!!!  Well, as Nick says, I don't need a larger head as there's still plenty of room in this one!!!!!!  

MAY get that done this evening - we'll see!!!!!

Hat number 2

Well as I THINK I mentioned before - the 'hat lark' started because somebody wrote and asked if I knew of a hat pattern.  Since then another person has written and told me that Mark has one on his site.  Here's the link.

You know what I'm like by now!!!  I can never be happy with just one thing at a time.  Brain cell 3 goes into overdrive when he gets started.

Here's the second hat in the 'set'.  Now, will this be a set of 2 or a set of 3, I wonder?  Here's a link to the first one, just in case you want to compare!!!!!!

This one is the right size to make into a pin/brooch. The flowers on the left side are worked as you go but I can 'see' other flowers added over the button holes and enabling you to tie the button onto a pin of some sort.  I'll be back with  probably a third hat!!!  Time will tell!!!

What am I doing?

What am I doing at the moment?  OK, funny guys, I know I'm sitting in front of the computer but what I REALLY meant is what am I doing tatting wise.

I'm working on hats.  Small, flat hats.  I've done 3D ones in the past (they're on my site somewhere) but I was asked if I knew of a flat one.  I went round and round the internet to try and find one already 'out there'.  I couldn't and I know there are some somewhere.  SO disappointing.  

The lady who asked was so sweet that I then thought that I could try and make one.  Of course, me being me, I start on one and then have ideas for another!!!

One is done.  It will be 'card sized', I think.  The second one is rubbish so will be re-vamped again this evening.   I'll show you the first one but I'm quite ashamed of the second.  Actually I'll show you that when I've (hopefully!!!!) improved it!!!!

Replacement earrings!

Ta de Dah!!!  They're done - the replacement earwigs!!!!

Now I know why the originals were my favourites - they take SO much time to make!!  They're very fiddly but I think well worth the effort.  I have another 'variation' on these which I may make in a few days and with different colours.  

The thread I used is Dual Duty plus - Bouton Artisanat.

I did add some more dangly beads to these 'just because'.  Oh, and you can see I didn't try to replicate the original one either!!!!!!

Norman and Aileen

I've just realised that I'd forgotten to let you know the order of the first guesses on the TIAS.  Been a bit busy lately with the Pop-A-Bobbin shuttles and getting them in the mail!!!  

The first correct guess (and I SO admire her for 'getting it' so quickly) was Caroline who after day 4 was 'wondering' if it could be a rooster or a hen.  Well done, Caroline.

Katie wrote after day 6 and she said:-

“Hmm, woke up this morning with a brain flash.  It must be a rooster or a turkey, the first bit as the tail and the second as the wing and the eye is part of the little pin-head.”

After day 7 Isa guessed right too and said:-

"Here it's my TIAS day 7. And I know what it is................... A Beautiful ROOSTER......."

Also on day 7 Ginny asked if it was a chicken and Lai Ellen said:-

"Day 7 done!  Suddenly dwell on me it might be a rooster, but the tail part looks a bit too sweeping down, so my guess is a peacock."

There were a few more guesses on that day and after day 8 I think many more guessed too.  I tended to 'lose the plot' after day seven!!!!  That's because I've got a brain as big as a chicken!!!!