Not really about tatting!!!

I was mooching around town this morning and just coming out of the library when a young lady with a puschair was entering.  I stood and held the door open for  her and she said 'thank you'.   Brain cell number 3 went into overdrive!!!!

Before my first visit to America when this sort of situation occurred I would've said 'it's a pleasure'.   Several trips to the US of A and I now automatically say 'you're welcome'.

Now, why have I started this ramble?  Well I think it's because of our language differences and how I used to think I was a 'missionary' when I went over the pond and I would 'teach those Americans English'!!!! 

So, several years later and look what's happened - I'm speaking and using 'American'!! 

This morning I  talked about the thread going round the 'pinky' when discussing drawings I'm doing,  I say 'you're welcome' when holding a door open, I use expressions in my patterns like 'shoe lace trick' (NOBODY uses that expression in ENGLAND) and I am EVEN beginning to SPELL in American English (well, we all HAVE to admit it makes more sense and is easier to spell that way)!!!!!

So am I now becoming American?  It's a strange idea!!!

Ah, before I finish I MUST apologise to Ari who left a comment on  my blog yesterday.  This is what she said

"I´ve learn so much with your lessons and patterns.
Thanks.
The link to Mark Meyers´s split chain instructions is broken.
Peace, Ari"

Ari left this comment on this post. 

Unfortunately I hit the 'delete' button instead of the 'publish' one.  The day can only improve!!!!

They'll be here later - don't forget!!!

Don't forget - today's the day when the next batch of Pop a Bobbins will be launched.  I will add them to the Etsy store at 8pm BST (British Summer Time). 

Well, that's a bit of a joke really - one might ask (if one lived here) what summer is/was THAT!!!!  You'd laugh at me (if you don't already) as I've had to set myself alarms all over the house so I don't forget to put the shuttles in the shop!!!!  I've got a memory like a sieve!!

Also to go into the shop these two sets of bags!!!  I love both these sets.  One has tea bags on and t'other has dog bones!!!  One to quench your thirst and other to fill your 'empty spaces'!!!  Well, the dog's anyway!!!!  There will be a full description of them both again in the shop. 

Bugs galore!

Look what Marjan in Holland sent to me.  Aren't the colours fabulous?

The pattern is here if you want it.

I really love to see what people manage to make with my work and the colours here are ones I'd never have thought of using.  Now I'm itching to make them again!!!!

Thank  you, Marjan, for sharing these.

Coming sooooooon.

More shuttles heading this way.  

Thursday would be a good day for them, I think.  I'll make them 'live' at 8pm (that's BST - British Summer Time) in the Etsy shop which is here.

This time we have 1 cedar, 1 walnut, 2 teak, 2 oak, 3 yew and 3 cherry.

PLUS 2 of these post shuttles which are shown below.  They measure 4" and have a crochet hook inserted in the end.

FC, FC, FC

That's what kept happening on Friday when I was sewing.  

My machine went bonkers!!  Then I noticed that the display was saying FC.  I  then had to scrummage around to find the manual!!  The translation turned out to mean 'foot control'.  Sometimes the machine would stop and other times it would go racing on without me.  Once or twice it would suddenly start up on it's own - the cheek of the thing!!!

Nick took the foot control to pieces and then it worked fine for a while.  It still does strange things from time to time so another lobotomy may have to take place soon.  Oh, perhaps that should be a 'foototomy'!!

Wouldn't this just happen when I've got orders to complete AND a load of bags cut out ready to sew!!!

Back to the Flurry Snowflake

I was thinking t'other day.  I was thinking (yet again) about the question I often ask myself -  'why do I design' patterns?  My answer is - because I have a 'good idea' and want to make the 'good idea'.  Another factor, believe it or not, is laziness.  I started 'doing my own thing' because I was too lazy to get up out of my chair to go and find a pattern to work from.  Also the patterns I had were 'never quite right'!!!!

Another thought then occurs - why do I share these (well to me) 'good ideas'.  The answer is - if I didn't then what would I do with them.  Some people probably want to be 'famous'.  YIKES - that's not for me.  Some people want to make money.  I'd rather have friends. 

The biggest worry when I've finished with a pattern and put it on the web site is that people will be able to understand it.  

Oh, hang on a minute, I need to change that remark.  That's not the biggest worry - it's the second biggest worry!!  The main concern is will anybody want to work the pattern anyway!  It's therefore a great relief when somebody writes to say they've made it - and even better when they send a picture of it like Katie did.  Here's her Flurry Snowflake which arrived the day after the pattern went 'live'.

Boy, oh boy

I had this fantastic card from the people who went to Palmetto tat days.  

I really appreciate this as I was very down during tat days knowing all the fun I was missing.  Also every time I go there I make new friends and learn new 'tricks'.  

Here's the front of the card for you to see followed by the rest.  Seems my presence really was required there if only to find and eat the ice cream!!!!


Thank you all who signed this - means a lot to both myself and brain cell # 3 who didn't have a very good day yesterday.  I think he lost one of his marbles for a while!!!

Whoooops!

I forgot to show and tell you that the Flurry Snowflake can be added to a ring - a 3" ring!!!

I'd sort of planned on this and was surprised to find that brain cell 3 got it right 'almost' first time.  I think these will be the Christmas giveaway so I'll have to make more - sooooooon.

Meantime I've orders for more bags so that'll keep me busy during the daylight hours - well hopefully!!!!

Two patterns

Guess what I found the other day?  A pattern that doesn't appear to have found it's way onto my site!!!  I wonder how many more there are lurking on this computer!!!

Anyway it's a fan that I did for Palmetto Tat Days back in 2005.  Here's the picture and here's the link!!!

This has also got me motivated to finish off the Flurry Snowflake too so that's here.  I'm adding two more pictures below the fan too!!!

Autumn is here

This is what I was doing last night!  I used a variegated number 20 thread by Yarnplayer and put a very thin gold slub with it.  It's worked out even better than the picture shows.

Autumn is almost here although the leaves aren't turning yet.  The temperatures are feeling a lot more as if we're heading for Mop weather.  The weather on Mop day is nearly always cold and foggy!!!  Locally when the weather gets like that we refer to it as 'Mop weather'.

So this is what I made last night for a friend in the USA.  The pattern will be on the Palmetto CD as they were used for the logo this year.  I was delighted that my submission won the competition for the logo.  Rick Culverhouse came up with the theme 'Fall into Tatting' 

Just to prove!!!

Just to prove that I CAN do pale colours here are two more!!!  

As anybody who knows me realises I do love my bright colours but sometimes I can work with pastels too!!!

I didn't know which to use - the white background or the black so you've got the same snowflakes both ways!!!

The last of this 'session'

These may be the last of this session of bag making!!!!  They've been steadily selling out of the shop which is very pleasing as it keeps me occupied and away from the dreaded 'H' word.  What word is that?  Corse, you all know it stands for housework!!!!

I made another of the autumnal leaves set and the shuttle set too as they sold very quickly.  Yesterday I also added these two.  A very pretty floral print and some magnificent butterflies.

Who was that who asked 'where are they, then'?  Here they are!!!

The sewing machine is still out and I may have the 'urge' to sew again if H gets too boring!!  I sew in the summer in the conservatory but in the winter it can get too cold out there!!!

More of the same BUT different!

I had a quick visit from brain cell number 3 yesterday and here's the result.  Now I'm wondering if this is better or not?  

The difference?  Instead of beads on each of the inner rings I've added one large one to the centre.  All I did was add it to the first ring held in place with a safety pin and then joined it later to ring 4 whilst removing the pin.  

No, sorry, that's a lie!!!!  With the blue one on the right I actually had a lovely sparkly 'thingy' which wasn't big enough so I added small seed beads before and after it!!!

No glue was used in this trick!!!!  

More of the same

Two more of these little snowflakes.  I'm working and nearing the end of the pattern so it should get onto my site sooooon.

I really need to move on from these but I see no signs in the near future!!!!

I sold one of the autumnal bags yesterday and will be making another to replace it today - with a bit of luck and a fair wind!!!!!

More bags

Hopefully by now these will be in my Etsy shop!!!  Well, keep your fingers crossed!!!

I found the blue butterfly fabric in my stash (that's the one at the bottom) - I think I hid it for myself but since Carolyn's parcel arrived and since I made the animal set from Elizabeth's fabric I don't think I dare keep anymore for myself!!!!  

The autumnal one is drop dead gorgeous with a sparkly gold feature in the fabric.  Yummy.

The blue is fabulous with a silver sparkle to it.  So, tat's all for today but keep watching!!!!

A post for Sue Anna!

I'm playing with the new Lizbeth thread that Sue Anna sent me the other day and I'm now beginning to like this little snowflake.  She mentioned that she'd like to see what I did with the thread.  Now I'm really, really pleased with this design as it does 'show off' the variegated threads SO well.  

Guess what?  No, you'll NEVER guess as it's TOTALLY out of character.   Nobody guessed?  Told you you wouldn't guess.

Well I'll tell you.  This snowflake has got a NAME!!!  One that I invented ALL ON MY OWN!!!!  

Want to know what it is?  Well, it's called the 'Flurry Snowflake'.  

Today's the day!!!!

Well, today is the day I will be listing some more of the Pop a Bobbin shuttles.

There will be 1 teak, 2 cherry, 2 walnut, 3 rosewood and 2 yew.

Here's a 'taster'!!!

Never on a Sunday

I never post on a Sunday!!!  Why?  Well I'm not really sure.  Habit, I think!!

So it's Saturday today and I'm going to tell you some news.  

On Monday I'm going to list a new batch of Pop a Bobbin shuttles in my Etsy shop which is here.

I'm going to list them at roughly 5pm British Summer Time (BST).  If you want to work out when that is in your 'neck of the wood' then I suggest you go to this link.  I'm hopeless over time zones!!!!


I'll give your another reminder on Monday morning when I put out my usual post. Meantime, check your Paypal account, get out the chocolates and be ready.

Spot the difference!!!

Bet you can't.  

If you look at the two snowflakes below I think you'll find they look the same.  NO, not talking about the colours or the beads.   I'm talking stitch count and look of the actual pattern etc.

The one at the top which has the 'mainly green' theme is the first of the pair and is like the ones I've shown you already.  The one below which has more orange is what I think of as a 'non wobbly' version.

One thing I really, really don't like about designs is when a tatter with looser tension ends up with a 'floppy' piece and then isn't happy with the results.  One of the things designers can do to help prevent this is to make sure that elements are 'anchored' to each other at crucial points.  OK, it may mean a tad more concentration from the worker and a considerable amount of extra work for the designer but I feel the trouble is well worth the end result.  


Can you see what I mean?  


A few extra very small picots placed strategically in certain places can help the design to become 100% more stable and need (hopefully) no blocking.  


That's, of course, before the horse has bolted.  Get it?  Stable, horse, bolted?!?!?  YIKES, sick joke time again.

Time to play, play, play

I had my copy of Martha's More Critters on the Block last week and asked two of the grandkids what they wanted.  

I suggested the butterfly for Abbi as I REALLY wanted to make that BUT she wanted an elephant.  Not a grey elephant but a pink one.  It had to be pink.

Nathan wanted a lion so I returned to Martha's New Critters on the Block book to make that.


So, we  have the sweetest hephalump from Martha's new book and the lion from her first book.  Haven't decided yet whether to cut and fringe the lion's mane or not.  All these decisions - too, too much to bear!!!!