A bit of a change

I'll get back to showing you the Palmetto patterns I've submitted tomorrow but today I wanted just to say that I'm darn FED UP with my Etsy shop becoming stagnant.

I know that in situations like this people run sales and gift thingies and stuff like that.  Well, not me.  I can't be bothered!!  So instead I've reduced prices on the bookmarks and have added some pendants.  I need a fresh start in there.  Call it a Spring clean if you like - much more interesting than doing a house Spring clean, eh?

As it's getting warmer (well some days) and I'm thinking of making some more roly poly tat bags  and poke proof pouches - do you think that's a good idea?  Below is a reminder of what they are for those who haven't seen them before.  Do people who have had them before think the removable strap is a good idea or should I make them 'integrated' in the design.  I only ask because I've never taken my strap off - in fact I don't think I've ever used it!!!

Any and all help would be very gratefully received - even if it is simply 'you're a daft old bat'!!!

Ribbons galore

OK, now here's another of the patterns I've submitted for Palmetto.  

This came vaguely from the Christmas tree idea that I did earlier this year and which would also be included in the lesson.

I decided to try my hand at a ribbon for a tree decoration and that's what the top picture is.  BUT then with brain cell 3 working overtime I decided to make a smaller version as an awareness ribbon and even smaller ones as earrings!!!

This lesson would be 'pitched' at relatively new tatters.

I've done it!!!!

I've done it - submitted my ideas.  So, this week I'm going to show you what I have sent to the Palmetto Tatters as lesson plans.

Today I'm showing you the skunk I'm offering.  I know a skunk isn't everybody's favourite animal but this one is quite cute (well I think that's not quite true - he's very cute)!!  His name is Smelly.  I'm not 'showing' him as a large picture for one simple reason - so that he can't be copied!!!

I'm not being mean but I am finding more and more that people are 'copying' from pictures and really that's 'not on'.  'Not cricket, old chap, not cricket'.  As the English would say!!!

Not claiming copyright as such but it's only one step away, isn't it?  It's not happened to me, I don't think but I've seen it in other places.  Anyway, as these are for Tat Days I think it's fair too.   I suppose this could be called a 'teaser'!!!

This came about last November when I was just starting in on the TIAS and a lady emailed me and asked me to do a skunk!!!!!  So you'll have to say a big thank you to Shirley for that!!!!

More about pendants

Now as I said yesterday I'm addicted to making these!!!  Here are a collection of ones which I really ought to give away or sell on Etsy.  

Do you know what?  I think I might try and find time to list them this week - at a nominal price just to cover costs so that hopefully they'll go to good homes and fast!!!

I'll never be a business woman - I haven't got the 'je ne sais quoi' to do it!!!!  Here are the ones I'm talking about.

Can you see there are two colours of chains?  I'm wondering if I should give a choice or just 'wing it'?  Any ideas?

A small confesion!

Just a small one which will prove something to you.  Not quite sure what but it may throw some light on my personality!!!  

I love making pendants.  No, that's not the confession - well, just part of it.  

I make them by tatting onto a small split ring finding and then add another (which then, of course) lies at right angles.  Now I make sure that this second one is large enough to put the clasps on one of my favorite necklaces through.

This is a lovely gold necklace that I've had for many years.  So, my big confession is that I have many pendants with just one chain!!!!

Here's the necklace with one of my (so far) favourite pendants on it!!!

Sewn on!

Just to prove I can finish things off completely here's the tshirt edging sewn onto the right tshirt!!!    Yes, I have been known to sew onto the wrong one in the past!!!

Now this tshirt was a really, really cheap one I got in America last year but the quality is really good.  I've bought this brand before on our trips 'over the pond'.  Thing is, this really cheap shirt now looks slightly smarter for it's bit of tatting.  Well, I think so!!!

I used my very favourite thread to sew it on.  Well, let me clarify that.  It's my favourite for looks when I've used it but not my favourite for using!!!  Not easy to use is the invisible thread.  Why?  Well cause you can't see it - it's really invisible!!!!  A good light, plenty of cussing words and a firm word with myself and I can do it!!!!

I've teven atted with this thread before a few years ago - here's a link.  Not one of my favourite things to tat with!!!

After HDT comes HWT

Have you ever tried HWT.  No, no, no, not HDT but HWT?  Hand Wound Threads.

It's one of my favourite threads.  You take two or three sewing weight threads and wind them on to a shuttle together.  Needs a bit of concentration so that they go on equally but well worth it.

So this is what happens when you use the three spools shown below.  The plain blue is a machine quilting thread which I bought in a tiny store in Cincinnati.  The one in the middle is Perfect Quilter (which, incidentally, Gina gave me many years ago on one of our outings) and the one on the right is Valdani which I bought from a UK supplier.

Now not even I would think normally of putting three such different variagated threads together but I think it WORKS!!!  See the bottom picture.

I find that three sewing weight threads HWT work out to a size 20.

This is another tshirt edging.  I've started sewing the last one onto the shirt so should be able to show you soon.

Oh, another goat arrived yesterday - 105.  Thanks Brigitte.

An edging for a tshirt

I started this just around Christmas time as a 'pick up, put down' project.  One of those 'what shall I do now' projects when you've been working on something most of the evening, finished it and you're feeling tired and just need something to keep yourself awake until bedtime!!!!  

I used the 'Oh SO simple' edging as I know this off by heart now!!!!  When we took the car to the garage last week I remembered it and took it with me as we knew we had a three quarter hour wait for whatever it had to have done to 'be done'.  Now it's finished the next big obstacle is getting it sewn on to the tshirt!!!

Of course you can guess what thread I used - Lizbeth Pink Cocoa!!!

Down memory lane!!!

More of my favourite earrings that I mentioned last week.

When I found the bath plugs I found these too - two more of my favourite pairs.  Most of the earrings got thrown out with the bath water, marriage, job and the house I lost but these seem to stick to me like that stuff that sticks to shovels!!!

I obviously used to wear strange earrings wherever I went and my dentist greeted me on one visit with the pair directly below.

The other pair were given to me by a five year old pupil.  I seem to have mislaid one of the pair so I took two photos of the one to show what it's capabilities were.  I used to wear one with the seat up (gentlemen only) and one with the seat down.  This time I've left the lid down on the one photo.  Modesty prevailed as it hasn't been cleaned in years!!!!

Just to prove

I'm not a liar, liar pants on fire!!!  Here are the earrings I was telling you about in this post here.

If you look hard at the left one you can see that it says 1 1/2" too!!!!  I still have a HUGE soft spot for this pair!!!  Not that I think I'd wear them nowadays as I don't go to any posh parties anymore!!!

By the way - thanks to a few more people we now have 104 goats in the herd here!!!

New HDT

A week or two ago I had an email from Sherry (Ladyshuttlemaker) asking me to test tat something for her for her new book.  Now being as I was towards the end of sorting out 'stuff' to submit for Palmetto I said yes.

Well she sent the files and my heart dropped!!!  NOT a technique I've ever really given much time to or ever wanted to!!  Certainly NOT one that I've ever tried.    I've done the odd drawing for Georgia along those lines but never wanted to try it.  I really, really wished I'd not offered!!!!!  But, as I'd promised I had to give it a whirl.

Now Sherry's book is mostly based on EXCELLENT pictures with not too much text.  As you know I'm a 'gobby' sort of person and talk a lot.  A real challenge was this test tat.  

The result?  I'm now HOOKED on this technique and really enjoyed what I did with it.  Sherry's pictures/instructions are fantastic and by the time I did the second piece I was wondering why the OG had never wanted to do it before.  Part of the fascination for ME was the use of colour.  Well done, Sherry, you've got an OG converted to this technique and those patterns.  Not sure when the book will be out but I'll be in the queue.

This is what Sherry sent me as a 'thank you'.  WOWEEE - don't you just love the colours.  Zing a ding, ding.  You can find more in her Etsy shop here.  These two are called 'Bell Peppers' (on the left) and 'Rose Petals'

Doodle flower

The final doodle for now is a flower like one.  Now I bet there are a few of you - well, hopefully one at least, who might remember I was working on several new doodles.  Yes I was - BUT they're now part of my submission for a teaching post at Palmetto Tat Days in September.  

IF I'm lucky enough to get a teaching position then they'll be on the CD they usually bring out.  Of course if I'm not selected you'll get them after the end of April.  BUT there might be a sneaky preview next week.

Amongst those ready to go are an ostrich, a peacock a penguin and a tiny, tiny gecko.  Well I'm prevaricating again - here's the link to today's doodle.

Doodle LBP

Sorry about the lack of post yesterday but it was a 'hurried start' to the day.  

The cat had to go to the vet for her 'annual inspection' and we had to take the car to the garage in another town.  I'm very pleased to report that we DID get that in the right order and the cat didn't land up at the garage or the car at the vet's!!!  Sometimes I'm very impressed that between the two of us we do get it 'right'!!!

Today I've got one of the first things I did with a long beaded picot done using the technique that I now use all the time - to be found here.  What I LOVE about this technique is not only the lack of beads to add to the thread before starting but also the fact that you can decide what you want to put on the picots when you get there.  MUCH better for a ditherer like me who can never make up her mind.

Here it is in all it's 'glory'!!!

This could, of course, easily be an earring too!!!!  BUT I've put it on the doodle page for now!!

Dog doodle

SHEEEEESH - can't believe I'm keeping this up!!!!

Introducing what I believe is a dog doodle.  Least I think that's what it originally started out to be some 30 years ago when it was one of my 'teaching aids'!!!  

I was known to appear in school with all sorts of things hanging from my ears - the tatting doodles were quite tame!!  Least the kids were happy to come to school to see what 'teacher' was wearing - anything to amuse the four/five year olds (and their parents).

I wore tea bags, dog biscuits, wrapped sweets, numerous Christmas decorations, adio tapes and anything that would hang from a pair of ear wires.  I think my best ever was turning up to a VERY posh party with a pair of bath plugs (marbled red) hanging from my ear lobes.  1 1/2" diameter ones - I've still got them somewhere too.

Another doodle

I'm following (so far!!) my new blog policy of 'a doodle a day keeps the doctor away'!!!  Well, that's until I run out of doodles and/or steam!! Here's today's doodle.

Again it's another that's been floating around forever on my web page but I've now tidied it up and (hopefully!) made it easier to follow.

Snickerdoodle!

So in the end after some suggestions I thought the best name for this design would be the Snickerdoodle Earring.  Thanks, Sue Anna.  That name really grabbed my imagination. 

So, I present you with the Snickerdoodle Earring!!!

I'm hoping that unless I get distracted I'll get the other doodles sorted out in the doodle section.  What's that saying?  Ah, I remember - 'a doodle a day keeps the doctor away'.

If you pop by there you'll see that I've moved a few things over from other places too.  I'm inunndated with doodles!!!

In fact I'll let you into a secret.  No I won't - another day, perhaps!!

Look what I found

Look what I found yesterday - this is what I've been waiting for.

It's the call for teachers at Palmetto Tat Days in September.  I'm going to apply so wish me luck.

I've actually been working on patterns for just this event over the past few months so I'm almost ready to submit mine.  Well probably not 'almost ready' as you know what I'm like - I keep changing my mind all the time so the ones I've got ready now will probably change before I submit my application!!!!!

Shall I give you a clue as to what I'm submitting?  OK, here you go!!

Would you buy it?

Would YOU buy a book with a very pretty cover but NO pictures of what is inside?

I've been buying books for more years than I care to remember.  Mostly, I'll admit, craft books and on the whole - tatting books.  I buy because I see a picture of something I'd like to make in it.  That's the way I have always done it.

I saw a very pretty looking Ebook (tatting, of course) recently in an online store and would love to buy it.  BIG problem is that there are absolutely no pictures of what's inside it.  Not one, ziltch, zero.  It says that there are 29 designs for motifs, doilies, bookmarks and jewellery.  It SAYS that it covers from beginners to advanced.  BUT there's nothing to tempt me by showing what sort of things are in it.

So to get more of an idea I contacted the seller asking for a picture or two to help me on my decision on whether to part with nearly £9.50 (almost $15.00) for an EBOOK - yes, an EBOOK so there's no postage involved.

The only help I've had from the vendor is that if I want to see what's in the book then I'll have to buy it!!!!  NO WAY, JOSE!!!  Would you buy it?

One of the doodles.

Hey, all you TIAS'ers.  We've done it.  Thanks to Joanie in Tennessee we've now got 100 goats!!!  I'll keep quiet now about goats from now on BUT any that are still out there are VERY welcome to join the rest!!!  This has given me huge encouragement to do another next year.  Thank you everybody.

So this doodle will not go back into the doodle section!!  Why it ever got put there in the first place is beyond my comprehension!!

It's one of my favourite earrings and I've made literally dozens of them over the years.  I'm going to have to give it a name but I'm hopeless at naming stuff so wonder if anybody's got any suggestions?  Once it's 'named and shamed' it can go into the 'jewellery' section.

Why is it a favourite?  Well because of the many beads (only 8 on the shuttle thread, though) it holds it's shape.  I do stiffen them slightly as the diluted PVA that I use also protects them from dust and dirt.

This is a one shuttle and four rings design and so very easy to make too.

Standardisation

First of all - we're nearly there.  98 goats in the field!!!!

Something that is impossible but would be WONDERFUL is a standardisation of the way we all write down patterns.  

When I started out on my adventure of 'writing stuff down' I did it the way I was reading it in pattern books 50+ years ago - as a kid I didn't question the way things were written.  Actually I found the old notebook with my orignal patterns in the other day (written, I guess, about 30 years ago) and here's one of the originals below.

Then when I started sort of seriously wanting to get rid of my ideas and inflict them on others I really looked at the various ways of writing down patterns.  I did a lot of research into how they were written down over the years too - must look it out sometime!!  I found that our 'modern way' isn't so modern after all.  Anyway, again I digress.

A few years ago when the Palmetto Tatters kindly allowed me to run rampant at Tat Days they decided to ask us teachers to use the standardisation that they'd come up with.  Mainly I think this was (I'm guessing here!!) to save on printing out everybody's notation - one sheet now covers all patterns taught.  GR8 idea - save our planet.  So I've taken to following their very welcome lead - here's a link should you wish to see it.

I am always tickled with the vsp (very small picot) being written in BIG CAPITAL letters (VSP) as it makes me smile.  I like my vsp to be written in very small letters because it is just a very small picot!!!