New book

Yesterday I spent hours sorting through my tatting books.

When I first had a computer I set up a spreadsheet to record all my books.  On and off over the years I've updated this - always trying to remember to do it when I received a new book.  That just didn't work!!!!  So thanks to Sherry I decided to spend time getting it sorted after a few years of neglect.  I must apologise to Sherry Pence for taking so long to say thank you to her publicly and to show you her book.  She's selling it on her Etsy shop here.

I was honoured to be asked to test tat for this book but my heart dropped when I saw it was going to be all about encapsulation!!  Not my favourite topic.  But I got 'stuck in' and found I really enjoyed it.  It's a really cool book and I know I'm going to return to it time and time again.

Sherry sent me a copy to say thank you but I was a bit disappointed as she hadn't signed it.  There's nothing like having a 'signed by the author' copy of a book.  Anyway, you can see I got round my 'problem' and I've stuck her little note inside the front cover.  There, you see - job done.

It's only in later years that I've come to value signed books as when I met Elgiva Nichols back in 1976 and bought her book off her she insisted she signed it.  I didn't give it much thought back then but now I really value that signature and the book too.

More shuttles and bags

I'm fed up with blogger - for the past nearly two weeks my posts haven't gone out when I've scheduled them and so the one about 'making bags' didn't go out for several days because I just didn't notice!!!  That also says a lot about brain cell 3 not behaving either.  

Well I'm pleased to tell you that all bags are now made and ready to go 'live' along with more shuttles.  My poor old rear end has been stuck to the chair in front of the sewing machine for days on end!!!

Each is a full set (roly poly, poke proof and bobbin holder) although I am selling them separately.  Well, I still need to pack them and list them in drafts.

YES, I did also say more shuttles!!!

They'll all go 'live' on Saturday at 20.00 BST (British Summer Time).  I'm doing it to help out if people want several things.  Postage has gone up in the U.K. again, I'm afraid.  If I have overcharged on the postage (although I have checked at the Post Office) I'll refund through Paypal as usual - some of you know I do that anyway if I find too much has been paid.

Here is a list of shuttles available this next time.  They all have hooks except the post shuttle which has butterflies on each side.  Must nudge 'im in the garage into making some more 'hooks with hats on' too.

Oregon Myrtle 3

Black Walnut 3

Cherry 3

Apple 3

Pear 3

Yew 3

Oak 2

Maple 3

Holly 1

Teak Post Shuttle 1

Reversible motif

Now this is something that I like a lot.  It's a pattern I did years ago (just checked - 2002) and I often wonder how I did it!!!  Here's the link.  

I was thinking the other day and realised that it might make a good pendant so that's what I did!!!!

Oh, part of the 'excuse' I used for making a pendant is due to a casual remark by Sharren on one of her blog posts - I NAME AND SHAME Sharren!!!!

I can't find the particular sentence but it made me stop and think about how to add a finding inside a ring.  Now I'm sure that Jon or somebody else has done a tutorial on it but me, being me and sorta a bit thick at times I didn't really 'see' it.  Then Sharren got me thinking again so I needed an excuse to play with the idea.

Oh, SO simple edging again

Two days ago I had a lovely message from Marjolein Mieras in The Netherlands. She said:-

"I want to thank you so much for the pattern of the “Oh SO simple edging”.

I am a beginning needle tatter, but the pattern was very clear.

Here is a picture of my edging - I used it on a crazy quilt block".

Here is a link to Marjolein's blog where she explains why she has put the three arrows there.

Thank you, Marjolein for sending me these wonderful pictures - I love your colours.

More bags!!!

Well it's rained and rained and rained lately which we badly needed.  Time to cut out more bags!!!

This will be the last lot EVER.  Well, that's how I feel at the moment!!!  I'm easily bored with things!!

In the top pile you can just see a very pretty black background with read cherries on.  Also there's a lovely beigey coloured print with old fashioned air balloons.

On the top of the bottom pile is a navy piece with gold cherubs and stars on.  That's the 20 'sets' all piled up and waiting for me to make a start!!!

Every 'set' consists of the roly poly bag, a poke proof pouch AND a six 'shot' bobbin holder.  This is going to keep me busy for a week or two, I think!!!

Thoughts of an OG!!

Now when I listed the last lot of bags in my Etsy shop I wondered which would be the most popular.  I have little guessing games with myself!!!   You've heard that the first sign of madness is talking to yourself - well the next stage is playing games with yourself!!!

It's well known in tat land that chocolate goes with tatting (being careful, of course, not to get it on your work) so I naturally thought that the fabric with chocolates would fly out of the shop.  DUH, I was SO wrong!!!  It's a lovely fabric and one I love using.  Is it 'just me' that likes it?

I also thought those with the tatting shuttles (well, they look like that to me!!) and pansies would go fast too but they're still there.  

Isn't it a good thing that we're not all alike!!!

Spring is in the air!

Before I start today - just to let you know that blogger (bless them) are having problems with scheduled posts.  A lot of us are finding that our posts (which we've set to go at certain times) just ain't behaving.  Easy to get around if you've got a brain and are near a computer at the time or shortly after - but ..........

Even OG's like me get mildly excited when Spring shows itself!!!  

After the flurry of sorting out all the patterns I submitted for a teaching job at Palmetto I wanted/needed pure relaxation and a thought occurred to me!!

I usually (as  you've probably noticed) use number 20 threads for most things as this is what was readily available in local shops when I was a kid.  I also think it's ideal for most of what I use my tatting for - throwing in boxes in the cupboard!!!  Seriously I do wear/use a lot of my stuff and I find this thickness is wearable and washable.

BUT I DO love using size 40 and finer and love size 80 too.  So for pure relaxation I turned this time to size 40.  I have been a very spoilt old git over the past few years by people sending me lots of lovely HDT.  I had quite a few eazy bobs with size 40 on so out they came along with my container of 'all 40's').  So this wee mat was made with - HDT, Omega, Coats, Lizbeth and probably  other threads too!!!  I finished it a few weeks ago then forgot it - as usual!!!!

I think this has turned out to be very 'Spring like'.  Oh, the pattern is this one.  The version without the SCMR.  It's the same as the HWT one that I showed you yesterday but this probably 'needs' a finishing row.  Not sure.  Maybe.  One day.  Perhaps!!!!

HWT finished

I've just realised - I haven't shown you what happened to the motifs I was fiddling with - those made with the Hand Woven Threads (HWT)!!  Here it is finally finished.  I actually did finish it last week (or the one before - probably) and then did what I usually do - flung it in a storage box!!!  

I'm not too sure about the final round so it may well go 'under the scissors) when I'm next in the right mood for it.

Hanky again

Well here is the edging on the handkerchief.  I sewed it on with the usual invisible thread.  Boy that stuff drives me MAD.  Well, that's not strictly true - I should say madder!!!

I used the 'Oh, so simple' edging again - probably because I'm getting boring in my old age!!!!

I gave the hanky to Julia on Monday and she's now thinking of embroidering the bride and groom's initials on there - or something to make it even more special. It's just the right size to be framed too.

I used size 80 (ish) thread for it.

Now what is this?

Let me tell you.  It's a handkerchief.  It's for a very special wedding next month.  BUT you may ask why is the silly old git showing you THAT?  Well, let me explain.

Remember Julia my star tatter who I met at the Buzz?  Well she asked me if I'd make her a hanky edging for a wedding gift.  Of course I said yes as I love people asking me to make things.  So, we had a discussion and I said it would be easier for me if she gave me a hanky to work from (size is the thing with edgings!).  

The next time I saw her she brought me the one you see below.  BUT what you don't know yet is that she MADE it.  Yes, honestly this is what she made.  It's beautifully sewn too.  It's drawn thread work and the mitred corners are perfect.  I DO hope you can see how well made it is.

Final version!

Now you've seen the original done on the CD and the one with the gaping hole in.  So, here's the new version done round a bead!!!!  Bit of a change, eh?

The pattern is now available here.  It's a really, really simple one with just rings, chains and the 'odd' split ring.  This design just begs to be used with colours.  Any and all colours.  These have been done with just two but you could easily use four in each motif and I've a feeling that's what I did with some of the original ones.

Naturally these are using Lizbeth colours too.  I'm hopeless at putting the names to them but I assure you that they are Lizbeth.  

More about the CD idea!!!

Sorry that the last two days posts 'didn't happen'.  I'd scheduled them but something went wrong!!  I checked both posts later on each day and both were stating the date and time I'd set but on both occasions they were still not 'out there'.  Anyway, here's what you should've had on Thursday!!!

So off I went into the tatting cupboard and I emerged with these two colours - I just LOVE these two together.  This is what happened.  The top picture is the front and the bottom is the back.  

So, this got the old brain ticking over (after a gallon of tea, of course) because I DON'T LIKE the hole in the middle - it needs filling!!!!  To me it looks like a missing tooth so perhaps I should take it to the dentist at the end of the road!!!!  Yes, there really IS a dentist at the end of our residential road and a doctor at the other end!!!

Certainly needs a second opinion!!!!

Looking at another old pattern

Now I was searching around a week or two back and came across this pattern which I immediately thought looked outdated!!  When I did this design it was at the time when everything that came through our letterbox had a CD in it and, of course, this was a challenge to me to use them!!!

I'm not going to take this pattern down but I did think about re-tatting it.

Below is what I did with some of the CD's and I had these hanging in our front windows for a few years - until they started to fade!  Not sure where they are now but they're in the house somewhere!!!

Technique for Georgia

Georgia asked me a few weeks ago to do a technique for her.  Apparently a few people are having trouble doing this idea.  So, me being me off I trotted to do it.  First problem was understanding how to do it myself!!!

I'm not totally sure where this technique originated from but I found it here and here in my search and I THINK that what I've done HERE is the same.  If not then I'm totally lost which isn't a new thing!!!!

It's a way of making another ring on top of one already being worked - bit like working a ring on top of a chain but this time working a ring on top of a ring.  At first I found it confusing (not new for me to be confused - it happens easily!).  Now I really like this idea but I'm not sure yet whether I'll ever use it!!!

Have you ever thought about how I do the drawings when I'm doing a technique?  Probably not!!!!

I reckon if somebody was to stand behind or beside me and film it then it would be hysterical!!!  I have a graphics pad to draw with (like a pen and paper) and this relieves the strain of using a mouse on my hand.  The pad sits firmly on my lap while I hold the pen.  BUT I also have shuttles, beads, threads to contend with as well.  I make and study each movement as I draw which, I promise you, isn't easy.

Oh, IF this was ever filmed it would have to be a silent movie as the 'talking to myself' and the 'cussing' are unbelievable!!!!

A new shuttle

Look what arrived the other day.  Whoooopeee - a new shuttle.

BUT inside the shuttle are a couple of MY doodles!!!  How's that for customised, eh?

This is one of the popular Hinton shuttles and is certainly unique.  Thanks Erin.  It's in my collection now which I really ought to sort out.  I'm pretty lax at keeping track of what's there!!!

Last session at the Buzz

This was my final session of demonstrating at the Buzz until I'm contacted next.  Again it was quiet but Julia came back again to tat with me.  What a fast learner she is.  We WILL meet up again as I feel we'll have a few other points to continue with and the Buzz is a wonderful meeting place.  Comfortable sofas, lovely atmosphere and a GREAT cup of tea!!!

Here are two pictures of her hands again.  First we are choosing a pattern from her only tatting booklet - (so far!!!) and secondly learning the 'slip and slide' method of manipulating the shuttle.  I did a page on this a while ago which can be found  here if  you want to take a look.

There were two other ladies there (one an old friend from many years ago) who were doing weaving (tapestry), rag rugs, felting and most fascinating of all - braiding of all types.  Sally (the lady I didn't know until yesterday) demonstrates these types of crafts at Mary Arden's Farm here.  So, an interesting day for me too!!!

I'm very interested in the braiding idea - such pretty, pretty braids made in Tudor times.

Old necklace starts new 'thinking'!

Well while Ros and I were doing our weekly tour of the charity shops I found this necklace.  

Two things attracted me - the beads themselves (that's the flat ones, not the smallish black ones) and the price!!! 

Look how many are on the necklace!!!!  I got them home and a day or two later they went 'under the scissors'.  I'll show you what happened to them in due course.  I need to finish it off first and as usual I've got several things 'on the go' at the same time!!!!

Gossip and the HWT

This first part isn't about tatting but I thought you'd like to hear about this small adventure.

On a Monday my friend comes round to my place and we go down the town and round the shops - mainly the charity shops!!!!  I do a 'bead hunt' of the jewellery in the charity shops - more about that in another post.

Well the Monday before last I asked her if she'd seen inside the newly re-vamped theatre and she hadn't.  I just LOVE our new/old theatre so suggested we go there for our usual 'cuppa' after the shopping.

After the cuppa I took Ros around the inside and I found an 'open door' which took us into the auditorium.  Nobody was around so we snook in!!  We were up in the circle area and it was DARK as there was a rehearsal going on.    We watched the rehearsal for ages - keeping very quiet!!  Now I'm talking REAL famous actors and actresses in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.  Are you impressed?  I love that new old theatre.

Well, here's number 5 of the wee motifs and things are going really well.  Will I finish it?  I think so now I've got this far!!!

Here's the bling!!

Before I have a complete meltdown can I ask for some help, please?  A week of two or more ago somebody posted on their blog a slightly different way to start tatting and at the same time hiding the end.  It's similar to the way I do it and I tried it but went back to my old habitual way!!!  I would like to look at it again as I am currently discussing this with somebody else.  BUT - do you think I can find it?  No, way!!!  So if the person who blogged this or anybody else who knows where it is could send me the link I'd be very grateful.

Well, as promised here's the bling to go with this tshirt!!!

I WAS going to make a pendant to go with the 'ensemble' but I found the flowery pendant in a charity shop.  It was such a good match I treated myself to a bought bit of 'bling'.  

I've put it below the earrings I made.  That small 'mark' on the top right isn't actually damage - it appears to be part of   it.  I love this pretty shell type thingy.

Also I was surprised to find out yesterday that a lot of people didn't know what a Tombola was!!!  Well it's a sort of traditional way us English hold raffles of a different type.  The things to be won are displayed on a table with a raffle ticket attached.  The other half of the raffle ticket is put in a big round bin thing which is then twirled round.  You buy tickets and pick them out of the bin and if they match an item on the table you win it.  Of course, to make more money a lot of the tickets don't have matching numbers.  Usually the tickets have to end with a 0 or a 5 to win!!!  Great fun and a great way to raise money.

Yesterday's visit to the Buzz

It was a wet, cold and miserable day here in my neck of the woods.  I trotted down to the Buzz cafe again and met up with Julia to take her forwards on her second adventure in tat land.

She's doing SO WELL.  It's wonderful to find I can still teach new tatters and that they'll even come back for more.  Yesterday we did chains, picots and joining picots.  We'll meet again on Friday (my last official visit to the Buzz for now) and hopefully 'tidy her up'.  After that I've suggested we meet when she needs me - still at the Buzz.  I didn't take any photos at this session but I will show you 'wabbit'.  

When I was leaving last Tuesday I noticed they'd got a tombola near the door so I bought a few tickets - I can never resist a tombola!!!  This is what I won and took home in the pouring rain.  The second and third pictures were taken over the next day or so when Nick had 'been playing' with wabbit!!!

Then wabbit met bear and I'm NOT going to say what happened next!!!!!