New idea!!!

When I was rummaging in my sewing stuff I found a stash of 5" zips (or thereabouts) which had come with a bulk buy of Roly Poly zips and which are unsuitable for that!!!

So, what to do with them? Well, this is what happened!!!

Now please bear in mind that this was the first one of this idea and that I was trying to follow an online video on how to make them. This is NOT an original idea - just one that I fell for!!!

Several places had tutorials on 'how to' but they all confused BC3 so as usual we had to learn by our mistakes!!! This one has the seams showing in the lining AND it had to be taken apart several times!!! I was going to cut the zip out and start again but unfortunately I found myself USING the little bag so now it's MINE!!!!!

I'm going to make more of these now I think I've got the 'hang' of them!!!! When I've got a few done I may list them in the Etsy shop - thats if they don't start getting used too!!!

Tat Days Teachers.

OK, it's official!!! The list of teachers is now up on the Palmetto Tatter's website here.

I think the poor Palmetto organisers are totally fed up with me asking who else was going but in the end my nagging has paid off!!!!!  The list is below - without my name on it as you know already that I'm going!!!!!

I reckon this is the biggest span of teachers ever and I can't wait for the teacher's meeting on the Thursday to meet my mates. 

Randy Houtz USA

Victoria Clarke Canada

Martha Ess USA

Georgia Seitz USA

Nina Libin USA

Erin Holloway Moseley USA

Karey Solomon USA

Sharren S. Morgan USA

Sandra Eichelberger USA

Sally Biggers USA

Tonya Smith USA

Shawna Wachs USA

Donna Thompson USA

Pam Freck USA

Bags of time!!!

Well now that the shuttles have gone for a while I've got time to do some bag making!!! I have seven Roly Poly sized zips left so when I've done those I'm going to stop!!! Weeeelllll, that's the plan at the moment but I know that BC3 can easily change his mind!!!

I did have a change the other day and made this other Dorset style bag. Diane's the expert at these (along with Mary Konior's spinning wheel mat) and she gifted me one last year (or, was it the year before?). I've made these in the past but not for sale - just for myself or as gifts. 

I'm thinking of not putting any of the sewing in my shop just yet. I may well take them to Tat Days with me to put in the vending room. Watch this space!!!!

Phewwwwwww

Well that was a weekend and a half!!!! I listed the shuttles as promised and this time they seemed to go even faster. Unless it was my imagination!!

I got a tad confused at one point as I couldn't work out what was happening to the credit card payments - I'd recently set the shop to take payments that way. Soon found the right link so that was OK. 

Then there were the odd people who'd pressed the wrong button and landed up with the wrong shuttle so that money had to be refunded and the shuttle re-listed. Not a big problem, really. 

I spent all Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning packing them up. When I've done that I then have to check them before closing the packages. Imagine my horror when I had one shuttle showing it had been bought and no shuttle in my box!!!! Darn stinker had decided to hide itself on the floor. Then another went missing - that was in a packet where I'd had a re-list to do and I hadn't taken that shuttle out again!!! 

The relief when it all works out is amazing. I've still got to work out the rest of the costings (I keep a spreadsheet for Sally) and then send her the money I've collected for her. OH, before that - I've got to go down to the Post Office. Hope there isn't too long a queue behind me when I get served as I feel daggers being thrown at me!!!

Here's a Fandango bookmark to cheer you up!!!!

Another part of the mystery

Don't forget - 12 o'clock BST (midday) is the time I'll be letting the shuttles loose!!!

So, further progress on this mystery. This caused me some fun working out what colours and where to use them!!!

It's almost 'there' but I need time to get the last round sorted.

Meantime the sewing machine is out and bags are being made.  

Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is a dedicated 'shuttle day'. Least it will be if tomorrow is Saturday and I'm sure that usually follows a Friday!!!

The time will be 12 midday BST.

Another two pictures to dangle under your nose!!!!

Oak at the top and Olive underneath.

Fandango bookmarks 2

Two more of the Fandango bookmarks I've made over the last two weeks. I reckon each one takes an evening and a half - almost two. 

I really like these colours but don't ask me which they are as they're old threads and some HDT too.  All in a size 40.

BC3 had an idea yesterday and decided to email the school we all went to (see yesterday's post) to ask if we may pay it a visit.  I haven't been back since I was 18 and it's only about seven miles away!!!!  I couldn't believe it when I got an almost immediate reply to say that we'd be very welcome.  I did point out in my original email that I was probably NOT the best behaved pupil the school had every had.  Numerous hours spent 'on the landing' having been told to leave the lesson (mainly history from what I remember) and also outside the headmaster's office too. 

In my defence - I wasn't 'naughty, naughty' but really downright mischievous with an overdeveloped sense of humour!!! Pranks were my main 'thing'!!!!! 

Have I changed over the years? I leave that for YOU to decide!!!!

Fandango bookmarks

I'm lazy. VERY lazy when it comes to looking for new patterns to work on! I tend to just look around on my computer for something I can follow easily and that means I usually stick to my own work. It's not that I think mine's better than everybody else's - NO WAY. It's just that I simply understand my style of notation and diagrams.

Anyway, sometime in June/July a friend will be arriving from Tasmania. We've been friends since we were at school - secondary school, that is. 

There were roughly seven of us left in the sixth form who were mates and in the same class and when we left school we started a circular letter.  The letter comes round about once a year - sometimes more so that's over 50 years and over 50 letters.  The way it works is that you read all the letters from everybody, take your old letter out and put in a new one.

Over the years we've had one or two drop out (sadly one of us died) and one joined in but we were all at school together.  So, I wanted to make a gift for each person and I can show you what I'm making - bookmarks.

The friend in Tasmania is the only person online so if you're reading this, Nita, then there may NOT be one for you - or there maybe one for you!!!
The pattern is the Fandango bookmark worked in size 40.  

Shuttle talk AGAIN and progress.

I hope everybody sees this. There's been a change of plan for the listing time for the next lot of shuttles. 

Instead of the evening over here we've decided to do it at 12.00 BST (mid day/afternoon) for the sake of the Australian tatters on the west coast.  There seems to be some confusion too over which Saturday.  It will be this coming Saturday - the 17th.  As there are so many this time I'm hoping that everybody will get what they want. It's SOOOOOO hard to pitch the right times specially when BC3 isn't very good at time zones!

Next round of the mystery done but it's nowhere near finished yet!!!! I need darker colours again for the next part, I think!!!

Shuttle talk

Coming soon - next Saturday at 22.00 BST (British Summer Time) will be a good selection of shuttles!!! There are Pop A Bobbin Shuttles and some very pretty pokerwork flat shuttles too - pictures below. 

I've updated the page with the shuttles on (see tab above this post) and we are offering some new woods this time for the Pop A Bobbin ones. There are 2 Spalted Beech which are very pretty and Ash and Sycamore which I don't think have been seen before in that type of shuttle. Oh, there's Olive wood too.

All listings are now done in GBP but should show up in your country with your currency - I hope!!!

I'm sorry but BC3 can't cope with 'out of shop' requests and due to the fact that we never know what wood 'im in the garage will have this prevents us from doing custom orders too.

Here is the list of what will be available. 

SHUTTLE LIST MAY 2014 

3 COCOBOLA ROSEWOOD 2 with hooks 1 without 

2 PURPLEHEART with hooks

2 EBONY £22.50 each (1 with hook and 1 without) 

3 ZEBRANO with hooks

3 OLIVEWOOD (2 with hooks, 1 without hook) 

3 OREGAN MYRTLE with hooks 

3 AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT with hooks

3 CHERRY with hooks 

1 APPLE with hook

2 PEAR with hooks

9 SEQUOIA (7 with hooks, 2 without hook) 

3 OAK with hooks

3 ROSEWOOD with hooks 

2 SPALTED BEECH with hooks

3 SYCAMORE with hooks 

3 ASH with hooks 

FLAT SHUTTLES

10 Ash 10 Sycamore

Top shuttle is Spalted Beech and below is an example of the flat pokerwork shuttle with picot gauge marks towards the tips for those who measure theirs!!!

Run, RUN

As fast as you can!

You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!!!!

Well look what arrived in the mail yesterday!!!! Isn't that a kind gift? It's from Pam in SC who has been playing with a Gingerbread Man pattern!!! 

It's one of the patterns I'll be teaching at Palmetto Tat Days in September. 

All flights and insurance are now booked and sorted and the fun will begin on September the first when I arrive in Atlanta for a few days with Crazy Mom (who isn't the LEAST bit crazy but kind, generous, brave and FUN) before heading to Tat Days!!!!

It might be expensive and a lot of work to take a trip over the pond (I'm being a brave OG this time as I'm travelling alone) but it's SOOOO worth it.

Next panic will be when the registration begins as I get neurotic that nobody will want to take my classes so I keep checking and checking the Palmetto site.  I know of two other teachers who are going to be there as they're mates but I've no idea who else has been picked!!!  Apparently the list will be out this weekend.  SOOOOO exciting.  It's quite mind boggling the amount of work it must take to host and run this event.  This will be probably my 5th or 6th visit and each time things swing into action and run so smoothly.  I can't WAIT to see my friends and make (hopefully - unless they run a mile in t'other direction) new ones too.

I've started packing already!!!!  That's honestly true.

More achieved

So, nobody has yet guessed what this is so I take it you've all given up on me!!!!  Another row and another colour. 

Yesterday it rained all day and everything went a bit haywire!!! 

Firstly I played with the cat and accidentally she clawed a vein in the back of my hand. BOY, did it spurt blood!!! Swelled up like a balloon too!!! 

Next the black ink ran out in my printer (I rarely print stuff out) so I knew we'd got ink in the house and decided to leave changing the cartridge til later. 

Then we went shopping in the morning and popped into Staples - Nick likes to look round there and so do I. After grocery shopping and lunch I went to replace the cartridge in the printer but we hadn't got one the right size. DARN IT. We'd just been in Staples - another walk up there today, I suppose!!!

Tatter in town!

The Eborall tours continued yesterday with a visit from 'down under' by Lyn Clemons and her husband!!  Lyn is another tatter and it was funny as we recognised each other from a distance.  Poor woman had seen my picture somewhere online so guessed it was me.  I just have a 'nose' for tatters who stand around looking lost outside the Birthplace!!!!

I forgot to take a photo until we were just parting and we were all thoroughly WET!!!.

Yes, it rained - torrentially!!!!  If we'd had a bucket with us we'd have collected it for them to take home but unfortunately we were 'bucketless'!!!!!

For those who want to meet HMQ!!!

If you're round my neck of the woods at ANY time and want to meet Her Majesty the Queen then that can be arranged!!!! I am her personal secretary!!!

Here's a link to the video of her sitting in my car!!! There's a static picture here too just to cheer up this blog post!!!

I got the sewing machine out for my summer sewing yesterday.  I'm making some more Wrap It, Flip It and Mark It bookmarks - some for a friend in America and will be taking those to Tat Days with me.  This is what I'm talking about for those new to this blog!!!!  There are a few still in my Etsy shop!!!

I'll also be making a few more roly poly bags and poke proof pouches but the old brain wants to make new bags after that!!!  Wonder what BC3 will come up with?

Crazy Mom Tats and CHATS!!!

Crazy Mom couldn't have chosen a BETTER day to come to Stratford. The sun shone all day and the town wasn't too crowded either. 

Her Majesty the Queen picked her up from Leamington Spa train station along with me acting as the chauffeur.

Now, I hear you ask - HMQ?  Yes, HMQ sitting on the dashboard of the car.  Must explain that this is a recent 'jiggly' that a friend round the corner gave me (Joanie - they've arrived in England now and I'll be looking for the corgi too).  Crazy Mom (Sandra) also gave me a new jiggly For my 'jiggly' addiction (see link). which is the same design as the one Joanie sent me a while back but Sandra's has got a pink dress!!!! They are the most energetic of the jiggly family on my windows!!! Oh, she also gave me a TON of beads AND a present which I sent back to Atlanta with her!!!!  More about that will be revealed at Tat Days!!!!  We are plotting a wicked plot, the pair of us!!!

First stop we made was for an enormous cup of tea chez Eborall and then we set off for the town!!!

We 'did' Shakespeare's Birthplace (I'd not visited that for many, many years) which is a really interesting building. Then we grabbed lunch in a place nearby and finally got to the Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried along with his family.  

We ended up back home in the garden for another chat with 'you know who' and Tilly who was very, very gracious and allowed Sandra to 'actually' stroke her!!! She's a timid cat.

Sandra's GOT to come back soon as we didn't 'do' the theatre or that area of the town.  So, Sandra's bosses, you NEED to send her to England again to work!!!!

Lobsters are red!

What a stupid subject line!!!

I made this lobster which can be found here after a conversation with a young lady who is at a London fashion school doing a degree.

I've worked with youngsters like this before and it's great. I like to encourage anybody with any interest in shuttle tatting to use it in their work. Not sure exactly what she'll want next but her first love is the lobster which I did over Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

Exciting day today - I'm meeting Crazy Mom Tats and we're going to spend the day together while I show her the local sights.  More on that on Monday.

Pearls of wisdom?!?!?

Or not - that depend on each individual's opinion!!!!

Pearl tatting is easy and very fast IF you have 'the knowledge'!!!!  There are many ways of doing this technique but this is my favourite way just because you can so quickly 'tat up a storm'!!!!

I decided that as I may need this technique while I'm at Tat Days or later on my visit to America I'd better take a long hard look at the page I did a few years ago once again!!!

I'm hoping that this will make this method of pearl tatting easier for folks to follow so here's the amended file.

Oh, and a picture from that page just to make this post a bit 'prettier'!!!!!

More progress on the mystery

Well here's the next round and you can now see why the last one was slightly 'odd'. 

 Isn't it clever the way the designer made this round?

So, I think the next part (and there's more to come) will need to be different colours.  I'll have to think about that.

Meanwhile back on 'Planet Jane' life has been busy.  Lovely weather for a couple of days brought on a rash of gardening and that, along with other things going on in life hasn't given me much time for tatting during the day.  

When I say tatting during the day - it's mainly working on the computer on tatting related 'stuff'!!!!

Final T-shirt!

Before starting - please take a look at number 94 on the Tat It And See blog here. Thank you, Ladytats.

The last of the trio of t-shirts got finished over the weekend!!! 

This time (to save getting bored) I used the SSSR 'trick' (hiding a thread in the first half) with a chain round. Well, I used that for the neck edging but then got fed up with that and decided on 'just' split rings for the sleeves. 

It's just enough, I think, to make the whole thing a little less boring.

An odd row!

Now to continue the mystery tat that I'm doing. Nobody seems to have worked it out yet!!!

Isn't this a strange round? The pink sections (note - another change of colour!) look like horseshoes to me. 

Easy round to work with 'just enough' interest to keep me going!!!  Looking at the picture - slightly to the left of the centre at the top you can see that the 'horshoes' are not very stable!!!!  Well a lot of that is to do with the way I flung it onto the scanner!!!!