Saturday

Well it was wet and miserable all day here. Stopped raining from time to time but that didn't make it a bad day because I had FUN, FUN, FUN.

Crazy Mom Tats had been working in London most of last week and she caught a train to Leamington Spa on Saturday where I picked her up and took her to visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage. We were so lucky as a friend who's a guide there was on duty and we got a splendid tour of the house. After that it was time to have lunch so where else would you go except the nearest pub - The Bell (Shottery). 

We then went back to Chez Old Git's and had a cup of tea before heading back to Leamington and Sandra's train. 

This lass is a great friend and it's always good to see her. I stayed with her in Atlanta last year (and the year before or thereabouts). We talked our little socks off while we were together and I'm blogging this today because we covered Tat Land too in our natterings!!!  This blog is titled 'Tatting and not a lot else' so what do you expect but something a little different from time to time!!!!

So, here are some pictures of the day (all taken at Anne Hathaway's Cottage) but there'll be more tomorrow!!!

A quickie today

Really only got one thing to say - it's SHUTTLE day here. 

All day and starting soon and until they've all sold!!! 

I'm hoping to get the sold ones in the post tomorrow thanks to the Post Office being open on a Sunday.

Here's the link to the Etsy shop.

Side tracked!!!

Again I've been happily sidetracked from what I was planning to do. Now, what I really want to know is - what was I planning to do? Not sure!!!! 

Martha asked me to test tat another angel for her - this will also be in her new book. 

I always feel as if I've cheated when I test tat for Martha as very, very little needs to be changed. Just the odd small thing which keeps me on my toes. Just an odd capital letter or a missing something or other. I'm always amazed at the pureness of her designs too. They flow so well.

Anyway, here's a picture of the latest angel which she's given me permission to share too.

A little bit more!

I nearly forgot to show you this scan of round four of the monster doily!!! 

I'm now into round five so need to catch up with posting. I keep getting distracted by other things I want and need to play with - more about one of those tomorrow I hope.

I'm still using beads but not 'over beading' it as is my instinct. Mainly because I'm not sure whether I'll have enough beads to finish!!!

This is my 'sitting in the garden in the summer' project but unfortunately the weather hasn't caught up with me and I do find I have trouble 'sitting in the garden'. 

I keep finding things to distract me. The day before yesterday it was a lilac tree that needed partly felling. Why, at the age of 71 (and a half) do I feel I still need to do these jobs myself? I know - it's cause I'm stark staring bonkers!!!

More shuttles

Well, here we go again!!! More Pop A Bobbin shuttles are now in the draft listings of my Etsy shop. If you look at the picture on this post you'll see a new wood - it's Raspberry Jam. Strange as the other side of this shuttle is plain brown!!!! Almost as if it's playing tricks!!!  I'll 'let them out of their cage' on Saturday.  Now the Post Office is open on Sunday it means that I can get them there a day earlier when there isn't a queue.  Well, in theory.  Actually they don't go anywhere on the Sunday but it means they're off to a flying start on Monday!!!

One sad story about the last lot of shuttles.  A packet went all the way to the USA and came back.  The postman in the USA couldn't find the mail box!!!  How daft is that.  I felt so sorry for the poor customer.  Below is the sticker that was on it when it returned to me.  It's on it's way back again now - we're both keeping our fingers crossed.

POP-A-BOBBIN SHUTTLES

1 RASPBERRY JAM (no hook) £20.50

1 MAHONIA (no hook) £20.50

1 ZEBRANO (no hook) £20.00

1 EBONY (no hook) £22.50

1 LABURNUM (no hook) £18

1 IROKO (no hook) £18

2 IROKO £18

1 SPALTED BEECH (no hook) £18

1 PEAR (no hook) £18

2 PEAR (with hooks) £18

2 CHERRY (with hooks) £18

1 CHERRY (no hook) £18

Round 3

Right - here I am at the end of round 3 of Jan's doily. 

I'm going to admit that I'm really enjoying this challenge after all those years of resisting doing 'another doily'. 

It reminds me of one I did some time ago (a smaller doily) which you can see here. Obviously it's nowhere near the same but I think it's the clovers that remind me of this one. 

I'm still using the beads and resisting picots and am really pleased with it so far.

Now what shall I do?

I bought this necklace in a charity shop last week. Now I always tell myself that I don't need/want things like this but ..........

I'm going to demolish it shortly and see what I can do with the rings that I hope will survive. I'll keep you posted!!!!

Outrageous

Outrageous advertising!!! 

Yes, I'm putting out a reminder on today's post that I have plenty of the new bags available here in my Etsy shop.  Sales have been slow. Well, not slow but more non existent!!!  I blame myself because I don't really advertise them much!!!!  

Customers who have bought them are pleased with the quality and I've never had a complaint.  All bags are fully lined and washable too.  Not sure what else I can say about them, really!!!!  I have several that I use for projects, storing tubes of beads, work in progress etc.  

I have a good stock of the bags now and have made myself stop making them. I'll admit I'm having withdrawal symptoms from not using the sewing machine but that may change over the weekend.

Anyway, before I go here are a couple of pictures of those in the shop.

Test tatting

Now I've got permission to share a picture from Martha's new book. 

YES, there's a new book coming sometime from Martha Ess. As you'll see from this post of hers she's aiming to get it finished soon.

So, here are a few teasers!! Yes, it's an angel. Yes, it's pretty. Yes, it's easy to do as her instructions and diagrams are fabulous. No, my job as a test tatter wasn't hard at all as there were no corrections needed to the pattern. 

Will you want/need the book? Guaranteed a big YES.

Round 2

Well here's round 2 and I'm beginning to wonder what I've started by using the beads!!! 

Now don't get me wrong - I love the beads but it's now becoming obvious that I'll have to get dear old BC3 out to help on each round and plan before I work it!! 

This round is relatively easy. All I've done is leave a 'bare' picot on each chain ready for the joins on the next round. BUT I looked ahead and trembled when I saw the problems ahead with the other rounds!!!! 

What am I doing? Answer? Having fun, really. It's so lovely to do something without designing from scratch - BUT, after just a few days, I feel the urge to make something else that's been on my list for a long time.  The doily is shortly to be relegated to 'relaxing time' rather than 'real tatting'!!!

Oh, if anybody wants a copy of my notes on how I'm doing this then please ask. I will tell you, though, that you will need a copy of the pattern too.  First of all you'll need it for the diagrams (essential) and secondly because I won't share unless you have bought the magazine. I'm not about to break copyright laws!!!!  Not fair on Jan's family.

Round 1

Well I succumbed. It could be about half a century since I did a big doily - they don't appeal to me normally but this one does!!! No idea why but that's the weird thing about my brain!!!

It's the Jan Stawatz Monster Doily. I bought the pattern from Zarina's Etsy shop here (she's got more copies I noticed yesterday) and am currently writing down the 'Jane' translation as I go along. 

You will notice that I'm not using my usual 'in your face' colours as I'm trying to do something I've been meaning to do for many years - grow old gracefully and use 'old lady' colours. OK, I can hear you all laughing your socks off. I'll probably give up on that idea within a week or two - we'll see!!!

I'm working this alongside Pigmini too so we can check our 'interpretation' of Jan's wonderful pattern. It's not easy but it's working - so far!!!

Back to normal

Well if anything can be called normal nowadays!!!

This is a bracelet that I've been going to make for ages. It's just the starry button bracelet pattern which is here.

I wanted this to go with a top that I've got but the top is almost worn out as I've been 'going to make it' for so long! Now I've got an excuse to go and buy a new green top, haven't I?

People who thieve

Should be shot! Well, that's a bit drastic but their behaviour in this case is beyond belief. 

Do you remember this post about the lady at Crafternoon knitting an asparagus bollard cozy? Well you can imagine her disappointment (and the other knitters involved) when all their cosies were stolen.

In the first picture you can see some of the 13 original asparagus cosies in all their glory and I hope you can read the article in the local paper below. I just hope that if the cosy thieves eat asparagus that it chokes them.  Also hoping that the other nine are returned in time for the Asparagus Festival.  The Vale of Evesham farmers depend on the fruit and vegetables growing in the area for their livelihood.

MAJOR warning - BEWARE

This is a warning that I hope you'll heed. I wasn't sure whether to blog about it or not but in the end decided it was in the sole interest of all tatters worldwide.

I didn't take the decision lightly. I thought about it for days (well, a few minutes, actually). So, hold tight and prepare to be - well, shocked.

This has only come about because I put on big girl's panties last year and traveled alone to the USA and enjoyed the braveness of doing it and getting home again safely. I've been 'nagged' (well asked!) for ten years to go to Canada to teach at the Fringe Element Tat Days so after last year's experience of solo traveling I offered tentatively to go. 

This is the warning - BEWARE - I'm teaching at the Fringe Element in September. Here's the link to see who else is going and what they're offering too.

Oh, I'll also be teaching Kelly to tat. She thinks she can but she uses a needle and we all know that needles are for sewing and not tatting, don't we?

A quiet week!

This could be a quiet week on this blog!! 

Why? Well things are happening but I'm struggling with something I really want to get right!!! Yes, a new thingy which is (as usual) is giving me a bit of a struggle!!!! 

It's no good designing on the computer and then expecting it to work, I've found.  I've been trying that way recently and it's a total failure.  I can only 'do it' with the shuttles, thread and hours and hours of time.  Oh, plus a decent pair of scissors!!!  I do set my standards rather high as I like to be original - even if that doesn't often work!!!  I rarely base my 'stuff' on other designs and IF I do am happy to fess up (confess). OK, I use google images for critters but for other things I 'wing it'.

Another reason for a quiet week ahead is an invasion of two grandkids. Time with all grandkids is precious and I aim to make the most of it!!!

Crafternoon.

Last week (not yesterday!) one of the group brought some fabric that she had leftover after making herself a skirt. Isn't it pretty? She gave it to Debbie to make 'something or other' with it. Debbie and Sarah are the owners of Bumblebeedown which you may remember they have set up to raise money for the local Alzheimer's Cafe in Alcester. 

Isn't this a pretty set? Not sure when it'll be in their Etsy shop but it'll be there soon. 

Meantime too, please take a quick trip to my shop too. It's here!!!!

Another pair!

Yes another pair of scissors has arrived.  This pair has come from Axa who lives in Hungary.  Please take a look at her scissors.

There are now 114 pairs on the TIAS blog which is here.

More mutterings

I'd like to continue on my thoughts again today so if you're not interested please don't read the rest!!!

Another 'trend' in pattern writing is one which uses lots and lots of photos of work in progress (WIP).  Bit like a 'still' video.  I worry about this for two simple reasons.  The quantities of paper and the amount of ink used - particularly in the colour pictures.  Surely some carefully thought out text could replace a few of the pictures?  Do we actually need everything spelled out for us or are these just very complicated patterns?  I'm not sure.

Some time ago I was asked to test tat (or maybe I volunteered) a pattern.  I do like test tatting although I try hard not to enforce my ideas on the designer - I  also learn a lot too.  The pattern I'm talking about was last year or the year before and (IF I'd printed it) it would've been 15 pages long. That's 15 sheets of paper and a lotta ink!  Not a problem IF it had needed 15 sheets of paper!!!  

The 'introduction' took 3 pages and the whole of the pattern could've been placed on around 3/4 pages.  By the way - it was for a small motif measuring just 4"/5".  Fancy fonts, great areas of white paper don't make for a good pattern in my opinion.  In fact I'm afraid I never did fully understand it in spite of the 15 pages and had to very reluctantly give up on it.  This is a pattern which is now for sale.

Now if I'd bought that pattern for a few pounds and then had to spend lots more on printing it I would've been a very unhappy lass.  I saved my printing costs by working with it on the laptop - not ideal but better than wasting a tree and ink (which, by the way, is almost as expensive as gold).  

End of mutterings!!!

Thinking and pondering

Pleased to report that I'm feeling a lot better now, thanks.

I've been thinking about things while dozing in bed which has been a strain on the aged brain! 

Over the years since the internet became such a big part of my life, sharing tatting patterns and techniques has changed a lot. 

Back in the 1950's (when I took up tatting) all patterns were on paper and written in 'long hand' with lots of words. The only picture was that of the finished item.  Although symbols had been used before then (I researched this some years ago) they hadn't 'caught on' as written patterns were few and far between and sharing was slow. Once the internet came about most people seem then to have adopted the shorthand/symbolic way of notation and now use diagrams/pictures to help patterns become easier to understand and follow. 

The internet has also allowed us to be able to take our own pictures easily and then (with little effort) to add numbers, letters which has now become another way of sharing patterns. No longer is it necessary to learn how to draw on the computer or even write down the directions for some of the simpler patterns.  I feel it is necessary to still have some text with a visual pattern for dodos like me who struggle with 'just pictures'.  I like words to reinforce what I 'think' I see in a picture!

Videos of techniques are another great way of communicating too although I still cringe at the sight of many I've seen.  

A concern I have now is that some people are beginning to think that videos are the way forward for patterns.  I was asked recently if I could do a video of one of my patterns.  Well that's something which won't happen for two reasons.  Firstly I'm averse to spending the time as it would take me away from tatting/designing.  

Another reason (which I'm more concerned about) is that this may be the start of a trend towards every pattern being presented in that format.  If that's likely to happen then I feel that the skills required to read written patterns will eventually be lost.  It takes as much skill to read patterns as it does to write them.  Are we going to lose those skills?  I look back at the old 'patterns I used as a kid and realise that it's through using those and understanding them that I am now able to write my own. 

More mutterings later this week or maybe even tomorrow!!!

Nothing, nada, ziltch

That's it. Thought I ought to tell you, though in case anybody had missed me and my inane ramblings. 

I have been working on 'things' but this weekend I've been 'proper poorly'. Just a stinking cold/flu thing but it's knocked me flat for two days.  I do get colds from time to time - roughly one in every six years or so!!  I'm lucky so I'm not moaning. 

Imagine me - two days and no tatting done. I've slept loads and read a bit in between. Just hoping that today will be a day of getting back to normal. Whatever normal is in my corner of Tat Land.