A surprise visit and a NEW join!

Before I show you what I made two days ago I MUST show you this link if you haven't already seen it.  I think it's a fabulous idea - another avoiding the folded join to the alternative avoiding the folded join - if you can follow that!  It's from Teri Dusenbury who I SO admire.  This is an intriguing and very sensible way of achieving this join.  Better than the way I showed you.  In fact I managed it at my first attempt and just from watching her video a couple of times!!!  Here's my first try.

Now, I needed to make a couple of brooches (or, in American - pins) for gifts so mathered about 'what to make'!!!  They are for little girls so anything with a magnet on just isn't a good idea!!! Not only are they easy for kids to lose they are easy for even tinier kids to swallow!!!

Then I remembered the Tatbead Family and thought I'd do those.  Here they are - ready to 'go' with tiny pins on their backs!!!

 This is the back view.

Pigs do fly!!!!!

I'm always happy to make up orders for people as it gives my tatting a more personal feel.  Actually it's really nice to sort of know where the 'whateveritis' is going to as you're making it.

A few days ago I was asked to make a flying pig!!!  Not on his own but as a bookmark.  Well, here's the little grunter just before he flew over the pond.  Well and truly assisted by Royal Mail!!!

I now designate the name Royal MAIL back to the company for having paid me for one of the three missing pre-Christmas packages.  There were three missing although one did finally show it's head nearly two and a half months later.  I'm hoping to get compensation for the second package but who knows!!!  I'll keep you posted (pun totally intended). 

I must say here that I am a bit of a skinflint and have always tried to avoid paying charges for things.  I have  always sort of resented paying Ebay and Etsy charges for some inane reason!!  I think because I don't like having to cover those charges in my asking price which I try to keep low because I'm not a 'business' - I'm a 'dabbler' trying to feed my thread and bead addiction!!! 

BUT having said that I have found the advantage with selling through these places because of the backup you get.  When claiming missing goodies it's easy to do as you have the Etsy (or Ebay) invoice, the proof of posting (my local Post Office always prints one off for me without even asking) and then you only have the form to fill in.  This was part of the reason that the Pop a Bobbin Shuttles started going through Etsy - easy to track!!!

The folded join and how to avoid it!!!

Before I start - a new plane has just landed in the TIAS blog (number 83).

Well it's now 54 years since I learnt to tat and about time I made a confession!!!!

This is brought about by a tatter who asked the other day about joining the final join when you've got rings in a motif and they face outwards.  I'll admit it publicly - I DON'T KNOW how to do the 'folded join' and I've never understood it!!!!  I guess I've also never bothered as I've always done it without getting a twisted picot!!!!  

Today I'm going to try to explain something that I'm not sure I understand myself but it's the way I do it!!!  

When I get to the join all I do is hold the work as it should be with the first and last rings side by side but with the core thread below the picot it's going to join to.  I then pull this up through the first picot of the first ring and then take the shuttle through that.  

I've read and read about and studied this mysterious 'folded join' and spent yesterday afternoon studying it again before doing this blog post.  I'm still none the wiser as to how to do it the 'proper way' but as I seem to get by without it I think I'll stick to the age old, tried and tested 'Jane way'!!!!  I'm sure others must do it the same as me - don't you?!?!?

Playing around!!!

Last year I treated myself to an ipad.  I must admit I don't go very far without it as it contains my 'life'!!  I have apps for just about everything!!

Recently I realised that to travel over the pond I'd need something to carry it in  - but what?  Oh, yes, there are lots and lots of 'things' you can buy but I like to make my life difficult (and I like sewing too!!).

In the pictures below are two neoprene holders which the ipad fitted into  (before my scissors got to them!) with a little bit of space round it.  Wonderful but not very 'substantial'.  Well, they did come from Poundland!!  So I took them apart and then re-constructed them so that the 'two became one'.  I suppose you could call it a 'marriage made in Jane's conservatory'.  Then I set about covering them - you can see two pictures of WIP and my rather 'scruffy' Ipad case!!!  

Well, you know me - I do like 'bright' so at the bottom is the finished cover - with integral carrying strap.  Isn't that the most amazing fabric?  I don't think I'll lose it very easily!!!  Now I'm ready to go. 

WHAT?  I've got a few months to wait?  Shame!

How long DOES it take?

How long does it take me to get to doing something that 'needs' doing?  I tend to get 'diverted' into 'want to do's' instead of 'need to do's' so easily!!!

In this case the answer is ages!!!  Back in January (I think it was!) we went to Ikea and amongst other goodies bought some cushions - just the inner pads and not the posh whole things as there was nothing we could agree on!!

It's taken me this long to make these cushions.  The fabric was in a package that Ridgewoman sent me last year and I've been 'saving it up' for something special.  I suddenly thought the other day that it would be just the thing to 'lift' our brown throws.  

The throws that I knocked together the other week work a treat.  OK, they still slip down from time to time but it is SO much easier to put them back!!!

This picture was taken of the sofa as I couldn't fit both cushions onto a chair - for obvious reasons!!! 

As  you can probably guess - the sewing machine is out!!  I'm working on another 'self imposed' project at the moment which I hope to share with you next week - whether you like it or not!!!!

I DID IT!!!

After a week of walking past the shop gazing at the shoes (well sandals, actually) I finally went in and bought them.  This is a small record for me as I have been known to mather for weeks and weeks and weeks!!!  Of course I now have to get past the 'they're too nice to wear - I'll keep them for best' bit!!!  Another thing I have to come to terms with is slinging the old sandals!!  This is SO, SO hard to do for me!!!!  Is it cause I'm a war baby (born in 1943) or is it cause I'm just plain parsimonious?!?!?!?  Send for the men in white coats!!!!

Anyway I haven't got much to show you but I did get these two done last evening.  

The purply blue one has a tag on saying it belongs to 'Jane' and is made from a yarnplayer skein that was in the 'oh my gosh' package from Sue Anna.  I would be willing to make one like it if anybody wanted a similar.  The browny one (knitty gritty is the name of the thread, I think) will be the start of my 'travelling stash' of brooches to take with me over the pond. 

The purply one is also made from a yarnplayer skein that was in the oh my gosh package. 

Part 2 of Oh my GOSH

Not only were there the spectacular Lizbeth threads but in the same package came the HDT down below.

Now I'm guessing that they are all Yarnplayer's HDT.  I'm sure my favourite is  Garden Afternoon but I change my mind every few minutes!!!  

What fascinates me about working with the HDT is the way it 'changes' as you wind it onto an Ezybob.  Then it morphs  again as you work with it.  Matching it to beads is another challenge but all are totally enjoyable.  

Down below are the last two I'm listing in the shop.  The next batch will be for family and friends and probably two for MEEEEEEE.  I'll show you as I make them so that if there is one that you want particularly I'll do another!!!  Yes, I test wore one of the white ones but haven't kept any of the really pretty ones yet for myself.  Why?  Well I'll admit that each one I've made has been for me but then I'd start on the next one and then change my mind!!!   

As in all aspects of my life I can be termed a 'ditherer'!!!  That's why I'm hopeless at buying things (currently dithering over a pair of shoes that I saw on Monday and keep walking past the shop looking at them!!).  I stand and dither and try to convince myself that I really, truly need something (I actually DO need the shoes too)!!!  Dear Sue Anna takes all the dithers out of my thread buying life as going into Yarnplayer's store just causes a major attack of the 'dithers and drool'.  Yes, I know there are other people doing HDT but these are the ones I get gifted!!!

Oh my GOSH - part 1

You meet people online and get to know them pretty well over the years.  I want/need very little in life in the way of material things and sort of 'muddle' along pretty darn well with no particular ambitions - except what to tat next, of course.  The friends that I've made online are my 'real' friends cause we all talk the same language 'tatting'!!!

Among those friends are people like Sue Anna who works darn hard for a living but appears to spend ALL her earnings on spoiling people like me!!!!  For which, I might add, I'm extremely grateful and honoured.  

As you guys 'over the pond' probably realise - here in the UK we don't have the stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Jo-Ann's etc.  Well, we do but they are few and far between and minute in size compared to 'over there'.  If we want to we can buy from the USA but there is the postage on top.  Do you remember that Sally and I put in an order from ZigZag Corner recently?  It arrived safely (fabulous vender, by the way) but unfortunately had been 'stopped and searched' by customs (the STINKERS) so our threads cost us a lot more than they should've!!!  That's why I'd already started a 'list' for when we go over to America later this year. 

I am now going to scrap that list!!!!  Here are the Lizbeth threads that Sue Anna kindly gifted me and which arrived yesterday.  See the brown variegated one?  I can feel critters coming on!!!!  What colours too.  BUT there's more to come tomorrow on this subject.

Oh, two new brooches in the shop today too!!!!