Confession time!!

Just before Christmas I spent a whole load of money on something which I never got the benefit from. I mean several thousands of pounds!!

A couple of weeks ago we finally decided to make the trip over the pond. By this time I realised that I couldn't face carrying all my heavy electronic 'stuff' as carry on luguage so have 'invested' (no, treated!) myself to a new camera and Itouch. How's that? Confession made.

So, I needed a case for the Itouch (already have a decent camera case which will double up as an everything case when we're out and about) so this is what I made for my new 'toy'. I made another for Nick with a belt loop on the back but I prefer just a hook.

Wonder whether I should make any for the Etsy shop? I've used the same lining inside as the poke proof pouches so that the whole toy is well protected.

What about?!?!?

What about poke proof pouches in this shuttle/pansy fabric?

I'm going to make some out of these two samples!!! This will be a 'limited edition'.

Why?

Well, simply because that's all the fabric I have!!! I may have enough for 12 at the moment and won't be getting/buying anymore (IF I can find anymore) unless those 12 sell. Not only a 'credit crunch' but a 'fabric crunch'!!!

All is revealed

The name of the lady I showed two days ago is Jennifer Williams. Now to tell you a bit about her.

She lives in Wales. Her main 'claim to fame' nowadays is that she's the Chairman of the Ring of Tatters.

Now to get personal. Jennifer is a slim lady with a surfeit of energy. Spend a short while in her company and you'll find out!!! She has a bubbly personality and she laughs a lot.

What you may not know about Jennifer is that she's a stonking good designer but she's one who tends to hide her light under a bushel. BUT I think we'll be seeing more of her patterns soon both in the Ring's Newsletter and other places too.

Jennifer trained as a teacher and nowadays does lots of workshops around the UK.

She has recently taught a weekend residential course on tatting here. Hopefully this will lead to more at this venue and others. Although her main love is tatting this lass also does many, many other crafts too.

Just playing!!!

Guesses are still coming in about who the lady is on yesterday's post so I'm going to keep that a secret until tomorrow!!!!

This is what I've been doing (on and off) for the past few days. It's NOT a necklace before anybody asks!!!! There's still more to do but time will tell if it gets finished!!!

This is one of my patterns but one which I've altered slightly.

The reason for the change is I wanted a more 'substantial' edge to it and also, because I've been working in two threads run parallel together on the shuttle, I found it hard to do the CTJ joins. Those vsp's just got too fiddly when 2 threads are involved!! Instead of this I put a chain in to carry me back to the side I needed to be on!!!

IF it's worth writing the alterations up then I'll do it sometime!!!!!

Another 'guess who'

OK, I'm really, really going to make you work today. I'm just not going to tell who this is. Well, not for a day or so until everybody who wants to has had a chance to guess!!!

It's somebody I think you will have heard of.

Please don't add your guess to the comments but send directly to me at lovetotat @ gmail.com - just so I can find out who gets it right and so that nobody else can cheat!!!

Wonder who'll be first???!!! Once the cat's out of the bag I'll add more about this lady below the picture or on another post. Meanwhile ............................

Still thinking bags

Thanks for your comment, Maureen. I've been thinking about making 'ordinary' drawstring bags too. In fact somewhere I've got a couple of 'trials' I made towards the end of last summer. Must dig them out and have another look at them.

I'm going to make some poke proof pouches - 'stand alone' with no matching roly poly bags. The reason? I've got some fabric with a shuttle print on!!! What could be better, eh?

Meantime I am still tatting and crocheting but I'm not working on anything new at the moment. Just enjoying tatting for the sake of tatting!! I think I'm burnt out after working on Palmetto Tat Days submissions!!!

Still talking bags!

This is a pretty bag.

I do love it and because I love it so much - with my heart - I decided to 'pimp my bag'!!!!

I used this pattern and here are the results!! First of all the two hearts I made. Finally the results of marrying the bag and the tatting.

To those who asked whether there were compartments in this bag the answer is no!! It's only a small bag and I felt that putting in divisions would limit what I wanted to pop in there! Of course the answer is to make a smaller bag or two to put in the bag!!!!

Time will tell whether this actually 'happens' or not!!

The 'white thing' at the bottom is a toggle thingy which lets you alter the length of the strap. Sometimes I carry a bag just on my shoulder, other times over my head too. I even carry them as a 'hand bag' on occasions. This toggle gives me the opportunity to change the length!! Clever, eh?

The sewing machine is out!

Another Spring and out come the daffodils, tulips, flowers galore AND my sewing machine!!

I'm still thinking about bags!! I still have some roly poly tat bags in my Etsy store but want a new 'line'. This is one I'm thinking about. I've made this as a small bag to carry with me when I go on my afternoon walk around the river and back up through the town. Sometimes I need to pop into shops and get 'stuff' so need to have either a bit of cash or my credit card holder with me.

This is what I made this bag for but now I see many possibilities. Particularly for carrying tatting things.

IF anybody reading this post thinks it might be a useful addition to a craft worker's 'bag collection' I'd appreciate their comments. If not this could be the one and only one ever made!!!

Well, well, well

Now I know what grabs Nick's attention!!! Not a lot does phase him but yesterday (thanks to Wally) he 'sat up and took interest' when he picked up the post from behind the front door!!!

Why was he suddenly so interested? Well it's not every day of the week that a package arrives from Egypt!!! That really, really foxed him!!!

What had Wally sent? Well here are just a few of the wonderful butterflies she sent for the Ring of Tatters bookmarks. Aren't they just sweet? I've seen them on her blog but they're even better in real life.

Wally also sent me some sequins to play with too. THANKS, Wally.

This got me thinking (brain cell # 3 returned for a short visit). I wonder where the bookmarks finally finish up? Most likely in households in the UK - but I wonder. Wouldn't it be interesting to know where the furthest one has finally go to?

Totally off topic here but I had to laugh when I saw this clip from YouTube. I sent the link to my Welsh friend! I guess there are people all over Wales laughing at this now!!!

Another 'Guess Who'

I doubt anybody reading this blog will know who this is!! She's one of the Ring of Tatter's best kept secrets.

She and her hubby (Adrian) are the force behind the Ring's website which is here. Not often seen in public but I do have permission to blog her!!!!

Her name? Sally Magill.

This was one of the photos I took at the exhibition but I didn't post earlier until Sally had seen the photo. I think this sums her up really well. She's always smiling.

At LAST

Finally I've finished this handkerchief edging! Started about two years ago and intended as a project whilst on our last visit to America!!! There now, doesn't time fly!!!

We're now planning our next visit having given last year a 'miss'!!! Now before y'all get too critical. I haven't folded this hanky properly yet but just flung it on the platen 'as is'.

Please note - I NEVER use a picot gauge. OK, who said 'it shows'!!!! Do I care? Nah, life's too short to measure every darn picot. I love to live dangerously anyway!!!

This is one of my own patterns and I must admit I quite like it! This is unusual for me as once I've finished a pattern I am so fed up with it I toss it aside. Well, onto the web page!!

My next project as I'm not in designing 'mode' at the moment is another edging but this time for a tshirt. I'm going to use this one but with alterations to it to give a more substantial 'base' line for sewing on. I MIGHT use it instead for a hanky edging. Not sure just yet.

Before all this starts up in earnest, though, I'll warn you - I'm sewing again. I hope to have at least one wee thing to show you tomorrow!!!

New question

What is this?

OK, who shouted out - A MESS?

I'll answer the question straight away. It's my Ring of Tatters 'sticking kit'!!!

The box at the back with the green handle is holding the motifs.

To the right (and slightly forwards of that) is the nearly depleted bottle of PVA glue. There's a roll of sellotape just in front of the green handled box for holding the day's supply together when I've got enough. We 'allow' 30 bookmarks per day and exhibitions are from 3 to 4 days.

To the left of the sellotape is a green bookmark awaiting it's motif. Below the sellotape is a strip of re-cycled paper to band the 30 together.

Now to the scissors. They are used for cutting off tails of thread - a job I simply HATE as my fingers are usually sticky when this happens. Takes more time to cut tails than to stick!!!

Finally the two most important items in the 'kit'. An old CD and a double pointed fine knitting needle. Now, why would I want those? Simple. I put a blob of glue on the CD and use one end of the needle to load glue on and transfer to the motif. The other end (clean, hopefully) is used sometimes to 'nudge' the motif into place!! There you are - job done. Oh, except for a few hours of time!!!

One of the exhibits!

Thanks to those who commented on yesterday's post - you were right, Maureen it is Rosemarie Peel!! I agree, Riet and I will let her know you want a copy of the book. I asked and she told me a bit about what is going into itbtoo - but that's a secret!!!

This is my last post about the exhibition.

There was time to take a look around a bit further on Sunday and I saw these entries (the link takes you to the Ring of Tatter's site - please scroll down) for the Poetry in Stitches Competion (2008) and they were fabulous. I couldn't have chosen between these three as a favourite and there were lots and lots of other 'non tatted' entries too. The judges must've had their heads in knots over these.

The thing that tickled me most is that I'm sure, nearly sure that I spotted Sid the Scintillating Slug in the Isca tatters entry. I've put an arrow pointing to where I think I spotted him. Any of the Isca tatters care to put my mind at rest?!?!?

The others on the stand wondered why I came back from looking at the exhibits with a great big grin on my face!!! I LOVE to see something I've designed made by other people!!

Guess who?

Now I wonder if you can guess who this is?

OK, I'll give you a clue or 3.

1. She's recently published a new tatting book.
2. She's got several books which are all winners.
3. She's a 'local lass' living in the middle of the UK.

Now, I'm going to let you into a secret. She told me that she's 'on a roll' and that we can expect another new book out this year!!!!!

WHHOOOOOOPPPPPPPEEEEEEEE

More about the exhibition!

OK, a bit more about the exhibition.

Here are two of the 'Sunday' gals!!! Barbara and Sarah are in the photo on the left and on the right. The central one shows them again with some of the public who visited.

It was Barbara's 'maiden voyage' as a demonstrator and she took to it like the proverbial duck to water. We were pretty busy at times. The garden picture is Sarah's. It's so pretty that I had to pop it on the blog.

We did have two others on the stand but I'm keeping quiet about one's identity. I'll show you tomorrow - hopefully!!!

Like the horse's tail!

I'm all behind!! Just like the horse's tail!

Today I'm going to show you the bookmark that I finished at the show on Thursday. Thank you, Jane and Burda!!! I've done two more since then - when I find them again!!

I was there again all day yesterday and have lots to show you. BUT you're going to have to wait until I've got the photos off my camera!!!

I added a ring or two at the top of the bookmark to give it a different look but that's all. The reason I'm using this variegated thread is simply because I DON'T LIKE IT!!!

I thought it would be lovely as it's pink but I think the problem is that it's variegated - and not in a nice way!!! I can tolerate variegated IF it's used with a plain thread and if the design 'fits' it but not on it's own.

There will be more pictures tomorrow and a 'teaser' or two. Things could get interesting round here!!!

A day at the NEC

In my last post I mentioned that that I spent Thursday at the National Exhibition Centre with the Ring of Tatters. Here are some pictures for you to see.

Talking old and time again!!!

Well to all those who wrote in about my ramblings yesterday - thanks!!!

I did actually get the better of time yesterday!! Why? Well I was lucky enough to be chosen to help out at the NEC (for all you foreigners - that stands for the National Exhibition Centre) by the Ring of Tatters. Each year there is an exhibition called the Sewing for Pleasure held there in one of the enormous halls. For any Americans reading my ramblings - we can do 'BIG' in the UK at times!!

The Ring is given a stand there to show the public how to tat if they are interested. We always get a lot of attention and this year we were visited by a lot of youngsters (ie younger than ME!!).

Time flew by (yet again) but this time I think I was on the same wave length as time!!! Boy, did I feel old by the end of the day, though. Another great buzz to this day at the NEC is meeting fellow tatters in the Ring. We talked for England and tatted for the universe when there were quiet moments.

Hopefully I'll show some photos tomorrow. I took a few! I did have a few problems when it came to packing up. The tattysaurus decided to stay - he loves the attention!!! He (and my other mobiles) are staying until Sunday when I spend another day there.

Big surprise when I got back was the award that Sherry left for me. Blog Queen? So pleased to see the letter 'l' in that word!!! Now, when do the golden carriage, silver slippers, ruby ring, footmen, private aeroplane etc arrive, I ask myself? I'm waiting, Sherry!!

As you get old

As you get old.

Now, I'm not the only one getting old - I have it on good authority that it happens to everybody. BUT as I get old life tends to get 'silly'.

Where does that commodity 'time' go to? I wake up in the morning and the pot is full of time.

I have things to do, time to do them in and life looks good. I get to lunchtime and I realise that things are 'slipping'.

By the evening that commodity has long gone and I'm looking back over the day and wondering where it all went.

Ah, I know, I've been robbed!!! Robbed of MY time. What can I do about it?

PLEASE, if anybody's got the answer do let me know.

Bookmarks from Jane in South Africa

A few days ago I had the following sent to me from Jane. Remember Jane from a few days ago?

She said

The original pattern is from Anna Burda magazine, May 1984, page L14. I 'converted' another braid on the Anna page, but this one was very easy, as you can see. Also much easier and neater using split rings. I used size 10 thread and turned it into bookmarks by adding a tassel.

The pattern for the bookmarks looks like this:

SR 1: 6/6

R each side: 4-2-2-4

SR 4: 6/6

R each side: 5+5-2-2-5-5

Repeat, with the next small ring each side joining to the large ring, 4+2-2-4.

I ended with a split ring after two small rings, and attached a tassel to the bottom, and used size 10 thread.