Thanksgiving

Can you believe Thanksgiving day has passed? It came and went so fast! We still have one Thanksgiving family gathering today, but I’ve put away my fall decorations and started on my Christmas decorating.

Table ready for family on Thanksgiving on wandasknottythoughts
Table ready for the family on Thanksgiving

This year we had a bit of rescheduling for some of the family get-togethers, so for Thanksgiving day we only had our daughters and their families and my mother over for lunch. We finalized the menu through texts a week ago. The meal was terrific, with minimal issues, as nothing burned and there was space for everyone at the table. We did add an extra table to the one in the picture so we could seat everyone, but no one was cramped. The weather in the afternoon was cool but sunny, so we ended up outside. Then we played a game before they all had to go home. There were a bunch of pictures taken!

I have been working on the edging for a Christmas table runner that I had been asked to do last year (!). She didn’t need it until this year, so I had plenty of time to get it done. Or so you’d think. I couldn’t make up my mind about the edging! I thought about it and tried several different things over the last several months, trying to come up with something I was happy about. I like the look of the edging I came up with, but I need to tweak it a bit more before I’ll be happy with the pattern.

Candy cane Christmas runner on wandasknottythoughts
Candy cane Christmas runner

The lady that requested the runner showed me another Christmas runner she had and her tree skirt so I had an idea of what type of fabric to use, and I still had a hard time choosing it. There were so many beautiful fabrics to choose from at Jo-Ann’s! And I needed to buy more than I usually do as she wanted a longer runner than I ordinarily make. The tatted edging also needed to be a bit wider than I have made in the past, another challenge.

In so many ways the tatting is the easy part. I rarely sew, which means it takes longer than I expect it to. And then I have to stitch the edging to the runner – on both ends! But the final result is worth it.

Now I’ll be working on perfecting that edging, as well as working on Christmas ornaments. I’ve had a hard time the last month or so not getting sidetracked from the edging by all the ideas I’ve had for other Christmas things. Now if I can just remember all those ideas!

About the September Angel pattern I have spoken about, there has been another delay. I had the whole thing written out but needed to make a correction. I printed it out to test tat it and noted the corrections that needed to be done. For an unknown reason, my computer shut down. When I went back to the pattern half of it was gone! Not sure what the glitch was, but thank goodness I have the printed version. Now I just need to re-write the parts that disappeared.

“The memories we make with our family is everything.” – Candace Cameron Bure.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2021 on wandasknottythoughts
Happy Thanksgiving!

It is Thanksgiving Day in the United States today. I wish all of you a wonderful day, filled with food and family.

I’m thankful for many, many things – the wonderful food that we have, all of my family, both near and far, and the multitude of physical things I have, like my house, car, and all of the threads and shuttles I have around my house.

I’m also thankful for all of you that read my blog and like my patterns. It makes me all warm and fuzzy feeling when I see all the visits to the blog and the interest that you have in my patterns. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7

Craft Show

The craft show last weekend went well.  I sold several runners and a few other smaller things which means I paid for the booth and a bit more besides which makes it a successful show. Moundridge Craft Show booth with tatted items from wandasknottythoughts
My booth setup
I didn’t get a picture of the booth before the show started.  I had already sold one of my table runners by the time I thought about it.
Moundridge Craft Show booth with my sister with tatted items from wandasknottythoughts
 This is my sister’s booth.  We have two spaces but put our tables together.
I think the green-over-black really made the tables look good.
I talked to several other venders from the show and they all had the same results we did: people were buying but not a lot.  That still makes it a successful show.
This year I had a small Christmas tree that I strung with battery-powered LED lights and covered in small, button-centered tatted ornaments.  I also had small button-centered tatted snowmen. Each one was a little different.
Tatted button-centered snowmen from wandasknottythoughts
A few of the tatted snowmen on the tree at home before the show.
I thought they came out well; everyone that saw them thought they were cute.  I put pin backs on a few but they can still be hung on the tree.  My sister asked for one to be put on a barrette and it worked for that, too.
Tatted snowman with buttons from wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Button-centered snowman
© Wanda Salmans 2015
For all that it is very simple I wrote up the pattern and have added it to my Pattern tab.
Thanksgiving cornucopia from wandasknottythoughts

This week was Thanksgiving here in America.  Here at home we’ve had enough ice and bad weather that we haven’t been able to gather with any of our family so far.  But we are thankful that we have family that are healthy and happy even if we can’t see them this week.

 I’m also thankful that I can share my enjoyment of tatting with others at craft shows and on this blog. Thanks to all of you for stopping by.
“Thanksgiving is a time to remember…
our blessings and make good cheer with all who we hold dear.”

Craft show

The craft show was a success!
I was very happy with how the craft show turned out. A lot of people came to the show, many willing to spend money (at least at our booth!) I’m always happy when I sell enough to cover the cost of the booth at a show, and Saturday was much better 🙂

My booth a little before the start of the show.  I did a little rearranging and straightening before it started.
I displayed snowflakes and spool ornaments on a small tree. It drew a lot of attention; the picture doesn’t do it justice.
A view of the gym after things slowed down a bit.
Usually during a craft show I keep a small tatting project handy to work on during slow times, which also has a tendency to draw people over to see what you are doing.  This show I never had a chance to even get it out of my purse. I wasn’t always selling something – I spoke to a lot of people about who they knew/know that tats and the possibility of them someday learning themselves, even a few that actually tat.  I lost track of how many business cards I handed out to prospective students. ***happy dance***
This Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the United States.  We’ll be having family over to our house on Thursday when we’ll be having roast beef, but we’re cooking the turkey for another big family dinner on Saturday.  I’m looking forward to seeing family as well as all the food 🙂
While going through some of my old tatting papers looking for patterns the other day I found a small photo album that I used to keep small samples of my tatting in many years ago.  I found this turkey doodle with a date of 1992.  It’s cute, quick, and timely so I made a few for the holiday.  I think I’ll put a pin back on these and give them to a few of my family.  Or maybe use them for table decorations as place markers or something.  They are made with size 20 Lizbeth thread and are less than an inch tall.
May you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
“Not what we say about our blessings but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.”
W.T. Purkiser

Snowflakes and Pictures

I made my ‘Crowned Wheel’ (found on my Patterns tab) in white for the first time.  It’s actually the first time I’ve made it in a solid color instead of a variegated thread.  It looks pretty good as a snowflake.

The small snowflakes are just my doodling around to make small ‘flakes for the bags I’ve been decorating, but I’m pretty sure that some version of these (and more!) are in Patti Duff’s ‘Minitats’ (which is currently sold out) and probably other places as well.  
I haven’t gotten much tatting done in the last week due to having family doings for Thanksgiving.  We had three different dinners in three days.  I didn’t have to cook for all three – one was catered and not at our house; one was at our house but made by my Son-In-Law; the other at our house where I did almost everything but the turkey which was smoked outside.  We’re dining on leftovers still, and will be for several more days.  This is not a bad thing at all – little cooking but a variety of good food 🙂
Have you ever had family get-togethers where you want to take pictures but not everyone is all that enthused about it?  As I take a lot of pictures my family knows it’s coming and they will just have to suffer through it.  This year I tried to make it fun.  The weather was very mild so we took the set pictures outside.  I had purchased some holiday accessories – Christmas tree head bands, gnome/elf hats, funny glasses – and had everyone wear them for pictures.  I didn’t hear nearly as much complaining as I usually do – everyone was laughing too hard. The kids thought it was great and even the guys had fun with it.
Our daughters framing us for the holidays.
It was great to have such a mild holiday weekend where we could spend a lot of time outside and didn’t have to bundle up.  I heard that the weather on the east coast was pretty nasty with a lot of travel delays.  Our turn could be coming.  The temp here today was about 65º F, tomorrow the high is supposed to be about 23º.  
And “breezy” – meaning winds 10 to 25 mph.
And maybe snow.
Lovely.
“You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.”
Desmond Tutu
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Birthday gift

I made this cross bookmark for one of my Sunday School students who’s birthday was this week.  I had planned on making it several weeks ago but that was while I was getting ready for the craft show, so it got put off.  Then there was the week before Thanksgiving trying to get some neglected cleaning done before our daughter’s family arrived for the weekend.  Then there was Thanksgiving and all the get-togethers and dinners.  Sunday morning arrived and it wasn’t done yet!
Luckily I woke early, even before the grandchildren, and was able to get started on it.  I kept making mistakes on stitch counts and joins, and then the kids got up.  Just a few more distractions while I hurried to finish it before church.  Amazingly, I did it.
This is made with Lizbeth size 20 in #641 Lilac Dark for the rings and #633 Dark Purple for the chains.  The pictures, at least on my computer, come out looking like shades of blue, but trust me, they’re purple! I’m pretty sure she’ll like it as purple is her favorite color.  
I say pretty sure because after all that hurrying to get it done, her family was out of town for the holidays so she hasn’t seen it yet. Oh, well, it’s done.  Much better to have it done and her not there that the other way around!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with several dinners and lots of family. We don’t see much of some of the families that much anymore, which is sad.  Fortunately we still try to get together for Thanksgiving and Christmas and most are able to make one or the other, and if we are lucky, both.  Hopefully some that couldn’t make it for Thanksgiving will be able to come for Christmas.
Now things have settled down a bit, at least for a few days, and I can think what I still need to make and do for Christmas.  Unlike Diane I haven’t been getting any snowflakes made.  She has made some beautiful ones this year.  I need to get motivated and make some myself.
“A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
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