Memorial Day 2017

Memorial Day, an Amerian national holiday that is celebrated the last Monday of the month of May.  On this day we honor those who have given their lives in defense of our country.  Over the years it has come to be a day that all graves are decorated and those who served in the military are marked with flags.
Decorated graves on Memorial Day on wandasknottythoughts
Decorated graves on Memorial Day

Sunday we visited local family graves, ones that don’t take hours to get to  It was a beautiful day for a drive. There was almost no wind, which in Kansas is very rare.  The sky had puffy white clouds that cleared off in the evening.  The sunset was amazing.

Memorial decorated for Memorial Day 2017 on wandasknottythoughts
Park Memorial

On Monday morning, all over the country, there are ceremonies conducted at cemeteries and other locations to honor fallen veterans.  I planned on going to a local observance but misunderstood what time it was.  I did make it to another one just as they got started.  Patriotic songs were sung, prayers were said, an uplifting message was given, and a roll call of veterans that died in the last year was read.  Local Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts assisted with the ceremony, helping to raise the flag (to half-staff) and set flowers for each name on the roll-call.  The VFW Auxillary  (Veterans of Foreign Wars) helped with the honor guard along with local members of the military.  It was incredibly moving.

Later in the afternoon, we had family and friends over for supper.  It was a great end to a lovely weekend.

“Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring veterans, it’s honoring those who lost their lives.  Veterans had the fortune of coming home.  for us, that’s a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve.  It’s a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it.”  Pete Hegseth     www.brainyquote.com/quotes

Tatted barrette

While looking through a drawer the other day I came across this barrette I decorated a long time ago.  It has seen a lot of wear and tear, and maybe a bit of rough handling.  There used to be three strands of the beads but two were lost somewhere along the way.
Decorated tatted barrette on wandasknottythoughts
Decorated tatted barrette

I know this is made with DMC size 30 Ecru thread.  After all these years, how do I know?  Because I used it a lot back in the early 90s.  I even know what pattern this is.  It’s the skirt of  “Colonial Lady Applique” from Aunt Ellen’s Tatting Handbook.  This one has a mistake in it somewhere, hidden by the flowers.  I made several Colonial Ladies back then, or at least parts of them, one of which I took to the fair.   I noticed that I used white ribbon behind the tatting.  I must have been in a hurry to wear it and didn’t have ecru ribbon to use.

Tatted barrette on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted barrette

I used to have long hair and wore this frequently.  I now have very short hair – this wouldn’t stay in long.

I have a hard time throwing tatting away, even when mistakes are made.  After putting in all that hard work it is a shame to just toss it.  I have bags of things that have some kind of issue that I keep.  I may find some place that I can use it.

Eventually.

What do you do with your mistakes?  Keep or toss?

“Recycling turns things into other things.  Which is like MAGIC!”  unknown

Tatted flowers for her birthday

My mother celebrated her birthday recently.  This happens every year, of course, but sometimes it coincides with Mother’s Day.  This year it didn’t, which made it much easier on the family.  We always try to do something special for her birthday and something else for Mother’s Day.  Everyone deserves to celebrate their birthday separate to a holiday, don’t they?
Metal leaf ornament from Durham Museum, Omaha, Nebraska on wandasknottythoughts
Metal leaf ornament

My sister and I found this beautiful metal leaf decoration in the gift shop of the Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska.  When we saw it we immediately knew our mother would love it.  It also isn’t something you can buy at any Wal-mart.  How perfect as a birthday gift.

We also gave her a birthday card from both of us that I decorated with a few tatted flowers.  I frequently add simple tatted flowers to cards, usually just single rings of picots.  This time I layered them.  The thread was almost an exact match to the flowers on the front of the card.

Tatted flowers on birthday card on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted flowers on birthday card

Mother was very happy with both the gift and the card.

“There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.”  William Barclay

‘Milan’ cross bookmark

I have so many things I would like to be making at the moment that I don’t get any of them started.  To keep from not accomplishing anything I’ve kept on making bookmarks.
"Milan" tatted cross bookmark on wandasknottythoughts
“Milan” tatted cross bookmark

I had a few false starts when making “Milan” cross bookmark.  The first time the long, bottom leg came out great but I hadn’t thought through how to make the ‘arms’.  The second time I finished it but the bottom leg was way too wide.  I’ll keep it for myself – I did put a lot of work into it – but it looks rather odd. (I did not take a picture of it.) I learned a lot from both trials and this is the result.

"Milan" tatted cross bookmark in Lizbeth size 20, #658 on wandasknottythoughts
“Milan” tatted cross bookmark in Lizbeth size 20, #658

When making “Milan” center it doesn’t lay flat but once the arms are made it lays flat with minimal blocking.  Just putting this in a book or putting something heavy on it would straighten it out well.  My problem with it was my chains – I couldn’t keep the tension right.  I am pleased with how this one in Ocean Turquoise Light turned out.

Now if I can only get organized to work on the other things I want to!

“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.”  Eva Young

Sympathy bookmark

Tatted cross bookmark to go inside a sympathy card on wandasknottythougths
Tatted cross with sympathy card

I had the occasion to use one of the cross bookmarks I tatted recently.  Sadly it was put in a sympathy card to a friend on the loss of their mother.  This is one reason I keep these bookmarks on hand, to send as a small token of my sympathy to let them know I am thinking of them during their time of grief.

“The people you have in your life grow and occupy space in the tapestry that makes up your life. When they are gone, it makes a hole where they used to be. The memories and love are still there and may always be there. So don’t look at your tapestry as filled with holes- look at it as your own unique lace pattern. The pattern isn’t over, but it is constantly changing. The pain of loss doesn’t ever really go away, but it does lessen over time.”   Unknown

Bunny Bookmarks

I didn’t get as many bunnies tatted as I hoped I would, but I finished enough to make bookmarks for a few special people.
Tatted bunny paper bookmark with inspirational message on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted bunny bookmark

A little green thread worked well as grass to support the tatted bunnies and a few flowers.  They look very bright and spring-y, don’t they?

3 tatted bunny bookmarks with inspirational message on wandasknottythoughts
3 tatted bunny bookmarks

I made these for my mother and her sisters.  They are the same but different 🙂 They were well received when I delivered them Easter afternoon.

My husband and I were fortunate to have several days of holiday from work Easter weekend.  We did a little yard work, had some family time, and still had time to just relax and enjoy our time off.

I’m still working on the UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) that I’ve located.  Okay, maybe just thinking about working on them.  I keep coming up with new things I want to make.  How do I decide what to work on first?

How do you decide what to work on?

“Do it now! Today will be yesterday tomorrow.”

Here Be Bunnies

Spring is here and Easter is in a few days.  This year, to get into the spirit of the season, I’ve made a few bunnies.
Tatted bunny with flowers on wandasknottythoughts
Spring Bunny

I had brown Lizbeth #698 size 10 on shuttles already, so I used that and white Lizbeth #601 size 10.  The bunny head is a ring, the body are chains, and the tail is a Single Shuttle Split Ring.

Field of tatted bunnies on wandasknottythoughts
Field of tatted bunnies

The brown bunny without a tail is the first one I made.  Those are feet instead of a tail, so he’s facing front instead of back.  The hardest part of the ones with tails is not seeing the white at the top of the body when finishing off the bunny. I plan on using these on bookmarks or cards so used a bit of glue on the back after tying a knot at the back.  That way I didn’t have to hide the ends of the white thread.

These were fun and easy to make, though I haven’t done as many as I’d like. I had a few days off from work last week but I hardly tatted at all.  My sister and I took a little trip for a little sister time. I did a lot of driving and a lot of talking.

Our little trip included a visit to one set of grandchildren this last weekend.  We decorated Easter eggs together.  It was a lot of fun, though they had to finish all the eggs we started with their mother.

I plan on seeing the other set of grandchildren this next weekend.  Not sure if we’ll color eggs or not.   If we can’t all get together at the same time for Easter, this will have to be the next best thing.

“May your Easter be filled with lots of Easter eggs, presents from the Easter bunny, blessings from Jesus Christ and most of all happiness that lasts for a life time. I’m sending lots of love on your way. Happy Easter to you.”
Unknown

One UFO Done

I finished a UFO! (Un-Finished Object)
Tatted bookmark in Lizbeth size 20, previously a UFO on wandasknottythoughts
Finished tatted bookmark, previously a UFO

I finally found the thread I started this bookmark with.  Unfortunately, the label came out.  I know this is Lizbeth size 20, and I think it’s color #646 Purple Iris Lt.

This piece works up with a bit of a wave to it.  After spraying with water, a few pins in certain areas tame it.  A ribbon down the center, over and under the rings in the middle, would look nice in it.  I even have the correct number of holes to keep the ribbon on the backside at both ends.  Will wonders never cease?

I have two more UFOs handy that I plan to work on, but I also have a couple of things I want to make before Easter.  I’ll have to keep my eye on the calendar so I don’t procrastinate too long on those.

It’s only one week until International Tatting Day, April 1st.  Right now I do not have any plans to TIP (tat in public) that day.  But it is a week away and a lot can change by then.  Do you have any plans for ITD?

“Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun.”  Christina Rossetti

Happy St .Patrick’s Day

Tatted clovers for St. Patty's Day on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted clovers for St. Patty’s Day

May those who love us, love us;
And for those who don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts;
And if He doesn’t turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles,
So we will know them by their limping!

🙂

Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/2009/02/irish-blessings-for-luck.aspx?p=7#0aPyHZH9ASLklDlm.99