Christmas is only days away! Are you done with all your Christmas tatting? I have one more ornament to finish. The good news, it doesn’t take long. I’ve not only been doing tatting for friends and family, I’ve been doing a bit for me, too.
This is my Snowflake 2010. I only tatted this to get the thread off the shuttles. I needed shuttles to tat with size 10 white and this is size 20 white. Yes, I have other shuttles, but these shuttles were right there, I might as well use them, right? You can never have too many snowflakes.
I have a Christmas shirt that is not a traditional Christmas color and I needed a pair of earrings to go with it. I used Lizbeth thread LizMetallic 323, Christmas Green, to make me a quick pair. These trees don’t take long to make and they are shiny and festive. They worked well with my shirt.
Both of these patterns can be found on My Patterns page here.
I’m finishing up my tatting for Christmas, what about you?
Wishing all of you a wonderful and merry Christmas.
“Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance – each beautiful, unique, and gone too soon.” – Deborah Whipp
It’s hard to believe Christmas is less than two weeks away. It seems like Thanksgiving was just the other day! I have been busy tatting, but time seems so short! Will I get everything done in time?
Every year I try to make a special ornament for family and close friends. I don’t usually think what they will be until I pick up the shuttles to start. This year I had a vague idea several months ago. I had found some cute beads at JoAnn’s that I just knew would look good in a Christmas ornament, I just didn’t quite know how. I tried a few things.
This ornament is on a bangle bracelet. It is made with size 10 white thread and size 6/0 clear beads. The snowman almost looks like it’s in a snow globe, don’t you think? I like the look, but it took longer to make than I was happy with. I gave it away in a gift exchange with our women’s group at church.
I tried again using a bangle bracelet. It is also made with size 10 white thread and 6/0 clear beads. Without the ribbons, I wasn’t that excited about it, with the ribbons I was much happier. I gave this one to my mom.
Neither of these has become this season’s ornament. I’ve been working on what I have decided to be the ornament of the year but I’m not sharing that until I have given them out. And I still have a few to go.
The other day before I went to the party for the ladies at church, I realized I didn’t have a pair of earrings that I wanted to wear. I decided to make a simple pair.
They are not elaborate but still festive and went with the clothes I was wearing. I just love that a few minutes with a shuttle, thread, and a few beads left me with a cute pair of earrings. These are made with size 20 white and little red beads, 10/0 (?). A lovely little gift I gave myself.
I am leaving a gift for you, too. The pattern for the Compass Rose has been added to the My Patterns page.
Will I get everything done in time? Maybe, maybe not. But I’m going to enjoy the doing and not worry about the time. It’s a self-imposed goal anyway. I think I’ll relish the season instead of stressing about it.
What are you tatting for Christmas?
“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things, not the great occasions, give off the greatest glow of happiness.” — Bob Hope
I can’t believe it’s almost December! Or that my last post was in August!! What could have kept me away that long?!
Many things have been going on that have kept me busy. It started while I was still at Tatting Corner’s Tat Days in July, where I spoke to Lisa Adams about teaching a class on the tatting cruise, Knotical Adventures. I had already submitted one pattern and she told me I could submit another. On our way home from Tat Days, my husband and I brainstormed ideas about what I could try. By the time we got home, I had a good idea of another pattern.
Having an idea and making it real are two very different things! For the next several months I made and remade the same thing, changing a bit here, tweaking a bit there. After I thought I had it the way I wanted, I had to write out the pattern. This pattern wasn’t easy to translate to paper. After I wrote it down, I submitted it to a couple of wonderful test tatters, who pointed out all the places that didn’t work. Then I went back to writing out the corrections. I didn’t think I’d have it ready for the cruise, but I did! Thank you to Lora McClintock for testing it with a needle, and to Stephanie Wilson for testing it with a shuttle. Your suggestions and input were put to use and have been greatly appreciated! The result of all this hard work will be shared in another post.
What I will share today is the first item I submitted to teach on the cruise.
The patterns for the cruise were to be of a nautical theme. I thought of this Compass Rose soon after Lisa started asking for teachers. It came together quickly. The hardest part was finding beads with the correct letters for the four directions. I finally decided that it would be best to just write them on. This came out just as I envisioned it.
Then there was the cruise! My sister went with me on Tatting Corner’s Knotical Adventure. We both had a blast! We didn’t tat ALL the time, we enjoyed a few shore excursions as well. Thanks, Lisa, for putting this cruise together! Can’t wait for the next one!
I have a lot of things to share, but now it’s the Christmas season. I have so many things to do, including tat, in the next few weeks. But I plan to post a few more times before the end of the year. Let’s see how well I do!
I finally finished Kaye B. Judt’s Mini Witch. I was leery about working on it until I had time where I knew I would not be interrupted. She is made with a few techniques I hadn’t done before, not hard, just different. And it was in black thread, which is hard to see if there wasn’t enough light.
I had a few issues when assembling this little witch. It was caused mainly by not reading the directions well before I started it. I think she ended up a bit short because of how I put the skirt on the body, and I didn’t scrunch up the arms enough, leaving them almost too long to hold the pumpkin. After assembling the body I thought I was ready to put on the hat. I picked it up and found I had only the brim and the hair, the crown of it wasn’t finished. Oops. Just a small delay in finishing.
This is the last of the projects for Tatting Corner’s Tat Days. All the projects will look great at Halloween when I use them in decorating my house. I’m planning on making a dress for the Pocket Toddler appropriate for the day.
Recently I have been busy working on writing out patterns instead of doing much tatting. I have one that I am submitting to teach on the cruise in November. This one is a bit complicated to write out as it is not flat and has been quite a challenge. My husband is pretty excited about this piece, it’s pretty cute!
The last couple of weeks here have been excessively hot. Not as hot as the southwest, but plenty hot. I’m glad I have things to do in the house as it is oppressive to go outside. I’m looking forward to next week when it is supposed to be a bit cooler. At least with the heat, I’m more inclined to work on the patterns, inside where it’s cool.
“Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken.” — Rachel Caine
I finished two more projects from Tatting Corner’s 2023 Tat Days. Neither one is entirely according to directions, but they are done!
These are Mike Lyon’s Halloween Cats on a Clip – except they are on a bangle bracelet instead. They are also made in size 20 thread instead of the size 40 that he specified so they would fit on a paper clip. I had trouble closing the SCMRs in size 40 black during the class and had no better luck at home. Between the black thread, which is very hard for me to see, and the fineness of the thread, I just kept fighting with it. And losing. I finally said enough and went to size 20 thread. I could use a bit of practice doing these, but I got them done!
Do you know what would be cute for Halloween? Mike’s Pumpin with Cluny Leaf on the inside of the bangle, and the cats on top. Hmmm, I might have to try that for Halloween.
My Tatted Pocket Toddler is finally dressed and has hair. This cute doll is the brainchild of Carolyn Craig. I needed yarn for the hair and saw the red Scrubby yarn and thought it would look cute. It is the right color but it is a pain to work with. I should have stuck with regular yarn. I might change it. But it’s done! I can see myself making different dresses for her for different holidays. She will be a great addition to my holiday decorating.
The only project not yet complete is Kaye’s Mini Witch. It is so close to being complete! I’m going to have to make sure I’m rested, not interrupted, and have plenty of light to finish it. This week we are dog-sitting my daughter’s dog, which means interruptions are frequent! Both she and our dog think they need my undivided attention, at the same time, all the time! There may be a little jealousy involved. I believe I’ll wait to work on the witch until my daughter gets home.
All of the projects from Tat Days will work as part of my Halloween decorations. It’s not that I usually put out a lot, but these will fit in with whatever I put out.
“If bad decorating was a hanging offense, there’d be bodies hanging from every tree!” Sylvester Stallone
During Tat Days, Lisa Adams, of Tatting Corner, has an auction to raise money for a good cause. This year the auction was for The Animal Protection League. Representatives from the League were there to explain their mission, which is a beautiful cause. The auction raised $3,695! The auction consists of tatting-related items, including books, threads, and shuttles, among other things. It was fun to watch all the action at the auction as tatters bid on the different items. My husband and I contributed by having the winning bids on a few shuttles.
This is a stainless steel shuttle from PekaloDesign. I haven’t tried tatting with it yet, but I’m looking forward to it. I hear they are wonderful to tat with.
How about the etching on this shuttle? It feels nice, too. There were two like this, and I was lucky enough to get one.
This brass shuttle is a type I’ve never had before. It’s numbered and dated which must mean it is a limited edition. I’m looking forward to seeing how this one feels to tat with.
While I was attending the tatting classes, my husband was finding other things to do. On Friday he went to several antique stores and flea markets. He surprised me with another shuttle.
My husband has been around my and my shuttles enough to know what to look for in a shuttle. This one is a bit misshapen from use, but the tips are tights and the point is in good shape. He didn’t spend nearly as much on this one as the other three shuttles.
Since I’ve been home I’ve been tatting a lot, but on a new pattern and not so much on the class projects. I did finally finish tatting the body for Craig’s Tatted Pocket Toddler.
I enjoyed tatting this. Craig put a log of work into the pattern and the directions. I’m currently working on the dress for this doll. Maybe I’ll have it done by the time I post next time.
Tat Days were only Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but my husband and I made a week of it. We left home on Sunday afternoon and went to Kentucky to see the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. We visited the Ark on the 4th, and the Creation Museum on the fifth before heading to Anderson. We have heard a lot about these and were glad we had the opportunity to visit them.
The Ark is BIG. We got there just after opening and there were already a lot of people there. We had bought our tickets online, so we got on the bus at the parking lot with minimal wait to be taken to the Ark. This is a very cool place to visit if you are in the area.
The Creation Museum is not just items under glass. There was a lot of walking here and at the Ark. We spent about five hours at each place and still didn’t see everything. Both places also have zoos, with interesting animal interactions. We didn’t personally do anything but look at the animals, but the opportunity to feed and interact with some of them was available.
The entire week was wonderful! We saw some beautiful country, visited interesting places, and had a wonderful time at Tat Days! We are both looking forward to going again next year!
Tatting Corner Tat Days is officially over. It was a wonderful three days for me, meeting new people, and seeing friends from last year. Lisa did a great job of organizing all of the tatting classes, and making sure everyone had food that met special dietary requirements. Thanks, Lisa!
These are a few of the projects offered this year under the theme “Ghosties, Goblins, and Tatting – Oh MY!!”. The Baby Bat by Rozella Linden is the only project I finished while there. Mary Anna Robinson taught the class from the book “Things That Go ‘Tat’ in The Night”. Those that took the class also received the book, yay! Ria and I discussed several techniques while making it.
The “Halloween Cats on a Clip” class was by Mike Lyon, aka Shuttle Commander on Facebook. I did the orange on the clip with no problem and started the first cat with the size 40 black thread but had a few issues. I tat so tight I kept breaking the thread when pulling the SCMR closed. Finally, I went to a size 20 thread I had with me – and broke that thread, too. I gave up during the class but worked on it again that night and was successful with the size 20! I just have to learn to not tat so tight with these! I see lots of possibilities with these kitties! Looking forward to making more.
The Sorting Hat was the brainchild of Donna Pagano Denny. This was fun! I chose a bright color for it so I could see the stitches and finished it on the way home. As you can see in the picture at the top I don’t have it shaped yet. But I will!
Kristina was in the class, sitting across from me making the hat. She was so fun to talk to! I found out she is already a follower of my blog! Hi, Kristina! Looking forward to seeing you next time! She sent me a picture of her Hymnal Angel that she made for Christmas last year. She did a wonderful job!
Another class I took where I didn’t finish the project was “What Am I?” or “Tatted Pocket Toddler” by Carolyn Craig. This is done entirely of Split Rings with a couple of very short chains thrown in. I am enjoying this immensely! I’m looking forward to dressing my toddler when I’m finished tatting the body. FYI, if you haven’t seen Craig’s Mermaids and all the toddlers she’s done, you are missing out! They are fantastic! She’s on Facebook and a member of the Friends of Tatting Corner group.
I made a bit of a mistake on this, but it won’t make any difference, especially once she’s dressed and has hair.
The last class I took was Kaye B. Judt’s “Mini Witch”. This is so cool! Kaye (also a Friends of Tatting Corner group member) took the time to take us through the construction phase, which is the last thing to do, and which few got to (that I’m aware of). She had a table full of little dolls made like the witch in different colors and sizes and outfits. So cute! I think the only thing besides putting it together I need to do is to tat the second arm.
Yes, there are several pieces – including the one tatted arm – that are missing. Like the head, a wooden bead. I have all those pieces, ready to go when it’s time to put them together.
Tat Days was so fun! I was sad to see it end, though my hands were glad of the break. My husband and I are already talking about going next year. Of course, before then there is the cruise in November, where I’ll get to see some of my tatting friends again. And I’ll be teaching a class then!
Tatting Corner’s Tat Days start in just over a week, July 6, 7, & 8. I’m trying to prepare for the classes I will be taking.
I’ve been reviewing the project descriptions and lists of what each requires, such as thread color and size, how many shuttles, etc. I have plenty of shuttles but some of them have threads from previous projects still on them. The last week or so I’ve been emptying them by making doodles and small motifs.
These are a few doodles and such that have come off my shuttles this week. I really need to empty my shuttles when I’m done with a project instead of waiting until I need the shuttles. I had enough shuttles emptied for the upcoming classes when I found more shuttles.
I don’t know that I’m going to take time to remove all the threads from these before we leave for Indiana, but I know what I should be doing whenever I get the chance. I found a box with loaded shuttles that still has the project attached.
This is the only class project from last year’s Tat Days that I did not finish. Pearl is a cute mermaid, but somewhat complicated. I’m going to try finishing her before we leave. Where the hands are joined is a bit tricky, I might have to ask for help. When finished, she will be a great piece to put on a vest or shirt, or bag for the upcoming cruise in November.
Now I need to go back to list making and bill paying so I am ready to leave at the end of the week. Tat Days, here I come!
“He, who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the most busy life.”Victor Hugo
My mother has been going through her stuff, trying to thin them out. When she finds items she thinks I might like, she gifts them to me. I can’t keep everything she gives me, but I love that she thinks of me and gives me these little things. Recently she gave me a bag with sewing notions.
I’m not sure how old any of these are, but it is obvious they are not new.
Check out the cost of two of these spools of thread! The thread is old enough that I expect it would break when sewing with them. I wouldn’t try to use it unless I had to. All of the spools are wooden, which for some reason I just love.
All three of the wooden needle cases have needles in them. Each is labeled to have three needles inside, which they do, but two cases have five needles. And not all the same size. I do not know if these needles will work in my sewing machine, but I plan to check.
Mom doesn’t know where the needlebook came from, and there is no information on it except what you see. The back of the book looks just like the front.
Some of the needles have been used and a few are missing. I’m not seeing any needles here that will work for the thread I use in tatting, but I do sew buttons on once in a while, LOL!
My brother-in-law gave me a pretty cool gift recently. He knew it was something I wouldn’t use, but he thought it was funny.
According to Google, this is a wooden weaving shuttle. Check out how big it is! I have included the ruler and two tatting shuttles to show just how large it is. It does look like there is something broken on it. But it’s a cool gift. I think it will be a great decoration in my craft room.
I haven’t gotten much tatting done lately. Or much done on my patterns, either. I’m hoping to get back into both soon. I have gotten a bit of motivation from a couple of emails about preparation for Tatting Corning’s Tat Days in July. This is happening in three weeks! I need to start getting my tatting organized for the classes I’m taking.
“There is only one real deprivation… and that is not to be able to give one’s gifts to those one loves most.”May Sarton
A few days ago I received an email asking if I had written out the pattern for an edging I made years ago. I hadn’t yet, but it seemed totally doable. It is a simple edging so it wouldn’t take long to write it out.
This edging is Kamryn, which I designed and made in 2015. When I made it back then, I had material picked out to go with it for a table runner. That changed by the time it was finished and ready to be sewn on, which you can read about in the blog post of December 4, 2015. This time I didn’t have colors picked out to make it in so I used thread I had conveniently close by. This was Lizbeth #671 Christmas Red and #650 Denim Blue Lt, both are size 20.
Thank you to Dana Morse for liking it and asking about the pattern. She also test-tatted it for me when I finished it, which was a great help. Thanks, Dana! For those that are interested in the pattern, the link is on the My Patterns page.
In the middle of May, Muskaan of T.I.P.S. Around the Home started a Design Along (DAL) for a Celtic snowflake. She made the first two rounds and furnished the pattern for them. The idea is to design rounds three, and four if you want, to finish it. I decided to join her challenge.
You can find the pattern for the first two rounds on Muskaan’s blog and her Facebook page. My pattern is jotted down on the pictures I put on Facebook. I’ll be writing my two rounds out better – eventually. She shared the snowflakes of everyone that joined the DAL on her blog. It’s amazing a different all the snowflakes came out when they all started with the same two first rounds.
This was a lot of fun to do. My rounds were not exactly Celtic, but round four did overlap with round three. This is going to make writing out the pattern a bit challenging. As Muskaan started this with just a shuttle and ball I kept to that, even though I usually tat with two shuttles so I can go in any direction the pattern takes me. In this snowflake, I utilized SCMRs (self-closing mock rings) to make the pattern do what I wanted. I used two colors so the different elements of the pattern can be seen. I used Lizbeth #650 Denim Blue Lt and #628 Salmon Med, both are size 20.
Now that I have a simple pattern done, I’m hoping to get back to writing out more of my patterns. Looking back at my blog I see that I am way behind on getting them written out. It’s amazing how time flies when you’re having fun.
Something new I’m trying is a YouTube channel. I’ve been thinking about it for a while but have been hesitant to start. Where to start? What do you talk about? Then I saw The ShuttleSmith, Karen Bovard-Sayer, introducing her channel on YouTube, and the idea of TattingTube. I think the idea of an easy way to keep tatting channels together is a good one. So I’ve started my channel, Wanda’s Knotty Thoughts, and joined her idea of TattingTube. I invite you to check it out.