Tag: Tatting Tea Tuesday

Little things

Adding tatting to buttons for brooches has really caught my imagination lately.  I pull out different threads to compare which ones look the best with the different buttons and dream about what I’m going to do with each one. 
I guess there are worse things to think about. 
This is the latest button.  On which I used another button as well as some tatting in Lizbeth Mocha Brown Dark #692 and Harvest Orange Med #694, both size 20.  It does have a pin back on it as well. Now I just need the right color blouse or dress to wear it on.  Or maybe a hat, or my purse…
I saw a neat idea over at Sew Many Ways awhile back that came to mind the other day.  I had a few of these clips handy and thought I’d give it a try.

They came out kinda cute, don’t you think?  I suppose they could be used for paper like they are intended as well.
A Soggy Tatting Tea Tuesday
It rained yesterday.  
One of the barn swallows that has made a house on the side of our house was out enjoying it.  It was raining pretty heavy and he was out taking a bath.  The post on our (decorative) hand pump is a favorite perch for the swallows all the time, even in the rain.

It rained yesterday.
This was later in the evening.

Did I mention it rained yesterday?
This is a picture the neighbor sent us looking out his front door to our back door.  Those lighter stripes there are his driveway.
No, we don’t live in the flood plain of a creek or pond or lake.  We actually live on somewhat high ground – for the neighborhood.  
We were very nervous about the water getting into the house but it didn’t. It came up to the thresh holds of the doors but didn’t come in. 
The roads flooded as well.  We had to take a detour to get home after work because of water over the roads.  We thought we might have to wait awhile for the water to go down but the road we detoured to had only about an inch running over it, so we chanced it (after walking it to verify depth and speed) and made it home okay.  This morning instead of tatting or blogging we drove around to see how much the water had gone down and if the roads were passable. They were.
We are still in a flood watch until Thursday morning though.  It rained so hard farther north that the creeks and rivers close to us could still come up in the next few days. 
Did I mention that it rained yesterday?

Photo albums

Our stay at a cabin over the Independence Day weekend inspired me to tat Jane’s Norman Rooster pattern.   Why is that, you ask?   The cabin’s designation is the “Rooster”. 
Norman was Jane’s TIAS for 2010, which I started but didn’t finish (I don’t remember why now).  I’d always planned to complete Norman and now I have.  I thought he would make a cute photo album cover of pictures from our holiday. So today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I’m putting the finishing touches on it while drinking an iced glass of Crystal Light Raspberry Green Tea .
Jane Eborall’s Norman Rooster pattern
Tatted by Wanda Salmans
Other than Christmas Red for the comb and beard I can’t remember right now the colors I used to make him though they are all Lizbeth in size 20.  I know that I wasn’t too happy with the color I chose for the tail while I was making it but finished it anyway.  I’m glad I did, it looks okay.  I thought he looked a little lonely on the cover so I added a butterfly and some flowers made while finishing off thread from a couple of shuttles.  
I had a terrible time finding paper to put him on.  I don’t have a huge selection of scrapbook paper but I have some – and it is never what I want (they all looked great at the store, though).  So I had to doctor up what I had to make it work.  I don’t know that it’s great but it works. 
Morgan Mouse on a 6-point finding
Designed and tatted by Wanda Salmans
While I was at it I went ahead and did one with a pink Morgan Mouse. All threads used are Lizbeth size 20 in various colors – again emptying shuttles. (I have a bunch of butterflies and flowers from doing this. They come in handy sometimes.)
Speaking of mice…
Last night when I got home from work I took off my shoes and sat down in my chair to watch a little TV.  Our cat was under my chair and kept reaching a paw under my feet (they were kind of tented together, not flat on the floor) and tickling me.  Of course I told her to quit and she moved around to the other side of the footstool and kept looking at my feet.  I finally noticed there was something under my feet, moved them to see what it was
and
a 
mouse ran out.
Yes, a real, live, grey mouse.
It wasn’t moving too fast and stopped on the other side of the footstool – I don’t know if I squished it a bit or whether it was just stunned by the smell of my stocking feet.  The cat watched it intently but didn’t jump on it as it was just kind of laying there and not running.  My brave, thoughtful husband picked it up by the tail and took it outside to dispose of in some manner – far away from the house I assume.  The cat was somewhat disappointed.
We live in the country right beside a wheat field – excuse me, the wheat is cut and they have planted soybeans now – so we are not unfamiliar with mice, but this is not a normal experience. 
I would have preferred Morgan Mouse under my feet.
In any color.
“Never play cat and mouse games if you’re the mouse.”
Don Addis quotes

Tatting Tea Tuesday

This morning while checking my Facebook I found this page that had some lovely teapots!  How appropriate for Tatting Tea Tuesday, don’t you think?  
Teapot found on Facebook
I’ve had a very busy two weeks for various reasons, and my sister even more so.  She has been planning and crafting for a craft show that was Saturday, June 8.  Other things happened that put a crimp in her time for getting things ready, but with all the money and time she’d already invested she couldn’t not go.  She said she would take some of my things if I wanted, even though I couldn’t go.  It was an outside show held in Hutchinson, KS.   They were only allowing one hour (!) of setup time before the show so we had to make the setup easy.  My husband and I had lent her our pop-up and wind screen, which was definitely needed.  I didn’t want her to have to work very hard on my stuff and I was having trouble coming up with a display that was easy for her to put out.  I finally came up with this. 

This is an upside-down cardboard box with the flaps taped open to make it taller.  I stitched two lines of thread on each of two sides from which I hung my items.  Then I carefully folded up the material and put it inside the box.  It didn’t take much time to set it out!
Unfortunately the show did not go well.  It was poorly planned and the location was awful.  It was not in a place that encouraged or had much traffic that would be interested in crafty items.  Then there was the weather – it was sunny and windy.  I think the gusts were getting to about 45 mph.  My sister said she and the other crafters spent most of their time trying to keep their items from blowing away or chasing those that did.  Between the wind and lack of people all of the crafters packed up and left about noon instead of staying to 4:00 PM as planned.  She was very disappointed. She is now trying to find a show that isn’t too far away and inside.  
Alfred A. Montapert Quote

Another Keeper

Scissors keeper in Lizbeth #142 Turquoise Twist in size 20
I’m rather pleased how these came out.  More pleased with the scissors fob than the badge reel motif, but happy with both on the whole.  
You might remember that last week I was working with purple LBH size 40 thread.  I had the keeper made and was working on a fob for the scissors.  Wellllll, I’m not sure if it was because the thread was old or because I’m so used to working with size 20 thread, but the thread kept breaking.  It was getting so frustrating that I had to move on to a different thread.  Turquoise Twist wasn’t it. 
I had chosen Caribbean thread in size 20 and some pretty beads in those shades that would have looked really nice.  I was over at my sister’s house and showing her the thread I was going to use – and left it there.  So instead of going back to get it right away I just chose another thread. 
I liked the fob enough that I made one for my crochet hook as well.  I got all the way around to the last chain to finish it off and found that I had made a mistake almost at the beginning.  It looks strange, it can’t be fixed. I think I’ll finish it and and use it like it is until I make another one.  
This isn’t the first fob pattern I tried.  I didn’t really like the first try – parts I liked, but I didn’t like the end result.  So I tried again. 
, 
First fob try in FBH size 40 thread. It’s almost the same color as Lizbeth #633 Dark Purple.  The motif was the start of the motif I used in the Turquoise Twist, but the purple kept breaking.  I think that might have been a good thing, because I do like my second try better, much better.
The original keeper?  I’m using it for my badge at work. ☺
Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I had a cup of Vanilla Rooibos with a bit of Wild Berry Zinger added. It was pretty good.  I’ll definitely be drinking hot tea tomorrow.  It was 65° F Sunday and tomorrow we are supposed to get several inches of snow and maybe sleet and ice, too.  Oh, joy. 
“A little snowflake falls from the sky
Like a new kid moves to a new junior high
Different and unique like everyone else
Who will notice except for itself?
No one will watch, no one will see
How amazing and unique this thing may be
So next time it snows just look down
And watch to see what can be found”
A. Phinney – 8th Grade
http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cxtdm/met/snow/snow_quotes.html

Would you like coffee with your hearts?

Flower Heart earrings, pattern by Tatfully Yours 
I’m still having fun making Kelly’s ‘Flower Heart’ earrings.  I made a pair of pink ones for my oldest daughter who currently has long, very dark hair, which makes an excellent backdrop for the earrings.  These are in Lizbeth #622 size 20 with pink seed beads.  She  wore them to work the next day (at a Starbucks) and a little later I got a phone call from her.  One of her co-workers loved them and wanted a pair in Starbucks green. 
I looked through my stash of thread looking for a green that was close to “Starbucks green”.   I used the logo on a bag of coffee as my sample color.  The only green I had that came close was an almost empty ball of DMC size 8 Pearl cotton.  I have no idea the color number as the label was lost a long time ago.  When I gave them to my daughter to pass along she thought they looked good.  I’m waiting for a picture of the happy (I hope!) recipient wearing them.
Have you been participating in or following the 2013 TIAS?  There are only a few days left before it’s complete, leaving us with what surely must be a baby buggy (or pram if you’re on the other side of the pond).
TIAS 2013 Day 9
I’m very happy in what the TIAS is becoming.  Family friends are expecting a baby later this year and I was wondering what I should make for them.  I had thought about Jane’s stork like I had done for my daughter but this will certainly be fun, too.  It’s much too early to know if it will be a boy or girl so I’ll wait a little while to start one for them. 
Last month I saw on Lace-Loving Librarian Diane’s blog about some shuttles she found at Hobby Lobby.  Well, guess where I was yesterday and what I found?  Yes, I found them, too.  And, yes, just like Diane I didn’t really need them but I couldn’t not buy them, could I?    The left one is wood, the one in the middle is carved bone. The pink Clover is there to give a size reference.  Before I try tatting with them I think I’ll take some very fine emery cloth to the middle of both of them as they don’t look all that smooth inside.  That said I’m looking forward to giving both of them a test drive.

Am I done making hearts yet?  I don’t know.  I have made more hearts this year than I think I have for the last five years put together, but I’m having a lot of fun with them.  My boss has accused me of making a different pair of earrings every day – which isn’t true, by the way – but these heart earrings are so quick and easy and fun to make that it’s almost true.  And it’s fun to see them on my daughter (and her friends) that I might just have to keep on for awhile.  Time will tell. 
(Though I do have an idea I’d like to try that doesn’t have any hearts in it at all….)
I’m hoping to get my tatting and tea in for Tatting Tea Tuesday sometime this afternoon.  I’ve been too busy yet this morning, but the day isn’t over yet!  And though it is Tatting Tea Tuesday I couldn’t resist this poem.
Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction
I will fear no Equal:
For thou art with me; thy cream and they sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of The Starbucks:
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life: 
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.

~Author Unknown

The Shape of Hearts

Welcome to my little piece of Tat Land on this Tatting Tea Tuesday.  Today as I sip Candy Cane Lane tea from my snowman mug I am pondering the shape of hearts. 
I made these four hearts this last week.  All are ones I’ve done previously in the last couple of years, though the top three were modified just a little bit, and all are my patterns.  All are made in Lizbeth size 20 #644 Boysenberry dk.

The top one is one end of my “Heart’s Honor” book mark with the top redone to be a stand-alone heart.  I think the top works well like this.  I added a couple of rings at the top thinking I might wear it as a pendant though it’s a little larger than I would normally wear. Maybe it would be better as a pin or brooch?  Beads would look really good on it.  I actually like the shape of the inner heart better than I like the finished piece but it just didn’t look finished without that last round. 

The heart on the left I made last year for Valentine’s day.  It started out as one end of a bookmark that eventually turned into “Heart’s Honor”.  I changed the stitch count on a few of the rings which changed it’s shape just a little bit.  I’m pretty happy with this heart, though the top center could still use a little help: I think it could come down a little bit, more like the original did.  
The heart on the right is from February 2011.  Originally I did make it with beads and a slightly different stitch count which has changed the look a bit, now being a bit more narrow.  I like the top better than the one on the left but to me it’s a bit too narrow overall.  I didn’t put beads in it this time around as I was not tatting it at home, but would probably use them the next time I make it. 
The bottom one is “Joy’s Heart” from my previous post.  This is my favorite of the four as the shape is the closest to my ideal of a heart shape. I haven’t yet made it with beads like Michelle has but I’m sure I will in the future.  Actually I’ve made quite a few of them already but I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to do with all of them. I did put one on a cord, wearing it as a necklace.  Looks pretty good that way.

I haven’t tried making any one else’ heart patterns yet this year, though I’m thinking about trying Jane’s button heart.  I did start on her TIAS for this year though. She posted Day 2 today but I haven’t had time to do it yet.  I’ll post pictures another day.

Are you planning on making hearts for Valentine’s Day this year?  Have you started yet? What is your favorite heart shape?

It’s quite a surprise to me that I have already started as I’m usually only getting started the week of February 14.  And I’m not done yet!

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.”  
Helen Keller
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Of teapots and hearts

For Tatting Tea Tuesday today I’m enjoying my very first Tea-for-One teapot.  My oldest daughter and her family gave it to me for my birthday along with a tin of Tazo Refresh Mint tea, which she knows I like. 

She’s seen that I’ve started drinking more tea in the last few years and supports it by furnishing me tea once in awhile.  This time it was with the whole teapot as well.  She is so sweet!  It’s it pretty?  (I’m going to have to have a slightly larger space to place my tea cup by my tatting chair though – it’s a bit wider than the mugs I usually use.)

Speaking of sweet, Michelle over at Tela Magistrae has recently tatted a couple of my patterns, Christmas Snowflake 2010, which is on my pattern page, and then the heart  that I posted about last week.  She likes the pattern but not the result she got due to the colors she used (it looks white on my computer).  Check it out, I think she did a great job.  Thanks, Michelle!

As the pattern seems to be workable I’m sharing that with everyone now. Check it out on the Patterns page.

Joy’s Heart © Wanda Salmans 2012

There are a couple other hearts that I have made over the last several years that I’m working on the patterns for.  I hope to have them done very soon.  
I invite you to have a cup of tea today for Tatting Tea Tuesday, it will warm your heart. 
I’m a little teapot,
Short and stout,
Here is my handle, 
Here is my spout,
When I get all steamed up, 
Hear me shout,
Tip me up and pour me out!

By George Harold Sanders and Clarence Z. Kelley

Finally, Snowflakes!

Happy Tatting Tea Tuesday! Have you taken time out for tea and tatting today?
My tatting today was finishing off several snowflakes. Yes, I finally made a few! This pink one is my pattern for this years Christmas card snowflake.  It looks suspiciously like ones I’ve done before, though I’m not finding a picture of any exactly like it. The beads do give it a different look than it would have without them.  It measures just shy of two inches across when made with size 20 thread and a 1/2 inch center, so it’s not very big.  This pink snowflake is for one of my daughters, who happens to like pink.  I’m not sure of the Lizbeth color number though it looks pretty close to the actual color, at least on my screen.

I’ve made several of these snowflakes so far, none in white.   I’m trying to be daring this year.  The first two I made I did a little differently than I made this one.  This one is done strictly with one shuttle and ball and no fancy techniques.  The ‘rings’ on the outside are chains that are joined in the same place they started.  On the first two I did I made them as self closing mock rings.  I had to work a little harder to have the SCMRs close prettily, and I didn’t like the look of the back of the ‘flake.  I had pictures I was going to post of the backs done both ways but I forgot to upload it and it’s too late now (I don’t have access to them at the moment.)

I have done a couple of other snowflakes, too.  This pattern is from several years ago (as seen here and here – it’s hard to believe it’s been that long!) but this time I added beads. It’s a little hard to tell from the picture but the beads are a clear crystal. They really sparkle pretty on the Christmas tree.  I tried (and tried!) to get pictures of them on the tree, but none of those came out.  I had a hard time finding a good background that didn’t make the red look washed out or orange.  

We’re keeping Christmas simple this year, so other than getting several tatted things done I’m pretty much ready.  Okay, I haven’t gotten out the Christmas cards yet.   There’s still time, really!
“For disappearing acts, it’s hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.”
Doug Larson
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Center Bead Success

I have gotten a bit of tatting done this week, though not a lot.  I was successful in putting a bead in the center of a ring using split rings to make this hair decoration to put on these little gripper clips.  I had bought a package of these on the way to the wedding last month and now I’m looking for things to do with them. I’ve given this one to my daughter to try out and see what she thinks of it.  I haven’t heard back from her but I’m working on another one, whether to put on this type of clip or something else, but I like the look.  It looks better than the picture shows it.

I started this one thinking I had all the right colored beads but when I went to get the seed beads the colors didn’t match the thread at all!  So I’m using clear ones instead but I think they’ll work fine.
We’ll see if this goes anywhere.

Something I’ve been thinking of trying for quite awhile now I finally tried.  I have a lot of little doodles – butterflies, flowers, birds, etc – from emptying shuttles.  I do use them on cards and letters but I don’t send many of those.  So what else to do these doodles?  How about wine glass charms?

These are very quick to make up.  20 gauge wire, wood craft pieces, a little glue and a doodle.
I like to drink wine (I’m not a connoisseur by any means!) but we don’t have parties and I don’t know that many people that drink it.  So I don’t know what I’ll do with these, but I thought they came out well. 
I had a good laugh after I did these a couple of days ago. I’d been thinking about doing these charms for months but never had and finally got around to doing them.  Then I opened my email and read Nancy Tracy’s Be-Stitched newsletter. And what did I find?  Her tatting pattern of the month is a tatted “Goblet Charm”!  It’s quite different and much more elaborate than mine, but still!  Dare I say “great minds think alike?”

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost September, but I look around and see that the sunflowers are in full bloom, some even past their prime. This is a small patch of garden variety sunflowers that I drive by every day (wild sunflowers are much smaller and branch out a lot).  I had wanted to get a picture of these earlier but never thought about it when I had time and my camera.  I finally had both time and camera, but you can see that some of the heads are already finished blooming.  Time is getting away  from me!

Things have not gotten done this week like I had hoped.  I was planning to have the barefoot sandal pattern done by today but it’s not.  There are several things that I haven’t figured out how to diagram yet, and it’s taking more time than I estimated it would. And I’ve had a hard time making myself sit down and do it!


Tatting Tea Tuesday
I’m drinking green tea today, iced as the weather has decided to be hot again. Not has hot as we had it earlier this summer but still in the 90’s.  My tatting was done earlier today when I got together with my sister and my mother for a visit and all of us were working on projects.  My mom and sister were knitting some pretty cool looking scarves and I was working on my hair piece.  It was a very pleasant way to spend the morning.  We’re hoping to do it more often.
“How to Have A Lovely Day”

Smile at strangers
Slow down
Say thank you
Give lots of compliments
Dress nicely
Wear perfume
Observe and listen
Be charming
Laugh
Wish people a lovely day

Trial and Error

The green mess there in the front?  My attempts at adding a bead to the center of a ring. I watched Marilee’s  video found on her blog, which is very clear and easy to follow, but mine look pretty sad.  This doesn’t show all the rings I broke when trying to close them, just my semi-successful attempts.  I finally decided that if that wasn’t working to try something else, namely trying it with split rings.  This is working much better.  Maybe when I get a little more comfortable with the technique I’ll have better luck with the single-shuttle version. I can dream. 
Speaking of Marilee, have you seen her magnificent Nouveau necklace?  If you haven’t seen it yet you really need to go check it out!
I’ve been working on the pattern for the latest version of barefoot sandals, trying to write out on paper what I did in thread.  My problem is habit -when I tat I don’t think about what shuttle to use, as, this is shuttle #1 and this is shuttle #2, or even this is the pink and this the yellow, I just see which way I want the tatting to go and without thinking too much about it use the shuttle and technique to go that way. Which means when trying to write it out I’m totally lost on when to change shuttles.
I remember seeing how Fox used high-lighters to help her follow a pattern and thought I’d give it a try, too. I  loaded two empty shuttles with thread, added what I  hoped was enough beads and started trying to follow the pattern I jotted down, coloring the lines with the appropriate color as I went.  Coincidentally, the two high-lighters I happened to find were the same colors as my shuttles – how cool it that?   Now to consciously notice which shuttle I am using and mark the paper. So far it seems to be working well. I am, of course, correcting errors as I go and trying to note bead placement and use as well.  I don’t often use beads and I think this is the first time I’ve made them an integral part of the pattern. Lots of new things to try documenting!
I was hoping to have the pattern done by today, but it didn’t happen. I still have quite a ways to go.  I’m going to try hard to have it ready to post by next week, but it all depends on how much time I have to work on it. 
Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I’m enjoying a cup of peach tea.  I’m going to make a second cup now that I’m done with this post and try to get some tatting done. I think I’m going to work on putting beads in the center of the ring again, take a break from the computer for a while.  The pattern work can wait just a little 🙂
“I have failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”
Michael Jordan
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