Thanks to Monica!

I got a slip from the post office today to pick up a package.  It was my secret shuttle exchange from Monica in Argentina!  

I waited until I got home to open the package although it was tempting to rip it open as soon as it was in my hands.  There was lots of goodies and Minica was very generous!  Monica sent a LaCossette shuttle and 2 celtic wire shuttles her brother makes.  The care that LaCossette takes to cover her shuttles is amazing.  Anytime I decoupage a shuttle it stays sticky but LaCossette's is perfect.

Monica also sent some thread she dyed herself.  The colors are quite lovely.  Finally there was a Jane Eborall motif tatted by Monica.  The yellow boxes in the first picture is Dulce de leche bars.  Of course I ate the right away!

Working away at things

I find that there is always a round in any doily pattern that seems to take forever.  That's this round on Karey Solomon's Swirly Doily.  I've been working away at it for about 2 weeks.  Its a very dense round and the sections almost overlap.  Since it was this aspect that attracted me I guess I can't whine too much.  I can't wait to be in the next round.

Between bouts of the swirly I've been making earrings.  My sister gets me to make something for her co-workers every year.  This year I thought earrings would be fun.  The metal doodads I purchased from Ginny Weathers during the Fringe Seminar.  I've used size 40 thread and seeds beads for this style.  It gets boring after awhile so I've changed the pattern a little for each pair.  I've already lost a pair but I have 7 pairs with 8 more to make.

Cinnamon Cruller

I had some people ask about the motif in the last post.  It's called Small Motif 2007 by Jane Eborall.  If you click on the name it will directly open to Jane's pattern.  I did it with 2 colors but otherwise followed Jane's pattern exactly.  

Today I spent the afternoon cooking and tatting while things cooked.  I finished a doily by Karey Solomon called Cinnamon Cruller.  Its from her book Sweet Knottings.  Karey made her sample using size 40 thread but I used size 20.  The variegated thread is Karey's, I think it was called playground?  I loved making the center although I wasn't sure it was going to work.  I kept double checking the pattern to make sure I was doing it

correctly.  The center doesn't look right until the very end of the first round.  All the half stitches in the third round were tedious.  I enjoyed tatting the pattern and will tat it again in the future.  There's a doily called Swirly in Karey's most recent book of doilies I want to do first.

Updates

I've had problems posting from my iPhone lately.  I finally realized that blogger needed to be updated.  This is sad because I lost a few posts.  I have this picture on the phone but not the others.  I guess when you takes pictures through blogger they don't save on the phone.  This pattern is from Jane Eborall. It was fun and quick!

Regular tatting

For the next little while I'm taking time to tat normally.  By that I mean following a pattern.  I recently taught a class on pattern reading and realised that I haven't sat down and read a pattern for a while (other than proofing my own patterns).  I also haven't tatted just for fun in the last few months.  This is a real shame since I picked up some really cool books at the Palmetto and Fringe Element Tat days.  So I decided to just follow directions for a change.

I've started with one of the patterns that came in the seminar package from Palmetto Tat Days.  It's a teapot by Martha Ess, the finished teapot can be molded into different shapes.  The pattern is meant to decorate some of the blocks Georgia Seitz gave out over the Tat days.   I decided to use some hand dyed yellow and yellow/brown variegated threads I ordered from Tats Kool a few years ago.   For the chains I used the yellow and the rings are the yellow and brown variegated thread.   It took me longer than I thought it would to tat the teapot. In my head I thought I just whip it off in an hour.  Not so much.  I haven't sewn it down yet instead I've been playing placing it on the block.  The pink variegated edging is supposed to look like a tray.  I tatted a heart while back in the same thread as the rings on the teapot so I'm going to use in the middle.  I couldn't find it so I threw in another motif for the picture. 

Kelly is a safe driver and a star.

I need to clarify that Kelly is a very safe driver.  There's no need to avoid taking the 401 highway. Don't be afraid to come to Canada or drive in our great province of Ontario... 
...but don't you love the mask?

 

 

I really wish that I had taken pictures of the Fringe tat days but these things happen too fast. I'm hoping to work on each of the projects over the next week or so.   One of the highlights of the weekend was getting Karey Solomon's new book Twinkle, Twinkle.  On the ride home (with Kelly driving) I made one the patterns.  I don't have the name handy but I have a picture.  You can't really tell but the tips of the star is made with roll tatting.  The thread is from Karey as well. 

Great Weekend!

 I had a great weekend at the Fringe.  I took my life in my hands on Friday and drove up with Kelly.  The map says it should take 2.5 hours but we keep arriving within 2 hours.  Kelly "claims" that she isn't driving too fast but this time she provided me with something to calm my nerves- a mask!  I think she doesn't want me to see the flashing lights of a police siren behind us.

 

 

 

 

I taught 2 classes and took one.  The class I took wasn't tatting instead we covered a tea canister with Ietje Jachovich.  She was a great teacher and a fun class.  If I get a chance to take a class taught by her then I will definitely take it!

    I'm slowly working through the other classes on my own.  I've already made Heather Lickley's  Log Cabin Tatting.  I enjoyed this pattern and will definitely be making more cabins.