Tax time

In Canada taxes are due at the end of April and I'm currently working on finishing up my taxes. So its tax time not tat time.

This year I'm left wondering where the money went. Not that I've made a lot but just that I made more than it felt like at the time. I'm a fairly frugal person, I don't have a drug or alcohol problem and I didn't consider my purchases excessive in 2009. I did a lot of work on my house and most of my purchases have been for household stuff... and I might have spent SOME money on tatting stuff (why isn't tatting a tax write off?). I feel like there should be more money at the end of the year. I guess my money tree didn't grow this year...this spring I'll plant another loonie (Canadian dollar coin) and see what happens.

Update: Good news/bad news...I didn't waste as much money as I thought, I just missed a line. Bad news is that this line changed my income dramatically and I made less money in 2009 than 2008 (not surprising considering the economy). I feel much better about the way I handle my money but not so good about my income.

Home again

I had a great time at the Hector Tat Days. The new location at the Lodi Fire Hall worked out really well. The lighting was much better, there was more space and the bathrooms had more than one toilet! As usual the food was great and so were the classes. I took Ginny's Shirley Angel Class. I'm ashamed to tell you that poor Shirley's head did not turn out... I managed to make it inside out. I lost some steam after that and didn't finish it but I'm going to take some time this weekend and try again. Every year its hard to decide what classes to take and this year there were great choices. I'm hoping to work through the booklet and make all the angels. I'm not very good at following directions, fortunately I have the option of only sharing successful attempts.

The speaker we had on Saturday night was very good and I enjoyed her talk. Unfortunately I can't remember her name but she was very gracious. While she was speaking Ginny and I goofed around drawing out a pattern for a sugar skull. Yes, Ginny I have something to send you. I'm actually very excited about my descent into morbid designing. Its been fun. I've been entertaining myself with names for the collection like Hallow'tats, Lace of the Living Dead or the Tatful Dead. There's a large doily in all this I just know it.

In case you are shocked by this dark line of tatting I'd like to point out that Martha started it with her Pearl Tatted Skeleton, Halloween Bling (skull bracelet) and the brains (links provided below). I sound like a 5 year old defending why she's drawing on the wall. All I can say is that Martha Started It!
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=302737&ck=
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=326841&ck=
http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=87&subpageid=326841&ck=

See you at Hector

Tomorrow I'm getting into my car and driving to the finger lakes area for the Hector Tatting Days. Hopefully the border guard will let me through and won't get confused about Tatting. Last year it took me awhile to convince him that I wasn't going to a tattoo convention. In fact, he was right suspicious of me and I thought that he might search my car.

Am I ready? Well, to tell the truth...no!
There's a whole lot of things that I meant to do but for the life of me I can't remember what they were. Isn't that annoying? I know I have to pack but what I'm not sure. The weather has been so changeable lately.

I also haven't spent anytime making a list of wants and needs in tatting supplies. I know I want Ginny's new book and definitely a few more from Karey. I would also like to pick up one of Iris Niebach's books. Although I have lots of clover shuttles I never seem to have an empty one so I will purchase another 5 pack. Lastly, I will be purchasing some thread probably in the Altin Basak. I have to figure out a way to keep track of what I've already purchased so I think that tonight will involve cutting thread samples so I don't get duplicate colors. I might get so Lizbeth thread just because the colors are so spectacular but I really don't need to start another collection of threads.

If you are coming pop over and say Hi.

Give away winner and pendant exchange

Its time to announce the winner of the necklace giveaway. I know I said Saturday but events conspired for it to be otherwise. This morning I got our massage therapist to draw a name from the pile and sewmuchfun4 won the draw. I've sent her an email and hopefully the package will be in the mail by the end of the week.

On a similar note I finished my exchange pendant for intatters about a week ago. Its had its highest level of approval- my sister liked it. Unfortunately time caught up with me and I didn't get it sent out before today. I never have a problem getting an exchange package ready but I seem to have an issue actually getting it in the mail. Today is the day and it's being sent out as we speak!

Happy International Tatting Day!

Its a beautiful day here in Ottawa to sit in the sun and tat. Unfortunately I'm stuck in the office but I hope to catch a few moments to tat later. As you may know the traditional activities for the day are the following:

1. Eat all the chocolate you desire.
2. Wear a little tatting and tell everyone you meet about it.
3. tat only for yourself, only what you want to tat
4. remember those that came before you and have contributed to the art.

Instead of showing what I'm tatting today I'm sharing a picture of the coasters I made last fall. The pattern is from Mary Konoir's book Tatting with Visual Patterns done in size 10 navy thread. I made 4 coasters but the 4th one is currently MIA. As you can tell, my sewing abilities are limited.
Just for fun and to honor International tatting day I'm doing a give-away. Its simple, just leave a comment and your name. I will do the draw on Saturday. The prize is this tatted necklace.
I wish everyone a great day!

Flowers Tic Tac Toe

I like those tic tac toe boards you sometimes see in boutiques where instead of x's and o's they have different playing pieces like flowers or frogs. I figure this is a great gift because everyone plays tic tac toe. This project is no-sew because I was too lazy to get out my sewing machine and well, sewing never turns out quite the way I expect. For anyone who is good with a sewing machine this would be a great 1 hour sew project to use up left over pieces (Ric rack would make great divider lines).

Supplies

10 - flowers in 2 colors (5 of each color)

2 pieces felt- color of choice but I suggest something that contrasts with the flower colors

glue

scissors

Step 1- make flowers and stiffen them (see previous post for pattern). I use modge podge that I water down in about a 2:1 ratio of water to glue. The stiffened flowers are the playing pieces for tic tac toe.

Step 2- Cut a piece of felt about 41/2 inches square. Felt is very forgiving so don't worry if its not exactly square.

Step 3- Cut strips of felt about 1/4 inch wide and 41/2 inches long. Glue strips to main piece of felt to in the tic tac toe grid pattern.

Step 4 Find an opponent and start playing.

That's basically the pattern and the idea. I was lazy last night so I didn't sew a little pocket to hold the flower playing pieces but that would be a good idea. I put the flowers and the board into a large organza bag from the dollar store. A simple tatted edging would be lovely around the outside of the board or as lines of the grid.

Flower Sachet/Pin Cushion

Some things are in the eye of the beholder and I realised as I wrote up this project that it could be done a different way. The idea here is that you can make the flowers at any old time and then assemble the rest of the project later. There are times when easy, repetitive and portable tatting is good and single shuttle projects fit the bill. The flowers also use up thread bits and you can make these flowers with just a little thread. So while it may seem like I've created more ends then necessary there's a method to my madness!Supplies
felt in color of choice
2- 6 ring flower (a pattern can be found here: http://victats.blogspot.com/2010/03/commitment-to-6-ring-flower.html)
1 inch picot gauge
green thread
beads are optional (as on pink sample)
lavender if making a sachet and stuffing if making a pin cushion

Step 1: Make 2 flowers and hide ends.

Step 2: Using CTM wind a foot of green thread on shuttle.
lp= long picot
lj= lock join
Start by joining at any outside picot of the flower:
Ch 5 lp (use 1 inch picot gauge) 5 lj (next picot on flower) repeat around flower, cut and tie. Hide ends. You should end up with something like below. Make 2.
(On a side note this looks like a snowflake to me. A little stiffener and pinning of the picots would make a really simple snowflake.)

Step 3: Make the sachet/cushion.

Using a coffee cup as a template, trace a circle onto a piece of felt then cut it out. Make a running stitch around the outside edge and gather the material. As you gather up the felt it'll make a pouch that you can fill either lavender or stuffing.










Step 4
The outside round attaches the motifs by joining at the long picots. Halfway around the motif insert the felt sachet. If you want to have beads on your sachet then load 30 beads onto the ball thread before you start and everywhere you see p add a bead. (I put a few extra beads on the thread just in case) You may also want to put beads onto the long picots. You can use any size of bead but use a consistent number of beads on each of the long picots. I recommend that you use paperclips on a few of the picots to hold the sides together, especially if you are into front side/backside tatting. All joins on this round are lock joins made through a long picot from both motifs at once. So to be really clear you are making one join to 2 picots.

Wind 1 yard onto a shuttle CTM.

Start by making a single join through a long picot from each motif.

Ch 10p2p2p2p2p10 lj (through both long picots at once) 4 times
insert the sachet
Ch 10p2p2p2p2p10 lj (through both long picots at once) 2 times, the last time joining back to where you started. Cut and tie.
If you want a loop then load about 4 inches of beads and tie back to the base of the loop. Hide ends. The yellow sachet at the top has no beads and the pink one has beads so you can see the difference.

Voila! A sachet/pin cushion.