Flakes on a Plane!!!!! (Motifs 17-20)

Just back from a weeklong trip to the Seattle area to see family and, wow, did we have some fun. We saw mountains, the sea, flying fish (okay, people throwing fish), more mountains. It was lovely. I even found some time to do a bit of tatting while we drove and flew.

I was concerned about taking my shuttles on a plane for the first time. I didn't want to lose any of them to TSA but also didn't want to sit and stare for four hours. I know I could have read but I'm not really invested in any books at the moment (hard to believe). So, I wound some of the thread holders from my recent haul...okay I wound all of them to maximum capacity with size 5 white for snowflakes and size 10 victory red.  I also wound one with size 30 ivory for magic thread use.  My other clovers were already wound with size 10 for the bonnet.  I CTM wound two shuttles full of victory red size 10 for pastor's cross and gave the bonnet with accompanying shuttle and ball the Ziploc treatment.  All went into my travel tat bag with patterns.  I have never been so organized as I was for that flight (tatting-wise anyway).

I had packed my scissors in my luggage so we made it through security without a problem. I was able to tat a snowflake from the Lael Morgan pamphlet I recently purchased. But without my scissors, I had no way to detach it from the shuttle to start a new one. Bummer! I switched to the bonnet and made some progress there.

I took the chance in the return flight and brought my scissors with me. Of course, no problems at security; I could have brought them through the first time. That meant I could get a bit more done.  In total, I was able to tat four snowflakes, part of the bonnet and get a good running start on pastor's cross. Below are two snowflake number 2 and on the left are two snowflake number 3 from Lael Morgan Pattern No. & Splendid Snowflakes. I have tatted them in white size 5.  I plan on making more of these for use as Christmas ornaments.

Simple Cross by Crazy Mom in Size 10 Victory Red. I am hoping to have it done for the first day of school next week. Fingers crossed and, most likely, entangled.

Watching this bonnet take shape, I am seeing more and more proof that I tat tightly. At this point, a bonnet that should fit a softball might fit on a baseball.  It may be that I adjust the pattern even more than I thought and keep this one for my daughter's dolls. I would consider going with larger thread but I'm having a heck of a time working on the size 5 snowflakes. This is my Merry Higby NIN Bonnet. I'm getting close to tatting the medallion on this one and then we'll really see how tiny it gets. It is a lovely pattern, please do not let my execution of it give you any wrong ideas.

So, now I know what I'll be working on during future flights...no one hears the clickety-click as I tat along!

Happy Birthday, Twins!

Relaxing after a day of prep for my mom and her sister's birthday party tomorrow. But I am happy in the knowledge that I have finished my portion of their gift (aside from tying and hiding ends).

These are matching Ripple necklaces by Marilee Rockley done in Aunt Lidia's size 10 black and Mexicana. I was pretty proud of myself for getting the colors to line up as well as I did. My sister will be here tomorrow with her jewelry making skills to put the finish to them. I have shown mom hers a while back but think she will still be impressed with the final product. I can't wait!

What a couple of weeks!

This was meant to be posted earlier this week. Sheesh I've been busy!


It has been a while since I wrote, but fear not, fellow tatters, it has not been time wasted. My daughter was in summer camp for the last two weeks, one here and then one by my parents. During the first one, I was able to meet with some quilters at the Irish American Heritage Center here in Chicago. Such a sweet group of ladies. They are the Nimble Thimble club that meets twice a week to work on a raffle quilt. They also do other fiber arts in addition to the quilting and I may be contributing some lace to them. They make little outfits that fit American Girl dolls and have some lovely examples of Irish crochet and other laces in the museum. I might work up some trim and a few other pieces for them. I already have some patterns in mind!

In between the camp weeks, I was able to spend some time up in Wisconsin near Waupaca, resting and relaxing with friends. The wife is pregnant so I started working on Merry Higby's NIN lace bonnet.

Merry has since informed me that this particular pattern is for a preemie so when I make the one for my girlfriend, I will have to enlarge it. I may be calling on you all for advice on doing that (although I will stubbornly try to figure it out myself first).  This first one will be sent to Newborns in Need as requested by Merry. In looking at their website, I was particularly struck by the idea of a bereavement package. We had received something similar upon the death of my grandmother at age 98 and every time I see it at my mom's house, I think of her. I realize how comforting these packages can be and the thought that my work might bring comfort to someone else makes me happy. It's quite selfish really. So, with it's purpose in mind, I tat in loving and peaceful thoughts.

I was able to get a bit of it done last week at my parents' house. I was one of two women watching five energetic children between the ages of three and a half and nine. One afternoon (while they were at camp) I took myself out to visit some antique stores in search of shuttles and peace and quiet. The time flew by and at the last place I visited, she produced a loaded Tatsy and three Workbasket issues from the 70s. She promised that she had more at home and would bring them back the next day. As we talked, thread came up and she mentioned that she had some balls of thread at home that sounded like what I was describing. With a promise to return the following day, I rushed to get the kids, thrilled to have found a new shuttle and patterns.

Upon my return, she greeted me with a big grin and said she had found everything! She produced an unmarked empty bobbin shuttle, the aforementioned Tatsy, five Workbasket issues, a Lael Morgan shuttle with three snowflake pattern instructions, and ten balls of size 70 Coats tatting thread in various colors!

We discussed the price of the Tatsy (she had asked for $5 the day before) and the fact that it was full of size 5 (maybe?). She admitted she had done some homework the night before. I did a little quick math and settled on what I was willing to pay. I asked her to name a price. She smiled, knowing where things were headed, and I grinned when she came out with exactly what I was willing to pay. Now, I can haggle with the best of them. but I was just so happy.  We settled quickly and I took a stroll around her place as she bagged everything.

As stressed as I was by the end of Friday, I was content in the knowledge that I had increased my thread stash, shuttle collection, and pattern collection in one swell foop. By the time the other parents arrived to oversee their children, I was pretty done in and my sister could see it. God bless her! She took my child in hand when necessary and gave me a rest.  I sat with a glass of wine and tatted amid the chaos.

Tatting toward sanity in these three days before the next round of chaos!