New This Week!

Greetings, gentle readers,

It's been another productive week for your Shuttle Flicka. I finished a design for our local coffee shop (no they didn't ask). I took their initials in Morse code and translated it into a tatting pattern. Of the various ways it could have gone, I chose one that ended up resembling a coffee cherry cross-section. I mounted it on a small piece of granite that I backed with black felt. 

OMC

- - -  - -  - . - .

They have placed it on a shelf in the shop! Our Mutual City Coffee Co. is the official coffee shop of Shuttle Flicka. The coffee, the people, and the vibe all deserve equal billing. We love spending time there. If you're ever in the Irving Park neighborhood and need coffee or respite from the world (or both), come check it out. They're open from 7am to 3pm Monday through Saturday and 8am to 1pm on Sunday.

Other pattern results would have made cool asymmetrical earrings or an interesting bracelet. I may still make them as one-offs. I do enjoy using Morse code to develop patterns. I'll be experimenting more with that in the future.

Going for an oil change is never the most exciting thing. However, it is a great opportunity for guilt-free tatting. Gold earrings were the project of the day.

Carol Perry flowers in Lizbeth size 20 various gold metallics 

I'll be pivoting to ornaments for the rest of the time up until the Christmas Bazaar on Sunday. I hope to see some of my friends there!

Until then, happy tatting!

Your friend,

Shuttle Flicka

A Long Time Coming

Good evening, gentle readers,

In my usual punctual style, it appears that I haven't published anything in about four years. If any of you are still out there reading, I will try not to make it so long before my next.

I am still coming down from the high of Interwoven Expressions this past weekend. As always, it was a lovely time. This was my tenth year there and I still managed to see new things. Discussions with friends there, and recent events, prompted me to get back on here and connect with you.

About that day job, I still dabble a bit, but my mantra is: More Lace Than Legal. Slowly, but surely, I'm determined to make that a reality.

What have I been doing all this time, you may ask. Everything and nothing. What are my plans for the future? More of the same.

For the past two years, I've participated in the Mill Fest at the Peotone Historic Mill. Full of talented vendors, exhibitors, and re-enactors, there is plenty to see. I have been one of the few vendors allowed to sit inside the mill for the event. It is such a cool space.

I've been fortunate to connect with the event coordinators at Mayfair Presbyterian Church. Their events are always a lot of fun. 

The Irish American Heritage Center here in Chicago requested that I tat some lace snowflakes for the Irish tree at the Museum of Science and Industry. It was rather short notice but I managed to get five made.

Tatted Snowflake (minus beading) by JoAnn Engelbrecht in Aunt Lydia size 10 white. 

Star Snowflake adapted from vintage by Kendra Goodnow in Aunt Lydia size 10 white. 

Star Snowflake adapted from vintage by Kendra Goodnow in Lizbeth size 3 snow white.

Snowflake adapted from 5-poinr star by Sandy in Lizbeth size 3 snow white.

Royal Heart Snowflake adapted from vintage by Kendra Goodnow in Lizbeth size 3 snow white.

It is such an honor and you can see them on the tree through January.

As I mentioned, Interwoven Expressions was delightful. Danny and I were busy throughout the day. We were able to deliver on a commission and get new ideas. We look forward to next year! 

On to future events:

I have been asked to be on a podcast out of Northwestern Indiana. More on that as it becomes a reality.

I will be at the Irish American Heritage Center on December 1st for their Christmas Bazaar again this year. It's always a lot of fun.

I'll be participating in Julmarknad at the Swedish American Museum on Friday, December 6th, through Sunday, December 8th. This is my first time in the market but as a member of American Daughters of Sweden, I am familiar with the museum. I'm very excited to be there.

I've spent the last two afternoons at the Irish American Heritage Center for IBAM, a celebration of Irish Books Art and Music. My group, the Nimble Thimbles, were in our room demonstrating various fiber arts techniques as people wandered in and out. It was a pleasant time.

I should get back to tatting. I plan on making sets of museum ornaments to offer at the next few events and it's not a quick process.

Until next time, happy tatting!

Your friend,

Shuttle Flicka

What A Long Strange Trip... (drafted back in January of 2020)

Happy New Year, gentle readers,

Has it really been almost two years since I've written a post? It appears that it has and I must apologize.  I have been remiss. Not only have I not been blogging, but I have not been tatting as much as I would like.

In October of 2018, I ended my twelve year run as a stay at home mother, to re-enter the corporate world: I took a job part time at a law firm while our daughter was at school. It may not seem like much, but everything I used to do during the day suddenly had to be done after I picked her up. Tatting took a back seat to most everything else but I took advantage of the opportunities that arose.

I was able to participate in a few events, including: demonstrating during St. Patrick's Day and Irish Fest at the Irish American Heritage Center here in Chicago, vending/demonstrating at their Christmas Bazaar in 2018 and 2019, attending a steampunk convention in 2019, and continuing my vendor presence at Interwoven Expressions in Chesterton, IN in 2018 and 2019. These experiences are always fun, creative, and exhausting. I leave them tired and happy every time. 

As a result of my presence at the Irish American Heritage Center, I gained my first official tatting students! In the Spring of 2019, I was asked to teach a small group of women. Imagine my surprise when what I thought was a meet and greet turned out to be 10 women around a table waiting to learn. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Luckily I had extra shuttles and thread, but it was really a mess, and they were wonderful through it all. I think we all learned a lot that day, just not much tatting! We did manage to meet a few more times after that and based on their feedback I was able to tighten up my systems a bit. The group did dwindle, I think we had three people the last time we met, but I saw progress and I hope they have kept up with it. Regardless, they were great fun to be around! Biggest lesson learned: one-on-one is the best for me right now, groups are a bit beyond me.

I had been hoping to do more with steampunk last year and while I didn't have the courage to get a table at a convention, I did attend one in the area. I had such a lovely time. In my persona as a traveling tatter (garb is a work in progress), I wandered through the meeting rooms tatting small motifs and talking to other attendees. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people knew what I was doing and always rewarded them with whatever motif I was making at the time. Upon receiving a motif, one vendor (who sews wearable cat ears) declared she would attach it to one of her accessories! When I came back an hour later, she was wearing it in her hair! She ran out from behind her booth to show me as I walked by. I was so touched and I cannot even adequately explain why. Perhaps it was the fact that she appreciated my work, to the point of joining it to hers and wearing it, that got to me. I offered to make her a matching motif for her other ear and tatted it while she waited. She took the time to sit with me and chat while I tatted. She is a tatter as well, but mobility issues are holding her back from it right now. She asked if I would be willing to make motifs for her to use and we had struck a bargain before I left the convention hall that day. I look forward to collaborating with her this year!

Interwoven Expressions is an event that is near and dear to my heart. I do get stressed in the run-up to it but it never fails to renew my spirit. Being in that room with those talented people, seeing my friends again, reminds me why I do what I do.

In the last two years, I have had a faithful companion at a few of my events. My daughter started out as an observer and then took on the role of setup and breakdown assistant. She is also growing into her own as an artist. She was introduced to paper quilling a few years ago by her art teacher and found it spoke to her. She has always loved sketching and has an interesting point of view. When she asked to bring her quilling  and sketchbook along to one of my events, I eagerly assented. When she took over part of my table to display her work, I was thrilled. When I saw her interacting with the crowd that grew around her, demonstrating and educating them on her craft, I was extremely proud! She would quill and then sketch while the glue dried, alternating between the two over the course of the afternoon. People bought her creations and sketches as she made them (she charged anywhere from a quarter to a dollar) and she spent her earnings on chocolate from the gift shop. It was such a pleasure having her there. We each had our own thing going, but sent people to check out what the other was doing. We make quite a team!

I have had the pleasure of making a few items on commission over the past few years. I'll post pictures of them below. 

(yup, no pictures)