Wow! Time Flies!

Good evening, gentle readers,

As I sit here looking back on the past few months, I will admit to feeling proud. 

I have had a day with the Irish at the Irish American Heritage Center's Christmas Bazaar, a weekend with the Swedes at the Swedish American Museum's Julmarknad, and an afternoon with the American Daughters of Sweden at The Cabin at Old Irving. I had a pop-up with my friends over at Our Mutual City Coffee Co, and from that gained a tatting student. He did very well and was able to tat Vida Sunderman's Sparkling Star for a presentation to his class. St. Patrick's day weekend saw me tatting at the Irish American Heritage Center again where I met a tatter from Wisconsin. It was a lovely afternoon. International Tatting Day, April 1st, saw me tatting blue butterflies at the OMC. 

In all, it has been extremely gratifying being able to share my tatting with new people and see some friendly, familiar faces once again. I am grateful for the opportunities.

New News

I took the leap and opened an Etsy shop last week. Currently, it is stocked with greeting cards I make in collaboration with my son. I hope to add jewelry in the next few weeks. If you're interested in checking it out, find it at shuttleflickalace.etsy.com. 

Looking Forward

As of right now, I am scheduled to attend:

- Quilt Connection's Spring Craft Fair on Saturday, April 26th

- Chicago Steampunk Exposition 2025 from May 30th to June 1st

- Old Mill Fall Fest in Peotone, Illinois on Sunday, September 21st

- Interwoven Expressions in Chesterton, Indiana on Saturday, November 8th

I am still waiting on dates for the Christmas Bazaar at the Irish American Heritage Center and Julmarknad at the Swedish American Museum. They may be on the same weekend, but I'll figure out how to make it all work.

I'm also hoping to have another pop-up at OMC this year and to join any other events that may come my way.

Well, I should probably get back to tatting, I say as if it isn't what I want to do most in life. Should anything interesting come up, I'll come back and let you know.

Happy tatting!

Shuttle Flicka 

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)

Twice in One Month!?!

I know, I know, it's very strange. I'm writing again and it hasn't even been six months or a year. Part of my resolutions for the new year were to tat and write more.

Well, I have started work on the Let's Tat a Brussels Monument in Pink for Women's Rights project. I've only managed a test tat right now (had a busy couple of weeks) but I have the shuttles and thread ready to get down to business for the real thing.

I've also started working on an Ice Drop, pattern by Lace Lovin' Librarian. I should have read all of the instructions first, but I managed to struggle through and produced this:

I have been offered the opportunity to exhibit tatting again at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago. This time it is during their St. Patrick's Day celebrations. I suspect I'll be making quite few of the obligatory green earrings to have on hand that day, but I'll also work up some other more interesting items. I began a doily (I keep it at the Center) that I hope to have finished in time. It wants aggressive blocking right now, but I'm about three rounds out of 4. The first time I made it, I used green and white thread; it turned out okay. I've decided to go all white for this attempt. It's the Clover Leaf Doily from an old issue of A Needle Pulling Thread magazine.

If I can manage to make a more successful Ice Drop (and tat a few of the Brussels squares), I feel that I will have achieved my goal of learning one new pattern a month this year. Does this count as two patterns in January, or do I get to slide on February off of this? Either way, it's a start. I tend to make more than just one of everything so getting a new pattern in here and there will only add to my repertoire!

I was hoping to jury in to a new market here in Illinois in May (the market isn't new, just my being there). Had the application ready to go. Then I realized that it conflicted with a 5k I am running with my daughter. I'll not be telling her about it because she would insist that I do the market instead. She is a sweet child and very supportive. I think I'll be free for the September version, fingers crossed I get in.

I'm off until next time.

Happy tatting!

Your Friend,
Shuttle Flicka

AAAANNNNDDDD She's Back!

Happy New Year to everyone!

It was an exciting year around here last year!

It's been a year and a half since we moved in and I can finally state that as of June, 2017 my guest/craft room is open. I removed the 20 or so boxes that had been living in there, made a comfy space for guests to use, and organized my craft supplies! Okay, I may have overstated the last bit, but it doesn't look like a yarn shop blew up in there so that's something, right?

I also participated in some incredible events!

In July, I was asked to demonstrate tatting at an Irish fest here in Chicago! I volunteer at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago with the Nimble Thimbles and the organizers requested that we have some of our members demonstrating our crafts at the fest. There were demos on spinning, quilting, needlepoint, doll dressmaking, and tatting! Although it was only supposed to be for half an hour each day, I ended up demonstrating for an hour the first day and three the next. Did I mind staying longer than arranged? Of course not! Any opportunity to tat in public and talk to people about it is like playtime for me! I even managed to sell a few pieces.

Then in November I was back at Interwoven Expressions exhibiting and selling my lace.

Rare sighting 

I love the artists there, they truly do amazing work and I have so much fun every single time. It turned out to be a successful day for me. So successful, I was near jumping out of my skin by the end of it. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that people appreciate your work enough to take it home for themselves or as a gift for someone else.

On the strength of interest at the Irish Fest, the organizers of the IAHC sent me a vendor invitation for their Christmas Bazaar! I had attended in the past as a volunteer at the Nimble Thimble craft table and had sold a few shamrock earrings, but had never had my own booth. I decided to take the plunge...

I am now the sole proprietor of Shuttle Flicka Lace! (for tax purposes in Illinois)

Leading up to the Christmas Bazaar was a nail-biter because I really wasn't sure how it would go; but I resolved that everything would unfold the way it was supposed to and I would just accept it. I must say, the response to my lace was gratifying. I met some wonderful people, heard lovely stories about relatives who tatted, shared some tatting history, and sold some of my pieces. I was so exhilarated at the end of the day! Back in the Nimble Thimble room packing up, I was fairly bursting with excitement over my success. Seeing my smile, they asked how my day went and my gleeful response was treated to a round of applause. I walked out of there on air!

Christmas Bazaar set-up, oh so very flashy

The balance of the year was spent finishing up a commission (clip-on earrings) in time for Christmas and spending time with my family.

Patterns by Morimoto and Parry

It has not been an easy year with all of the firsts since my father passed away, but there have been some real high points, especially celebrating my brother's marriage to an amazing woman. On the whole, I will remember it fondly as I choose to focus on the good as much as I can. I am grateful for the continued love and support of my family and friends and hope I provide the same for them.

I look forward to this new year, like most people, as a new start, another chance to get it right. I plan on filling it with goodness and love, time spent with family and friends, time spent tatting, and trying in some small way to make this world a better place. Happy New Year to you all!

Wild Ride!

Greetings!

It's been an interesting couple of months here. The short version is that: we moved in, my father passed away, and our daughter started school.

The house was unfinished when we arrived so I have been dealing with the developer. Ugh. Hard to get settled in and unpacked when you know they have to install a window in the basement and paint stuff (at a minimum).

I have found that tatting is very relaxing in the ICU at 3am. I have a string of simple earrings (Leila's flowers, no picots) that I made in the low light while taking my shift with my father. I wear a fitbit and a watch on my wrist; they are perfect for holding a large picot gauge when you have to get up in a hurry.

I looked forward to the end of summer break as, I suppose, many parents do. While I have not had the unlimited tatting time of my daydreams (just wait, once she's back in you can tat to your heart's content), I have found time to get something accomplished. Of course, I haven't tied anything off so I won't be showing them here for a bit. But, believe me, I have been tatting again.

I am looking forward to Interwoven Expressions, a sale and exhibition held annually in Chesterton, Indiana. I will be back there again this year! It is being held the second Saturday in November leaving me just enough time to recover from Halloween before I have my last presale push.  Funny how I always come up with new ideas right before a sale and really try to realize them in the short time left. I am resolved to stick to my plan and tat only what I need. Of course, I'm sure my resolve will fail but we don't need to dwell on that right now.

Hopefully I will have something to show you the next time I write. Until then, happy tatting!

Cheers,
Shuttle Flicka

New Home for Tatting!

I am back and it hasn't even been ages and ages!

We have moved house which means my tatting (and other goodies) can come back out of storage! It also means that instead of working in one corner of a room shared with the rest of the family, I can keep all of my things in a separate room and finally have my own space! It will also double as a guest room when needed, but there is plenty of room for both! I know, a lot of exclamation points, but this is a really big thing for me.

As I mentioned previously, I have only made earrings (okay, and a small cross) since February. The stash that had been growing in my workbox has been depleted by random sales. Funny thing about tatting at the local Dunkin' Donuts, I have a following there now.

I am still in the process of unpacking everything, which is making me want to do all kinds of things, like sew and knit and crochet. But I am determined that I will only make earrings for a while now. After a few more using Leila and Morimoto's patterns, I'll look for a new pattern. But before I do that, I have to find my pattern books, they're still packed away.

As an aside, I did make a small cross. I don't remember off-hand who wrote the pattern so I won't picture it here. My daughter had her first communion and she wore a wedding veil that both my sister and I had worn. We attached a tiara that her paternal grandmother had commissioned for her. On the day of her communion, I told her I had added something to symbolize that it was hers now too. I attached the small cross to the back of the veil in honor of her event.  She was touched and very proud of it. I was happy that she liked it. I know she enjoys it when I make something special for her and I think she felt the love I had tatted into it.

Now, I haven't tatted anything since we moved here in late June, but I know where my kit is if I need to tat a bit. I feel like I have to unpack everything else first to earn the reward. Silly me.

I'm off to unpack.

Happy tatting!

All Tied UP!

Well, it has been a long time since I posted on here. My apologies. It seems that something is always happening around here.

I have not stopped tatting though, and I have not stopped tatting in public. I spent last April 1st making small butterflies in a pub and giving them away to patrons and staff.

I have made items for a friend to wear to a steampunk convention.

I have made a few things as gifts for family and friends.

I have made items for sale at Interwoven Expressions, a market that I do in Indiana every November. The keychains are by Morimoto.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My resolution this year is to make at least one item every week. Tatting relaxes me, keeps me occupied, and by choosing small items, I can accomplish my goal without stress.

A slew of earrings is growing in my workbox.

This focus has helped me recently. You see, we are putting a lot of things in storage right now. I have boxed up and stored ninety percent of my tatting supplies. It wasn't easy to do, but I pulled out only the thread I plan on using for the next few months. It has been good in that I don't have other thread sitting in a bin calling to me to tat it; less distraction.

The earrings so far have been made from Lizbeth size 20 in various colors. The patterns are by Leila and Morimoto. I only have the Leila ones finished right now, the Morimoto are waiting on hardware.

I was also fortunate enough to have some of my tatting integrated into a quilt. As I have mentioned before, I am a member of the Nimble Thimbles at eh Irish-American Heritage Center in Chicago. During an art quilt challenge, I offered some pieces to embellish a morning glory themed quilt. I tatted caterpillars and green tendrils for the piece.

 

I was so happy to finally get my tatting on a quilt!!!!!

I'm sure much more happened in the intervening time, but I cannot summon it from the depths of the cavern in my head. Ah well...

I admit I did take a break from tatting to work on costumes for a convention. We went as the characters from Inside Out; I made the dresses and stenciled the sweater. It was quite a bit of work, but well worth it.

 Okay, that brings us up to speed. With any luck, I'll be posting again the next few years!

Tat tat for now!

Return of the BLOG!!!!

Hello, everyone! This post is actually from Mid-March. I keep falling off the planet and then jumping back on. I hope to stick around for a while now.

It has been so long since I've been on, I have done quite a bit of catch up reading today and I'm still not current on the tatting blogs I follow.  Ugh.

I have been tatting though. Since I am going to attempt to condense two and half months in this post, please fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

As I mentioned in my pre-Christmas post, my husband ordered a stack of pattern books for me from amazon (yes, I chose them) and they all arrived between Christmas and New Years!

I was so excited. And then...so overwhelmed. I didn't even know where to start. Has this happened to you?

Since I am part of an Irish-American quilting group (they sew, I tat), I decided to start with the Celtic Tatting book and start at the beginning. I completed the Celtic Snowflake in Aunt Lydia's size 10 white.

I see that the hardest thing for me is going to be getting the correct tension in the chains in order to weave them. I am also having to make longer chains which is a bit of a hassle. I suppose it's a learning curve.

I took a bit of time off for extracurriculars while my husband was home over the holidays and that kept me away from the tatting a bit. I also decided to focus on a few resolutions and that has been time consuming. Getting organized is never an easy process. Obtaining a storage unit definitely greases the wheels. As I feel that the home is more under control, the tatting increases. Odd?

I continued work on the baby bonnet and then lost the pattern. I haven't reprinted it yet and my heart's not in it. I will get back to it.

I continued working on my shamrock pendant for the quilting group and almost have it to the point where I feel comfortable selling them.  Soon, hopefully...

One of the quilters brought in a magazine called Needle Pulling Thread which had a needle tatting pattern. I have been able to translate it to shuttle and am working on it. When I have something to show for that, I will put it up with due credit. Since I only work at it when I am at the center, I can alternate between it and the shamrock pendant to keep things interesting.

I had wanted to do Jane's TIAS (I still hope to) but was never able to start it.

This past weekend was a big push for me. My husband had to travel to Florida and I joined him for a few days. That meant time alone to tat on the plane and time during his conference when I could relax and tat some more. Tatting at the airport is always fun. Mostly on the return flight so my husband was a witness. We hit the airport almost four hours early for our flight. As I sat there tatting a woman came over and said she had been watching me and was just going to be upfront and nosy about it. I explained what I was doing. She oohed and ahhed and went back to her seat after a while. I was pretty happy.

I overheard a woman whispering to her husband about me while they stood in line to board, so I caught her eye and quickly spread the good word again. I was even happier.

I saw two women a few feet watching me intently and I motioned that I would just come to them. So I did. One actually knew what I was doing, she had seen her mother tatting. Yay!!!

I got back to my seat and my husband told me he really loved that I was so passionate about my craft. He seemed proud.

I continued to tat until we got on the plane. I have found on the flight out that if I fold my pattern just right, I can shove it under the hook for the tray table and tat in my lap with my own private bulletin board. As we waited for take-off, I heard from across the aisle "I think she's making a cross". I looked up to see two women watching me work. They smiled and I continued working. When I finished the cross, I held it up for them to see. It was so much fun! Since I had a bit of thread left on the shuttle, I made two small butterflies. I passed them to the women along with my business card and signed to them that they could keep them. Even with the background noise, I could hear how delighted they were. As we deplaned, they said they would get in touch with me. I have no idea if anything will come of it, but it felt so good to be an ambassador.

Next week I am doing my second market. Since I haven't made very much, I am hoping that I can whip up a few pieces in time. I am going with bookmarks and notecards mostly, and a few hairpins. Whenever I have small bits left on the shuttle, I have been making Birgit's angel and jumpy guy doodles or Lindsay Rogers' daisy. I have a few ideas for converting them into notecards. I have also been making the aforementioned cross to use for an Easter card. When I have my act together (HA!) I'll take a picture and post it.

I'm sure there are things I've made that I've omitted. I'll have pictures soon enough.

As it is, I'm so happy to be back and hope that my absence will be forgiven. I have missed you all very much.

Happy tatting!

Happy International Tatting Day!

Happy Tatting Day, everyone! Have a lovely day!

Much love to you all!

Yikes!

Lots going on. Lots to catch up on. Reading backlog of blogs and tatting like a madwoman. Longer post coming soon with various stories of the past few months, but this is what I am up to right this minute.

Oh, and I tried tatting with embroidery floss tonight, at least I think that's what it is.  It came in a bag of thread from one of my quilting friends. I don't know who made it because it has no label, but it's pretty interesting, very shiny and slippery.

That makes tatting with 30, 10, and whatever this stuff is in one day.

Tally ho!

Happy Tatting and Belated Happy Thanksgiving! (motif 1)

Once again, I have been busy with other endeavors and unable to post. And, once again, I have actually been tatting. I am so proud that I am starting my third (can you believe it?) round of 25 motif challenge.

I have been working on a bonnet for my friend's baby, but it is nowhere near finished. I will try to post a picture when it is.

I also made two crosses from Lindsay Rogers' Tatting Collage, both in Aunt Lydia size 10 white. One was put on the outside of the baptism card and the other was blessed by the priest and given as a gift to the baby. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures...

My Nimble Thimble group had their bazaar so I tatted up another Small Star for them to sell. Actually, I tatted two of them. One is a repeat of the green and white I have done in the past and the other is in all white, size 10.  Of course, I have no pictures to share. Drat! I plan on making more of them to give to family and friends for Christmas.  They did sell pretty quickly though.

Looking at my daughter in her cute little dress on Thanksgiving, I decided to make some hair pins to match in orange and brown, size 10. The large flower is from Lindsay Rogers' Tatting Collage, the smaller cupped center is something I came up with accidentally one day and really like.  She loved them and we even made it back home with one of them! (The other went AWOL in her cousin's room during preparations for a fashion show.)

 

I went on Amazon today and picked out some tatting books. My husband had been wondering what to get me for Christmas. I told him about my wishlist on Amazon and he told me later I can be expecting a couple of shipments in the next few days! The fact that he would buy these for me means so much to me. It means he understands that it is a big deal for me, not just a way for me to waste time. I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never, Ever Sneeze!

A friend in my Nimble Thimble group brought in an old hankie with tatted edging to show me. I was very impressed with the work as it had a great deal of bare thread space and I rarely see that in modern patterns. I told her it was very special and made her promise she would never sneeze into it. She giggled and offered to let me keep it for a while. I politely declined and took a photo instead because I want to show it off to all of you, but don't want to be held responsible should anything untoward happen to it.

So, here it is, I think it's pretty cool:

Another woman in the group blessed me with a bag of thread she found in her stash. Mostly DMC 5 and 8 from what I can tell. Wheee!

The Lost Art and My Gratitude

I participated in my first market on Friday.

Most commonly heard remarks at market were:

"My grandmother/grandfather/mother/aunt (or insert other deceased relative here) used to tat."

"That is a lost art."

I had a really great time at the market. Not so much for the selling, because there was precious little of that, but for the conversations I had with people. Most just wanted to share their experience, reminisce about family. One said he fell asleep while his mother sat in his room tatting each night. Some expressed regret that they didn't learn, others said they had tried and failed. A few said that they had learned but let it go. A few more said they would like to learn.

For the better part of the six hours, I was sitting at my table tatting one thing or another. I would spy someone across the aisle, whispering to a friend, "That's tatting." I always did my best to catch their eye and grin at them. I let them know that I appreciated the fact that they recognized what I was doing. It usually started a nice conversation.

Quite a few people stopped and stared. I grinned at them as well. I invited them to watch, really, I don't mind. I made silly faces when a stitch failed to flip, I grimaced dramatically as I struggled with knots. I told one group that my friends (that would be you, gentle readers) and I were intent on dragging tatting kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century. I tried to make it accessible, not quite so mysterious. People seemed to take to it.

In all, I will take it as a success. My name and work are out there. I have already signed up for the next market in March. One positive note is that since things didn't sell, I have stock on hand. I also have the ability to plan better for my next outing.

I continue to be thankful for my friends and family and their support of my hobby gone crazy. They have been so encouraging about something they don't always understand.

I am also very thankful, to you, gentle readers, for your support. You understand what goes into it and your comments carry more weight because of it.

Busy fingers, 25 Tatted!

I have been doing quite a bit of tatting ahead of Friday's market. I've gotten most of my pieces tatted and only need findings for them to be complete. Somewhere along the line I stopped using a picot gauge, so if things look a little rough around the edges...well, practice, practice, practice...

In no particular order, for your consideration, I give you:

An assortment of variations on Dianna Stevens' Simple Bookmark in size 10 ecru, pink, white, and size 20 cream.


This one I messed up the chains (uniformly throughout); it looks a bit different from its companions. Size 10 white.

Another Janette Baker bookmark in size 10 white.

A bunch of flowers (there are actually about 30 of them) ready to be made into hair pins. Some are Leila's pattern, others are from Lindsay Rogers' book Tatting Collages. All tatted in size 10. I intend to layer them.

 

A few variations on the Kersti's Stumpy Bookmark in size 10 pink and white.

 



And lastly the heart I made for Aunt Maryann. It is Birgit's Celtic Heart in Southmaid variegated pink and Coats ecru, both size 10. (I messed up on the chain at the top, but I think I'll just stick with it.)

If I don't count the flowers, this puts me at 25 again!!!!