favorite pastel earrings

I just realized that I don’t have a picture up of my favorite earrings. I came up with the idea last year while browsing in my favorite bead shop. The thread came from my stash of threads I’ve scavenged from yard sale bins and cleaning out homes when people are downsizing. It’s size 80, so the earrings end up under an inch in diameter. Much nicer for my small face.

earrings around bead cap with interlocking rings

Now, I’m a pastels person. I wear pink a great deal. Since my hair is greying, I get comments like “Are you a Red Hat lady in training?” I take it as a compliment. Must be because folks assumed I was a teenager for many years past my 25^th birthday. Sigh. I can never bring myself to guess someone’s age. See why?

Anyway, the pattern is similar to one here. I’d love to see what other people come up with. Happy tatting!

Ankars class and paper on Design in art and music.

Yesterday was one of those exciting days. You see, an idea has been rolling around in my head for quite a while. After mulling over a document on Design in art and music that Sue sent me, I had an “aha”! Acting on that revelation needed to wait a few hours. During those hours, another gift came my way: the class that Georgia arranged with Nina Libin’s expertise on Ankars. I had another “aha”. I couldn’t wait to act on both of those revelations! So, an exhilarating afternoon was spent pulling together all those loose ideas in my head. No tatting patterns to show yet. I’ll be putting out a call for test tatters soon. I hope these ideas work!

Spring

Spring is in the air!

It’s been glorious weather lately. I spent some time out in the garden each day this weekend. The fountain is ready for daily use now, the bench is ready for dreaming…I mean working…towards my tatting goals. The tree right outside my window is budding. Sigh. I know you are tired of reading this, but I live in paradise!

I will be working on a request for an ornament set. It’s been fun to revisit this pattern. The challenge is to make my recent tatting match my previous tatting!

another sample done and ready for critiquing.

I've finished the bug. Now it’s on to the next pattern in the binder. This lovely flower has lots of cluny’s in it. Better get some thread to practice with! Sorry, again no pictures possible. I do respect the designer’s wishes. It wouldn’t be fair to post the patterns as it would make the earning of the pin less important. I do feel like I’m learning and improving. I can’t wait to see what the adjudicators say!

prayer shawl almost done

I mentioned my shawl a few days ago. Well, I realized yesterday that I’ve never shared a picture. The colors are so yummy! 

 At the rate I hook, it’ll be Easter before it’s ready. Sigh.

Canvas progress

progress as of Feb 2013

This blog is past due for an update on the Chair seat canvas. We learned recently that we will need to put the initials and date closer to the edge of the canvas. Well, I’ll confess this needlepoint neophyte was completely confused. Thank heaven the ladies that know what they’re doing have patience.

I've completed two areas of color plus some background. I reather like the heathery colors of the background. It will blend nicely with the room.

FAFSA time again

It’s the end of February. It’s FAFSA time again. Ugh!!!!

This should be our last year filing on behalf of our daughter. I think the thing I dislike the most is someone else I’ve never met telling me how I should spend my money!!!!

The good news is, she is close to finishing a great degree program and is already working in her career field. I feel so proud at moments I could burst. It makes it easier to add up the figures and answer the questions!

starting to be bugged

A busy weekend. Friday and Saturday were busy with a car quest. We have finally made a decision, now it’s just time to get used to the new driving experience. The last search was made in dealerships near and somewhat far. I’m still amazed at how many people make assumptions about what kind of car I should buy. Sigh!!

All that time waiting and watching was spent starting my bug. Here’s the head:

head of Jane's bug

Doesn’t he look cute???? Thank you Jane for giving us fun things to tat.

I hope to finish it next week, but the shawl and canvas are both needing attention; along with the special commission in white thread. I’ve got to make good progress on all.

Forger's Spell

I’m glad to have finished the bookmark yesterday. The day before I finished the book I have been reading for Book Club: The Forger’sSpell by Edward Dolnick. He examines the case of a dutch forger who painted “Vermeers” that Goehring bought during the war. As a journalist, Dolnick amassed quite a lot of detail regarding this man and forging art in general. If you like non-fiction, if you are a WWII buff, if you wonder how the art world functions, this is a good read.

I plan to make my way up to the De Young museum soon to take a peek at The Girl with the Pearl Earring. It will be there for a few more weeks. In the meantime, I’m starting on a request of a bug with buttons that a friend spied on Jane’s list of patterns. It will be a good romp through split rings!

Laying to rest another Master binder pattern

Today I intend to complete the pattern in the Master binder I’m working on. In respect for the wishes of the designer I’ll not be posting a picture of the piece. Suffice it to say that I’m tatting very carefully.

 I usually tat the pattern in thread I consider “waste thread” just to practice and see what I need to be careful with. I usually use this trial run to figure out how much thread to put on the shuttles and such. Well, this time I really messed up the math. I tatted the sample, did some figuring, wound my shuttles, tatted away, and………

Ran out of thread!!

So, I’m off to finish tatting and blocking and scanning and packing it away safely until I finish the rest of the binder. Whew! It’s a really good thing I have all the time I need to complete the patterns in the binder!

150 postings and counting!

I can’t believe I’ve published 150 posts! I know I have not been very consistent. I found it hard to write for several months as I am not allowed to post pictures of the projects I’ve been working on. That and I really want this blog to be a celebration, not a place for me to vent. I promise to find more to celebrate and post!

TIAS 2013 finished

I have finished this year’s game!

TIAS 2013 by Jane Eborall

A lovely pattern. I’m not sure the dull colors in Lizbeth Herbal Garden work well for it. I think the next pram created will be in colors better fitting a nursery. Now I’m off to finish other WIP.

Indecently, for those that catch how awkward the final section of the pattern looks, you’re correct, I didn’t follow the directions. For some reason I thought I could work on the last little bit while in the car. I had copied what I thought were the pertinent directions. Upon return to the computer, I discovered that I had NOT followed the pattern at all. With scissors, I corrected some and with a creative SSSR or two and a split chain, I think I’ve recovered. Sigh.

Thank you to Jane for yet another fun way to start the year!!

Open House at the store

Today is another Open House at the Jo-Ann store. It’s always fun to sit and great people. There are quite a few people who come in just to see what is new in the class list. It’s also fun to catch up with the other teachers. Some of the teachers I don’t see when I’m actually working with a class as there is not enough room in the store for everyone to teach at the same time frame. So, to see what they come up with for projects is exciting! Now to organize my calendar and my class supplies……

TIAS 2013 Day 10

I should know better than to try to be clever when I’m in a hurry in the evening. I normally get the portion of the pattern tatted the day Jane releases it. But, today was one of those days……

TIAS 2013 Day 10

 

So, here it is after

I picked out the next to last ring

I caught up on the chores leftover from yesterday

I had my cup of coffee…or 2 or 3 cups.

I can’t wait to see what we tat the last day. And is this a hint, Jane?? Will you and your family be making an announcement soon?? Or are you hinting to my children?? (If so, PLEASE let them finish college before pressuring them with such hints.) Seriously, I’m off to do today’s chores and get ready for tomorrow. It’s Open House for the teachers at Jo-Ann’s in the afternoon. That’s always fun. If you’re in the area, stop by the table and let me know.

Wally Sosa snowflake

I’ve finished a study in beads in picots. Thank you to Georgia and Wally for sharing their Super Sunday with us! It was fun to tat.

Wally Sosa BD snowflake 2013 in Manuela pastels

I picked up this Manuela thread last summer. You never know what you find in sale bins! I really like how the turquoise beads work with the colors in the thread. I’m not sure this combination of other bead colors is what I like, I may try others. Anyway, the beads are added in quite a number of ways: in picots, on core thread between DS, and at joining. It’s the last part of the pattern that had me staring at the screen for a while. Thank you to Wally for putting this pattern out there to challenge us. The LBP and SBP will be a technique that I use frequently now!

Of Tuesdays

So, it’s Tuesday. I usually get down to the real work on Tuesday. Monday seems to be catch-up day and organize-for-the-week day. Tuesday, I get down to business.

So on the list for today is to work on the Saint-Saens design. It’s in white thread, so I have to be very, very careful with cleanliness. That’s a big challenge for me. My hands have always been sweaty, add to that a hot flash, and you have “drop everything in the middle of a join and resume after waiting and washing hands” every 15 minutes or so.

To make it less stressful, I’ve decided to break up my surfing/chores/reading and do those as I’m breaking from the white thread. Where do I surf? Well, it’s January, so I have been tracking here for the guesses and wonderful International camaraderie. I usually do a romp through Antique patterns each week. Those are listed here http://www.georgiaseitz.com/public/publicindex.html. I rediscovered a lovely blog here when Gunhild left a comment on this blog. I always love seeing what Pimboli is up to! I have to be very careful and make sure I’m not drooling on the computer as I look at the fantastic sketches this lady post! There are other blogs I regularly look at, but those are for another post.

Off to get started with the design.

Day 9 of TIAS in Herbal Garden

Today is Day 9 of TIAS 2013. Here’s what I have.

TIAS 2013 day 9

I really like working with this thread. The colors are easy on my eyes. I like each one as its own color. And they are working well with the colors I have requests for. I think this could be my favorite for now. It will be replacing Carribean. I think.

of snowflakes and Super Bowl days

I’m having great fun today meeting up with tatting friends here to work on a snowflake designed by Wally Sosa http://www.needles-n-shuttles.com  in honor of her birthday. This has become an annual event for those not attending a Super Bowl party. I can’t decide which thread and beads to use. Which could be a good thing as all 16 of my shuttles are busy with something right now. This is definitely going in the to-tat stack!

TIAS 2013 day 8

Here is my version of Day 8 of Jane’s TIAS. Some folks seem convinced that we’re tatting a pram. Well, I never have used a pram with my kids and I didn’t really play with dolls as a child (Legos were much more intriguing!). So, I’m sitting back and seeing where this is all taking us. Can’t wait for day 9.

TIAS 2013 Day 8

 

Written Friday, posted Saturday

After I figured out what I'd done wrong yesterday, I have this to add today:

It’s Friday already. Sigh. I had one of those afternoons yesterday when I finished a task and had some time before starting dinner. What to tackle next? Since I no longer have wee ones demanding my attention every waking moment, it’s a bit harder to say what’s most important. The ole checklist (food, clothing, shelter) for survival doesn’t take long to work through. Then what????

I know, I know….if I really were buying into my resolve to get these tatting patterns out of my brain, into thread, and published I wouldn’t have to ask what next.

So what did I end up picking up? The Kathleen Norris Book (Cloister Walk). And what did I read? “The Benedictines … insist that there is time in each day for prayer, for work, for study, and for play.” Sigh. Perhaps it is time to walk on the beach and let the ocean center me.