Sunday, July 31, 2011

Bring Some Cheese - I've Already Got the W(h)ine!

aaaaaaaaaaahh....it's SO hot!! euwwwwwww.....


And I can start a ring, but I can't close it - perspiration prevents it.  It'll close later, when it's not so hot (September, maybe??).  This is just a practice piece, anyhow, for something I hope will work out the way I want it to (I think it will) and will be an entry in the South Carolina State Fair in October!  The actual piece will not be either of these colors, and will have beads.  I'll post a picture...eventually!

DEAL OF THE WEEK:  Stanley 12" Soft Base Tool Bag, $10.00 at Walmart.  It comes with a tool roll up that's held on the outside of the bag with Velcro strips.  Inside, there's a long zippered pouch and several pockets.  One of the pockets opens out to almost the length of the bag.  If you don't zip it closed on top, you can slide in a pattern book.  It's begging for some tatting to decorate it!

PS - after I took the picture of the tatting, I tried closing the ring again - and it worked.  Yay!


Still awfully hot though....

Friday, July 29, 2011

Update!

The hanky edging is still in progress.  I have now turned three corners, and halfway to the fourth!  Then it's just halfway down that side, then join to the beginning...after first making very, very sure that it isn't twisted.  It seems as though I've been working on this for a month, but I only tat on it at work during my lunch break (after I eat my can of soup).

I've also registered for the SC State Fair, and hope to finish several projects in time for the competition.  I got inspired by Gina's lovely "Amusement" doily, and appreciate those folks who put the link to Celtess' original pattern on the comments.  I'm in hopes that I can turn out something presentable!  Just in case, though, I'm working on some other ideas ... and have already strung the beads!




I'm also working on a couple more models for one of my classes at Tat Days - "Tatting in a Winter Wonderland."  These are for the Twinkle Twinkle pattern; one has ends to hide, and the other doesn't.  I wanted a graphic illustration of which shuttle did what, and I think this works.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Never Too Old for Candy Corn!

Today was the day - the Palmetto Tatters met at the Lexington County Museum!  The lesson was Martha Ess' Candy Corn pattern - check it out, along with other fun and cute patterns, in her book Holidays On The Block.  The Candy Corn was tatted in pairs for earrings.  It was a fun pattern and so nice to sit and tat with friends!




The edging for the hanky is progressing nicely.  Considering that I only started it a few days ago - and I've only been able to work on it during lunchtime until today - I think I've made a fair amount of progress on it.  I'm within two inches of turning the next corner!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Green Thread, Come Home - All Is Forgiven!

 ...maybe.   Not happy with you right now...


Despite the shadows all over the place, it's still a very
pretty edging.  I really like this green - it's a light sage.

Remember the green thread I had wound CTM onto two shuttles, and couldn't decide what I wanted to tat with it?  I had finally decided -- a nice little edging by MK, named "Forget-me-not."  That was the plan, all right -- and I started the edging right after we got back from Toccoa, and have been working on it during my lunch breaks.  I noticed that Shuttle 1 was running out of thread very quickly - - and I would probably have to add thread before I turned the next corner.

Except the ball of green I was using is now nowhere to be found!


I think the size 30 is going to be a better "fit" with the
hanky - probably even smaller thread would be
better, but I have to be able to see it to tat it!
Frustration!  I tried a few other shades of green but didn't like them as well.  Then I ran across a ball of variegated green...in size 30...and wound off one yard for each shuttle.  I tatted as far as I could and found that:
  • Shuttle 2 uses about 1/3 the thread that Shuttle 1 uses
  • I can tat about 1.5 inches of the pattern, and have about 2.25 inches of Shuttle 1 thread left and plenty on Shuttle 2
The only thing I don't like about this thread is the brand - it's Omega.  I haven't had a lot of good luck with Omega; two different edgings, from two different balls of size 30, in two different colorways, had weak spots and broke.  I'm going to try it, but if it starts breaking, I'll be "auditioning" thread again!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Weekend Getaway!


...and a wonderful time was had by us!  We needed a break - so I have been saving up money, a little at a time.  And I'm not kidding, either - a nickel here, a dime there - whatever change I could scrounge up (or find on the sidewalk!) - and taking canned soup for lunch every day for two months.  I "casually" mentioned to D that it would be nice to take a long weekend and go somewhere - say, Friday, July 8 through Sunday, July 10 - and he agreed.  I jumped on that and asked him to pick a destination and be sure to ask for the time off.


I had several suggestions for him, but he knew his own mind - and he picked Toccoa, Georgia.  Does that name sound familiar?  It's where the Palmetto Tatters Guild held our annual tatting convention in 2010, and will again this year (and next).  I asked where he would like to stay - I could make reservations at any number of inexpensive (cheap) motels, or a hotel, or The Simmons-Bond Inn (a lovely B&B right in town).  He said whatever I thought was best, so I went for the B&B!


Elizabeth's cake models
displayed on the piano

It's a lovely old home - a 20-room mansion built in 1903, the proprietors offer five different guest rooms (each with private bath).  Breakfast is phenomenal and will keep you going until well into the afternoon!  Elizabeth does the cooking and baking, hubby Ron books guests and does general maintenance, Todd (Elizabeth's dad) served our breakfast each day ("Hello, I'm Todd, and I'll be your waitress today") with good humor and panache, and Sheila kept everything tidy.  Rounding out the staff were Elizabeth and Ron's daughters, Chloe (age 10 and a really nice kid) and Rosie (4 months and a doll-baby).


Stained-glass window
over the staircase

All the guest rooms are named after women in the family; we stayed in the "Tiffany" room.  Each room is decorated and furnished differently with lovely antique furniture (mostly purchased from auctions).  After breakfast, any guests who care to may hear some history of the house courtesy of Todd (who is quite a good storyteller).  We really enjoyed our stay - we stayed two nights with them - and plan to go again later in the year, after Tat Days but (hopefully) before snow starts to fall!


Toccoa Falls

We didn't do much in Toccoa - too blasted HOT!  The B&B is blessedly air-conditioned, though, so we mostly hung around there.  We did go to Toccoa Falls once - D took the walk and the picture while I sat inside the gift shop, admiring their cold A/C and talking about knitting with the young lady at the cash register!


One thing I did do is look through the two Mary Konior books I took with me.  I tried a few patterns, and have decided on her "Forget-Me-Not" edging.  Here is a sample I tatted out of some thread that was left on two shuttles.  I did adjust her corner to my tatting, as well as the small chains before and after the flowers.  Her original pattern is at the lower right; the long side on the left shows the changes I made.  The pattern is in A Pattern Book of Tatting, on page 28.  More on what I'm tatting it for later!

And why did we go this weekend in particular?  Because tomorrow is a special day for us, and Mondays are so busy for both of us, it might be tough for both of us to get away tomorrow.  July 11 is our 35th wedding anniversary!  Elizabeth gifted us with sparkling apple juice and an assortment of her beautifully decorated cupcakes - yummy!  It was a wonderful weekend!