Category: table runner

Finally Fall

The calendar shows that it is fall and now it feels like fall – mostly. We’ve had a few nights where there was a freeze and some days of cool weather and then there is today. When I got up this morning it was still 66° F with enough humidity that all the sidewalks were so damp it looked like it had rained. It’s currently cloudy and windy with an expected high of 77°. The average temperature for this time of year is around 60°. Friday they are projecting a high of 49° and staying around that for over a week. Fall in Kansas, don’t you love it?

I actually have some fall decorations out already. I’m usually terrible about decorating early enough to enjoy them before the season is over, except maybe Christmas. For some reason, I’ve gotten into the fall season early (for me!)

My fall decorations on wandasknottythoughts
My fall decorations

I’ve been working on an edging that I need to have done ASAP, which is for a Christmas runner. It’s not far enough along to share yet, but I’m finally excited about it. Unfortunately, it is in white while I want to tat in more fall colors.

When I have the chance I plan on writing out the pattern for the October Snowflake that I spoke about in my previous post. I’m sure it will look great in other colors.

In early October I shared a picture on my Facebook page of a new angel I’ve designed but never shared here.

September Angel on wandasknottythoughts
September Angel

I’ve been working on the pattern and thought it was almost ready to share, but looking at these I realize I’ve made a mistake. It’s a minor mistake but means it will delay sharing the pattern. Very soon, I hope.

While scrolling through Facebook the other day (a dangerous rabbit hole to go down!) I saw a cute way to make Christmas trees using toilet paper rolls. The site is coleykuyerart.com if you want to check it out. It is so easy I thought I’d try it. I even had just emptied a roll of toilet paper, perfect timing. I didn’t decorate it but can think of so many easy ways to do so.

TP roll Christmas tree and two angels on wandasknottythoughts
TP roll Christmas tree and two angels

I did this quickly just to see if I liked it. I will be making more of these but cutting them a little more carefully. I have a granddaughter I believe would have fun helping me do this.

This post would have been out sooner as I was almost finished with it yesterday. I know I saved it several times but this morning there was no trace of it. I had to start all over. Bummer.

Now I must get back to the runner edging. What are you working on?

“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Charles Dudley Warner

Done and Delivered

Way back in July I was working on a runner for my daughter’s birthday. It didn’t get done by her birthday, which was expected due to starting it too close to the date. And then I ran into the problem of the length of the table is longer than anticipated, which caused other issues. I have been working on it over the last few months, but part of the problem was deciding exactly was I was doing. I finally figured it out and finished it!

To make the runner longer I planned to put an insert in the center, but what that insert was going to look like I had trouble deciding. I had the edgings done for a normal rectangular runner back in July, though I never attached them because I didn’t know how I was going to end up cutting the material. I finally came up with an oval for the insert.

birthday edging pinned on wandasknottythoughts
Center edging pinned on

This picture shows the center with the edging pinned to the material, so it looks pretty wonky. You can see that it is pretty large. One of the issues of coming up with the shape was to somehow make a pattern of the size I wanted. I finally used a serving platter. Then I had to sew it, oh boy.

The center edging pattern isn’t exactly like the end pieces due to the curve. I also used size 10 for the blue (Wedgewood Dark, Lizbeth #656) in it where the end pieces I had used size 20, though the red (Terra Cotta, Lizbeth #673) and white (Natural, Lizbeth #602) were in size 10. Why I had to make all the edgings so complicated I don’t know! Simple rings and chains would have gone so much faster!

After I got the center this far I kind of stalled out. I was afraid of making a mistake with the truck material or coming up with something I couldn’t finish. My sewing skills are minimal, mostly just straight(ish) lines. The two sides were going to be attached to the curved center. What had I gotten myself into? I hemmed and hawed with this for weeks – ok, months – before just doing it. I did cut out a paper pattern first, to test out the look.

Truck runner center on wandasknottythoughts
Truck runner center

I finally sewed the two sides and figured a way to attach them to the center. I’m hoping the tatting and the cute material will distract everyone from looking too closely at the sewing, LOL!

Truck runner edgings sewn on wandasknottythoughts
Truck runner edgings sewn on

The ends were much easier! Why didn’t I keep the center edging more like this? I just have to keep changing things up!

Truck runner finished on wandasknottythoughts
Patriotic truck runner finished

This is the finished runner on my table. It turned out nice. Her table is a rectangle so the ends will hang just a little differently. This patriotic truck-themed runner birthday gift was supposed to be for July and Independence Day, now she’ll have it for next year. I had jokingly told her I might have it done for Veteran’s Day, November 11, which amazingly I did. I finished it yesterday and took it to her today so she could put it out for tomorrow.

My daughter loves it! She sent me pictures of it on her table and it looks good. I’m so happy she’s happy with it and that I was able to deliver it before Christmas. Or next July.

Tomorrow, November 11, is Veteran’s Day here in the USA. To all the veterans out there, thank you for your service.

A few facts about Veteran’s Day from History.com

Veterans Day occurs on November 11 every year in the United States in honor of the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918 that signaled the end of World War I, known as Armistice Day.

Veterans Day commemorates veterans of all wars

Great Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World War I and World War II on or near November 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day, while Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November).

Independence Day earrings

I hope that all Americans out there had a safe and fun Independence Day yesterday. I did. We had two family get-togethers, one for lunch and one for supper and fireworks. It was great to celebrate such a wonderful holiday with family.

The day started out with us attending church as usual but dressed in holiday colors. Shortly before leaving, I realized I didn’t have any appropriately colored earrings. With only a little time to work, I corrected that problem and tatted myself a pair of earrings.

Independence Day earrings 2021 on wandasknottythoughts
Independence Day earrings 2021

They are only blue and white because my blouse was red. By putting the white on the outside the earrings were more easily visible. I was afraid if I did it the other way, or all blue like I thought about, they would be harder to see. They came out very well and worked great with my attire.

I have been working on the edging for a table runner for my daughter’s birthday. I only found the material which inspired me a couple of weeks ago on a quick visit to JoAnn’s. Unfortunately, it wasn’t time enough to get the runner done by this weekend when I’d see her. I’m still going to finish it and give it to her in a couple of weeks, whenever I get it done. It is in patriotic colors, but there are other days to celebrate our country than just July 4th. Hopefully, I’ll have it ready to share here by next week.

“To survive in peace and harmony, united and strong, we must have one people, one nation, one flag.” Pauline Hanson

Table Runner with Queen’s Crown Edging

Do you remember way back in February I made the edging Queens Crown Edging?
Well, I finally got it attached to the material! Yay!

http://www.wandasknottythoughts.com/2015/02/queens-crown-edging/
Queen’s Crown Edging © Wanda Salmans

I like making edgings and seeing the tatting on the material, but I really don’t like sewing the tatting to the material.  This part of the process is a necessary evil to finishing a table runner.

The finished table runner is 11 1/2 inches wide and 46 inches long, including the tatted edging which is Lizbeth #693 Linen Medium size 10.  I think it turned out well.

I have several other edgings already tatted and ready to go on material.  My sister is very sweet and offered to sew the material for me as her sewing machine is always out.  I cut the material for several runners then she sewed them.  I will turn them right-side out, stitch up the hole left for that and sew the edgings on.  I feel it takes me forever to do the hand stitching but it is worth it.  I’ll be sharing more table runners in the next few weeks.

My sister and I are going to be in a local craft show next week.  We usually participate in this one every year because it is local, making it much easier for both of us to go.  Going to craft shows much farther away can get complicated with our jobs.  Sometimes we do well, other times not so well, but we both enjoy participating in the show because of the festive atmosphere, the customers and the other crafters contributing to an enjoyable day.  Last year I did well with table runners and I’m hoping to do so again this year.

Something funny about this edging: I made this one and two others and put them in a drawer when they were finished, planning on putting them on runners when the material was sewn.  In the course of tatting other things and life happening I forgot about them until I was looking for something else. I also changed my mind on what material all three edgings were going to go on. But they all look really good finished.Yay!
“Of course I talk to myself when I tat. Sometimes I need expert advice.”

Tea, TIAS and a Surprise

Welcome to Tatting Tea Tuesday!

Okay, I’m a little late in the day posting, but I made it! We had a lot of running around to do today and I didn’t get much chance at the computer ’til late. While we were out I had to wait on my husband for a short time so I was able to get a little tatting done. It wasn’t on any of my current projects – they are a little hard to take with me at the moment. I’ll probably find time to finish it soon, so will post about it next time.

So, how many of you are doing Jane Eborall’s TIAS? Isn’t’ it fun? If there are any of you out there that are not participating because you’re not sure what it’s about, check out her blog and give it a try! It’s a lot of fun. And you’ll be tatting it together with a lot of other people, so you can see how everyone is doing. These two pictures are of my Day 2 and Day 3. Day 3 looks HUGE compared to Day 2, but they are in the same size thread. I scanned these on two different scanners, one I’m familiar with, the other is new to me. I didn’t realize just how it would come out! The one on the left is made with Lizbeth size 20 in Caribbean – and it’s actually both Day 1 and Day 2 together – and the one on the right is in Victorian Red, Lizbeth. I have no idea how these will eventually go together or what the end result is going to be!

And what is the surprise I mentioned in the title? Well…

A couple of days ago I found an envelope in the mail with a lot of foreign stamps on it. ???? It was quite intriguing. Upon opening it I found a Christmas card and this beautiful snowflake! Isn’t it great? It’s from Trayna, who won my blogoversary give-away.

Thank you, Trayna, this is lovely!

I took it to work to show everyone there and got into a little discussion with my boss about if this is a snowflake or a star. I insisted it is a snowflake, he thinks it’s a star. We left it that it’s very pretty, which-ever it is!

I have made some progress on our Pastor’s table runner. It’s slow going, basically because I only have a general picture in my head on how it’s going look when it’s done. And then I change my mind every once in awhile, which doesn’t help. But I finally like where it’s headed. Now, if I can just find time to work on it! I have to work on it at home, so that slows me down a bit. Small projects like snowflakes and bookmarks are so much easier to finish because they can be taken almost anywhere with me. A ring and chain here, a few more there, and it’s done before you know it. *Sigh* But this will get done, eventually!