Many-tailed Tatted Paperclip Bookmark

A favorite aunt of mine had a birthday recently.  I always try to make something for her as I know she really appreciates handmade items.  I also know she doesn’t need more things sitting around her house, so gift ideas are for things that can be worn or used.  For this year I made her a paperclip bookmark.
Many-tailed tatted Paperclip bookmark with a button on wandas knotty thoughts
Many-tailed Tatted Paperclip Bookmark
This bookmark is specifically made for my aunt to use at church.  Lutherans use a hymnal that has a liturgy in the front and hymns in the back and during a service you go back and forth between the liturgy and the different hymns.  I’ve been thinking of making a bookmark like this for a while, one where you can mark several pages at a time. This bookmark actually has more tails than are usually needed for a normal service but it looked cool with the different colors hanging from the clip.
Many-tailed tatted Paperclip bookmark on a pretty button on wandas knotty thoughts
Many-tailed Tatted Paperclip Bookmark with a button
Isn’t that button pretty?  I hope you can see it.  This is one I picked up just this week from a fabric shop that sadly is closing.  The good news about that is that everything is on sale.  I didn’t pick up a lot of buttons but I did pick up a lot of material. There’ll be more about that later.
My aunt really liked the tatted paperclip bookmark.  I think it worked out well.
‘If you love to read, you know there are three kinds of book-markers: the dog-ear-er, the any old flat object that will hold my spot-er and the beautiful “I even spent money on a bookmark”-er.  Of course, if you read an e-reader you totally miss the point, but that is neither here nor there.  I fall into the “I even spent money on a bookmark” category.  To me, a bookmark is a friendly “hello! we’re glad you’re back!” statements as I immerse myself back into the text to tackle paragraph after paragraph.’
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Apples for Auction

I volunteered again this year to work on the basket from our church to be auctioned off at a fundraiser for a local retirement village.  This year I had more than two days notice to get it ready, I had almost a whole month.  The baskets are also wanted much earlier so they can promote them better prior to the auction.  I did the basket from last year all by myself, and I thought that was going to be the case again this year, but I ended up with help.  I asked one of the other ladies from church if she’d like to help and she agreed.
I didn’t have a definite theme in mind and neither did Susan so we began our shopping at an antique/flea market to get ideas.  I had a lot of luck here last year and thought it would be a great place to start.  We wondered up and down the aisles, looking for inspiration. Several items caught our eye but we kept looking for more things that would bring a theme together.  The theme we finally settled on was Apples.
We found a cute small-ish bushel style basket and a set of four cups and saucers with apples on them.  At different stores we found dried apple slices, apple juice in cute bottles, caramel apple coffee, apple dip mix, apple pie spice, a cinnamon apple scented candle, and a hot pad with apples on it.  We couldn’t find any towels with apples so we bought two red hand towels to line the basket with.

Apples Themed Auction basket from wandasknottythoughts 2015-10-27

Can you believe I forgot to take pictures of our prizes until after I had it wrapped???  So this is the best picture I have.  I also found some decorative green apples at the Dollar Store.  I spray painted them red, which turned out great as they looked more real this way.  I added them to the basket, too.

The bushel basket and apple theme came about by what we found at the flea market but it worked out well for another item as well.  It happens that Susan has published several books, the latest being “Bushels of Nostalgia” with a bushel basket of apples on the front cover.  She was kind enough to donate a signed copy of her book to put in the auction basket.

Apples for Auction with Bushels of Nostalgia book and tatted apple bookmark from wandasknottythoughts 2015-10-27

I didn’t get a picture of the book by itself, I was trying to get an interesting picture of the bookmark.

 From the beginning I planned to put something tatted in the basket but was waiting to determine the theme and color.  Now I started looking for patterns with apples.  I found a couple but not quite what I had in mind so came up with my own.

Apples for Auction tatted apple bookmark from wandasknottythoughts 2015-10-27

Apple Bookmark © Wanda Salmans 2015

I’ve never tried layering rings like this before.  I’ve seen it several places on the Internet but I’m not finding the sites now – of course. I didn’t quite get the shape I was going for but with the leaves I think it still looks like an apple.

 

I was very happy with the basket we came up with.  The auction was last week but I have no idea who won our basket or how much it went for.  It doesn’t really matter – whatever it went for and whoever got it – it was all for a good cause.  I’m hoping that the winner is enjoying all their apples.

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.”
George Bernard Shaw

Tatting Class

Back in July I mentioned that I was going to have a tatting class.  The tatting class consisted of three local ladies, two whom I have known since our children were young.  I was pretty excited to have people interested in a class and that they were local.
We had our first session in July, then had to have a bit longer of a break before our next lesson than any of us wanted due to personal obligations for all of us.  But we finally had another class and then another.  Then we decided we would just try to meet up at least once a month to get together and tat.
How cool is that?
 New tatters! on wandasknottythoughts@gmail.com
Tatting class in July
Carla, Becky, and Sherry

 

New tatters learning the double stitch on wandasknottythoughts@gmail.com
Tatting class in August
It is so fun getting together with these ladies.  We are laughing almost the entire time.  A couple of them have started the same project of a simple heart pattern.  Each are progressing at a different pace but are making progress, they just need to keep practicing. As they learn and practice tatting I’m learning and practicing how better to pass on my tatting knowledge.  We’re all having a great time learning.
Next month we’ll be meeting at my house.  At the last meeting we started talking about coming up with a name for our tatting group.  Any suggestions?
“It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not possession but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment.”
Carl Friedrich Gauss
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Mail from Fox and Others

Have you been following Fox’s adventures in Armenian Lace?  She entertained us with her undertakings with this different type of knotting for several weeks.  For all that it enticed her into trying it she decided it just wasn’t something she wanted to continue, so she called it done, over, not for her.  She even put her newly acquired books up for sale.
And I bought them.
When I saw her trying Armenian lace I looked it up on YouTube and thought it looked interesting.  And when she put her books up for sale I thought it must be a sign.  Fox put the books in the mail right away and surprise, surprise, they came in the mail the same week!
Priscilla Armenian Lace book from Fox wandasknottythoughts
Mediterranean Knotted Lace book from Fox wandasknottythoughts
Tatting by Fox
And look what else she included in the package – a lovely tatted motif and a piece of Armenian lace she made.  And a needle to start it with.  Thank you, Fox, for gifts!
Tatting and Armenian Lace from Fox wandasknottythoughts
Tatting and Armenian lace by Fox
I’m glad the books got here so quickly but I have no idea when I’m going to have a chance to try it.  I have a lot of things I’m working on right now and once in a while I still have to do things like wash dishes and clothes and cook and go to work – you know, the not-so-fun but essential things in life.
I’ll get to it eventually.
A couple of weeks ago when I posted about my tatted bag Bernice from Knot Vortex asked how big it was. Well, Bernice, it had this ball of Omega thread inside to fill it out so I could get a good picture of it.  I should have put a ball of Lizbeth thread beside it to give some perspective (as I know a lot of people use Lizbeth but I’m not sure how many use Omega) but the Clover shuttle should give you an idea of size.
Tatted hand bag with ball of Omega thread and shuttle to show size wandasknottythoughts
Tatted bag by Wanda Salmans

 Tatted hand bag with ball of Omega size 50 thread and shuttle to show size wandasknottythoughtsTatted bag by Wanda Salmans

 I’m still trying to decide how to make the lining/insides of the bag though I haven’t spent a lot of time on it.  Besides, letting ideas percolate for awhile helps me come up with solutions that usually work pretty well. Putting it on a back burner for a little bit doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about it.

I’m busy making things for a craft show right now.  I just bought some beautiful material at Jo-Ann’s that I want to make into runners for the show, which will need edgings, and I need to work on gifts for Christmas.  Of course I don’t have the right colors or enough of the right colors for what I want to do so I had to place an order for thread which meant more mail!

Don’t you just love getting packages in the mail?

“What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp.”
Author Unknown

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Two Crosses

I’ve mentioned before that my go-to gift for some special occasions are cross bookmarks.  Recently I had two such occasions, one sad, one happy.
I made a cross for my sister-in-law when they recently lost their son.  I couldn’t make up my mind which one to tat so I made up one.  I’m not sure I like it that much, but it looks okay. I’ve tried coming up with a name for it, but they are all sad – “Sorrowful Cross,” “Funeral Cross,” that type of thing.  I’ll come up with something sometime.
"Two Crosses" tatted lace cross made as a gift for a funeral. On wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
© Wanda Salmans September 2015
The other occasion was much happier.  We just installed a new pastor at our church, and what better gift to give him than a bookmark for his Bible?  This is a traditional pattern that I’ve made several times.  It tats up quickly and is a nice size for a Bible.

"Two Crosses" tatted lace cross bookmark from a traditional pattern. On wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com

Both bookmarks were made in Lizbeth size 20 thread, in, I think,  #652 Royal Blue.  After making the first I still had plenty of thread for the second one.  It is a suitable color for men or women, don’t you think?
I’ve been doing a lot of tatting lately and still feel I don’t have enough time to do all that I would like.  The holidays are fast approaching as well as several birthdays and a craft show in November.  I just can’t tat fast enough.  Isn’t that the way it goes – when you’re busy you keep finding other things to do as well?  I’m thinking I should be making a few more cross bookmarks so I have a few handy when needed.
Oh! another something I want to be doing.
“People give one another things that can’t be gift wrapped.”
Nadine Gordimer
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Tatted Bag Trial and Error

In July I started a Round Robin Doily through Craftree.  I tatted several of the centers for my doily trying to come up with one I was happy with.  The last sample that I made before I did one ‘for real’ is almost the same as the final except it has several places where I changed stitch counts which I didn’t go back and change.  It was a trial.  But it still looked pretty good.
So I thought I’d use it for another sample. I thought this center would look good as the bottom of a tatted bag.  At least as the bottom of a trial tatted bag.
Tatted Lace bag from Round Robin Doily Center, trying out some ideas for a tatted lace bag on wandasknottythoughts
Round Robin Doily center as the bottom of the bag.
The first few rounds went very close to my vision except for a few changes in stitch count.  As this is a trial and the stitch count change very minimal I didn’t go back and change them, just left it as tatted.
Tatted Lace bag from Round Robin Doily Center standing up, trying out several ideas for a tatted lace bag on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted bag sides
For whatever reason I made the split ring round a bit too big.  I had even started with smaller rings and changed my mind – I’m not sure what I was thinking.  I like the idea, but definitely need to change the counts there.
The bare thread sections at the top are a little too long, Well, they might not be when I finally get a material lining made.  That is material around a larger ball of thread inside the bag, filling it out so I can see what works and what doesn’t.  If it was the actual lining I suppose the tatting would be stitched to it and it would work/look better.
I had a lot of fun making this.  I’m not sure when I’ll get back to it to finish all the details and make a lining for it as there are a lot of other things waiting to be done.  But when I do I will already know a few places I need to change.  It should go faster and easier then.
“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.”
Henry Ford

I’ve been to the fair

"Martha" tatted lace doily Kansas State Fair Blue Ribbon Winner 2015 wandasknottythoughtthoughts.blogspot,com
“Martha” doily © Wanda Salmans
Tatted by Wanda Salmans
I almost didn’t enter anything into the Kansas State Fair this year but at the last minute – the first day you had to pay a late entry fee –  I decided to.  I didn’t have time to make more than one item but I found two places I could enter tatting.  There is only one tatting class and then there is a class for holiday decorations in any fiber medium.  For the tatting class I entered the Martha doily I made back in February. I am excited that I got first place but very disappointed in how very few entries there were.  A grand total of three.
Judging is done against a standard as well as against other entries, so they do not have to give out ribbons if the items do not meet those standards – finished nicely, clean, even stitches (though the judge might not know tatting they probably know knitting and crochet or other lace-making techniques.) It is subjective to a point.  But the judge still liked mine enough to give a blue. That makes me happy.
My pumpkin holiday decoration came in third.  Considering there were more entries and they were in different mediums I’m pretty happy with the result.
"Autumn Pumpkin" tatted lace design by Mark Meyers tatted by Wanda Salmans, 3rd place in Holiday Decoration 2015 Kansas State Fair wandasknottythoughts
“Autumn Pumpkin” © Mark Meyers
Wall hanging by Wanda Salmans
Here is a picture of the other holiday entries. I’m not sure where the blue ribbon – 1st place – item is, I didn’t see one with anything.  Maybe they got a best of class or show and was put in a different place. (My granddaughter wouldn’t get out of the way for me to take a picture but wouldn’t hold still either.
2015 Kansas State Fair Holiday Decorations all entries as seen on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
Holiday Decorations at the Kansas State Fair 2015
My granddaughter did like the second place entry, a crow holding a basket with a watermelon theme.  There was another similar crow with a sunflower theme but I couldn’t tell if they were supposed to be together or if someone else had a similar entry.  They were both cute.
Holiday Decorations from 2015 Kansas State Fair as seen on wandasknottythoughts
Overall I was disappointed in how few entries there were throughout the domestic arts categories.  The last time I was there I seem to remember quite a few more of about everything – quilts, crochet, knitting, all of that.  I have told myself that I must enter more things in the fair next year.  I did go to another building that had categories that I think I could find a way to enter with tatting – I’ll have to give it some thought over the year.
“It is nice to have valid competition; it pushes you to do better.”
Gianni Versace
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TARDIS Bookmark

TARDIS bookmark, tatted lace, tatting pattern by Anne Bruvold, as found on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
TARDIS bookmark © Anne Bruvold
tatted by Wanda Salmans
One of my nephews was a big Dr. Who fan – a Whovian – I thought would really enjoy one of these bookmarks, one of Anne Bruvold’s patterns.  I tatted these in Lizbeth #652, Royal Blue, in size 20.  I had meant to give one to my nephew for his birthday in a few months, but sadly I can’t do that now.  Instead I am giving one to each of his sisters as a little remembrance of him.
“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.”
Author Unknown

Autumn Pumpkin

At the beginning of August, I realized that the Kansas State Fair was coming up and that this year I was not going to be on vacation while it was on. So I got the bright idea to enter a couple of items. You know, get a little more tatting out there for people to see.  The fair only has one class for tatting and you can only enter one project but they have a couple of other categories that tatting could fit in if you do it right.
With the fair so close I thought I would take something I’ve already made for the tatting category.  I looked through the pieces I haven’t given away or sold and decided on the Martha doily I did back in February. The rules state the items must be made within the last two years, so it works out okay.
The other category I thought I’d try is the “Holiday Decoration other than Christmas”.  This is the same category I entered the spider in a few years ago.  But what to make?  And for what holiday?  No idea just jumped out at me so I made a list of holidays and what was associated with each. Then I searched for patterns that looked interesting or fun.  I decided on Mark Meyer’s “Autumn Pumpkin“.
"Autumn Pumpkin" by Mark Meyers tatted, using Half Rings on wandasknottythoughts
“Autumn Pumpkin” © Mark Meyers 2009 with stem tatted by Wanda Salmans 
The entire pumpkin is tatted with one shuttle, no chains.  It’s not really hard, just different.  The outside is done first then you fill in the center, piece by piece, then add the stem, then the leaf.  I think I started each individual piece at least three times. The start of the pumpkin at the top still doesn’t look that good.  When the stem was added per the pattern the rest of the pumpkin puckered a bit so I added one more ring to it.  Now it lays much better.
"Autumn Pumpkin" by Mark Meyers with leaf, tatted in Half Rings on wandasknottythoughts
“Autumn Pumpkin” © Mark Meyers 2009 with leaf added tatted by Wanda Salmans 
The top part of the pumpkin still looks a little off but with the leaf added it disguises it a bit. Maybe the judges won’t notice ***fingers crossed***
Of course, that doesn’t mean it was done as an entry.  The category is “holiday decoration” not “tatted applique, finished” so the next step was to decide how to finish it as a decoration.  While at Jo-Ann’s the other day (before the actual tatting had begun) I had purchased some brown material with this in mind.  When the pumpkin was done this material was too dark, completely hiding the brown stem.  With time getting short a quick trip to Walmart saved the day.  They don’t have nearly the fabric selection as Jo-Ann’s but it was the closest place available and did have a something that would work.
Just having a background material wasn’t enough – the pumpkin by itself just didn’t look like a finished decoration.  So further tatting had to be done.  The day before it had to be taken in I thought it was done, but when looking at the picture I had taken of it there just looked to be something not quite finished about it.
"Autumn Pumpkin" by Mark Meyers, tatted, on background on wandasknottythoughts
“Autumn Pumpkin” © Mark Meyers 2009 almost finished tatted by Wanda Salmans 
A late night was in order to add a finishing touch.
"Autumn Pumpkin" by Mark Meyers, tatted, ready for the Kansas State Fair 2015 on wandasknottythoughts
“Autumn Pumpkin” © Mark Meyers 2009  ready for the State Fair tatted by Wanda Salmans 
I think this looks a bit more finished.  I didn’t have time to take a picture in better light as a friend offered to take it to the fair with her as she was taking her quilt in, so I let her (with many thanks!)
This category has all types of textile mediums entered and, from what I’ve seen in previous years, a lot of people put in a lot more thought and time into their entries than I do.  I’m hoping for a ribbon but not really expecting one with all the marvelous competition.  But this will get tatting out there in front of people in a way that isn’t a doily or an edging (which I like, by the way, but some people aren’t interested in them so much).
I’ll be going to the State Fair next week to see how I’ve done and to check out all the fabulous things people have made.  I’m hoping there are a lot of tatting entries – wouldn’t that be cool?
“If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair.  Because five minutes at the fair, you’ll be going, ‘you know, we’re alright. We are dang near royalty..'”
Jeff Foxworthy
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It’s not what it looks like

My first thought was ‘this is a book of tatting’.  The doily on the cover is what caught my eye.
Nope.  It’s a book on making felt dogs.
I didn’t buy this book.  I didn’t even think to check if the doily was credited to someone.  I was tickled that there was tatting on the cover, though!
I was at a Jo-Ann Fabric store looking through the books when I saw this.  I had just got the text with a 20% off everything coupon so was checking to see if there was anything I really, really needed there.  I did pick up another package of shuttles (who doesn’t always need more shuttles?) and thought I’d check if they had any books on tatting.  I didn’t notice any, just this one.  The dogs in it were very cute and I thought about buying it.
That’s just what I need, another project.  I’m in the middle of about four projects right now and having trouble knowing which one to pick up at any given time. I’m very excited about all of them!  There just isn’t enough time in a day to get done all that I want to.That felted dog on the cover is really cute though….

 “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend.  Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
Groucho Marx