Simple gifts

I took a page out of Diane’s book 🙂 and added buttons to several headbands.  Diane talks about some of hers in this post on her blog Lace-lovin’ Librarian.  She’s been crocheting around buttons but I put tatting around mine instead.
I have tatted around buttons before but never thought to put them on this kind of hair accessory.  It adds a little something to these bright but plain headbands that’s quick and simple.  And fun.  They were gifted to my daughters and granddaughters for Easter.
Last year I tatted around buttons when I made Easter eggs.  This year I put a few of them on paper clips as simple gifts for my mother and her sisters.  They make really great toppers for them.
On a sad note a friend of mine lost an aunt the week before Easter.  I gave him one of my go-to sympathy gifts of a cross bookmark which was put inside the card.  

As usual I just had to try for something a little different.  This cross is made in Lizbeth #115 Springtime in size 20. I’m not that happy with this pattern, probably because I had trouble making it even though it is a simple pattern.  I was a little distracted and I kept making mistakes.  And I’m not sure I like the center.  It did turn out better than I thought once it was blocked, which straightened it out.  I should have joined each arm to the center in more than the one place to make it a bit more stable.   Maybe next time.

Do you have any favorite things you give for simple gifts?

“Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness.”
Richard Bach
www.brainyquote.com

Disclaimer: There were no books hurt in the production of this blog post

Paper and lace Easter egg

I was visiting Carolyn’s blog ‘Shopping My Stash’ and saw how she has been tatting on paper, recently dong Easter eggs.  I thought it looked like fun and decided to try it myself
Paper and lace Easter egg
The cross in the center is a sticker, the thread is Lizbeth Ecru #603 in size 20.
It’s a simple project that took me forever to get going.  First I decided to buy a 1/8″ punch for the holes.  The day after I bought one I found I already had one, in an unopened package no less.  Then I decided on the cross for the center and had to find paper and thread that worked with it.  This had me going through my scrap-booking paper to find that the ones that I liked the best were not on card stock.  I did eventually find paper I liked that would work.  When I finally made my choices and cut the paper I ruined one of them by not paying close enough attention to where I punched the holes.  As you can see on this one I could have paid closer attention to punching these holes, as well, but they are much better than the previous one.
I obviously wasn’t thinking things through when I started tatting on this.  On the first ring I made the first picot pretty short (which will be the final join) but the third picot long enough to reach the ring that will be in the next hole.  Why I didn’t fix that first picot I don’t know, but it became an issue in the end, of course.  I faked it at the end, and though it’s visible, I don’t think it came out too bad.  I added a loop of narrow ecru ribbon at the top so it can be hung up.  Originally I had thought to make an extra ring at the top to hang it from, but I didn’t like the look when I tried it. 
I am pleased with how it came out.  I also have a better idea of what I’m going to do if I make any more of these.  Or anything similar.  Thank you, Carolyn, for the inspiration and the tips on this paper and lace project.
I’m thinking about doing a few of these with old Christmas cards and giving them to family and close friends as my yearly ornament. If I start now I might have a few done in time.  It depends on how hard it is to pick out the thread…
I ended up giving this to a friend of mine whose aunt had died the week before Easter.  I also gave him a tatted cross bookmark, my usual sympathy gift.  It just seemed appropriate.
“A portion of your soul has been entwined with mine. A gentle kind of togetherness, while separate we stand. As two trees deeply rooted in separate plots of ground, while their topmost branches come together, forming a miracle of lace against the heavens.”
Janet Miles
http://www.searchquotes.com/

Tatting in the dark

Remember when I added tatting to several lamps shades?
I posted about them several times, here, here and here.
 I had gone to a bit of work to come up with a way to show it off , finally decorating cans.  I like how they turned out, but they didn’t give out a lot of light, more of a glow. 
I ended up using one of the lamp shades this weekend but displayed it a little differently.
This is a Dollar Store goblet with the puck light inside.  It’s a smaller puck light than the ones I had tried last time, but it turns on the same, by pressing the center.  The goblet puts an interesting pattern on the shade, doesn’t it?  It also allows it to be quite a bit brighter.  What a way to show tatting in the dark.
Why didn’t I think of this sooner?
Okay, I saw the idea on Pinterest, but it was saying to use tea lights.  I’m sure this is a bit brighter than using a tea light. 
And I wanted brighter.
Because we didn’t have any power.
A thunderstorm went through the area early, early Friday morning (April 3) and did a lot of damage to some of the area.  We were fortunate that we only had a bit of rain and not all the strong winds that hit not very far from here.  But we did loose power for 22 hours.  Which isn’t bad, as the electric company was projecting over three days before power would be restored. 
This put a kink in our weekend, to say the least.  My husband got out the generator and we rotated what got plugged in – well house, refrigerator, freezer, etc. We grilled our lunch and went out for supper Friday.  We were prepared for no electric for several days but were very happy it came on sooner. 
But everything I was going to do Friday pretty much didn’t happen.  And then Saturday we celebrated Easter over at one of our daughter’s house, which was for most of the day.  There was no time Sunday to do everything we had planned for the long weekend, so lots of things didn’t get done.
But that’s okay. We are okay, didn’t have any damage, had a wonderful time visiting family and had a blessed Easter.
That’s a lot of light to go with the dark.
“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”
Og Mandino
www.goodreads.com

International Tatting Day 2015

Tatting for International Tatting Day 2015


Plans for today:
Tat for enjoyment
Wear tatting
Eat chocolate!

Check out this cute little poem by muskaan.  This describes me, how about you?

‘Coz We Are Tatters

The room is all
a-clutter
The family
a-grumble, a-mutter,
But my heart is
still a-flutter,
Stashing more
thread is all that matters
‘Coz I am a tatter.
“That money’s for
food!”
Oh, honey, I’m sure
we’re good.
Need a new shuttle
in wood
Diversifying my
collection is all that matters
‘Coz I am a tatter.
There’s a new book
online
Well I mayn’t tat a
design
But that book has
to be mine
Stocking my library
is all that matters
‘Coz, peeps, I am
very much a tatter!
                                (muskaan, March
2015) 

Make lace, not war
😀
http://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com

Tatting Tea Tuesday flea market find

Wanda's Knotty Thoughts tatted teacup doily
 Tatted Tea Cup Doily © Wanda Salmans 2014
Another find from our flea market stop last week was this pretty demitasse tea cup and saucer.  I’m a fan of roses on tea cups though this is quite different from the ones I purchased for the auction.  I didn’t really need it but it was such a pretty set. 
The doily is the one I made when I was inspired by another tea cup with roses. I just noticed it is also the same horn shuttle that I used in the other picture.  I’ve made a start at the pattern for this doily, but there is still a long way to go before it is ready to share. 
I’m having to slow down on my tatting a bit. I got carried away and didn’t take breaks like I should have which made my arm sore.  Nothing serious, just have to do some arm and hand stretches a little more frequently and take it slower so it will get better.  I’m using some of that time to work on writing out patterns. Typing uses the hand and arm a bit differently than tatting so I’m taking a tatting break and still working on tatting 🙂
I also am anxious to work on a few of those stick pins I found at the flea market.  I have several ideas percolating in my head, I just need to decide on the colors.
  
“Tea is quiet and our thirst for tea is never far from our craving for beauty.”
James Norwood Pratt
www.quotegarden.com

Flea market finds

My husband and I stopped at a local flea market/antique shop the other day.  We didn’t find what we stopped in looking for, but I found a few things that I ended up bringing home.
Check out these buttons!  Someone took the time to cut them off of the clothes they were on and saved them.  There are some interesting buttons in here.  I’m already thinking of where and how to use them.
I can see either a family picture or tatting in this pretty little heart-shaped frame. It looks to have never been used – the picture is the one that came with it when it was new.
I found two packages of hat/lapel pins.  I snatched them up as I have been looking for this item for quite a while.  I have several relatives that like hats and wearing these in lapels as well.  And if they turn out well maybe I’ll try selling a few of these at a craft show.
I do have to keep a tight reign on my purse at flea markets so I don’t take home everything that strikes my fancy!
“Is it strange that I enjoy going to flea markets more than going to the mall?”

Emma pattern is posted

I finally finished the pattern for Emma!
It has taken me longer than expected, mostly because I kept trying different stitch counts in a few places.  I think I’m happy with it now.
The one place I did change the stitch count was the chains going up to and down from the top clover. Originally – and how I tatted the edging in the picture – the stitch count was 4 ds on each chain.  But, though it looked good when done, it had to be straightened by blocking or it twisted, so I changed them to 6 ds.  I also changed the two rings before and after those chains, making them 3-3 instead of 4-4.  Now when done it lays nice before any blocking.
It looks like I need to change the pictures I used on the patterns.  On screen it looks okay, but when I printed it the colors are so similar it’s a little hard to distinguish.  Maybe it’s just my printer?
So, for those who have expressed interest in tatting Emma, the pattern has been added to the patterns tab.
I have another edging done.  I haven’t even started writing out the pattern yet, but it is an easier one so shouldn’t take long.  Key word: shouldn’t.  We’ll see – if I think I need to make any changes on this one.
“All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”
Bruce Lee
brainyquote.com

On the edge with Emma

 Emma Edging © Wanda Salmans 2015
Here’s another edging I’ve been working on, Emma.  Last week I talked about using more colors, and I did, just very neutral colors, Lizbeth #691 Mocha Brown Medium and #693 Linen Medium, both in size 10.  They are similar enough to each other that sometimes in the evenings when I was refilling the shuttles I had to compare the two threads to make sure which one I needed.  But the subtle color change really works with the material I have picked out for this edging.
Emma Edging in size 10
Part of this edging I made for a runner for the Christmas craft show last year.  Surprise! I changed it a bit this time around.  Actually, just the second row, the first row is the same.  The second row is different because I wanted the edging to be wider.  
Emma Edging in size 20
This is a sample in size 20, Lizbeth  #602 Natural and #658 Ocean Turquoise Light.  I used these colors because I had shuttles already wound with them.  Hey, one of the shuttles is now empty – yay! This sample has a bit of a different stitch count than the finished edging in a couple of places as I decide what works the best.
Emma Edging in two sizes
I use size 10 thread for runners because it covers more edge faster.  It doesn’t look as delicate as it would with smaller thread, but for table runners where the lace hangs over the edge of the table the heavier thread works better, I think.  At least it doesn’t take as long 🙂
I hope to have the pattern for Emma posted later this week.  Part of it’s done already but I also have to decide if I want to change the stitch count in a couple of places.  Oh, yeah, and try and catch mistakes 😛
I’ve got another edging almost finished then I need to figure out what I want to do on another.  I think I know the colors of thread I want to use but I’m not sure of the pattern.  Will it be a new one?  Will it be one I’ve done before? Will it be a combination of new and old?
I’m on edge to find out!
“They dined on mince, and slices of quince, 
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, 
They danced by the light of the moon.”
Edward Lear
www.brainyquote.com

Pretty day

March 7, 2015 it’s sunny, about 70° F with just a slight breeze – an absolutely beautiful day in Kansas!
So pretty I sat outside to tat some, until I got too warm!
Okay, almost spring day 🙂
And for those that live in such places, don’t forget to Spring forward and set your clocks an hour ahead tonight.