Kitties and dragonflies

Pretty Kitty pattern by Nancy Tracy © 2006
I’m still tatting for my granddaughter.  I thought this cute little kitty from Be-stitched by Nancy Tracy would look nice on a dress I bought for her. These are made in Lizbeth #641 Lilac Dark, size 20.
Here is one of them on the dress. The dress originally came with a crocheted purple flower on it but I took it off and put on the kitty.   I have nothing against crochet, I just wanted some tatting on it instead. 
The other kitty was supposed to go on a cup for my grandson, this little girl’s big brother, but somehow or other it disappeared.  Maybe it had other places it wanted to be.  That’s okay, the kitty is quick and easy to make so it won’t take long to make another one.  This kitty actually gave me a reason to try out my Handy Hands thread holder I got from Tabatha. I do so many patterns that take two shuttles I haven’t had need of the holder yet.  It is pretty cool to use, by the way.  I still need to add a wrist ribbon – or something – but it worked great in the car.
Dragonfly pattern by Jon 2010
I made these dragonsflies from a pattern by Jon.  Aren’t they cute? (Have you seen the butterflies at the top of her blog – those are next!) The  purple one is made with the Lizbeth #641 size 20 – hey, I still had thread on my shuttle from the kitties:-) – with bronze-colored beads of unknown origin and size.  The other is made from Lizbeth #144 Leaf Swirl, size 20 with green beads, again of unknown origin and size.  This green and white one is for my mother for her birthday.  I’m planning on adding it to a pin to add to one of her hats.  I bought some hat pins a while back just for this purpose and now I want to use them I can’t find them anywhere!  I still have a couple of days to look, but I do have a backup plan if I can’t find them. 
I had hoped that I could show the pin completed and the cup for my grandson today but I guess they’ll be for another day.  I still have another outfit to decorate for my granddaughter as well that isn’t quite done.   Thank goodness none of these projects are all that big.  There is hope that all of them will be done by next Tatting Tea Tuesday.
Today I actually drank some tea before I started on the coffee. It was just Country Peach from Celestial Seasonings, a nice start for a cool morning. 
May is Celiac Awareness Month.  I mention this because, though I have not been officially diagnosed with this by a doctor, I definitely have either this or a severe gluten intolerance. My daughter is the one who actually diagnosed this when I had a lot of issues a couple of years ago. My doctor had no clue what caused all my problems but when I followed my daughter’s advice it was like flipping a switch on how much better I felt. This is a disease described at www.celiac.org as:

“Celiac
Disease (CD) is a lifelong
inherited autoimmune condition that affects both children and
adults.  When people who have CD eat foods that contain gluten, it causes an immune
reaction that
results in damage
to the small intestine and does not allow
nutrients to be properly absorbed.
Damage can be present in the small intestine even when there are no symptoms. Currently, the only treatment is
strict adherence
to the gluten-free diet.
Gluten  is the
common name for the proteins in specific grains that are harmful to persons
with celiac disease.  These proteins are
found in ALL forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro)
and related grains rye, barley and triticale and MUST
be eliminated.”
(Yes, I’m on a strict gluten free diet.  I even have to watch the ingredients of some Teas!)
“Old age is not a disease – it is strength and survivorship, triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trial and illnesses.” 
Maggie Kuhn

Tatting for Little Girls

I tatted several lengths of my “Row of Crowns” edging to put on a dress for my granddaughter.  I finished the tatting on our way up to Kansas City, Missouri where we spent the weekend. I didn’t get much tatting done after that – we was much too busy with the family!
Tatting for a denim dress on wandasknottythoughts.com

This morning I added it to the dress.

 Denim dress before having tatting added 1 on wandasknottythoughts.com

Denim dress before having tatting added on wandasknottythoughts.com

This is the cute little denim dress I picked up at Carter’s for Kids.  It’s one of the few children’s outfits that doesn’t have decorations already on it, just pink thread used to sew on the buttons.
Tatting added to the front of a denim dress on wandasknottythoughts.com
Tatting added to the back of a denim dress on wandasknottythoughts.com
This is what it looks like with the tatting added.
I’m trying Bo-Nash to attach the tatting to the dress. I ordered some a while ago but never tried it until today.  I’m not sure if I like it yet, maybe because I’m not using it correctly.  But if it holds the tatting in place long enough so I can sew it down it’s still a good thing. Trying to keep tatting in just the right place while sewing it down has always been a problem of mine.
I can’t wait to see what my granddaughter looks like in this!
As I mentioned, we spent the weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, close to Country Club Plaza. This place has fountains everywhere! As is usual for me when we travel I just had to have a picture of me tatting with one of our destinations in the background.
Tatting in Kansas City, MO on wandasknottythoughts.com
This is one of the fountains on Nichols Road.  The architecture of the entire Plaza is based on Seville, Spain. It’s a pretty cool place to visit, but if you want to buy anything bring lots of money.  This place has very high-end stores!
We had a wonderful weekend with the family!  Of course I spent too much money on the grandkids, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Too bad we have to go back to work today.
“Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation.”

Another one…Can you believe it?

Pattern, that is.   Amazing, isn’t it?

Okay, it’s similar to the Crowned Wheel motif because it’s the edging I was planning to make in the first place.
I’ve added it to the patterns page if you’d like to check it out.
Now, would you like to know what I was planning on doing with these edgings I’ve made recently?
See, I said I was going to use the two together.  What do you think?  Do they work together?
I just couldn’t get a good picture of this.  It really looks much better in person.
I had quite a time trying to put this together. I love the thread color, Lizbeth ‘Springtime’, but what color background do you use with it?  I didn’t want to use white but I couldn’t find paper at home that didn’t wash out at least one of the colors.  I actually took one of the edgings with me to Walmart and compared it to almost every single style/color of scrapbook paper they have.  (I would have taken it to Hobby Lobby or Micheal’s as they have much larger selections but I didn’t want to wait until I had time to go.)  And I didn’t find a single paper that I liked enough to purchase.  The papers that were in shades that might work were flat, solid colors or had so much going on that it took away from the pattern in the thread.  A lot were just in shades that  made the thread look bad. 
I finally used a page that I had at home that I had overlooked.  It is pink but it looks like the color is washed or brushed on.  This textured appearance gives the paper a depth that solid colored paper can’t duplicate. 
Unlike the cup I decorated for my grandson that I talked about here, I’m not completely happy with how this background paper fits in the cup. The bits and pieces I used on my grandson’s cup worked very well.  The edgings used in this cup reach from one end of the background paper to the other, making it thicker than the randomly placed tatting in the other, so it’s harder to fit in the cup and where they meet is not quite as smooth. Something else I did not think about when I decided to put edgings on this cup was that the backing paper is not a rectangle but rectangular with two curving sides.  I had to eye-ball the placement of the edgings to smoothly follow the line of those edges.  I’m not allowing anyone to get close to this cup with a ruler!
I’m calling this #25 of my second 25 Motif Challenge.  I’m now thinking how I’m going to challenge myself for the next round. 🙂
Getting this post out was a challenge. This would have been a Tatting Tea Tuesday post if blogger hadn’t given me fits.  I had to add every picture multiple times to get the orientation right.  It was quite frustrating! I’m hoping next week will be easier.
“We are cups, constantly and quietly filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.”
Ray Bradbury

More new tatting

I was working on another short edging that didn’t come out quite like I wanted. 
Crowned Wheel © Wanda Salmans 2012
Edging?  Yes, it was supposed to be an edging but kept curving, so I let it.  I thought it looked a little hollow so added a little something to the middle.  It came out pretty nice, but obviously not an edging.  This one is made with Lizbeth #163 ‘Blue Ice’ in size 40.  Originally I was working in Lizbeth #115 ‘Springtime’ in size 20. I made the one in ‘Blue Ice’ to verify stitch count and shuttle use so I could write out the pattern.  If you’re interested in it check out the Patterns tab. (I recommend starting with the center then working on the outside ☺)
I haven’t finished the project with the Hanging Basket Edging yet, as this edging – the one that didn’t happen – is  going to go with it.  I wanted to make sure the two edgings worked together before I got too far in attaching them.  Which means I’m not done yet.  I have some thoughts on where I went ‘wrong’ and will be trying again.
I’m trying out the Pages option here in Blogger, which is where I moved the links to my patterns.  The list was getting kind of long *grin* which isn’t a bad thing, but I thought maybe this would work better.  
“Success is following the pattern of life one enjoys most”  Al Capp

April 14, 2012 – Tornado southwest of Salina, KS

This tornado was north and a little west of us on Saturday.  We got side-swiped by a little tornado which thankfully left very little damage.  I was glad this one wasn’t in my backyard and worried about the people that were.  Amazingly no-one was killed by this big one. It was a little harry Saturday but we survived.

A new edging

Hanging Basket Edging © Wanda Salmans 2012
This is the edging I was working on last week.  I finished tatting it but it’s not yet attached to anything.  If things go well I’ll have it done this week.  It’s made in Lizbeth #115 ‘Springtime’ size 20.  I’m very fond of this colorway, it really makes me think springtime, which somewhat surprises me as I don’t usually favor pastels.

When I started this edging I had only a vague idea of what I wanted.  I was happy with the first row though I knew it needed a second row to make it as deep as I was looking for.  The length of the first row worked out well, leaving just the right number of repeats so the second row fit – once I figured out what the second row was going to be. The first row has a SCMR and a thrown ring in every repeat but otherwise it is just rings and chains.  The second row is a little fiddly but not difficult, using only rings and chains though you have to switch shuttles for the ‘basket’ part. If anyone is interested I am sharing the pattern, it’s on the sidebar.

I’m not much of a garden person – I’m much too lazy to keep it weeded – but I do like to have a few flowers to brighten up the house.  While they look nice I’d thought I’d share a little.  I put these out a little over a week ago and they’re still alive(!) and look like they may stay that way a little longer.  It’s amazing how a few pots of plants change the whole feel of the entry way.

“In the spring, the carpet flowered amid the green,
and as wind blew, it looked like music on the ground.”
Timothy Egan

Actual tatting was done!

Looky, looky, there be tatting!  For the first time in almost two weeks, I was able to sit down Sunday and tat.  I didn’t get as far as I would have liked, but that I got anything done is amazing! 
The edging is made with size 20 Lizbeth #115 “Springtime”.  I just started tatting with an idea of what I wanted and I think it is coming along nicely. Hopefully it won’t take me two weeks to finish it : -)
Some of the reason I haven’t had time to tat is family visiting, which is a good reason not to have gotten anything done.  Having two 3-year-olds and a 10 month old around for several days makes it interesting to get anything done except enjoying and playing with them.  And who would want to do anything else?  Certainly not Grandma (me)!
I did get tatting out to the public a week ago.  The senior center that my mother volunteers at, and is a member of, had a show-and-tell day to share their hobbies with the community.  Mom wanted to share a table with my sister and I – my sister embroiders and my mother collects (and wears) hats.  The local paper even did an article on my mom when they were doing a write-up about the day.  She brought 37 hats in and it was decided to give her, and my sister and I, the quilting/sewing room to accommodate them. 
My mom and a few of her tats.
This is a picture of my mother (on the left) and her two sisters in their hats at the show-and-tell.  Mom was very excited to share all of her hats. 
I had been planning on this day for about a month and even had some ideas to make a few cute and quick things for it.  Unfortunately I had been working some very long days and weeks so had to settle for things I already had on hand.  I was supposed to be there at least by nine on Saturday,  bringing both my tatting and my sister’s things as she had to work.  My daughter from Nebraska decided to come down that weekend as well, which is great. Then Friday night she went out for the evening with her cousins and I was home with both of her children and my other daughter’s little boy, alone, as my husband had to work (I had taken a day of vacation). The kids were all great, but they were kids and I didn’t get much sleep. When I finally did I overslept. I didn’t get up to the senior center until almost 9:30 a.m. and the doors were to open at 10:00 a.m.  It was a case of lay out the table cloth and start putting out our things as fast as possible.  
My sister has been giving classes on scrap-booking at the senior center so had some pages and books for that as well as her embroidery.  Good thing they gave Mom the whole room, the table was crowded with just my sister and my hobbies, and the hats take up a lot of room. 
I found I had more tatted items at home than I thought I did.
I had quite a few opportunities to share my love of tatting with others.  This woman’s mother had tatted but she had never done it herself. She had a lot of questions about it so I demonstrated how to do a chain with two colors.  Throughout the day there were a lot of the usual comments about tatting being a ‘lost’ art, so this was a great chance to let them see it’s not lost completely and has been ‘found’ by quite a few people.  Several people expressed interest in taking classes if they were offered, so I might have the chance to share it with more.  This would be as a volunteer to mostly older people (so speaks a grandmother!) but I think it would be a lot of fun. 
I’m back on ‘regular’ nine hour days at work again, so I’m looking forward to having more time to tat again. Which is good because I just got Sherry’s new book in the mail yesterday *happy dance*. This book looks great and I’m really looking forward to making the items in this book and learning this technique.  
“Grab your coat, and get your hat, Leave your worry on the doorstep. Just direct your feet, To the sunny side of the street.”
Dorothy Fields

International Tatting Day

Happy International Tatting Day.
Have you had your chocolate today?  I shared mine at church this morning while I was wearing my vest with all the tatting on it.

Now I’m going to sit back with my feet up, drink some iced tea and tat a bit, just for me 🙂

I’m looking forward to the mail this week – Sherry’s new book should be here soon, yea!

Spring has sprung…an Egg!

Spring has actually felt like it’s been here for weeks but finally my red bud tree is blooming.  I’m sitting outside while I write this enjoying the birds singing and the lovely flowers in my lawn (okay, they’re weeds, but at the moment they brighten  up the lawn).  A little while ago a wild hen turkey crossed our yard followed closely by a tom, eager to show her his lovely tail feather display.
I have done very little tatting this week, so have nothing to show. I did post the Easter egg pattern on the sidebar. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to work on it, either.  It’s mostly written out long hand, but does have pictures and general diagrams.  I wanted to get it out there before Easter even if it’s not quite the way I want it. I will be updating it when I have a little more time. It is mostly a ring and chain pattern with a couple of SCMRs. If you happen do make it and find any mistakes I’d be happy if you’d let me know so I can fix it. 
Though I haven’t done much tatting this week I do have tatting related news, I just haven’t had the time to work on the pictures.  Maybe I’ll have them ready for next week. 
Speaking of next week, April first is this coming Sunday – International Tatting Day.  I have a list of things I need to tat and am hoping to be able to sit and enjoy some chocolate while I work on at least one of them.  If it’s a nice day maybe I’ll try to go to the park or sit on a public bench somewhere and share it with the public (tatting, not necessarily the chocolate).
“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”
Anthony J. D’Angelo
The optimist keeps his eye on the doughnut, the pessimist only sees the hole