And now that everything is back to normal I can finally post a picture of the goodies I got from Lorena, Rose Chic Friends, for the drawing on her blog. She sent lots of beautiful things – mostly in pink! There was a painted ball ornament and a paper one, a cozy, a journal, a lovely clay rose bouquet, a clay flower lapel pin and beaded earings, two spatulas (with pink hearts!), a post-it pad, and two Thanksgiving decorations that I put on the table for supper – I made it home in time to use them! My daughters oohed and awed over my winnings. They both like pink. Thank you, Lorena, for drawing my name! You do beautiful work. I was unable to wear the pin or earings this weekend because I held the baby (a lot) and didn’t want to hurt him or me. But I know just what they’ll go with on Sunday to church!

Home and back to normal

I actually made it back from Omaha late the 26th with grandson and his parents in tow, yipee! They came home with me for Thanksgiving, so everyone got to meet Mercutio. He was passed around a lot, but took it in stride, or in snooze. He slept through most of it! His auntie was very excited to see him as she was unable to go to Omaha when he was born. She’s expecting a boy in January, so Mercutio will have a cousin his age to play with. The family went back Sunday and had a safe trip home. And I miss them already *sniff*sniff*

I have done some tatting but nothing is ready to show yet. Hopefully in a day or two I’ll have pictures. I have so many things I want to get done by Christmas but I think I’m being a little ambitious. I do have to go back to work and of course do dishes and such *sigh*. What gets done gets done and the rest may have to be for next year.

Tatting and still visiting the grandbaby

I’m still in Omaha with the grandson, enjoying seeing him discover his new world. It’s so great! He’s spending more time awake so more time for us to watch him learn to move and react to sound and light. He’s so much more fun to watch than TV!

I have been getting some tatting done. This little doily is made with size 30 DMC Cebelia in Ecru. It measures about 4 1/2 inches across at the points. I spent just over a day doing the seven inside motifs and three days trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the outside. I had an idea of what I wanted it to look like but just couldn’t get it to come out right. I started five different times and and cut it off four times. I’m not sure it’s really what I wanted it to be but I was just ready for it to be done! I can live with it, and it will make someone a nice gift for Christmas.

I’ve started another something, I’m not sure yet if it will be a snowflake or a doily. It’s in pink and blue – remember, I don’t have a lot of choice of colors. You’d think that in a city as big as Omaha there would be someplace that sells more thread choices than a few colors in DMC size 8 and size 80 and white and ecru in size 10 or 20. So far, I haven’t found that place. Of course, I’m looking on line so I could have missed a place some where but I don’t want to take that much time to do it in person. Kinda of disappointed though, I’ve been having some pretty neat ideas, but in colors and sizes I don’t have with me! I’ll just have to write them down and try them when I get home.

A few days ago the package from Lorena Rosechicfriends arrived at my house -what she sent me for winning her 100 post giveaway. As I’m in Omaha and not at home I haven’t see it yet. I will share a picture of the goodies with everyone as soon as I get home and see them myself. I’m excited to see what she sent!
This week is Thanksgiving here in the States. I’m not sure yet what exactly we’re going to be doing. We are trying to figure out if my daughter and her husband are going to try making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, etc, – or do something a bit different. But whatever it is it probably won’t be with the entire family – my other daughter and her husband, our parents and siblings – because they are all in Kansas. But whatever we do they will be in our thoughts as people we are thankful for. And I wish all of you a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving as well.

New baby and tatting

 

 

 

The last week I’ve been spending a lot of time with my new grandson, Mercutio. He’s quite the sweetie! So far he’s keeping his mom, dad and grandma entertained by making the cutest faces and noises. It’s awfully hard to put him down even when he’s sleeping. But once in awhile it’s best to leave him on his own and I have done a little tatting. I don’t have very many choices for thread colors as we left in kinda of a hurry so I have been making due.
Both of these snowflakes I came up with this week just doodling. I really like the blue and green one. These two are #3 & #4 of the 25 motif challenge. I’ve done several things that I had wanted to add to the challenge but forgot to say so.
The other picture is, of course, Mercutio at six days old. He was sitting in a swing watching the world go by. And we were sitting watching him. Grandma could do that a lot. Thanks for all the good wishes from everyone. I have been reading the comments but haven’t been taking the time to answer. Too busy being Grandma (I seem to be the only one to get him to burp…)!
(I’m still new at this blogging thing and can’t seem to get the pictures right where I want them yet. I’ll learn.)

I’m a Grandma!

As of Thursday, November 13th at 9:33 AM I am a Grandma for the first time! My youngest daughter had a little boy. He’s so cute! So I’ll be up in Omaha for about a week helping out. Of course I brought my tatting but I don’t know just how much I’ll get done. There could be a few more important things to do. Like hold him and take pictures and such. Today at least it will mostly be inside, as the wind is blowing and there are a few snowflakes in the air. They came home from the hospital this morning all bundled up.
I have to go now, he’s making these really cute faces. I don’t want to miss any!

Celtic tatting

Well, I finally tried it. I’ve been admiring Celtic tatting for a while but never took the time to do it. So, last night I got out Tatting for Pleasure, by Rosemarie Peel, and tried the Celtic motif. It’s just a little thing but it took me awhile. I kept joining the chain on the wrong side. But I prevailed! It will look good as a pin, I think. Now I’ve done one (small) thing I am ready to try something a little harder.

Our youngest daughter is pregnant and expecting any day now. When she calls and tells me she thinks it’s time I’ll be heading up to Omaha to be with them for a little while. I’ve got my suitcase mostly packed and most of my tatting handy so I can grab them in a moment’s notice. This is her first baby and our first grandbaby. I’m only a little excited(!!!) I have vacation set aside and permission to leave when necessary and the bills caught up and…. Her husband is in the Air Force, stationed at Offutt. That’s only a little more than five hours away. It might seem farther when I go up there but there are places I wouldn’t be able to get to at all so I’m not complaining. So for now I’ll take a deep breath and keep the phone handy.

Edgings and Ideas

I’ve been trying to organize pictures on my computer and found a couple of edgings that I really enjoyed doing. They were added to the bottom of magnet boards I made for friends’ birthdays.

One friend does Renaissance Festivals and at first I didn’t quite know what I would use as background. Then I found some wonderful dragon and castle material. This is one time I actually used beads and then added dragonfly and “gem” magnets.

The other one is really into elephants. Material with elephants, the one’s I found anyway, were rather dark. So I used material with bamboo plants on it so she could see her elephant magnets. The edging was in gold. I think the green really set it off well.

Both recipients were happy with their gifts. And I had a lot of fun coming up with edgings that looked good with the material.

I have been getting a lot of ideas lately seeing all the great things other people have been doing on eTatters and their blogs. The problem is there is so little time to try them out! Christmas is coming so I do have that excuse to sit down and tat because of needing gifts. Now, if I could just stay home from work I’d have a lot more time for the important things.

Bookmark in fall colors

This is a bookmark I designed a few years ago when I was with one of my daughters at a sporting event. I posted this on eTatters and was asked if I would post the pattern.
Finally, here it is! Anyone is welcome to try it. It looks good in other colors, too.
Bookmark in fall colors
Designed by Wanda Salmans, aka tattrldy

Shuttle and ball
Motif
#
Clover
R 5-3-2. DNRW
R 2+ (to 2nd p of prev R) 3-3-2. DNRW
R 2+ (to 2nd p of prev R) 3-5. RW
Ch 5-5. RW
%
R 5+5 (to 2nd p of prev R) DNRW
R 5-5 RW
Ch 5-5 RW
%
Repeat between % twice.
Repeat Clover and following Ch, joining 1st p of 1st R of Clover to 2nd p of prev R
Repeat between % three times
Join to base of 1st Clover. Cut and Tie.
#
Repeat between # twice, joining to previous motifs in 2nd p of 2nd R of Clover.

Outside edge

R 5+5 to 2nd p of 2nd R of Clover at one end of the string of motifs. RW
Ch 3-2-2-3. RW
@
R 5+5 to next j of facing Rs of motif. RW
Ch 5-2-2-2-2-5. RW
@
Repeat between @ two times.
^
R 5+5 to next j of facing Rs of motif. RW
Ch 3 RW
R 5+5 to j of Clovers between motifs. RW
Ch 3 RW
^
Repeat between @ three times
Repeat between ^ once.
Repeat between @ three times.
R 5+5 to next j of facing Rs of motif. RW
Ch 3-2-2-3. RW
R 5+5 to 2nd p of 2nd R of Clover at end of the string of motifs. RW
$
Ch 3-2-2-2-2-2 each p increasing in length -2-2-2-3 each p decreasing in length. RW

Repeat from the beginning of Outside Edge with next R in same p as prev R.
Last Ch $ 22 ds, no picots.

Add tassel of 8 strands of thread doubled and brought through the $ chain from front to back. Bring all ends through loop and tighten. Trim ends as desired.
Update – added to My Patterns tab 1/6/15

Small Christmas tree pattern

A few days ago I posted a picture of a small Christmas tree ornament. I was asked if I would share the pattern. Well, here it is! I’ve tried looking it over for mistakes and to make it understandable. Please give it a try, and let me know if you have any questions or if you find a problem.

Two Shuttles
Sht1
R 3-6—6-3. RW
CH 4-3—3-4. DNRW
Clover
Sht2
R 3-3-3-3. R 3 + to 3rd p of prev R 4 –2—2- 4-3. R 3+ to 3rd p of prev R 3-3-3. DNRW
Sht1
CH 4-3—3-4. RW
R 3-6+ to 2nd p of 1st R 6-3 RW
Sht2
R 3-6—6-3. DNRW
Sht1
CH 4-3—3-4. DNRW
Repeat from Clover 2 times except
Top Clover 2nd R 3+ 4 – 2 (very long p) 2- 2 + to very long p 4-3.
Last repeat join CH to base of 1st R. RW
Split R Sht2 9
Sht1 9 close. DNRW
Sht2
R 9-9.
Joint to base of previous R.

Tatting demonstration

Yesterday my husband and I were cleaning before re-arranging the living room when I came across one of my daughter’s old school newspapers from 1993 with my picture in it. My youngest was in second grade that year. Her teacher, Mrs. Val Graber, had the students invite parents or other family members to come in to share their skills and hobbies. My daughter asked me to share tatting with her class. I remember trying to come up with a presentation for 7 & 8 year olds. I talked about the different names tatting goes by in different countries and had them help me try to pronounce them, then shared some of it’s history. We had them sit on the floor close by and I tatted a few rings and chains for them. Each child received a 3″ x 5″ note card with some little bit of tatting on it, a butterfly, a caterpillar, or flowers I had made, the backgrounds made with markers. They were very pleased to get them, as I was very pleased to do them.

This was the first time I had gotten up in front of people to demonstrate or talk about tatting. Since then I have given other demonstrations, most to people of a slightly more advanced age, but all built on the confidence I found in sharing my enthusiasm about tatting with second graders.