Tag: 4th of July

Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day is tomorrow, July 4, but we spent yesterday evening celebrating early with our church family. We had an enjoyable evening with a potluck and fireworks. It was a lot of fun. We watched other people set off fireworks while we sat and watched.

Most years I come up with a little something done in patriotic colors. Instead, this year I’m sharing a pattern I made a few years ago. In July 2019 I decorated a white button for the 4th of July with red and blue threads. A few days ago I was asked for the pattern and realized I hadn’t written it out yet. I finally did.

Patriotic button on wandasknottythoughts
Patriotic button

It’s funny, I’m not sure what I did with the original button, but I made a new one and started a second one. One suggestion about making it: don’t do it while talking to people in a doctor’s office. This pattern uses four shuttles at a time, which can tangle if you’re not paying attention!

Patriotic Button using four shuttles on wandasknottythoughts
Patriotic Button using four shuttles

I was talking about tatting to several interested people in the office waiting area and tangled the threads several times. I should have chosen something a bit simpler to take with me.

If anyone is interested in the Patriotic Button pattern it is on My Patterns page.

I wish you all a safe 4th of July!

“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.” – William Faulkner

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

Patriotic tatting

Independence Day has come and gone and I finally am posting a bit of patriotic tatting.

Red, White, and Blue for the 4th 2019

We traveled to western Kansas for some 4th of July family time this year. It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive each way, plenty of time to get a bit of tatting done. At least on the way out; I had to drive for a while on the way back. We had a wonderful time visiting with family we only see every couple of years.

I have trouble sometimes tatting with red, white, and blue threads. I want to get all three colors in without getting too busy with it. This time I used a button for the white and alternated with red and blue thread. It was a challenge to tat this in the car; I kept getting the four shuttles tangled as the car swayed and bumped down the road. I am pleased with how it turned out, though it might work better next time with a smooth button. I used Lizbeth threads #671 and #707 Sky Blue Dark in size 20. I’m working on writing up the pattern.

I have tatted quite a bit recently even if you haven’t seen me post. I’ve been having trouble with my picture program. It acts like it’s opening and then doesn’t. I finally paid more attention as it started and noticed that it shows the wrong version trying to open. I plan on calling the help desk about it when I have an uninterrupted few minutes, though I’m not sure when that will be. Until then I am using an older program which works okay, it just doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the other. And then when I tried to add the picture to this post it put it in sideways, even though it didn’t show as sideways. The third time it finally showed up correct.

Looking forward to having my picture program start working! Maybe I’ll post sooner!

“The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults. Alexis de Tocqueville www.brainyquote.com

A little red, white and blue

Tatted buttons of red, white, and blue on wandasknottythoughts.com
In honor of the 4th of July I thought I’d tat something in red, white and blue.  This started out to be a bracelet with three white buttons, each decorated with a different color thread.  The red and blue threads worked great but the white thread kept breaking.  I finally gave up on trying to tat around the button and went around the other two buttons instead.  I’m still deciding how to make a bracelet out of this.I’m not giving up, just changing the plan a bit 🙂

Enjoy a safe, happy and red, white and blue Independence Day!

William Faulkner: “We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”

Happy 4th of July!

It’s Independence Day!
My mother had a few patriotic things out for decoration but I couldn’t make up my mind which to use today so I put them all out!
The pin on the hat I made for my dad a couple of years ago.  The bookmark is new.

Made in Lizbeth size 20 in 
Red, White and Blue!
O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
O say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On that shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam–
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream;
‘Tis the Star-Spangled Banner; O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

The Star Spangled Banner
by Francis Scott Key

Encapsulated!

“Thicket of Flowers” © Sherry Pence 2012
Check this out! I did it!  Woo hoo!
I was one of those people who pre-ordered Sherry’s new book “Branching Encapsulation” back in March and which arrived in the beginning of April.  Lets’ see, that’s April, May, June – wow, three months ago! And I just now had time (made time, took time) to try it out.  Sherry, you would be so proud of me – I read through the directions first, several times even, before starting AND started at the front of the book instead of jumping to the end and trying out what I really want to try.  Okay, I want to try everything in the book, I just have plans for the patterns/ideas at the end :-)Encapsulation does take some concentration to do – it’s definitely not something to do while watching TV.  I really had to pay attention to what I was doing, but I’m very happy with the results. This is my very first attempt!  If this was a little closer picture you would be able to make out the slight discoloration of the white thread because I didn’t make sure my hands were clean after eating lunch, but other than that I think it has gone very well.  I’m using Lizbeth threads in size 20 #601 White (because it was already on a shuttle), #684 Leaf Green Med and Cebelia size 30 pink #3326.  I’m going to continue a bit more to make sure I have a good grasp of this technique, then on to the next pattern!  I don’t have anything planned for this thicket of flowers except to learn how, but I have in mind to decorate a wedding gift with some of those last patterns in the book, so I have to get with it.  I only have three weeks to get it done!  Wish me progress.

This Tatting Tea Tuesday I’m enjoying a glass of cold, sweet tea while I steal a few minutes of another busy day to tat a bit. I haven’t had a lot of time to tat lately, and what I have been tatting has been for a purpose, either to learn a technique or to make something specific.  Unfortunately, none of those things needed to be red, white and blue, so I don’t have anything patriotic tatted up. The date kind of snuck up on me.

Date?

Tomorrow is July fourth, our Independence Day.  It will be celebrated throughout the country with picnics and bar-b-ques, get-togethers and fireworks.  And probably a bit too much to drink by a lot of people, hopefully not the ones lighting the fireworks!  Hopefully, too, at least a little thought will go into what exactly we’re celebrating, what it took to get it, and what it takes to maintain it.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July everyone!

“July Fourth means a lot to me as an American,…It is a patriotic day. It is not particularly about WWII or any war.  It just shows a patriotic way of life we really should celebrate not just on Independence Day but every day.”
Robert Davies