Tag: aunt

A short edging

Short edging in Rainbow Splash on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
A short edging in Lizbeth #184 Rainbow Splash size 20
 I have an aunt that is currently in assisted living while undergoing rehab after surgery.  Outside of every room in the facility is a shadow box with glass shelves.  The shadow boxes for those people that are there for long term care usually have quite a few things in them, from pictures to miniatures to postcards and such. My aunt is not expected to be there for a long term but it does look sad to have the shadow box empty.  My mother has been finding cat miniatures at garage sales to put in my aunt’s box to give it a happier appearance.
I kept thinking her box needed a little tatting.  While I was visiting the week before Easter I showed her what colors I had with me and offered to make an edging for her box.  She chose Rainbow Splash.
I envisioned doing something quick and easy that would hang over the edge of a shelf.  That is what developed but not quite as I saw it in my mind’s eye.
Then there was the problem of attaching it to the shelf.  At first I thought I would use sewing thread to go around and around the shelf, attaching to the edging as I went.  I thought it wouldn’t be too noticeable.  But that didn’t work at all.  My husband suggested gluing it to the glass.  As I happened to have a glue stick with me I gave it a try.  It worked great.  As it’s just a regular glue stick the edging should come off easily when she goes home.  The glass should clean off easily as well.
My aunt is very happy with the edging.  She makes sure she mentions it to whom-ever is assisting her as they come and go to her room.
I wanted to get the edging done by Easter – which I did – so pretty much went with the original idea.  There are a few things I want to change the next time which should make it hang nicer without twisting.  I think the edging came out well for a ‘quickie’.
“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”
Salvador Dali

Forgotten kitty

Tatted cat from The Complete Book of Tatting, Rebecca Jones, found on wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Cat © Rebecca Jones 1985
tatted by Wanda Salmans
I was visiting an aunt this week and noticed this kitty on her side table among other pictures and nick-knacks.  I had completely forgotten about making this until I saw it again.
When I saw it I was trying to remember where I had found the pattern and when I had done it.  I had to do some thinking about how old it might be before I could think of the book.  Amazingly I guessed right the first time and pulled out the right book the first try.  The pattern is found in ‘The Complete Book of Tatting’ by Rebecca Jones.  I checked the published date to give me a clue of when I might have tatted it.  My copy of the book has “reprinted 1992 & 1994”.  I’m pretty sure I tatted this about 1995 and gifted it for birthday or Christmas the same year.
I’m guessing the thread is DMC pearl cotton size 8 because, at the time, there weren’t many other threads in pretty colors that I could find.  I didn’t take a lot of time to look at it closely when I was at the aunts’ house or I could be more sure.  It is mounted on light blue material in a wooden frame without glass.  It’s almost hard to believe I made it 20 years ago!
This is a favorite aunt that I spent many hours with growing up and once I knew how to tat she was the lucky recipient of quite a bit of tatting.  In those days I didn’t take pictures or write down what I made or where it went. This is one of the reasons I started blogging, to keep track of all that!
It gives me a little warm and fuzzy feeling to see that she has kept it all these years and still has it out to enjoy.
“The ideal of calm exists in a sitting cat.”
Jules Renard
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