Tag: hearts

Graduation Book Mark

It’s that time of year again, graduation for kids of all ages. One of my daughters recently graduated from college and a niece from high school. Different circumstances, different types of gifts to be given, don’t you think?

We gave our daughter one of our winnings from the auction we went to a few weeks ago. I didn’t think to take a picture of it before giving it to her but imagine a bottle of wine and wine-related items. She was happy with it.

For my niece, I gave something a little more in line with my usual graduation gift, a bookmark, to go along with a book and a bit of cash.

Double heart bookmark with book on wandasknottythoughts
Double heart bookmark with a book of devotions

My picture has the bookmark covering a bit more of the title than I had planned, but the picture on the front helps show why I chose to tat something with hearts.

Double heart bookmark on wandasknottythoughts
Double heart bookmark on a paperclip

This is my January Heart pattern with split-ring tails joined to a large paperclip. I think this will be easier to keep in a book than a loose bookmark would be. This is not only holding a place in the book but is also holding a bit of cash. What college student can’t use that? I gave this to her at her graduation party, but she mostly got cards (probably with money) and didn’t open them at the party.

I’ve been doing some other tatting this week, but not much is coming out as planned. The last few days I’ve been tatting while watching it rain. They say it’s supposed to end tomorrow – and then the heat and humidity arrive. I guess it is the end of May, so I should expect it.

In July I’m going to Tatting Corner’s Tat Days. My husband and I will be driving out. While I’m tatting he’ll be checking out what’s to be found in the area, then joining me for the evening meals. I’ve not been to one of their Tat Days before but am looking forward to it. Who else is going?

wheat in the rain on wandasknottythoughts
Green wheat in the rain

“Potential is like a summer crop. If it don’t rain, it don’t grow.” Charles Oakley

A Bunny and Two Hearts

Finished TIAS 2016 is a bunny! wandasknottythoughts
TIAS 2016 © Jane Eborall
Look! Look!  I got the TIAS done!  Yay!
This Burgundy thread (Lizbeth #672 size 20) was a little too dark – I couldn’t see what I was doing when I made a mistake.  He did come out pretty cute – love the teeth and carrot!
Tatted heart adapted by Barbara Foster wandasknottythoughts
Tatted Heart adapted by Barbara Foster from design by
Mrs. J.M. Blackman, appearing in Modern Priscilla magazine in 1917
One of my aunts ended up in the hospital Saturday, so instead of taking her real flowers I took her some fake ones Sunday (no worries about spilling the water or flowers drooping before she could enjoy them).  It was a hurry-up job.  The ‘vase’ is a spice jar with a piece of burlap ribbon and a piece of smaller, white ribbon wrapped around it and the tatted heart – which I tatted up on the way from our house to the hospital.  I took the with me and attached the heart to the ribbon while we were in the parking garage.  This was the best of the pictures I took of it before we left.
My aunt liked it.
Joy's Heart Cross Bookmark for Valentine's Day wandasknottythoughts
Joy’s Heart Cross Bookmark © Wanda Salmans 2016
in Lizbeth #147 Red Burst size 20
This has been my take-along tatting project this last week.  I needed something without beads or too complicated (like the TIAS) and one that I wouldn’t worry about messing up (like the Round Robin doily I’m working on).  I made the rings of the arms a bit bigger than I made the bookmark I gave my brother-in-law; I think this looks better.  My plan was to frame it and give it to my mother for Valentine’s day but I haven’t gotten that done yet.  I’ll just give it to her when I get all the finishing touches done.
Now on to other things: the Round Robin doily I still have; a wedding gift for next month; the pincushions I want to make…  It feels good to be getting over the funk I’ve been in.“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Gifting ideas

I liked how the photo albums from last week came out so well that I did another one.  This time using ‘Joy’s Heart’ in Lizbeth #159 Easter Eggs size 20. With flowers and butterfly in random colors.

I think these albums are great gift ideas – inexpensive to buy the album and quick to decorate to match the person you are gifting or just to have on hand for “emergency” gifting. The hardest part was actually finding the background paper to match the thread colors. This one has a white background with dabs of green ink.

Remember the buttons I decorated a while back? These are something else that would make nice gifts, for certain people anyway. When Odd Balls Yarn Shop was closing they had quite the sale and I picked up a bunch of buttons before they were gone.  For some reason I really like the idea of adding tatting and pin backs to these.  Some of the buttons are in kind of odd colors, making them a bit harder to match threads to.  This one is black so not that hard. I don’t know if you can see the texture marks on the button in the photo or not.

The dragonfly is in Lizbeth #131 Vineyard Harvest size 20.  One of the photo albums that I used had a drawing of flowers and a dragonfly on it originally which inspired me to make a small dragonfly. I just looked at the picture and came up with the pattern but I’m sure I’ve seen it out there, or something very close.

Has anyone out there been doing any of the Shuttlebirds’ Weekly Challenges?  I’ve done a couple, including #11 which was “Morgan Mouse”.  #12 is Nancy Tracy’s “Clover Drop Heart” which is a cute little pattern and not very complicated.  I thought it would look good on a photo album.

And I goofed it.

I made one chain a little too short.
This is what happens when you don’t pay attention.
It’s done in Lizbeth #117 Country Side size 20.
I guess I’ll try it again – hopefully paying a little bit more attention the next time.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Would you like coffee with your hearts?

Flower Heart earrings, pattern by Tatfully Yours 
I’m still having fun making Kelly’s ‘Flower Heart’ earrings.  I made a pair of pink ones for my oldest daughter who currently has long, very dark hair, which makes an excellent backdrop for the earrings.  These are in Lizbeth #622 size 20 with pink seed beads.  She  wore them to work the next day (at a Starbucks) and a little later I got a phone call from her.  One of her co-workers loved them and wanted a pair in Starbucks green. 
I looked through my stash of thread looking for a green that was close to “Starbucks green”.   I used the logo on a bag of coffee as my sample color.  The only green I had that came close was an almost empty ball of DMC size 8 Pearl cotton.  I have no idea the color number as the label was lost a long time ago.  When I gave them to my daughter to pass along she thought they looked good.  I’m waiting for a picture of the happy (I hope!) recipient wearing them.
Have you been participating in or following the 2013 TIAS?  There are only a few days left before it’s complete, leaving us with what surely must be a baby buggy (or pram if you’re on the other side of the pond).
TIAS 2013 Day 9
I’m very happy in what the TIAS is becoming.  Family friends are expecting a baby later this year and I was wondering what I should make for them.  I had thought about Jane’s stork like I had done for my daughter but this will certainly be fun, too.  It’s much too early to know if it will be a boy or girl so I’ll wait a little while to start one for them. 
Last month I saw on Lace-Loving Librarian Diane’s blog about some shuttles she found at Hobby Lobby.  Well, guess where I was yesterday and what I found?  Yes, I found them, too.  And, yes, just like Diane I didn’t really need them but I couldn’t not buy them, could I?    The left one is wood, the one in the middle is carved bone. The pink Clover is there to give a size reference.  Before I try tatting with them I think I’ll take some very fine emery cloth to the middle of both of them as they don’t look all that smooth inside.  That said I’m looking forward to giving both of them a test drive.

Am I done making hearts yet?  I don’t know.  I have made more hearts this year than I think I have for the last five years put together, but I’m having a lot of fun with them.  My boss has accused me of making a different pair of earrings every day – which isn’t true, by the way – but these heart earrings are so quick and easy and fun to make that it’s almost true.  And it’s fun to see them on my daughter (and her friends) that I might just have to keep on for awhile.  Time will tell. 
(Though I do have an idea I’d like to try that doesn’t have any hearts in it at all….)
I’m hoping to get my tatting and tea in for Tatting Tea Tuesday sometime this afternoon.  I’ve been too busy yet this morning, but the day isn’t over yet!  And though it is Tatting Tea Tuesday I couldn’t resist this poem.
Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction
I will fear no Equal:
For thou art with me; thy cream and they sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of The Starbucks:
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life: 
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.

~Author Unknown

More hearts

 Flower Heart from Kelly at Tatfully Yours

I’m still making Kelly’s Flower Heart earrings.  A few days ago as I was leaving the house I had another thought, what about putting a doodad in the center?  I think they came out very well. This pair is in Lizbeth #644 Boysenberry dark size 20. I wore a pair of them to work one day and two people asked if I would make them some.  The only real question then was “what color?”  
Flower Heart from Kelly at Tatfully Yours
I tried a pair in Lizbeth #123 Grape Pizzaz in size 20.  I don’t think they look as pretty as those in a solid color.  In fact I had to make two pair because these hearts use so little thread that only a little of the color change was seen so that the first two I made didn’t look like they belonged together.  One was mostly pink with very little purple and the other was mostly purple with no pink.  If I hadn’t known better I would have thought I used two different color of threads.  I made two more hearts paying close attention to the color change so they would look like they belonged together.  Then I only took a picture of one pair before I gave them away.
The only other tatting I’ve gotten done is Jane’s TIAS.  I still don’t have a clue as to what it might be.  My husband saw and thought it might be a baby carriage and I know several other people doing the TIAS has had that thought, too.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  Jane is posting day 7 tomorrow.  
My day 6 of TIAS 2013 in Lizbeth #131 Vineyard Harvest size 20
I have a lot of fun reading every one’s comments as they participate in the TIAS, both about what they think it might be but also about the weather they are having, where-ever in the world they are. It’s hot and wet in Australia and cold and snowy in England.  Here in Kansas we’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the weather. Yesterday it was 75° F, today it’s about 40° and a chance of snow tonight.  We definitely could use the moisture in whatever form we can get it! 
Enjoy your day in whatever weather you may be having, along with a little tatting if you can.
“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” 
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Heart Earrings

Flower Heart from Kelly at Tatfully Yours
I saw some cute heart earrings at West Pine Creations and followed her link to Tatfully Yours for the pattern.  I must admit I didn’t follow her pattern but just followed her lead but she did post the pattern if anyone would like to give them a try.  They make really nice earrings that tat up quickly.  Kelly also put them together to make a wonderful snowflake.  
These are made of Lizbeth size 20 in Christmas Red #671 with silver beads.  My daughters really like them. (Me, too!)  Thanks, Kelly, for these wonderful little hearts. 
I didn’t get a lot of tatting done this week as our daughter and family came to visit for the weekend.  We just had too much to do to have much time to tat.  And it is somewhat hard to tat with little ones sharing your lap:-)
My attempt at TIAS 2013 in Lizbeth #131 Vineyard Harvest in size 20
What can it be?
Are you doing Jane’s TIAS this year?  She’s still keeping us guessing as we haven’t even reached the halfway point yet.  She’s also got a lot of us trying new techniques such as split chains and Catherine Wheel Joins.  I’ve made a few mistakes as I’ve gone on but that’s because I didn’t practice those techniques before starting – my own fault as she warned us!  But I’ve been trying them where I hadn’t tried them before.  It’s lots of fun to see the colors everyone is using and what their guesses might be.  There are people from all over the world tatting along with her, bringing Tat Land together with this game.  Isn’t Jane just the greatest? 
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your heart.”
Ecclesiastes 9:10

The Shape of Hearts

Welcome to my little piece of Tat Land on this Tatting Tea Tuesday.  Today as I sip Candy Cane Lane tea from my snowman mug I am pondering the shape of hearts. 
I made these four hearts this last week.  All are ones I’ve done previously in the last couple of years, though the top three were modified just a little bit, and all are my patterns.  All are made in Lizbeth size 20 #644 Boysenberry dk.

The top one is one end of my “Heart’s Honor” book mark with the top redone to be a stand-alone heart.  I think the top works well like this.  I added a couple of rings at the top thinking I might wear it as a pendant though it’s a little larger than I would normally wear. Maybe it would be better as a pin or brooch?  Beads would look really good on it.  I actually like the shape of the inner heart better than I like the finished piece but it just didn’t look finished without that last round. 

The heart on the left I made last year for Valentine’s day.  It started out as one end of a bookmark that eventually turned into “Heart’s Honor”.  I changed the stitch count on a few of the rings which changed it’s shape just a little bit.  I’m pretty happy with this heart, though the top center could still use a little help: I think it could come down a little bit, more like the original did.  
The heart on the right is from February 2011.  Originally I did make it with beads and a slightly different stitch count which has changed the look a bit, now being a bit more narrow.  I like the top better than the one on the left but to me it’s a bit too narrow overall.  I didn’t put beads in it this time around as I was not tatting it at home, but would probably use them the next time I make it. 
The bottom one is “Joy’s Heart” from my previous post.  This is my favorite of the four as the shape is the closest to my ideal of a heart shape. I haven’t yet made it with beads like Michelle has but I’m sure I will in the future.  Actually I’ve made quite a few of them already but I haven’t quite decided what I’m going to do with all of them. I did put one on a cord, wearing it as a necklace.  Looks pretty good that way.

I haven’t tried making any one else’ heart patterns yet this year, though I’m thinking about trying Jane’s button heart.  I did start on her TIAS for this year though. She posted Day 2 today but I haven’t had time to do it yet.  I’ll post pictures another day.

Are you planning on making hearts for Valentine’s Day this year?  Have you started yet? What is your favorite heart shape?

It’s quite a surprise to me that I have already started as I’m usually only getting started the week of February 14.  And I’m not done yet!

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.”  
Helen Keller
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