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

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