My head is SPINNING!

All finished with my green spinning wheel!! While I've been working on this one, I really have to think about what I'm tatting and what the chains should look like and where the rings join. This can be a tricky pattern if you don't follow what you're doing. I had to cut out a few of the 'fan blades' to get all the joins right on the last round : ) I'm really liking this new thread though. It's Lizbeth, 20 Leafy Green #138. I'm already planning some more projects with it. We're bracing through another Winter Storm here so as as the wind and the snow is hitting, there is be lots of time for tatting and reading!

 Cheerio!

 

Just a quick one!

 I have time for a quick tatting update before I head out into the snow to do chores in the barn!!

Yesterday's Tatting Class was a fantastic group of ladies! They were making chains and understanding the 'dreaded tatting flip' in a little over an hour! They were my fastest class to date! To Becky, Bonnie, Judy, Sandy, and Barb: You ladies were a joy to teach! I'll be coming back to Esther's place next month to do a Tatting Q&A night!

I've been playing around with my newest threads! The blue/green variegated thread is one of the vintage patterns from my new work book. It's going to be a coaster.

Tatted in Lizbeth 'Blue River Glades'

 More Onion rings -  I like to try out new variegated threads with this pattern from Be-Stitched.com

Tatted in Lizbeth Leaf Green Med and Turquoise Twist

There is one more new thread I got that I'm thinking would make a lovely spinning wheel : ) Diane, has me inspired! What do you think?????

 Have a great afternoon everyone!

 

Currently tattings

 Today is another tatting class! I'm looking forward to the 5 students that have 

signed up for our February Tatting class at Esther's Place!

I've been pretty busy lately, so I haven't had much time for blogging, but I have had time for tatting! I just finished two cross bookmarks. These are both from my newest books, tatted in Lizbeth threads.

'Bible Cross' from the book Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns by Monica Hahn
Tatted in Lizbeth, 20 #683 Leaf Green Light

Tatted Cross Bookmark #6610 from the vintage workbook given to me by some friends. I did a blog post about it HERE. This one still needs a tassel, but I couldn't help but share a picture of it. I think this one would look great with the inner flowers being a bright, variegated thread, and the outline tatted in black for the 'stained glass' look....that will probably be my next project for the weekend!
Tatted in Lizbeth size 20
gold - Honey Drizzle #180
green - Leafy Green #138

There are two new colors I ordered from be-stitched.com and I'm lovin' em!





HERE'S SOMETHING NEW AND FUN!!!

I did a post on Onion Rings a few weeks ago, but look what I found on the InTatters forum!! HERE is the link!! All I did was Google search 'bookmark tassel' and look what came up! It's called a Peacock Tassel. You make an Onion Ring with the last round having REALLY long picots that you trim to make the tassel. I tatted it up and loved it so much I attached it to my cell phone. It is made by starting with a lock chain (make one half of the stitch flipped, and don't flip the second half) that looks especially cool with variegated threads. Tatted in Lizbeth #142 Turquoise Twist

The funniest thing about this is that I was the one who posted a question about bookmark tassels on the InTatters forum back in 2009 and this pattern was a response!!!! How funny is that! I haven't been on InTatters in years! Maybe I'll have to get back on and see what I've been missing!

It's a cold, but sunny, winter's day here in Illinois and I'm off to get ready for my tatting class!

Cheers!

 

1949 Vintage Tatting/Crochet Workbook!

There is a really cute store in DeKalb Illinois called Moxie (check out the link for their blog).

Here, hundreds of vintage treasures are found from clothing (oh if I had the money I would redo my whole waredrobe from that store! The clothes they have are beyond awesome!) there are also antiques and now I know that they have things like Vintage TATTING WORKBOOKS!!!!

I was blessed yesterday when some wonderful friends, who knew that I liked tatting, saw this workbook in the Moxie store. It's a 1949 American Thread Company, Heirloom Edition, Star Book No. 66. There are patterns for crochet and tatting edgings, doilies, and some really neat bookmarks. One is a cross made from joined tatted flowers that looks especially lovely. I love vintage/antique patterns because they have a whole different look to them. There is one doily pattern that is made up of 8 'petals' or triangles attached to an inner round motif. The pattern doesn't look like anything I've seen before. I'm excited to give them all a try! I just got some new Lizbeth thread colors from Be-Stitched.com that will be perfect for these new patterns! 

It's a beautiful day outside so I gotta run! Happy Friday everyone! Love from the Prairie State,

 

It's not too Late!!

 It's not too late to sign up for a Beginning Shuttle Tatting class!

If you live in the northern Illinois area I will be teaching a tatting class in one week, Wednesday February 20th, from 1-4pm at Esther Place in Big Rock, Illinois.

Please contact Ester's Place to register!

infor@esthersplacefibers (dot) com or 630-556- nine six six five

The Onion Ring

It's been a busy couple of days! I finally got to squeeze a blog post in!

I have a hankie that I plan to put an edging on this summer and I think this might just be the pattern! It's called 'Clover Edging' from Be-Stitched.com. This pattern features rings-within-rings called an Onion by Georgia Seitz. HERE is a link to her instructions. Her technique uses just one shuttle to make an onion/clover versus using a shuttle and ball thread. I was so excited how the purple one was coming out that I forgot to join it to the green leaf! :-) The color threads are all Lizbeth threads; gold is #611 , pink is #145 'Pink Parade', purple is #162 'purple Iris Fusion', and the green is #683 'Leaf Green Light' :)

Here's another Onion/Clover color combo!

This was a fun project and a pretty little new technique to learn! I like the way the variegated threads make the blossoms look. I just got my order in from Be-Stitched.com with a bunch of new variegated threads! Pictures to come! Have a lovely evening!

 

Thank You International Tatters!!

 Oh and a HUGE 'Thank You' for all the lovely comments on my International Tatting post! 

It was so fun to see where everyone is tatting. I'm blessed to have met all of you through that post and the fine art of tatting itself! The total was 12 countries and 19 states from the USA!!

As the comments keep coming in, I'll add in countries & states! The final count will be posted on Saturday!

On 2/7 we added in Tennessee and Wisconsin as well as Ireland and the Netherlands!

 May all your tatting journeys be blessed!!

 Much love,

Hearts for February

It's February!! AAwww : ) The month for sweethearts and all things PINK! I found some heart patterns in books that I have, but the one I like the best is shown at left. HERE is the link to the Betsy Evans Heart I found on Rexie.com. The dark pink is tatted in the original pattern, where I tatted the lighter pink without the picots on the outer chains.

I liked the light pink little heart so much, I made it into a needle felted pin!

 

 I am really starting to get the hang of needle felting! I bought a bag of 18 colors from Esther's Place when I took my needle felted hat class in November and have been making little birds, animals and pins! Here is a picture of my felted hat with a green felted flower pin!

 

We got another inch of snow this morning so while the horses are all tucked in the warm barn, munching on hay, it's time to tat some more!

Have a lovely Tuesday afternoon everyone!

 

TIAS Day 9

 Here is day 9 of TIAS 2013! I think everyone has guessed that it's a baby buggy! 

Day 10 will be tatted in a solid color to go around the variegated piece. How fun this was! 

I'm already looking forward to next year!

 

Tatters all around the world...

LET'S SEE HOW MANY COUNTRIES WE CAN GET!!! I'm always excited to meet new people here and Facebook (I just did a post so head on over to check it out there!). So let's see where everyone is from! Please leave a comment on this blog post of where you are from and how long you've been tatting. Even if you don't tat, please join in and tell us where you are from : ) 

***Disclaimer***

The posting of  your locations are just for fun and there is no way I'd let anybody take your information ; ) Your secrets are safe with me!

TIAS Day 8

Here is Day #8 of TIAS! It's a busy day here in Illinois! We got an inch of beautiful snow that has covered the countryside in it's white blanket. I'm off to clean off my car and head to work!  

Have a lovely weekend everyone! I have been tatting some hearts in preparation for Valentines Day so I'll do a post on those soon!