Windmills and TIAS day 7

 Mary Konior's Windmills. This pattern goes by so quickly! I might make this into a larger piece, but I think I'll leave it alone for now.

TIAS day 7. My suspicions about it being an animal look to be well founded.

TIAS days 3-6

Maybe something like a lion or horse?

It's that time of year again!

Time for TIAS!!

Here's my day one:

And the problem continues...and gifts

Sigh

Well, just as I was starting the last ring in a new Windmill, whadaknow?

The thread breaks again! I know I tat tight, but I've never had a thread break this much. Why Lizbeth, why?
So I had to add thread all just to finish the last ring. I haven't ironed it yet, so it's wavy. I can't figure out if that means I need to make my picots longer or shorter. Anyone know the answer?

And for xmas:

3 Lizbeth in size 40 (I've only ever worked w/ size 20 b/c that's what's available at the local store here)
3 Lizbeth in size 20 (to mach other variegateds I have)
Shiny shiny beads and Swarovski crystals

Also, some beautiful Kopper Patina size 50 from LadyShuttleMaker.

Last three months

I've let this fall by the wayside :|

So, TMY happened...months ago now, but here's our table: 

There were SO MANY PEOPLE! We even got 2 new members out of this weekend. Showing that you can make jewelry really helps intrigue fellow young ladies.

Then last month the Lacy Ladies of Phoenix, AZ had their annual Lace Days. I randomly found out about it somewhere online, otherwise we wouldn't even have known about it! We got there a little late, but they started with a little history of bobbin lace. They had lots of old lace and bobbin pillows (of course, I didn't take pictures...) We took a class to learn bobbin lace, and once I realized it's just weaving without a loom, it was really easy! My first two pieces:

On the left is just practicing the three basic stitches: Cloth(Linen), Whole, and Half. If you start by yourself, it's better to leave the half stitch for last, 'cause it will look like you're doing something wrong. On the left is my second piece, a snake bookmark. It's twisted in this picture b/c I haven't ironed it yet. I'm currently doing a third bookmark that will be all just half stitch. Don't know what I'll do with them, I prefer to use paper as bookmarks b/c I can write on them.

Also at Lace Days were plenty of things to buy...wish I had gotten some 40/80 Lizbeth, but I FINALLY got two books I've been wanting forEVer -

I immediately started in on the Spinning Wheel that I've been seeing everyone else make -

First time, the thread kept breaking :(

 

And then I ran out of thread on the shuttle :(

So I've had to set that aside for the time being. Especially with the Norwegian Fair coming up (happened this last Saturday). Judith Lind, the founder of our local tatting group, was Norwegian so the group has always sold tatting at this fair. It was a little weird b/c tatting is so old, no one country can really claim it as "theirs", and Mrs. Lind was the only one in the group whose ancestors hailed from there. I made a number of earrings and sold all but three pairs! I might have sold them all if I'd not gotten there 2 hours late (trying to finish the earrings). They had some delicious food though!

And with that over, I can get back to other projects. I've start in on this other Konior pattern, Rosa Frivola.

This book is ridiculous, I want to be making every single thing in here right now. Impossible!

Non-tatting news: Our bougainvillea finally put out "blooms" again! (The bright pink in the photo are actually specialized leaves, only the little white things are the true flowers)

And they've since moved on, but back in October we had our annual butterfly mating days (I've only just gone through the photos)

This years butterflies seemed extra antsy, it was really difficult to get close enough to get a good pic.

I will never let this go this long again :) So much to post!

Backlog & giveaway

I have so many things to blog about, just haven't sat down to do so...need to get on that. Heather over at Tatted Treasures is doing a giveaway of one of David Reed Smith's beautiful handcrafted wooden shuttles. Head on over and enter!

Getting ready

The Judith Lind Tatting Club participates in Meet Yourself Tucson - spend a weekend letting everyone know we're there, show off our tatting skills and even teach a few people how to do it. We're going to have business cards to hand out, each with a little piece of tatting on them, so we're all tatting up little motifs. I don't want to do the same little motif for every single one (boring!) so I've been scouring my patterns for things that I could do.

LadyShuttleMaker had put up a pattern for a little treble clef a while ago but I had never gotten around to trying it out. I don't want to have to learn a new technique(folded ring) to do this, because I want this to be quick and easy. I thought if I change the pattern so I'm using the same technique Ruth Perry uses in her tatted Celtic snail, it could work out really well and I wouldn't have to worry about keeping to any stitch counts. I would also have more control over the look of the clef - I began learning to play the piano when I was in 3rd grade and picked up a few other instruments over the years. I've always thought the treble clef was beautiful, so I guess I'm a bit picky about the look.

 

The next ones will be even better. I suppose I'm not saving any time by not learning to do a folded ring, but I tried to understand the directions and my brain is just not getting it tonight. This Celtic way is easier to tat though - practically one long chain book-ended by two small rings. I think in the next one I'm going to make the top ring into a mock ring (a chain joined to itself)...might allow it to lay flatter.