Finger Lakes Road Trip in Five Days

Five Days!

Sonya, my wonderful tatting friend from the Oklahoma City area is coming to spend the weekend with me!  She is going to lace guild with me tomorrow, morning church on Sunday and then will pick up her beef and head home.  (Her real business in coming to our town is not spending time with me, but to pick up her hormone free - hamburger, roasts and steaks from the butcher who handles that part of the life-cycle of the cattle for my husband's herd out on the family farm.--haha!)  I LOVE spending time with my friends tatting.  I really think in this fast paced world that we as women, need to find these special, slow paced activities that allow us to learn from each other, and lean on each other.

Monday will be my father's 82nd Birthday!  WooHoo!  Congratulations Daddy!

Tuesday I am going to the grocery store to pick up the ice chest food for our trip.  I told Cynthia and Sue that I would "shop and chop" for us.  I have one of those big ice chests that you can plug in to your car's cigarette lighter or into the wall outlet when you are inside (we have to remember to bring it inside, one time we didn't and the van's battery was dead the next morning!)  Eating most of our meals out of the ice chest, really helps make the cost of the trip much more reasonable, but lets us plan food in advance that fits our particular needs as far as allergies and "trigger foods".

Wednesday morning....we climb in the van and head for New York!!!!.
 
I've been working on things for the scholarship raffle and auction at Finger Lakes.  These are a few of the things that I'm taking.  If you see something you would like to bid on let me know and I will place your bid or raffle tickets for you.

Several years ago I bought three of Angeline Hardwick Crinchlow's books.  They were not original first editions (I thought they were when I bought them)) but is a reprint by her daughter.  They have a soft cover, and are ribbon tied--similar to the original books.  This book, A Challenge to Tatters is not a book I will use, and I am going to donate it.  I'm not sure how rare the reprints are...I know at the present time, I could not find any of the originals or the reprints in any of the used book stores online. 

Here are three articles about this early publisher of tatting books--.  

http://teridusenburystattletales.blogspot.com/2014/08/tatters-archive-angeline-crichlow.htmlhttp:

www.bellaonline.com/articles/art16413.asp

http://www.somethingunderthebed.com/CURTAIN/REVIEWStat/CRICHLOW1.html

 I've tried my hand for the last several years at decorating shuttles....They sort of worked, but I wasn't entirely happy with them.  I think I may finally have found a process that I like the results of.  I got a little tired of giving the same thing to the auction every year--a bag filled with tatting tools.  So this year, I decorated a tin and a small mints container--in snowflakes (it got REALLY cold at the Teddy Bear's Picnic!).  Then I decorated two shuttles--I found the neatest little snowflake stickers that almost match the paper on the tins!  I really like the way these turned out.  One of the things that I like to do is to use the Scotch Self-Seal

laminating pouches--(the little ones that are for small photos) to put patterns in that I use a lot, or if I'm working on something that has the same motif many times, I might laminate it.... Well, I decided to put some patterns into this little tin.  Jane Eborall is the best!!!  She actually sent me the original jpg's for three of her patterns, so that my copies would look really clear.  So I shrunk 3 of her patterns for snowflakes and stars to keep with this tin.  I also put in two 10 yard samples of thread.  I really like this "set"....I may bid on them myself!   ]

 

The last thing, is something "brand new"--I think....they were was brand new in the catalog I bought them from....It is the hex shaped box, that opens out into three layers--isn't that cool?.  I filled this one with all kinds of little tatting  tools, including the cutest little scissors and a needle case with a couple of self-threading needles.

I think I am more excited this year than I've ever been!  Finger Lakes was the first place where I really met other tatters - people who "spoke my language."  I know when I walk in the door who the ladies at the registration desk will be.  The ladies in the kitchen, know me, and go out of their way to have food available for me that will not trigger my migraines or my fibromyalgia.  When I attend each class, I will usually meet someone new, but will also get to "catch up" with someone I've met in the past!  Will I see you at Finger Lakes?  Please come let me put a face on your name!!