Finger Lakes Anticipation

Finger Lakes Mini-Tatting Conference is three weeks away!  There are several things wrong with that first sentence....the first is the title "Mini-Tatting Conference!  Two days spent in the company of approximately 70 people while taking four classes is an amazing experience (every year!)  Making friends from all over the United States and at least two countries is so heart-warming.  There is nothing "mini" about attending Finger Lakes!  The other mistake in the beginning sentence is "three weeks away"--yes the conference starts three weeks from this posting, however when you drive from Oklahoma, I will be gone about a week.  (Cynthia has to drive the whole way due to my sleeping disorder--so we may stretch the trip out a little more this year so she doesn't have to drive too many hours in a day.)

In an effort to de-stress my life and the days before the trip, I have gotten my auction and raffle things together early. 

In the past, I have sewn bags and filled them with things to be tatted, or tatting tools...I've even attempted to decorate shuttles.  This year I really enjoyed filling a purchased bag--I am entitling this collection, "I Would Be Blue Without You!"  Let me tell you about the contents...
 The bag--is slightly padded.  It has a wire sewn into the opening edge--so it opens wide!  It also has a flat bottom so the bag doesn't have a problem "sitting".  Sewn into the inside walls of the bag are two small pockets on one wall and one large pocket on the other side.
There is a lovely blue soft-wrinkle cotton blend scarf, approx. 33x60 inches.
 THREADS!  A ball of size 20 Manuela, a ball of size 8 Oren Bayen, and a spool of #7Fine Braid Metallic Kreinik.  
TAT ON ME!  Besides the adorable bear, oh and that scarf(!), you will of course want to decorate all of these with tatting: a key-chain (if you must, you may put your grandchild's picture inside), a large ring (approx. 4.25 across), 4 bangles (approx. 2 3/4 across.  You might want to embellish the delicate tiny jewelry box--or the "mystery" orb.  This gorgeous 40mm sphere was sent to me by mistake when I had ordered a 40mm obsidian sphere.  Even if it is nothing but ordinary man-made colored glass, it is truly one of those things your eyes love to linger on and enjoy!  
To help you tat, I have included a generic pair of "stork" style scissors, an LED clip-on light, and a lovely large magnetic needle keeper (I use occasionally but do not like small cases that you have to "pour" the needles out to look at them--I usually drop one, and that starts a whole other adventure!)  To aid you in keeping track of your tatting time, I stuck a rather cheap,  blue, butterfly clock into the bag (if it doesn't work, you can tat longer--with a "true" excuse!)
Other goodies include a brass "LOVE" diaperpin-sized brooch and a ball of thread-shaped salt and pepper shaker--probably one of those things that at first make you say "huh?"  BUT, here is my advice--stuff it full of cotton balls, add several drops of your favorite perfume, drop it in your lingerie drawer and you have a fancy sashet! 

I am also bringing "donations from my mom"--or if you have ever helped someone downsize and declutter--"gifts to my mom!"  These bowls, I was told "are antique" but no other information.  Both bowls are in excellent condition-no cracks or chips.  They both fit into our "Everything's Coming Up Roses" theme wonderfully.


Don't you want to have all these lovely things come live at your house?  Contact me, and I will carry your bid, or place raffle tickets for you!  
I would love to put faces on all my internet friends and readers--won't you join us at the 2017 Finger Lakes Mini-Tatting Conference?