My "Tamie/Turtle" Bag

I promised a year ago that I would post my Twisted Heart

Ornament taught at Tatting Corner in 2018 by Shawna Wachs and Tamie Alliss…It is still on my “To Do” list.  My “To Do” list has for years and years consisted of add 5 things today, subtract 3, add two things tomorrow, subtract seven, etc.  Once in a great while I would have everything marked off!  These days….I add, a lot more than I subtract, and about once a month take a good long look at it and mark off things I am just not physically capable of doing.

 This week I received a fantastic treasure filled goodie bag from Tatting Corner’s Tat Days 2019—It was my goal all year to get to attend, and the last week in June, I was told “no way” by my doctors.  I said that I would post my goodie bag contents….but had to do things in order and tell you all about my “Tamie/Turtle” bag first.

I went searching on Etsy for size 16 crochet hooks (because they will usually go through the hole of a seed bead.)  Because I get beads "stuck" on the  tiny hook, I tend to break the delicate end off of my size 16 crochet hooks.  Well, I went searching on Etsy for the hooks and found them on Tamie's Etsy site “Tamie’s Tatting Bags and More.”

If you have seen the videos for Georgia Seitz’s beginning or advanced online tatting classes--Tamie is the lady doing the demonstrating and talking.   She is has an excellent way of patiently explaining things!  She also has lovely, gorgeous nails.

• *Do you remember the Pollyanna books?  She was a little girl who was determined that when she got to Heaven that God would give her lovely long curls.  It is such a crazy thing to wish for in this mixed up world...but I would love to have lovely long fingernails! 

Tamie is a beautiful person on the inside as well.  She has graciously hosted Cynthia and I twice when we were traveling to Tat Days in New York.  She has moved again, this time so that her mother can live with them.  Her mother enjoys matching fabrics and helping Tamie make the bags that are on her site.  We started a long conversation which ended with me mailing her this purple turtle fabric which  I liked but didn’t know what to do with and a few turtle buttons and THIS FABULOUS bag is what I got in return!! I can’t believe all the extra pockets!!

Since she knows me...my bag is personalized quite a bit.   However, there is not a bag on her etsy site that I didn't like! 

Look at the super straight top stitching, beautiful “purse hardware”, glittered handle, magnetic closures and contrasting trim!

 The purple zipper large pocket has three exterior pockets (green trim).  This area has a magnetic closure on both sides of the purple turtle fabric sides.  The yellow pocket also has exterior pockets.

Look how nicely the whole bag lays flat!  See the two pockets on the back wall of the bag?

Look what she did with the buttons!      And an ORTS bag!

  I also got these lovely hooks—aren’t they beautiful…I can’t believe someone gave them an awful review “tears my thread”—who does anything with a size 16 crochet hook except beads?)—one of my next projects will be putting a bead cap on the cap and bottom of the hook so I don’t lose the cover! 

Not tatting related at all—but because of the cellulitis in my legs, I am supposed to wear dresses so that my legs aren’t being rubbed  or constricted, etc.   A lot of my dresses don’t have pockets, so here is my new “Cell Phone” carrier-apron!

Tatting Corner is celebrating "Christmas in July" by running 10% off of their books! 

 Thank you--my readers for encouraging me, and following me on my life journey, which is enriched so much by my tatting and the tatting community!

A New Year--2019!

My last post (months ago) I left you with a mystery package on my porch.  It was from Karey Solomon an the Finger Lakes group!  I was supposed to have taught a class at the 2018 Tat Days, but then the doctors said I couldn't go.  Karey not only sent me a wonderful 20th Anniversary mug, a goodie bag but also the special bag that they give the teachers!   How wonderful, generous and lovely!

I don't even know where to go from here.  I almost didn't tat anything all year--if I tried, I would fall asleep and spend more time undoing the mess I made as I fell asleep than I did putting in correct stitches before falling asleep again.  My health went downhill, and downhill.  I have still not totaled it all up, I quit counting when I reached a total of 40 days in the hospital.

In late May, I had an scope of my esophagus and stomach--because of my lungs this was not done in a surgery center, but in a hospital in a completely stocked/staffed operating room.  I still think that the next 6 days were the result of the sedation medications (although I have never had any problems before), the doctors opinion is that I had a stomach virus....whichever, the result was the same, I did not keep anything down for the next six days.  On day 5, I was told to go to a local lab and get a blood test.  Right after my husband left the next morning I received a call from the doctor's nurse to go to the ER, my potassium levels were extremely - dangerously low ( 2.2 ....  the minimum is 3.5 )  


I was blessed in so many ways--one of them being that I had been a patient often enough that the staff was familiar with me.  I am a "hard stick" and usually cannot keep an IV over 24 hours.  When the nurses in the ER could not get an IV started, the doctor was able to start one using a special light that can see your veins.  When I was transferred out of ER to the respiratory floor, a RN who had been one of my caregivers previously basically "dug his feet in" and refused to start another IV, going over people's heads, demanding that they get someone there to get me a Pic line--they had one in before suppertime! Over the next few days I received over 13 bags of potassium.


  Late the 3rd night, we thought I would be going home the next day because they had given me oral meds all day.  I woke up the afternoon of June 3 (my 35th wedding anniversary!) in ICU!  Apparently around 11p.m. they came around to do vitals.  I am a very light sleeper, and the staff knows that I usually will wake up and stay up for awhile when they take vitals.  I was totally "out" and didn't even move--clue #1.  The 1st time the tech took my blood pressure, she decided that machine's batteries must needed charging and went and got a different machine...no, the first machine was working....clue #2 my blood pressure was 41/30 !! I was totally unaware when they transferred me--apparently with my bed almost standing me on my head trying to keep up my blood pressure up....   My poor husband is so kind and didn't want to bother anyone that late at night--was alone in the ICU waiting room for a long time.  They had several crisis patients at the time--plus me, and were not allowing visitors.  He sat waiting to hear them call a code on me.  He sent out a few texts hoping not to wake anyone.  My sister (it was totally a God-thing!--she never hears her phone at night!) heard her phone ding, and came to the hospital-sending her husband to get my parents.  My husband had talked to our youngest son.   He does not drive, and my husband apologizing would not leave the hospital to go get him.  Travis, stressed out, stepped out of his apartment to smoke a cigarette.  There was a tenant also out on the fire escape that Travis had never met, who immediately offered to bring him to the hospital.   My oldest son, arrived soon as well.   My husband (has been pastor at First Baptist Church in Braggs for 21 years) at daybreak called one of the church members.  The church met for Sunday School, had a short Scripture reading and prayer, and then almost all of them came to the hospital.  

I was in ICU for three days, it is a very hazy memory.  After a few days back on the respiratory floor, I got transferred less than a mile by ambulance to a long-term care facility (we were told it would just be a few days) so they could monitor my body chemistry which was refusing to stay at nice, average levels (now up to 18 bags of potassium).  The nursing staff there was so great!  However, there was so much that just wasn't right.... after a week I was transferred again by ambulance to a hospital in Tulsa, this time because of five blood clots in my legs!  I call this my private miracle--the next day, an ultrasound of my legs showed no clots!  Someone else, I pray has been told of the "clerical or machine error" and that they are walking around with five blood clots..  Once again, I was blessed with having staff that were half-way familiar with me!  

After a total of 22 days in the three facilities I got to go home!  I spent the summer and fall "recuperating."  I was not allowed out in public or to have visitors (unless completely healthy--not even a sniffle)  because of my poor immune system until August.  Then I was allowed to attend church, but was encouraged to stay out of crowds.

I missed teaching at Tatting Corner's Tat Days.  Two ladies, Shawna Wachs and Tamie Alliss taught for me!   I will try to post my little "Twisted Hearts" ornament design here in a day or two.   I am praying I get to attend this summer.  The doctors have already said no to Finger Lakes--it is too long a drive. 

I did get to attend the Lacemakers Guild of Oklahoma's Lace Embrace the first weekend in October.  I had such a blast!!  Next year is our 25th year.  If you would like to see a "wrap=up" article about last year's Lace Embrace 2018 CLICK HERE

One of the neatest things that happened was my GI dr. referred me to a nutritionist.  She ran a very expensive (not covered by my insurance) blood test that showed food sensitivities.  I am not allergic to these foods (I don't break out in hives, or stop breathing) however, my body does form inflammation when I eat these foods, which causes pain.  I started out eating foods that I did not have a reaction to.... then she has added foods gradually.  I still have about 25 things that I cannot have (the main three are soy, wheat and corn) but am hopeful that someday I may....   Avoiding these foods has certainly been worth it -- less pain, I feel a lot better, and I have lost 35 pounds since August.  (I still have a long ways to go...but this has been a great start.)  Since August, I have felt a little stronger, a little better every week....until I came down with strep throat right before Christmas.  I feel like I slid backwards on the progress scale a month or two.  On New Years Day I got diagnosed with bronchitis and probable early pneumonia (my lungs are so scarred that they cannot see a pneumonia unless it is very bad.)  

Anyway--this is a new year and I am praying a new me.  I want to get healthy and get back to getting to going and doing.... Psalm 90:12 says "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."  I learned this summer that my time here on earth needs to be used wisely...not wasted!"

This is the only tatting that I finished this year.  This is the "Coquille" doily designed by Jon Yusoff.  It is a very easy, lovely pattern which is available free on her blog.  In the past this might have been a two weeks- maybe a month project.... due to my health this year it took over a year.  It is done in Lizbeth size 20.  The variegated color is #109 Wild Flower.  I did the motifs on the outside in matching colors: #  662 Turquoise Light, #683  Leaf Green Light and #621 Dusty Rose Light.  I made it for a young man that I think of very highly.  He was a former computer student of my husbands, after college he worked on the IT staff at Hilldale High School, where my husband used to teach, later becoming the Tech Director for the Hilldale School district.  A few years later, he became the Tech Director for the entire Muskogee Public School System....and since my husband moved from teaching at Hilldale for 32 years to Muskogee--his former student is now his boss!  Eric and his longtime girlfriend, Lisa (tech director for another school district) slipped away one morning last fall and got married ( followed by one of those beautiful destination weddings on a cruise this summer!).  Anyway....it was started the day the couple “eloped.” They just got it as an anniversary present!

Check it out!  Lisa at Tatting Corner is already has the days listed for this summer's Tat Days 2019--July 11-13th.  The theme will be The Wild Life of Tatting!