Christmas Exchange--Suzie Steiner

I entered another Christmas exchange through one of the yahoo groups which was hosted by Karey Solomon.  Suzie Steiner drew my name for this challenge which was to fill a 6X9 envelope--and  she did it with zest!  She filled the envelope with two Workbasket magazines, a lovely padded black bag which contained four lovely colored balls of thread (one of which I didn't even recognize the brand stamped on it!),  a lovely tube of blue metallic beads, a clover shuttle, a tatted candy cane and blue hankerchief for me to tat around.  Last, but not least, there was a little pin that said "Tatter" on it.  I love Christmas exchanges....thank you Suzie Steiner you were a great exchange partner!

Legacy

Nichole Nordeman has a song called Legacy

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

And i enjoy an accolade like the rest

And you could take my picture and hang it in a gallery

Of all the who's who's and so-and-so

That used to be the best at such and such

It wouldn't matter much

I won't lie it feels alright to see your name in lights

We all need an 'atta boy' or 'atta girl'

In the end i'd like to hang my hat on more besides

The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy how will they remember me?

Did i choose to love? did i point to you enough

To make a mark on things? i want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace who blessed your name

Unapologetically and leave that kind of legacy

I want to live my life, not only to leave a legacy as a Christian witness...but to leave a trail of tatting behind me.  I'd like to be remembered by the tatting made for and given to people.  I'd like to have tatting students who will be better than their teacher and go on and share tatting with the next generation.  This whole little "rant" came into my heart because I received an unexpected package (contents below) in the mail from an acquaintance who sent me a friend's mother's tatting stash upon her friend's mother's death..."no one else will ever use it, and I know you will."  I thought, what if, upon my death, there was NO ONE to send my tatting stash to?  What if tatting was then "truly a lost art"? What if tatting died with ME?  I want to leave a legacy!

Christmas Exchange-Sue Anna Scribner's

I entered into a Christmas exchange through a facebook tatting group.  This is only the second time I've done an exchange of any kind.  I'm afraid from what the pictures of what I've seen, and from what I received that I "shortchanged" the person whose name I received.  I am ecstatic with the contents of my little postal box.

When I first opened my package....glitter went everywhere from a green and red polka dotted gift bag, which is what I opened first--out slid shuttles.  There were all kinds of shuttles, brand new Aerlit shuttles in three colors--with extra bobbins (I haven't had a chance to try them yet), a decorated clover shuttle, and a pop-a-bobbin shuttle! (something I'd only dreamed of owning!).  I could have stopped right there, but there was more!

There were 4 e-zbobs of size 3 lizbeth thread  and 3 packages of hand-dyed thread.  Also tucked away inside was a package of jewelry findings.  And then the personal touches...tatted earrings, tatted snowflakes (and the pattern), a bobbin lace bookworm bookmark, delicious handmade lipbalm and a personal letter.  At the very bottom of the box was a Nina Libin kit to make more jewelry.

Thank you Sue Anna Scribner for being a wonderful, generous person and making my tatting Christmas so merry this year! 

Church Ornament

I have not updated my blog in months and months....so I'm going to just jump in right where I am at now...


Our church was asked by our Church Association to make an ornament for their Christmas tree that "represented" our church.  My little church asked me to tat an ornament for them.  I agreed only if another lady would write up how my tatted ornament represented our church.  Below are our efforts.  The design is my own, which I will publish here at a later date.  The thread is Lizbeth, size 20, #671 Christmas Red.  The beads all came from Hobby Lobby.

First Baptist Church
Braggs, Ok.

Explanation by Donna Hall

Ornament tatted by Patricia Cobb 

How does this ornament represent our church?

The foundation of our ornament is clear glass. Glass lets light both in and out. It is the desire of our church that our lives will be as glass, letting in the love of Jesus and reflecting that love back out for all the world to see.

Our ornament is decorated with beads held together by knots. Those knots represent the unity that holds our congregation together with a tight bond of love and support for each other.

The red thread represent the blood of Christ that was shed for us so that we could be redeemed through salvation unto eternal life in Christ.

The silver beads represent those "gray hairs" of wisdom and knowledge that we gain as we study God's Word and apply it to our lives.

Each spring butterflies remind us of a new beginning. The butterflies on our ornament represent our new birth in Christ when we accept Him as our Savior.

Our ornament is filled with hearts representing the uniting of our hearts in love for each other and for our fellowman.

On each heart is a favorite scripture reference chosen by the individuals who worship together in our church. It's through God's Word that we find healing for our broken hearts and strength for our faltering spirits.

 

Finger Lakes Tatting Group Seminar 2012 Part 1

     On April 13-15, I was once again blessed by the opportunity to attend the Tatting Seminar put on by the Finger Lakes Tatting Group.  The theme this year was HEARTS.  We had such a blast, not only on the trip going and coming, but on arrival in New York.  Everyone was so welcoming.  We got there early (Friday night), and were able to participate in a lovely pot-luck supper.  This was a wonderful chance to meet new friends and catch up with old ones.  Saturday morning at registration, I received a fantastic goodie bag!  This year's bag was pink printed with paler pink hearts with a blue border.  Inside was one of the necessities of tatting:  chocolate and THREE types of thread (two samples of Lizbeth and some hand-dyed size 10).  Also inside was a small tulle bag decorated with a tatted heart, and a tatting bag, just the right size to hold a project (this bag was made from one of those popular cuff patterns.  There were a few "little additions" that just made things perfect--two hematite donut shapes (we got the pattern to cover these in one of the classes), some heart-shaped foam stickers, and heart-shaped gem stickers, a wooden heart shape, a heart-shape glass bauble and just in case you are tired of hearing the words "heart shaped"....some wood aster seeds and a very tiny basket!  The size 10 hand-dyed thread and the basket are part of next year's challenge.  This goodie bag was a great way to start off the weekend!

Summer Evening Doily

News alert!  Many of you have prayed for my son, Calen, who has been serving in Afghanistan.  He has returned from his deployment safe and sound.  Thank you for your prayers.

One month after Ryan Emmons  got married, his younger sister Rachel did too.  It doesn't seem possible that Rachel is that old, or her groom, Jon Driver--I remember him, about 7 years-old in my Bible class at Camp Good News.  Watching them grow up has been a pleasure and a privilege--and now they  start a new segment of their lives...well enough rambling... This is the doily that I made for Rachel and Jon.  It is from Traditional Tatting Patterns edited by Rita Weiss and is called Summer Evening.  It is made from Lizbeth thread, size 20, colors 601 (Snow White) and 604 (Black.)  This was my first completely Frontside/Backside project and it measured 10 inches when it was finished. 

I'm one of those people who can't visualize something until it is completed (this means that all my readers should pity my husband when I want to rearrange the furniture).  If I were to do this doily again, I would do all the repeating motifs one color and the other rounds a second color.  I think also, that fewer picots in the second color's rounds might look better.

Leap Day Earrings

On Leap Day 2012 (February 29), Georgia Seitz' Online Tatting Class had a special tatting event.  The pattern was by Nina Libin, the creator of Beanile Lace (see her work and some free patterns at http://www.beanile.com/ ).  Nina was the guest teacher that day.  She talked us through her pattern, Hearts #3.  Although most of her patterns are traditionally done with metallic thread, I did mine in Lizbeth, size 20, color 671 (Christmas Red).  The beads are Bead Treasures brand from Hobby Lobby--size 11, color Opaque White Luster.  These earrings go great with my red and white striped dress!