Part 1 Finger Lakes 2015

I feel like I will never get all of the photos from my shirt posted!  Let's interrupt that string of posts to talk about the 2015 Finger Lakes Tatting Seminar.  These are things I took to the seminar to go into their raffle to raise money for Camp Good Days and Special Times (a group that aids children who have cancer and their families) and the Scholarship Auction.

I decorated these shuttles.  I don't know why, but the mod-podge coating "dented" easily when they came into contact with something else.  The pink and white Winnie the Pooh shuttles were plastic Boye shuttles.  They tended to come apart, so I deliberately took each one apart and super glued them back together. 


The "dream" and "create" shuttles are moonlit shuttles.  I learned to tat on Boye metal removable bobbin shuttles, and that was really all I had access to for many years.  My drawback with them was that a) they felt heavy in my hands and b) I tended to overfill them, thus I left a lot of oxidation marks on my tatting.  I love the Aerlit shuttles and have purchased quite a few of them.  I never thought I would like a post shuttle, but the Moonlit shuttle has become my favorite shuttle!  I do fill a couple of bobbins to carry with me so that I can easily reload the shuttle if I need to. 


I enjoy making these little coasters.  They are actually seven layers of fabric thick and moisture doesn't have a chance of seeping through!  I put together a set of four of these basketball themed coasters that were leftover from another fundraiser to add to the fun at Finger Lakes .

These little lined bags seem to be a big hit at the auction.  I've brought them every year.  I hope to very soon open an etsy shop where I can sell them.  I enjoy watching clearance sales and using coupons to fill the bags for the fundraisers.  The two purple bags have the same contents, only different colored purple thread.  The beige and rust bag, I put together differently this year--I added a coordinating coaster, frogger, scissors fob and needle striver.

Hegla

 Hegla was the auctioneer this year.  She did a great job of keeping the excitement going and encouraging bidders!  I love the auction--it is so much fun.  As someone who has benefited from the Scholarship Fund, I hope the auction was a money-making success!


                                                                                   

  

Every year in our goodie bags, we are given a "challenge item" to use to illustrate the theme of next year's conference.   Last year I received some of Karey Solomon's beautiful hand-dyed thread.in some lovely shades of green and a seahorse charm.The thread was much smaller than I am used to working with--a true challenge!  I had a lot of fun looking for charms that would match the seahorse in similar size and metal type.  I tried to go with the theme:  "Lake, Sea, and Shore."  This little bracelet was made from the "Tatted Doilies and Edgings" book that was edited by Rita Weiss.  I didn't win the challemge.  There were many other lovely entries this year.  I would have hated to be a lone judge and have
 had to pick thewinner.  I think that is why the winner was chosen by popular vote.

This is (I think) my 91st post--and the bracelet will be given away as part of a prize package when I have my  100th post.

Tammy

Sarah

This was the fifth year that Cynthia (how did I not get her picture?) and I have traveled from Oklahoma to Lodi, New York for the Seminar.  This year we took a slightly different route, spending our first night (and last night-on the road towards home) at Tammy's in Kentucky.  Tammy was unable to attend the conference this year--but we sure enjoyed her hospitality and looking at all the beautiful crafts that she enjoys doing.  She has a craft room that made us drool!  The next morning we picked up Sarah who was excited to attend her first tatting conference. 

Monica and Eclipse

Sharon

 When we got to New York, Monica very
generously let us share her condo for the conference nights. We had a lot of fun playing with Monica's emotional support dog, Eclipse and talking to Sharon in the evenings.

Next posting...at the seminar!

                                           

Shirt Back-from This 'n' Tat

The very first "button" patterns that I did, before I settled on the idea of using purples and making "many" different motifs and decorating my shirt with them were patterns by Lisa C. Trumble from her website www.thisnthat.com   Her website was one of the first ones I discovered when I had access to tatting on the internet. 

http://www.thisntat.com/medallions/button_flower1.html 





 I did them in order...  The next was her Button Flower II.  I found this at
http://www.thisntat.com/medallions/button_flower2.html 







 
This one is was found at http://www.thisntat.com/medallions/button_flower3.html  It was worked emptying leftover bobbins and had several ends to be worked in--which gives it its wonky shape.


I am looking forward to finishing my Finger Lakes projects so I can post them.  I still am falling asleep tatting, and this week came down with pneumonia and did no tatting at all--so it may take awhile!

"Mr. and Mrs. Turtle"

Two posts from me in less than two days--I know that is very unusual, but I just had to show these off!

Look what came in the mail today!! My wonderful husband custom ordered them for me from the Etsy shop "Banyek" as a "Just Because" present! (I've already got Mr. and Mrs. Turtle wound with thread for a class at the Finger Lakes Tatting Seminar this coming weekend!)

I "Wear My Heart on My Sleeve"

The origin of this phrase seems to be a quote from Shakespeare's character Iago in the play Othello (1604)

 For when my outward action doth demonstrate
The native act and figure of my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

 

I love this quote by Margaret Thatcher:

To wear your heart on your sleeve isn't a very good plan;

  you should wear it inside, where it functions best.

These hearts are on the upper arm of my shirts:

Cyleste's Heart found at http://web.archive.org/web/20031223175705/http:/www.tattings.com./hearts5/hearts5_12.shtml  This was tatted in Lizbeth, size 20, color 129=Purple Splendor.  This is a fun pattern that works up quickly. 

This is supposed to be Mary Maynard's Valentine's Day Button and Beads Heart--however mine would not match a correctly tatted version at all!  Mine is worked in Lizbeth, size 20, color 640=Antique Violet Medium.  The pattern is at  http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2006/maynardheart.html I was unaware how dependent I had become on tatting pattern diagrams until I was working on this diagram-less pattern!  It didn't help that at the time I tatted this I was falling asleep several times an hour due to lack of sleep at night!  Anyway...I got lost several times, and some of this heart (I'm sorry Mary Maynard) -- I just "winged it, and did my own thing!" -- it was easier than backtracking to where I went wrong!  I was away from home, and had forgotten my pattern when it was time to finish up the very last round--so much of it is "this looks good to me, I'll try that!" 

You may never know what I have "up my sleeve!"

 How about two little mice!  There is one trying to climb inside each cuff placket (I think that is the correct sewing term.) They are done in Lizbeth, size 20, colors 643=Grape Medium and 644=Boysenberry Dark.  The pattern is Morgan Mouse by Wanda Salmans--I love her pattens!  It is available at http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/6407345/mouse-pdf-1-3-meg?da=y

Shirt Front

Too long between posts!  Computer problems..... Fibromyalgia flares....   Migraines..... Isn't life wonderful?  I'm learning to really enjoy the good days and to realize that the bad days don't last forever!


It was a "given."  I had to have a butterfly on the front of the shirt--they are the "chosen motif" of the Palmetto Tatters!  The butterfly on the front of my shirt is the "Tatted Button-Fly" by Birgit Phelps.  I did it in Lizeth, size 20, colors 646 (Purple Iris Light) and 647 (Purple Iris Dark).
The pattern is available here:  http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=thetattedlaceweb;id=1;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwebspace.webring.com 
 %2Fpeople%2Fqb%2Fbirgit_ph%2Fbuttonfly.html  

I wanted to put a little heart next to the Palmetto logo...Jane Eborall's Button My Heart was just the ticket.  The heart was done in Lizbeth, size 20, #634 (Violet/Pink Med.).  I chose to hide my ends in the very last ring (Ring 15) instead of finishing the heart with beads.  The pattern is available here -- http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/buttonheart2010.pdf


The little circular motif was my own design...just fooling around to see what I could do, using size 20,  Lizbeth,  #141 (Purple Twist) and 647 (Purple Iris Dark).  

 









 The tiny snowflakes spaced between the buttons and buttonholes are from the pattern that was used the year I went to Palmettos for their Tat-Off.  I definitely didn't make THAT MANY during the tat-off, WOW!  Were there some fast tatters there!  .

TIAS 2015

What is a TIAS?  It is short for Tat It and See... the brainchild of Jane Eborall.  For the last several years, she has developed a pattern, chopped it into little bits, and delivered them via a website, one bite every few days to tatters around the world.  The tatters send pictures of their work in progress, sometimes along with their guess as to what-in-the-world they are tatting!  This year's was really fun!  I didn't stay caught up each day, and often had to play catch up....Here are the photos that I sent Jane.

Day 1

Day 1 Guess

Day 3

Day 3 Guess

Day 5

Day 7

Day 7 Guess

Day 8

Day 8 Guess

Day 12

Day 13--tatting finished

Day 13 - blocked

My message to Jane on the last day (along with my thanks for a fun TIAS!)

You are so SHARP to come up with a such a CUTTING EDGE pattern!!  I can HANDLE your directions, they come straight to the POINT! 

Now a short health update:  Late December, the doctor I was seeing, told me all my problems were in my head and he was sending me to a psychiatrist.  I found a new doctor.  This doctor immediately upped my thyroid medication, put me on sleeping pills (They have given me 5 hours of sleep on most nights instead of the average of 3 hours a night last year) and diagnosed me with fibromyalgia.  Having a diagnosis has changed my life in so many ways!  I'm trying my best to follow a recommended diet for fibromyalgia patients -- which almost immediately lessened my symptoms.  Just knowing what I have, and finding on the internet how others are dealing with this illness has helped tremendously.  On the migraine fighting front--I've been prescribed a Cefaly device that should be delivered at the end of this week.  If it works as good for me as the reviews and testimonials (I looked for and found very few bad reviews) it may be the answer to my daily headaches and chronic migraines.  Thank you to everyone who left/sent emails saying that they were praying for me--I know God answers prayers-for His good, His glory and in His time.

Dear Santa--2014 has been a Rough Year!

The Oklahoma Lacemakers Guild had its Christmas party last Saturday.  We had a lovely dinner, to which many of our spouses and some of our grandchildren even showed up--which is unusual--usually it is just those of us who are actually making lace who attend an event.  This year our Christmas Lace Contest theme was "The Characters of Christmas."  My entry was this tatted Santa.  The pattern is by Mark Myers and can be found here http://www.tat-man.net/tatterville/tatpatterns/santa.pdf    I used Lizbeth, size 20 threads--for the face I used #630 Light Peach, for the beard and mustache, I used #610 Cream, and for the hat I used  #671 Christmas Red.  He has a mistake in Row #2 the moustache...that meant I had to adapt each succeeding row to match the row above it.  When I saw the mistake in row 2, I kept telling myself, "Don't be such a perfectionist!  Let it go, just this once!"--Wouldn't you know...the" just this once"--would be the time, you have to adjust each succeeding row afterwards!  There were some absolutely lovely entries in the contest!!  Many different kinds of laces were represented and all kinds of "characters."  The winning entry was a lovely group of angels, each done in a different type of lace - hung as a "Choir of Angels Singing."  I'm not sure which was 2nd and which was 3rd, both were bobbinlace--there was a mouse (not a creature was stirring) and a very cute rendition of the little girl--CindyLou from the Grinch Stole Christmas.  There were several nativities, a few shepherds and sheep, lots of angels there were several mice (I had a couple of Wanda Salman's "Morgan Mouse" which are button mice out for judging), there were snowmen...it was really neat competition...but, my little Santa didn't stand a chance of placing though!


As many of you may know, I have suffered from chronic migraines for years--the last 10 years or so, 3-5 a week, each lasting  up to several days.  Last year the pain specialist doctor found a synthetic morphine pill that I took once a day that gave me relief from pain most days!!  It was wonderful!!  The only drawback was that it made me extremely sleepy and I couldn't drive.  Sounds like a solution?  As most of you know...insurance companies seem to rule our lives these days!!!   We learned that in January 2014, they were no longer going to cover my synthetic morphine drug!  There was NO WAY we could afford it.  The doctors were afraid that I had been on it long enough that I was dependent on it so they switched me to similar drug on the pain relief scale --Oxycontin-- but not on the side effects scale....   This one shut down my colon..... I am in no way blaming my doctors!!!!   In January after not having a bowel movement for several days at home, and being in severe pain...I ended up at my family doctor's office--that I'd been going to for over 15 years--to discover that he had retired in December at the last moment (Obamacare got him -- it was going to cost him to much to keep his practice!!)  He had turned all his patient's over to his new partner, who I'd never seen.  The new partner, admitted me to the hospital, where I went another 6 days before having a bowel movement....this new partner--also refused to contact my pain management specialist, and decided that since I'd been taking oxycontin, I could take morphine--and then did not monitor me--and came extremely close to giving me pneumonia.  He certainly had respiratory and the nurses hopping all night one night!

In February -- without the help of narcotics this time I showed up at my doctors again after several days of no bowel movements hurting....This time I went another nine days in the hospital.  They had to give me a shot--the strongest laxative on the market.... 30 minutes later WOW!  Then, I made a mistake, I had been on dilaudid every 4 hours since I'd been in the hospital for pain and when the laxative started working I quit taking it, because I wasn't in severe pain anymore.  Well, around 6 a.m. the next morning...something was WRONG....I didn't know what...but something was WRONG.   I was hot, then I was cold...I was anxious...my heart raced....I clung to my husband and begged him not to leave me...my GI dr. thought it was a reaction to the laxative shot.... it was so bad the nurses were giving me anti-anxiety drugs,,, it wasn't until 24 hours later that someone realized that I was going through drug withdrawal!    

OK -- so my colon quit on me....  but this time it didn't start right back...I ate applesauce and drank ensure for months!!  Then gradually added a food at a time.  Around, I guess--September, you could take me out to a restaurant and I could order off of a menu and find something to eat! 

With the February colon shut down came pain that did not go away.  I almost always have a place in my lower left abdomen that hurts...as a matter of fact, I yelled, under anesthetic during my colonoscopy, when my doctor, hit that spot in my colon--and there is nothing there, at least on the inside.  The theory is -- that once my colon heals that I need to have exploratory surgery, that I may have adhesions and scars from my hysterectomy outside of my colon that are hurting.  I have had an "FUO" Fever Unidentified Origin since October 2013.  

My GI Dr. sent me to a Infectious Disease Specialist to find out why I was running this fever and have had the abdominal pain.....He did discover the source of the fever and treated it with an antibiotic.  He also discovered though blood tests  that I was in the beginning stages of a connective tissue disease.  Around June the symptoms really started, I started stiffening if I was in one position too long.  I'm to the point now where if I sleep 6 hours, it takes several -- at least 5 hours to "loosen up" when I wake up -- it is almost not worth it to sleep that long -- if I can -- which brings us to the next paragraph.

When I left the hospital in February.  The doctor in charge -- took a look at my rather extensive list of medicines and said "You are taking way too many medicines -- let's cut this list down."  He proceeded to take an ink pen and slash though this vitamin and that vitamin, this muscle relaxer and that muscle relaxer... saying this duplicates this and that is just a duplicater this this..... you are already on a blood pressure pill you don't need another one... here.. and so on.... He cut my list of medications almost in half.... well that is fantastic!! I was taking too many medicines--I agree with him, but since then, I have slept an average of three hours a night--unless I am heavily medicated.   A) I have what is called a Barret's Esophagus...which means I have a precancerous condition from getting REALLY REALLY BAD REFLUX!  I was tired of having reflux before it was popular to have reflux! I absolutely cannot go to bed unless I have not eaten five hours before hand.  Now my husband and I have really awkwaard schedules, and very rarely do we eat before 7:30.  Which means... I cannot go to bed before 12:30--B)  Now I take a thyroid pill which is supposed to be taken daily at the same time every day.  I take mine at 6 a.m.  I take it at 6, because you are supposed to take it on an empty stomach and not eat anything an hour before or an hour afterwards.  This also allows me to space my iron and calcium pills away from the thyroid pill properly, because they interact.  C)  If I go to bed at 12:30 and am going to get up at 6:00, then I only have 5 1/2 hours, not long enough time to sleep to take the heavy sleeping pills I need.  So I'm doomed to get only three hours.  D)  Go to bed at 12:30, and wake up at 3:30!  or stay awake until 3:00 and wake up at 6:00.  I've done both. 

Sleeping only three hours a night makes me a real zombie, and makes me drop off at the weirdest times during the day--and without warning!  I fell asleep, to the delight of my five year old grandson--and the concern of my father, four times during dinner one time, dropping my fork each time, and ending up with my fingers in my mash potatoes one time!  To nod off for a few minutes during the semon is one thing... but I fell asleep during Sunday School (we meet in the Sanctuary) and they let me sleep.... I woke up when the first hymn of church began!  Totally ridiculous!  This is the point that I'm getting to....It plays havoc with my tatting!  I almost can't tat!  With my migraines making reading patterns difficult (I still have them--only now I can't take anything...tatting them is worse, when you go to sleep and make a mistake, or actually tat IN your sleep and make a mistake!    I spend more time taking OUT mistakes than I do actually tatting!!  This little Santa that I did, should have taken me a couple of hours ( maybe two)  It took sixteen.  I was actually finishing it on the way to the dinner, putting in the final two rings at the restaurant!


As I was writing this blog I got a call and heard the results from some blood work they did recently, (12 vials worth!) I may not have a connective tissue disease--my thyroid is way out of whack and that may be creating all kinds of problems including the stiffness and pain, as well as the sleepless nights!!   I'm being referred to a neurologist (hey I already had an appointment set for late in December! --God works in mysterious ways! and an endocrinologist -- hey I have an appointment already with mine in two weeks!

Now, I serve an mighty omniscient God, who knew all about my health problems before they happened--and he knows how they are all going to turn out!  He has provided for me this whole time financially, and more importantly with the emotional support of my family and friends who pray for me.  

So, all I'm telling Santa is that I've been good, and that he can leave lots of shuttles, patterns and thead under my tree this year, because I know next year is going to be better!