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!!

A Catherine Wheel Join Allegory

For a printable pdf of this tutorial CLICK HERE

Tutorials for the Celtic Knotted Picot

Here are the two tutorials I put together while

 working on my pattern,

 Their Five Year Mission. 

(Posted 3/14/15)

The Celtic Knotted Picot was created by Bina Madden and is taught here: http://paradisetreasures.com/ckp.html I was very grateful to be one of her students one year when she taught at the Finger Lakes Tatting Conference as she shared her technique. 
For a printable pdf of the tutorial "How to put two (or more) Celtic Knotted Picots in a Ring" CLICK HERE 
For a printable pdf of the tutorial "Using a Picot Gauge on a Celtic Knotted Picot" CLICK HERE

Their Five Year Mission

As I tried to think of ways to teach the techniques in the edging pattern I will be teaching at Finger Lakes in April, this little pattern emerged!  Georgia Seitz is introduced it in the online Tatting Class today (Monday, 3/14/16).


One of the techniques used in my edging and this pattern is the Celtic Knotted Picot, created by Bina Madden.  It is taught here: http://paradisetreasures.com/ckp.html  I have put together two photographic tutorials--one on  Measuring a Celtic Knotted Picot and the other on Adding Multiple Celtic Knotted Picots in a Single Ring.  They will be available in the next blog post.  In the following post, I will have a tutorial on the Catherine Wheel Join.

For a printable pdf of this pattern CLICK HERE

I did do the project in size 20.  The size 20 project fits on a 1.25 diameter

Their Five Year Mission--size 20

ring (measuring the inside of the ring.)  I had a lot of trouble finding a ring to put it on....I finally found this 'Oval Pendant Finding" at Hobby Lobby.    I finally had to adapt it, using my "button shank removers" to cut off the outside ring, and my "bead reamers" to file the ring smooth--(you make do with what you have!)  The stitch count was adapted slightly on Round 3 to accommodate the oval shape.

Tatting with Metallic Kreinik Threads

Kreinik donated enough spools of their metallic braid for each lady at the get-together at Sonya's house to have one.  (See post on 12/13/15)  Recently Mr. Doug Kreinik contacted me (I got thanked for a thank you note!) and asked if any of the ladies had photos of their tatted projects with the Kreinik thread.  I haven't been able to contact all the ladies yet, but I sent him a photo of my creative effort with their metallic braid.  Mine was color 5805, and was a Tapestry Braid#12.  The jewelry finding in the center came from Hobby Lobby.  I did not follow a pattern, but was inspired by some rounds out of a pattern by Marilee Rockley called Arches Doily ( http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/2009/01/arches-doily.html ).

Tat It and See 2016

Jane Eborall has for the past several years created a wonderful pattern--then chopped it into little bits, and released it on the internet a piece at a time.  Tatters all over the world work the pattern---not knowing what they are making.  Many of them send scans/pictures of their work, and their suggestions into Jane, who posts them on her special Tat It And See blog  http://tatitandsee.blogspot.com/  

These are my submissions for this year.  Jane's printed comments are italicized.   Her email comments are highlighted.

DAY 1

What a hoot.  Just Love your idea!!!




I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture.  Thanks Patricia   

"Jane--Thank you for doing another year's TIAS!
Enjoying Tatting in Muskogee OK USA

DAY 2

"I can't wait to see my inchworm transform into something bigger!"

DAY 3

That is a HOOT.  Poor Nick came running to see what I was laughing about.  VERY clever manipulation of the graphic too.  THANK YOU.


Poor Nick had to come running when he heard me chortling over Patricia's picture.  What a HOOT.  Thanks for the best giggle of the day -- so far!!!

DAY 4

Well I've never heard of that game before but that's probably just me!!!  Your poor sister but there again that's what sisters are for when you're growing up!!!!  Just love this picture too.  You're so clever.

"Jane--
Do they play "Slug Bug" there?  Growing up, anytime you saw a VW Bug, you got to pinch, poke, or punch (depending on who you were with!) the person you wanted to irritate the most in the car...for me it was usually my sister!"

I've never heard of the game, Patricia but then that's probably me.  Come on those in the UK -- have you heard of it?  LOVE the picture.


 
DAY 5

Thanks, Patricia -- just added you to the blog.  BC3 seems to be in a funk at the moment but I've got the glimmering of an idea I want to work on!!!!
 "On Day Five
From Jane's Brain cell #3 and her tatting shuttle
This tatted creation of hers only wants to cuddle!


DAY 6

WONDERFUL picture.  SO SO SO clever.  Thanks

Ah, my oh my, Patricia's pictures just get better.  LOVE this one too -- thanks, Jane

"Thank you so much for doing this --- it is really fun!  It is probably a frog, but I'm not ready to "go along with the crowd" just yet--I have to stay bamboozled and say I really don't know yet!



DAY 7
 
"Sorry Jane -- I let the men in my family guess today!"

Don't apologise -- looks feasible!!!!!!  Thanks -- just updating the blog!

Patricia apologizes for letting the men in her life guess Day 7.  Look what they came up with -- a lobster!!!

Later on in the morning I had this message from Patricia.  Something I really didn't know about but am so glad we don't have them here!

"I hate to point this out...maybe you don't have them in England, that dreadful creature is a poisonous scorpion (I hate them!) not a delicious lobster!

Oh, right.  Didn't know that!!!  Will add this comment to my mistake!!!  Thankfully we don't have scorpions over here!!!

 

 


DAY 8

What a pleasant surprise to have an new guess!!!!  Thanks.  Not saying whether it's a kangaroo or not!!!


AHA, a new guess -- goodie!!!  This is from Patricia who has also illustrated her idea too.

"Hopping on in for today's guess!!"

That's a hoppingly good guess, Patricia!!!




DAY 10

WONDERFUL picture.  Just LOVE it.  Thanks for the giggle.


LOVE Patricia's picture.  Here's her comment too!!!

"Jane--
(Sorry I fell behind.)  If Tigger can't tell the difference between his friends, you can't expect me to!

 Day 11

Thanks, Patricia.  Perhaps next year it'll be a kinkajou or you could put a tail on this one!!!!

Patricia is next in my inbox with her - well, I'll let her tell you!

"Jane-- 

I have given up on the kangaroo idea...and am just stubborn enough to not guess rabbit! 

Was this kinkajou your model before it found the 99 year-old lady to cuddle with? 

6abc.com/pets/cuddling-kinkajou- scares-99-year-old-florida.."


Day 12

Oh, that's just TOOOOO funny.  Nearly wet my pants laughing.  Thank YOU.

Oh my GOSH. We have trouble here. Be afraid, be VERY afraid.  Keep an eye on your rabbits. There's a hunter amongst us! Look what Patricia sent.

 

Day 13


That's funny.  I love Elmer being dealt with as he deserves!!!!  Glad the rabbit escaped too!!!!

Heeee, Heeeeee. Patricia's back with her day 13 and two pictures.  So glad that Elmer is now being 'dealt with'.  He deserves all he gets trying to shoot rabbits!!!!

"A kinder, gentler post--at your request! 

This has been a hoppin lot of fun! Thank you so much Jane! 



Day 14

Thank YOU too for all the extra effort.  People like you make it for me.  See  you next year!!!

 

Now I have Patricia next with a lovely happy bunny picture. Thank you, Patricia.

 

"Jane-- 

You are talented and generous 

You've done it again--without a fuss! 

Thank you again-- 

for the pattern, the blogging and the fun! 

Now just look at what your Rabbit has won! 

Lizbeth, size 20, color 644

Muskogee, OK USA

Thank you for my winnings!!!!!!

Thank you Jane!!!
Goodbye 2016 TIAS!
What will the 2017 TIAS be?  

Palmettos Tat Days Part 4

Okay  here is Palmetto part 4....since 5 and 6 got published during the last few minutes!

After a delicious breakfast that revived my poor brain a little I started my next two-session class--once again by Erin Holloway Moseley.  This one was Phil the Phish and the Phishbowl for Phil.  This was such a unique concept!!!  I love it.

I did change mine a little.  Erin's Phishbowl had the lace edging placed vertically on a 3 1/4 inch glass ornament.  I placed my horizontally thinking it looked more realistically like a fishbowl that way.  I chose to use a 4 inch ornament to give the fish a little more room to peak out under the lace edging.  The plastic ornament change happened after I got home -- I took the ornament to show someone and the glass broke!  I have made many tatted beaded ornaments over the years, and all of them had the tatting and beading as a cover that slipped over the glass ornament, and could be put on another ornament if that one broke.  This phishbowl edging is glued onto the ornamnet--so you really don't want to have to replace it--thus my switch to plastic.  I also removed the picots from one of the lace edgings--they were decorative, and I really thought a "smooth" edge would look nicer.  None of these changes are criticisms of Erin's wonderful pattern in any way--they are just personal preferences!

I loved this ornament so much that it became my Christmas ornament for the grandchildren and nieces and nephews this year!  If I ever get my blog caught up, I may show you the different color combinations that I did.

Sherry Townsend (*)

 A few comments....Sherry Townsend was Erin's helper for each class.  They were both prepared with examples of the class project.  I loved that they were very knowledgeable about where you might come to a "snag" working the pattern.  When that happened they also knew how to explain in easily understood directions how to "fix" what you were working on.  Sherry had a prize for the first person in each class to finish their project--I don't know who won them, but whoever you are--I'm jealous!

I have an undiagnosed sleeping disorder--not narcolepsy (if you have narcolepsy, you sleep all night and then drop off during the day) but falling asleep during the day caused by sleep deprivation.  The dr's have not been able to get me to sleep a "full" night's sleep.  Knowing I was going to be in Erin's class for 4 sessions, I told Sherry and her what might happen.  I am so glad I did--the only time that I fell asleep during a class was in the last session with Erin and Sherry kindly woke me up.  I have fallen asleep many times in public-and missed the event that I wanted to attend because the people around me (also kindly) thought "I needed the sleep" and as a result did not wake me.

Last comment about these two classes--"Phil" is Erin's brother!  I wonder he thinks it is a good or bad thing to have a tatted fish named after you?

My Silent Auction "

Melissa Deputy

Right before lunch, the Silent Auction closed.  One of the fun things about the Palmettos is the silent auction!  There is all of this--"eye candy" of wonderful things that are put out to bid on.  There are antiques linens and old needlework magazines, wonderful tatting books-current and out of print, tatting tools and thread, and then the things that are not craft related--home decorations, etc.  More stuff is donated right up to the close of the auction...so wandering through the Silent Auction room to see what was new to look at was a favorite thing of mine to do during breaks in the schedule.  Another neat thing was getting to know Melissa Deputy a little better.  She was "in charge" of the Silent Auction room, and did a wonderful job!  Melissa is an "internet" friend--I met her through a Christmas exchange.  I finally did place a bid on two books that were "grouped" together.  As I was really watching my money this trip-I almost didn't bid...but I really wanted them so I "gave in.  When the Silent Auction was over, you gave your number (each person bid with a secret number, not their name) to Melissa at one door of the auction room--she told you whether you had won or not--winning numbers got slips of paper to take to the cashier in the vending room.  Once you had paid for your items, you took the slip to the other door of the auction room where someone brought you your "prize."  The silent auction gets all kinds of brownie points from me for their excellent displays and organization at the close of the Silent Auction.

My next and sadly last class at Palmettos was the Daisy Mae Bracelet with Carol Lowe.  Talk about knowing a pattern inside and out--she and her assistant Tina Norman (Tina is her sister-in-law) had many, many examples of the bracelet made with different sizes of thread and a variety of beads!  This was a very easy pattern for me because I have had a lot of experience putting rings in beads and on picots (which is what this pattern used.)  My learning experience in this class was two-fold.   The first was that Carol had on many of her samples, covered the split ring finding or ring that the clasp attached to with thread.  I had never covered a ring--especially a tiny ring with tatting.  That was a real challenge for me particularly doing it neatly.  The other thing was that I really enjoyed observing how Carol instructed and worked with those pupil who had no beading experience and needed help.  She was so patient and friendly, all the time describing and often demonstrating what needed to be done. **I didn't get enough beads in my kit to make a comfortably fitting bracelet and Carol very kindly sent me some more by mail--with a lovely tatted card!--above and beyond what you would expect!!!.

(*) Photos are courtesy of Palmettos Tatting Guild

Next:  Saturday Night's activities.