Have You Seen Me?

When designing small, simple patterns, sometimes you can accidentally come up with something that has been done before.

Does anyone recognize this angel as something that has already been done? Or similar enough to a previous pattern? 

More From Lodi

Here are class projects from the Finger Lakes conference, going clockwise.  The theme was "Fantasia," so the hippo is Jane's pattern adapted by Ginny Weathers to be one the dancing hippos from the movie.  I still need to add the tutu skirt which will be made from tulle net that Ginny provided.

The cluny snowflake taught by Mimi Dillman that I showed you last time.

A Faery designed by Karey.  She provided the dolls and we tatted the clothing and wings.  Her pattern included making the doll so I can make more later if I want.

The angel is from a class by K Boniface.  She adapted vintage edgings to make new motifs, just my sort of thing.  I changed the joins in the last row a little.  There were 3 more little motifs in her handout, which I will get to later.

I always enjoy my time at this conference.  It is rather relaxed and informal.  They feed you wonderful home cooked food at every meal. And Karey is such  delightful person, I always enjoy her company, and that of many other regular attendees.

I Can Cluny

I was recently fortunate to attend the Finger Lakes Tatting Conference.  One of my classes was with Mimi Dillman, who is the master of cluny tatting. It was wonderful hearing her advice and seeing her samples of cluny work.  I had done a little with clunies before, but they never looked any where as nice as this class project I finished after I got home.

She showed us an easier way to form the cluny "loom" over our fingers.  You can see that method in this this YouTube video HERE by Elisadusud, another grand master of the cluny style.

More Quilt Squares for Palmetto

Yeah, I forgot how to blog for a while. Sorry about that...

Anyway, here are some more squares for Georgia's Palmetto fund raiser.

The upper left leaf is the 1975 Workbasket Maple Leaf, corrected and diagrammed by Tammy Rodgers.  Click HERE for a pdf pattern.  The lower right leaf is the Light and Ayr Maple Leaf, by Karey Solomon, from Tatting Times November 2007, and on the Tatting Times CD.  Do you know if it is also in her book, "Tatting Turns over a New Leaf"? I've been thinking I need that one.  The other leaves are my simplified variations.

This one has some leaves from Ruth Scharf's patterns.  The flowers are classic motifs or freestyle tatting.

I've Got a Secret!

I've got a secret! Well, I hope it won't be a secret for long.  Registration for the Finger Lakes Tatting Convention is now open and we are trying to get the word out.

I haven't been for a long time, but I always had a lovely time, so I'm excited about planning to attend this year.

Here is Karey's news release:

Tatting Seminars in the Finger Lakes - 20th Anniversary

Twenty years of doing anything, particularly when the same people are involved, is cause for celebration.  So April 6-8, 2018 the Finger Lakes Tatting Group is pulling out all the stops for a magical "Tatting Fantasia" - meaning that anything goes, though we've got more than one nod to the movie.  This year features amazing tatting teachers - and participants - from across the country... and a few others.  We'll have classes to educate and inspire, time for fun and photographs, wholesome home-cooked food for every dietary need plus endless snacks; great goodie bags, vendors offering tatting treasures, raffles, auction, a magic show, and a chance to do good.  Our group has adopted Camp Good Days and Special Times, a summer camp for children with cancer as the beneficiary of some unselfish fundraising.

Information is online at www.fingerlakestatting.com and on the group's Facebook page (Finger Lakes Tatting).  Or email Karey Solomon at: threads at empacc dot net and she will send you the information as an attachment.

Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I was feeling in a festive mood and took a little trip to the neighborhood famous for its "tree ball" displays.  Capturing a good picture of it has always eluded me, but maybe the top picture, taken on approach to the neighborhood, gives an idea of the wonders to come.

Also, I finally found candles to fit this decoration we inherited from John's mother.  I don't know if it's really old or not.

I thought the candles were supposed to make the vanes turn and rotate some of the figures within, but that didn't happen.  Hmm, let them burn longer before giving up? A little WD40 on the axle? Hmm.

Still, pretty to look at, and I'm happy.

Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah or Happy Holidays to you all.

Dragonfly Quilt Square

Here's another quilt square for next year's Palmetto fundraiser.  These squares are smaller than the ones we had for previous quilts, and Georgia said it's OK to work across the lines.

The orange dragonfly in the center stripe is from Karey Solomon's "Flutter Home," except I made the tail a little shorter and used picots instead of beads. The other orange one is a variation with a SCMR for the body.

The purple dragonfly is from Patricia Rizzo's "The Gentle Art of Tatting Things We Love." Her example looks more airy than mine, so maybe my tension is tighter than hers.  The blue one is Sharren Morgan's Flag-Tailed Dragonfly" from the Palmetto 2010 pattern CD.  And the blue and purple one is sort of a mash-up of those two patterns.

I had fun choosing the colors.  Stay posted for more squares.