Handkerchief Time

My first goal after the Palmetto weekend was to edge a handkerchief to enter in the local fair. I had a vintage hanky I must have picked up at a yard sale sometime. I used some size 40 Lizbeth thread that I got while I was there. Size 80 would have been more appropriate for the fabric, but I knew I would never get that size completed in time.


I searched for an edging pattern that would use just a little pink, and found the perfect one in the book "A Tatter's Workbook". Since it's mostly chains, I only had to refill my bobbin once, as an added bonus. Slope and roll joins instead of lock joins worked well to minimize pink spots where I didn't want them.

This was a big project for me, 54 inches of lace, 7/8 inch wide. Look how much thread it took, compared to an unused ball:


I was really happy with the tatting, though perhaps my decision to sew it on with blue thread wasn't the best since I had trouble keeping the stitches even. I finished it in the wee hours one night and dropped it off at the fair the next morning.

More Thread Exchange Projects

As I've said before, the Thread Exchange Blog is a fun way to trade samples of thread. Typically, the samples are 12 yards (11 meters).

Then comes the question of choosing a project you can complete with the sample. Motifs and bookmarks work great. Here are two of mine.

This one is a bookmark of Mary Konior's Duet pattern, made with size 20 Lizbeth #125 Seascape. I looove this color on the ball, but in this particular bookmark, not so much. Perhaps the back and forth rings were not a good choice for this thread. It looks better on Isdihara's blog.




I also used an exchange thread to perfect my koala bear pattern. I think this is Lizbeth 691 Mocha Brown Medium. It's a nice shade, a bit warmer than the similar Cebelia I had been using.

I've wound my shuttles with more exchange threads, so watch this space....

Later...by the way, I can claim this as Motif 20 in my current 25 Motif Challenge.

Post Palmetto

Well, here it is, three weeks after Palmetto, and I am finally getting to my blog. (Insert usual excuses here.)

As always, I had a marvelous time, getting together with old friends and making new ones. I learned a few new things too. I always come away with some new technique or trick.

I was a little surprised how few pictures I took. I guess I was too caught up in the excitement to get the camera out much. Anyway, here are a few:



Here Erin and Georgia are displaying the smaller quilt for auction. (The group project yielded 1 large, 1 small, and 3 wall hanging sized quilts.)



Sue H in her purple finery at the banquet. That's a lovely tatted shawl.


Riet and Katherine


Karey and Schari


Hope presides over fun and games session


Mary Konior Lace

Close-up of a flower in Shawna's arrangement that won the People's Choice award.

Next year's conference has just been announced: Sept 23-23, 2011 in Toccoa again.

More Critters -- Now on Sale!

I am pleased to announce that More Critters on the Block is now on sale.


I will, of course, be bringing plenty of copies with me to the Palmetto TatDays conference.


The book is digest size, 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches, and has 32 pages plus cover. There are 23 patterns in all: hummingbird, dolphin, koala, skunk, butterfly, ferret, dachshund, elephant, raccoon, turtle, sheep, lamb, rhinoceros, hornet, owl, giraffe, gecko, whale, bluebird, grasshopper, fox, alligator, and pig.


Here are a handful of the designs.



Despite the recession, we decided to keep the price at $10.00 plus shipping, like my other block tatting books. You can go to my site here for links to buy a single copy through PayPal. If you would like more than one book, email me and I can send you an invoice for reduced combined shipping. There is an address there too, for snail mail check or money order payment.

I would like to thank my test tatters, Jane, Heather, Pamela, Stephanie, and Sherry for all their help.

Leprechaun Visit

Danny was surprised by a visit from Feargal and Miss Scarlett. They had timed their visit so they could travel with Danny to Palmetto TatDays. "You are going to have so much fun!" he said. Since they were tired from the journey, at first they just sat and talked. Danny enjoyed hearing all about their Grand Tour and getting news of his cousins. (Miss Scarlett noticed how he especially perked up when they were talking of Maebh, but she didn't say anything.)

Then Feargal was ready to unpack and show off his skateboard. Danny tried hard not to look envious. Then he showed them around the apartment, and suddenly Feargal stopped and said, "What is That?"

"That's the book stapler," said Danny. "You have to jump on it real hard to staple a book. I can do it, but it may be too difficult for you." (Leprechauns are naturally competitive, if you hadn't noticed.)

But Feargal's eyes took on a strange gleam. "That's not a stapler, that's a skateboard ramp! I can skate down that, turn a flip in the air, and land."





"Oh wow! I've got to see that," said Danny, now obviously awed by his elder cousin.

"You musn't," said Miss Scarlett. "It's too dangerous!"

"It will be great!" said Danny.

"I can't look," said Miss Scarlett.

"Here goes!" said Feargal.



Feargal skated down the ramp at great speed, but what came next wasn't exactly a flip in the air. In fact, it was nothing like a flip. Suffice it to say, it's a good thing he is a magical being, so he was not injured in the fall.

Danny said, "That was awesome! Can you teach me how?"

Boys will be boys....

Is your leprechaun coming to Palmetto TatDays? Let me know, so I can add them to the list of "Who's Coming".

Updates & Events

CORRECTION: I previously said Palmetto registration was open through Aug 15, but the correct date is Aug 11.

Time is getting close for the Palmetto TatDays, August 27-28 in Toccoa, GA. Registration is open through August 11th, so there's still time to sign up. I've got so much to do to get ready!

Meanwhile, our northern cousins, the Fringe Element Tatters are having their fifth annual tatting convention September 24-25 in Cambridge, Ontario. This even sounds like a winner too! Click here for information.

Since I last mentioned it, the Palmetto Quilt drawing has posted pictures here of LOTS of tatting embellished quilt squares. A donation to the Palmetto scholarship fund will enter you into the drawing.

I hope to see lots of you soon in Toccoa!

Whooo Can't Count?

Erm, that would be me.

Keep in mind that a digest size booklet is made of letter size paper folded in half so each sheet of paper makes 4 pages. So a booklet needs a multiple-of-four pages. A while back, I thought I had a book's worth of patterns, but when I pasted them together, I counted 29 pages. Rather than cut out one page, I thought I had plenty of time to make up three more patterns for a 32 page book. I went merrily on my way until last weekend when I did the book layout again, and came up with.....31 pages! One short! What went wrong?

I bet some of you see where this is going. In a booklet, that first sheet of paper with the title page also has the final page on it as well. On my first layout, "Page 29" was supposed to be the other half of the first sheet, but I forgot to move it there. I really should know better.

I had to turn out one more pattern. The process went something like this:


While I feel a bit silly that I couldn't count my pages right, those last four patterns were the fox, koala, weiner dog, and owl, so I'm glad it worked out that way.

By the way, that thread is Lizbeth Mocha Brown Dark. A lovely, warm brown perfect for bears, puppies, etc. I got a sample through the Thread Exchange Blog. I'm definitely going to get myself my own ball of this thread.