Thread and Card from Katherinne

I was lucky to be a recipient in Katherinne's thread give-away. The scanner doesn't do the thread justice. These are perfect faded denim tones with a bit of plum. I'm sure this will make something very nice.

She also made this origami card. Doesn't the kimono girl look beautiful and care free?

Thank you, Katherinne, I will treasure these.

Nazli Gelin Garden thread -- with buttons

I found some Nazli Gelin Garden thread at one of the LYS. Once I got home, I couldn't remember why I chose this neutral shade instead of one of the brighter ones, but I was able to pair it with some vintage black and brown buttons to good effect. It's manufactured in Turkey with Egyptian cotton and tats OK. The label calls it Size 1 Superfine, which may be some sort of yarn sizing. It looks similar to, or just a little larger than our size 10 cotton threads. I need to make some size samples, but I haven't done that yet.

Zig-zag chains make for an interesting effect.


I'll have to go back for some of the other colors.

Yippee -- I Won!

First, I could hardly believe the news that I had won in Yarnplayer's giveaway. Then, when the package arrived, I could hardly believe how beautiful the thread was. The little picture on the giveaway blog post doesn't do it justice. My own picture isn't quite bright and warm enough either.

Marilee was so generous to offer a giveaway, and then was doubly generous to include extra thread. The thread is all her Tiger Eye colorway, which is a really pretty blend of yellow and brown shades. I have been drawn to warmer colors lately, so this is just perfect. Here's what I got: not one, but two skeins of size 100. That's plenty for a big project. Dare I think doily? or maybe a wide handkerchief edge. And then a skein of size 3 perle cotton. I have been dabbling with big threads lately, and this is really thick. This will be an adventure to play with! And then, most unexpected, a skein of wool/silk lace weight yarn. It's so soft, I keep taking it out of the package to touch it. I wonder what I can make with this little skein, a lace collar perhaps?

If you aren't familiar with Marilee, the Yarnplayer, you need to visit her blog. She makes beautiful tatted jewelry and hand dyed thread, and has some great patterns, too.

Thank you so much, Marilee!

Big shuttles

I emptied a shuttle the other day. Needless to say, it was a very big shuttle, compared to my Aeros, anyway. In fact, it was a shuttle I had gotten from Nina Libin, designed for tatting with beads. It works great on those big projects and is more comfortable for me than the Tatsy style.

I so miss having a hook, though. Does anyone make an oversized shuttle with a hook? (It's got to be a hook, not a point!)

One of these days, I'll show you the original project that led to this "leftover". Am I being a terrible tease, or did I forget where I put it for safe keeping? I'm not telling....

Valentine Exchange from Marty

I recently participated in the Valentine's Day Exchange hosted by Karey Solomon through the Threads of a Tatting Goddess Yahoo group. I received my really nice package from Marty (Marlene Lewis) a few days ago. She sent a large heart that she designed herself and attached to a pretty card. Inside was an ornament, bookmark, and thread sample, as well as a copy of the pattern.

The ornament uses a section of Iris Niebach's Beatrice doily, and the bookmark is a pattern by Diana Stevens from her Animal Bookmark book. The thread sample is hand dyed thread done by Marty's sister, Bonnie, and is the same used to tat her heart.

Many thanks to Marty for the beautiful gifts.

I'm Still At It

Still playing with buttons and things. Some results are better than others.

This last one is my favorite so far.

Is There Any Hope?

Lately, I've been obsessed with buttons.




And at the same time, stone chips and nuggets are preying on my mind.


The problem is, everything I buy makes me want to buy something else. Some of the buttons are calling for beads to go with them. All these things need thicker thread, which I have precious little of in my stash.

Is there any hope for this sort of thing on Etsy? I see some people sell quite a lot of items, and some...don't. It would be nice if this new hobby could pay for itself. On the other hand, if prospects are poor, the time spent taking nice photos and writing the listings could be better used on something else.