More Palmetto Pics

I really need to get disciplined enough to blog more frequently.  I have gotten really far behind with things to show.  Anyway, here are some more pictures from this year's Palmetto TatDays.  First are some pictures from the display/competition.  One of the great things about going to a convention is seeing so many things made by other tatters.  These are just a few, since many of my photos didn't come out too well.

 

Stephanie Wilson made this and it won best of show, well deserved.  

My own handkerchief (my tatting added to a vintage  embroidered hanky).  It won a ribbon in last year's State Fair.

Sorry, I don't remember who made this 3D flower, but isn't it lovely?

Randy Houtz's mouse in bobble tatting.

This lovely collar is by Patty Markley, from a Jan Stawasz pattern.  I really admire this piece, and the photo doesn't do the colors justice.

Sorry, I don't know who made this wonderful collar either.  The makers' names were hidden until after the voting and I didn't get back to check on all the names.


Tatting conventions are also good for lots of smiling faces.

JB and Kaye

Katharine and Crazy Mom

Georgia

Vicki, with lots of tatting going on in the background.

News flash! If you admired the class projects from my previous post, now you can get your own copy of the patterns.  This year's Palmetto Pattern CD is already available now, details here.

Palmetto Class Projects

Since I did not teach at the Palmetto Tatdays this year, I got to take lots of classes.  I had a great time just being a student, though I did miss teaching in some ways.

Here is the amulet bag taught by Erin. There were lots of people in this class.  I tweaked the pattern just a little for a slightly larger bag.  I still need to make the strap, but that should be easy.  The thread is hand-painted by Karey.  Karey couldn't make it this year and we missed her.

Next was Kaye Judt's 3D Bee.  This was a very fun introduction to bobble style tatting.

After the Friday night banquet, Riet always teaches the Night Owl Class, which is usually about ... owls.  This year's project was a cute little own designed by Jane Eborral.  Mine got a little squashed on the scanner, but it really is a nice pattern.

And then the impossible happened. I got out of bed and went to the Early Bird Class because I liked the project so much.  Donna led the class, but the pattern, "No Where Maze" is by Vicki Clarke.  This is more of Karey's thread.  I've decided it's time to actually use some of my special threads.

Then a class taught by Vicki herself, her 3D Northern Star.  This is a clever design, with little tatted pyramids joined to a front and back piece to make a puffy star.

And lastly, Randy Houtz's Pearl Tatted Dragonfly, to really stretch those mental tatting muscles.  These are Maltese/Pearl Tatting rings, but each is special.  The first one is a self-closing pearl mock ring with self-closing mock rings thrown off, and a regular Maltese ring thrown off it too. And then a split ring Maltese ring, and then a Maltese ring with dsop (double stitches on picot) which is similar to a daisy picot, but different.  Randy prefers the descriptive term "Pearl Tatted Ring", but I am used to calling them "Maltese Rings" like Mlle Riego did.

Here is a picture from some of us working on our amulet bags Saturday night.

And if you missed the fun, keep an eye on the Palmetto site, where you will be able to order a CD with all the class project patterns (lots more than these here), available sometime this fall. now!   Click Here for a link direct to their sales page.

Flights of Fantasy

Dear friends, Since so many of you have asked, I will start taking pre-orders for my new fantasy book now.
 
It is fun to debut a book at the Palmetto TatDays and then I will start mailing copies afterward as I have done before.

I will gladly autograph books if you ask me. To ask, you can put in a "note to seller" on the PayPal order or send me an email.  I frequently personalize them "Dear Name, ..." so if you need it made out for someone else please say so!

Thank you to my wonderful test tatters, Jane Eborall, Erin Holloway, Sherry Townsend, and Stephanie Wilson.  They have put in a lot of work as well, and been a great help.

And thank you to all my friends online who have been so supportive of this project.

My website is http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-tatsamore

A direct link to the book page is here 

There are Paypal buttons to order a single copy, with different buttons for the US, Canada, and Overseas to provide the proper amount for shipping.  If you want more than one book, email me and I can provide a discounted combined shipping price.  You can snail mail checks and money orders too.


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The header on the Tatdays page says 6 days to go.  I've got so much to do! I've got to get my beads in the bead spinner, and my shuttles wound.  Where did I put my big beading shuttles?  I'd better start packing.  I'll need some extra shuttles, and threads, beads, sequins, buttons, my list of the Lizbeth colors I already have.  Must remember to recharge the camera battery.  And the homework for Vickie's class, must remember to do that.  I'd better go now.

Back to the Challenge with Cintamani

My current personal challenge for the 25 Motif Challenge was to count only motifs worked from books.  I have a bad tendency to get tatting books and never actually work any of their patterns despite my best intentions, so I was trying to work on that.  I'm not doing a very good job.  I've lost count of when I started, and how many I have done, but I suspect the number is embarrassingly low.  I'll go back and count later.

Anyway, periodically, I pick myself back up and try again.  Jon generously gave me a copy of her book, Elegant Tatting Gems, and I have been admiring the motifs on other blogs.  Here is "Cintamani"  which I admired for its curves and being worked all in one pass.  I used a size 80 thread by Anchor, which is a gentle mixture of blue and white.  I recommend the book, with many 6 sided motifs.  Each pattern has both written instructions and a diagram.  Depending on your thread choice, they can be snowflakes or small doilies.  Mine is just over 2 inches across at the widest point.

Soon...

Dear friends, thank you all for showing so much support for the upcoming book.  I will let you know when I am ready to start taking pre-orders.  There will be plenty of copies to go around!

I like to be closer to ready to mail before I start taking money.  And just as well, they asked me to put in extra time at work this week, which has put me days behind in dealing with my email etc.  This may continue into next week, so I think I will wait until that crisis has passed.

I Actually Tatted Something

I feel like it's been ever so long since I have simply tatted something to relax, and not related to design work. Here is Karey's 1919 Square Medallion from the May issue of Tatting Times.  Several others featured it on their blogs months ago, but I just got around to it.  I enjoy pretty, old fashioned tatting motifs, don't you?

This is the sight that greeted me several days recently.  I seem to have a tomato-eating squirrel.  At least, it's not as bad as the deer that ate them all in one night last year.  It hasn't happened the last few days. I wonder if the squirrel went away, or got better at hiding the evidence.

Progress on the upcoming fantasy book continues.  I've had a few last minute glitches, like finding the cover stock I wanted to use was discontinued, but nothing I can't handle.  I have every hope of being able to bring a box full for my consignment table at Palmetto Tat Days.

Celtic Button Teapot Pattern

Do you remember this teapot I showed you once?

The pattern appeared in the Feb 2011 issue of Tatting Times.  Apparently, a lot of folks don't have a subscription (why not? you should!), because I get a lot of requests for it.

I have taken the original pattern and added diagrams and in-progress pictures.  Thank you to Jane, Sherry, and Stephanie for thoroughly test tatting.

I will put it for sale in my Etsy shop as an instant digital download of a pdf file to print. (Yes, that poor neglected shop that went on vacation mode when I moved and stayed that way until now.)

I haven't used Etsy in sooo long, and I haven't tried the digital download feature before, so I'm a little afraid of messing it up.  So here's the game plan:  I will start with listing one copy.  Will whoever buys that let me know if it worked OK, and then I will list more copies.

Update: Margaret assured me I was worrying for nothing, since she has sold with this service with no problems.  Isdihara bought the trial copy and says it worked fine.  Yay! I am open for business.