Catching up on Tat-Alongs (Challenge Motif 7)

A few weeks ago, Umi&Tsuru issued a challenge to tat a design from Ruth Scharf's book, Occhi. Since this is one of those books I have been meaning to take off the shelf and use for a long time, this seemed just the thing for my current motif challenge. I decided to go for a very traditional approach and chose this ecru thread. I regretted that at times, when I saw the wide variety of colors shown by other bloggers accepting the challenge. I also decided to make all the lock joins down into the base of the rings as in the original pattern. I think it's a very interesting effect, though it was a bit tricky getting the tension just right.

If you don't have the book, you can still join in, because she had permission to post the flower and leaf patterns.



Also, we recently had Jane's Tat It and See surprise pattern, which turned out to be a goat!

Palmetto Tat Days Coming Up

It's time to start thinking about Palmetto Tat Days, to be held September 7 & 8. Actually, it's past time for me. Usually, I am much further along with class proposals by now, but I've been putting most of my free time into my tatting history project. Luckily, in honor of their 10th anniversary, they are allowing teachers to repeat one lesson from the past. Which one should I choose?

The deadline for applying to teach is April 12. If you are interested, you can get all the information to apply on the Palmetto Tatters Homepage.

In Loving Memory of Gina

Gina was very special to me. I am glad that I got to meet her in person a few times, as well as through the internet. There are only 2 blogs that I visit every single day and hers was one of those. Her range of interests was amazing. On any given day she might show tatting, some other needlecraft, painting, or some other type of art. I learned about Romanian Point Lace from her. Two little pieces she made for me are shown above. In the same envelope I found two teabags she sent at the same time. I was going to save them for some time special and forgot about them. I will drink them in her honor now.

We shared a love of antique patterns. I remember one of my early encounters with her was to swap duplicate copies of old Needlecraft Magazines. Her study of the Therese de Dillmont patterns is just the sort of thing I love.

I was fortunate to have Gina as a test tatter for several of my books. She was always very helpful. When I was wondering why the Mrs. Mee picots didn't always twist, she was the one who figured it out. She was instrumental in completing the instructions for that technique.

The tatting community has suffered a great loss. I will miss her very much.

My Class for Finger Lakes

This is the pattern I will be teaching at the Finger Lakes Tatting Convention (or "The Convention Formerly Known as Hector"). It has lots of split rings and lots of beads used in different ways. If you are coming, you can buy the optional kit or string your own beads, whichever you prefer. I'll also show how to make and use a bead spinner.

Click here to go to Vicki's blog to see her class project. If I spot any more class posts, I'll let you know.

And for something really beautiful, click here to go to Ginny's blog to see the quilt that will be auctioned.

I'm really looking forward to going. I hope to see a lot of you there.

Fun at Finger Lakes Tatting Convention

Registration is now open for this year's Finger Lakes Tatting Convention in western NY. Karey Solomon, one of the nicest people I know, heads this group. There will be classes, vending, and good fellowship. The picture above is from a previous meeting. They have since moved to a larger building. I'm looking forward to going.

Here is the meeting information as a pdf file:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3506721/convention-letter-pdf-february-1-2012-2-52-am-341k?dn=y


And here it is as a Word document:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3506718/convention-letter-doc-february-1-2012-2-46-am-74k?da=y


If you need more information, you can Email Karey

Motif 6 - Butterfly & Coincidence

In the spirit of my current 25 Motif Challenge, I told myself to pull one of those books off the shelf I had always been meaning to use someday, and just pick something to make. By sheer coincidence, I picked up Tatted Butterflies by Adelheid Dangela, and was astounded to find this butterfly, "Elise," with a block tatted wedge that reminds me a great deal of the edging in the previous post. (It's a simple geometric shape, which she could have easily come up with, without ever seeing the edging, I am sure.) I think it's a great pattern; I got to do both block tatting, and practice one of my weak points--tension in long chains. The colorful one is Lizbeth Autumn Spice plus a Manuela orange. The pale green is Opera, can't remember where I got it.

I had forgotten how many great patterns were in this little book, as well as variety of techniques. There are block tatting, onion rings, cluny, josephine rings, twisted picots, as well as simple ring and chain patterns.

This is one in a series of books from Akacia Press in Denmark, available in English translations. The patterns in these books have a brief description and a hand drawn diagram. Since you must deduce from the diagram when to reverse work, switch shuttles, etc, these may be difficult for new beginners, but not so for the more experienced tatter.

Another of these is one of my favorite books, Tatted Animals, by Inga Madsen. That one I have both the English translation, and the original signed by the author! And another is Tatted Easter Eggs by Kirsten Wind Hansen. I don't have that one yet, but I know it is full of great designs because Tatskool worked all the patterns as one of her personal challenges.

By the way... Where is Mary's Travelling Book? I have lost track, since I apparently didn't save the lase email I got.

My Neglected Challenge

I started this blog to participate in the 25 Motif Challenge, but I've really been neglecting my current challenge. Life has been a bit crazy this year.

My personal requirement this time around was to count only patterns from books, since I have so many books on the shelf I seldom use. I think I've made a few things and not blogged about them, so I'll have to stir through my stuff and see what I have. I know I've mailed some away without taking pictures :(

To get back on track, here is my new favorite bookmark, actually a piece of Edging No. 21 from Die Schiffchen-Spitzen by Eleonore Endrucks-Leichtenstern. Don't you love the block tatting? All the tricks I came up with for shaping block tatting for my critter patterns were just re-discoveries of techniques she used decades ago, and I have only just discovered her.

I have rewritten this pattern in the modern style to be shared soon in the Online Tatting Class.

So, since I can claim an edging posted last July as also part of the challenge, this brings me to number 5 of my challenge.