Temperature Tat Along

 This project had a two month rest.  I ran out of Gold thread.  It has been on back order since October!  Well, received an email last week that it was back in stock.  Placed my order immediately and received it yesterday.  Now to play catch-up.  Had a warm summer of 86 degrees and above.  It is nice to start using different colors now.

National Parks and Legendary Rivers (Columbia/Snake)

 This year's anniversary trip was American Cruise Lines National Parks and Legendary River Cruise.  We started in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  National Parks were:  The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier.  After a week on the road, it was onto the cruise ship for a leisurely cruise down the Snake and Columbia Rivers following Lewis and Clark.  I was amazed at how wide the rivers were.  Sometimes up to a mile wide.  

The motor coach had us on the move everyday.  The hotels/lodges were very nice and the food exceptional.  The cruise was on a small boat (180 people I believe).  Had a culinary demo from the Pastry Chef on New Orleans Pralines!

The motor coach had water bottle holders on the back of the seats.  They made a nice holder for my pattern and tatting accessories.  The cruise had a couple of cruise days, so while hubby took a nap, I pulled out my tatting.

I brought plenty of left over scrap threads for making butterflies and a shuttle wound with beads/thread for angels.  Both Adventure Guides and bus driver received angels.  They all did a great job with keeping us safe and entertained.  Butterflies were given to anyone who stopped by to ask what I was doing.

Mystery Tat-along

Georgia Seitz mystery doily has come back alive!  Tat-a-Renda has started a Facebook page titled Georgia’s Mystery Doily Tat-along.  Not to late to join if your interested.

Georgia had seen this doily in an antique store and was intrigued.  She published the doily online and invited tatters to solve the mystery of creating a pattern.  Vicki Reynolds and Patricia Dowden came up with a pattern.  They are similar but each has a slightly different count.  

I had made this doily years ago.  Seemed to me I really had to tat tight to make the chains fit between the clusters of rings.  This time, everything seems to be playing nice.  

Round 1 is complete.  Using Cebelia size 20 thread.  I don’t need another project; however, I am at a stopping point with my temperature tat-along.  I run out of a color and waiting for it to come back in stock.  So since I can not tat any further on it, the mystery doily will fill in the void.

This is my second start.  While doing Round 1, I noticed I had an extra picot in two separate areas.  I decided to start over and reverse the colors.  I think the green will pop the negative space more than the blue.

Mystery Doily Tat-Along

 Getting my passion for tatting back!  Besides getting back to the temperature tat-along, there is a new tat-along getting started on Facebook.  Tat-a-Renda has received permissions and is reviving Georgia’s Mystery Doily as a tat-along.  Search Facebook for Georgia’s Mystery Doily Tat-along to join for those who are interested and have not joined in Starting date TBD.

Tat Days 2024 - Part Two

 

Day 2 found me in Randy Houtz class for some more alternating thread samples (left side).  Did pick up his latest 2 books (Chain Around and Split/Rings).  Eager to make more samples and start a tatting notebook for samples.  Scraps of Knit-cro Sheen threadwas used.

Next was the Cell Phone fob holder from Kelli Slack.  There were options for the wristlet.  I choose the challenge.  Worked from front/back side.  Unfortunately, the picture does not do it justice.  Colors is the green with a light blue (not white).  Used HDT by me.   I can see more of these so I can change out to match my mood!  May even make a lanyard to hold it when I go walking.

Last class of the day was a SCMR Tree by Erin Holloway.  Lizbeth Metallic was used along with some pearl beads I found at a craft store.  SCMR and split rings make up the tree.  Easy pattern for last class.  If only the brain would read the pattern correctly.  Retro tatting was done several times.

The Squared Away was from Jane Eborall’s class from Day 1.  Finished it a couple days later.  

I do believe this is the first time I have pretty much completed all class projects.  For those who are interested, next year’s Tat Days is scheduled for September. 

Test Tatting Part Two

Richard Embrey was my second tatter to test tat.  He is known for his Helix tatting.  

The candy cane earring was nicely written.  Hard to see in photo.  Small but tatted quickly.   Size 20 Lizbeth.

The Helix brooch was interesting.  Started with the chains, then Helix.  Thrown off chains with rings which joined later is a nice technique for dimension.  Size 20 HDT by me and Lizbeth for this creation.

Now for the Helix Sea Anemone. This was quite the challenge to get started.  Had never done floating chains before.  Took some time and messages to wrap my brain around this technique.  Once my brain decided to cooperate, it went well.    As you can see, lots of floating chains.  I do tat tight so tentacles curled.  Size 20 Lizbeth for this one also.

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Tat Days 2024 - Part One

       It was nice to see familiar faces that have not been for a few years.  Tat Days was held at Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina.  Rooms were convenient to classes, classes were very close to vending and the food was good.  Only drawback was signage to find everything.  Took a good day to really get the layout figured out between room/classes/dining.          

       Thursday evening was Arlene Medder’s Solar Flare - top right. Made with HDT I had in my stash and beads.  The middle is tatted over a jump ring or pen ring, then continuous chains around and climbing to next rounds.

       First class on Friday was Nina Libin's Grape Earrings taught by Bonnie Swank - upper left. This is a Beanile Lace pattern using metallic embroidery thread, beads and single shuttle rings.  These tatted up quickly.  Actually worn that day!

      Next was Randy Houtz Double Stitches on Picot Rings - middle.  These were samples of a few of the techniques.  They were made using scraps of size 10 thread I had.  The technique uses flip/unflip alternating threads (last one is a split ring).  Another fun class.  

      The card was a Bev Corder fun item using negative space.  It was made with a cardstock cutout (or tatting piece) and acrylic ink mixture.  I can see more of these in my future.  

     All of the above projects were completed.  Stayed tuned for day 2.

Test Tatting Part One

Volunteered to test tat for this year’s Palmetto Tat Days.  

Martha Ess was the first one I was to test.    Nice patterns with no problem that I recall.  I enjoyed these.

The right has picots on top and bottom of ring/chain.  Challenging but nice technique.  The top has dimpled hearts with picots in middle.  Both were made with size 20 HDT by me.

The bee has over lapping/interconnecting rings.  Size 20 Lizbeth thread used here.

Helix Jellyfish

I was cleaning up my tatting area when I came across this fella.  This was a test tat of a Helix Jellyfish for Richard Embrey.  I believe it was for last year’s Palmetto Tat Days.  Size 10 Knit Cro-sheen thread in four different colors. 

Temp Tat-Along and Butterflies

 

Catching up on the temperature tat-along.  January at bottom.  Now working on June.  Got a bit behind due to a couple family members being hospitalized, watching grandkids, doctor appointments and a lack of wanting to do anything.  Now that things have again simmered down, I am feeling more energized to work on things again.  May has been warm being 80-85 degrees F.  June looks like it is following the same pattern.

In the meantime, I have been using scrap threads to make butterflies.  These will be donated to The Palmetto Tatters Guild at Tat Days in August.  

I have also done some color research.  I hope to be getting my dyes out and play with new color ways for next years Tat Days.  This will be a winter project as I have projects I need to finish first.

Much of Nothing

It has been a quiet month and a half tatting/craft wise.  Grandson tonsil surgery, hubby had a case of pancreatitis and doctor visits have kept us busy and the feeling of wanting to do much of nothing.  Was able to finish test tatting for Palmetto Tat Days which will be held in August.  I’ll post pictures after Tat Days.  

Did sign up for Palmetto Tat Days.  Look forward to seeing everyone old and new.

Now that life has settled down, I have started tatting/crafting again.  I am about 2 months behind on the temperature tat-along.  Hoping to get catch up quickly.  

Tat Tat for now.

Angels

 

When waiting for doctor and test results for a family member,  you bring your tat bag.  Yesterday was butterflies.  Today is Angels to hand to nurses.  Two already handed out. Tomorrow maybe more Angels to get ready for grandson’s tonsil surgery next month.

Pattern is called Marie Smith’s Angel.  This was from Palmetto Tatters Tat Days many years ago.  Thread is Lizbeth White and Blue Ice.  Seed beads separate the rings in the middle.

Tat Days 2023 - Projects

Finally getting around to finish these two projects from last year (only needed findings).  The dark beaded earrings is the Beanile technique.  They are a self closing mock ring.  Pattern by Nina Libin taught by Bonnie Swank.  The orange is called September Jewerly Set by Richard Embrey.  Very easy set to tat.

TTAL Jan-Feb

 

Temperature Tat A-Long is done for January-February.  February has been warmer than I can remember.  Think I will give a nice pressing before I begin March!

Temperature Tat-Along

 

This is very interesting.  So far, it has been a warmer than average Winter.  I changed direction about 3 weeks in.  Since this will be a wall hanging, I decided to make each month a column.  This will make 5 additional columns wider and about half the length.  I get the high temperature in the evening and start the next square.  Wake up in the morning and record the low for the previous day.  

Antiks Snowflake

Hot off the shuttles!  This snowflake is from the Endrucks 1920 Project Facebook page.  It was the November 2023 game of the month (look under the Albums tab).  It is the E42 adaptation by Meenakshi (Muskaan) Jain.  Well done adaptation and diagram.  Did mock picots to climb out until last round (brain and hands would not cooperate with the climb out).  Other notation was using up join and down join for the ANKARS motif.  Lizbeth size 20 in Blue Ice was used.

Here is the link for details: 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1235560633606162/permalink/1746065585888995/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Helix Tatting

 The Online Tatting Class held a class on Helix tatting last month.  This is a technique where multiple shuttles are used to make a coil/object.  Richard Embrey is  the inventor for this technique.  Homework for class was to design an item using the Helix technique.  I made a long coil and then carefully stitched together to make a coaster.  Eventually I will tat something to fill the middle. 

Project Poor

 Well, this is what I have going on right now!  I certainly do not lack projects.

Top is “Snow White” by Laura Bziukiewicz’s.  It is my at home fill-in tatting project.

2nd row:  Star Doily, author unknown, might be a Workbasket pattern.  Don’t know if I will have enough thread to finish.  It is HDT by me.  I had one skein left so it will be as big as I have thread.   Probably will start a new one once I have finished a few of my other projects.   The little blue is from the Enduck’s Project called “Antiks Snowflake” adaption by Muskaan.  It is another fill-in project.

Long vertical piece is the start of my Temperature Tat Along.  Group is on Facebook.  Not too late to join if anyone is interested.

Last is Starlight Doily from Paragon Tatting book.  This has been a WIP for several years.  Only work on it when traveling or when I needed to be at the hospital with mother.  

Now that life has somewhat settled down, I can now start to finish these WIP’s

Tat Days 2023 Couple of Projects

      Here are a couple of finished items from 2023 Tat Days.  The earrings still need findings.  They are Beanile tatting.  I love how these turned out.  Picture does not do it justice.  The bird is a bookmark.  This piece used several tatting techniques which made it interesting to tat.  

     I have several works in progress.  Hopefully will have pictures and make a post this weekend.  There are two doilies and the FB Temperature Tat-Along (that just started for 2024).