Mama's Crochet

Remember when I made Jon's rose doily and I said it reminded me of my grandmother's crochet? Well, I finally found a piece of it to show you and compare. It is very old and I was afraid to wash and press it, so just take it as you see it.

I put it next to Jon's doily and I am very pleased with the comparison. Both of my grandmothers tatted, but it was the normal tatting for their time - edgings and inserts. I know my dad's mom made one tatted doily, but I can't find it. I wish they could both see how much tatting has changed and how many wonderful colors and textures of thread there are now. What fun they would have!

Take 5 Snowflake

This snowflake was designed by Emma Crew in Mark 2001 for the first snowflake round robin. It is one of the snowflakes that Jon tatted. She so inspired me with all of those lovely pieces that I had to see if I can make it snow in Alabama!

It is tatted with DMC Cebelia size 20 with seed beads that are purple/blue. My friend Kark scanned it in for me with Madeline helping him with backgrounds. I chose these two views to post.

Thanks to Emma Crew for designing and sharing the pattern, to Jon for inspiring me, and to Karl and Madeline for the scans!

Blue Knitted Hat

I knitted this hat for Isaac. However, it somehow turned out to be almost big enough for me. I think I will list it on Etsy and see if it will sell. This is the first thing I have ever done using double point needles and I enjoyed it very much. I am going to start over with a smaller size pattern. I don't know what happened as I knit quite tightly, but we'll see. The next one is going to be red with little, black trains going around it. (I hope.) I'm just going to draw simple ones on graph paper and see if it will work.

I think I will take time out for another tatted snowflake first!

Daisy Picot Snowflake scanned

Wow! My friend Karl, of Karl and Madeline's Reminiscence and Recreation, scanned this and emailed it to me. I can't believe the difference! All of this time I thought my tatting didn't look as good as everyone else's, and I was wrong. Well, a lot look better, but not all! LOL

I think Santa needs to bring me a scanner!

My first daisy picots!

I am probably more pleased with this snowflake than anything I have done in quite a while. I finally made myself learn to do a daisy picot, thanks to Jon's tatting. This is her pattern and I followed her very good instructions from her blog to learn daisy picots. She has pictures of her hands as she is doing them. I never could have done it without her! She says Riet taught her. Thanks to both of you! It is by no means perfect, but I think pretty darn good for a start.

The purple is DMC Cebelia size 20 and the green is Flora size 20. I wish I could give you a color number on the green. It is the softest, most subtle variegated thread with which I have ever tatted. I think the combination is so nice. I might have to redo my bedroom from green, white and pink to green, white and purple!

I wish I had a scanner so the pictures would be better. I used two backgrounds trying to get the best contrast.

Autumn Leaf #7

This is probably the last leaf I will tat for now. I need to get back to my snowflakes and I want to tat Jane's pig and frog. I tatted this leaf with DMC size 80. It is the cutest little thing!

Two more leaves

The leaves are falling much faster now! The orange, green and yellow one is in #10 crochet cotton. I'm not particularly happy with it.
The other one is DMC Pearle Cotton size 5. I had forgotten I had this thread! It is part of my big bargain I purchased when our Hancock Fabrics went out of business. I think it made a beautiful leaf.

Thanks again Sherry Pence for the pattern.

Our Isaac is 20 months old today!

I can't believe how much he has grown, right before my very eyes! I think the "Isaac and cat" pictures are about over. I had a heck of a time getting these. I made 51 to get about 8 good ones! He was just too busy. I think the one where he is biting the cat is a message that he's had enough!

He is so tall, Krista is having to by 3T clothes!

Autumn Leaf #2 with center added

I went back to leaf #2 and added a center. I like it! That double strand thread left such a big hole in the middle that I felt it needed to be filled.

Thanks to Sherry for giving me "artistic license"!!!

Autumn Leaf #4

Here's the latest. Fun, fun, fun!

Autumn Leaf #3

With Sherry's permission, I added a middle to her leaf pattern. Using the small thread, the hole is fine, but on the big thread I have been using, it just needed some help. I'm still not finished refining. I should have had one ring at the top and two at the bottom, instead of the other way around. I guess that means another one tomorrow!

This one is size 10 crochet cotton by J.P. Coats. The green is SOOO old! I'm surprised it held together. (It did break once.)

Autumn Leaf #2

This is Sherry's Autumn Leaf #2 Sherry Pence I promised I would correct my mistake on the first one! This is the same thread that I used for
Jane Eborall giraffe pattern for Isaac. It is big, almost 4" square, but I really like it. Maybe I will make several and use them for a Fall mobile!

Thanks again Sherry!

Sherry Pence's Autumn Leaf Pattern

First, a disclaimer for Sherry's sake! I made a mistake at the top which made me run out of room at the bottom. I knew I had made one, but didn't find it until I pressed the leaf. I'm going to do more and promise to do better next time!

This is a very simple, easy to follow pattern. You can find it here:
Sherry Pence

The pattern calls for four colors. I used four - it's just that one of the greens is a very light variegated and didn't show up. For a lady who loves Fall, I am very short on Fall colors!

Thanks again Sherry!

I have been tagged by Lady Shuttle Maker to share seven facts about myself.

Here are the rules which you must abide by if you are tagged.
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 3 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

1. I have always been the nurse for the whole family. I cared for my maternal grandparents, my aunt, and my parents. Now I am having to learn to defer to my newly graduated R.N. daughter.
2. I am the daughter of a cabinet maker/master craftsman. I often say that I was born with a hammer in one hand and a screw driver in the other, much to my mother's dismay! I still have all of his tools, power tools and workshop. I don't use them as often as I once did due to my headaches.
3. I have never been a girly girl. I have no patience with the games women play and little interest in their conversation. I much prefer the company of men.
4. I am a bundle of contradiction. I love all needlework, cooking and babies, in spite of not being a girly girl. I HATE SHOPPING!
5. I had polio as a child and have always had some mild physical limitations that have grown worse with age. Still, I was never in an iron lung, had no retardation, (I don't think), and feel blessed to still be here.
6. I have been almost dead four times and had one "out of body experience" with the first near death. This has given me a great appreciation for life and a sense of urgency in most things.
7. I hate cleaning and laundry. I love my family with a vengence. I adore my grandson. I collect strays.

I am tagging:

Jane Eborall
Jon
Snowy

I hope this works as I am new to inserting html into a post.

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Let's see if this works, Diane.
Lace Lovin Librarian

Flower Bouquet Heart from "Tat's Amore'"

Here is my rendition of Martha's Flower Bouquet Heart tatted in Flora size 20 and DMC Cebelia size 20. It isn't exactly like Martha's, of course, but I am proud of it. I learned three new techniques on this one! I will confess to pulling out and redoing the blue flower as my picots were too big and thus the flower was too big. I also had trouble sizing and attaching the stems. I made my first ever SCMR! Yippee! I never thought I would do it. I had always stayed away from patterns that used them, and now I wonder why.

I think when I get through making hearts from this book, they may all go in a frame for my Victorian bedroom.

Freeform Heart #2 from "Tat's Amore'"

I just had to tat this one again. Both the white and blue are Flora size 20. While Flora is just about my favorite thread, the #20 white was difficult with this pattern. There are so many chains that need uniform stitches. I found myself struggling and pulling out some trying to make it look nice. I also put one extra petal on the bottom flower, but I won't tell if you don't! By the time I saw it, I was disinclined to fix it!

Off to choose my next victim!

Freeform Heart from "Tat's Amore'"

This is the first heart I have tatted from Tat's Amore' by Marth Ess. I love my new book and am very pleased with this heart. I can just see it on one of those Victorian Valentine Cards! Something tells me I may be tatting this pattern again. However, there are so many pretty ones in the book, I might not get around to it.

(My usual DMC Cebelia size 20)

Thank you, Martha, for designing so many beautiful hearts!

Tatted Jacket with snake & lobster

I finally got the lobster feelers repaired and attached him to the jacket. You can also see that I put the snake on the sleeve. I was taking the picture myself in the mirror. I'll try to get DH to take more tomorrow that might be better. I have really enjoyed this adventure and look forward to adding more animals in the future. I hope Isaac will like it tomorrow morning. It is supposed to be cool enough to wear it!

On another topic, has anyone else been "banned" from being included in google alerts? I used to show up every time I posted, but never now. I have looked on the forums and can't get any help. Someone suggested that at one time they might have banned me by mistake. How do I fix this? Help!

Blue Snowflake (that's cold!)

This is "Star #1" on page 39 of Gun and Elwy's book. I tatted it with Altin Balsak and it's a little too soft and will need to be starched. I really like it, but for me it was confusing. I don't know why. The pattern was straight-forward enough, I just had trouble keeping up with it for some reason. If I had access to a copy machine, I would copy each pattern as I tatted it where I could mark on it. That's what I used to do, but can't now.

So many of you are doing things that I want to do. There's just not enough hours in the day, especially tatting hours!

Sale in my Etsy Shop!

In anticipation of my first sale, I have lowered most of my prices in my shop. I have also lowered shipping on all but the piano bench cover as it is really heavy. I hope some of you will have another look! I will be putting in more tatting items soon.

Motif #5 from Needledream's Tat-Along Project

This is my first time to do the Tat-Along project. I really like this pattern. It's like a snowflake with a negative space snowflake in the center. It was fun and quick. I tatted with size 30 DMC Cebelia in pink and white. I wanted to do it red and white because the inner clovers look like hearts to me but I didn't have any the same size.

Animal Jacket 2

I put the snake on the sleeve of the jacket last night. It looks so cute! I'll wait and post pictures when I get the lobster sewed on. I've got to make more animals! I'm adicted to tatting animals!

Animal Jacket

I finally got all of the tatted animals sewn on my shirt/jacket. Whew! That invisible thread looks great, but what a bother!

I think I will put the lobster on one sleeve and the snake on the other sleeve. We'll see. I had to have a break!

Thanks very much to Jane Eborall for her patterns and help. Isaac loves his animals!
There is a link to Jane's page on this blog and then to her pattern pages. I'm not so good with remembering to copy the link before I start my post.

Isaac update! 19 months old!

It doesn't seem possible, but our baby is 19 months old. I have been trying to get pictures for the last five days. I decided I'd try early this morning, and it worked. He is getting so big and active, it is difficult to tie him down!

What a blessing he is to all of us.

Snowflake #1 for 2007

This snowflake is from the same book as the Pyramid Orchid motif. It is, in fact, on the same page. "Tatting Patterns And Designs" by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson is the book. I tatted it with DMC Pearle Cotton #12. Fooled you! Not my usual Cebelia. This thread is part of my purchase when Hancock Fabrics closed in my neighborhood. I decided I would give it a try and justify my spending. I'm not disappointed with the results and it wasn't hard to tat with. It's a little soft and I will have to starch the motif before using. The snowflake is 2 1/2" inches point to point.

Now, I have to decide whether to add to my Christmas decorations or tat a doily from a 1960 Workbasket. Decisons, decisions!

My Etsy Shop

I opened an Etsy shop today. It might be temporary, might not be. We are trying to downsize and I might as well make some money in the process! I have so many things that I have crocheted over the years. Almost without exception, they have been stored in tissue paper for the duration.

What started this venture was a needlepoint piano bench cover that my mother just had to have. I worked for ever so long and then she never did anything with it! As there are very few things DH likes hanging on the walls, I have no use for it. We are "sans piano." It is a lovely piece worked in the basketweave stitch. I hope you will go to the shop and look at it.

I will probably put a few tatting pieces in there as well. I am so addicted to my tatting that I can't stop and I'm running out of places to put the finished products.

I don't know if any of my woodcarvings will end up there or not. They are too dear and take so long.

A knitted piece might pop up occasionally. I have made several baby blankets and some tiny little hats that I might not need. As a matter of fact, that would be an excuse to buy more baby thread! I love to knit with that Baby Clouds thread and size 11 needles. Fast work and nice results.

Anyway, just wanted to tell you a little bit about what I did today. Have a look!

Old Tatted Ensemble

This dress, hat and purse are owned by The Mobile Tatter's Guild in Mobile, Alabama. They were found in an attic and purchased by the guild. Unfortunately, they are of unknown origin and date, but appear to be very old. Can you imagine all of the hours and hours of work that went into these three pieces? I don't think I could muster the courage to start a project as big as the hat or purse, let alone the dress. What a treasure for the guild.

They are being modeled by my friend, Elizabeth, who is a member of the guild. She was good enough to share this picture with me, and thus with all of you.

I have not seen them in person, but hope to one day. Mobile is about 4 hours South of my home in Birmingham, but we hope to move to the coast eventually. Maybe then I can become a member of the guild! They have their meetings on Sunday afternoons, which has, so far, made it impossible for me to attend. I can't drive that far by myself.

Elizabeth and J.B. are the two friends who participated in the friendship doily earlier in the year.

Thanks to Elizabeth and the guild for allowing me to share this photo and information.

Candace Marino, R.N.

She passed, she passed - my daughter passed her test! She just called to tell me she passed her state boards, which is no small feat! We are so proud of her and excited as she starts her new career and marriage. Good luck Candace. Thanks so much to all of you who have been praying for her.

Jon's Rosette Doily tatted by me!

I told all of you to expect something special! Jon was so good to share this tatting pattern with me. When she posted the picture of hers, I told her it reminded me of the crocheted doilies my grandmother used to make. I was so pleased when she sent me the pattern so I could tat it. I plan to make some pictures of my grandmother's doilies and post them so that you can see my inspiration. In the meantime, I just couldn't wait to share this with you. It is "hot" off of the ironing board!

I tatted it with Flora size 20. It is such a joy with which to tat and needs almost no blocking. No starching for this thread!

The shuttle is, of course, my first from LadyShuttlemaker and I love it! I didn't get to tat the whole doily with it because it only arrived last Friday and I already had all of the rosettes done. It did a great job on the green though. It is such fun to use and makes a lovely sound as you wind and unwind the thread. I will use and treasure it always!

Lady Shuttlemaker

I just received shuttle #77 from Lady Shuttlemaker in the mail! I can't wait to sit down with it and some thread and see what beautiful music, and tatting, we can make together! Keep watching!

The little card she sent with it has a precious yellow daisy on it and her information on the inside.

Thanks Sherry!

More wedding pictures!

I just uploaded more pictures to Flickr of the wedding and wanted to put these two here. They are from real mom's camera and much better than the ones I took. I wish the Mignonette tatting that is wrapped around the bouquet showed up!

Wedding pictures!

Well, at long last, the wedding has come and gone. Here are a few pictures I took with my camera. I hope others got more, and better, pictures. That's me in the navy blue with my daughter. Then, there are two of Candace and Michael and one of her and her attendants. The one on the far left is her new sister-in-law, Nina, the one in the middle is her friend from childhood to now, Emily who is expecting a little girl soon. The one on the far right is our oldest daughter, Krista. She is the mother of our precious Isaac.

We had a wonderful time, everyone was on their best behavior, little Isaac did his part of Daddy carrying him in very well, and the reception was nice. It was a great day, but a long one and I am glad to be home and off of my feet!

In the end, she used the Mignonette tatting hanky. I had taken it just in case and it was a good thing. She wanted to wrap her hanky around the stem of her flowers and the one with the blue just didn't look good. The other one was perfect! Now, I have two to wash and press and put away for her.

Congratulations to Candace and Michael!

Battatter's Heartline Edging

This is the sweet little edging that Battatter shared. It tats up real quick. (My DMC thread, of course.) I think it would be perfect for Valentine cards. Another thought, it would be sweet around votive cups for Valentines or to decorate a room with a heart theme. So many ideas. If only I could imagine my way into designing my own tatting!

Thanks again for sharing.

2nd tatting of Sharon's Chatelaine

I tatted this chatelaine in Altin Bazak instead of my usual DMC Cebelia. I also only tatted one accessory arm, as I am used to wearing this crochet hook around my neck whenever I tat. I don't know if I will ever use the red one or not. I don't like the weight of the scissors, even though it would be great to have everything attached together. I have a purple cord that I will attach to this one to use.
Can anyone tell that while everyone else is out enjoying their Labor Day holiday, I am cloistered in my home trying to hide from my migraines?

Thanks again Sharon for the lovely pattern and we are still praying for you and your family.

Needle lace sampler

I thought I had lost this piece of lace for good, but found it yesterday. I did this in 1999, right before I finally figured out the tatting thing. Once bitten by the tatting bug, no more needle lace! Still, I enjoyed doing this and was upset that it had gotten misplaced in the move. Now it is hanging up in my bedroom. I will need to change the background color to green, but it needs reframing anyway.

I will now have to find the book from which I got the pattern. It is a big book, I think from Reader's Digest, on all kinds of needlework. There is a tatting pattern in there I have been meaning to use too.

Isaac brushing his teeth and Daddy's leaves

I know the color on this picture is terrible, but I just had to show you Isaac brushing his teeth. If you go to Flickr, there are several of him and his granddaddy.

The other two pictures are of some of my dad's last woordcarvings. He loved to carve these little leaves and give them to the women at the nursing home. These are earrings, about 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" long. The pictures don't do them justice, of course. He painted every little vein, they just dont' show up.

This is the kind of thing I used to do before I became addicted to tatting! I wasn't as good as he was, but I enjoyed it!