Snowflake Rose #9

Hard as I try, I can't make it snow. Not outside anyway! I tatted this snowflake last night in about three hours! With all of them using the same middle, it makes tatting them much faster.

I wonder how many more I can tat before Christmas?

Snowflake Rose #1

I tatted this design from Denise Munoz in size 20 Flora, both the green and the pink. All three of the ones I have tatted from this book work up very smoothly and quickly, once you get the hang of the center medallion.

Tatting is such a job in my life and gives me a great purpose in an otherwise confined environment. I am very thankful for my internet tatting friends!

Scans of Snowflakes #3 and #4

Courtesy of Karl, here are the scans of the last two snowflakes until I get the next one finished! We have spent the morning cleaning out the attic! Ugh!!! Now, I have to finish cleaning up the mess we made in the house whilst cleaning out said attic, vacuum, mop, dust, clean bathrooms, and further get ready for our family Thanksgiving meal tomorrow evening. Anybody care to bet whether I take time to finish that snowflake?

While going thru boxes that DH handed down from the attic, I found some treasures. I've got to clean and sort and then take and post pictures! Keep watching.

Snowflake Rose #3

I'll have to ask Karl to scan this one in for me tomorrow. This picture in no way does it justice. Denise Munoz, wherever you are, thank you for these lovely designs.

T think this one is particularly lovely. You probably can't tell in the photo, but I somehow got two different threads tatted in this one. I don't know if it is two different lots of Flora white size 20 or one Flora and the other DMC. The center is a little less white from the picot row out to the points. I kind of like it. It seems to have more depth. Maybe a mix up for the good.

I might tat the next one in a rose color with green points. We'll see!

Dendrobium Orchid Rewards

After about five years of trying, this orchid I purchased last year has rewarded me with my first blooms for which I am responsible. (Except for a tiny jewel orchid that bloomed last year.) There are three blooms open and 9 more buds. Now, if I can get the one that is five years old to bloom, I will be extraordinarily happy!

The last picture has the best true color of the blooms. I made that picture without a flash.

This is not a break from tatting. I have already completed the center of another rose snowflake and should have it ready tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Even if you are not celebrating our American Thanksgiving, we all have so much for which to be thankful!

Snowflake Rose #4

This is from my new book "Snowflake Roses" by Denise Munoz copyright 2002. I just received it yesterday from Handy Hands and couldn't wait to start tatting. It was real easy and fast, obviously. There are nine snowflakes and they all use the same center. I hope to tat another one tomorrow.

I used Flora size 20 for this one. I already had it on the shuttle. I will probably make all of them in Flora so they will match.

Thanks for the lovely designs Denise.

Flutterflake (pattern by Emma Crew, 2001

I couldn't decide which background I liked better, so here are two from which to choose. The butterflies are DMC size 80 and the white is DMC size 20 Cebelia. It was a challenge to make everything fit together. I still think the space for the butterflies should have been a little bigger. I need to trim the antenna also. The butterflies are a snap to make, but I kept messing up on the snowflake part and having to cut out and redo. I finally finished it last night and blocked it.

Thanks to Emma for putting the pattern on geocities where I found it and to Karl for the scans.

New Snowflake

I thought I would have at least one new tatted snowflake to show off today, but I've hit some snags. (Mostly from watching tv or talking and not paying attention while trying to tat.) I hate to "untat". I've also started another cap for Isaac. Maybe I can make this one small enough. It is so small that I am doing the whole thing on double point needles and it is hurting my hands! I guess he is worth it!

I've also been doing a lot of work towards cleaning out some more "stuff" from this over crowded house. Between eBay and our local internet free ads, maybe we can move some of it out.

Candace is doing much better and offers her sincere thanks for all of the prayers you have been sending up on her behalf.

Blue Snowflake Jane Eborall's pattern

Thanks to Jane Eborall for Snowflake #1 pattern. I don't know what I would do without all of you designers.

I had so much fun tatting this snowflake. If they were all this easy, it would definitely be snowing in Alabama by now. This was my first tatting where I put 3 beads up and one down, or any other combination.

The thread is DMC Cebelia size 20. I am working on snowflake #2 now with a size 20 white and a silver matallic on the shuttle together and the same beads as these. We'll see if I finish it. I just don't do well with more than one thread, it seems. Oh, the beads are irridescent seed beads that I have had more than 25 or 30 years!

As with the others, Karl scanned this in for me. Thanks Karl.

Daisy Picot Snowflake #2 scanned

Jon's tatting snowflake again! I knew if I didn't make another right away, I would completely forget the technique. Believe it or not, I still had forgotten and had to sit in front of the computer to look at her instructions! And Jane thinks she is daft!

Both threads are DMC Cebelia size 20. Thanks again Jon.

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.