nuntium octagesimum primum (81st post)

Travel time!  We just came back from North Dakota.  My wonderful husband loves to drive which means I get to tat after the origami mice are done.  I have the students use origami mice to learn prepositions in 6th grade Latin which means I have to make them- I use car time to get them done.

I finally had enough time to make Frivole's Minuet.  I made it twice because I goofed up on the first one but I LOVED making the second.  Just harmonious and pleasing to do.

motif #3

I used Jess!' Calliope to make one of the Julie Patterson bookmarks, Petals from Just Marking Tome.  I missed a join and have picots where they aren't supposed to be.  My elder daughter loves it so it disappeared right after I took this picture.

motif #4

This one is called Magic Moment from Rachael Mohler made with a Messy Jess!y which looks just like cotton candy.

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Don't forget to notice the Quatrain progress bar too!


 Latin for today: quis me amat, amat et meum canem. = Love me, love my dog.

nuntium octagesimum (80th post) results

You would think that by my age I wouldn't need to seek affirmation of others.  For the most part that's true but I will confess to being quite glum on Saturday evening after the flea market.  Several factors conspired against us but the biggest one was rain.  We were supposed to set up between 7am-8am but around 6:30, it starting pouring, with lightning and thunder.  My daughter was sure we could set up anyway but we finally convinced her that hanging out on a wide, open area with metal poles and lightning wasn't the wisest course of action.

We did eventually go around 9:30 but most of the other "vendors" did not come.  Only a few tables means people driving by don't stop.  And then it was HOT.

But some people did come.  My daughter with her $2 earrings and adorable salesmanship charmed quite a few.  Even my other daughter who wasn't even there managed to sell some. (Good mommy!)  And of course my dear sister who is always so supportive and her husband drove from the other side of the city to buy a ring- very sweet.

But most people just glanced at the tatting or and some not even that.  Only one person said anything about the rings which I was sure were SO wonderful and interesting.  I'm not sure they understood it was tatting although I did have little signs out by them.  I also took several cross bookmarks and two Quatrain bookmarks simply because I had them in the house and sold one of the crosses (wow!).  Several people told me they'd tried tatting but gave up. They got Twin Cities Tatters' cards and I invited them to join us.  One young man (maybe 20) was very interested in learning- hopefully he'll give it a try.

In the meantime, I've finally scanned my Grandma's giant box of Workbasket magazines. There were about 30 years worth and now I have 108 new patterns- haha-as if I didn't have enough before.  If anyone has a Workbasket and would like the pattern instead of working with the book, just send me an email with month/year and I'll send it to you electronically. No point in both of us scanning it.

I'm still working with the roses and here's my latest (and I suspect last) creation.  It's interesting but not very practical.

I ordered some HDT from Jess! and she added a lovely bobbin of Ladybug which she created for me.  Interestingly red, white and black are our school colors so I think I'll try my easy bracelet again with that.  And I can't wait to try the other colors, they have some wonderful names and are gorgeous in real life.

Ladybug is on the bobbin

Off to tat now, summer is so wonderful!  Yay!


Latin for today:  rem acu tetigisti!  = You hit the nail on the head (or literally, you touched the thing with a needle)

nuntium undeoctagesimum (79th post) more roses

Tomorrow is the big day!  Our neighborhood flea market starts at 8:00.  It promises to be about 92 tomorrow so if you never hear from me again, it's because I've melted.  But I'm thrilled to be hanging out with my darling girl all day and to be showing tatting to whoever shows up.  My wonderful husband is going to be our "pit crew", taking care of everything for us.  Aren't we spoiled?
I came up with this and am thrilled with it.

motif #1 (the leaves)

I made quite a few of Jeanne's roses last year and tried this, thanks to seeing Julie R's lovely pins.  Thanks for the idea, Julie!

The model is my husband!

And even though this isn't my own idea (I saw them on Artlotus Handmade), I made up the very simple pattern myself.

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Not my husband!

This two-toned rose might be my favorite.

My hand- picture taken with my LEFT hand!

Okay, time for bed - it's an early start tomorrow!


Latin for today = citius elephantum sub ala celes = You'd more quickly hide an elephant under your arm (akin to "When pigs fly...").  This is not my own but I found it on this wonderful blog.  It's from Erasmus.

nuntium duodeoctagesimum (78th post) rings

Our neighborhood is having another "Staycation" (which now has a new name) and part of the deal is a flea market.  Last year we tried it and my younger daughter made and sold a ton of earrings.  Me- just one little "cardstock with a butterfly on it" bookmark.  We did meet a young college student who wanted to learn tatting (and she did- yay!)

Last year the table space was $20 but this year it's on a donation basis- wahoo!

So here's my new thing:

 

What do you think?  I'm sure you recognize Jeanne Lugert's roses and the green is just a little 5-ring 5-p-5  with 15 on the chains in a variety of picots or even none.  I saw this idea on a French blog I just found from Fleur.  I asked her for the pattern and was delighted when I found out it was Jeanne's (especially since I had to write to her in France to find out that the pattern comes from someone in just the next state over!)  Take a moment to look at Fleur's blog, she has some very interesting designs.

I like this color combo.

I especially like this one because of how the green "collar" turned out. 

 We also did mod podge on a ton of mint tins.

 

Fun, but a LOT more work than I though they would be.  These two are my favorites:

But can I sell any of it?  I don't know and I sure don't know what to ask for them.  Any suggestions?

In other very exciting news, we met last week for Twin Cities Tatters.  Both of my daughters joined us and the younger made her very first ring!

Then she put it down and decided she'd had enough.  They both say they like tatting but I suspect they learned to humor me.  Even if they don't do it for 20 years, the skill will be always be theirs and they will be able to pick it up again, I hope.

Darling Husband is having surgery today and I'd love to give Frivole's Minuet a whirl but I'm going to be good and get my school work done.  If I don't take anything there except the computer, I should be able to do it, right? 


 

Latin for today:  anulus meus non commodus est! = My ring doesn't fit!

nuntium septuagesimum septimum (77th post) Patriotic earrings

Happy 4th of July!  My sister asked me if I could make some red, white and blue earrings so I gave it a little try.  They're nothing special but the thread makes them kind of shine.  I was working on them while with my dear friend from England.  She thought they were Jubilee earrings!

motif #25 (start again!!!)

As you know, I am enchanted with Frivole's Flowering Quatrain Bookmark so I made it again with my new favorite (thanks to Diane) Oliver Twists.  I love the delicate variegation in these threads.

Two posts in two days!  Woowhee!

Latin for today: percalidissimum hodie est = It's really hot today!

nuntium septuagesimum sextum (76th post) Home again

I'm finally home!  I had a wonderful time both in Italy and in California but I am a homebody and being here with my family is a treat like none other.

I have had some access to the internet but not much time.  I couldn't wait to start Frivole's Flowering Quatrain but had to wait until I got home because the only thread I had in Italy was the Oliver Twists.  (I made a bunch of the same crosses I've been doing for graduation gifts.)

motif #23 Frivole's Flowering Quatrain bookmark in Lizbeth size 20

I did make the bookmark in the Oliver Twist but forgot to take a picture so that will have to wait.   As usual Frivole's pattern is a joy to tat so if you haven't tried it, I encourage you to.  Myself, I think it's time to finish that Quatrain dresser scarf now!

So would you like to see some pictures from my travels?  I have many wonderful pictures but they are mainly of the students so I won't share those with you.  We averaged 8 miles a day with me dragging those poor kids around.

This is from our re-created Ancient Roman dinner.  The foods are from Apicius' recipes which are barely recipes in that they have the ingredients but not quantities nor preparation methods.  An archeologist and a master chef worked together to develop modern recipes and here is the appetizer course.  Yum!

This is my absolute favorite thing from the Romans.  It's a frescoed dining room from the Empress Livia (Augustus' wife).  It was moved to my favorite museum to save it from the flooding of the Tiber.  It's on all four sides and absolutely peaceful and wonderful.  The colors are mostly true but there is NO way to capture the room and the feeling.

I love the details: the birds and the stone wall with its lattice work.

Here's something new for me this trip - caffè di nonno.  Grandpa's coffee.  Oh my.  Yummy frothy coffee, almost gelato but not the same.  (With it being 97 today, I could really have used one here!)

In the Roman forum, the House of the Vestals was open for the first time since I've been going to Rome since 1987.  It's been "restored" with the garden redone.  It might be a little difficult to understand but...

After 2 days of being home, I got on a plane to join two friends in Santa Monica, CA and go to the Getty Villa.  Here is a picture of one of the garden rooms which would give you a sense of the place and maybe of what the Vestals' atrium would have looked like.

The Getty Villa is a Latin teacher's dream come true.  It is based on a Roman Villa in Herculaneum with a staggering collection of antiquities.  The weather was glorious and we felt like at times we had the place to ourselves!

This was in the herb garden.  It's almost impossible to take a bad picture here.

Look at the workmanship on this piece of jewelry.  2,000 years old.  I'm not sure what it is (unmarked) but maybe a head piece.

And this is a collection box from a temple.  They would slide coins in the top.  The door on the bottom would open with the key which you see placed in front.  

I had this outdoor room to myself for almost 20 minutes!  Imagine the sound of the fountain and the glorious setting and weather.

Last but not least, we had lunch at a Greek restaurant in the Grove. Unusually, we had wine with lunch. Then I noticed the restroom sign and got seriously worried about how much I'd had to drink because the restroom people seemed to be dancing!  I took a picture and was quite relieved when I got home to see they are still dancing and it wasn't me!

Well, enough of the travelogue.  Back to tatting next time.