More starlight - nuntium duocentesimum octavum

This year during Spring break I did some tatting- yay and I've been listening to Peter and the Starcatchers, Shadow Thieves, Secret of Rundoon and Sword of Mercy (mostly while cooking).  Any wonder I chose the "Starlight" doily?  haha.

I forgot to take a picture after round 2- how excited am I?

And on a completely unrelated note, tomorrow I will be giving the 7th graders a presentation on "Integrity - Let your "yes" mean "yes".  This falls to me because our teacher who has done this for many years needed to go on medical leave.  I don't mind doing this but here's my dilemma.  He has done this for many years and it's quite good.  I would like to use some of examples but as my own rather than "Mr. So and So used to...".  Saying them in the first person give them more oomph but is presenting someone else's stories as mine for the purposes of example less than ethical?

How about if I 'fess up at the end?

Ah, the things I ponder at 4:00am.  A time when I could be sleeping!

And now, for something different! nuntium duocentesimum septimum

I don't fear or dislike doilies, in fact I love them but for some reason, it's been a long time since I've done one.  I always want to jump in on the Renulek events but I'm usually in crisis mode at school or I get stuck about colors- silly, I know.

Well, I've jumped in.  Many will recognize the Starlight Doily.  I'm not very sure about these colors.

And I had to iron this puppy into serious submission.

Elder daughter went back to college with doilies on the brain too!  Not this one though- too many picots said she.

I'm inclined to agree.

P.S.  I gave the three roses in a bottle to my sister-in-law who was just baptized this weekend.  She asked if I'd tatted it to which I said "yes, with a big magnifying glass to help."  She responded, quick as a wink, "I'll have to look at it with a big magnifying glass too!"

Giggle nuntium duocentesimum sextum

College daughter came home this week after being back at school for three.  Look what she made while there!

There was another but she gave it to a friend for her birthday.  Diane, that's three and half in three weeks!!!

Here's the motif from DMC Tats:

It's not better, it's just me... or the pattern.

And just in case you were wondering, yes, of course a snowflake!

This is a remarkably easy pattern that I saw somewhere and have now forgotten where.

Next, something different!

Lilies of the valley - - nuntium duocentesimum quintum

I thought I would try another flower in the bottle but for this I needed long and skinny.  Lilies of the Valley.

Early on a dark day in Minnesota

with a flash- too bright

Technologically enhanced.  Can you see the yellow beads?

 And then I was tired of fiddly stuff and thought I'd try another motif # from DMC Tats.  This is motif #22 and it didn't work.  I made #6  a couple of years ago and it was wonderful but #6 wasn't. It's too crowded and just-ugh.  I haven't blocked it but I dislike things that must be blocked into submission.

Blue River Glades again

Must be time for more snowflakes...

Next iteration - nuntium duocentesimum quartum

Here's the next version of the rose in a bottle.

With a flash, shows the red better

They're done with size 80, I can barely see the stitches!

Le Flocon Frivole- nuntium duocentesimum tertium

So it snowed this morning- really.  I don't know why that should be a surprise.  It is March after all.  It used to be our snowiest month.  It's all melted now but after the gorgeous few days we had last weekend, it was a bit hard to bear.  (Not really a crushing problem though.)

I continue to make snowflakes and even though I've had this pattern for SIX years, (do you believe that, Joëlle?) I think I only made one or two.  I have NO idea why.  It's gorgeous and tats up very nicely.

I (re)present Le Flocon Frivole.

My daughter took this photo, she's so much more creative than I.

Twin Cities Tatters got together this morning.  It's so, so nice to have other tatters, to share. to think to look at patterns, to puzzle together.  I just love it.  Plus, I learn about new things too.  Such a wonderful thing, thanks Cindy and Katie- what fun today!

Itty bitty - - nuntium duocentesimum tertium

I saw these on Pinterest and just had to try one!  I wish Google translate were better but considering where we were 10 years ago, I shouldn't complain.

Threads- Oliver Twists

Yes, that's my pinkie finger.

Now what to do with it?  

More generosity- nuntium duocentesimum secundum

Even more things have rolled in for the new tatters and let me tell you, they were speechless!  Their grins were completely contagious and we all sat around admiring the goodies and marveling about these most generous encouragers.

Gorgeous ice cream from Eliz 

Fabulous Oren Bayan threads, angels and butterflies from Margaret

And just in case you think I've been slacking, here are last week's snowflakes!

Four of Frivole's Bentley

Hopefully that's the only kind of snow we'll see on the patio for the next several months!

Generosity- nuntium duocentesimum primum

Not too long ago, I asked other tatters if they would like to send encouragement to my new tatters in the form of motifs and WOW!  I shouldn't be surprised, really I shouldn't have been but this is amazing.

Tomorrow in Tatting Club, these girls will get motifs from Lace-Lovin' Diane, Frivole, Karen from Oregon, Heidi from down the street (that was a fun surprise too!) and Fox.  There are even more on the way but those are the ones I have in my bag for them.

Oooooh, this is going to be SO fun!  Thank you all!!!

More snow- nuntium duocentesimum

I'm very pleased with myself because I usually plan to make snowflakes all year but don't.  This year I've been better, in fact making and making them.  So periodically I try something new.  I had to chuckle about this one though because Etsy sent me an email suggesting things I might like and I did.  It's Robin Perfetti's Winter Frost.  I chuckle because I already owned it, just hadn't made one.

Not blocked well, is it?

It's quite pleasing to make but my daughter doesn't like it.  She couldn't really give a reason.  (Or didn't want to hurt my feelings?)

Sadly, one of my colleagues had to take a medical leave so I made him this one.  Just my "go-to" cross as usual but I like it.

And thank you to the tatters who have sent or are sending little bits for my new tatters.  Next week we'll meet on Monday and I'm so excited to give them these bits of tatting from you!  (Plus the bonus for me is that I "met" Heidi, a tatter who works just down the street from where I live!  Now she's stuck with me as a new tatting buddy, poor thing!)

"The dog ate it"- nuntium undeduocesimum

Seriously.   This dog doesn't eat, gnaw, chew, scratch or anything except once in a very blue moon, she gets a hold of something metal (!)- a nail one time even.  So we don't worry.  Never a slipper or a rug or anything else.

Except last night.  We were watching a movie (Dominick and Eugene) and generally having a good time.

"Look at our silly dog."

"What's she doing?"

"Just rolling around on her back."

"Oh."

Minutes later...

"She sure is weird."

"Yep, quiet please, we're watching."

"Is she eating something?"

"No, shhhh."

"I'm sure she's eating something.  What's that on the floor?  A string?"

"It's nothing."

"I'm sure I can see something.  Stop the movie, I want to look."

I'd say it survived pretty well.  Frivole's Flowering Quatrain done in teeny tiny "Oliver Twists"-#49 Burgundy.  : )

a secret! nuntium duodeduocesimum septimum

Well, I'm completely staggered by the generosity of tatters all over the world!  These girls don't know what they're in for at all!  They will be getting tatting from Indiana, Toronto, Oregon, two different places in England, Arkansas and Singapore!  You guys are amazing!!!

Ahem.

There has been some tatting around here, not much with grades due this week but some including Muskaan's spiral snowflake.  I like it and the movement within the design.

And Diane, I think you'll like this.  My daughter saw my Spinning Wheel and decided to make one of her own!

Now, onto something else.  I've got a itch to make Frivole's  Flowering Quatrain or if I can get Carolyn to take a picture of this one, (behind the lovely beaded birdie), I'd give that a go.

And thank you again, although knowing this tatting is coming and not telling the girls today was so HARD!  : )

How I teach someone else to tat - nuntium duodeduocesimum septimum

Kathy asked how I teach others to tat and I realized maybe some others would like to know too. So, here's what I do.  It certainly isn't the only way and maybe not the best but it works for me.

This is NOT how I learned which was doing a ring and it was hard!   It's a miracle I kept going.
I learned about the two-color chain via the internet when I first discovered tatting on the web, and thought it was inspired and very rarely does it fail.  Once they see how it works, the transfer of which thread is looped around which,  I will "be" the left hand so that the student does the work of the right while I do the left.  We do that for about 15 times and then we switch and I do the right.  It always surprises them at how hard I pull (which isn't really hard) and then they get the "flip" feeling.  After about 15 more times, then I let them do be both hands.  Once they're comfortable with that, then we start doing the second half of the stitch and making "pi" symbols.

Here are some pictures of Monday's "tatting club".

Miriam is left-handed- boy did that give me pause!

Alexis was the first to really get it.

Annika is a super-tatter and rapidly used up all the thread on her shuttle and the bobbin!

Ali's grandma heard we were tatting and asked if she could come to learn too!

Ali crochets too and quickly was ready for rings and joins

So, I just had a goofy idea.  How would you, the greater tatting community, like to encourage these girls?  Would you be willing to send them a little motif- there are currently five with potentially 3 more who might join us if they hear about this.  If you're interested, maybe you want to make a motif or maybe you have some little things lying around, contact me and I'll send you the names and my address.
This could be fun!