Garden cross and procrastination - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum septimum

I'm stalling.  School starts Wednesday and I need a review for 8th grade French.  I have a list but can't quite get myself going. So blogging it is!  : )

I made this cross for Ruth- the receptionist who passed away in the explosion.  It's school colors but somehow it doesn't look as nice as the pattern by Robin Perfetti shows.

Speaking of procrastination, I always seem to find a painting project right before school starts.  This poor bannister languished too long.  The intention was to replace with with an unpainted wooden one but after 23 years of hoping to get to it, I decided to paint it.

 Painting wood seems terrible but condition not worth refinishing.

 That's a lot of painter's tape.

 Looks pretty good, I think.  : )

That's not tatting - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum sextum

 What could they possibly be?  Unfortunately they take away from tatting time.  But done now.  Here's a hint.

Here are a few "Twinkle, Twinkle"s that I made on our TCT retreat.  This is one of Frivole's lovely (and free) patterns.

In case you're interested:  It's been a week since the explosion now.  I can't help but admire our president (of the school) who was in the blast and yet continues to lead us with grace, poise and determination.  High school will open right after Labor Day.  We don't know where yet but they are committed to having all the activities that we always do.  We at the other campus will start in less than two weeks and try to have school as normal.  This will be an interesting year.

DAISY- the penultimate round - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum quintum

Tatting and life still go on.  We will make it.  One day at a time.

DAISY is coming along, in fact we're almost done.  Turns out we can't enter into our Fair.  They don't take doilies.  We could turn in a table centerpiece but it must be at least 24" across.  And it has to be done by just one person.  I thought the mother-daughter piece is what made it so remarkable.  I guess we'll just enjoy it ourselves.  : )

Rest in peace, dear John - - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum quartum

http://www.kare11.com/news/minnehaha-academy-hosts-memorial-service-for-custodian-john-carlson/462394407

A sad, sad day - - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum tertium

I hesitate to write this but there are enough of you who know where I work so that I want to reassure you that I'm okay.

My school exploded today.

We have two campuses.  I work at the other one.

Thankfully school was not in session, no kids were hurt.  We did lose a colleague though- one of 17 years.  We didn't know each other well but enough to say hi and chat.  My younger daughter is supposed to start her senior year in three weeks in this building.  Another staff member is still missing, a much beloved custodian who bonded with the kids by knowing their names and giving them Dilly bars.  My daughter loved him.

I'm out of words.

More bracelets - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum secundum

Here are more of my Mary Konior bracelets.  I was able to do these at our retreat.

 Aren't these beads amazing?  They're from the stash that Lace Lovin' Diane brought.  Gorgeous!

TCT retreat - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum primum

Our retreat for Twin Cities Tatters was SO fun.  There were 8 of us and we spent most of 3 days tatting, laughing and tatting some more.  The retreat center was fantastic although the temptation is ot say that it wasn't (less competition for the place!)  We were at the Timberhaze Retreat Center in Center City, MN.  Cindy of Happy Bluebird fame and I organized it  (she did the lion's share of it including the shopping) and it went very smoothly.

Cindy made us these lovely bags and then we all decorated them.  Our motif of the year was Twinkle, Twinkle by Frivole.  

 Frivole most kindly gave us a shuttle for our retreat when I met her in England.  Tempting to just add to my collection...  Here's Heidi the happy, happy recipient.

 The craft room was beautiful and amazingly well-appointed.  Actually the whole place was so well done, down to the finest details.  Everything we might have wanted was there and available.

 And Diane brought a HUGE supply of things to share with us all.  So generous!

We did take a brief break to go to the Dancing Dragonfly winery.  So fun!

Maybe next year?

English Tatting - nuntium duocentesimum septuagesimum

Here are some of things I was able to tat while in England.  It's a version of a lovely little Mary Konior pattern.  Now I just need to write it down so I remember what I've done.

If they look familiar, you're right.  I made these a few years ago.  Last time though I sewed in the beads afterward (yuck!) but this time I used SCMR.  I think they look equally good but so much easier!

hanky and more - nuntium duocentesimum undeseptuagesimum

So many things to write about- maybe I have to parcel them out because so often I feel I have nothing to say.  : )
Our Twin Cities Tatters' Retreat was amazing but more about that later.

Here is the hanky I finished (just barely) before the wedding.  I was so, so delighted to see the bride with it at the wedding and after.

Here is a silhouette picture I made for a wedding present.  Years ago, a friend of my parents made one for me and I have loved it.  Too bad the "coral" marker that I used for the flowers isn't actually coral....

My daughter has finished round 8 of Renulek's Daisy.   Now it's my turn.  Yippee!

Travel tatting and a meeting- nuntium duocentesimum duodeseptuagesimum

I'm home from England/Italy now and it was a marvelous trip!  I had so, so much fun.  I tatted a lot, relaxed a lot, saw some amazing things, ate well and enjoyed visiting my friend.

And then, oh my, and then.  Joëlle contacted me to see if we could meet.  We had tried a few years ago when I was visiting the same friend but it didn't work.  This time because of our jaunt to Italy, we didn't have a lot of options that we could meet but Joëlle wrangled her entire family and made it work.  We were to meet the morning after we came back from Italy, imagine my chagrin when my flight was cancelled out of Naples!  Amazingly we were able to find another time, so I bravely took the train to meet her about halfway between.  You will think it's funny- I've traveled a LOT and take trains in Italy and France with no hesitation.  However in a country where the language is almost my own, I'm a wimp!  I made it to the right city and back though.

It was so exciting to see Joëlle's work in person- gorgeous, gorgeous stitches, gorgeous colors and gorgeous variety of pieces!  We had such fun and the hours were gone before I knew it.  We tatted, talked techniques, tatted more, talked about her amazing videos and other common interests.  I showed her a tatting issue I was unhappy with and she gave an instant and brilliant solution.  I wish we could convince her to join Twin Cities Tatters but I suppose that's too long a commute.

Speaking of Twin Cities Tatters, tomorrow is our RETREAT!  So exciting (the spoiling continues), Monday - Wednesday- just tatting, tatting, tatting.  I wonder if our hands will hurt?

I was surprised how many people commented that they don't tat when they travel, particularly in airplanes.  To me, airplanes are a necessary evil.  I don't enjoy them but they get me where I want to be so I make the best.  To me, that involves tatting.  Tatting doesn't have to be stowed during take off and landing, it doesn't make noise, one can do it in the interminable lines and what else to do when forced to sit/stand for hours during all the waiting?
I do have a special "airplane travel pouch".  As you can see, it has only useful things but if I had to surrender them, I could.  Boring shuttles but I can pop out the bobbins and keep my work.  Strong booklight (which- if I have remembered to put in new batteries- makes it easier to see), a dental floss "card" which has a cutter, a Sherry Pence 4-hook crochet pen (I would never through this away but would pretend it was simply a pen and slip into my purse), a hair clip for thread on ball, a few TCT cards in case anyone is interested and some of mine too.

The needle minder is from Happy Bluebird.  My usual one has tatting to decorate it but since this is the travel one, no.  So, all things I could give up if necessary but work well.  I do cut my ends and weave in but the final snipping has to wait until home.

Not as enthusiastic crocheting... - nuntium duocentesimum sexagesimum septimum

I can crochet. Really, I can.  Though I don't like it much and with size 80, I'm a disaster.  Fortunately the recipient isn't a crocheter (I hope).

Another side and some to go... ugh.

Then I can tat again!  And I saw a video from Tatman about how to do Maltese rings which I have never understood but now am dying to do.  Patterns anyone?

The lion continues his adventures...
We went to the Barber Institute for the induction of the loan of Monet's Water Lily Pond from the Chicago's Art Institute (Saw it there too.)  We went to the Barber last year too and I fell in love with it.

We made a beautiful headboard for our third friend who arrived today:

The lion was no help.

This was my first job with upholstery and we had to figure out the new sewing machine which wasn't complicated but the manual truly is.  Youtube to the rescue!

We had champagne on the terrace:

Oh my!

And this little treasure for dinner:

New to me- wow!

I am so completely spoiled!!!

Overenthusiastic tatting - nuntium duocentesimum sexagesimum sextum

I tatted on the airplane.  Tricky though as there's no real place to lay things out.  And certainly no iron.

Too much by one.  I shall have to cut and splice.  sigh.  And now the crocheting on.  Double sigh.

England is lovely and cool, back home they are roasting, poor things.  In sympathy, the Italians have arranged really hot weather for our visit next week.  : )

Here's a funny picture I sent my daughters today:

What's this all about, you ask?  I don't know how it started but this silly little plastic lion has been handed off between us for about a year.  He's been in the bathroom cupboard, slipped under doors, hidden in my tatting bag, tucked in among croissants and then the recipient must "pass him along".  Since my daughter tucked him in purse as I was leaving, I can't give him back so I've been tormenting them with pictures.

Edging - - nuntium duocentesimum sexagesimum quintum

Here's the edging so far:

I don't think the blue is quite that vibrant but maybe.  I don't know if I'll finish before Wednesday.

My daughter and I are making a Steampunk outfit for her to wear when she goes to art/craft fairs for her lovely steampunk wearable art.  She has a show on July 15 (I usually join her and my sister but I'll be in Italy there- poor me) which means we have to finish before Wednesday too.  We started Saturday, finally got everything cut out yesterday, there are over 25 pieces plus some are repeated for interfacing and lining.  Today we start sewing.  We're planning to stay at it until dark- the fabric is a deep brown and unfortunately at night, there just isn't enough light for me to do it.  Hopefully tomorrow we will have the outfit to show off.

DAISY round seven - - nuntium duocentesimum sexagesimum quartum

Somehow I was able to whip right through round seven of DAISY.

And the thread didn't break for me at all.  I did have one ring that was a bit tough to close but I undid the ring until I found the issue and then didn't tat that stitch as tightly.  No problem closing then.  My daughter has a pretty elaborate round again so it could be a while...

I'm working on the hanky, I'm hopeful that I will get it done before I leave.  I'll take a picture tomorrow (just to have something to post.)

My goal of completing one (or more) school item per day has been working.  We'll see if I can keep it up in England too.

DAISY round six - nuntium duocentesimum sexagesimum tertium

Here we are with round six of DAISY.  It is such a pleasure to tat.  I'm loving the colors but I'm not sure where we will put it.  Most of the wood in the house is dark which does not show off herbal garden well and the ecru is the problem for the other surfaces.  And poor daughter really had difficulty with the herbal garden breaking.  I'm still not sure about round three but I guess we're stuck.

My dear friend's son is getting married in mid-July and I found out there is no "something blue" yet so I'm going to make a hanky.  I saw somewhere  (maybe Frivole?) how to make a corner with a mirror so I tried it.  It just so happens that there was an overhead projector in the "to be thrown" pile when I was at school so I found a mirror there!

4 hours at school yesterday myself, 2 more from my daughter who joined me and my colleague also worked for 2.5.  Daughter packed all the books neatly in boxes and even sorted them to some degree. We got the room completely packed in boxes or moved (some things just don't fit in boxes!) so now the repairs can begin without me panicking.  I might even get new carpet!

Next week England and Italy and after that the TwinCities Tatters retreat!  I am a lucky girl!

DAISY round five

Here's round five- seems to be going well.

I've been trying to keep up with snowflakes.  (This is in case my sister is reading this- whenever she sees me, she insists that I keep going on them!  )

And in other news...

I spent the day at school yesterday planning out 7th grade advisory time for the year.  We do this every year.  Because we had some problems with leaking (big problems).   I went up to check on my room and  was pretty bummed about my classroom as there was a lot of water damage.  They cut the bottom portion of the sheetrock out 4 of the walls and will patch and then rerepaint.  The school had professionals come in and box stuff up so it could be moved (from cabinets).  Then someone else emptied my bookshelves into this empty and moved cabinet.  Somehow my column (which was in the cabinet for safety during the summer) got broken.  I'm so bummed, it will take me hours to sort everything again.  That's not counting getting another column and repainting it.  And no one called me to ask if I wanted to empty things out (I would have happily since I'm very organized and have things in certain places.

sigh.

DAISY round four - - nuntium duocentesimum sexagesimum primum

Here's round four of Renulek's DAISY.

She did a great job but we're starting to wonder if she tats more tightly than I do.  (Is that possible?)

Here are more graduation crosses.  Almost done with grad parties for this season....

And lastly, two efforts from the photography course.

Now it's my turn for round five- I confess it's considerably easier that hers was.  Shhhh.

DAISY- round three - - nuntium duocentesimum sexagesimum

I forgot to take a picture of round two.

She's working on round three.  I got the easy one!  It's fun talking about our color choices together.

We're also doing an online photography class together.  It's not free but we have learned so much- plus it's fun to do it with her.
Here's my effort from yesterday.  I'm pleased with how you can see the stitches and the shadows below.