30 years! - nuntium trecentesimum duodetricesimum

Many years ago, my mom gave me a bag full of satin Christmas ornaments and said, "You should tat around these and give them to me for Christmas."  I'm still laughing.

I couldn't figure out how I could do that without tatting them ONTO the ornament and then closing around them.  Then a few years ago I started seeing them with bare thread for sewing pieces together and that seemed so clever.  I made a few from patterns, i.e. Renulek (which, by the way, was gorgous) but for these little guys I just couldn't find what I wanted or the patterns were too big or some other "not quite right".

Last night I decided to look at my pinned items on Pinterest and then did a bit of modifying to come up with this.  It's not terrifically different but it works for what I wanted.  Not too involved, not too much bare thread and I just might finally get rid of these blue satin balls.  (Mom's tree is very specific and gorgeous but no blue anywhere now.)

Cute enough.  I might even put one on my tree.

Modern miracle - nuntium trecesimum vicesimum quartum

Doesn’t look like much, does it? But to me, it’s huge. Six weeks ago I was walking, fell down and broke three bones in my hand. I won’t show you any pictures because it was absolutely awful but thanks to the miracles of modern science, I can tat again. Five weeks to the day and almost the hour I was able to wrap thread around my hand,  hold my shuttle and tat.
I’ve been absolutely dedicated to the physical therapy and when I did all the exercises (most days),  it was over five hours of PT a day. I’m not complaining, I can use my hand and I can even tat!  My stitches are not perfect or even but I figure that it will be sort of like a visual record of my progress.   I can’t believe how lucky I feel to be able to do this again.

First! - - nuntium trecesimum vicesimum secundum

I've meant to do one of these forever!  I tatted this in January but didn't put it together until this past weekend.  Ridiculous, I think it took me all of 10 minutes!  But I love how it looks.

This gorgeous pattern is from Renulek.  I got it in her Etsy shop here.

Doily from last summer - nuntium ducentesimum undenonagesimum

My elder daughter tats and last summer we decided to make a Renulek doily together, she doing one round then I the other.  This one is called DAISY, here's the pattern.  We used ecru and herbal garden, size 20 and found out that one of us tats much more tightly than the other.  Guess which is which?

We completed it this spring but I never posted about it so here it is!

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.  : )

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!

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.

A new adventure DAISY - nuntium duocentesimum undesexagesimum

My elder daughter who has been tatting for several years now proposed that we have tatting dates this summer and somehow that morphed into...

We are going to tat Renulek's DAISY together!  We're going to take turns on the rounds, doesn't that sound fun?

Four hands, four Frivole shuttles, two balls of thread (better get more) and one doily.

Here's round 1- anyone want to join us in the adventure?

We met up with another tatter (my colleague from school whom I taught to tat 4-5 years ago) on Friday.  Since we're both kind of hopeless with color ideas, we stole her color scheme for the doily she's been making  :)  Gracious as ever, she just smiled and encouraged us on.

I want to do a second doily so we both have something to do while the other is working but I'm sure we'll find something to do... ICE DROPS!

I still don't know what to do with these.  

Adventure awaits....

Results - nuntium duocentesimum undequadrigesimum

As my English friend would say, I'm pretty chuffed!

I got first place and a sweepstakes and another award from a local business for best overall tatted piece.

This is very exciting and so fun because of all the people who saw it and sent me pictures of it with themselves.  And a student I had 15 years ago even spotted it and contacted me!

What complete fun!  Thank you for all the encouragement since May!  And Renulek, thank you for the most gorgeous pattern!

Now to solve the problem of how to get into doorways again, my head is quite swollen!

I'm a Minnesotan now. - nuntium duocentesimum duodequadrigesimum

I've lived in MN for 30 years now but have always considered myself a North Dakotan.  Proud to be too.

But I think on Monday, I really became a Minnesotan.  I entered the State Fair.

I covered foam board with blue satin-y fabric and then sewed it on.

Hopefully I'll find out on Thursday- the first day of the fair.  The 2nd day of school so I might be busy.

Thank you, Renulek, for an absolutely gorgeous pattern.  It was very fun and exciting to be a part of a world wide group doing this.

And now, back to school.

Caught up!!! - - nuntium duocentesimum tricesimum quintum

I'm caught up!  I'm caught up!  I can't believe it- and I didn't run out of thread but it's close.  WIOSNA round 16 is done!

 Since I had more time, I made Joëlle's Le flocon Frivole too (which I love).

Yesterday was significantly cooler in Birmingham.  My friend assures me that London is simply warmer anyway but even so, it was wonderful.  I even put on slippers last night.  Sometimes being "cool" is simply delicious, but for me only if it's natural, not air-conditioned.  I love my air-conditioning at home, don't get me wrong but I don't find it as pleasurable as a cool evening after a warm(ish) day.

My hostess is determined that I shall enjoy all Birmingham has to offer so yesterday we went to The Barber Institute of Fine Arts which has an amazing collection of art and -I think- my new favorite Van Gogh, called A Peasant Woman Digging.  She is such a real person and yet so lovely, the colors are truly wonderful.

A poppy in the Winterbourne Gardens

Then we walked to Winterbourne House, had lunch in the terrace café and leisurely wandered the gardens for the rest of the afternoon.  We didn't go in the house, that's for next trip possibly.

And even the food at "home" is wonderful.  Here is last night's dinner which was a lovely salad of snap peas (cleverly called Mangetout here), peas, radicchio, feta, pine nuts and prosciutto.  It was a delight!

And we started the day with a traditional full English breakfast.  I am so very spoiled.

Caught up!!! - - nuntium duocentesimum tricesimum quintum

I'm caught up!  I'm caught up!  I can't believe it- and I didn't run out of thread but it's close.  WIOSNA round 16 is done!

 Since I had more time, I made Joëlle's Le flocon Frivole too (which I love).

Yesterday was significantly cooler in Birmingham.  My friend assures me that London is simply warmer anyway but even so, it was wonderful.  I even put on slippers last night.  Sometimes being "cool" is simply delicious, but for me only if it's natural, not air-conditioned.  I love my air-conditioning at home, don't get me wrong but I don't find it as pleasurable as a cool evening after a warm(ish) day.

My hostess is determined that I shall enjoy all Birmingham has to offer so yesterday we went to The Barber Institute of Fine Arts which has an amazing collection of art and -I think- my new favorite Van Gogh, called A Peasant Woman Digging.  She is such a real person and yet so lovely, the colors are truly wonderful.

A poppy in the Winterbourne Gardens

Then we walked to Winterbourne House, had lunch in the terrace café and leisurely wandered the gardens for the rest of the afternoon.  We didn't go in the house, that's for next trip possibly.

And even the food at "home" is wonderful.  Here is last night's dinner which was a lovely salad of snap peas (cleverly called Mangetout here), peas, radicchio, feta, pine nuts and prosciutto.  It was a delight!

And we started the day with a traditional full English breakfast.  I am so very spoiled.

Caught up!!! - - nuntium duocentesimum tricesimum quintum

I'm caught up!  I'm caught up!  I can't believe it- and I didn't run out of thread but it's close.  WIOSNA round 16 is done!

 Since I had more time, I made Joëlle's Le flocon Frivole too (which I love).

Yesterday was significantly cooler in Birmingham.  My friend assures me that London is simply warmer anyway but even so, it was wonderful.  I even put on slippers last night.  Sometimes being "cool" is simply delicious, but for me only if it's natural, not air-conditioned.  I love my air-conditioning at home, don't get me wrong but I don't find it as pleasurable as a cool evening after a warm(ish) day.

My hostess is determined that I shall enjoy all Birmingham has to offer so yesterday we went to The Barber Institute of Fine Arts which has an amazing collection of art and -I think- my new favorite Van Gogh, called A Peasant Woman Digging.  She is such a real person and yet so lovely, the colors are truly wonderful.

A poppy in the Winterbourne Gardens

Then we walked to Winterbourne House, had lunch in the terrace café and leisurely wandered the gardens for the rest of the afternoon.  We didn't go in the house, that's for next trip possibly.

And even the food at "home" is wonderful.  Here is last night's dinner which was a lovely salad of snap peas (cleverly called Mangetout here), peas, radicchio, feta, pine nuts and prosciutto.  It was a delight!

And we started the day with a traditional full English breakfast.  I am so very spoiled.

Caught up!!! - - nuntium duocentesimum tricesimum quintum

I'm caught up!  I'm caught up!  I can't believe it- and I didn't run out of thread but it's close.  WIOSNA round 16 is done!

 Since I had more time, I made Joëlle's Le flocon Frivole too (which I love).

Yesterday was significantly cooler in Birmingham.  My friend assures me that London is simply warmer anyway but even so, it was wonderful.  I even put on slippers last night.  Sometimes being "cool" is simply delicious, but for me only if it's natural, not air-conditioned.  I love my air-conditioning at home, don't get me wrong but I don't find it as pleasurable as a cool evening after a warm(ish) day.

My hostess is determined that I shall enjoy all Birmingham has to offer so yesterday we went to The Barber Institute of Fine Arts which has an amazing collection of art and -I think- my new favorite Van Gogh, called A Peasant Woman Digging.  She is such a real person and yet so lovely, the colors are truly wonderful.

A poppy in the Winterbourne Gardens

Then we walked to Winterbourne House, had lunch in the terrace café and leisurely wandered the gardens for the rest of the afternoon.  We didn't go in the house, that's for next trip possibly.

And even the food at "home" is wonderful.  Here is last night's dinner which was a lovely salad of snap peas (cleverly called Mangetout here), peas, radicchio, feta, pine nuts and prosciutto.  It was a delight!

And we started the day with a traditional full English breakfast.  I am so very spoiled.

Caught up!!! - - nuntium duocentesimum tricesimum quintum

I'm caught up!  I'm caught up!  I can't believe it- and I didn't run out of thread but it's close.  WIOSNA round 16 is done!

 Since I had more time, I made Joëlle's Le flocon Frivole too (which I love).

Yesterday was significantly cooler in Birmingham.  My friend assures me that London is simply warmer anyway but even so, it was wonderful.  I even put on slippers last night.  Sometimes being "cool" is simply delicious, but for me only if it's natural, not air-conditioned.  I love my air-conditioning at home, don't get me wrong but I don't find it as pleasurable as a cool evening after a warm(ish) day.

My hostess is determined that I shall enjoy all Birmingham has to offer so yesterday we went to The Barber Institute of Fine Arts which has an amazing collection of art and -I think- my new favorite Van Gogh, called A Peasant Woman Digging.  She is such a real person and yet so lovely, the colors are truly wonderful.

A poppy in the Winterbourne Gardens

Then we walked to Winterbourne House, had lunch in the terrace café and leisurely wandered the gardens for the rest of the afternoon.  We didn't go in the house, that's for next trip possibly.

And even the food at "home" is wonderful.  Here is last night's dinner which was a lovely salad of snap peas (cleverly called Mangetout here), peas, radicchio, feta, pine nuts and prosciutto.  It was a delight!

And we started the day with a traditional full English breakfast.  I am so very spoiled.

nuntium duocentesimum vicesimum tertium

Been tatting a lot of crosses.  I re-found this little Elizabeth Zipay cross again (thanks, Happy Bluebird)!

One of my former students just had a little baby girl this past week so I whipped up this little heart (Vicki Clarke's, I love this one!)

And I was able to finish round eight before Renulek released the latest.

It's a little wavy but not troubling.

Today we met as our little tatting club after school for the last time.  It was fun and I'm sad that we won't meet again for a few months.  Maybe this summer.