Tatting Tales ~ All things Tatting (It's an obsession)

update

2013-05-17T08:47:00.001-06:00

My non-paying bidder did finally come through. They had personal circumstances which delayed payment and communication, so all is well that ends well!

The Shuttlebirds Tatting Scholarship

2013-05-16T11:23:00.000-06:00

Well, it seems that the winning bidder of the "Empress" headdress I listed on ebay has turned out to be a non-paying bidder. I'm not sure what I will do from here. I just wanted to help out the tatting scholarship. I'm sure I will find another way. I don't want to do another ebay auction since they are so expensive. I thought about maybe doing a silent auction or donating it to Shuttlebirds and letting them auction it off next year. I don't know, it's all a bit discouraging. Any suggestions? On a lighter note, I saw something really cool on Facebook today.
They were advertising MY book. I feel pretty lucky that I even saw the ad because after the page refreshed it was gone. I am blown away. I've never bought an ad or anything like that. Pretty cool!

"Empress" with color changing beads..

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

My latest creation.

"Helen of Troy" 1920's style headdress Original Design

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-06:00

This is my fifth 1920's style headdress. It is called "Helen of Troy". It will be awhile before kits are available for this design. This one is very art deco.

Shuttlebirds Tatting Scholarship

2013-05-11T21:07:00.001-06:00

Here's your last chance to get a bid in on an AWESOME tatted headdress. ALL proceeds are going to the tatting scholarship.

Persephone Headdress

2013-05-07T09:47:00.001-06:00

Here is "Persephone", the fourth 1920's style headdress I have designed. This one is very dramatic with the changing fire stone in the middle. I will have kits available very soon in my Etsy shop.

Nefertiti Headdress

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-06:00

This is "Nefertiti", the third 1920's style headdress I have designed. This also makes a great fancy headband, (which is how I have been wearing it lately). I get compliments on it every time I go out. The kit is available here.

Shuttlebirds tatting scholarship fund raiser. Get "EMPRESS" on ebay!

2013-05-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

I am selling this very headdress on ebay and donating all proceeds to the Shuttlebirds Tatting Scholarship fund. Please help me out by spreading the word! The listing can be found here. I RARELY sell my actual tatting, so here is your chance to get a very special heirloom piece. It is starting at only $14.99

Bulrush

2013-05-02T00:00:00.000-06:00

Here is another example of how a pattern can be tatted continuously using branching encapsulation. This entire motif; bulrushes, grass stalks, grass picots, and the chain pond were all continuously tatted. I've left the ends to show you where I finished off using only two continuously wound shuttles. That means I only need to hide those two ends for this entire motif. By the way, if you've never heard of "Branching Encapsulation", I have written a book on it, and that can be found here.

Owls

2013-05-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

This is my first motif from Tatting Collage. Of course I tatted it differently from the original pattern as you can see from the first photo. The original pattern requires tatting several separate motifs and then adding them together. With branching encapsulation, the branch portion was tatted in one continuous tat. So really, just the owls are from the book. But since the whole thing is inspired by, and looks very similar to, Lindsay Roger's pattern, I give her full credit. It is tatted in size 100 thread and fits wonderfully into this paper weight. Tomorrow, I will be discussing more on how to use branching encapsulation to improve upon patterns.

More on the daisy picot 3D flower

2013-04-30T00:00:00.000-06:00

This has become such a fun project. I get these bobby pins with the little round plates at Joanne's. I've also been adding a little jewel in the middle to finish them off. Just in case anyone missed the last post, this is tatted with two shuttles wound continuous thread method, it is a daisy picot ring, after closing the ring, I used a mock picot to climb out and start the next round. This leaves only two ends to hide. I've been joining the actual daisy picots to one another to create lift for a more exaggerated 3D effect.

Mondo Monday Giveaway ~ 3D Flower Barrette Pattern

2013-04-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

3D Flower Barrette Pattern.
This is one of the classes that I taught at Shuttlebirds this year and now I offer the pattern to you!
This is a fun little pattern which tats up quickly. It is a great way to use those shuttles that only have a few yards of thread left on them. They make excellent gifts, especially for those little girls in your life. You can add beads to the pattern for the sparkle effect, or you can get crazy with some picots. You can even add an extra round for a fuller 3D effect.
Hope you enjoy it!

Now here is a new way I am playing around with the pattern using the daisy picot method. You can see the progression in these samples. The pattern above is tatted in two rounds, which is wonderful for using two different color threads. I wanted to see if you could tat a 3D flower in just one go and YES you can! If you join each daisy picot on the ring to one another then use a mock picot to climb out you can continue on with the second round. It's actually pretty awesome! I'm still fine tuning it!

***There is no need to enter for this giveaway. Just click on the link for your free pattern. (o:***

Dale's 2011 Snowflake

2013-04-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

I taught three classes at Shuttlebirds and took one. I was able to get into one of Dale's snowflake classes, and this is the result! I've taken a class from Dale before. I really like his classes, he leans toward the technical and I like a challenge. In fact I really like Dale as a person too, he is a superb and knowledgeable tatter and I always learn a lot when I am around him! If you ever get a chance to take a class from him I highly recommend it!

Shuttlebirds 2013 SWAG

2013-04-26T00:00:00.000-06:00

Here are a few things I picked up this year at Shuttlebirds. Three new editions to the library; A Handsome Tatted Hat, by L.L. Peterson, put together by Mary McCarthy, Thirteen Bell Patterns, put together by Terry McGuffin, (I bought some bell ornaments too), and finally Tatting Collage by Lyndsay Rogers. Tatting Collage is a delightful little book and I hope to be tatting from it very soon.

You might recognize these little doohickies. I have been looking for them everywhere and have never found them anywhere. They were given away as party favors so I finally got my hands on a few. These will also be showing up in my near future tatting.

Check this out, I WON something in a raffle.
Folks, if it requires luck, I NEVER win anything and I mean NEVER....but I guess I can't say that anymore. I've been trying to win this shuttle winder for a couple of years now, so you can imagine how excited I was to hear my name called! Whoo hoo! There will be more Shuttlebirds updates coming soon.

Piccadilly modeling "Empress"

2013-04-25T07:56:00.000-06:00

Here is my beautiful bald daughter (don't ask), modeling "Empress" one of my newest tatted projects. Empress is a complete headdress kit designed for tatters, available now in my Etsy shop.

Introducing "Athena" Headdress Headlace.

2013-04-24T00:00:00.000-06:00

"Athena" is the second of five 1920's style headdresses I have designed. This one is also available in a full kit which includes the pattern booklet, thread, tatting tools and jewelry components. The only thing you need to add is your shuttles/needles and tatting skills.

New one of a kind handpainted ceramic shuttles added to the shop

2013-04-23T09:19:00.001-06:00

Located Here.

Shuttlebirds 2013 and my BIG project

2013-04-22T15:24:00.000-06:00

Shuttlebirds was a great success this year. I taught three classes, two of which were sold out. The students were fantastic as usual. We all had fun and learned a lot. I always learn something new every year!
This year something very special happened. My sister and 10 yr old nephew joined the fun! My nephew took the beginner tatters course and is a natural! Not only did he do well but he had a great time. I loved how all the tatters were so gracious and welcoming to him! I hope he continues his tatting journey!
If you have never been to a tatting convention I highly recommend it! I've said it before but it is worth repeating; Shuttlebirds is the highlight of my year!

Well friends, I am super excited to finally share what I have been up to the past several weeks/months. I have been designing 1920's style headdresses. "Empress" is just one out of five styles that I've created and is the very first one I am debuting! The others will follow shortly. I have made these into full kits which include absolutely everything except your shuttle/needle. They come in a few different colors. I am working on more kits. I can't begin to tell you how much work and expense I have into this project so I hope they go over well. They had a lovely reception at Shuttlebirds, so I have high hopes!
"EMPRESS" can be found here!

Blessings in the midst of sorrow...

2013-03-30T10:07:00.000-06:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for the outpouring of love. Thank you for not making me regret the way I chose to process this loss. I have never felt so much comfort and love in the midst of such grief and sorrow. Thank you fellow women, my dear sisters, for sharing your stories. I especially thank those who shared how physically painful miscarriages can be as well as emotional. Thank you for your courage. I have a newly found respect for womankind; it is truly unbelievable what we go through sometimes.
Thank you to every man who stepped up to offer comfort, your chivalry will not be forgotten.
I am a different person today, I am more mature, I have been tried and tested but I am not broken.
Your words are tangible comfort, when I feel like I can't breathe, I can go through and re-read every good wish, every good solace, and it is a balm for my soul.
I don't know how long the tears will flow, or when the pain will subside, but as my husband keeps reminding me, we will take it one day at a time. Thank you!

Sad news

2013-03-29T09:09:00.000-06:00

This is about the time we were going to share our good news. It was going to go something like this: I would post of picture of Piccadilly wearing a T-shirt saying, "I am going to be a big sister." Then I would've said, "Yes everyone, I am pregnant and healthy! So please share in the joy of our unexpected miracle coming in October." I also would have added, "This pregnancy is going great, I've only thrown up a few times and I feel more energetic and hopeful than ever." I'd have talked about how we were re-arranging our lives and our finances to plan for this new future and how we even test drove a new vehicle. Big changes were on the horizon and I loved looking into the future and seeing my children as young adults with the possibility of having several grandchildren, and how happy and love-filled all the holidays were going to be from now until forever. I wondered how Miss P's life would be different with a sibling. We just knew in our heart of hearts she would make the best big sister ever. We often asked her, "How would you like to have a baby brother?", and she would always reply with gusto, "I want a baby sister!". We had been sitting on the news for almost three months and then right in the middle of my sleep study this week, I started to miscarry.

I don't know how to deal with loss. I don't know how to grieve. I have never seen what a healthy grieving process looks like. Growing up, the models in my life would deal with loss and disappointment in destructive ways....and therefore so have I. Others have kept their grief private...so how do I learn from that? Is that what I should do? I mean, that is, after all, why we didn't announce the pregnancy right away, because we didn't want the humiliation of public loss in the event that exactly this would happen.
So why am I writing about it now?
As much emotional and physical pain that I have and am currently enduring, I have decided to try a different approach to this incredibly painful loss which includes writing about it, because this is my process.

As soon as I could leave my sleep study, I went straight to my doctors praying the whole time that I was just being overly concerned and that everything would be fine.
But no.
After finding no heartbeat on the ultra sound at the doctor's office I just sat there with that ever increasing throat choking sensation, my body's reaction to the news was instantaneous but I wouldn't let myself cry. I just sat there stony faced while my options were being laid out. I struggled to hear what the doctor was saying while the hopes and dreams I had cultivated over the last three months died with my increasing awareness that this was really happening. As soon as I left the building and felt safe, the flood gates opened and I cried all the way home and then the rest of the day.

I'm not good at crying, especially in front of others and here I was crying uncontrollably in front of my daughter and husband. My sweet Miss P, who has never once in her life seen me cry, came over and climbed in my lap, she looked at me and put her hand on my face and said, "water". I said, "Yes, Mommy is sad, mommy is crying." She whimpered a little and then did the most extraordinary thing, she lifted my shirt and kissed my belly. How did she know to do this? She is only two! I decided right then and there that I would try my best to model a healthy way to grieve. So we've decided that it's OK to cry and it's OK to accept comfort from others (both of which I am still learning how to do). And it's OK to talk about it. I wish others in my life would talk about their losses and how they dealt with them. I could learn something. What a wonderful blessing my husband and daughter are to me. This is their loss too. It's sad days for my family right now, but I have made a conscience decision to firmly hold on to the hope that this little baby brought to our family. Thank you little one for restoring health to me, if only for a short time. Thank you for showing us a different future. What a precious gift you were while you were here. We love you and miss you!
10 weeks, 6 days

Choker

2013-03-18T11:31:00.003-06:00

So I did tweak the pattern and this is the final result. I am properly satisfied with this one, so now I can move on to the next pattern, which is even more exciting! It will be a bit before this pattern is written and diagrammed, but rest assured, I will let everyone know when it is.

Bracelet

2013-03-16T10:46:00.000-06:00

I think I need to tweak the pattern just a bit more. It makes a lovely bracelet and I think it would make a great choker too!

Shiny!

2013-03-15T21:57:00.002-06:00

I've been working with beads....shiny beads and shiny thread! I can't seem to get enough. I have some really fun things to debut at Shuttlebirds, so if you are coming, you are in for a real treat. Everyone else will be "in the know" shortly thereafter! I'm so excited I can barely sleep!

In the midst of design

2013-03-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Refreshing myself on the classes I will be teaching at Shuttlebirds has really got my creative juices flowing again. I have been having all kinds of ideas and cannot seem to tat fast enough. Anyhow, just thought I'd take a quick break and catch up on blogging.

I forgot to share this little gem that was gifted to me by my friend Jane E. It is a brooch and I have worn it quite a few times since my UK visit. Pretty spectacular nes pas?

I've been tatting 3D flowers for one of my classes and decided to throw in some beads and this is the result. I can't seem to pull myself away from anything shiny so once I share what I have been working on you may want to get out your sunglasses.

I have to share a praise! I feel my health slowly returning to me. I have been sleeping a lot less and even found a reserve of energy to do some Spring cleaning. This is a super big deal and I do not take it for granted. I still have my sleep study coming up in a couple of weeks but now I am starting to wonder if I am going to need it!

Tatting again

2013-02-26T15:16:00.001-07:00

With Shuttlebirds coming up I am re-familiarizing myself with some of my patterns...even doing some tweaking here and there. It feels good to be tatting in earnest again. Granted it is pretty challenging with an active two year old who loves to put herself in the center of everything and I mean EVERY thing! As you can see, we are really into shiny objects right now...I feel like a magpie!