More Than Tatting

Back from "The Fringe Element Tat Days  2016" and had a marvelous time.  It was good to connect with friends and make new ones all while enjoying my passion for tatting.  

This knitted snowman was tucked into one of the prizes, I also came home with a lovely purple knitted shawl, custom made hand warmers, bead accessories and beads, napkin holder, quilt patterns, misc sewing, knit and crochet patterns.   There is much more than tatting at conferences and the artist that bring and share their work make the event so much richer.

Last year we were given a small blue round pill box and asked to do something with it and bring it back for next year's competition. Well my Easter Chick  fit on perfectly so off he went to be entered into the competition.  I really didn't think that anything would happen but I won the fan favorite.  Thank you all for your votes.

While in Cambridge, Ontario I added a few inches, to my tatting library of course and to the right is a sample of the new books.  I did receive a book that was already in my library so I offered it up to the committee for next year's prizes. 

One of the classes I took was a Celtic tatting class from Jennifer Williams who traveled all the way from the UK to teach us.  I made this small yellow motif. Sheila B was collecting tatting motif's for a quilt she is working on so she now has it.  I do like Celtic tatting and this technique was one I was not familiar with.  You do need to use a Celtic shuttle and I believe you will be seeing more of these from me.

Shown below are Clockwise  the conference centerpieces,  a spectacular Jan Stawasz doily made by Ginny Weathers, the cake that Ethel made and finally some Hand Dyed Thread. 

I would write more but you really should take in a conference if you can or just get together with others to tat, it is truly rewarding.

Finally a big thank you to the organizers, we could not have this event if it wasn't for your donation of time and talents. Others who make my trip most enjoyable was Ethel for baking a pretty and delicious cake. to Terry for chauffeur duties, thank you both.  And finally to my good friend Jane K.  I can't wait to see and tat with you again perhaps near a mountain......

DNA Spiral Earrings

I was frantically trying to finish these earrings to wear to a special event.  We've had company for the past four days and it has been difficult to get away to do some tatting. They are DNA Spiral Earrings by Diana Howe.

I met Diana  and her husband at the Shuttlebirds Tat Days in Spokane this spring and Diana was kind enough to share her pattern with me.

That bottom bead is actually light blue but shows up green in this photo.  If you see me wearing them, please do come over and say hello. 

Zigzag Lanyard

I was looking for a quick lanyard pattern with beads as I wanted to have something to keep my magnifying eyeglasses on.  I like the weight that beads give to the tatting.  Searched my stash and found 3 mm fuchsia colored pearls and matched with a vintage 30 ecru J&P Coats thread.  I made a few trial pieces and this is what I came up with.

I used two Aero shuttles with hooks on each for ease of bead attachment.  160 beads made a length of 24 inches, the amount will vary for the length you want. The zigzag effect is created by switching shuttles.  

Start and end with a ring for attachments.  In this case I attached a split ring and then inexpensive eyeglass holders.  Had I attached a lobsterclaw, I could easily switch out for a medallion, hook or name tag.

I have made two previous lanyards, the Patti Duff Lanyard and a Jane Eboral Lanyard.

Spinning Glass Mat

This is the glass mat by Mary Konior, it can be found in her book "Tatting with Visual Patterns".  It was tatted as I visited the Rocky Mountains with relatives from the UK.  I have used a vintage orange thread, Coats size 30.  With one shuttle and ball I used the SLT (shoe lace trick) to switch threads at the outer and inner of each arm.

As I neared the final arm I was not looking forward to those joins.  I am not very good doing the folded join so I looked up what Mary K would have done.  She calls it a Rosette join.  Basic movements are to fold the joining picot so that the back is toward you, then twist the picot up and back and join as normal from the front. It worked like charm.  It is a great pattern to travel with if you can count to four but sometimes even that gets messed up and I had to retro tat in a few spots.

Below are some of the photos I took with my phone while we were showing our UK guests the Rocky Mountains near my home in Western Canada.

Emerald Lake

top of Sulphur Mountain

Lake Louise

Takakkaw Falls

Canoes at Lake Louise

Canoes at Emerald Lake

Hello New South Wales

This pearl tatted gum leaf arrived in my mailbox today, all the way from Australia.  Hello New South Wales and many thanks to Bev P. who received my name in the recent exchange of the Fringe Element Tatters and tatted this lovely leaf. 

The leaf is done in a olive green size 80 (I think) and is 5.5 inches or 14 cm long not including the encapsulated tail.  Just the perfect size for a bookmark. Bev said she did not use a pattern but copied the techniques used by Mark Myers in his leaves.  

I've still to learn pearl tatting but no time now as I must get my homework done before travelling to Ontario Canada for the Fringe Tat Days  September 23 & 24, 2016.  

I also sent some tatting across the ocean and will post once I know it has safely arrived.