Tipping On Tuesday

This morning I started Tatting Tea Tuesday with a glass of iced Refresh tea then headed into town for a few errands and a doctor appointment. I happened to arrive a little early so pulled out a shuttle, starting a butterfly to empty it. A lady sitting in the waiting room started asking some questions about what I was doing. I was very happy☺to talk to her about tatting. She asked what the end result was so I showed her my Heart's Honor bookmark that I had just finished. She was quite impressed with it. She also asked about how you knew how to make something, if there were patterns. So I showed her the pattern of the Flag Pin. That's where she saw the name of my blog, which really tickled her. Then her mother came out from her appointment and the daughter wanted me to show her what I was doing. For a few minutes there I had two very interested people to share tatting with. It was a very good morning.

This is what I worked on this week, at least when I could tat. I worked on this for over a week as there was so many other things to do. Including working on the pattern for it. The pattern is coming along pretty well, but every time I start on it I see something else I should probably do with it, to make it better. But it is much closer to being done.

If I can remember how to do it I'll be posting the pattern for the Flag Pin I shared on this post, so keep an eye on the patterns over on the right. This was designed in a hurry but I haven't had time to re-visit it to make it easier. But as Independence Day is approaching I thought I would share what I have in case someone else would like to make it for the holiday.

"All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin" Lord Byron

Tipping = tatting in public

TIme out for a party

I don't think I got any tatting done at all this week. We were go-hosts and planners for a 60th wedding anniversary, which took up a lot of time. My oldest daughter was such a huge help! She was great, putting together the flower arrangements and the slide show of 70+ years of the couples' lives, before and after they were together (there weren't many before years!) My sister-in-law planned the dinner and arranged for the cake. Then there were different family members that jumped in and helped where needed, from serving the cake and punch to changing the tables for the reception after the meal. It was a great day, full of lots of wonderful friends and family, and the most important part was the anniversary couple were happy about everything!

Then on Sunday, for Father's Day, we were invited to our daughter's house, where our son-in-law grilled dinner for us, our other daughter's family, his folks and his brother's family. It was hot but a lot of fun. And the food was delicious! We got to watch the grandsons play in the blowup pool and run around being boys. It was another great day.

By the time we got home Sunday night we were tired out! Then there was more running around on Monday. I gotta say, today I'm doing very little. The housework that got ignored for two weeks can just be ignored another day (or two).

Bookmarks made for my husband
With no tatting done I was commenting to my husband that I didn't have anything for pictures today. Being the sweetie that he is, he got together several bookmarks I've made him and took pictures for me. He didn't want me to stress or worry it, and likes to make me happy. I think he's a keeper, don't you?

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I'm drinking iced green tea again, but this time with a squirt of MIO Strawberry Watermelon. I was a little leery about trying this combination but it tastes pretty good! The actual tatting will come a little later, but there will be tatting!

"My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance."

Tatting Tea Tuesday on Flag Day

Are your flags flying today? It's Flag Day today here in the United States. My family observed Flag Day when I was young, and still do today. I've done so, some years with more awareness than others. And I'm sure I learned all about it in grade school but I had to look it up to refresh my memory. If you are interested in a short history of Flag Day you might try this site.

© Wanda Salmans

In the midst of all the things that are going on in my life right now I hadn't really noticed that it was going to be Flag Day today until yesterday. I thought it would be nice to have a little something to wear to celebrate the day. And I needed a little break from my Heart's Honor bookmark diagramming. I grabbed red, white and blue thread on my way out to work yesterday and started this little pin. I finished it this morning while I ignored a few other things I should have been doing. I'm going to wear it to work today. If my count is correct this will be #20 of my second 25 Motif Challenge. I've done a few more things that could have been counted but I keep forgetting to until I've already posted!

While at Hobby Lobby in Wichita this week I happened to notice a yarn shop I hadn't seen before called Odd Balls Yarn Shop. I hadn't noticed it before because it just opened in March (I don't get to Hobby Lobby as much as I'd like to). I had a whole list of things to do but I decided to take a few minutes and check it out - maybe it carried tatting thread. It's a nice, large shop with an area for open stitch (chatting area) and a lot of yarn for knitting and crocheting but I didn't see anything for tatting. But I did see some finished tatting that was for sale. I got to meet the tatter-in-house and we spoke a little of tatting and threads and such. She said that the buyer was currently at a (thread? fiber?) show and was planning on bringing home some shuttles and threads, brands as yet unknown. So this is definitely a shop to keep in mind if you are in Wichita and need a place to sit and stitch and would like to talk to other fiber artists. And maybe purchase some thread or shuttles :-)

The Heart's Honor pattern is currently being test tatted - or the top, heart part is. So far it has few issues, but I have gotten some great feedback from the test tatters. Thanks to all of you who are helping me out. I'm having some difficulties with the second part, mostly trying to get the perspective correct. I should have more time to get into it after this weekend so I'll get serious then.

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I had iced green tea with a squirt of MIO liquid Mango Peach. It was delicious! And I was tatting my flag pin while I sipped it - totally into the communi-tea today.

Pledge of Allegiance
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all"

Francis Bellamy

Test tatter needed

Anyone out there interested in test tatting Heart's Honor? If interested please email me at
wandasknottythoughts at gmail dot com

3/30 PM Thanks so much, everyone that has responded. I have enough volunteers now.

And the name is..

Thank you to all who offered name suggestions for my bookmark. I had some great suggestions. I heard from a few people that there was some trouble leaving a comment. Thank you, Shannon, for emailing your suggestion when you had trouble.

I pondered quite a bit over the name, wrote them out to see how they looked, then pondered some more. I showed the bookmark to my daughter, who immediately thought of an award like a purple heart even though it wasn't purple. Her idea kept percolating in my mind and the name I've finally decided on is "Heart's Honor". So I guess she's the winner.

©Wanda Salmans 2011

I'm still working on the pattern for it, getting all the stitch counts and joins correct. I'm getting to do all kinds of things with the diagram that was talked about in the Design-Tat class. I know there are some things that could be done better but I'm leaving the drawing the way it is this time. After you get so far, going back and correcting can sometimes mean going back to, or almost to, the beginning. (I promise I'll do better on the next pattern!) Between the written out pattern and the diagram I think it will be pretty clear. I don't know that it will be ready to post next week but I'm hoping it will be ready by the following week.

A few months ago I introduced Ryan, a Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon. Since then we've been trying to find the perfect home for her, and she's been very picky. She couldn't make up her mind about colors or design or anything. But finally, finally, she found something she likes, and would now like to show off her new home. Her landlord is very happy with her as well (I hope they get along). She was also working on her flame, trying for just the right color. We both thought this copper looked perfect.

I had no tea today and I miss that. I was in such a hurry to get out and do some errands I didn't take the time to make even one cup of tea for Tatting Tea Tuesday. And I didn't even realize it until I got to work and it dawned on me it was Tuesday. So today I'll take time to tat during breaks and dream of tea - okay, probably not dream of tea, but I plan on drinking tea tomorrow.

"Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves" Carol Lynn Pearson