Looking for the Bunny

I usually don't think to make seasonal things until much too close to the actual holiday, but I'm actually thinking Easter already.  It's already Lent so there are only about 40 days left to get things made before Easter.

My first (only?) Easter-themed tatting this year is a bunny face.  I did this while riding in the car without a pattern but I'm pretty sure I've seen this, or a close variation, somewhere.  I have Dianna Steven's book 'Animal Bookmarks, a Tatted Zoo' which has a rabbit in it, so that may be it; I'll have to check.  I already checked Jane's patterns and didn't see it there. This one is made in Victorian Red #670 Lizbeth thread, size 20 and you can see it's not very big.  I've already thought of a different way to make this - my original plan for the bunny was an edging for the hem of some pants for my grand-daughter. Some adjustments will need to be made to resemble the idea in my head.

I wasn't sure I liked this bunny, but I like the picture of him ☺.

Secret Information

Would you like to know a secret?

Well, I'll tell you one I know:

The Easter's Bunny's coming,

My mama told me so.

He'll bring a basket filled with eggs

And leave it in my yard,

And I will find it Easter morn,

If I look very hard.

I shouldn't tell my secret,

But I think it should be shared.

You ought to know that Bunny's coming,

So you can be prepared!

Gifts

To me!

These wonderful items are from Tabatha that I received for our Advent exchange.  That container in the back has seven different colored seed beads.  Each bead color is in it's own compartment so each can be opened without releasing loosing opening all the others - great!  The ball of thread is Lizbeth "Springtime" #115 in size 20.  I haven't used it yet but it's such a 'spring-y' color I'm thinking of using it for something for Easter.  The cute book is a journal, an encouragement to keep jotting down my patterns.  And the pens aren't regular pens but crochet hook pens.  And they are soo pretty!  I've been keeping one in my purse so I always have one handy. 

All of these items are in such pretty colors they make me think "Spring!"  We've had such a mild winter here that it almost seems like spring already.  We actually had a thunderstorm yesterday with high wind and hail.  Very spring like, indeed.  Of course, it could come up and snow any day - it's still only February.  But tatting with "Springtime" thread, using those pretty beads and crochet pens, and jotting down ideas in the journal (did you see the tea pot?) will make it feel like springtime anytime. 

I didn't have any tea this morning for Tatting Tea Tuesday, I had coffee instead.  I was just too lazy to try and choose which tea to drink this morning :-)  I've also been too busy this week to tat, so there's no tatting to show.  I have a list of things I want/plan to tat, just not the time.  I'm hoping that this week is a little better on the tatting front.  

May you have a bit of tatting time this week, too. 

"Youth is not a time of life: it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it it a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life."

Samuel Ullman

Remembering Gina

This week, on Monday, February 13, 2012, Gina Brummet, aka The Tatting Goddess, died.  It was a great shock to those of us in the tatting world.  She had just recently shared on her blog in January that she had been going through treatment for lung cancer but was now in remission.  To hear that she had passed away was heartbreaking. 

Reading her blog was always enjoyable, whether is be about tatting, stitching, crochet or any of the many things she was interested in.  She was very generous about sharing her knowledge on any of the subjects she spoke about, doing it in an easy to read and interesting manner.  Her work on old tatting patterns, sharing her trials with them, was motivating to me, to not let them intimidate because of the way they were written.  

I know that many people read her blog if for no other reason that my blog got a lot of traffic from hers. It is obvious how many people she touched through the Internet.  I was never given the chance to meet her in person, one of the those wishes that will now never be fulfilled. 

A few years ago I made one of her patterns for an exchange on InTatters (from this post).  It's the only pattern of Gina's that I've made so far, though there are others that are on my to-do list. Gina's 'Southwest Butterfly' is beautiful, done in any color. 

'Southwest Butterfly' by Regina A. Brummet

pattern found at http://threadsofatattinggoddess.blogspot.com/

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of her friends and family in this time of loss. She will be greatly missed.

"Don't ever let yourself get so busy that you miss those little but important extras in life - the beauty of a day.. the smile of a friend.. the serenity of a quiet moment alone.  For it is often life's smallest pleasures and gentlest joys that make the biggest and most lasting difference."

A Heart, a Goat and a Fob

Happy Valentine's Day!  

I've known it's been coming, I've seen all the hearts that others have been tatting and I only made one.

This is the bottom of the bookmark that eventually evolved into Heart's Honor.  It's not exactly like I'd like it yet, but this is all that I got done before today. It's made with Lizbeth size 20 threads in red and white.  

I haven't done much tatting the last week or so, though I did finish Jane's TIAS.  Isn't it a wonderful goat? This is perfect for tatting for little boys!  I have several ideas on what to do with him.  

Here is some tatting I did before Christmas.  While on our vacation to Colorado this last summer I stopped in a shop called Bev's Stitchery and found this cute scissors.  I saw this and thought of Tabatha and our Christmas exchange.  Once I got it home I thought "what's a girl doing all dressed up without a purse?"   After a couple of tries I got the fob right (I cut a couple of picots and joined in the wrong places...). It holds a year 2000 US dime - a girl has to have her mad money, doesn't she? I think it came out very well. 

I've just heard the sad news that Gina, The Tatting Goddess, has died.  She will be remembered with great fondness by those of us she touched through her blogs even though we never met in person.

"Reach out for the joy and the sorrow.  Put them away in your mind. The memories are times that you borrow, to spend when you get to tomorrow."

TIAS day 11

Here is my TIAS day 11.  This has been a lot of fun making a really cute goat.  There is only one more day left to finish off the goat, then we'll have to wait until next year for another one. Another TIAS, not another goat.  I think this goat will be really cute to make for the grandsons. I already have several ideas in mind. It's been a lot of fun seeing everybody's goats, where they are from, the really cute ways some of them have been displayed, and all the different comments people have made while doing this.  If you haven't been over to check it out, it's well worth your time even if you aren't tatting it. 

I've been doing a little bit of tatting lately, other than the TIAS.  Some has come out like I planned, some not so much.  I made a four point motif that I thought looked pretty cool, and then thought that putting it together with others would look even better.  The motif is not all that hard, and joining them shouldn't have been hard, either, but it didn't always come out that way.  And then it would help if I made them all the same way.  I had this all together and was pinning it out when I noticed that one - just one - had different stitch counts than the others.  If it had been in the center it wouldn't have looked quite so odd.  But, no, it's on one of the corners.  It's a bit obscured by the shuttles (purposely!).  I felt pretty stupid that I hadn't noticed it sooner. Can't cut it off and try again because I'm pretty sure it's not the last one joined.  But I thought is still looked pretty good so I'm sharing it anyway. 

You might also have noticed that I missed posting on Tuesday.  I had time to do day 11 on the TIAS and that was all that I had time for.  I didn't even have time for tea!  I'm hoping to do a little better next week. 

"Contemplation often makes life miserable.  We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live." 

Chamfort