Of airplanes, ornaments, and snowmen

Several years ago I gave the white airplane on the right to a friend of mine for Christmas. He had it hung on his office wall at work and I noticed a few months ago that it was looking a bit wilted and yellow. It had  been stiffened a bit but not enough it seems.  The smaller grey plane I meant to give him last year and didn't (he got a tatted ornament just not the plane).  This year I wanted to make sure he got both his airplanes but in a way that would look good and last a bit better.

Airplane  © Wanda Salmans 2014

Pattern found on My Patterns tab

Trying to find a background that worked with both planes took a bit.  Craft paper was the best I could find from my stash of both paper and material.  No worries, my friend really liked his airplanes.

I've gotten quite a few responses since I posted about these small ornaments.  

They are very basic and simple patterns so I wasn't going to write them up, but I decided to do a few to give people that would like to do something similar an start.  You can find the link on My Patterns tab as Christmas Ornaments 2015.

The snowman that I made for myself and attached to a pin is missing in action.

I wore it Christmas day and forgot to take it off my shirt before I washed it.

I'm not sure where it ended up.  I used regular white craft glue to put it all together as it was never meant to go through the washer.  I'll probably find bits and pieces of him in the clothes as we put them on, tucked up inside a sleeve of some shirt or other.  It's too bad but not a tragedy to loose him as I have others but, man! I wish I hadn't done that.

2015 is about to make it's exit.  It's been a thrilling year with the new experience of a cruise and visiting Alaska for the first time; a sad year where we have lost three family members and several close friends over the course of the year; and an exciting year as we've finally done some home improvements that had been put off for far too long.  It could be said it's been a normal year with ups and downs, good times and bad.  As we enter 2016 I make no resolutions that I know I won't keep but move forward with a positive outlook and hopes for a wonderful new year.

What are you looking for in the coming year?

"Every exit is an entrance to new experiences."

Fortune cookie proverb

Merry Christmas!

Color research

Color sample made with Lizbeth thread size 10 in #606 Charcoal & #602 Natural

While making edgings for the table runner that were made this fall I discovered - rediscovered? - that my sense of what colors go together needs help.  Setting balls of thread on material gives an idea if they look good together but not necessarily if they work together for a pretty edging.

For a Christmas gift this year I'm planning on another table runner.  Instead of making the edging and then finding out the colors just don't quite work like expected I thought I should do a little more research and make a sample with the planned colors and then make the decision.

Why did it come out as a snowflake?  It was a good idea at the time??

These colors didn't quite work as expected with the material - good thing it was only a sample! - so more research was needed.

These were done only in one color so they could be put side-by-side with other colors to see how they would look.  Probably a much more practical way to research the problem and find the colors that work the best, don't you think?

"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing."

Wernher von Braun

www.qualtrics.com/blog/research-quotes/

Christmas tree ornaments

This is our Christmas tree this year, the same one I used at the craft show a few weeks ago.  It's about 24 inches tall and is decorated entirely with tatted ornaments.  They can't really be called snowflakes as most of them have have eight points, though a few have more.  I've wanted to have a tree decorated like this for years and this is the first time it's happened.  It took a lot of these little decorations to dress this little tree - there are more than 30 on the front and sides.  I'm glad they were quick and easy.

They may not be snowflakes but they do have at least one feature like them: no two are the same.  Even when the plan was to make a duplicate the stitch count usually changed or a 'mistake' changed the finished ornament.  That one with the blue button on the bottom left? The plan was to be the same as the one in the middle, but the stitch count should have been changed a bit because of the difference in button size - it wasn't changed (enough) and it ended up being finished a bit different.  

When these were first started the plan had been to use only red and green buttons.  Why?  It just sounded good at the time.  Then I got to thinking about Christmas tree lights and all the colors that were used.  So instead of being choosy it became much more random - reach into the button jar and use whatever came out.  I have several button jars, this one contains bright colored, modern buttons, which makes for a bright, happy tree.

This button is a bit larger than the others and it's the only one this size that I made.  No, I didn't plan for it to end up like this when I started but I think it came out well.  It's a little too big to fit in with the other tatted ornaments but it's on the tree anyway.

How have you decorated your tree? Do you have tatting on it?

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

What happiness befalls me when oft

at joyous Christmas-time

Your form inspires my song and rhyme.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

What happiness befalls me"

author unknown

Kamryn Edging

 I just love the material for this table runner.  I picked it up at JoAnn's when they had a lot of material on sale for 40% off.  There was lady there that was looking at fall-themed material at the same time I was. We liked so many of the same materials that we went to the cutting table at the same time so all of it could be cut for both of us while it was out.  We had a nice conversation while we were checking out the material. Fellow crafters can be pretty nice people.

 Kamrny Edging © Wanda Salmans 2015

This edging was the last one I did before the craft show and it wasn't supposed to go with this material.  But after finishing it and laying it with the other material it just wasn't going to work; both my daughters agreed with me.  The two edgings and materials were swapped and all looked much better for it.

Kamryn is a very easy edging, with only rings and chains.  Surprisingly it has no thrown rings, split rings or shuttle switching.  It went very fast, which is why it made it to the craft show. (It was the first thing sold, right at the start of the show). I think there are similar patterns out there but I was not following one when I made this, I just started and this is what came off the shuttles.

Kamryn Edging in Lizbeth Fudge Med # 698 & Harvest Orange Med #694

© Wanda Salmans 2015

I'm very happy with how this came out.  Sewing it on went much faster than usual because I took Michelle's advice to use invisible thread.  She had suggested to sew it on with the machine but mine wouldn't work. Maybe the tatting was too thick for the setting on the machine??  What-ever the problem, I had to do it by hand, but the invisible thread mostly made it go much faster even doing it by hand.   Why had I not tried this before???

The last couple of weeks had a lot of things happening around here.  About November 18th western Kansas had a blizzard and ended up with 20 inches of snow (that's a lot of blowing snow out there!); on the 19th we experienced a 4.7 magnitude earthquake that was centered in northern Oklahoma which I felt at our house north of Wichita (Kansas has felt 162 earthquakes in the last month); then abnormally high temperatures for several days, around 65ºF to 70ºF, then an ice storm over the Thanksgiving weekend (lots of power outages due to broken power lines and downed trees).  We are now experiencing pleasant temperatures and sunny skies, which I am thankful for.  

I'm not sure what to expect next from the weather or other natural phenomenon, but I do know what to expect next from me: I will be working on the Round Robin doily I'm doing on Craftree and things for Christmas.  

How about you?  What are you making?

"There is no "buy" there is only DIY"

Craft Show

The craft show last weekend went well.  I sold several runners and a few other smaller things which means I paid for the booth and a bit more besides which makes it a successful show.

  

My booth setup

I didn't get a picture of the booth before the show started.  I had already sold one of my table runners by the time I thought about it.

 This is my sister's booth.  We have two spaces but put our tables together.

I think the green-over-black really made the tables look good.

I talked to several other venders from the show and they all had the same results we did: people were buying but not a lot.  That still makes it a successful show.

This year I had a small Christmas tree that I strung with battery-powered LED lights and covered in small, button-centered tatted ornaments.  I also had small button-centered tatted snowmen. Each one was a little different. 

A few of the tatted snowmen on the tree at home before the show.

I thought they came out well; everyone that saw them thought they were cute.  I put pin backs on a few but they can still be hung on the tree.  My sister asked for one to be put on a barrette and it worked for that, too.

Tatted Button-centered snowman 

© Wanda Salmans 2015

For all that it is very simple I wrote up the pattern and have added it to my Pattern tab.

This week was Thanksgiving here in America.  Here at home we've had enough ice and bad weather that we haven't been able to gather with any of our family so far.  But we are thankful that we have family that are healthy and happy even if we can't see them this week. 

 I'm also thankful that I can share my enjoyment of tatting with others at craft shows and on this blog. Thanks to all of you for stopping by.

"Thanksgiving is a time to remember...

our blessings and make good cheer with all who we hold dear."

Eleonore Edging

I made several edgings this year going for a certain look.  This is one that isn't quite what I was looking for but not bad and works with the material I attached it to.  I'm not sure you can see just how well the green in the edging goes with the green in the material.

Eleonore Edging © Wanda Salmans 2015

I used Lizbeth Leaf Green Medium #684 and Ecru #603 in size 10.

It's interesting that much of the fabric I found this year have this shade of green in them.  I could almost use this color in every table runner I've been working on. And I have found a lot of fabric this year, so much that I could make runners for several years and never buy any more material except for backings.  This fun fabric is one that I picked up at the store that is going out of business.

I was having a hard time coming up with a name for this edging.  It doesn't necessarily look like anything, I didn't make it for any particular person, and I don't want to name it by the color, so what should I name it?  Did you know there are places that generate names?   I tried a site called "Behind the Names: Random Name Generator and it gave me 'Eleonore'.  It works.

I've been spending a lot of time getting ready for the craft show this coming weekend, sewing in ends, coming up with prices, and planning the booth layout.  I'm feeling pretty good about it right now.  We'll see how I feel come Friday night. :-0

"A poet's work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep."

Salman Rushdie

Table Runner with Queen's Crown Edging

Do you remember way back in February I made the edging Queens Crown Edging?

Well, I finally got it attached to the material! Yay!

Queen's Crown Edging © Wanda Salmans

I like making edgings and seeing the tatting on the material, but I really don't like sewing the tatting to the material.  This part of the process is a necessary evil to finishing a table runner.

The finished table runner is 11 1/2 inches wide and 46 inches long, including the tatted edging which is Lizbeth #693 Linen Medium size 10.  I think it turned out well.

I have several other edgings already tatted and ready to go on material.  My sister is very sweet and offered to sew the material for me as her sewing machine is always out.  I cut the material for several runners then she sewed them.  I will turn them right-side out, stitch up the hole left for that and sew the edgings on.  I feel it takes me forever to do the hand stitching but it is worth it.  I'll be sharing more table runners in the next few weeks.

My sister and I are going to be in a local craft show next week.  We usually participate in this one every year because it is local, making it much easier for both of us to go.  Going to craft shows much farther away can get complicated with our jobs.  Sometimes we do well, other times not so well, but we both enjoy participating in the show because of the festive atmosphere, the customers and the other crafters contributing to an enjoyable day.  Last year I did well with table runners and I'm hoping to do so again this year.

Something funny about this edging: I made this one and two others and put them in a drawer when they were finished, planning on putting them on runners when the material was sewn.  In the course of tatting other things and life happening I forgot about them until I was looking for something else. I also changed my mind on what material all three edgings were going to go on. But they all look really good finished.

Yay! 

"Of course I talk to myself when I tat. Sometimes I need expert advice."

Many-tailed Tatted Paperclip Bookmark

A favorite aunt of mine had a birthday recently.  I always try to make something for her as I know she really appreciates handmade items.  I also know she doesn't need more things sitting around her house, so gift ideas are for things that can be worn or used.  For this year I made her a paperclip bookmark.

Many-tailed Tatted Paperclip Bookmark

This bookmark is specifically made for my aunt to use at church.  Lutherans use a hymnal that has a liturgy in the front and hymns in the back and during a service you go back and forth between the liturgy and the different hymns.  I've been thinking of making a bookmark like this for a while, one where you can mark several pages at a time. This bookmark actually has more tails than are usually needed for a normal service but it looked cool with the different colors hanging from the clip.

Many-tailed Tatted Paperclip Bookmark with a button

Isn't that button pretty?  I hope you can see it.  This is one I picked up just this week from a fabric shop that sadly is closing.  The good news about that is that everything is on sale.  I didn't pick up a lot of buttons but I did pick up a lot of material. There'll be more about that later.

My aunt really liked the tatted paperclip bookmark.  I think it worked out well. 

'If you love to read, you know there are three kinds of book-markers: the dog-ear-er, the any old flat object that will hold my spot-er and the beautiful "I even spent money on a bookmark"-er.  Of course, if you read an e-reader you totally miss the point, but that is neither here nor there.  I fall into the "I even spent money on a bookmark" category.  To me, a bookmark is a friendly "hello! we're glad you're back!" statements as I immerse myself back into the text to tackle paragraph after paragraph.'

Being Geek Chic, beinggeekchic.com

Apples for Auction

I volunteered again this year to work on the basket from our church to be auctioned off at a fundraiser for a local retirement village.  This year I had more than two days notice to get it ready, I had almost a whole month.  The baskets are also wanted much earlier so they can promote them better prior to the auction.  I did the basket from last year all by myself, and I thought that was going to be the case again this year, but I ended up with help.  I asked one of the other ladies from church if she'd like to help and she agreed. 

I didn't have a definite theme in mind and neither did Susan so we began our shopping at an antique/flea market to get ideas.  I had a lot of luck here last year and thought it would be a great place to start.  We wondered up and down the aisles, looking for inspiration. Several items caught our eye but we kept looking for more things that would bring a theme together.  The theme we finally settled on was Apples.

We found a cute small-ish bushel style basket and a set of four cups and saucers with apples on them.  At different stores we found dried apple slices, apple juice in cute bottles, caramel apple coffee, apple dip mix, apple pie spice, a cinnamon apple scented candle, and a hot pad with apples on it.  We couldn't find any towels with apples so we bought two red hand towels to line the basket with.

Can you believe I forgot to take pictures of our prizes until after I had it wrapped???  So this is the best picture I have.  I also found some decorative green apples at the Dollar Store.  I spray painted them red, which turned out great as they looked more real this way.  I added them to the basket, too.

The bushel basket and apple theme came about by what we found at the flea market but it worked out well for another item as well.  It happens that Susan has published several books, the latest being "Bushels of Nostalgia" with a bushel basket of apples on the front cover.  She was kind enough to donate a signed copy of her book to put in the auction basket.

I didn't get a picture of the book by itself, I was trying to get an interesting picture of the bookmark.

From the beginning I planned to put something tatted in the basket but was waiting to determine the theme and color.  Now I started looking for patterns with apples.  I found a couple but not quite what I had in mind so came up with my own.

Apple Bookmark © Wanda Salmans 2015

I've never tried layering rings like this before.  I've seen it several places on the Internet but I'm not finding the sites now - of course. I didn't quite get the shape I was going for but with the leaves I think it still looks like an apple.

I was very happy with the basket we came up with.  The auction was last week but I have no idea who won our basket or how much it went for.  It doesn't really matter - whatever it went for and whoever got it - it was all for a good cause.  I'm hoping that the winner is enjoying all their apples.


"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."
George Bernard Shaw

Tatting Class

Back in July I mentioned that I was going to have a tatting class.  The tatting class consisted of three local ladies, two whom I have known since our children were young.  I was pretty excited to have people interested in a class and that they were local. 

We had our first session in July, then had to have a bit longer of a break before our next lesson than any of us wanted due to personal obligations for all of us.  But we finally had another class and then another.  Then we decided we would just try to meet up at least once a month to get together and tat.

How cool is that?

Tatting class in July

Carla, Becky, and Sherry

Tatting class in August

It is so fun getting together with these ladies.  We are laughing almost the entire time.  A couple of them have started the same project of a simple heart pattern.  Each are progressing at a different pace but are making progress, they just need to keep practicing. As they learn and practice tatting I'm learning and practicing how better to pass on my tatting knowledge.  We're all having a great time learning.

Next month we'll be meeting at my house.  At the last meeting we started talking about coming up with a name for our tatting group.  Any suggestions?

"It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not possession but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment."

Carl Friedrich Gauss

www.brainyquote.com

Mail from Fox and Others

Have you been following Fox's adventures in Armenian Lace?  She entertained us with her undertakings with this different type of knotting for several weeks.  For all that it enticed her into trying it she decided it just wasn't something she wanted to continue, so she called it done, over, not for her.  She even put her newly acquired books up for sale.

And I bought them.

When I saw her trying Armenian lace I looked it up on YouTube and thought it looked interesting.  And when she put her books up for sale I thought it must be a sign.  Fox put the books in the mail right away and surprise, surprise, they came in the mail the same week!  

Tatting by Fox

And look what else she included in the package - a lovely tatted motif and a piece of Armenian lace she made.  And a needle to start it with.  Thank you, Fox, for gifts!

Tatting and Armenian lace by Fox

I'm glad the books got here so quickly but I have no idea when I'm going to have a chance to try it.  I have a lot of things I'm working on right now and once in a while I still have to do things like wash dishes and clothes and cook and go to work - you know, the not-so-fun but essential things in life. 

I'll get to it eventually.

A couple of weeks ago when I posted about my tatted bag Bernice from Knot Vortex asked how big it was. Well, Bernice, it had this ball of Omega thread inside to fill it out so I could get a good picture of it.  I should have put a ball of Lizbeth thread beside it to give some perspective (as I know a lot of people use Lizbeth but I'm not sure how many use Omega) but the Clover shuttle should give you an idea of size. 

Tatted bag by Wanda Salmans

Tatted bag by Wanda Salmans

I'm still trying to decide how to make the lining/insides of the bag though I haven't spent a lot of time on it.  Besides, letting ideas percolate for awhile helps me come up with solutions that usually work pretty well. Putting it on a back burner for a little bit doesn't mean I've forgotten about it.

 I'm busy making things for a craft show right now.  I just bought some beautiful material at Jo-Ann's that I want to make into runners for the show, which will need edgings, and I need to work on gifts for Christmas.  Of course I don't have the right colors or enough of the right colors for what I want to do so I had to place an order for thread which meant more mail!

Don't you just love getting packages in the mail?

"What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp."
Author Unknown

quotegarden.com

Two Crosses

I've mentioned before that my go-to gift for some special occasions are cross bookmarks.  Recently I had two such occasions, one sad, one happy.

I made a cross for my sister-in-law when they recently lost their son.  I couldn't make up my mind which one to tat so I made up one.  I'm not sure I like it that much, but it looks okay. I've tried coming up with a name for it, but they are all sad - "Sorrowful Cross," "Funeral Cross," that type of thing.  I'll come up with something sometime.

© Wanda Salmans September 2015

The other occasion was much happier.  We just installed a new pastor at our church, and what better gift to give him than a bookmark for his Bible?  This is a traditional pattern that I've made several times.  It tats up quickly and is a nice size for a Bible. 

Both bookmarks were made in Lizbeth size 20 thread, in, I think,  #652 Royal Blue.  After making the first I still had plenty of thread for the second one.  It is a suitable color for men or women, don't you think?

I've been doing a lot of tatting lately and still feel I don't have enough time to do all that I would like.  The holidays are fast approaching as well as several birthdays and a craft show in November.  I just can't tat fast enough.  Isn't that the way it goes - when you're busy you keep finding other things to do as well?  I'm thinking I should be making a few more cross bookmarks so I have a few handy when needed.   

Oh! another something I want to be doing.  

"People give one another things that can't be gift wrapped."

Nadine Gordimer

brainyquote.com

Tatted Bag Trial and Error

In July I started a Round Robin Doily through Craftree.  I tatted several of the centers for my doily trying to come up with one I was happy with.  The last sample that I made before I did one 'for real' is almost the same as the final except it has several places where I changed stitch counts which I didn't go back and change.  It was a trial.  But it still looked pretty good.

So I thought I'd use it for another sample. I thought this center would look good as the bottom of a tatted bag.  At least as the bottom of a trial tatted bag.

Round Robin Doily center as the bottom of the bag.

The first few rounds went very close to my vision except for a few changes in stitch count.  As this is a trial and the stitch count change very minimal I didn't go back and change them, just left it as tatted.

Tatted bag sides

For whatever reason I made the split ring round a bit too big.  I had even started with smaller rings and changed my mind - I'm not sure what I was thinking.  I like the idea, but definitely need to change the counts there.

The bare thread sections at the top are a little too long, Well, they might not be when I finally get a material lining made.  That is material around a larger ball of thread inside the bag, filling it out so I can see what works and what doesn't.  If it was the actual lining I suppose the tatting would be stitched to it and it would work/look better. 

I had a lot of fun making this.  I'm not sure when I'll get back to it to finish all the details and make a lining for it as there are a lot of other things waiting to be done.  But when I do I will already know a few places I need to change.  It should go faster and easier then.

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely."

Henry Ford

I've been to the fair

"Martha" doily © Wanda Salmans

Tatted by Wanda Salmans

I almost didn't enter anything into the Kansas State Fair this year but at the last minute - the first day you had to pay a late entry fee -  I decided to.  I didn't have time to make more than one item but I found two places I could enter tatting.  There is only one tatting class and then there is a class for holiday decorations in any fiber medium.  For the tatting class I entered the Martha doily I made back in February. I am excited that I got first place but very disappointed in how very few entries there were.  A grand total of three.  

Judging is done against a standard as well as against other entries, so they do not have to give out ribbons if the items do not meet those standards - finished nicely, clean, even stitches (though the judge might not know tatting they probably know knitting and crochet or other lace-making techniques.) It is subjective to a point.  But the judge still liked mine enough to give a blue. That makes me happy.

My pumpkin holiday decoration came in third.  Considering there were more entries and they were in different mediums I'm pretty happy with the result.  

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers

Wall hanging by Wanda Salmans

Here is a picture of the other holiday entries. I'm not sure where the blue ribbon - 1st place - item is, I didn't see one with anything.  Maybe they got a best of class or show and was put in a different place. (My granddaughter wouldn't get out of the way for me to take a picture but wouldn't hold still either.)

Holiday Decorations at the Kansas State Fair 2015

My granddaughter did like the second place entry, a crow holding a basket with a watermelon theme.  There was another similar crow with a sunflower theme but I couldn't tell if they were supposed to be together or if someone else had a similar entry.  They were both cute.

Overall I was disappointed in how few entries there were throughout the domestic arts categories.  The last time I was there I seem to remember quite a few more of about everything - quilts, crochet, knitting, all of that.  I have told myself that I must enter more things in the fair next year.  I did go to another building that had categories that I think I could find a way to enter with tatting - I'll have to give it some thought over the year.

"It is nice to have valid competition; it pushes you to do better."

Gianni Versace

brainyquote.com

TARDIS Bookmark

TARDIS bookmark © Anne Bruvold

tatted by Wanda Salmans

One of my nephews was a big Dr. Who fan - a Whovian - I thought would really enjoy one of these bookmarks, one of Anne Bruvold's patterns.  I tatted these in Lizbeth #652, Royal Blue, in size 20.  I had meant to give one to my nephew for his birthday in a few months, but sadly I can't do that now.  Instead I am giving one to each of his sisters as a little remembrance of him.   

"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."

Author Unknown

Autumn Pumpkin

At the beginning of August I realized that the Kansas State Fair was coming up and that this year I was not going to be on vacation while it was on. So I got the bright idea to enter a couple of items. You know, get a little more tatting out there for people to see.  The fair only has one class for tatting and you can only enter one project but they have a couple of other categories that tatting could fit in if you do it right.  

With the fair so close I thought I would take something I've already made for the tatting category.  I looked through the pieces I haven't given away or sold and decided on the Martha doily I did back in February. The rules state the items must be made within the last two years, so it works out okay.

The other category I thought I'd try is the "Holiday Decoration other than Christmas".  This is the same category I entered the spider in a few years ago.  But what to make?  And for what holiday?  No idea just jumped out at me so I made a list of holidays and what was associated with each. Then I searched for patterns that looked interesting or fun.  I decided on Mark Meyer's "Autumn Pumpkin".

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

with stem tatted by Wanda Salmans

The entire pumpkin is tatted with one shuttle, no chains.  It's not really hard, just different.  The outside is done first then you fill in the center piece by piece, then add the stem, then the leaf.  I think I started each individual piece at least three times. The start of the pumpkin at the top still doesn't look that good.  When the stem was added per the pattern the rest of the pumpkin puckered a bit so I added one more ring to it.  Now it lays much better.

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

with leaf added tatted by Wanda Salmans

The top part of the pumpkin still looks a little off but with the leaf added it disguises it a bit. Maybe the judges won't notice ***fingers crossed***

Of course, that doesn't mean it was done as an entry.  The category is "holiday decoration" not "tatted applique, finished" so the next step was to decide how to finish it as a decoration.  While at Jo-Ann's the other day (before the actual tatting had begun) I had purchased some brown material with this in mind.  When the pumpkin was done this material was too dark, completely hiding the brown stem.  With time getting short a quick trip to Walmart saved the day.  They don't have nearly the fabric selection as Jo-Ann's but it was the closest place available and did have a something that would work.

Just having a background material wasn't enough - the pumpkin by itself just didn't look like a finished decoration.  So further tatting had to be done.  The day before it had to be taken in I thought it was done, but when looking at the picture I had taken of it there just looked to be something not quite finished about it.

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

almost finished tatted by Wanda Salmans

A late night was in order to add a finishing touch.

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

 ready for the State Fair tatted by Wanda Salmans

I think this looks a bit more finished.  I didn't have time to take a picture in better light as a friend offered to take it to the fair with her as she was taking her quilt in, so I let her (with many thanks!)

This category has all types of textile mediums entered and, from what I've seen in previous years, a lot of people put in a lot more thought and time into their entries than I do.  I'm hoping for a ribbon but not really expecting one with all the marvelous competition.  But this will get tatting out there in front of people in a way that isn't a doily or an edging (which I like, by the way, but some people aren't interested in them so much).

I'll be going to the State Fair next week to see how I've done and to check out all the fabulous things people have made.  I'm hoping there are a lot of tatting entries - wouldn't that be cool?

"If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair.  Because five minutes a the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty..'"

Jeff Foxworthy

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It's not what it looks like

My first thought was 'this is a book of tatting'.  The doily on the cover is what caught my eye.

Nope.  It's a book on making felt dogs.

I didn't buy this book.  I didn't even think to check if the doily was credited to someone.  I was tickled that there was tatting on the cover, though!

I was at a Jo-Ann Fabric store looking through the books when I saw this.  I had just got the text with a 20% off everything coupon so was checking to see if there was anything I really, really needed there.  I did pick up another package of shuttles (who doesn't always need more shuttles?) and thought I'd check if they had any books on tatting.  I didn't notice any, just this one.  The dogs in it were very cute and I thought about buying it.

That's just what I need, another project.  I'm in the middle of about four projects right now and having trouble knowing which one to pick up at any given time. I'm very excited about all of them!  There just isn't enough time in a day to get done all that I want to.

That felted dog on the cover is really cute though....

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.  Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx

Putting them all together.

Don't ya just hate it when you know what pattern you want to make but can't find where you put it?

I have that problem especially when I print patterns from the computer.  That one or two pieces of paper are fine for a while then they just disappear!  I think there is a secret place somewhere in my house where loose patterns go to party and I'm not invited.

This even happens with my own patterns.  I have written out and shared patterns here on my blog plus I have some that I've not finished writing out or diagramming yet and once in awhile I actually want to tat them again.  I go looking for those printed sheets and can't find them anywhere (I think I hear them snickering at me as I search for them.) Yes, I could just reprint them but I hate to do that when I know I have them printed somewhere!

I started thinking that if they were all together in a folder or notebook that they would be harder to lose.  Think about it, it wouldn't be as easy for them to slip between the seat cushions or fall behind the end table, or find other ways to sneak off to their private little party.

I began by printing off the patterns I've posted here - they are the most complete.

I printed them in booklet form, reducing the patterns from the original size of 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper to be half that size.  A few of them ended up being on two pages but most worked okay on one side.  The print is a bit smaller of course, but mostly can still be read easily.  The finished size of 5 1/2" by 8 1/2" makes it a nice size to take with me if I want - this size will fit in my purse.

I did not make any changes to the way the patterns show on-line except for the size.  Each one still has their own definitions instead of one page at the start of the booklet.  The pictures are still the same.  I printed on both sides of the paper.

This has given me a lot of respect to anyone who self-publishes, whether it's patterns or any other type of book.  This was quite a bit of work - trying to get patterns with two pages to face each other instead of back-to-back, putting them in the order I want, and trying not to miss any.  They are mostly in alphabetical order except for a couple that needed to be on facing pages which caused them to be a little out of order.

As I finish up new patterns I will probably just put them in new booklet instead of trying to add to this one.  Having done this one I have some ideas on how I would do it differently the next time.

This was a fun exercise.  And maybe these will now be a bit harder to lose. They will just have to miss the party, ha!

"I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done."

Steven Wright

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Hanging Basket Edging

Hanging Basket Edging © Wanda Salmans 2012

I'm working on another runner edging in Lizbeth size 10 #603 Ecru and #698 Fudge Medium.

I'm doing my Hanging Basket Edging that I have on my patterns page. When I designed it I made it in size 20, the size I usually work in.  It lay nicely without a lot of blocking.

This time, with this thread, it just isn't looking quite as nice as I thought it would. I admit I made a mistake, making one ring smaller than the pattern calls for, but I repeated the mistake consistently, making that the pattern all the way across. I didn't think it would make much difference. I don't know if it really does make that much difference or it's just the thread size difference, or something else entirely, but I'm not liking how it hangs very much. I'm going to finish both runner ends and  block them well and see how they look.  It might look better when finished.

I guess if I'm not happy enough with them to take to a craft show I'll have a runner just for me.

I guess a mistake wouldn't be a total loss then, right?

"Mistakes are proof you are trying."