A Plan For Stars

 It's Memorial Day weekend already! Kids are out of school and summer has unofficially started. We've been out working in the yard, as we have been blessed with cooler weather and had a bit of rain in the last few days (yay!) We'll be out to the cemeteries on Monday to put out flowers on the graves. Thankfully, none of our family died while on active duty in the military, but we have always decorated graves of many of our relatives on the holiday weekend, even those that never served. It is always amazing to see the cemeteries on Memorial Day, so many flags, flowers, and people. 

I have started on a bit of patriotic tatting, though it is nowhere close to being done. 

A plan for stars

I think it was last year that I picked up this runner of stars on a navy blue background. All the edges are plain, just asking for a bit of tatting. White starts attached with red thread is my plan. I have a pattern for the stars, but not the red part. I've been doing a lot of thinking about it, and kind of have a plan. While I'm thinking about the red part I've been tatting the stars. They are the center of a motif I made back in October of 2013. 

If all goes well, the runner will be done by Flag Day, June 14. If not by then, certainly by July 4th.

Remembering those who gave all

The Season For Crosses

Spring is definitely the season for crosses, Mother's Day and graduations being the main two, and there seems to be a lot of birthdays as well. Cross bookmarks in cards is my go-to answer for small gifts that are easily given in cards for whatever event they are needed. 

Cards and Crosses

This year our church has seven high schoolers graduating from three different area high schools. The small crosses I've been tatting lately made excellent small gifts for them. I had eight made thinking this was enough for my mom for Mother's Day and the grads. But Thursday I realized I wanted to give my sister, daughters, and nieces each one for Mother's Day as well. I had enough for that, but not enough left to give to the graduates on Sunday morning. So I had to get busy and make more. 

Mother's Cross

My mother was thrilled to see that the cross I gave her was a match for the card. This was a happy coincident, that I had a cross made that went so well with a card I picked up a after tatting it. The other's also liked their crosses. 

Graduation crosses

I was able to tat enough crosses for all the graduates as well by finishing the last one Sunday morning before leaving for church. As usual, the hardest part was hiding the ends. No matter the method, it isn't as fun as the actual tatting. 

Others that received crosses in the last two weeks were a woman who was confirmed in our church, and the daughter of a friend of ours who died; our families attended the same church for many years. 

I think I've made 16 or 17 crosses in the last month, and I've given them all away. I had better start making more, they seem to be going fast. 

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! I hope all of you have had a marvelous day!

"A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."      Victor Hugo