Sad News

There have been sad news for tatters several times this year already.

First, Rebecca Jones, the author of The Complete Book of Tatting, has died. This book was one of my first tatting books. It has so many wonderful ideas for tatting though it doesn’t really have a lot of patterns in it. I referred to it frequently for many years and still do on occasion. I recommend it to new tatters. Rebecca had wonderful insights into tatting and shared them in an engaging way. It was very disheartening to hear of her passing.

Then I learned that @torontofox passed away in February. I followed Fox on her tatting blog for a long time. When she tried Zentangle, I followed that, too. More recently she was sharing her cross-stitching on Instagram. I don’t do cross-stitch, but I followed her on that, as well. Over the years, she would leave me wonderful comments here on my blog, full of encouragement and humor. She will be greatly missed.

Recently, I have been looking around for ideas of where to use tatting. A lot of people don’t use or like doilies, they read on electronic devices so don’t use bookmarks, and some don’t have much use for snowflakes or other such things, so not ideal people to gift tatting to. I’ve found there are a lot of videos on Youtube for junk journals, showing ways that use small laces and papers to decorate journals. I have always loved paper things as they use for these journals, and think this would be a fun way to use up some of my bits and pieces, ones that are finished and those that might have a mistake or two.

Flea market find for a junk journal

While watching one the other day, the video creator was showing items that she found that are inexpensive that can be used in these journals. I was a bit dismayed by her flea market find of a small tatted doily. It saddened me to think she would cut it up to use in a journal. She did say that she probably wouldn’t cut this one up but possibly use it whole on the outside of a journal, which cheered me up a little. I have a lot of things I’ve tatted laying around or hidden in drawers, some finished, some not. I tat because I love to tat, not because I necessarily have a plan for each piece. It is a depressing thought that one day some of them could be in a flea market somewhere, waiting to be picked up for a few cents. Which is probably better than being thrown away… Or maybe a small piece picked up by someone who has never seen it before and will be inspired to try it, a happier thought. But I will continue tatting, finding joy in the making. Tatting is my happy place.

My something green from the previous post has grown. It is still not a bookmark but a small doily.

Something green has grown

I do not like the button in the middle for a doily, so I have started it again without one. That does change the look, but I am tickled by the look of it. I’m liking where it is going.

Now, I’m going back to my happy place. Where’s yours?

happy place

idiom

a memory, situation, or activity that makes you feel happy

A Bag and A Book

I have a cloth purse that I use once in a while, a rather plain purse. I’ve thought about putting tatting on it off and on but never really made an effort to do it. This last week I made a square medallion that I decided would look good on it.

Square medallion on my purse

One of the reasons I’ve not added tatting to something like this is I’m always thinking how dirty it will get, and if not attached right, will come off at corners and edges. My solution – at least until it proves me wrong – was to use fabric glue to stiffen it before sewing it on the purse. I did not stitch down every picot, though I suppose that would be the correct thing to do. (I thought I had the medallion centered and square, but I guess not.)

The other side looked a bit bare after that. When I remembered where I had put the balls of thread I made another square in the same colors.

A medallion and edging on a purse

This medallion looked better turned a few degrees than having it sit square like the other side. Then I thought it needed something on the top flap but not a medallion. So I made an edging along the same lines as the medallion. I’ve made one more edging to go up that one bare side, but I still need to stiffen it before sewing it on.

I’ve been doing some reading the last couple of weeks. Not listening to audio books but reading a paperback. This story is about a house in my hometown, Newton, Kansas. It was built back when the town was new and is still standing today and still has people living in it, though I understand it was empty for a time.

We the House

Besides it being about a local subject, the way the story is told is unique. It is told from the perspective of the house, mostly by way of conversation with a painted portrait of a woman that is hung in the house. The story starts in the 1880’s and goes until about 2010. It is a quick read but enjoyable.

I looked up the address of the house and drove by it the other day. It is about a block away from Sand Creek, which is an important feature in the book. The house is now surrounded closely by other houses, and the creek is much different than it once was. To protect Newton from flooding the creek was made much deeper in the 1960’s and had a dam installed at the south end. I find it hard to imagine the creek different than it is today.

This is obviously a book of fiction, but some of the events in the book are from the history of the town. It came out at the right time, as Newton is celebrating it’s sesquicentenial anniversary (150 years) this year. I talked about the party the city threw on the actual anniversary date that I went to here. Newton is having another celebration tomorrow, June 4, 2022, with bands and rides and other fun things. I’m planning on going if it doesn’t rain.

We celebrated Memorial Day this year with trips to local cemetaries with family, then had the family come over for lunch and games after that. For all that the day is set aside to remember those who died in service to our country my family always visited the graves of our other relatives, too. My mother always grew small containers of flowers for each of the graves we would visit, then we’d drive to the different cemetaries to leave the flowers and tell stories about their lives. My husband and I were not good about continuing that tradition, but this year was a bit like those times I remember from childhood. Except this time I was the one telling the stories.

Memorial Day flowers

“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Book and button

Last week our library had a book sale which I actually had time to go in and check out, which is dangerous. I like books. I like to browse through books of all sorts, getting lost in all the interesting things they present. It is also very easy to give them a nice new home. My husband was fortunate that I only brought three home with me, for the amazing donation of $5. One of them was a tatting book in very good condition.

Library book I found

This book is edited by Barbara Foster and published by Handy Hands Tatting Publications. It is a reproduction of a 1952 Australian book written by Norma Benporath with a few additions from Barbara.

Original cover of library book

Except for the later additions the patterns in this book are all written in the long form.

Example of written patterns from book

This method of writing out patterns is not used much anymore, for good reason. There are other, easier to read, methods that also take up less space that are used today. I learned to tat reading this kind of pattern but I would probably note down in an easier form any pattern I make from this book.

There are other things in the book, too, like a a short history and a few tips and hints on tatting, tools, and mounting tatting to material, as well as pictures and written directions for tatting. I love reading about this kind of thing. This book had not been used much, which is sad for the library (probably why it was in the sale) but exciting to me, giving me the chance to purchase it.

I have been tatting a bit, mostly around buttons and other small things. I have other projects going on that I’m working on but nothing to show yet. One button that I did yesterday was to wear to my granddaughter’s volleyball match last night. They were having a ‘pink out’ night, their way of supporting breast cancer awareness and support. They had QR codes posted around the gym so you could donate money on-line if you wanted. They encouraged everyone to wear pink, which is great, but I don’t have anything that is pink. I had to make something.

Pink button and ribbon

I used Lizbeth #622 Pink Med in size 10 to make these. I added a pin back to the button and wore it on my shirt. I made a second ‘ribbon’ and wore them as earrings. It was fun seeing all the kids at the school in their pink shirts, skirts, and face paint. FYI, my granddaughter’s team won both matches, yay!

My daughter helped me do a bit of Halloween decorating in my yard this year though not in my house. It was a lot of fun but I think I’ll just do Autumn and Thanksgiving decorating inside instead. I can leave it up longer that way. I haven’t done much ‘fall’ tatting but I suppose fall isn’t over yet. Maybe I’ll get a bit of it in before I start the Christmas tatting.

“Books are a uniquely portable magic” Stephen King

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