A Doily and a Bottle

I’ve kept working on the green doily from several weeks ago. I am particularly delighted with this doily. I think I’m done but I may yet do another round. Right now, it is six inches across. I am, slowly, working on the pattern for this. I’ve named it “Shae”, meaning good, favorable. An Irish name, as I made it in March, and one I can pronounce!

Shae doily

I’ve been thinking about how to use tatting in different ways. In October, I put a tatted sunflower on a bottle by hanging it on a thread around the bottleneck. Not bad, but more could be done. I took this idea a bit further, putting a few more decorations with the tatting.

Sunflower bottle

This was something of a fortuitous accident, as I had added the leaves to the sunflower and held it up to the bottle for placement – and I got it too close. At that point, the sunflower was where it was going to be. Good thing I like it there. I also added lights to the bottle.

Sunflower bottle with lights

The pictures don’t do the bottle justice. I took it as a prize to a bingo game on St. Patrick’s day. It was very well received. I see more decorated bottles in my future, probably with more tatting on them.

Now I need to work a bit on Easter tatting, or maybe things for spring.

“A book is simply the container of an idea like a bottle; what is inside the book is what matters.” Angela Carter

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

Hello, 2023!

It’s hard to believe that we are in 2023. 2022 had its ups and downs, with the end coming almost as a surprise. For me, it ended on a high note. My husband had the entire week off between Christmas and New Year’s day. It was great to spend time together without him having to go to work. We were also able to spend time with family, which was wonderful.

Since fall, between making Christmas ornaments and edgings, I’ve been playing with an idea based on a snowflake from last fall, the October snowflake.

October snowflake

I used the same stitch counts as this snowflake but added a couple more arms and did it all in white. I was not very impressed with how it came out.

October snowflake doily

It has a nice enough look, but the arms are not defined well. I decided to make it again, but in two colors, so the pattern is discernable.

October snowflake doily in two colors

I had Lizbeth Cranberry already on a shuttle when I started the center. I should have stuck with one of the other two colors. Both colors are in Cranberry, but the variegated center distracts from the overall look of the doily. This is made in size 20, whereas the white one is made in size 10.

White October snowflake doily in size 10

Both doilies are on the small side, as you can see by the Clover shuttle. I suppose I could do another round to increase the size. When/if I do make another, it will probably be in different colors. There are several minor changes I’d make as well.

I haven’t yet started anything new in the new year. In the midst of making all of the Christmas projects, I thought of other things I’d like to be doing. Did I write those down? No. Do I remember all of them? No. But I know I made plans! I’m not good at New Year’s resolutions, but maybe I should resolve to write my ideas down! It would also be good to remember where I write them down, LOL! One thing I do remember I plan on doing – Jane Eborall’s 2023 TIAS! The fun starts on January 11!

What are you working on? Have you started something new in the New Year?

“My New Year’s Resolution List usually starts with the desire to lose between ten and three thousand pounds.” Nia Vardalos

Arches and Points

I’m still working on my daughter’s runner but I don’t have anything to show today. I’ve got the idea, and the material, and gotten started on the additional tatting, but not enough to share. I’m pretty excited about how I think it will turn out. Maybe next week I’ll have a better update on it.

While I was picking up things in the living room this week I started collecting several of my tatted pieces to either move or put away when I noticed something. Two of the pieces looked pretty cool together.

Arches and points

I had left the 12-point medallion out from when I took pictures of it but decided to put it away. When I moved it I had laid it on top of the Arches Over Arches doily that was on the buffett. Then I noticed it would sort of fit in the center of the doily and played with the arrangement a bit. And look what happened!

I might have to try putting these two patterns together intentionally. What do you think?

“The more I draw and write, the more I realise that accidents are a necessary part of any creative act, much more so than logic or wisdom. Sometimes a mistake is the only way of arriving at an original concept, and the history of successful inventions is full of mishaps, serendipity and unintended results.“

Shaun Tan

Found

My mother is going through a lot of things with the thought of selling her house and my sister and I are helping. We have come across so many things that bring back many memories. We are also taking items to second hand stores, keeping some things we can use or want to save, or disposing of them in other manners, as dictated by their use or sentimental value. But some things are a surprise.

Box of miscellaneous laces

Somewhere, probably some garage sale, my mother found this box of miscellaneous laces. I took it first to see if there was anything I might want and them I’ll give it to my sister. She does a lot of sewing and can probably use most of them. I like lace but have no need for nearly this much. But I found some interesting things while looking through the box.

Crocheted lace found

I don’t crochet myself, but I’m pretty sure that’s handmade crochet mixed in with the machine-made lace.

19 crocheted lace 2

It looks like the lace is attached to the blue ribbon, but it’s not. I haven’t unwrapped any of them so I don’t know how much is there. But a lot of work and time are wrapped around these pieces of cardboard.

There was also some tatting in the box.

Tatting found in the box of lace

Closeup of the tatting from the box of lace

There are 54 inches of the red, single-shuttle tatting, maybe made for an insert? The doily is 7 1/2 inches across with a material center of 3 inches across. The picture makes it look very stained, but it is still damp from a quick blocking done so I could see what it looks like. The doily center seems a bit too big for the tatting, but if properly blocked it might be better.

I don’t know if my mom knew about the tatting or not, but I doubt it. She would have mentioned it to me I’m sure. A nice surprise to find it.

I also found the earring wires that Marie sent me! They were on different earrings than I thought they were, and if they had been a snake I would have been bitten several times while looking for them.

Angel wing earrings on

These are my Angle Wing pattern made in Lizbeth Metallic #HN20325 Gem Stone. These are bigger earrings than I usually wear and the color does not show up well with my hair color. But they were fun to do, so why not? And the earring wires make it easy to change out with other things.

It’s fun finding things you weren’t looking for. And in those you are.

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. Greg Anderson

Arches Over Arches - the Pattern

Can you believe it? After three weeks (?) I finally have the pattern finished. Yay!

I have never had this much trouble diagramming a pattern before. And then I realized, I’ve never diagrammed a doily before. I’ve done snowflakes, bookmarks, edgings, earrings, even an airplane, but never a doily. May I just say, it is a lot more complicated than all the others!

Arches Over Arches – diagramming is hard!

I started working on this, thinking it’s not that hard a pattern to tat, it shouldn’t take too long to diagram it. Was I wrong! I’ve made doilies before, just never written them out with a diagram. Not like this, anyway. Wow! I was ready to quit several times. I would think I had it, then things wouldn’t line up and I’d have to try again. It still isn’t that pretty, but I think it can be followed.

No-one except me has tried to follow this pattern, so there may be mistakes hiding in it. But I need to get on to Christmas tatting! I did say I would get this out, so here it is. If anyone would like to have it, please email me. And if you find mistakes, let me know so I can fix it! I’d love to hear from anyone who does make it.

Arches Over Arches Doily, love the Christmas colors!

“All things are difficult before they are easy.” Thomas Fuller

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Beautiful New Shuttle

I collect shuttles when I can. Sometimes my husband surprises me with one – or two – and has even made me several. The most recent shuttle I purchased is from Shuttle By Design.

Helping Hands shuttle by Shuttles by Design

Rita Richmond does such spectacular work, doesn’t she? This shuttle was designed as a fundraiser for Lisa Adams and her husband Chuck, who recently underwent bypass surgery. Lisa is the owner of Tatting Corner in Chesterfield, Indiana, and Rita has designed and made this shuttle and donated some of the proceeds to help them out.

This is a Moonlit shuttle, decorated with a beautiful design by Rita. I purchased one to both help Lisa and be able to tat with such a lovely shuttle. I just got it in the mail yesterday and am looking forward to tatting with it.

I have not finished writing out the pattern for the Arches Over Arches doily. I am having difficulty diagramming it. I am still working on it and think I am going in the right direction now, so hopefully it will go faster. Maybe, maybe.

“To design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master.” Milton Glaser

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Arches Over Arches Doily

Back in 2009, I made a doily that I called ‘Arches Over Arches‘. I had originally thought to call it ‘Arches’, but Yarnplayer had recently made a doily of that name, so I had to come up with something else. I am not good at coming up with names for the items I design and make, so I just modified the name a bit. I made the same doily later that year but in different colors and called it a sunflower. Other people liked the doily and requested the pattern, but I never got to it. I was recently contacted by another person who requested the pattern, and I thought it was about time to put it together.

The problem is I didn’t write down dimensions or specifics for diagramming the pattern. So, I needed to make the doily again.

Arches Over Arches doily first round

This time I’m using Lizbeth #181 Cranberry Bush in size 20. It was in a thread collection of Christmas threads and I hadn’t tried it yet. As I’m thinking about Christmas gifts now, it easily suggested itself to this doily. I like how this came out.

Once I got started this doily goes pretty quickly. The hardest part, for me, is the long chains. If I’m not careful, I lose count and have to recount to make sure all of the chains are the same length. Then of course, there is the tension on chains. Careful, careful!

Arches Over Arches doily Christmas

I noticed after I uploaded the picture that the center doesn’t look quite round. I didn’t do a good job of blocking it, did I? The chains look pretty good. They have to be blocked or they are all over the place.

The center is right at two inches across, with a total diameter of just short of nine inches. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to add a center as I did with the sunflower version. I think I’m going to write out the pattern this way first, maybe add the center later. I am working on the pattern now, looking for it to be done in a day or so. If you are interested in it, let me know.

As soon as the pattern is done, it’s on to Christmas tatting in a big way. I didn’t leave much time for that, did I?

“All experience is an arch, to build upon.” Henry Adams

Pink vacation doily

Pink vacation doily start

I started this doily on the trip home from our Colorado vacation this year. The thread is size 10 Lizbeth #621 Dusty Rose Light. I hadn’t realized it was size 10 when I grabbed the ball before the vacation, but I was glad it was. It made it much easier to see and work with while traveling, as it was cloudy and rainy almost all the way home causing the light to be a bit uncertain. The larger size thread and the light color were great to work with in those conditions.

I came up with this center, not certain it was just a center. When I got this far I decided I’d try another round, see where it went.

Pink vacation doily round 4

My aim while tatting this was to keep it simple, something to keep my hands busy and still see some of the passing scenery without having to think too hard. I know that the scenery along I80 in western Nebraska isn’t all that interesting, but you never know what you might see when traveling. This fourth round fit the bill of not having to think too much.

Then it was a question of “is this done?” I decided the answer was “no” and tried another round.

Pink vacation doily 5th round

This round was easy also, the most complicated part – besides keeping the count right – was the Josephine rings and they aren’t hard.  I think this last round gives it a nice finished look. The size 10 thread leaves it at about 5 1/2 inches across.

I want to do this in size 20 though that will make the overall size smaller. I suppose it can be a coaster instead of a doily.

“Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs.” Susan Sontag
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I resemble this remark 🙂

Tiny doily a little bigger

Tiny thread doily from 2014

Four years ago I made a small doily in a tiny thread. I was so pleased with the look of this piece I always planned to try it again.

Two doilies

This week was the week to try it again. Originally I used a very small thread, maybe size 70 or 80, though I couldn’t be sure because it was thread that was on an old shuttle that I had been given. This time I used size 20 in Lizbeth #662, Turquoise Light and Lizbeth #652 Royal Blue.

You can see just how much larger it is this time when made in size 20. It was also much easier to tat as well, between being a larger thread that I am comfortable using and being a new thread – I have no idea how old the pink variegated thread is.  It was old enough that it gave me problems with breaking before I was done. This time employing two colors instead of variegated gives it a different look, too. The newest doily came out well. It is also easy to make, using only a shuttle and ball with only normal rings and chains.

I thought I would make the doily a bit bigger yet by adding a few rounds. So far I’ve added one more round then I ran out of steam. This round makes the outside a bit less rounded and smooth.

Not-so-tiny doily

I might yet add another round, there are several ideas floating around about it. But not today. I am in the middle of two other projects and have several I want to start. Now I just need the time to do them.

“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped” – Tony Robbins

Not part of the plan

There I was, trying out another idea of where I wanted to go with this doily when I noticed something didn’t look quite right.  It wasn’t laying flat like it should have. What was going on?

Something’s wrong

Then I saw it! I’d skipped a chain and joined in the wrong spot!

Mistake found!

Ahhhh! Look how far I had gone before I noticed!

Bummer!

Now the question “what comes next?” is “to cut it off” or “un-tat it”? Either way, it put a damper on my enthusiasm.

After debating about it for a while (several days, in fact) I decided to undo it to keep from having more ends to hide. Great idea, but I have broken the thread several times now, so I’ll still have ends to hide.  Bummer!

Other than this, I haven’t done much tatting lately; instead, I’ve been potting flowers. I’ve done more this year that I ever have, but I have more spaces to put them since we’ve done work on the house.  I got a bit adventurous about it, too.

Tower of Flowers

I have had this rod for almost 10 years and never tried to use it. The rod is formed with legs at the bottom to fit inside the large pot at the bottom, then goes straight up to hold the other pots. I put a couple of bricks and a large rock in the big pot to weigh it down. I couldn’t find quite the right size pots for the rest, but this time I wasn’t going to let that keep me from using it!  Some of the pots are a little light on flowers, but that is easily remedied. I even painted the pots!

Nice thought, huh? It lasted about a week.

Tower of Flowers fell down

Then a cold front came through with a bit of wind. The tower was suddenly much shorter, looking more like a sad motel that has seen better days rather than a lofty, new tower. The top four pots broke. 🙁   I was able to rescue the flowers and re-pot them. They are currently perking up in their new home, a single story group home instead of high-rise apartments.

As the temperatures outside soar, I will probably be doing more tatting and less working with flowers outside. I can enjoy the view of flowers while I enjoy relaxing and tatting, maybe inside in the airconditioning, maybe outside if there is shade and a breeze.

“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. ” Paulo Coelho
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Butterfly Edging

There are a lot of tatting projects that I need to get done now that I’m back from Palmettos Tat Days.  I knew about them before I went to Georgia but didn’t have time to do them, so it was rush, rush, rush when I got back. I did get two of my projects done, two more to go before the end of October.

Tatted Butterfly Edged Doily

One project I finished was an edged doily. Our church participates in an auction to raise money for a local retirement home, which is supposed to be a ‘basket’ of items that we donate. This year, it’s not a basket at all, but several items of a theme that we’ll bundle together. I try to include something tatted every year, and this year I planned a doily with a tatted edging.

Tatted Butterfly Edging looks like Mary Konior’s pattern

Our theme this year is butterflies, so I envisioned a doily with a tatted edging of butterflies. I had an idea of what I wanted and got started without a pattern. While on Craftree I found an edging that was exactly what I wanted: Mary Konior’s Butterflies from her book “A Pattern Book of Tatting.” I don’t have the book and I don’t know the stitch count of her pattern as I made it before I saw a picture of it. As it is so close to her pattern if you want to make it, check out her book.

I loved the butterflies but thought the edging needed to be a bit wider, so I added another row. The result is more suitable to what I planned for the doily.

Tatted Butterfly Edging with a second row

At this point, I didn’t have a center for the doily, I made the edging first 🙂  I had time to tat but not the time to cut and sew the doily center. With the edging done I had to figure out a way to get the center the size needed and found a paper plate worked out nicely. I miscalculated a bit by not making the seam a tad bit wider (making the doily diameter smaller), but it still came out okay. Finished size with edging is about nine and a half inches across.

Tatted Butterfly Edging sewn on

These are the items we put together for our auction ‘basket.’ We had members of our congregation add the butterflies to the grapevine cross.

Auction items

This is one project down out of four that I want to have done before the end of October. I have one other completed that I’ll post about later. Now on to the next!

“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” Rabindranath Tagore     https://brainyquote.com

"Thank You" Doily Finished

I finished the “thank you” doily for my aunt.

Aunt Irene’s thank you doily

There are many beautiful tatted doily patterns out there – I have books full of them.  The Internet has a lot, also.  Do I make one of those?  Of course not, that would be too easy.  I designed another one.

A few years ago I made a snowflake/medallion with a finding in the center.  I used that medallion as the center but made a ring of rings in place of the finding.  That was the easy part.  Some of the rounds went very smooth, the others took more thought.  And several tries.  The end result is a bit ruffle-y until it’s blocked, but still looks nice.  This needs more blocking – it’s amazing how a picture will show things that ‘in person’ isn’t so obvious.

This doily is seven inches across made in Lizbeth #603 Ecru size 20 thread.  I’m not sure of my aunt’s tastes in colors and decorating so chose a ‘traditional’ color. I noticed I put spokes in this doily like several of my other doilies.  I need to try something else next time.  Doing a little more planning in the beginning would probably help, don’t you think?

I had planned to mail it today but will block it a bit better first.  I want it to look good when she gets it.

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.  Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. ” Gloria Steinem                   brainyquote.com

Practice and the fair

Earrings based on Lanyard pattern

I have been enjoying the Lanyard pattern so much I tried making earrings with it. I know there are other earring patterns that are very similar to this but I made these the same as the ends on the lanyard.  Each of these have a couple of mistakes but I will wear them any way.  The next pair will be better.  Unlike with the bigger beads and bigger thread I had to use a floss threader to get the beads on the picots.  It takes so much longer than using a crochet hook!  These were made with Lizbeth #646 Purple Iris Lt in size 20, which is a very similar color to the DMC I used for the lanyard and the bracelet.

Speaking of which, I entered the bracelet in the county fair.

Bracelet made with Lanyard 2016 pattern

My bracelet was the only entry in its class.  It’s great to see a blue ribbon on it as they do not have to give ribbons or top place to any entries even if they have no competition.

Doily with ‘Harper’ tatted edging at the fair

Doilies have to be mounted on cardboard to enter the fair.  My ‘Harper’ Edging looks good on the black background, doesn’t it?   It, too, was the only item in its class.  I’m glad I decided to enter both bracelet and doily so they don’t eliminate the classes.

Now I’m back to practicing cluny tatting.  I am taking one of Mimi Dillman’s classes at Tat Days in September and need to be a bit more comfortable with them.  I’m not trying to be perfect yet, just able to do them well enough that I can understand and learn any tips she teaches in the class.  Then I’ll practice what I learned 🙂

“To practice any art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” Kurt Vonnegut

Sometimes you get lucky

I took some vacation days recently, not because we were taking a trip or anything but just to have some days off.  I had all kinds of plans on what I was going to do, work on and get done.  Yes, I had plans.

What’s that line – “the best laid plans of mice and men”?   Like usual, most of my plans didn’t work out, though some did in a modified way.

The first day I had off I worked on a few miscellaneous things.   I worked on the blog, fixing things that didn’t import correctly.  There are a lot of posts to go through, many still to go.  I went through a few boxes of items that need to find homes in my new kitchen.  Laundry was washed and folded.  Not a total loss of the day but less done than hoped.

In the evening I was ready to sit down, watch TV, and tat.  Unfortunately, I was not in the middle of any projects that I could do and watch TV at the same time.  I needed a new project but of course I couldn’t remember any of the several I’d been thinking of.  To give myself some ideas I went through my craft room, picking out random items to ignite my imagination – or at least some enthusiasm.  I spread them across the table to analyze for tatting inspiration.

Hmm,  a round doily center.  I’d purchased this quite some time ago but never was moved to make an edging for it.  That day I was inspired by it.  A review of several thread colors led to using Lizbeth size 20 in #159 Easter Eggs.   I gave a little bit of thought to what I was going to tat and started, attaching to the doily as I went.  I did not count the holes to determine the outcome at the finish, I just started.

“Harper” tatted edging © 2016 Wanda Salmans

Sometimes you just get lucky.  I didn’t have to adjust where I attached to the doily by one hole.

“Harper” tatted edging in Lizbeth size 20 in Easter Eggs #159

I’ve made a lot of edgings for runners but rarely for anything else.  I had never attached to a doily or runner in this manner, joining to it as I went.  Normally I make the edging, make the runner to the same width, and attach to it as the last step.  I can’t believe it worked so well!

Though I didn’t plan it as a challenge that is absolutely what it was.  I’m calling this #13 in my current 25 Motif Challenge.  Even if it’s not actually a motif.

I’m delighted how this edging came out and overjoyed at the finished doily.  Sometimes you just get lucky.

“Give luck a chance to happen.” Tom Kite                                        ww.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

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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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