Heart-shaped Paperclips

 While on YouTube the other day I saw a video on covering bent paperclips shaped as hearts. @Celyn Haf used a heavier thread than I usually do, but the clips looked so fun! She didn't use one, but I used a large-eyed needle to direct tat on these. The bigger the thread used, the faster it was finished.

Covered heart-shaped paperclips

These were so simple and ended up so cute! I had a variety of threads handy and I tried several of them on paperclips of different sizes. You can see that I don't quite have down the best way to bend the paperclips, but they all ended up looking like hearts, so all is good.

Heart-shaped paperclips

The clips don't have to be covered in thread to be used, but using thread is my thing, so they were covered. They go on the paper easier without the thread, but these were more fun! 😉

I am working on tatting around an egg, and have not gotten as far with it as I had hoped I'd be by this time. I didn't plan to do an egg at all this year, but my nephew bought it for me, so I feel I need to. I'm hoping I'll have it done by Easter. It is coming out very different than all the other ones I've made and I'm still working on what it will look like when it's done, hoping I'll recognize it when I get there.

"I think setting a goal, getting a visual image of what it is you want. You've got to see what it is you want to achieve before you can pursue it."    Chuck Norris

R.I.P. Chuck Norris 1940-2026

Hearts for Valentine's Day

It’s that time of year, when we look for hearts in candy, jewelry, and patterns. If you are still looking for any, I have several heart patterns on My Patterns page: Joy’s Heart, January Heart, and Luther’s Rose Heart. I’ve made several other hearts as well, but I have not finished the patterns for all of them. I’ve always liked the tatting part more than the writing out part.

And – I’ve done another one.

                                          Hollow Heart

I’m not quite done with this one, the stitch count is not quite right yet. And the pattern isn’t done yet, either.

When I find the correct buttons there is another heart I want to try, Karey Solomon’s Friendship heart with baby buttons. It is in the “Tatting Times” from February 2018.

                                                          Tatting Times #27

Karey was at Tatting Corner’s Tat Days in July 2024. She graciously gave me several of her Tatting Times books. I haven’t taken the time to make any of the patterns yet, but they are on my radar. The heart is calling my name. Now, where did I put those baby buttons? I know I have some!

On a sad note, I’m having trouble with the Iris Cross Bookmark. I almost had it done and my software lost part of it. My computer was giving me grief, so I ran several diagnostics on it, thinking that would fix some of the problems. I re-created the parts of the pattern that was lost, and the program lost more of it. I don’t know if I can repair the software or whether I’ll need to get a new program and learn how to use it. Until I figure that out, new or in-progress patterns are on hold.

Are you doing any hearts for Valentine’s Day?

“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” Vincent Van Gogh

February Tatting

I haven’t tatted a lot in the last month or so due to one of my hands hurting. Not sure what I’ve done to cause it, but it lets me know when I hold a shuttle or try to grip things with my right hand. I’ve been doing the recommended stretches to help it get better, which it has, but I’m still going slow with any tatting.

What tatting I’ve been doing are small things, like working on the Arlo bookmark. I think I’m finally happy with the ends, so now I just need to finish the pattern. While doing this, I tried the stitch count on just the ends. By the time I finished this sample, I was thinking it would make a cute earring.

Short Arlo bookmark

I’ve also been doing Jane Eborall’s TIAS (Tat It And See). A great way to tat without doing too much at a time, right? We’re only a couple of clues from finishing, and I’m still not sure what it is! This is up to day 12.

2023 TIAS day 12

Something has to attach at the top, but how exactly, I don’t know. It’s a person, right? Maybe? You never know with Jane! There are a lot of fun guesses over on the Tat It And See blog. Jane’s next clue for the TIAS is in a couple of days. I understood her to say there are two clues left. I’m looking forward to seeing how we finish this up. Are any of you doing it?

I’ve also been doing a few small bookmarks using my January Heart pattern on large paper clips similar to what I did for my niece last year. A couple are thank-you gifts, the other one for a friend. I have two more I’d like to make before next Wednesday. They are small enough I think it’s doable.

A trio of heart bookmarks

One of these is for an aunt, who recently sent me a couple of souvenir coins. She got these coins at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Fransisco, California when she was eight years old.

Animal League coin with a dog on one side

This coin is very lightweight. I’m thinking it is aluminum.

Animal League coin with a cat

I never thought much about how long animal care organizations existed.

The coin she thought I’d want is this Coleman coin.

1939 Coleman lantern coin

This coin is much heavier than the other, feeling more like an actual coin. You can tell it’s been carried around a lot, enough to rough up the lantern on it.

1939 Good luck Coleman coin

I started work for the Coleman Company in Wichita, Kansas in 1979. I never worked in the lantern factory, but it was a very important part of the company. This coin is so cool! I’m going to have to come up with a way to display it.

Now back to a few stretches, an ice pack, and my collection of things I would like to be tatting.

“Every experience, good or bad, is a priceless collector’s item.” Isaac Marion

Graduation Book Mark

It’s that time of year again, graduation for kids of all ages. One of my daughters recently graduated from college and a niece from high school. Different circumstances, different types of gifts to be given, don’t you think?

We gave our daughter one of our winnings from the auction we went to a few weeks ago. I didn’t think to take a picture of it before giving it to her but imagine a bottle of wine and wine-related items. She was happy with it.

For my niece, I gave something a little more in line with my usual graduation gift, a bookmark, to go along with a book and a bit of cash.

Double heart bookmark with a book of devotions

My picture has the bookmark covering a bit more of the title than I had planned, but the picture on the front helps show why I chose to tat something with hearts.

Double heart bookmark on a paperclip

This is my January Heart pattern with split-ring tails joined to a large paperclip. I think this will be easier to keep in a book than a loose bookmark would be. This is not only holding a place in the book but is also holding a bit of cash. What college student can’t use that? I gave this to her at her graduation party, but she mostly got cards (probably with money) and didn’t open them at the party.

I’ve been doing some other tatting this week, but not much is coming out as planned. The last few days I’ve been tatting while watching it rain. They say it’s supposed to end tomorrow – and then the heat and humidity arrive. I guess it is the end of May, so I should expect it.

In July I’m going to Tatting Corner’s Tat Days. My husband and I will be driving out. While I’m tatting he’ll be checking out what’s to be found in the area, then joining me for the evening meals. I’ve not been to one of their Tat Days before but am looking forward to it. Who else is going?

Green wheat in the rain

“Potential is like a summer crop. If it don’t rain, it don’t grow.” Charles Oakley

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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A Bunny and Two Hearts

TIAS 2016 © Jane Eborall

Look! Look!  I got the TIAS done!  Yay!

This Burgundy thread (Lizbeth #672 size 20) was a little too dark - I couldn't see what I was doing when I made a mistake.  He did come out pretty cute - love the teeth and carrot!

Tatted Heart adapted by Barbara Foster from design by

Mrs. J.M. Blackman, appearing in Modern Priscilla magazine in 1917

One of my aunts ended up in the hospital Saturday, so instead of taking her real flowers I took her some fake ones Sunday (no worries about spilling the water or flowers drooping before she could enjoy them).  It was a hurry-up job.  The 'vase' is a spice jar with a piece of burlap ribbon and a piece of smaller, white ribbon wrapped around it and the tatted heart - which I tatted up on the way from our house to the hospital.  I took the with me and attached the heart to the ribbon while we were in the parking garage.  This was the best of the pictures I took of it before we left.

My aunt liked it.

Joy's Heart Cross Bookmark © Wanda Salmans 2016
in Lizbeth #147 Red Burst size 20

This has been my take-along tatting project this last week.  I needed something without beads or too complicated (like the TIAS) and one that I wouldn't worry about messing up (like the Round Robin doily I'm working on).  I made the rings of the arms a bit bigger than I made the bookmark I gave my brother-in-law; I think this looks better.  My plan was to frame it and give it to my mother for Valentine's day but I haven't gotten that done yet.  I'll just give it to her when I get all the finishing touches done.

Now on to other things: the Round Robin doily I still have; a wedding gift for next month; the pincushions I want to make...  It feels good to be getting over the funk I've been in.

"With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Valentine's Day

Tatted Heart pattern from Handy Hands

Gifting ideas

I liked how the photo albums from last week came out so well that I did another one.  This time using 'Joy's Heart' in Lizbeth #159 Easter Eggs size 20. With flowers and butterfly in random colors.

I think these albums are great gift ideas - inexpensive to buy the album and quick to decorate to match the person you are gifting or just to have on hand for "emergency" gifting. The hardest part was actually finding the background paper to match the thread colors. This one has a white background with dabs of green ink.

Remember the buttons I decorated a while back? These are something else that would make nice gifts, for certain people anyway. When Odd Balls Yarn Shop was closing they had quite the sale and I picked up a bunch of buttons before they were gone.  For some reason I really like the idea of adding tatting and pin backs to these.  Some of the buttons are in kind of odd colors, making them a bit harder to match threads to.  This one is black so not that hard. I don't know if you can see the texture marks on the button in the photo or not.

The dragonfly is in Lizbeth #131 Vineyard Harvest size 20.  One of the photo albums that I used had a drawing of flowers and a dragonfly on it originally which inspired me to make a small dragonfly. I just looked at the picture and came up with the pattern but I'm sure I've seen it out there, or something very close.

Has anyone out there been doing any of the Shuttlebirds' Weekly Challenges?  I've done a couple, including #11 which was "Morgan Mouse".  #12 is Nancy Tracy's "Clover Drop Heart" which is a cute little pattern and not very complicated.  I thought it would look good on a photo album.

And I goofed it.

I made one chain a little too short.
This is what happens when you don't pay attention.
It's done in Lizbeth #117 Country Side size 20.
I guess I'll try it again - hopefully paying a little bit more attention the next time.

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Would you like coffee with your hearts?

Flower Heart earrings, pattern by Tatfully Yours 

I'm still having fun making Kelly's 'Flower Heart' earrings.  I made a pair of pink ones for my oldest daughter who currently has long, very dark hair, which makes an excellent backdrop for the earrings.  These are in Lizbeth #622 size 20 with pink seed beads.  She  wore them to work the next day (at a Starbucks) and a little later I got a phone call from her.  One of her co-workers loved them and wanted a pair in Starbucks green. 

I looked through my stash of thread looking for a green that was close to "Starbucks green".   I used the logo on a bag of coffee as my sample color.  The only green I had that came close was an almost empty ball of DMC size 8 Pearl cotton.  I have no idea the color number as the label was lost a long time ago.  When I gave them to my daughter to pass along she thought they looked good.  I'm waiting for a picture of the happy (I hope!) recipient wearing them.

Have you been participating in or following the 2013 TIAS?  There are only a few days left before it's complete, leaving us with what surely must be a baby buggy (or pram if you're on the other side of the pond).

TIAS 2013 Day 9

I'm very happy in what the TIAS is becoming.  Family friends are expecting a baby later this year and I was wondering what I should make for them.  I had thought about Jane's stork like I had done for my daughter but this will certainly be fun, too.  It's much too early to know if it will be a boy or girl so I'll wait a little while to start one for them. 

Last month I saw on Lace-Loving Librarian Diane's blog about some shuttles she found at Hobby Lobby.  Well, guess where I was yesterday and what I found?  Yes, I found them, too.  And, yes, just like Diane I didn't really need them but I couldn't not buy them, could I?    The left one is wood, the one in the middle is carved bone. The pink Clover is there to give a size reference.  Before I try tatting with them I think I'll take some very fine emery cloth to the middle of both of them as they don't look all that smooth inside.  That said I'm looking forward to giving both of them a test drive.

Am I done making hearts yet?  I don't know.  I have made more hearts this year than I think I have for the last five years put together, but I'm having a lot of fun with them.  My boss has accused me of making a different pair of earrings every day - which isn't true, by the way - but these heart earrings are so quick and easy and fun to make that it's almost true.  And it's fun to see them on my daughter (and her friends) that I might just have to keep on for awhile.  Time will tell. 

(Though I do have an idea I'd like to try that doesn't have any hearts in it at all....)

I'm hoping to get my tatting and tea in for Tatting Tea Tuesday sometime this afternoon.  I've been too busy yet this morning, but the day isn't over yet!  And though it is Tatting Tea Tuesday I couldn't resist this poem.

Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.

It maketh me to wake in green pastures:

It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.

It restoreth my buzz:

It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction

I will fear no Equal:

For thou art with me; thy cream and they sugar they comfort me.

Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of The Starbucks:

Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.

Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life: 

And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.

~Author Unknown

More hearts

 Flower Heart from Kelly at Tatfully Yours

I'm still making Kelly's Flower Heart earrings.  A few days ago as I was leaving the house I had another thought, what about putting a doodad in the center?  I think they came out very well. This pair is in Lizbeth #644 Boysenberry dark size 20. I wore a pair of them to work one day and two people asked if I would make them some.  The only real question then was "what color?"  

Flower Heart from Kelly at Tatfully Yours

I tried a pair in Lizbeth #123 Grape Pizzaz in size 20.  I don't think they look as pretty as those in a solid color.  In fact I had to make two pair because these hearts use so little thread that only a little of the color change was seen so that the first two I made didn't look like they belonged together.  One was mostly pink with very little purple and the other was mostly purple with no pink.  If I hadn't known better I would have thought I used two different color of threads.  I made two more hearts paying close attention to the color change so they would look like they belonged together.  Then I only took a picture of one pair before I gave them away.

The only other tatting I've gotten done is Jane's TIAS.  I still don't have a clue as to what it might be.  My husband saw and thought it might be a baby carriage and I know several other people doing the TIAS has had that thought, too.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  Jane is posting day 7 tomorrow.  

My day 6 of TIAS 2013 in Lizbeth #131 Vineyard Harvest size 20

I have a lot of fun reading every one's comments as they participate in the TIAS, both about what they think it might be but also about the weather they are having, where-ever in the world they are. It's hot and wet in Australia and cold and snowy in England.  Here in Kansas we've had a lot of ups and downs in the weather. Yesterday it was 75° F, today it's about 40° and a chance of snow tonight.  We definitely could use the moisture in whatever form we can get it! 

Enjoy your day in whatever weather you may be having, along with a little tatting if you can.

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain." 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Heart Earrings

Flower Heart from Kelly at Tatfully Yours

I saw some cute heart earrings at West Pine Creations and followed her link to Tatfully Yours for the pattern.  I must admit I didn't follow her pattern but just followed her lead but she did post the pattern if anyone would like to give them a try.  They make really nice earrings that tat up quickly.  Kelly also put them together to make a wonderful snowflake.  

These are made of Lizbeth size 20 in Christmas Red #671 with silver beads.  My daughters really like them. (Me, too!)  Thanks, Kelly, for these wonderful little hearts. 

I didn't get a lot of tatting done this week as our daughter and family came to visit for the weekend.  We just had too much to do to have much time to tat.  And it is somewhat hard to tat with little ones sharing your lap:-)

My attempt at TIAS 2013 in Lizbeth #131 Vineyard Harvest in size 20

What can it be?

Are you doing Jane's TIAS this year?  She's still keeping us guessing as we haven't even reached the halfway point yet.  She's also got a lot of us trying new techniques such as split chains and Catherine Wheel Joins.  I've made a few mistakes as I've gone on but that's because I didn't practice those techniques before starting - my own fault as she warned us!  But I've been trying them where I hadn't tried them before.  It's lots of fun to see the colors everyone is using and what their guesses might be.  There are people from all over the world tatting along with her, bringing Tat Land together with this game.  Isn't Jane just the greatest? 

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your heart."

Ecclesiastes 9:10

The Shape of Hearts

Welcome to my little piece of Tat Land on this Tatting Tea Tuesday.  Today as I sip Candy Cane Lane tea from my snowman mug I am pondering the shape of hearts. 

I made these four hearts this last week.  All are ones I've done previously in the last couple of years, though the top three were modified just a little bit, and all are my patterns.  All are made in Lizbeth size 20 #644 Boysenberry dk.

The top one is one end of my "Heart's Honor" book mark with the top redone to be a stand-alone heart.  I think the top works well like this.  I added a couple of rings at the top thinking I might wear it as a pendant though it's a little larger than I would normally wear. Maybe it would be better as a pin or brooch?  Beads would look really good on it.  I actually like the shape of the inner heart better than I like the finished piece but it just didn't look finished without that last round. 

The heart on the left I made last year for Valentine's day.  It started out as one end of a bookmark that eventually turned into "Heart's Honor".  I changed the stitch count on a few of the rings which changed it's shape just a little bit.  I'm pretty happy with this heart, though the top center could still use a little help: I think it could come down a little bit, more like the original did.  

The heart on the right is from February 2011.  Originally I did make it with beads and a slightly different stitch count which has changed the look a bit, now being a bit more narrow.  I like the top better than the one on the left but to me it's a bit too narrow overall.  I didn't put beads in it this time around as I was not tatting it at home, but would probably use them the next time I make it. 

The bottom one is "Joy's Heart" from my previous post.  This is my favorite of the four as the shape is the closest to my ideal of a heart shape. I haven't yet made it with beads like Michelle has but I'm sure I will in the future.  Actually I've made quite a few of them already but I haven't quite decided what I'm going to do with all of them. I did put one on a cord, wearing it as a necklace.  Looks pretty good that way.

I haven't tried making any one else' heart patterns yet this year, though I'm thinking about trying Jane's button heart.  I did start on her TIAS for this year though. She posted Day 2 today but I haven't had time to do it yet.  I'll post pictures another day.

Are you planning on making hearts for Valentine's Day this year?  Have you started yet? What is your favorite heart shape?

It's quite a surprise to me that I have already started as I'm usually only getting started the week of February 14.  And I'm not done yet!

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart."  
Helen Keller
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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."

Trying to find a heart

A few weeks ago in February, I posted a picture of a heart I was working on. Even on my 'Trial and Error' bookmark I have a nice start of one. Then our homework for the Design-Tat class was to make one. I worked on it but then realized I had done the homework incorrectly. My work was not a complete loss as I got a lot of practice with diagramming what I was playing with, but now I have to start over on that. The hearts I came up with aren't all that heart-shaped so maybe it's good that I have to start over. But I thought I would share what I did as it's almost all of the tatting I got done all week.

(I missed the picture the first time, lets try again)

Start with this...

Try #1

Try #2

Try #3

Anyone who's taken Sharon's course will know what I've been trying to do. Okay, doing wrong. I know what I need to do, now, and will get back on course.

I say I'll get back to it but it might be a few days. I have three other tatting projects I need to get done as they are for other people. Ryan is done but not mounted yet. I've started my sister's doily/runner but have a long way to go. And I have a piece I want to do for my daughter's baby shower. I don't usually have this many active projects going on at a time. I need to quit playing around and get on with them! (pep talk to myself). Maybe I'll have more to show next week.

"Many fine things can be done in a day if you don't always make that day tomorrow"

Adding to my 25 Motif Challenge

I hope all of you had a wonderful Valentine's Day Monday. I had every intention of posting this weekend but time got away from me again. I was working on this heart, writing and diagramming the pattern and I didn't get it done! So I decided to post it today. February has Valentine's Day and is considered American Heart Month, but I think hearts are appreciated any time. This one is made from Lizbeth size 20 in #147. This is #17 of my second 25 Motif Challenge.

This last week Tabatha, from Crafting with Tabatha, asked for some help with 'Angels in the Snow' by Miranda Rensberger. Tabatha is very new to tatting, having started just this year. This is a pretty ambitious pattern for one so new, made with two shuttles and SCMR, but she is doing an amazing job tatting already so I think she should be able to make this. I'd seen this snowflake on Miranda's blog and other places where others had made it, but I hadn't yet purchased it. Tabatha's questions gave me a good excuse to buy the pattern and help Miranda raise money for the Brain Injury Association of New Mexico at the same time.

Angels in the Snow © Miranda Rensberger

I made this in Lizbeth size 20 in #662 Turquoise Lt. and #657 Ocean Turquoise Dk. While I didn't find this difficult I have been tatting quite a bit longer than Tabatha and I still remember when this would have been a problem. I started this again, taking pictures as I went to help her understand what she was supposed to be doing. I checked her blog this morning and she's made a good start. I'm naming this #18 of my second 25 Motif Challenge.

This is 'Triana' by Megzaela, one of my classmates in the Design Tat class. I test tatted this in Lizbeth size 20 color (?). This was an interesting challenge. None of the elements were that hard but you have to pay attention to which way's up and where you join. I found I had made a join incorrectly after I was completely done so it has not been fixed. Apologies, Megzaela! This will be #19 of the 25 Motif Challenge.

'Triana' © Megzaela 2010

While I was blog surfing this week I happened upon Peachtree Cottage Creations and noticed that one of the bookmarks she had made kind of looked like the one that I had designed last fall. And it was! If you haven't been over there you might go check it out. In this particular post she was trying to decide how best to stage a couple of bookmarks for a photo. She has a lot of really nice things she's done on her blog, well worth a visit.

On this Tatting Tea Tuesday I'll leave you with a couple of quotes in keeping with a month dedicated to hearts and love.

Poetry is the song of the heart, molded by the mind.

- Roger W. Hancock –

The thing about falling in love,
is that if you do it right,
you never have to hit the ground.

- Kendall Lepitzki -

Tatting Tea Tuesday, Pancake Day

Welcome to Tatting Tea Tuesday. Remember to take a little time for yourself, make yourself a cup of tea and pick up a shuttle even for a few minutes. A little chocolate might be good, too.

February is the month we celebrate Valentine's Day, usually with hearts and pretty cards. This year it also has Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the beginning of Lent.

In Liberal, Kansas they also call this day Pancake Day, and have a four day celebration that includes a pancake race with the women of Olney, England. Woman in both towns compete wearing a head scarf and apron and carry a skillet with a pancake in it. They race over a curving 415 yard (about 380 meter) course and must flip a pancake once before they start and once after they cross the finish line to show they still have the pancake. The woman of Olney have been running this race since 1455. The woman of Liberal having been doing this since 1950 when the local Jaycee president saw something about the Olney race in a publication. He contacted the town of Olney and asked if they would like to race again the woman of Liberal and they have been doing it ever since.

The story goes that it started when a woman was busy making pancakes to use up cooking fats, which are forbidden during Lent, when she heard the church bells calling everyone to service. Grabbing her headscarf, which was required in church, and still with with apron on and pan and cake in hand, ran for the church. In the following years other woman took to doing this as well, making it a race to see who could get to the church the fastest.

This year's race was won by a woman in Liberal with a time of 63 seconds, beating the winner of the Olney race by 4 seconds.

Liberal, Kansas is a little more than 300 miles (485 kilometers) west and south of Wichita, Kansas and about the same distance south and east of Colorado Springs, Colorado (it's pretty much in the middle of no-where). Olney is almost 60 miles (93 kilometers) north of London.

If you'd like to see a little more about this race you can see an older website from last year here and a current one here.

I didn't have time for pancakes today, but it does sound good!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!
Can you believe it's February 14th already? It seems like it was New Year's Day just last week.

To celebrate this day of hearts I'm sharing the heart pin I wear when I do demonstrations or have a booth at craft shows. It has an edging in red and green DMC size 10 that I started and didn't like how it turned out. It got thrown in a box until I thought to use it for this. The shuttle is actually half a Susan Bates shuttle that came apart. Then I glued a heart charm to the center to add a little accent. It makes a very nice accessory when I'm out sharing tatting with the world - or at least the local community.

I don't think I picked up a shuttle at all this week. Between a lot of overtime at work and not feeling so good, I wasn't motivated at all to do much of anything, not even tat. We did get a chance to watch our grandson this Tuesday, which it one reason I didn't post for Tatting Tea Tuesday. Some things are more important than others : )

I've decided that I may have to come up with one or two small projects to do to get me back in the groove. Something that gives a little instant gratification. It's not that I don't like the projects I have in line, but all of them are not that easy to take with me, and I do a lot of tatting away from home. If I can get started on something maybe in a few days I'll have something new to share. We can hope, right?

I've also not had much time to get online, so I am way behind on seeing what everyone is doing. I've also had some trouble responding to some of the comments from last week. Every time I had a few comments typed, I'd get kicked out with nothing saved. I do appreciate all the comments, and I will respond, soon, I promise!

I hope all of you have a wonderful Valentine's day with the one who is closest to you. Maybe share a little chocolate...

Tatting Tea Tuesday with Hearts

Welcome to Tatting Tea Tuesday. And a bunch of hearts.
As it's February, the month of hearts so to speak, I thought I'd share one of the hearts I made quite a few years ago. This is "Gypsy Heart" by Teri Dusenbury from her Tatting Hearts book. I put it on a T-shirt with two accent pieces on the sides that are the same as part of the heart, the lines with what I see as butterflies straightened out. I didn't sew this on, I glued it on with material glue. I can't remember what brand, but it's still on the shirt. Not that I wear it that much, but still.

The other hearts are on this cute mug I found at a second hand store and a strawberry chocolate covered heart from Russell Stover, mmm!

If you haven't tried any of Teri's patterns, they can be challenging. They aren't the type you can watch TV and do. You need to pay attention. But they are definitely worth doing. She has been putting up a lot of patterns on her blog Tatbits Tatting. She does lots with beads and crystals. Wonderful stuff, you should check it out.

I made this heart in January of 1993. It's hard to believe I have been tatting this well, if I do say it myself, that long. Okay, I think it came out very well. This is me showing off the shirt way back when.

I haven't gotten much of anything else done this week. I'm hoping that this next week will settle down a little bit. I'll let you know next week!

Teapot, Heart and Edging

Today for Tatting Tea Tuesday I put out my little teapot that my grandmother gave me when I was a child (many years ago, we won't say how many). It is similar to hers, though mine is much smaller. I have many happy memories of playing "tea" with this. It's almost amazing that it is still in such good shape today. And, no, I didn't put tea in it this morning. I had my cup of Refresh mint tea in a big mug, as usual (which holds way too much for this little pot).

What do you think of this heart? Does some of it look familiar? If you look closely at the center you can see "Heart's Desire" from Susan Fuller. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I did this. I had taken thread to make "Heart's Desire" with me when I knew I'd be sitting waiting for awhile. I still had it with me that evening when I had to wait on my husband after work. As I had time on my hands and the heart in front of me and nothing better to do, I started making it a little bigger. I was thinking if it was just a little bigger it would be a small doily and a nice gift. Let's just say it was challenging to make another round in the spirit of the original heart. This is not exactly how I wanted it to come out, but at a certain point I just wanted to finish it.


I'm not sure what I think about this heart. Did I ruin it? I really like the shape of the original, and this doesn't keep quite to that. I'm thinking that the sides towards the bottom need a little work. I'm not going to take it apart to change it, but maybe I'll try again sometime and make a few adjustments. One way or another, it was a challenge, so I'm making this number five of my 2nd 25 Motif Challenge.

Talking of challenges, I've been making Jane Eboral's TIAS. No pictures to show and I'm a little behind. I definitely have to be awake a little longer than I have been before I work on it. It's not that hard, but I'm making it hard! I still have absolutely no clue what it will be. Check out how everyone is doing here. Maybe one of you can figure out where she's heading with this : )

I've gotten several comments on the picture in my last post, the one with the edging. A few people have indicated they would like the pattern. Okay, you asked, I give in. It was made in DMC white size 10 several years ago. This is a very simple pattern that, I think, is mine. If anyone has seen it before somewhere else I'll be glad to give credit where it belongs. I make up a lot of edgings and rarely use a pattern from someone else (usually because I'm starting it without a pattern book around and/or because I can't find one that fits what I have in mind) so I probably designed this one, too. Note that the picots are generous, which was intentional. You are welcome to make them any size you want.

For My Sweetheart Edging

2 Shuttles

Sht1 R 3-5-5-3. RW

Ch 5-3-3-5. RW

R 3-5-5-3. RW

Ch 5+3-3-3-3-3 to 1st p of prev ch. DNRW SS (Switch shuttles)

Sht2 R 3-5-5-3. DNRW SS

Sht1 Ch 3-3-3-3-3-5. RW

R 3-5+5-3 to 2nd p of prev Sht1 R. RW

Ch 5+3-3-5 to 1st p of prev Ch

Repeat from start for desired length.

Good luck! As always, beware of mistakes lurking! I would love to hear from anyone that makes this. And do let me know if you find any of those lurking mistakes. Nasty critters, those. I'll take a broom to 'em and chase 'em off!

P.S. Thanks TattingChic for correcting me on the designer of "Heart's Desire". My pattern has Georgia Seitz web address at the bottom - my oops and my apologies to Susan Fuller.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig - with butterflies and snow

We made it home at last, in time for Tatting Tea Tuesday. I say it that way because who doesn't sleep better in their own bed? I had a wonderful time in Washington, DC and loved the visit with my daughter and her family. Though I didn't get to see a lot of the sights of the area - at least up close and personal - it was an enjoyable vacation, too. But it is nice to be home again.

For the last two weeks the tatting I've gotten done has been in a limited number of colors because I didn't take a large variety of thread. I really didn't anticipate getting a lot done. Which I didn't. What I did get done was simple patterns that I didn't have to concentrate on too much. Between taking care of the grandson (ooh, so sweet!) and meeting new people (daughters' in-laws), seeing the area, and then the long trip home, my mind wasn't into thinking hard. So what has been posted and these few butterflies and the heart are the entire amount of tatting I've done in two weeks.

The heart is again Tracy's Heart by Heather, done in Lizbeth thread size 20 black and Victorian Red. I used two shuttles and adjusted the pattern just a little so the bottom ring was in black instead of red.

The butterflies are based on a pattern by Monica Mancenido, aka soyloquesoy, found on Intatters. It's a simple little butterfly with a simple little stitch count. I decided to make it, but wasn't on-line and hadn't really checked the stitch count. So what I got are the butterflies you see. The one top left is the closest to her original pattern - not quite, but close - and then the top right with a lot of picots on the outside. The two bottom ones I added the thrown off ring for a head as well as more picots. They are all done in Falling Leaves Lizbeth size 20. Another cute way to use the last of the thread on a shuttle.

I'm enjoying a nice cup of hot tea today (mint), much needed as the weather is pretty chilly. The thermometer says it's 39 degrees F but it's gray and cold-looking outside. The last few days in Washington were wet with the tail end of Ida causing lots of rain but they are now enjoying nice, sunny weather. We come home to snow flurries and rain. Ahh *sipping tea* but it is nice to be home, no matter the weather.