Time well spent

Last month I spent a weekend with my daughter’s family.  One day my grandson had a fundraiser he had to work and wanted me to go, too.  I tagged along but forgot to bring a chair to sit on.  We did happen to bring a cooler, so I was able to sit down somewhat comfortably.  I did not have a particular tatting project to work on but I did have several shuttles I was going to empty making small butterflies and such.

Ashley, the mother of one of the other boys, came over to see what I was doing.  I demonstrated a bit using two shuttles to show the flip better.  As we were both going to be there a while, and she showed interest, I let her try.  She picked it up fast!  In a little over an hour she was able to chain and even do a couple of rings.

New tatter Ashley

I was impressed with Ashley, she did such a great job!  What I thought would be a long two hours went by in a flash.  We both enjoyed ourselves sitting on the sidewalk outside of a Wal-mart. Best fundraiser I ever went to.

Between the wonderful time I spent with my daughter’s family and the time I spent with Ashley, it was a great weekend.

 

“Time is free, but it’s priceless.
You can’t own it, but you can use it.
You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.
Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.”

Tatting class at Odd Balls Yarn Shop

Saturday, June 15, I taught a tatting class at Odd Balls Yarn Shop in Newton, KS. I had two students, Erica and Cheryl, who already knew each other.  I meant to ask if one had talked the other into taking the class but I forgot to. Too busy getting busy teaching them to tat ☺

Here's Erica checking to see if the stitch flipped or not.  The dark table cloth helped her see her light-colored thread.

This is Cheryl concentrating on her chain.  She had a dark thread on the shuttle so we put a white board in front of her to help her see the thread. 

Both had some trouble keeping tension with the left hand at first.  They tried to hold the thread the way I learned to hold it for a little bit then they both switched to holding it the way they do when they crochet and Bingo! things went much faster and easier.  Both ladies were able to flip their stitches for both chains and rings with a little work on my part to make sure they could work with the hand positions.  We ran out of time before we could finish their projects of decorated buttons but they were well on their way. 

I utilized my new teaching tools during this class.  One of the biggest problems with teaching someone to tat (IMHO), even with size 30 thread like we used in the class, is making sure that the student understands/sees what you are talking about.  My solution is to use a bit bigger 'thread'.

This is about a size 3 cord.

When I needed to explain what a stitch looked like, how to tell if it was correct, how to count stitches between picots, etc, it was very easy to show it with this size 'thread'.  It seems to have worked very well.  Cheryl had brought with her some of the thread that she had, including a whole box of size 80 DMC tatting thread of different colors.  Between the two extremes I explained that tatting could be done with any size thread, with or without an actual shuttle.  (No, I didn't try putting this cord on a shuttle!)

Cheryl, myself and Erica at the tatting class

We all had a lot of fun Saturday! I'm looking forward to seeing how they progress in with their tatting.

Erica has a website with some of the things she does.  Check out Buxom Bones, maybe she'll put some of her tatting there ☺

"We learn by practice.  Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same.  One becomes in some area an athlete of God."

Martha Graham

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Tatting lessons

Remember about a month ago I mentioned a group meeting at the extension office, Hook Yarn and Needle? Their last meeting for three months was this last Thursday. They had asked me if I would teach them how to shuttle tat.

So I have had a month to organize how to teach shuttle tatting for an unknown number of students. Oh, boy!

I really didn't think that everyone there would want to try, and the ones that planned on it would probably bring a shuttle of one type or another. But there may be one or two that didn't plan on it so I had to plan on it.

I didn't want to buy new shuttles for that contingency and I didn't want to give up my shuttles - I wouldn't mind someone using them, but what if they wanted to take it home?

Okay, okay, it was really because most of my shuttles have thread on them and I didn't want to have to unwind them - small thread isn't what I recommend to learn with. Sooo..

I made cardboard shuttles. See?

I made four and they worked quite well.

One person there had bought shuttles for her daughters to learn but hadn't gotten one for herself, so she used one. The other we used for ball thread because a lady was having trouble with tension on her left hand. I thought a little extra weight might help to keep the thread around her left hand.

I took a ball of turquoise thread for shuttle thread and wrapped red thread around note cards for ball thread, both in size 10. It was a nice contrast of colors so the double stitches were very easy to recognize when they "flipped", or didn't as the
case may be.

I had four students at one time and they all did great!

The one lady with the tension problem had to leave early without it being resolved but she was beginning to see what the stitch should be doing. I sent her a list of websites with "how to's" and my phone number so she can call me if she needs help.

The other three were able to make rings and chains and picots, and one of them made a nice length of rings and chains with the rings joined. It was even done front side/back side! I was very happy with their progress.

I had a display laid out of some of my tatted pieces which was very well received. I also had laid out a variety of books so they could see more of what could be done with tatting.

It turned out to be a really productive day. I wish I could show you pictures from the day, except I never took any. I had my camera, I just never got it out of the bag!

We had a wonderful weekend here, with gorgeous weather. We spent a lot of time outside, both getting things done around the yard and sitting around visiting friends and neighbors.

Here in the states we celebrated Memorial Day today, a day in which we honor those who have died, our loved ones as well as our veterans who gave their all for their country. Our flag flies at half mast to honor the fallen. Cemeteries everywhere are decorated with flowers and flags. It's also a day of picnics and trips to the lake. May we always remember why this day is set aside and not loose it's meaning in the fun of the start of summer.
God Bless America!