Here Be Bunnies

Spring is here and Easter is in a few days.  This year, to get into the spirit of the season, I’ve made a few bunnies.

Spring Bunny

I had brown Lizbeth #698 size 10 on shuttles already, so I used that and white Lizbeth #601 size 10.  The bunny head is a ring, the body are chains, and the tail is a Single Shuttle Split Ring.

Field of tatted bunnies

The brown bunny without a tail is the first one I made.  Those are feet instead of a tail, so he’s facing front instead of back.  The hardest part of the ones with tails is not seeing the white at the top of the body when finishing off the bunny. I plan on using these on bookmarks or cards so used a bit of glue on the back after tying a knot at the back.  That way I didn’t have to hide the ends of the white thread.

These were fun and easy to make, though I haven’t done as many as I’d like. I had a few days off from work last week but I hardly tatted at all.  My sister and I took a little trip for a little sister time. I did a lot of driving and a lot of talking.

Our little trip included a visit to one set of grandchildren this last weekend.  We decorated Easter eggs together.  It was a lot of fun, though they had to finish all the eggs we started with their mother.

I plan on seeing the other set of grandchildren this next weekend.  Not sure if we’ll color eggs or not.   If we can’t all get together at the same time for Easter, this will have to be the next best thing.

“May your Easter be filled with lots of Easter eggs, presents from the Easter bunny, blessings from Jesus Christ and most of all happiness that lasts for a life time. I’m sending lots of love on your way. Happy Easter to you.”
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Tat Days!

My first Palmetto Tat Days are over.  I’m home and back to work.  But, man, did I have fun! It was great!

I had decided to rent a car to get from Atlanta to Taccoa, which is about two hours away.  As I would have plenty of room – and would appreciate a navigator! – I volunteered to give a ride to anyone that was arriving at about the same time.  That’s how I met Linda Barnes.  Her plane came in a little before mine.  We didn’t know each other, so I sent her a picture from the plane.  We connected with no problems.

Meeting Linda Barnes at the Atlanta airport

Another tatter that needed a ride was Linda Patron.  Her plane came in a short while after mine.  I sent her a picture of Linda B. and me and we still had a little trouble finding her. We were at baggage claim one and so was she – we were at the north baggage claim and she was at the south.  Once we figured that out we found each other easily.  Once in the car we visited together the whole way to the conference center.

Meeting Linda Patron

This was my first Tat Days but I knew one person that was there.  Karen, aka IsDihara, and I had met several years ago. I was so excited to see her!  I had heard that she wasn’t going to be able to go, but she made it!

Karen, aka IsDahara, was able to come to Tat Days!

I didn’t know who my room mate was going to be.  I found out when I went to the room for bed about 10:00 p.m.  I opened the door and look who I found!

Diane, Lace-Lovin’-Librarian is my room mate!

Yep, Diane, Lace-Lovin’-Librarian was my room mate!  I recognized her right away.  It was so cool!  We got along right from the start.  I couldn’t have asked for a better room mate.

Thursday night arrivals at Tat Days 2016

This is the general room on the lower floor of the conference center.  There seemed to always be people here.

I didn’t take nearly as many pictures as I usually do when I’m someplace special – I was too busy meeting people and experiencing everything that is Tat Days.  I also did a little tatting 🙂  I didn’t get any of my projects done while there, but I learned a lot and had a great experience.  I hope to make it back next year.

Palmetto Tat Days, September 8-9, 2017 in Toccoa, Georgia.  The theme is “Tat a Con – All Things Tatted”

I will be sharing more of the pictures I took in the next few weeks – be warned!

“What we learn with pleasure we never forget” Alfred Mercier

p.s. I’ve been trying to post this since Tuesday but life keeps getting in the way. With any luck things will get back to normal soon and so will my posting.

Travel Time Tatting

Travel Time Tatting Motifs

Coming back from the wedding last weekend I was kind of at a loss.  I had been so concerned about getting the wedding gift done on the way there that I didn't even think about what I would work on during the trip back.  I had plenty of thread, though not really in my favored color schemes, so that wasn't the problem.  But what to actually make??  These two motifs!

The first thing I did was empty the shuttles as there wasn't much thread left on any of them.  You may notice that there are no doodles in the dark green - emptying that shuttle was the signal to end the tatting for the wedding gift.  I now have a variety of butterflies, birds, fish and flowers to add to cards or whatever.  While I did this I had time to give some thought as to what to do next. 

http://www.freewebs.com/heathersdesigns/littlebuggies.htm

http://lelia-stitchesoflife.blogspot.com/2011/06/dove.html

http://www.godtland.com/tatting/Fish.pdf

I had a couple of little metal do-dads in my tatting bag and this turned out to be a good opportunity to play with them.  I made the orange and green motif first, simple and easy, in Bright Orange #695 and Lime Green #679 (Lizbeth thread, size 20).  

Then I started the green one in Lime Green #679 and Leaf Green Dark #676 (Lizbeth thread, size 20), incorporating a few beads as well as the do-dad.  This isn't really a complicated piece but I kept getting distracted and had some issues remembering which direction I needed to make some of those chains. With all the distractions and then the light fading as the day ended this one was not finished on the trip.  It took until Friday to finally complete it.  I notice that my tension on some of the chains have something to be desired, but on the whole I think these motifs turned out pretty well.  These two motifs together are #3 in my current 25 Motif Challenge.

I mentioned last week the wedding we went to was in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, which is pretty close to Wyoming.  If any of you have traveled in this area, you know that most of Nebraska is pretty flat, and so is eastern Wyoming. That doesn't mean there aren't a few interesting things to see.  This is a picture taken not too far from town at Scotts Bluff National Monument.  As you can see, it's not all flat here.  In fact, it's rather scenic. Three historic trails followed the North Platte River through this area - the Oregon, Mormon, and California trails. This would have been quite a sight after all the flat-lands they had come through.  (By the way, the oxen in the picture aren't real). We didn't have a lot of time to see the Bluffs and we'd like to come back someday.

Another point of interest is Chimney Rock National Historical Site.  We stopped here on our way back - well, in the visitor's center.  We didn't get much closer than this.  Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff were mentioned frequently in the journals of pioneers in days past, and by more recent visitors, too.

                                      

The time spent at the visitor's center was well worth the $3 (US) a piece we paid (the grandkids were free).  For one, it was nice and cool inside ;-) We took pictures of the Chimney from the patio, making sure to stay on the pavement.  There are a lot of signs out warning of rattlesnakes.  The good news for us it only one has been sighted so far this year at the center.  This was an interesting place to see. I'm glad we were able to stop.

It was a long drive out there but well worth the trip.  I enjoyed a glass of iced tea today while looking through the pictures instead of tatting on this Tatting Tea Tuesday. Ah, well, maybe tomorrow :-)

"And after many days on the close-fed plain and bluffs of earth back we came to an interesting change.  We saw a whole day's march ahead on the plain what looked a big castle, or small mountain.  But on nearing it, we saw that it was a big tower of sand-stone far detached like an island, from the bluffs back, which had now all become of that kind of rock, high and perpendicular and strangely worn into many fantastic shapes.  The detached mass first seen is called the Chimney Rock a striking, landmark in this prairie sea. The upper, perhaps 100 feet of naked rock and the lower 50 a spreading pedestal, well grassed over."
From The Autobiography of John Ball
Across the Plains to Oregon, 1832

On the road again, meeting new friends

Me and Kathy

I took another trip this week - back to Washington, DC to my daughter's. Her husband has been stationed back to Omaha but there has been some issues with getting all the arrangements made for the move. My daughter got tired of all the run-around and decided to come back now instead of waiting on the movers. So I flew out on Saturday so she wouldn't have to drive all the way back by herself. We started the drive back on Sunday, she and I and her almost two year old son. Our trip took us up into Pennsylvania then across to Kansas.

You remember that I had a drawing last week? Well, Kathy Niklewicz, the winner, lives up there! We made arrangements to meet in Washington, PA on our way through. I emailed her our plans and she checked into a place to meet. It was great - she even got online and checked out how easy it would be for us to get on and off the interstate. And then called the restaurant to make sure that was accurate!

Kathy with her prize (or part of it!)

We met at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant and ended up visiting for over two hours! It was so fun to be able to give Kathy her prize in person. The anticipation of the gift giving was as great as if it was Christmas! It was so much fun to see her get the Pumpkins on a Vine bookmark and all the other little things, too. Check out the pendant Kathy was wearing

Kathy and her husband were so nice. And she brought me a present, too! There was a small Steelers football for the boys to play with and a cute Steelers Christmas tree ornament (we were in Steelers country) and some cookies (these didn't last too long!).

And the most special gift was a paperweight with a patriotic motif in it - Sue Hanson's 5 point Celtic motif. It was the same motif that I had been inspired to make because I saw it on Kathy's blog a year ago. It is so special to have this connection between us. Thank you, Kathy!

Not too far from Pittsburgh

If we had to make the drive we chose a great time to do it. The trees along the way were beautiful. We took our time and stopped for two nights along the way, getting out every couple of hours to stretch and eat or just walk around. I think that helped a lot, no one got fussy (much) and we could enjoy the ride.

I've been trying to post this for the last three days but I'm not used to a two year old running around everywhere: -)

Thank you Kathy for meeting us. It really was fun. We'll have to do it again sometime.