A New Bookmark

A friend of mine had her retirement party last week. I was trying to think of something to give her and felt a bookmark might work. I was too lazy to look up a bookmark pattern, so, as usual, I just started one. The bookmark is a common pattern type, I just put my flair on it.

Arlo bookmark

This is made in Lizbeth #165 Grape Splash in size 20. This was quick and easy until I came to an end. I couldn’t make up my mind about what I wanted to do, so the two ends are different.

One end of Arlo

I like the look of this end but not how I got there. This needs a bit of work. Because I wasn’t happy with it, I did the other end a bit differently.

The other end of Arlo

I like this look as well, but not the stitch count. The clover at the top joins to the sides a little wonky. I can see how I should change it – the next time.

I decided this bookmark didn’t come out well enough to give as a gift, so I gave her a Hymnal Angel that I had already made instead. My friend was quite happy with the angel, and I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t what I had originally meant to give her.

Monday was such a beautiful day outside that I took the dog for a walk at a local arboretum. Our normal temperature this time of year is in the lower 40° F, today was in the upper 50s. She and I enjoyed the outing greatly.

At the pond at the arboretum

Being winter, most of the plants were brown and not so pretty, but the walk and the weather were lovely. This was a wonderful change of scenery from our normal walk in our yard.

After our walk, I took her to our local coffee shop, where she got a pup cup, and I got a yummy coffee. Both of us were quite happy with our outing

I have several ideas for what I want to tat next. I’m even writing them down so I can remember them later! They might include hearts for Valentine’s. We’ll see how they come out. But today is the start of Jane’s 2023 TIAS!

Day 1 of Jane’s 2023 TIAS

As there are no clues in the TIAS to indicate what colors to use, I’m doing it in Lizbeth #617 Magenta Med in size 20. Hmm, I have no guess yet.

Are you doing Jane’s TIAS? What do you think it is?

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” Groucho Marx

Finally Fall

The calendar shows that it is fall and now it feels like fall – mostly. We’ve had a few nights where there was a freeze and some days of cool weather and then there is today. When I got up this morning it was still 66° F with enough humidity that all the sidewalks were so damp it looked like it had rained. It’s currently cloudy and windy with an expected high of 77°. The average temperature for this time of year is around 60°. Friday they are projecting a high of 49° and staying around that for over a week. Fall in Kansas, don’t you love it?

I actually have some fall decorations out already. I’m usually terrible about decorating early enough to enjoy them before the season is over, except maybe Christmas. For some reason, I’ve gotten into the fall season early (for me!)

My fall decorations

I’ve been working on an edging that I need to have done ASAP, which is for a Christmas runner. It’s not far enough along to share yet, but I’m finally excited about it. Unfortunately, it is in white while I want to tat in more fall colors.

When I have the chance I plan on writing out the pattern for the October Snowflake that I spoke about in my previous post. I’m sure it will look great in other colors.

In early October I shared a picture on my Facebook page of a new angel I’ve designed but never shared here.

September Angel

I’ve been working on the pattern and thought it was almost ready to share, but looking at these I realize I’ve made a mistake. It’s a minor mistake but means it will delay sharing the pattern. Very soon, I hope.

While scrolling through Facebook the other day (a dangerous rabbit hole to go down!) I saw a cute way to make Christmas trees using toilet paper rolls. The site is coleykuyerart.com if you want to check it out. It is so easy I thought I’d try it. I even had just emptied a roll of toilet paper, perfect timing. I didn’t decorate it but can think of so many easy ways to do so.

TP roll Christmas tree and two angels

I did this quickly just to see if I liked it. I will be making more of these but cutting them a little more carefully. I have a granddaughter I believe would have fun helping me do this.

This post would have been out sooner as I was almost finished with it yesterday. I know I saved it several times but this morning there was no trace of it. I had to start all over. Bummer.

Now I must get back to the runner edging. What are you working on?

“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Charles Dudley Warner

The Week before New Years

Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? I hope you did. We did. We had family get-togethers, presents, a Christmas Eve program, and a wonderful Christmas day. Now we are in that week just before the calendar year changes from 2021 to 2022. Are you ready?

I finally finished the wings for my tree-topper angel, the day after Christmas. But that’s okay, I still have my tree up and the angel is now ready for next year.

Tree-top angel got its wings

I made the wings in Lizbeth # 601 Snow White in size 10. I had wanted to make them in # 602 Natural but I didn’t have any in size 10. I thought the color would go better with the rest of the angel, but this looks okay. I modified my Angel Wings pattern to make the wings come out larger than I made them before. I even stiffened them so they would stand out nicely. I’m very happy with how the whole angel came out.

At Christmas, our families play a white elephant gift exchange game so we don’t have to spend so much on presents, but there are still a few gifts some of us give because we want to anyway. My sister embroiders and always makes something for the women and bakes goodies for each family (the guys and kids don’t complain!) She enjoys embroidering tea towels throughout the year so we all get them at Christmas. The women don’t complain, either. This year they all had gnomes on them.

Gnome tea towel

I love my new tea towel, isn’t it cute? Unlike some, I am not afraid to use the embroidered tea towels my sister gives me. I have them out almost exclusively. She put all that work into them, I’m not leaving them in the drawer!

This year has been unseasonable warm here. We’ve been hearing of snow in some other parts of the country, but here in the middle of the USA we have had warm temperatures and haven’t had any moisture but a few sprinkles in over a month. The weather is supposed to change a bit on New Year’s Day.

Weather forecast for the week before New Year 2021

It’s too far out to know if we really will have any moisture or in what form it will take snow, rain, or ice, or a combination. I’ll take it in whatever form we can get it.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I don’t, I just review what’s been going on, what I’ve been doing, and consider if I’m going in the direction I want to be going. I do sometimes make a list of tatted things I would like to make, but I usually lose it. As I’m retired now maybe I’ll post that list on the refrigerator and remember to make a few of the items on my wish list. Check back at the end of next year to see how well that goes, LOL!

New Years’ Day is this coming Saturday. Are you ready?

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.” Nido Qubein

Pretty day

March 7, 2015 it's sunny, about 70° F with just a slight breeze - an absolutely beautiful day in Kansas!

So pretty I sat outside to tat some, until I got too warm!

Okay, almost spring day :-)

And for those that live in such places, don't forget to Spring forward and set your clocks an hour ahead tonight.

Once again

Yes, another lamp shade.

Tatted decorated lamp shade in Lizbeth black, size 20

I have had such fun decorating these lamp shades and the cans they sit on.  The tatting seemed to go quickly and easily, probably due to how excited I was to see them completed; even decorating the cans went quickly.  You see the cans as decorated very simply, which is true, but I have a tendency to over think things like this, but this time I didn't.  I just went with the ideas as they came to me, keeping them simple instead if getting elaborate as I tend to do. 

I've been getting a lot of tatting done, mostly making edgings for cloth runners.  I'm using size 10 thread, which seems huge after using size 20 almost exclusively lately. I ordered several rolls from Handy Hands a few weeks ago specifically for the runners but had to order again yesterday.  I forgot that as size 10 is so much bigger the balls don't go as far as I expect them to.  I have only completed one runner so far but am working on the edgings for a third.  The hardest thing doing edgings for me is it's not really done until it's stitched to the material.   

It's a sunny day today, but cold and blustery.  Yesterday afternoon it was over 70º F but dropped 40º in less than three hours.  We're actually pretty lucky here, there were only a few snow flurries, not like the snow they got farther north.  I've gotten rather spoiled with the mild weather we've had so far this autumn.  It is November so I should expect colder temperatures - just not temperatures we usually see in January!

Today in America we celebrate Veteran's Day.  One of my daughters put together a poster for work to recognize and thank veterans for their service.  As I helped her collect pictures of family and friends who served I realized how many in our family have been in the military.  I want to thank them and all veterans and active duty military for their service.  Their service and sacrifices are recognized and appreciated.

Thank you!

"For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press.  It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.  It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.  It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag."

Former Georgia Senator and Governor Zell Miller

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Mother's Day Tatting

Did everyone have a nice Mother's Day?

I did. We visited with my mother, my husband's mother and a couple of special aunts. They were very nice visits.  We gave my MIL and aunts flowers but my mother got a hat pin.

This is made with a large button, Lizbeth #670 Victorian Red thread size 20, and gold beads.  It measures almost three inches across. 

For all this is just simple chains I had quite the time with it, making mistakes in counts, cutting a picot, getting the shuttle threads tangled.  You can see at the bottom where things just didn't go quite right.  But overall it didn't turn out too bad.  In person, stepping back a bit, the boo boo isn't all that noticeable.  I also had such trouble with it I didn't want to chance trying to fix it :-p.  I thought about trying to put a ribbon or flower or something over it to hide it but decided it was just going to have to be good enough. 

Mom liked it, so all is good.

After all the visits we went home and I spent most the afternoon and evening tatting *smile*. 

I had recently come across the bookmark I had made when I was in Branson, Missouri a few years ago and was inspired to tat it again. 

This is made with Lizbeth Twirlz #404 Mermaid Lagoon size 20.

This is the first time I've tried the Twirlz thread.  It tatted up very nicely and held up well when I was retro tatting.  I hadn't been sure I was going to like it, and I might not like it for every pattern, but I do like it for this. 

I've added this pattern to My Patterns tab as Branson Bookmark.

The weatherman predicted there would be severe weather Sunday night and there was, but it missed us by a few miles.  We spent a lot of the evening keeping an eye on the weather and worrying about family and people we know in areas that were getting it worse than we did. We did get over an inch of rain out the storms, so it wasn't all bad.

It was a good day, imperfections and all.

"Yes, Mother.  I can see you are flawed.  You have not hidden it.  That is your greatest gift to me."

Alice Walker

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Zipping along

Or would that be 'pulling along' if you're making zipper pulls?

Or maybe they're stitch markers. Stitching along?

Whatever they may be I made them this week.  

 Lizbeth #166 Pink Cocoa in size 40

I even glued a bead in the center.  We'll see how long it lasts :-)

Oren Bayan Perle Kotton size 8

These were fun to make and the ladies at open stitch at Odd Balls really liked them.  It's always a plus for me when other people like what I've made - not the be-all, end-all, but definitely a plus. 

I have been working on my vest but don't have anything I want to share yet.  The collar went fast and made me happy, the body not so much.  I've made several tries but am not that excited about any of them.  I'll keep at it until it works.

IsDihara, over at Ambitatterous, is having a drizzly day.  She shared some of the beautiful flowers in her neighborhood from the last week.  Looks lovely!  Here in Kansas we are having a wonderful day - sunshine and temperatures in the 80's (F) though the wind is blowing about 25 mph with gusts a bit more.  But for here it's a great day!  Until tomorrow when it's supposed to be much cooler with rain and possible storms.  I think the snow is supposed to stay up in the northwest corner of the state though.  

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success."

Napoleon Hill

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Two Bracelets

I finished the bracelet I was working on last week and another one as well - will wonders never cease?

Both are made with Lizbeth Caribbean #122 in size 20.   Well, the shuttles weren't empty yet so I might as well use it, right?

This one is the same pattern as the green one I made a couple of weeks ago. 

This one has silver, six-pointed findings instead of buttons.  When I started it I thought I would have to go around a second time because I didn't think I'd like it like it was.  That was when I was just doing the first side.  When I got around to the other side I decided I liked it as it was.   Originally I was going to make each end like the first bracelet but when I got to that point I had another idea to use findings there as well.  I think it came out pretty well.  My sister is quite fond of this colorway and would have taken both off my hands immediately when I showed them to her.

I've not been on the Internet much lately and am way behind on reading blogs.  It just seems like there is always something going on that keeps me busy.  I'm hoping to do a little catching up in the next few days, but I'm not holding my breath.  The good news is that I'm still finding time to tat!

We've had some beautiful spring weather here - sunny then cloudy then rain and lightning.  Then today we get up to cloudy skies but nice temperatures, about 75º F up 'til about 3:00 PM. That's when the cold front came in from the northwest.  It dropped 20º in about 20 minutes.  Yes, it is really spring in Kansas.

"You can't get mad at weather because weather's not about you.  Apply that lesson to most other aspects of life."

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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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A hot Tatting Tea Tuesday

This morning I enjoyed a lovely glass if sweet iced tea, Black Cherry Berry flavored - very yummy! I hadn't been sure I'd like it iced but I'm very sure I like it now! Yes, the picture shows a cup of tea not a glass but I wanted to show the pretty cup:-) The doily is one I made quite a few years ago, and sad to say I have only a vague idea where I got the pattern.

The little book "Get Well Tea" I picked up on my vacation in Branson, Missouri. I found it in the back room of an antique/flea market that my sister and I visited on our way out of town. The author is J.C. McCracken, the owner/innkeeper of the Inn at Fall Creek, Branson, Mo., at least as of 1996 when the book was published. This little book has a brief history of tea, a little about the hummingbird and a few recipes for "Get Well Tea.." I'm really going to have to try a few of these, they sound very yummy, though I'm not sure they would all taste good if your tummy wasn't feeling to well. But being unwell doesn't always involve the tummy, does it?

I've done some tatting this week, I just don't have any I'm quite ready to share yet. I've also spent a lot of time on the computer (not surfing, though), working on diagramming patterns. I've noticed lately looking at the stats of my blog that a lot of people are looking at the pattern I posted for the Christmas bell ornament from this post, so I diagrammed it and have it in the right sidebar. I spent my day Saturday doing this instead of all the cleaning I should have been doing, isn't that sad? And, yes, it took more hours than I planned; I have a ways to go before I'll be quick at it.

As you might guess from the title of this post it's been rather hot here in Kansas. It was mentioned on a local TV station that the average high temperature for this July was 103 deg. F (39 deg. C), which makes it a pretty hot month. The average temperature is 90 deg. F but we haven't had a day under 93 deg all month. And August is usually pretty hot as well. Today is a good example of how hot it is here: at 7:00 PM CDT it was 110 deg. F (43 deg. C). There have been several records set for the heat this year - these are records I would prefer not have broken! I'm ready for cooler weather.

"Whether the weather be fine,

Whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold,

Whether the weather be hot,

We'll weather the weather,

Whatever the whether,

Whether we like it or not."

TTT, March 9, 2010 and the weather

I had a wonderful picture for today. I had chosen the best picture of the several I'd taken, with everything showing up well and the lighting right. I had my cup of tea ready and had already taken a few minutes to tat. I was all set to have a nice TTT post.

And every time I upload the picture to Blogger it's rotated 90 degrees!

In every program I look at the picture it is showing correctly which side is up and which side is down. But every time I upload it to Blogger - Boom! - it's sitting side ways!

I've been playing with it, trying to get the picture right, but it's just not happening. I might just end up taking another picture and starting from scratch.

Unfortunately, I can't do that until I get home again after work. So no picture today : (

The good news is that it's looking like I will have a little more time for tatting. At least in theory. They've cut back on all the over time, at least for a little while. So I should have a little more time to do stuff I want to do, including tatting. I'm hoping to have a little more energy for a lot of things. And we have a lot of things we've let slide at home because of the over time. Of course, it's also beginning to feel like spring here, so we'll probably end up with a lot more things on our "to do" list.

On the weather front we've had a bit of spring-like weather, you know, spring rains. It's also Severe Weather Awareness Week here in Kansas. This is to remind people to be prepared in case of severe weather - including tornadoes. They (the state of Kansas) were planning a state wide tornado drill today but because of the cloudy skies and rain it has been postponed until Thursday. They don't want to alarm people by having the sirens go off when there is no threat but the weather is such as it could be. This drill includes having the local warning sirens go off and the All-Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System activated to signal the start of the drill. Everyone is supposed to treat the drill as if an actual tornado was imminent. Also to be in readiness for other severe weather such as flash floods, large hail and damaging winds.

Where I work we do the drill and everyone goes to the closest weather shelter in whichever building you are working in. They'll do it when the sirens go off on Thursday, about 1:30 PM, and then again with second shift later in the evening, though there won't be the city sirens for that one. We have a lot of turn-over of people, so there will be some who wouldn't know where to go if we didn't do this. There are signs showing where to go, but it's not the same as actually going to it. We've had to go to the shelters for real several times in the last few years, but fortunately for us we were never hit during those times.

If anyone is interested in some Kansas weather statistics this has some interesting information in it. Even if you don't live in Kansas, it has information of what should go into emergency kits for your home. Every location has some sort of hazard to be prepare for.

I'm looking forward to spring, for warmer weather and sunshine. I'm betting most of you in the northern hemisphere are, too. Of course, winter isn't officially over yet, so the weather could get cold again, but I'm hoping not. But I'll have to take what the Lord sends us.

I hope to have my picture problem figured out by next week. One way or the other!

May you all have a great week!

Motif #13 and the weather

This motif I found on Nita's Creations here. She designed this in a Design Tat class on line. I really liked the looks of it and have several ideas of what I would like to do with it. She graciously said I could try it. This one I made with DMC size 30 pink and green. This will be my #13 in the 25 motif challenge. And I notice that it's a bit crooked - oh, well. Check out Nita's motif and her other projects on her blog. She's been doing cloonies, which I haven't mastered yet. Hers are lookin' good!


I've had a little bit of time to tat and to post because I haven't been outside since I got home from work Thursday night. Because we had a blizzard! Yes, ice, snow, wind, cold, white out conditions. It was projected to be so bad that they canceled 2nd shift where I work so I didn't have to go to work Friday or Saturday - thank goodness!! The roads got nasty in a hurry. Wichita had lots of ice and lots of accidents to go with it. So I got to stay home and just watch it all come down.

It looks like it finally quit snowing. It's hard to tell because the wind is really blowing it around. It's also very hard to tell just how much snow we actually have. Some places you can see the grass, other places have drifts. It's not as bad here as just west of us, they got about 20 inches a few miles west and more than that south west of here. I'm just glad I don't have to get out in it! Welcome spring, ha ha.

I should be tatting

The excitement is over for awhile, and things are pretty much back to normal. But I haven't picked up a shuttle all week! I think my mind is taking a break. There are a few ideas percolating in the back there but they haven't yet made it to the top. Maybe next week.


The weather has decided to be cold again, after all the interesting, warm weather we had last week. There were actually snow flurries on the way home from work last night, nothing sticking. There was fog and haze this morning with the chance of the roads being slick, but I don't have to get out this early, so I didn't worry about it.


I was on eTatters and see that it is moving to InTatters. I'm trying to make sure I have everything from eTatters, like my friends, so I can find them on the new sight. I'm registered as tattldy there, so look me up when you get there. I'm slowly figuring out how to get around there and what's what. It might take me awhile to get used to the changes, but I'll get it - eventually!

Rough Weather

Well, tomorrow is the baptism for both the grandsons. My daughter from Nebraska came down yesterday with Mercutio so she could be here in plenty of time.

Today we went to pick up the cake for after church - and spent 10 -15 minutes in the freezer in the store. The tornado sirens went off in town. They made an announcement over the intercom to either leave the building or go to the freezers until the all clear was given. Having the baby with
us we went to the freezer.

There were about 20 people in the freezer we were in, all standing around shivering. It has been above average in temperatures here for several days, which of course leads to tornado weather around here. And the sirens went off because of a sighting close to where we live!

But every thing is fine. There was only a funnel cloud which never touched the ground, a little hail, a little wind and a little rain. We're still in a severe thunderstorm watch, but it seems to be going south and east of us. I don't know how well it's showing up in the picture, but the sky was very orange when this picture was taken, and very dark looking to the south.

Oh, the joys of living in Kansas in the spring time!