TIAS Day 5

I seem to have misplaced the shuttles I began the TIAS with, so I started over. Here is my Day 5. I think the part we just finished must be an arm or a snout. Jane has already made an elephant pattern, so that is unlikely to be it. How about an anteater?

Day 1:  What can it be?

TIAS Day 1

I've joined Jane Eborall's latest Tat-It-And-See-It event. I just grabbed a couple of shuttles with thread already on them so I could jump right in. One thread turned out to be a perle cotton and the other a cordonette cotton, but who cares. The Day 1 picture is on its way to the blog from my phone.  Thanks so much, Jane!

Remembrance Hearts Revisited

Several years ago, some of us designed small hearts which were tatted up in quantity to be shared with the family members of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist act in America. I decided to revisit the design and adapted the pattern to make a couple of different pairs of earrings for the upcoming Valentine's Day.

Diagramming Tatting Patterns

I found a patch that fixed the issue I had with Inkscape 48.2. I created the wreath diagram again using a polar grid as a guide for ring placement. I think the pattern looks much better. Perhaps I'll get some tatting done tomorrow (hmm, or is it today already?) My day was filled with researching the software issue and cleaning up my kitchen. Plumbing issues left me without a dishwasher or kitchen sink for three days. It feels wonderful to have a clean kitchen again.

My progress with EazyDraw has been very slow. Gina S. discovered that Inkscape is now available for the Mac so I downloaded it. In less than an hour I had a ring only wreath pattern diagrammed. It isn't perfect, but at least it is done and I learned a few things doing it. I couldn't get Inkscape to give me a polar grid which would have helped. It requires a software fix with which I need help or advice. I've contacted my favorite computer forum for advice and await the results. I think it would also work better to place a circle behind each round of rings to simulate the connecting picots. I want to fix the software glitch  before I try anything else, though.

I'm spending this special holiday with people who brighten my life. I'll take along some tatting, but I'm unlikely to get any done. I will do lots of singing, eating, and laughing though.

Still no pictures for the blog, but I've done a little tatting. I spent my first few days off getting some shopping done. I've pulled out my tatting only one afternoon, but the result is a new use for one of my old designs. The only hint you get at the moment is that it contains some lovely red beads. My plans for this next week include lots of tatting and designing time as well as more time working with EazyDraw.

I hope each of you finds some time this week to enjoy those activities and people who brighten your lives.

The past few weeks have been busy and I've moved from a temporary hire to an official part of the staff at work. The end of a school semester also offered me opportunities to do a bit of tutoring: statistics and the use of SPSS (statistical analysis software) and writing in the American Psychological Association format. I've managed to squeeze in some Christmas shopping, too. Do I sound like I'm making excuses for the lack of tatting in this blog? I am. (GRIN)

I've been learning more about my drawing program, thanks to Susan Fuller's online class. I've also got a few new designs in my head that need to get out. My plans for the holidays include many hours for both of these projects.

Latest tatting inspiration

Are you familiar with some of the tatting that is being done with Trapilho yarn? Anne Bruvold posted a link within one of the forums at Intatters that took me to the website of Liv Øyen Strind http://nupereller.no/ where I saw some huge pieces of tatting composed of a small number of very simple motifs. I suddenly envisioned tatted doormats, table runners, bathroom rugs, etc. throughout my house. Anne then shared a link to a YouTube video of herself tatting with this yarn. Now I really must find some Trapilho yarn.

Exploring my drawing program

I'm really impressed with EazyDraw. My efforts to create patterns with it so far have barely scratched the surface of its capabilities. In fact, I've done things the hard way more than once. The tips from the online design class got me so excited about the possibilities that I printed the user manual and started reading. It is easy to read and written for the layman. When it told me what options I had for exporting a drawing, it explained how the formats differ. Perhaps I should type a disclaimer here that I have no affiliation with the company! I know I sound like a commercial. I'll go read my user manual now. I'll see some of you in class tomorrow evening.

Have you missed me?

I have certainly missed all of you. I've been busy settling into the job I accepted in September and loving every minute of it. Of course, that has meant less time for tatting and keeping up with all of you. Most of my sales have been outside Etsy. I've listed the items I've restocked. Since I have less time available now, I'm listing after I tat them up.

The new tatting design online class is wonderful! It was just what I needed to help me make some progress with EazyDraw and it has sparked my creativity as well. This past Tuesday evening was my first time to get to join the fun, but I read the logs from the first two sessions and started the homework. My latest update of EazyDraw came with a few tutorials which are also proving helpful.

Reading your tatting blogs is also an inspiration to me. I'm sorry there are no pictures in my blog today other than the Etsy listings. It is almost time for the big family get-together!

Tatting for myself

I entered the weekend with no orders to fill so I decided to tat for myself. I began with one of the "Wanda" bracelets in black with gray, marbled beads. Then I needed a pair of earrings to match so I needed a new design! I then worked up some earrings by another design I created a few weeks ago that combines some ideas from "Starry Night" and "River Dancers." There is yet another new pair of earring jackets, too, but you probably won't see them until after Christmas. Here is a picture of my new bracelet and earrings.

Kidney wire pumpkin earrings for Halloween

I've been busy creating my own pumpkin patch! One of my customers ordered 13 pairs of pumpkin earrings. She picked them up this morning and delivered them to her coworkers today. I found some 3/4" kidney wires in sterling silver and some in nickel free gold colored plating so she was able to take a variety to meet individual needs. I hear they were a big hit. She sent me some sweet text messages from some of the recipients. While I tat for my own pleasure, it brings me a great deal of joy to have it wind up in the hands of people who appreciate it. 

The deadline for ordering these is October 15 as I want to be sure that everyone has their earrings before Halloween. 

Have a great week, everyone!

More bracelets

I've been busy producing more "Sarah's Sparkling Glamour" earring jackets and "Wanda" bracelets to fill orders. I am having such a great time with these bracelets, playing with a variety of colors of thread and beads. The bracelet pictures have been posted with the listing on Etsy, but I'll put them here as well. I hope you enjoy them. I got to choose from my collection of buttons for the two in the lower picture.

I started a new job last week, too. I'm helping college students prepare for the job market and recruiting non-profit organizations to partner with the university to provide internships for our students--a great benefit to both the organization and the students. I love what I'm doing. I feel so blessed. I have a people intense job that is very rewarding and a work-by-yourself business that seems to revitalize me in ways it is hard to explain to someone who does not have that desire to create.

I may not get to post more than once or twice a week, but know that I'm thinking of all of you and eager to come back and see what you have been doing.

Inverted Tatting Practice

The Online Tatting Class starts its fall series next week. The first session is going to use inverted tatting. I first learned about this technique in To de Haan-van Beek's book, New Dimensions in Tatting. My husband has requested a design for a Christmas ornament that I think needs this technique. As you can see, I've been practicing. It is really quite fun and easy. I hope I'll see some of you in class next week. I hope to make the evening session.

Custom Tatting

I'm working on a few orders this week - all bracelets at the moment. The first of these are some Sport Your Colors Bracelets for a small wrist. All of her favorite colors will be paired with black which is the staple in her wardrobe. Nice idea! Red and black is finished. Now to get the others done.

Another bracelet - Wanda

I finished the design, the test-tatting and got my first one ready for delivery. The customer loves it--says it is just what she had in mind, which is always great to hear. I already have orders for two more which is also nice. The thread in the one pictured here is Lizbeth Harvest Orange Medium and the beads are in shades of brown.

Sorry, no pictures today.

I spent a few hours yesterday trying to put things in order in my new work area and spent the rest of the day working on drawings for a new bracelet. My customer selected the thread and the beads and gave me a general idea of what she wants. I finally settled on something this morning. I'm about to begin the tatting and, if it works up as I hope, I'll send off some pictures to get the design approved. Maybe I'll have a bracelet to show you tomorrow.

All healed & River Dancers bracelet in Purple

It was hard to keep my hands off my threads for a week, but I knew my fingers would heal faster if I did so. So I played foreman to my family crew as they moved furniture around to get my workroom set up for me. I managed to get a work area established so I can get right to work on the four orders I've received for the multi-colored earring jackets. It will take me weeks to get everything organized like I want it in the two rooms I wrecked in order to make my space, but I'm already loving it.

Here is the purple River Dancers bracelet I finished just before I hurt my hand. The color of the coordinating earring in the picture is closer to the color of the purple (Flora 215). The flash makes the bracelet look a bit too red. Flora calls the color Dark Purple.

Injured Fingers

I have another bracelet finished with the River Dancers pattern, but no pictures yet. I'm taking a break from tatting for a few days to let my fingers heal. There is a routine to how I bring the dog in from the dog pen at night. He just unexpectedly veered from the routine when my back was turned. He lunged after something (I never saw what) and I didn't get my fingers out of the leash quick enough to prevent a bad rope burn across 4 fingertips. It was every bit as painful as the microwave steam burn I received a few years ago. I paced the floor with my fingers in a bowl of cold water waiting for the pain relievers to kick in. I am amazed, though, at how quickly it is healing. I may be able to tat tomorrow or Saturday.

Meanwhile, I've been working on plans for some major rearrangement of furniture. My sewing and tatting supplies have been gradually spreading out over two rooms this summer as my work area is central to the two-room area. All other users have agreed to let me have the smaller of the two rooms as my own. So I've been measuring the spaces and pieces and sorting things for storage, trash, give-away, etc. DH is off Monday so I hope to get it all set up like I want it then.