Holy Schemoley! Shuttles

Purpleheart Sunflower Shuttle, no tip
from The Shuttle Shop
The first Tatting Tea Tuesday of 2010 dawns clear, but with high, stinging, cold winds. Another day to hide inside, dreaming of sunflowers. But clever lady Jane starts her first  T.I.A.S. of the year today. Hurray!

T.I.A.S. Day 1

Having lurked and guessed through a few past T.I.A.S. games, I am quite excited to tat along with this one. So today I sip my new favorite tea – Lord Nelson^® Rooibos Vanilla – and enjoy Day 1.

Holey Schemoley, this tea is yummy and isn't the sunflower shuttle a beauty?

On a lark I emailed the Shuttle Shop, asking if they might consider crafting one of these inlaid marvels in purpleheart instead of rosewood. Don't get me wrong, I adore rosewood. My all-time favorite shuttle is made from rosewood. See it here, next to the purpleheart?

Gorgeous woods, both. But a moisture-sucking vortex of doom settles over my house every winter, causing all manner of issues. My eight-foot,-mahogany hall tree has two cracks. I have also lost two rosewood shuttles.

You see, I can't have another one made if this one cracks. I have forgotten the name and address of the manufacturer.

What I do know is that I purchased it in the late 1990s from a vendor at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. His table was located in the main barn and he mainly sold drop spindles. And when I went begging for this replacement, he told me he didn't make shuttles anymore because he didn't sell enough of them. But he agreed to make a replacement one for me. (It was probably the welling tears in my eyes or the pleading tone in my voice, LOL!)

I think he was from Colorado or Wyoming or Montana...or maybe even farther points west.

So, if you have ever seen a rosewood shuttle like this, please let me know. And yes, each year at Sheep and Wool I go trolling spindle vendors with my rosewood shuttle in hand, asking if anyone makes it. So far no luck.

One last Holey Schemoley moment — can you believe I won one of Lace-Lovin' Librarian Diane's handmade shuttles in her new year giveaway? What a delightful surprise! Thank you, Diane! I'm over the moon with excitement. Can't wait to show it off, once it arrives.

Oh and before I forget, Holey Schemoley! A whopping 94% of respondents voted to continue Tatting Tea Tuesday posts in 2010. I'm so glad you (at least 36 of you) are enjoying it as much as I am.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.
See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

National Treasure — ♥ Georgia Seitz ♥

Congratulations to Georgia Seitz for championing the tatting cause and exemplifying the qualities most admired by her peers through action, support and published works. Ms. Seitz is a national treasure.

It gives me great pleasure to announce Georgia as the recipient of this year's award. She has inspired and encouraged, taught and touched tatters for 30 years.

Georgia continues to bring about positive change with the online tatting class — 2010 is its 11th year in session — teaching at local lace guilds and IOLI conventions, and helping to raise scholarship funds at Tat Days.

Hundreds of lacers have been influenced by Georgia and her teachings. But she would be the first to tell you that all of the tatting events online are a group effort and not a one-tatter show. (See her comment below.)

When the call for nominations went out in June 2009, it was apparent almost immediately that Georgia was first choice in many minds. What wasn't clear until later was that the polling would be unanimous.

One voter wrote in, "As much as I would like to nominate myself...I have been fortunate to experience her style of teaching...Georgia (Seitz) gets my vote."

Half a dozen voters commented about the vivacity Georgia brings to tatting classes and events. Her presence at a tatting event 'always makes for a very merry, laughter-filled' occasion.

Georgia Seitz's first nationally published patterns appeared in Piecework, Vol. 1 No. 3 Nov-Dec 1993. She has also been one of the tatting editors for the Belgian Lace School's International Lace Magazine.

She began with an interest in lacemaking which had her collecting lace pieces for years. In the early '70's she began seeking tatted lace almost exclusively. Since 1979 she has been tatting and teaching.

In 1985, Georgia took up a new challenge. During that summer, she was listening to the CBS Evening News when she heard Charles Kuralt give a report from "On The Road". Charles was interviewing a number of old ladies from the Midwest who tatted lace. At the end of the interview Charles said that when these ladies died, so would tatting. Georgia sat down right then and sent off a telegram to Charles telling him that "Tatting is alive and well and thriving in Alaska!"

She has exhibited or judged tatted lace at the Alaska State fair often and has five times been recognized as Division Champion in Tatting at the Fur-Rondy (1988, 1989, twice in 1991 and 1993). After ten years of trying she finally received a Grand Championship Purple Rosette at the 1996 Alaska State Fair for a doily with a beaded tatted edging. Unfortunately, the category was not "Tatting", but "Other."

Undaunted, Georgia continues to teach,  write and publish a series of books on tatting, entitled Ribbonwinners.

She operates her own mail order business for publishing pattern books and tatting shuttle manufacturing.  And in her own words, "I have loved every minute of it."

Georgia says her greatest joy is "watching new tatters blossom, old hands gain confidence to design, and encouraging other tatters to publish."

Please join me in congratulating Georgia Seitz and thanking her for her unwavering support!

Editor's Note: Thank you, Georgia, for sharing information from speeches, bios and other published materials to compile this award feature. All images are reprinted with the permission of Georgia Seitz. 

---

The National Treasure award is given by nomination to tatters for their dedication and support of the art form around the globe. The award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond in their efforts to further the art of tatting through their contributions, and who exemplify (through action) excellence by expanding tatting boundaries or otherwise perpetuating the art.

Nominations will be awarded annually or as often as nominations permit. Calls for nomination will be posted four times each year as a reminder.