Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Motif 22 - Ruffled Heart

Ruffled Heart © 2009 Dr. Vickie Clarke


Motif 22: Ruffled Heart
Just in time for Valentine's Day, the January 31st Online Tatting Class examined Set Stitch - also called half stitch or node stitch. Homework was VicTat's Ruffled Heart.

The arches in my first try were a bit off-kilter and the motif had obvious chain joins so I tatted it again, this time reversing the colors. Both hues look balanced.

I loved tatting these romantic darlings! They both measure 1 x 1.25 inches (2.5 cm x 3.2 cm) and have been on my "must tat" list for 2 years.

I used samples of Altin Basak 50, a Turkish 3-ply thread, in a lovely copper (AB#355) and a bluesy-purple (AB#336). They are threads that I had been hoarding saving for the perfect project. TypsTatting sent them to me through The Thread Exchange.

Thank you, TypsTatting, for sharing these awesome samples!

Almost Party Time!
It is a busy week here at Silly Hat Central. The Sprout turns 4 on Thursday, February 10th. He is super-excited about this birthday and wants to celebrate every day.

Last year we threw him a Dread Pirate Party. This year it is to be an Angry Birds Bash.

Angry Birds? Unless you have played the game on a touch-screen mobile phone or an iPad, you probably haven't heard of it, I'm guessing.

A bakery will laser-screen an Angry Birds image onto his cake and I have a plan for embellishing cupcakes with home-made Angry Birds-themed toppers. We are prepared to play a round or three of live-action Angry Birds for party games. But it will be a less elaborate party than last year. We're improvising.

Check out this fully detailed Angry Birds cake. (Shared via Gadgetsin.com, who got it from Geeky Gadgets touching Angry Birds Cake Source.) Gotta love the viral nature of the Internet, eh?

Anyway! The cake was created by Anya Richardson for her 8-year-old son in November 2010. She posted her photo on Flikr and the rest is history.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Engrossed in Edwardian Drama

Season 1 may be over, but I only just sat down to savor episode 1 of Downton Abbey on PBS.com.

It is an engrossing Edwarian tale, with intrigues, undercurrents and swells of supremely satisfying noble and weak moments. Looking at all the lace is a perk.

Full episodes will only be view-able until February 22, so don't wait to see this delicious slice of "upstairs-downstairs" society life. You won't be sorry.