Tat Days - Banquet, Quilt Drawing & Silent Auction

Friday Night Banquet
The banquet is always a high point. Some dress to impress in evening wear, though it is just fine to come as you are.

Regardless of attire, it is a great opportunity to show off your tatting! Isn't Kathy Berndt's tatted shawl gorgeous?

If the lavender shawl didn't drop your jaw in awe, Kathy sported an equally mind-blowing scarf during the day. (And check out her adorable penguins with tie-dye tuxedos!)

Riet Surtel-Smeulders from The Netherlands received a gift of a finely cross-stitched Sock Monkey Pirate from Celticdreamweaver. Here she is showing it off. (Note the Oohs and Ahhs.)

This close up shows you just how adorable the Monkey Pirate really is. It is stitched on linen. Riet also received micro-knitted sock monkey earrings as a gift and wore them proudly for all to see. So tiny and so cute!

One more snapshot of how genuinely tickled pink Riet was, and Hope Bates too!

Quilt Drawing
After the banquet, the Old Man Winter quilt covered in tatted snowflakes was auctioned off. Every flake was hand-sewn on by Erin Holloway. It was a stunning and spectacularly beautiful work of art.

Congratulations to Katie Verna, whose name was drawn as the lucky winner!

By this time on Friday evening my cell phone battery was mostly dead, so I didn't get very good photos of the quilt. The Tat Days web page has a close up.

Georgia was as entertaining as ever as auctioneer. Three smaller quilted wall hangings (or table toppers or table runners, depending on the winners' preferences) were also auctioned off, raising approximately $1,300 for the scholarship fund.

Silver Necklace donated by Nina Libin

Silent Auction
There were so many donations for the silent auction this year! Items of every size and description. Just a few of them (in no particular order) are shown here.

I donated two Tatting First Aid Kits, inspired by Fox who has blogged about her egregious tatting injuries. We have all done it: forced a dangerously tiny hook through a tight join, only to have it stab into a finger. Ouch! Of course no Tatting First Aid Kit would be complete without chocolate.

Knitted Stocking earrings donated by Lynne Gillies

Miser's Coin Purse donated by Sheron Goldin

One of several brooches donated by Erin Holloway

One of several Edging Pattern Books & Starlit Shuttles donated by Handy Hands

Tatter's Toolbox for Breast Cancer Awareness donated by Kathy Hodge

Hooked Rug Kit donated by Mary Alice Kinnette

Doilies with Tatted Edging donated by Riet Surtel-Smeulders

Tatting Treats & Box donated by Hope Bates

Heart Gift Basket donated by Kathy Hodge

Whew! And that was but a smattering of the many donations. Every time I wandered into the Silent Auction room there were new items to see...all of them thoughtful, beautiful and waiting for more bids. Well done donors and winners!

Good gracious, there's still MORE to come — stay tuned for candid photos and loot!