Score One for Charlie Brown

Oh, ha ha!  What a marvelous treat I found in my mailbox today. An unexpected letter from Lily! (Aren't these simply THE BEST sort of surprises?)

Just a little, hand-addressed envelope. So very exciting to open and read! I was immediately time-shifted back to younger days when I would anxiously await letters from far-away pen pals.

This letter was every bit, if not more, exciting than those. It felt a bit bumpy in spots and I immediately thought, "Lily sent me tatting!"

I ran. I kid you not, RAN home to open the letter.

Sounds silly right? But having an appreciation for the time, effort, energy and love that goes into a hand-made piece of tatting, I get excited when someone sends some to me. Don't you?

Here's what I saw as I opened the contents:

Not sure if you can see the round, embossed spots in the paper...at regular intervals...can you make out the barest hint of an outlined shape in the paper?

Okay, okay, enough stalling. Ta-daah!

Oh Lily, these are even more bright, bold and beautiful in Peacock Blues than I could have ever imagined. And the gold beads and wires accentuate the lace to perfection. Your stitches are impeccable. Stunning! I will wear them proudly and think of your generosity every time I do.

It all started back on July 30 with this comment on Lily's blog:

Thank you, Lily, from the bottom of my Peanuts-lovin' heart.

I accept this spectacular gift in honor of Charlie Brown. This time Lucy didn't pull away the football. This time he kicked it through the goal post.

Tatting Tea Tuesday - In the Zone

Juggling multiple projects can frazzle the nerves but this past week I was in the zone. Let's credit the adrenaline rush from registering for Palmetto Tat Days online. I'm getting excited!

My tea for today is a tall glass of iced pomegranate apple green tea. It goes down smooth and easy on hot summer days.

Beginning Tatting - Level 1 Kit

This week:

• I wound 12 floss cards with tatting thread samples, loaded 6 Pony shuttles and assembled 6 new (beginner level) tatting kits for my class that starts tomorrow night.

Fleur de Lis Motif Sample

• I tatted a new sample in Lizbeth^® 20 #642 Lilac Medium. The rings on the sides are floating free to test a hypothesis fueled by Jane Eborall's awesome Diamond Mat. How will the Fleur de Lis motif look joined together into larger shapes?

A quick-n-dirty, not-pretty-enough-for-prime-time pattern is available for any brave soul wishing to test tat. Email me at the address listed in the "About Me" widget on the right navigation panel above. (Look for the red-headed cartoon girl.)

Heart's Honor © Wanda Salmans 2011

• Wanda Salmans' Heart's Honor bookmark is closer to completion. I'm half way through round two.

This is my "on the go" tatting project. It is great for tatting in the car or while DH watches TV shows I don't care for. This design is eminently preferable to "Mansquito" or Sasquatch or Ghost Hunter TV. (Apologies to fans of these shows. They are just not my cup of tea.)

Lizbeth^® 40 Peacock Blues is the thread I am using for Wanda's lovely bookmark. It looks pretty to me, but sometimes I am not a good judge of a variegated thread overpowering a design. Do tell: do you think Wanda's design is getting lost?

Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon © 2008 Anne Bruvold

• I began a test tat of Anne Bruvold's Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon in pastel-colored quilting cotton blended with a sample of YLI red-gold variegated thread CrazyMom sent me.Thanks, CrazyMom, I have been so anxious to try the sparkly threads you sent.
• As I mentioned, I registered for Palmetto Tat Days online.  Wheeee! 
• I registered The Sprout for his second year of preschool. Where has this summer gone?

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