♥ from Postie ♥

Ooh, it has been a good week for post. An unexpected parcel arrived from a northern cousin, she of the flying shuttles, the magnificent Fox! To what do I owe this good fortune?

Goodies from Fox

The note card caused a brief pause, as I didn't recall doing anything requiring a thank you note...

Fox was thanking me again for sending her a Pansy shuttle from La Cossette many moons ago. (Tat-ology 2011: So Blessed)

...enclosed was a pretty wisteria shuttle from La Cossette to add to my collection. Yippee!
That is not all. Cindy from A Happy Bluebird made a terrific felt needle book to pass along.

Fox's timing couldn't be better, as I am stitching my fingers raw with applique work on the Palmetto Tat Days fund-raiser wall hanging. Applique needles are sharp and having a case to keep them in is a life-saver.

Fox and Cindy, THANK YOU so much my friends!

Blue-eyed penguins for Tat Days charity fund raiser

Gettin' Grape-y with a Pineapple
When my stitching fingers need a break, I ply my shuttles toward a promised heart for JB.  Here is a sneak peek of her heart so far.

In progress:
Pineapple Split Ring Heart © 2004 Sherry Matthews
Tatting by IsDihara

Pineapple Split Ring Heart pattern can be found online at Needle Tatting Forum (registration required). It is also linked from Tatting Pattern Central.  (Registration is still required at Needle Tatting Forum to access the pattern, but once logged in, the link at Tatting Pattern Central opens right up.)

Arlene shared a photo of her two completed hearts back in 2008 on her blog: Arlene Tats and Knits: Sending out Hearts  Check out her blog to see a photo of her lovely hearts.

Time to confess...I improvised the pattern, substituting two joined rings for the clover at the bottom.

Red is de rigueur, but the soft purple shades of Lizbeth® 40 #165 Grape Splash add charm, n'est-ce pas? Once completed, this heart will be a milestone - my first pineapple pattern.

Hoping you have time to indulge in lace-making endeavors today and can also enjoy a summer cuppa.  See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Why the new header?

This was my best effort to "freshen up" the look of this blog.

My frustration level with blogger templates has risen to unheard-of new heights. I hate everything about the new template format. *grumble.grumble*

Folks (like Fox and a few others) who routinely entice and delight us with blog makeovers, how do you manage?

As for the photo, I took it with my cell phone quite by accident one day while I was tatting and listening to Pandora streaming radio. The fabric is actually from the pocketed dolly bag I bought from Jane Eborall back in April, 2010.

Thinking myself quite clever, I decided to attempt a blog makeover using this photo. Many hours later I was still wrestling with the template designer options and intensely dissatisfied with the results.

In the end I settled for this. Mostly because it will focus on the color in the lace photos I upload. But I am not happy with the design.

A Traveling Adventure Series?

Gentle tatters, our community is poised to create a new custom.

Two "traveling book adventures" are in progress and a third is in the preparing stages. All in loving tribute to tatting paragons who have gone before, but who are not forgotten.

It all started with Angeline Crichlow.

Through the generous efforts of Fox in Canada, a copy of "Let's Tat" has been "on loan" - whisking its way around the globe from one interested tatter to the next and so on. Three Cheers for Fox and Angeline's Traveling Book Adventure!

[Responding to a request I have received for information on how to acquire books published by Angeline Crichlow (deceased 1997): This is the information I have:

Angeline Crichlow*
order by mail C/O her daughter, Jeani Crichlow Wieck, 4309 SE Flavel Portland OR 97206. Contact IsDihara (me) privately if you would like a phone number.]

Here is a link to my 2009 post "Let's Tat"


Mary Konior*
A year and almost 4 months ago, Tat Land lost another treasured rose in Mary Konior. We all love her patterns and will likely love them for generations to come.

Here is a link to my 2009 post No Rose Without a Thorn

Martha Ess (a great tatter in her own right) has generously launched a second "on loan" traveling book adventure. Yes!  A copy of Mary Konior's "Tatting in Lace" has also begun traveling. Three Cheers for Martha and Mary's Traveling Book Adventure!

So tell me, what do you think of starting a "traveling book adventure" series?

My two cents: it would be a lovely tribute to the tatting paragons who made their own textbooks when none were available, who published so that tatting did not perish, who shared of themselves to keep our gentle art alive.

Fox is Published in Piecework magazine!

Just got my copy of the March/April issue of Piecework magazine in the mail.

Imagine my delight when I opened it to page 12 to find a tatted edging submitted by none other than Fox in the Trimmings section. She must be so excited!

Congratulations Fox!

FYI--I have been to every news stand and bookshop in my area looking for this issue of Piecework magazine and haven't seen one copy. They might not have been delivered yet. The link above lists March 9th as the news stand date.

Keep your eyes peeled and if you spy one, drop everything and flip to page 12 to have a look!