Motif #20 & Signs of Spring

Yesterday's lace guild meeting was held at Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane, Va. The winery was bustling with activity: birthdays, anniversaries, social gatherings inside the tasting room and on the lawn...it was a wonderful place to be.

Guildies Joy, Barbara and Anita sipping wine and
noshing picnic-style before making lace.

Guildies Anita and Sherry, who was celebrating her birthday!

We enjoyed a plentiful picnic-style feast and some superb Bowhaus White wine along with our lace making.

The morning started out brisk and bright, but warmed to springtime perfection.

Motif #20 Farfalla (a.k.a. Norma Jean) Butterfly
While waiting for the tasting room to open, I finished the Farfalla butterfly. Doesn't she look darling in the spring sunshine?  (And this is straight off the shuttles, before her "beauty treatment" -- steam blocking to set the stitches and thread-end trimming.)

Even though her name is Farfalla, I think I shall call her Norma Jean, because of her delicate grace and striking beauty. A Marilyn Monroe waiting to be discovered, wouldn't you say?

Farfalla Butterfly

You can find the free pattern on the Italian tatting web site:  CHIACCHIERINO  The butterfly diagram can be found on this page: Gioielli di chiacchierino

For those who are interested, the thread list:

• Lizbeth^®20 #613 Golden Yellow Medium
• A blend of lavender/black/yellow threads for antennae
• Lizbeth^®20 #139 Fruit Fizz for round 2 chains
• Lizbeth^®20 #624 Raspberry Pink Medium for round 2 rings.

Norma Jean is so pretty I will tat her again in some pretty hand-dyed thread.  Now, to choose....

But wait!  I cannot forget to show you some of the lace we worked on at the winery.

Barbara's Salamander

Sherry's Torchon ground

Anita's tatted doily

Great stuff!  I am sorry to say I didn't get a photo of Joy's lace or my own penguin project, but these photos give you an idea of what fun we had on our winery outing. 

Holidays, Heart & Gingerbread Boy

Is'Dihara, Anita, Sw4nkyl4c3r and Karen
met to tat and chat at Panera Bread

This past Saturday the Piedmont Lace Guild of Virginia met at a local Panera Bread to make lace.  Pictured above are four of the attendees, including a brand new needle tatter, Karen, far right.

What a fun way to kick off the 2013 lace-making year. Books and patterns were browsed and discussed, as were threads, tools and techniques. Lots of catching up and chit-chat. All enjoyed while we worked on our lace projects. Here is what I worked on:

"Love of Beads" heart  © 2012 Martha Ess
Flora 20 red with matching seed beads
Tatting by Is'Dihara

It may look like a bit like a fan, but this is Martha Ess' "Love of Beads" heart pattern from 2012 Tat Days. It will be a gorgeous Valentine heart when finished, don't you think?

Santa left wonderful goodies under the tree in 2013, like this silky soft shawl. (Pictured here with the Norma Benporath Lace Mat I tatted during Jon Yusof's tat-along.)

Purple Pashmina

JB must be one of Santa's Helpers, because she included two holiday hand towels with her heart exchange mailer.  Photo one is how one looks hanging in my powder room.  And a close up of the exquisite embroidery work on each towel. So elegant!  Thank you so much, JB.

JB also sent (along with a filigree woodcut ornament for my tree) this flirty and fun bracelet.  The beads are made of paper. The best part is that sales benefit BeadforLife.org.  I'm a strong supporter of organizations that empower women and help to enrich/change their lives.  Girl Power!

Sadly, I have run out of blog-writing time. So I must beg your indulgence to wait a few days more to see the progress on my Gingerbread Boy.

Don't forget! Jane Eborall's 2013 TIAS starts THIS Friday, so there will be loads of fun tatting to see us through the cold, dark days of January!

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