Happy Macaroon Day!

Since I missed Macaroon Day last year, (organized by François Payard himself to coincide with the jour du macaron in Paris), I feel compelled to spread the word about this little French confection.


This Tuesday, March 22, I propose celebrating the arrival of Spring by settling in for Tatting Tea Tuesday with your favorite cuppa and a tasty macaroon.

Who's with me?

---

Curious about these meringue-like marvels?

National Public Radio published this story earlier this year:

NPR - Move Over Cupcake, Make Way for the Macaroon

Paris Breakfasts shares Jour du Macaron 2011 photos.

One of my Twitter pals, @NotQuiteNigella, posts this about her love-hate relationship with macaroon baking.

The Macaron Whisperer

I even competed in @NotQuiteNigella's Ultimate Chocolate Cake Challenge in 2008 and did much better than I expected.

A Parently Speaking (2008)- The Ultimate Chocolate Cake Challenge

A Parently Speaking (2008) - You Still Have Time to Vote

Whether or not you have means to bake or acquire one or more of these tasty treats, I wish you a very Happy Macaroon Day!

Tea Lovers! Stash Savings

Tatting Tea Tuesday participants drink a wide variety of beverages (coffee, diet coke, even beer) but for tea lovers who don't mind subscribing to save, a deal is being offered that may be of interest.

Stash Tea $1.61 Each Shipped
Source: Frugal Freebies & Deals web site
by frugal jen on February 1, 2011

Do you love tea? Right now you can get your choice
11 different flavors of Stash Teas for $1.61 each when you buy 6. This price is available when you choose the $11.38 sale price and take an extra 15% off with Subscribe and Save.

Your final price including shipping will be $9.67.

Read more

Holy Schemoley! Shuttle Search Solved

Sorry to all who came looking for a Tatting Tea Tuesday post last week. I had a doctor's appointment so I published the Zoo Flakes post instead.

Later that day I checked other TTT posts and saw that the sweltering heat in the US kept more than a few tatters indoors with their laces.

Wanda's post reminded me that I have this delicious Vanilla Rooibos tea just begging to be brewed. So today I am enjoying some iced Vanilla Rooibos and having a Tatting Tea Tuesday do-over.

But before I start tatting, I want to share some news.

♥ for Postie

Last Monday Postie brought a package from Lace Lovin' Librarian Diane.

Ciarrán got so excited he tore open the package and crawled out with the contents.

Holy Schemoley! She sent me one of her Diana Andra shuttles as a gift! See it here with my favorite rosewood shuttle? I have been on the look-out for the artisan of this model of shuttles for a number of years.

Here's the backstory: two weeks ago during one of my blog-crawls, I discovered this photo of Diane's. Eureka! Could it be?!?

LLL Diane shared where she bought hers and suggested I contact the artisan via Turn of the Century.

Unfortunately, Diana Andra had to stop making shuttles due to carpal tunnel syndrome. I shared this information with LLL Diane and she sent me one of her shuttles.

I am thrilled beyond description to be the recipient of such generosity and kindness. Thank you, Diane. I will treasure this shuttle forever!

Stop by again tomorrow for the tatting I meant to show you today. I've got to go try out the gorgeous new Diana Andra shuttle!

NEXT: Queen of Hearts Three Ways

Snowed in Under a Cherry Moon

More snow! New Tea! And a tiny bit of tatting.

Valentine's Day has come and gone but I'm still feeling its rosy glow. So I start Tatting Tea Tuesday by brewing up "a romantic tea of tender warmth."

That's what it says on the package of Cherry Moon Decaf Green Tea I purchased as a Valentine's Day treat.

Disclaimer: I do not profit by promoting the teas I drink while tatting on TTT, but I do enjoy describing them.

This one is a relaxing blend of decaffeinated Sencha green tea and hibiscus, plus some unspecified flavor mix concocted by the Eastern Shore Tea Company. I do not taste cherry, but I do detect a light fruit (orange or apple?) and rosehips flavor. A quick check of the company's web site confirms the blend has hibiscus, rosehips, apple pieces, orange, and cherry flavors. Wow, if only I were as good at wine tasting!

The packaging invites the buyer to share this tea with a special friend. And so I shall.

If you would like to try a sample of Cherry Moon Decaf Green tea, let me know in the comment section below and I will mail you a foil-wrapped tea bag. Be sure to email me privately with your contact info!

Now for the tatting.

An experiment is underway. Here's the hypothesis: Can Lyn Morton's Margaret motif (found in her book, Tatting Patterns, page 81) with its six-petal flower, be tatted as a nine-petal flower and turned into a nine-sided motif?

So far I like the way it is progressing in Tatskool's luscious ChocoRaspberry. The five-petal posies are positively cheerful. And would be even more so if tatted in Springtime colors with green chains.

I did make one more change to Lyn Morton's pattern. I threw off a ring from the connecting chains in order to expand the circumference of the circle, allowing room for nine posies and creating a bit more negative space.

Pardon the messy state of the tatting (unclipped strings and what not). I had hoped to be farther along, but with a pirate birthday party planned for later this week, I'm swamped. Aarrgh!

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

♫ 99 Tatting Posts on the Wall ♫

Crazy Mom Tats announcement of her 100th post giveaway sent me looking to see how far away I was from 100 posts. Surprise! A lot closer than I thought.

Since I have a giveaway started, I will have to find something else to amuse you all with for my 100th post. But what?

Here is your chance to heckle. Go ahead, yell something out from the inky black. Oh wait, (much like in space) I won't hear you scream. Better leave a comment. ツ

Tatting Tea Tuesday
Even though today was a perfect day for hot tea, I opted for quick and easy. A tall pour of iced green apple tea from the pitcher in the fridge. This stuff is fabulous hot or cold.

Green Apple Tea
1 gallon water
6 green tea bags
1/2 gallon apple cider or apple juice
(I use (6) Alpine Lace Spiced Cider packets, plus 6 cups water, if I don't have either on hand.)

Optional:
Honey, to taste
1-2 shots Green Apple Pucker (to give it a hint of "green apple" tartness)

This makes a lovely hot toddy with a shot of liquor added to your mug -- either more Green Apple Pucker or something that is more appealing to you, if you are not a fan of the neon green stuff. It is perfectly lovely as is. I drink this tea year round. YUM!

Sweet or Sinful Indulgence?
Now for the tatting. Last week Liyarra posted her gorgeous doily made from a Lene Bjorn pattern in the Danish Tatting Guild (Dansk Orkisforening) newsletter Orkis Bladet. I have had no luck contacting the guild (probably because I wrote in English). Would someone who speaks Danish kindly translate my request for me?

Here's where the tatting gets dubious. Instead of waiting for a reply or a pattern, I enlarged the image from Liyarra's blog and tatted the central motif from her photo. Bad, bad manners! My tatting grandmother would ground me. Here is the evidence of my deceit.

You can see that my chain tension is off (the hearts aren't even) but even so I can't take my eyes off  this pretty. It is so lovely in Tatskool's ChocoRaspberry size 40.

Tatting this motif actually tested my chocolate resolve. Couldn't stop thinking about Godiva Raspberry Cordials. I had to put it down several times to go hunting for chocolate to nibble.

This week I finished the edging in Bracken Crunch and am stitching it onto a quilted ball ornament. The pattern is available on the InTatters group under the Knots - Tatting Links tab. The file is called Beeton Edge. If the link doesn't take you directly to the page you may need to register to access the Knots folder.

And I finished two more itty-bitty shamrocks. The pattern is from "The Tatted Artistry of Teiko Fujito."

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

It Came! A Shamrock Setback & More

Fabric Postcard from Bonnie's Tatting Blog
Today Bonnie's blog giveaway prize came in the mail, making it a very good day. It is a fabric postcard that sets the mood for Spring. I am ready for a few flowers in the garden and a few buzzing bees. Are you?

Thank you, Bonnie! Your uplifting card sits next to Carol Lawecki's tatted teapot note card on my computer desk, where it brightens my day and long into the wee hours.

There is so much to write about today!

The Sprout slept in glamorously late (8:30 AM) so Tatting Tea Tuesday started early with decaf Irish Breakfast tea. I started tatting what I thought would be the easy one. The three or four-leaf clover pattern from "The Tatted Artistry of Teiko Fujito."

I had some Majestic 80 left over on a shuttle so I thought I would use it up doing a bit of warm-up test tatting.

[cue mumbled curses, teeth-gnashing and the sound of thread repeatedly snapping under tension]

Two full hours of frustrated attempts led to what you see below. (Had to keep putting it down and walking away.) But I want tiny, delicate shamrocks.

Tomorrow I will try again with Star tatting cotton in size 70. It has a more firm hand and hopefully won't snap so easily as the softer, but more lustrous Majestic.

Besides T.I.A.S. I have been working on an edging tatted in Tatskool's Bracken Crunch size 40. I love the way the lime transforms into antique gold and the gold into rusty red, back to gold and full circle to lime. It really has enlivened and enriched the dull, grey days.

I have Been Bad
Copping a phrase from Fox, I have a confession to make. I have been in touch with Tatskool, Krystledawne, Yarnplayer, Lady Shuttlemaker and LaceySusan. In an attempt to hide the evidence soften the blow I won't be posting the HDT purchases until later in the week.

All Good Things Come in Threes
Just look at my three new tatting books! I tried to camophlage them with other goodies, including a fancy bone china teacup, saucer and third plate, plus bobbin holders and new Lizbeth thread.

Tatskool, were you distracted by the cup? Jane, did you see your tatting bag? Krystle, did you notice Dr. Von Threadmore's handiwork? Wanda, see how your butterfly marks my place?

Honestly, I have been blessed by the generosity and friendship of you all. And so many more.

My copy of Tatting Patterns by Lyn Morton sprouted (unintentional pun) legs and scampered off, so I needed to replace it.

The Japanese book was purely an impulse buy.

The prize of the buying spree was the French tatting book! I dropped $34.00 on this precious jewel. And I try never to spend that much on a tatting book.

My French is very rusty, but the author prefaces her work by writing:

Savez-vous que le monde minéral peut être source d'inspiration pour les dentellières?

The author uses crystaline mineral sructures as the inspiration for her lace — things like snow, sugar, salt, mineral metals and gemstones  Flipping through the pages was like being gifted with sapphires, rubies, celestine, amethyst, agate, petalite, tourmaline...

It gives new meaning to tatting bling, eh?

And there's more! Come back on Friday for HDT madness.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

No Rose Without a Thorn UPDATE

Rose Doodle by Mary Konior
This past Saturday Tat Land lost a treasured rose. Mary Konior passed away from Alzheimers. So today's post begins with a quiet moment of reflection.

Mary, rest in peace and tat with the angels.

I never met Mary, but own two of her tatting books and refer to them often for inspiration. The volume of responses to the news of her passing shows how well loved and respected Mary was.

Today I settle in with a steaming cup of Pomegranate Rose tea and tat the rose doodle from Mary's wonderful book, Tatting with Visual Patterns. All the while thanking the powers that be for her time spent among us and the vast talent she shared.

After that I will start Queen of Hearts from the same book. While Yarnplayer's Roses is an obvious and lovely HDT choice, I have been saving Tatskool's Chocolate Raspberry for a special heart motif and this one feels just right. Photos will be posted as soon as I complete them.



I leave you with a beautiful song by Francoise Hardy, Mon Amie La Rose. Lovely, lovely song.

And the sensual and moving remake by Natacha Atlas. It is a song I choreographed a veil dance to several years ago and dedicated to my older sister who died from complications related to end-stage Multiple Sclerosis. Lovely, lovely song.

Natacha Atlas - Mon amie la rose
Uploaded by bernie-noel. - Explore more music videos.

If you would like to see the belly dance, let me know and I will ask Big Daddy to format the video for upload.

UPDATE: WED January 20: Rose doodle uploaded. I left the tails visible to show that I padded the stem. It looks good without padding too, I just wanted to try it to see. That said, I have never finished off padded tatting before. How is it done?

Should I just give the padding threads an extra snug, snip them close and cross my fingers that the ends won't show? Your comments and suggestions are welcome!

And with that, I leave you to your tea and tatting.  Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Set the WABAC Machine

Crank back the clock to 12/29,
The last Tatting Tea Tuesday of 2009.

A lacing day full of chat,
Yes, there was lots of that.
And of tea and of threads intertwined.

IsDihara & Sw4nkyL4c3r on Tatting Tea Tuesday
Let's turn back time briefly to a lovely afternoon spent in the company of a new tatting friend I will call Sw4nkyL4c3r. She does not have an online identity and gave me permission to make one up for her. Brave lass!

DH (Big Daddy) had the whole week off. He and the Sprout went out for the afternoon, leaving us girls to our gossip, tea and lace appreciation.

Sw4nkyL4c3r and I each picked a fine china cup and saucer from my china cabinet and settled in for a good lace-in while Lady Grey steeped in my favorite teapot.

She met Ciarrán and suggested I write up his arrival adventure for my lace guild's newsletter. (Now why didn't I think of that?) Not only will his tale be published in the guild newsletter, but also submitted to a local newspaper. And so Ciarrán's fame grows!

Handmade Card from Carol Lawecki
Teapot Tuesday Tatting
A quick update on this ongoing project:
Celtic Strawberries have been completed and are ready to send to MotherMark. I have received Carol Lawecki's lovely tatting as well and will be mailing out MotherMark's envelope later this week.

Carol Lawecki's Tatted Samples
Aren't Carol's samples stunning, not to mention her handmade card with the tatted teapot and butterfly?

Cross your fingers that we will see her tatting show up on MotherMark's hand-made cards sometime in 2010. But the very first teapot photo she ever received ended up as Teapot Tuesday card #76! So we'll just have to wait until  inspiration strikes.  It will be worth the wait.

I am working on a Shamrock to send her for a future St. Patrick's Day card.  I will keep you all posted as Teapot Tuesday details become available. Do drop by her blog, it is always an entertaining read!

NOTE: What's a WABAC machine, you ask? Find out.

Tatting Tea News of the Weird

I was going to hold this until next Tuesday, but decided the odd chuckle or smirk might just lift a few spirits today. Enjoy this specially brewed tatting tea news-of-the-weird from Laughing Squid!

Holy Schemoley! Shuttles

Purpleheart Sunflower Shuttle, no tip
from The Shuttle Shop
The first Tatting Tea Tuesday of 2010 dawns clear, but with high, stinging, cold winds. Another day to hide inside, dreaming of sunflowers. But clever lady Jane starts her first  T.I.A.S. of the year today. Hurray!

T.I.A.S. Day 1

Having lurked and guessed through a few past T.I.A.S. games, I am quite excited to tat along with this one. So today I sip my new favorite tea – Lord Nelson^® Rooibos Vanilla – and enjoy Day 1.

Holey Schemoley, this tea is yummy and isn't the sunflower shuttle a beauty?

On a lark I emailed the Shuttle Shop, asking if they might consider crafting one of these inlaid marvels in purpleheart instead of rosewood. Don't get me wrong, I adore rosewood. My all-time favorite shuttle is made from rosewood. See it here, next to the purpleheart?

Gorgeous woods, both. But a moisture-sucking vortex of doom settles over my house every winter, causing all manner of issues. My eight-foot,-mahogany hall tree has two cracks. I have also lost two rosewood shuttles.

You see, I can't have another one made if this one cracks. I have forgotten the name and address of the manufacturer.

What I do know is that I purchased it in the late 1990s from a vendor at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. His table was located in the main barn and he mainly sold drop spindles. And when I went begging for this replacement, he told me he didn't make shuttles anymore because he didn't sell enough of them. But he agreed to make a replacement one for me. (It was probably the welling tears in my eyes or the pleading tone in my voice, LOL!)

I think he was from Colorado or Wyoming or Montana...or maybe even farther points west.

So, if you have ever seen a rosewood shuttle like this, please let me know. And yes, each year at Sheep and Wool I go trolling spindle vendors with my rosewood shuttle in hand, asking if anyone makes it. So far no luck.

One last Holey Schemoley moment — can you believe I won one of Lace-Lovin' Librarian Diane's handmade shuttles in her new year giveaway? What a delightful surprise! Thank you, Diane! I'm over the moon with excitement. Can't wait to show it off, once it arrives.

Oh and before I forget, Holey Schemoley! A whopping 94% of respondents voted to continue Tatting Tea Tuesday posts in 2010. I'm so glad you (at least 36 of you) are enjoying it as much as I am.

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

The Word on Wanda

IsDihara and Wanda on Tatting Tea Tuesday
It's Wacky Wednesday and I am tatting today, but I must share my excitement over meeting Wanda yesterday. You want to know how it went, don't you?

If I were to describe Wanda and her family in one word I would be at a loss. I can't pick just one. They were magnificent, warm, vivacious and completely charming. Uber-awesome! I could go on and on with the gushing praises. They were so great.  Totally lovely!

Wanda was tatting when I met up with her. Perfect! Her shuttles made it easy to pick her out of the crowd. She was so easy to talk to. I could have sat there next to her and talked the afternoon away.

Wanda's Butterfly
She brought me this adorable paper clip butterfly in my favorite color and she even bought me tea!

Wanda is to be congratulated for remaining mindful that it was Tatting Tea Tuesday. In all the excitement I had forgotten. Didn't even bring a camera or tatting project to work on. Silly me!

I encourage you to go visit Wanda's blog to read her post about our meeting and see more of her wonderful tatting. What?!? You don't have it bookmarked already? Tsk, tsk. *giggles*

Wanda, I do so hope we get a chance to meet again.
It was such a pleasure to meet you and your family. I cherish the butterfly. Thank you for making it an uplifting and all-out awesome Tatting Tea Tuesday.

Next — Wacky Wednesday tatting and more!

In Praise of the Color Orange

There is no blue without yellow and without orange.

~Vincent Van Gogh

This Tatting Tea Tuesday is dedicated to all things orange: pumpkins, Orange Pekoe (or any other orange-scented or flavored tea), safety cones, tiger lilies, orange juice, Carnelian stones, kumquats and my brand new teapot!

This week I have been busy tatting doodles and pumpkins and working on adding a second round to the Sweetheart motif that Birgit Phelps designed in 2003.

I also have been working on finishing the two giveaway prizes from last week. But I don't want to reveal those just yet. Let's just say one of the prizes may arrive with an orange doodle or two.

So far, this one is my favorite.

Tatted Pumpkin by Sherry Matthews © 2004Made using vintage STAR tatting cotton, size 70.Green stem improvised from Mary Maynard's Pumpkin Pattern

My Mondo Monday Giveaway prize arrived in the mail this past week! The mailer was packed full of Halloween-y goodness! With gorgeous thread like this I could tat a whole patch of pumpkins. Really sincere ones. Worthy of The Great Pumpkin!

"Autumn Orange," size 20, by Lady ShuttleMakerand black seed beads for Halloween-y fun!

Isn't it superb? Honestly, my cup overflows with an embarrassment of tatting largesse.

But that's not all! I can't wait to share some of the goodies I got on loan yesterday from a new needle tatting friend named Bonnie.

Bonnie and I met at LacySusan's shop so she could partake of the trove of tatting riches (books and supplies) Lacy Susan has for sale (along with a vast array of bobbin lacing supplies).

Bonnie showed amazing restraint. Me? Not so much. (Unrepentant thread junkies disavow all knowledge of such words in their vocabularies.)

Look! A sneak peek of Tatskool's scrumptious new colorway called Bracken Crunch in a size 60, six-cord cotton. It is a member of the mouth-watering ChocoLime family of colors. Just winding it on the shuttles triggered a wicked Heath^® toffee bar craving.

Along with the 2 purple Sew-mate shuttles pictured above, I purchased 2 Aero-style shuttles (They are the bulk shuttles, labeled "made in Germany." They do not say "Aero" on them anywhere.)

. . . a size 22 (0.5 mm) crochet hook for joining, a bobbin lace pricker, a pack of needles for the pricker, and two bobbin lace books.

The two bobbin lace books are both authored by Rosemary Shepherd:

1. Introduction to Bobbin Lacemaking

2. An Early Lace Workbook: Bobbin Lace Techniques before the Baroque

Quite a haul, if I do say so myself!

But I digress. Bonnie loaned me her copy of Contemporary Tatting: New Designs from an Old Art by Judith Connors. This is a lovely book that includes a pattern for a tatted "take anywhere" cup of tea. It is a darling teacup design that includes split rings. Can't wait to tat one up!

She also printed out a copy of a 3D cup and saucer 2003 pattern by Roger a.k.a. Freedman that had been posted on a needle tatting group site at msn.com. It includes a tatted spoon pattern! It looks as though msn.com has closed its groups site. So having a printed copy of this pattern is like hitting the TTT jackpot!

Since I can't show you this doozy of a tatted teacup find, here is another teacup and saucer pattern originally published in an old Workbasket magazine. Suzann Welker rewrote it so there are no cuts and ties. It involves split rings and split chains, but only short ones.

And just so you don't think ill of unrepentent thread junkies in general (or me in particular) I was not completely greedy. I promised to share my copy of Let's Tat by Angeline H. Crichlow and The Tatted Artistry of Teiko Fujito (Lacis Publications) with Bonnie when I see her on Sunday, October 25.

More later, tatting friends! The hour is late and my eyelids droop. Want to know more about the tome pictured above? Ask and I will answer. (in my next post) Now it is off to bed with me.

As Fox so eloquently puts it . . . "Anon"

End of Summer Blues?

Image reprinted with permission
Copyright © 2009 Carol Gillott
We all hate to see the lazy days of summer come to an end, don't we? I'm no exception. As August heat gives way to cooler breezes and geese trek across the skies, it is getting harder to ignore the unavoidable truth - Autumn is around the corner.

But before Fall's dazzling foliage, pumpkins and hayrides take over the landscape, I want to bask in the illusion of Indian summer.

Tatting Tea Tuesday pays tribute to everyone who, like me, is in denial about the end of summer. All hail its glorious last days!

Basic Strawberry Heart © 2003 Birgit Phelps
(Celtic-style Top to come later)
As I settle in with a cup of strawberry herbal tea, I pull out some Coats & Clarks "boilfast" size 70 tatting cotton in a perfectly ripe, juicy red.

Another of my flea market finds, it came in a 12-inch metal tin that was filled with partial spools of vintage tatting thread. Apparently they had been stashed away for a rainy day, then sold at auction.

What better way to honor summer's last hurrah than with a symbol of its bounty? My freezer is filled with juicy strawberries fresh-picked in May so we can
enjoy mouthfuls of sunshine all winter long.

I'm making two of these strawberry hearts for a special Teapot Tuesday project I have been keeping mum about for awhile now. More on that later.

This bitty berry project would be done except that the only green cotton I have is either size 80 in a pale, mint green or size 20 Manuela in a dark, Hunter green.

So I await the arrival of a size 80 Christmas green from Handy Hands. It should arrive by parcel post later in the week.

Once the Celtic-style tops are done I will post again and share the surprise that Mothermark over at This is My Story has in store. I'm so excited about it and can't wait to share it with you!

But my part in this project has had to simmer on a back burner while I focus on the lessons for the Design-Tat class. Mothermark waits patiently, but I figured I had better send her something before summer was well and gone.

You, however, won't have to wait longer than Halloween (October 30th) for news of our awesome little collaborative tea project.

In the meantime, revel in the glorious pseudo-summer days that remain and prepare for Autumn's splendor.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Coffee, Tea or ...Diet Coke n' Chocolate?

Late night blog crawling on a Wednesday night found me at the lovely Krystal Dawn Tats page. Where I saw her early August post about Tatting Coffee Thursday.

Oh, ha, ha, ha! I love all the comments about tatting with a different drink of choice for each day of the week! You guys rock!

Whether it's coffee Thursdays, Diet Coke n' Chocolate Saturdays or whatever else trips your fancy, it's all good!

If you do another tatting coffee Thursday, Krystle, please let me know so I can join in. That goes for Diet Coke n' Chocolate Saturdays too, TattingChic! Although I'd have to make mine a caffeine-free Diet Coke and add a splash of lime.

See, we all put our personal spins on things. And Ladytats, you are absolutely right about one thing -- as long as you include some chocolate, no one cares if it is tea or coffee or Irish coffee or Irish hot chocolate or Diet Coke or . . . martinis?

Image reprinted with permission
Copyright © 2009 Karen Sloan

Anyone up for Tatting Martini Mondays? (See it there, on the end table, next to that comfy chair?)

Why yes, there is a story that goes along with this wild and crazy idea.

Last October a bunch o' the gals got together to decorate haunted gingerbread houses and we broke out the martini glasses. Hoo-boy! Did we ever get silly! And sweet mercy, the hangover I had the next day. Ouch! I would have suggested chocolate martinis, but we don't have a day of the week with a CH sound in it. More's the pity.

Since I have strayed into Halloween-ish territory with my martini tangent, I wanted to leave you with battatter's fiendishly clever 3D haunted house. But I can't seem to find a link to a photo anywhere online. Blarg and bother! I know I have seen it.

UPDATE: Thank you, batatter, for sending over the image.

FYI--for anyone who is still reading, if you want to see more photos of this awesome 3D tatted haunted house, go to batatter's blog and type either "haunted house" or "boo" in the search field.

As for Martini Mondays, even I have to admit martinis are a bit hardcore. Just imagine all the wonky knots that would result from a "3-martini tat!"

Tatting Tea Tuesday - ParTEA On

**UPDATE** Hey, this doesn't look anything like a palm tree!

Ever start out with one tatting goal in mind but get derailed by something else entirely?

It seems my inner child would not be quieted, insisting I create this vaguely iPod-esque cameo of her instead. Say hello to my inner child.

Can't quite see her? It's sort of like an autostereogram, except you stand a much better chance of actually seeing the image, LOL!

Maybe this pink iPod ad will help.

Here's another iPod dancer image that I rather liked.

Maybe now I can tat that darling palm tree and dream of some well-earned hammock time in the process.

*****************

Settling in for a tropical tat with an island concoction from Zhena's Gypsy Teas called Mojito Mint. A splash of rum, aromas of mint and citrus...this infusion sets a relaxing mood. Think of kicking back in a hammock while idyllic island breezes gently rock your cares away. To that end, I'm tatting a palm tree.

The Palmetto Tatting Guild has generously posted two palm tree patterns. Click on "Favorite Patterns" to see them.

Since the Sprout's nap times have been steadily dwindling, I chose this one: Palmetto Tree [PDF] Care to join me for an island get-away?

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Flowering Tea Tuesday

It's time for another Tatting Tea Tuesday.

Apologies for the blurred photo this week. My regular camera is on the fritz and I'm using a "dinker dog" that picks up motion blur easily.

In the photo above you can see my oversize ceramic tea mug. It has an etched blue flower design. Hmm? Not what you were expecting?

I do own a nice selection of lovely china teacups and saucers. But delicate tea ware tends to tip and drip when you're concentrating on your lace. So this big, steady posy mug is my vessel of choice.

Ever try flowering teas? They are breathtaking to watch unfold as they steep. Quite a nice way to start off a lace-making hour. Watch a variety of teas blossom in this captivating video.

Lastly, if you were wondering, it is time to take a small sanity break from my latest design experiment. Just a few days or so to regroup from "one step forward, two steps back" -itus.

The good news is that I have worked out a nice bottom point for the second round of Birgit Phelp's 2003 SweetHeart, but in the process have discovered something that I am told all designers face: fixing one problem often creates several other challenges.

The bad news is that the heart lace really shows the rough treatment I've been inflicting upon it. Dirt stains, broken threads, obvious patch jobs, the first ring joined in the wrong place! You get the idea. It's a mess. But here it is, warts and all.

For all its flaws, the overall shape seems to be coming together alright. Round 3 to come. (If round 2 doesn't kill me first...)

One more thing! Today I discovered a witty and slightly cheeky site called Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down. It will bring a smile to your lips, even if all the time you have to spend is to read their mission statement. It's nice to find two people on this big, blue marble who have their priorities in order. ツ

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Tatting Tea Tuesday

Today is definitely a chocolate Tatting Tea Tuesday.

Hot, humid & hazy is the forecast for my little corner of tat land. Near perfect conditions for killing fair-skinned folk like me. So I have to curb the urge to take TTT outdoors.

Here's a crazy idea! Gear up with night vision goggles to tat away into the wee hours. Ha ha! Now why didn't I think of that earlier?

All kidding aside, I am "geared up" with Dove milk chocolate hearts, a double-sized mug of chocolate chai and a wicked sharp pencil to sketch out ideas for my latest design experiment.

For a change of pace I worked around Birgit Phelp's 2003 SweetHeart counter clockwise this time, using lock joins instead of picot joins.

How to work around the bottom point is my current dilemma. Birgit's heart offers only one picot-joining option.

This is where a digital drawing program would come in handy. Looking forward to covering that topic in the Design-Tat course, but until that day arrives Mr. Pointy and I remain fast friends.

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful.

See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

Pink and White Edging

A few of you have asked about the pink and white edging I photographed two weeks ago for Tatting Tea Tuesday. It was a yardage pattern my grandmother used to make in ecru tatting cotton. Unfortunately when I tried to scan one of her ecru samples, portions of it disintegrated.

It is a classic and several pattern books include it, albeit with slight variations. I can't show them to you due to copyright restrictions. But I can tell you where you can find them, so check your pattern books for these titles:

The July-August 1998 issue of Flower & Garden magazine, the Crafts Edition, shows this pattern on page 44 in silver to decorate a pretty barrette. The Rings & Chains bookmark on page 46 also uses this pattern and they even tatted their sample in pink and white.

Tatting - A Potpourri of Patterns, published by Handy Hands Publications, is made up of unabridged republications of both complete and partial works dating back to 1916 and 1861. An unabridged reprint of a section of tatting from 1843 is also included. (Just thought I would mention it for the archival pattern buffs out there.) Page 33 includes this edging, marked as Edging No. 77, and notes that it makes a lovely insertion for a library table runner in two shades of brown.

Traditional Tatting Patterns edited by Rita Weiss shows it on page 41 used to trim a tray mat. The variation is a 4DS straight chain added before and after the curved chains. Plus each chain has three decorative picots (not graduated) evenly spaced on the chain.

J.P. Coats and Clark's Tatting Book No. 229 (originally 10¢) includes the exact same tray mat page on page 20.

Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns by Monica Hahn shows it on page 26 to create a cross bookmark. This version also uses three decorative picots (not graduated) on each chain, and they are clustered at the apex of the curve. Very pretty!

Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson share their cross bookmark on page 72 of Tatting Patterns and Designs. They add more pretty picots to their chains and a chain cord.

Ann Orr's Classic Tatting Patterns, published by Dover Publications, Inc. (ISBN 0-486-24897-6) uses this pattern in rows 5 and 7 of the large, rectangular doily in their luncheon set.

Tatting Patterns by Mary Konior includes an interesting twist on this theme on page 28 (photo on page 29) called "interlocking clovers." The chains have four picots (again, not graduated).

Tatting Doilies & Edgings edited by Rita Weiss includes two interesting twists on this theme in their section titled, "Edgings for all Occasions" on page 23.

The first is the interlocking clovers version again. The chains have three decorative picots (again, not graduated) for easy stitching onto a handkerchief.

The second is the four-ring clover edging, but with the rings and chains reversed. Imagine the pink chains on the inside and the two white rings on either side.

Whew! That was a lot of references. Hoping one of these books is already in your tatting library.

Have I made up for being gone last week? I hope so, because all this typing has worn me out. Need. More. Chocolate Tea. ☺

A tout à l'heure, mes amis!

Fishy Fun on Tatting Tea Tuesday

Happy Bastille Day, everyone.

Instead of nibbling fancy French chocolate and tatting with the colors of the French flag, I'm settling in with a mandarin orange/decaf green tea. Today's tea accompaniments include gossip, photos and a bit of tea lore.

This past week I have been steadfastly working on a design for a heart. Just finished it late last night. The test sample looks so ragtag from emptying three shuttles of end-threads I just couldn't bring myself to scan it. Writing out the pattern to work it all in one pass will make it easier for you all to try.

Test tatting continues on the fleur de lis edging as well. It has been giving me some trouble, but I am still excited to get it worked out. Who knew "communi-tea" would be so invigorating.

Who am I kidding? It's all you! Your continued interest has spurred my "creativi-tea" as well as huge swells of gratitude. Can't thank you all enough for dropping by my little tatting corner each week.

Can I share a delicious bit of tea gossip? Just a tiny morsel to tease your appetites...

I received a flood of nearly unanimous responses to my recent call for nominations to revive my old National Treasure feature. You all didn't waste any time! You knew who you wanted to see.

But I can't spill the beans about who it is. That would be cheating. No amount of wheedling, trickery or chocolate will get me to talk. (Can't believe I wrote that chocolate wouldn't work.) I can tell you this: it is a joy to prepare this write-up.

To keep things interesting and fun, the following photo contains two clues to the National Treasure candidate's identity.

(I've probably just made it too easy for you uber-sleuths out there.)

If you've seen one of these fish-shaped shuttles before, you might hazard a guess as to the next National Treasure tatter's identity. Mine arrived earlier this week via parcel post. It has been a great week for receiving tatting goodies!

Decypher the squiggle underneath the fish for clue #2... Isn't this fun?

Can't wait to use this fishy shuttle next time International Tatting Day rolls around. (April 1st) I'm sure I will use it before then too.

Last but not least is tea lore from Tea Digest: Teatime at the Cat-Tea Corner. (Why? Because I love the pun!) It's not revolutionary, but still welcome in this little corner of tat-land.

Well, my tea has gone cold while I'm at the computer. Off for a freshly steeped cuppa to begin writing out the pattern for my heart.

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

Tatting Tea Tuesday

Thread: Handy Hands' Flora 20
White-to-Dark Purple variegated

It’s time for another Tatting Tea Tuesday!

Tatting hubris got the better of me this week. I imagined sitting down and working stitches quickly and effortlessly the first time through, regardless of the new techniques involved. (Go ahead. Laugh. I make these mistakes so you don’t have to.)

The false starts began with me not paying attention to which shuttle I was using. Then I jumped into the Self Closing Mock Ring (SCMR), forming the loop with knotting thread, not core thread. Sorry Shuttle Brothers! Your excellent instructions clearly state that it must be done with the core thread.

Following that I used the core thread shuttle to tat the center ring. Another big no-no. It only took me about an hour to painstakingly open up that center ring and pick out the stitches. I got lucky; the thread didn’t break and I was able to recover.

Tiny Round Teapot pattern is not difficult. I just kept making basic, careless mistakes. That said, I don’t have a finished teapot to scan in for you this week. But I have successfully mastered the SCMR.


It is time to step back and practice folded split rings before working the one in the teapot. So I’ve stopped for now at the folded split ring and switched to a set of practice shuttles.

It may not look like much, but the small snippet of lace above shows quite a bit of progress made this week.

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

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On a completely different thread, I saw an adorable tatted heart pattern for sale on Etsy called Paw Prints on my Heart.

I’m a dog lover so this heart is a perfect addition to my collection of tatted heart patterns.