TIAS 2013, Ruffled Heart & Dalek Update

2013 TIAS Intrepid Day 2

It warms my heart to see so many tatters enjoying Jane Eborall's 2013 Tat It And See. The guesses are starting to take shape just like the tatting. It is not too late to join in the fun!

My Day 2 entries are pictured above.  Whatsit #1 in Lizbeth^® 20 #168 Latte Foam is on the left, directly underneath the diagram.  Whatsit #2 in Lizbeth^® 20 # 125 Sea Scape is the second one on the right. Jane gave us the choice of climbing out to round 2 (the Intrepid path) or cutting and tying to avoid a split chain/split ring combo (the Cautious path).  I chose the Intrepid path.  ツ

This silly cartoon camel was intended to represent my Day 2 guess, but my computer refused to cooperate. I thought perhaps we might be tatting his hump?  Seeing the poor, dreamy-eyed duffer up a tree makes me laugh!

Last but not least is a snapshot of my sick Sprout's progress on his Dalek ornament. He was pushing brads through the felt (a fine motor skill exercise) to help stave off boredom while home with strep throat and an ear infection.

Poor Sprout!  His first-ever case of strep throat quickly turned ugly.  Thirty-six hours after diagnosis he developed a scarletina rash over the lower half of his body.  Scarletina rash is also known by another name:  Scarlet Fever.  Antibiotics are doing their work, but it has been a draining few days.

I will begin embroidering details once the brads are all set.

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!

Knot-Tea Fun

The Christmas Weed is dead!

Was it Wanda's wise comment that spurred Big Daddy (my husband) to action?

She wrote, "Mr. Pernicious is growing like a weed ;-) You do know what comes after flowers, right? Seeds!"

I may have embellished upon her wisdom a tiny bit, "...come Spring that weed will be tall enough to bite you in the backside, Mister, and babies will be shooting up from the seeds." (*wry grin*)

Applause for Wanda, for bringing the persuasive power of seeds to bear on the situation.




To celebrate this "seedy" victory, sing with me a fractured song lyric sung to the joyous munchkin refrain from L. Frank Baum's film, The Wizard of Oz.

Ding Dong the Weed is Dead

Ding Dong! The Weed is dead. Which old Weed? The Christmas Weed!
Ding Dong! The Christmas Weed is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Christmas Weed is dead. 

It's gone where the bread crumbs go, O're the fence, you know. 
Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong, the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Christmas Weed is dead! 

Knots and Tea
Just had to share this adorable felted heart pin and the beautiful, white tatted heart sent to me by JB.  Don't they look smashing together?

Here is JB's tatted heart in all its lacy glory. She does such wonderful work.

I did not tat this heart.  It was included in a gift JB mailed to me before the holidays.

As for tea, today I am drinking a lovely tisane (herbal infusion) called Christmas Eve/Veille de Noël by Stash.  It is a festive blend of mint and sweet spices that brews up into a warm, soothing cup.

Check back tomorrow to see the heart on which I am currently working.  And progress on my Gingerbread Boy.

TIAS 2013 Start Date

Have you heard?  Jane Eborall has announced the start of Tat It And See 2013!

If you have never participated, you're in for a treat!  This is the perfect time to jump in with two feet er, shuttles (one needle, if you prefer).

Jane's marvelous announcement and introduction says it all:

 "This year's TIAS (Tat It And See) is starting next week on Friday, 11th January."

 "Here is the link for the TIAS blog http://tatitandsee.blogspot.co.uk and here is the link to the introduction page too. http://janeeborall.freeservers.com/TIAS2013/IntroTIAS2013.pdf

 "Details of what you need is on the introduction page. I promise that this year's will be an easy tat for everybody and a great deal of fun. No beads for those of a nervous disposition!!!"

 "To see past games please visit the TIAS blog. Please email me on love to tat @ gmail.com if you want further help". ~ Jane

Hope to "see you there!"

Go Vote! Lace Mat Poll

Jon Yusoff has begun the Lace Mat Tatting Poll -- go vote for your top five!
(Please read the rules first, so you don't disqualify your votes by mistake.)

Lace Mat Poll Has Started

Glove Love, Brain Freeze and the Weed

Hurray for Lace-lovin' Librarian Diane's recent post, Tollway Tatters 2013

It includes a photo of fingerless knit gloves to ward off chill when tatting in the colder seasons.

When I saw hers I put on my own pair of "tatting gloves" and said, "Eureka!"

These lavender lace treasures have been around for 6-7 years, staving off chill when I would type at the computer. It never occurred to me to don them for tatting.

Thanks, Diane, for assisting in my first tatting revelation of 2013.  Let's hope it is the first of many revelations to come.

Now go read LLL Diane's post about the Tollway Tatter's first gathering of 2013: Tollway Tatters.

In it you will see a photo of Marilee Rockley tatting Cluny leaves separated by Double Core Single Shuttle Split Rings. Wow.

(I needed a moment to bend my brain around this idea.  It stalled at Cluny....LOL!)

Need an even more mind-bending Cluny challenge?  Read about The Cluny Cross

Brain Freeze
After seeing that incredible cross I experienced a tatting brain freeze.  Talk about an arterial rush! So Cluny leaves intimidate me now more than ever. Deep breaths....

Time to brew a soothing cup of warming tea and contemplate first steps for Cluny success.  Oh, and perhaps tat another Horse on a Paperclip.

---

Christmas Weed Update
Can you believe the Christmas Weed still lives? Prickly sow thistle (or Mr. Pernicious) now stands a dastardly 24 inches tall (61 cm) and is taunting us with yellow flowers. I need an intervention!

HAPPY 2013

The tatting technique I'd like to try in 2013 is _______.
(comment with your answer)