Tatting Tea Tuesday - ♥ from Postie ♥

Ooh, it has been a good week for post.  Look at what my "Twistin' Postman" delivered.  And yes, he did ring twice.

New Tatting Bags and Shuttle Pouches
from Jane Eborall

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  I just love, love, love these new bags! JaneE is so generous.  She even included one of the square tatting bags designed by Anne Bruvold. 

This fabric might not appeal to everyone, but I really fancy it. (bought it ages ago) It has been languishing in my stash closet waiting for the perfect project. Wouldn't you agree that this was it?

Size comparison

My original orange bag is starting to look worn from me taking it (literally) everywhere. The new, round bag is taller for those times when I am teaching and need to use a tatting needle. (Not very often, but it pays to be prepared.)

Not one, but TWO matching shuttle pouches

What a luxury to have matching accessories!  Two shuttles from my collection are included for scale.

The same shuttles at the bottom of the new tatting bag.  Don't they look small?  ツ

Of course, one very eager elf leapt right into the square bag for an impromptu game of hide and seek with his knitted pal, Arthur Dent.  Don't panic, Ciarrán, but he's getting closer...

Not sure if the giggles permeating my kitchen are of the tiny, elfin variety or from The Sprout.  Either way, we're greatly enjoying the parcel from across the pond!  Thank you, Jane!

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But that's not all.  This box arrived two days later.  Just a little box...

But sometimes the best things come in small packages, as Ciarrán will attest.

Honey Drizzle, Elderberry Jam and a few other Lizbeth^®40 new Fall colors (not all of the them).

These will tide me over until the size 20 threads (and size 3) and new Aerlit^® shuttles arrive.

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

Two Novels: Ruinous Lace & Night Circus

I have been sitting on the fence about reading this new lacy novel, leaning one way and then the other; not quite ready to jump.  Reviews have been intriguing and so I lean forward, almost deciding to read.  Then I read between the lines of "point of view of the dog" comments and pull back, hesitating.

The Ruins of Lace, by Iris Anthony

I'm a dog lover and a sentimental. There are hints (inklings) in reviews that the dog portrayed in the novel may be mistreated.  If said canine is abused or worse, put to death, for the sake of lace, I will be emotionally wounded. Perhaps even scarred.

And so I checked out this book from the library instead:

The Night Circcus, by Erin Morgenstern

Whooo-boy!  Has it been a fantastic ride so far: imagine tripping down a magical lane with a rare Victorian Circus as the venue and two competing illusionists driving the plot.

**SPOILERS**
Having fallen under its spell, I worry that elements of parental cruelty found in early chapters of this book may ultimately lead me to or over the ruinous edge. The two illusionists are bound in a pact. Will they ultimately outwit and escape their fate? Or be doomed to a duel to the death?

The descriptive passages in this book are, to me, captivating and engrossing. Those who prefer dialog to description may not relish this book as much as I.  That said, it is a superb distraction from The Ruins of Lace, by Iris Anthony.

If you enjoy fantasy novels, I would say read the reviews and consider The Night Circus.

As for The Ruins of Lace, I'm still sitting on the fence. 

Calling all Pattern Sleuths SOLVED

Does anyone know the source for this heart pattern?  It looks so familiar...

Corazón perfumado
By Corazón Frívolo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/corazonfrivolo/5748222036/lightbox/

I have so far eliminated the following antique patterns sources from my search:

Antique Pattern Library:
 1.  Beeton, Isabella. Beeton's Book of Needlework, 1870 (the tatting chapters)
 2.  Beyer's Handwerkboeken Serie H. 40, Frivolité met Afbeeldingen., 1920
 3.  Bucilla Blue Book No. 3, Original Designs in Tatting, Novelty & Filet Crochet, 1916
 4.  Priscilla Tatting Book, 1909
 5.  Dillmont, Therese. de, D.M.C. Tatting, 1920
 6.  Endrucks-Leichtenstern, Eleonore.  Schiffchen-Spitzen, Die, 1920
 7.  Farnes, Emma. [B] Alphabets in Crochet & Tatting,
 8.  Fitch, Mary E. [4] Crocheted Yokes and Tatting, 1915
 9.  Hayden, Hazel. Round Yoke in Tatting, 1916
10. Hees, Marie Antoinette. Old and New Designs in Tatting, Book No. 5, 1916

Note:  Several of these antique pattern books include four-ring elements, but I have so far been unable to connect them to the ring-and-chain work seen in the heart sachet.

SOLVED!
Thank you to everyone who looked and thought and sleuthed along with me. Kathy Niklewicz commented that she could "'almost positively' say that it's Teri Dusenbury's very popular "Regal Heart" pattern from her "Hearts" book." And she was right! It is even pictured on the front cover.

Incidentally Kathy, I also tatted this heart back in the 1990s. I was intimidated by split rings and never attempted any of the other hearts from this book. (That's why it looked so familiar.)

Thank you, thank you for solving the mystery!  I am adding this pattern to my holiday ornament To-Do List, since it looks so sweet adorning a felt heart.  And I will add beads.  (Fox, you saw that coming, yes?)

Tatting Tea Tuesday: Motif 18 - Maple Leaf

A damp, Autumn chill descended upon my corner of Tat Land over the weekend.  After several gorgeous week days with temperatures in the 80s (30 degrees C) I was downright cold.

So I put the kettle on for some Chocolate Chai tea, donned my favorite Pashmina and set about tatting leaf samples for a Tat-Along being hosted at my local yarn shop (LYS) on October 14, 2012.

Motif 18 - Maple Leaf
Tatted by IsDihara 2012

The pattern is the Maple Leaf Motif from the February 1975 Workbasket which has been diagrammed and adapted by Tammy Rodgers to include a stem.

I have tatted it with Lizbeth^® 40 Falling Leaves #100 for the rings and Lizbeth^® 40 Victorian Red #670 for the chains. The stem is pearl tatted.  I quite like the look, but will add an extra core thread next time to give the appearance of a sturdier stem.

If your thoughts have turned to tatting leaves, there are loads of great patterns from which to choose.  Georgia Seitz has a great page pulled together, Notes on Designing Tatted Leaves.

Karey Solomon has a booklet for sale called "Tatting Turns over a New Leaf."

Jane Eborall shares her Beady Leaves on her online pattern pages.

Our dearly departed Tatting Goddess, Gina Brummett, posted this leafy image on her tatting blog on January 10, 2007, with the following words:

"A "delphinium" from Tatting Collage by Lindsay Rogers becomes a Christmas or Evergreen tree with green metallic embroidery floss."

Gina's leaves from October 31, 2010 (maples, oaks, celtic and miscellaneous, small leaves) are truly inspirational.

 

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

Lace Mat Lag

Norma Benporath Lace Mat Tat-Along
Rounds 1 and 2

With round two complete, the Norma Benborath Lace Mat has been put on the back burner.  Why?  Because the thread color I chose for rounds three and four has not yet arrived from China to the Handy Hands warehouse.

The lace currently measures 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) in diameter.  Rounds 1 and 2 are tatted in Lizbeth^®40 Pineapple Parfait #170.  I would like to continue rounds 3 and 4 in Lizbeth^®40 Honey Drizzle #180.

My progress for this Tat-Along may be behind many of the other participants, but no worries. It is not a race. When the new Honey Drizzle thread arrives I will carry on.

Norma Benporath Lace Mat Tat-Along
Rounds 1 and 2

While the rhythm of this pattern makes it enjoyable to tat, the repetitive picots on all the chains (IMHO) make this lace look old-fashioned. Some people really like this look.  I am not a fan.

If I were to tat this again, I would remove the picots on the chains of round one and omit all but the joining picots in round two.

Adding beads to all those decorative picots would certainly "sparkle up" this mat.  Not sure if it would make me happier. What say you, bead lovers?  Does this need a dose of bead love?

Adventures of Auntie "Mac" and Her Flying Shuttles

Oh Sweet Mercy!  Have not been able to conceal the big, gaping grins every time Anitra Stone's husband and his pre-caffeinated story time creation popped into my head.  I first saw it on Anitra's Facebook page:  a status update that looked like this:



The amusing puns set off all sorts of happy thoughts in my head and I have been enjoying them all while working on my weekend tatting.

Wouldn't it be divine if a series of short one or even three-panel cartoons  (think Bill Watterson's Calvin and  Hobbes) evolved from this idea? I would be doing this dance if that happens.

Source: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/

And this cartoon panel animation, saved with the file name "pounce," seems ever-so-much fun. It mirrors to a tee the boyish antics that erupt at my house on weekends.

Source: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/

Any writers or sketchers out there (Tatman? or maybe even YOU?) who would give this a go?  Think of how much fun it would be to read about this in a tatting newsletter.

If anyone is interested in exploring the idea of Auntie "Mac" and Her Flying Shuttles through words or sketches, please be so kind as to contact Anitra Stone and her husband.

Light and Lacy in Yellow

In spite of the long list of post-Tat Days projects, I couldn't resist joining in Jon's Tat Along to make the Norma Benporath Lace Mat.

My rationalization? It is perfect in-car tatting for after-school dismissal. Yesterday I had planned to start round two, but got caught up in an utterly diverting chat and didn't tat a double stitch.

Jon's post from September 12, The Lace Mat, gives great historical details about this pattern, but I will try to sum up (so that I can remember in the coming years).

On March 16, 1938, The Queenslander newspaper published this pattern under the headline "Tatting for Busy People" giving Norma Benporath a proper byline.  (Yay!)

The National Library of Australia (NLA) granted Jon permission to rewrite the patterns it has archived to preserve the designs and make them accessible to current tatters.

Jon included a few handy notes for folks eager to start the Tat Along. I was curious about bullet number three in particular:

Here is what my round one looked like before I flattened it out with a quick shot of steam. (After first pinning the lace to my ironing board, or course.)

Thank you Jon for being so wise as to include this note. I would surely have abandoned the work had you not advised me to not panic. ツ

Later this afternoon I will begin round two for Tatting Tea Tuesday. Imagine me with a travel cuppa of chocco-strawberry decaf with a splash of chocolate soy milk. NPR playing on the car radio. Happily tatting along. The sunny yellow thread juxtaposed with the soggy, grey skies.

That is how I plan to banish the rain and continue dreaming of Indian summer.

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