Tatncrazee

Welcome to Fall!

2010-10-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Wow where has the time gone? I can't believe it has been this long since my last post! A Lot has gone on in my life since then.. #1 event was becoming a dislocated worker after working for 16 years at Wilbert Plastic Services which closed July 16Th! So now not only I have become a national statistic, but I am a newbie at writing a resume and all of these apps are now done online... All new to me! As for tatting though, the summer months are always fun filled with so many outdoor activities so not much time for tatting. These past 3 weeks I have tatted more than in the last 5 months. I demonstrated at our Conservation Center for their Heritage Days. This year it was extra special because my 7 yr old daughter came along with me and demonstrated "Finger Knitting". That was a big hit with the girls! We had girls lined up to try this out. Markeia had so much fun doing this. When being a demonstrator there, they ask for a donated item in your art for their fundraising charity auction. This year I shuttle tatted the 8 Point Bag, out of the "It's in the Bag" book. I tatted it in size 20 Lizbeth thread.

A couple other projects I have been working on and just finished up this morning, was a couple of very special crosses. The story behind the cross pattern in it's self is a tear jerker. While tatting these crosses, it was a constant tug on my heart strings. The pattern is a Grandma Pearl original. Before her passing she was trying to finish one for all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She almost accomplished it. She had 2 in progress and one to start yet. Being it was her own pattern - she did not have it written down. So being that I was the one and only she taught to tat, my father-in-law asked me if I could complete her project and finish up what she had started. I sat down and looked at one of her completed crosses and wrote out the stitch count. I can't begin to describe the honor it was to hold her shuttle and work in my hands and continue on with her cross. After several hours of tatting and several tears shed, I finished up her project in time to pass out the crosses after her services. Now that was 9 years ago. I feel that she wanted me to learn the art of tatting from her it was a sign of more. I still continue to past her beautiful gifts onto all the new great and also now great great grandchildren. I try to have a "Grandma Pearl Cross" ready for them as a baptism gift or shortly after.. So this morning I just finished up two crosses for a couple very special little girls. They are for my (step) granddaughters, which would be Grandma Pearl's Great Great Granddaughters. I tatted these with the love from the heart as Grandma Pearl would have also. :) So here they are... The 1st is for Kaylse, it was tatted in Lizbeth size 20 Mountain Breeze. The 2nd is for Ella, it was tatted in Autumn Spice (I love love love this color!) Lizbeth size 20.

So I'm closing for now.. thanks for letting me share!

It's Been a Long Time..

2010-03-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone, I cannot believe how much time has went by since my last post!! Crazy! I still have been working on bookmarks.. lots and lots of bookmarks... I just receive an order of new shades of Lizbeth thread on Tuesday - cannot wait to try them out.. I love how on the Handy Hands website she now has little tatted butterflies next to each variegated shade of lizbeth thread. It makes it so nice to get the full effect of the color combination.. Hopefully next time I will have some new pictures to post. I have been working on some baby booties.. need to get into gear on finishing those as who they are for will be arriving the first part of May... :)

My New-To-Me Book has arrived!!

2009-12-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Santa has arrived early to me here in NE Iowa.. I have been waiting and watching for the final book to full my collection of Mary Konior series... "A Pattern Book of Tatting". Well low and behold if I didn't find one in my price range on Ebay... The ironic part is that I won this auction the same evening as when my friend came and picked up the bookmarks I made for her!! The purchase price of the book was $3 less than the amount my friend gave me for making the bookmarks for her!! So it was if she bought the book for me!! Love It!! Also while she was here she ordered three more from me... What a great feeling that someone likes them as much as I like making them ;) The thing I like most about these bookmarks are you can customize them for who you are giving them to.. Needless to say about everyone in my family will be getting one for Christmas this year... along with my co-workers.. Also I had to try out a pattern out of the new book too. Plus I made a couple of covered ornaments for some exchanges I am in for Christmas... Only thing there, I didn't take pictures of them.. bummer...

Last 5 for my friend....

2009-11-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

These are just so much fun to make.. Quick, easy and fun to customize for the person they are for.. Here are the last 5 for my friend that wanted some for gifts.. All made in Lizbeth with the charms from Wal-Mart. I did find some different little charms at Micheal's while I was visiting my brother-in-law and his wife in Des Moines. I have 3 more in the works for gifts for my co-workers. I also started some snowflakes - tis the season! Happy Tatting!!

What? 4 More?? :)

2009-11-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Surprise Surprise... 4 more bookmarks.. :) Here are yet 4 more bookmarks.A friend of mine stopped by the other night and seen one of my bookmarks laying on my kitchen table. After talking about them, she asked me to make some for her family members for Christmas gifts... I was honored.. So I have a list of 8 for her to make, along with some I would like to give out as gifts too. Three of these are her's. All tatted in Lizbeth thread. Red Burst, Turquoise Twist, Spring Time and Angel's Love. The charms on these are from Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby. I have started a pair of baby booties.. Will post a picture of them when completed.. Happy Tatting!!

two more bookmarks with lizbeth thread

2009-11-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone, Here are two more of my new favorite pattern! :) One with lizbeth's "Falling Leaves" and the other is "Harvest Orange Med.". The Destiny charm is from Michael's, it came on a card with 6 different ones. The "Create" charm is also from Michael's (I believe). They are on a string like a lot of the beads come on.. The words "Hope" "Believe" and "Wish" also came on the same string.

Another Bookmark in Lizbeth thread

2009-10-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Another bookmark.. This one is tatted in Denim Whisper Lizbeth size 20. I have actually made 3 more but this is the only picture that turned out.. Will try to remember to take more of the other two before I give them away.. Also has anyone seen the new Lizbeth thread color "Fall Leaves"? It is amazing.. I will be loading the next shuttle with this.. look for a picture by the end of the weekend!! Happy Halloween! Happy Tatting!!

my bookmark

2009-10-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

I just love tatting this bookmark pattern... they work up so fast... The bead and charm combination are endless for the short end.. Plus working with the Lizbeth thread is a dream... This bookmark is tatted in Lizbeth's Antique Violet Med. I will be keeping this one for myself... I think... :) Until next time - Happy Tatting to all!!!

another bookmark

2009-10-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

I finished not one to but two more bookmarks today.. only picture of the 1st one so far, the 2nd one I am blocking out yet.. I made this one for my sister. It is tatted in Lizbeth Turquoise Twist thread.

Inflicting the Tatting Bug on yet another Victim :)

2009-10-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

This past Monday I met up with two ladies for lunch and a little tatting lesson. One of the ladies I have taught to tat a couple of years ago but she was interested in learning the split ring. The other lady is a newbie.. I have to admit I think she might have been the fastest lady I had pick up on the flip. We sat at a diner for an hour and a half - tatting over coffee and o.j. for me. By the time we left, my veteran tatter had the split ring figured out and since our lesson has made a bookmark using split rings. My newbie on the other hand, had made 4 rings and chains... also having the rings joined together.. I was impressed.. We are meeting again on Monday. Also Monday, we are planning a road trip to the Country Closet in Reinbeck, Iowa is search of some new supplies!!! Lizbeth thread... sew mate shuttles... books... the possibilities are endless...
The photo I added is of a bookmark I made for my daughter's teacher. It is tatted in Lizbeth 20 thread - red burst I believe the name was... The pattern is out of Tatting Miscellany. The Ric Ric Bookmark, instead of the ribbon I tatted a short end and attached it with a chain...
Until next time... Happy Tatting...

25 Challenge Complete..

2009-10-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

After I posted my blog earlier this evening I then realized I have completed my 25 motif challenge.. I had no idea I was that close and also I have tatted items and given them away before getting a picture taken of it.. Also there was a couple of other events that happened today I wanted to share. First while at the Heritage Days, there are two other tatters - 1 needle and 1 shuttle. Well every year we make each other a little something.. I made more of Heather's awareness ribbons and handed them out in honor of my sister - a 6 year breast cancer survivor this month... Well the shuttle tatted gave a me a cute little butterfly and the needle tatter.... her husband is a wood carver... she gave me a SHUTTLE!!! It is very nice, I will get a picture taken and posted... Also today while I was tattin and chattin, my husband and daughter were helping his folks move.. He brought me home Grandma Pearl's treadle sewing machine!!! I about cried... My mom-in-law don't always see eye to eye and I never expected to have that given to me.. I will cherish both presents of the day forever!!!

It's Been a Long Time.... Motifs 19 thru 26..

2009-10-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

So where has the time gone... I am finally posted after SIX MONTHS!! What a busy spring and summer I have had.. I have quite a few pictures to download of items I have tatted and mostly have given away.. The first two pictures in this post is the tatted bag I made for our County's Conservation Heritage Days that was today. I demonstrate there and they ask us to donate an item of our skill for their fund raising auction. I started this bag last thursday and finished it up Wednesday night. I made it with size 50 HH thread. The pattern is out of "It's in the Bag" by Dianna Stevens. I didn't realize I was to tat out there until just last Thursday - they usually give me at least a month notice.. At first I thought maybe I picked a pattern I wouldn't be able to complete in time.. Ok the next picture. I tatted this bookmark for my neighbor lady that helped me out a lot for my Relay for Life team.. It is tatted in Manuela size 20, the pattern is out of Christmas Angels and Other Tatting Patterns book. The pattern is Filigree Bookmark. Next picture.. The same bookmark again, tatted in Lizbeth thread and a bead in honor of my niece serving in Iraq in the Army. I actually kept this one for myself and at the present it is keeping my page marked in the 3rd book of the Twilight series.. :) The other are just a couple of snowflakes.. the larger one of the two is out of Dillies Delights Twinkling Stars and small tatted gifts book. The smaller one, I honestly cannot remember.. And last but not least, 2 tatted cat and mouse bookmarks. Both are tatted in Lizbeth thread. Markeia received some hand me downs, in return she asked me to make the two girls something - so this is what she picked out for me to make the little 8 and 10 year old girls... Well I think that all for now.. Happy Tatting to Everyone!!

Motifs 19 and 20

2009-04-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
Here are two more 'motifs' for my 25 Motif Challenge. First, is my International Tatting Day present for my dear friend, Yvonne (who was also a student of mine). This year she remembered me for Int'l Tatting Day - what a wonderful surprise! I need to take a picture of what she made for me. It is a beautiful Christmas ball. She made them for her sister's for Christmas and I asked her where mine was! So to my surprise I received one on Int'l Tatting Day. It is a blue tatted cover with beads on a silver ball - BEAUTIFUL! It was really nice and brightened my day, as on Int'l Tatting Day I had influenza A! I was MISERABLE! I felt so bad that she had my gift all packaged up for me at work, and I didn't have anything to give her in return. It was all I could do to get myself ready and to work! So I decided I really need to make it up to her. So I decided to put something together in hopes it would work. I had size 80 on a shuttle yet from my egg cover. I found these cute little heart ornaments - like the glass ball ones - at Hobby Lobby on clearance after Valentine's Day. So I noticed that the heart of desire pattern I found on the internet was the same shape as them... I tatted two of those, blocked them out, and then tied them onto the heart. It turned out really nice. I asked my husband what he thought of it, he thought that it would be a nice post-Valentine present for him as it matched his Easter Egg!!! So it was late but I gave it to her on Monday, she loved it. So for the next motif, yet another cross. If you can't tell by now it is one of my favorites to tat. This time it was yet another one out of Mary Konior's "Tatting with Visual Patterns" book, the small cross. Although, I really am not to impressed with the way it turned out. I used Lizbeth Zebra thread for the first round and then just plain black thread for the outer round. Not sure what exactly I don't like about it but it just isn't one of my favorites. So I guess that is all for now. I will take a picture of my Int'l tatting day gift and post it at a later date. Happy Tatting to All!

Motifs 16, 17 and 18

2009-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Here is the next 3 motifs in my 25 motif challenge. Motif # 16 is yet another cross. This is the Large Cross out of Mary Konior's book Tatting with Visual Patterns. It is shuttle tatted in the new Lizbeth thread Marble. I LOVE this thread!! I was so excited to find a wide variety of Lizbeth thread at Hobby Lobby!!! I was totally tooken by surprise when I came across it there! Every trip to Hobby Lobby I go and check to see if there is anything new in the tatting supply area - which the answer is usually "no". This time was different, I was so excited. At first I couldn't decide which colors I wanted to buy.. My daughter Markcia asked me if I was going to buy them all... :o) I told her I wished to but no... ;o) Another thing about this thread, when looking to order some off the internet - it really doesn't do the colors justice. In person it is alot more impressive.
Anyway, back to my motifs.. the motif #17 is a bookmark I tatted with Jelly Bean Lizbeth thread. It is kind of loud but I love it!! What a fun combination of colors... The pattern I used is out of the "Big Book of Tatting". Instead of gluing a ribbon to it, I included a tail and tassel. I think my tassel should have had more strands of thread, might change that. Then the final motif for this post, the glass egg cover. This is a pattern I found on the internet, a few years back. This is tatted in size 80 DMC thread. Wow - I always forget how touchy that thread is to tat with - so tiny!
Until next time!!

Motifs 13, 14 & 15

2009-03-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wow I can't believe it has been about a month since my last post... So I have some catching up to do. I have been tatting but not enough time to post. So I have 3 more motifs I will post today. The first I am counting as one but actually it is a dozen awareness ribbons from the Tarnished Tatter's blog. I made these to hand out at our Relay for Life's committee meeting. After taking the picture - I noticed that I really need to work on hiding my ends... Then motif #14 is a cross I tatted for my friend's sister... she was expecting in August and had loss the baby. My heart goes out to her, the feeling of emptiness is horrible.. I have experianced the same, sad situation... The cross is from "Tatted Bookmarks needle and shuttles" by Barbara Foster. The pattern is the Santa Fe Cross, I used HH Flora thread in size 50. And finally motif #15 is the Spinning Wheel mat from Mary Konior book, "Tatting with Visual Patterns". On this one I use HH Flora size 20.
Until Next time...

Motifs 10, 11 and 12

2009-02-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

I am back again... This time for my 25 motif challenge I took on The Tarnished Tatter's Chap stick/lip balm holder. My 6 yr old daughter got a High School Musical lip balm from a friend for Valentine's Day and when I showed her the pattern on here - she wanted me to make her one right away... Before I got one made the right size it took me three tries. :-) So I am posting all three I made. The first one was tatted in Flora size 10 thread. I tried to make a tatted cord for the drawstring but with no luck as the top rings were too small to feed the cord thru so I decided to use a ribbon with a bead to cinch the top of the bag closed. Then I didn't like the knot in the ribbon next to the clip - so I put a ouch less see thru ponytail holder around it to keep it from coming loose. I am not really happy with that yet but it was better than having the ribbon fray out more I thought. Next time I think I might just try some glue and another bead to slide up and over the ends... So my next try I thought I would make the chains longer by a stitch on each side of the picots to make the holder longer. I also tried making the top rings larger by 5 ds so I could use the tatted cord for the drawsting (again with no luck... ). Then Markeia came up with the idea to add beads.. So she went a searching thru my bead and thread stash and came up with the next two color combinations. The 2nd holder than came out a bit big... I made too many changes at once, although my daughter loved it. The 3rd one than I just kept to the original pattern and just made the longer picots for the beads and it was perfect! So Markeia already found a home for the first orange holder.. a birthday gift for her birthday twin and cousin... Then she hooked hers onto her backpack and off to school she went today.. I just don't know why I have this feeling in the back of my mind that there will be more to make by tonight... ;-) I want to send out a BIG THANK YOU to the Tarnished Tatter... Her pattern just made my daughter's day... Thanks for your generosity of sharing your designs... My next post will include the awareness ribbon from her blog also... I am an advocate of the Relay for Life, with my sister being a 5 1/2 breast cancer survivor, I have started to make some ribbons for our Relay team members..
Until next time... Happy Tatting to everyone... and THINK SPRING!!! ;-)

Motif #9

2009-02-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone!
Well it's been a while since a posted a new motif. I have been working on a doily I am going to donate as a silent auction item for our Relay for Life in Clayton County. Our relay isn't until June but I want to get it done in plenty of time so I can have it framed and matted. I am working on "the Miracle" doily pattern out of the Tatting Patterns and Designs by Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson. I am using perfect quilter thread in the Americana variegated thread. It is coming along nicely, I will post a picture when finished.
As for the 25 motif challenge, my next motif is for Valentine's Day. I used size 8 DMC in pink and brown. The pattern can be found in "Tatting Collage", it is the "Tattered" Heart. This is the first time I worked this pattern. It went fairly quick and smooth for me.
Well now that I am off work for a couple of weeks, I am hoping to post more, more often...

Until next time...

Motifs 7 & 8

2009-02-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone! I don't know about everyone else but I am ready for spring! Here in Iowa we have had a beautiful day yesterday and today is starting out just as nice. I am so tired of the sub-zero temps and wind chills. I know we are not out of the woods yet with those days but what a nice break this weekend!
As for my 25 motif challenge, I have finished a couple more. # 7 was a fun pattern to do, something I have always overlooked in the book. This is the "Backchat" pattern from Mary Konior's "Tatting Patterns" book. The thread I used for this pattern in HH Lizbeth size 20, color 123. I really love the color. I am going to try this pattern again and hook two of them together to make it in a circle. Then the motif I used for my #8 is the cross pattern out of the same book. The same I had in an earlier post. A co-worker of mine, mother passed away. I will be putting this in her sympathy card. This cross was tatted in Opera size 30, color is an off white, I couldn't see a number on the tag.
I need to start planning and lining up projects to make for a Christmas Open House event in November.. I know it seems like a long time from now but once the weather straightens out I don't have as much time to tat. Any suggestions would be great.. hint hint ;-)
Until next time... Happy Tatting!

Motifs 5 & 6

2009-01-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

Finally after a week of having these done, I am getting them posted. I wanted to try Jon's snowflake again but this time with a solid color on the second round. This time I used Manuela size 20. The varigated color code is 202 and the blue was 059. I liked how it turned out. I think I will put it in a acrylic coaster. Then motif #6 I made from the leftover thread on my shuttle. The pattern is from Patty Duff's Minitats book. What a fun little pattern.. Well I am off to find a couple more patterns for this weekend of tatting.
Until next time!

Motifs #3 and #4

2009-01-10T17:54:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,
Well it has been a long work week. And as I figured no time for tatting during the week. Last night we had family movie night. My husband, Mark and almost 6 yr. old daughter, Markeia. So while watching movies I had a chance to tat a couple motifs. One is yet another snowflake, which I loved the idea of making a bookmark out of it like Gina. It is the same pattern as before, Myra Piper's Tatting book, #5. This time I used DMC size 80 color code 55. This the first time in a really long time I made anything with size 80 thread. I forgot just how tiny it was. I really like how this turned out and I think I will actually keep it for myself. That is something I very rarely do. ;-) The other motif from last night is a cross pattern from "Tatting Patterns" by Mary Konior. I used DMC Perle size 12, color code 316. I just love the color. I am going to try to take different pictures tomorrow as I really don't think these I took tonight do the colors any justice of either motif.
Until next time....

2nd Motif

2009-01-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo - here is my 2nd motif on the first day! It will be different tomorrow though, as it is time to go back to work after a 2 week holiday break. My second motif is Jon's "Quantiesque" snowflake. I used Perfect Quilter thread. I only have two different varigated spools of this thread, so I ended up using the same one for all three rounds. I wish I would've had a soild color for the second round. Well that is two down and 23 to go...

2009-01-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well I have my 1st motif finished! I chose a simple snowflake pattern from Myra Piper's book "Tatting". It is the #5 snowflake pattern. I shuttle tatted it in Olympus size 40 thread. The color code on the ball is M9. My 5 1/2 year old daughter Markeia has a white Christmas tree in her bedroom with pink lights and decorations. Right after I got done taking pictures of it, she added it to her tree.

Hello!

2009-01-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!
I was reading the posts to the online tatting groups and have decided to participate in the 25 Motif Challenge. After looking at everyone's accomplishments and creations - it was so inspiring. I am looking forward to getting started. Now that I have this blog set-up and figured out (I think), I am off to start loading a shuttle and picking my first pattern.

Until next time..