The Official Naming of The Shuttles

In my last posting I asked Sherry to name the 2 shuttles I received from her. As I said I believe they are works of art and should have official names from their creator. This is her reply to my request.

"Shuttle #1 "Patchwork Fields" because this reminds me of an aerial view of farmers colorful rolling fields, like those that can be found in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

Shuttle #2 "Honeysuckle Pond", no explanation needed."

Shuttle #1 being my first shuttle and Shuttle #2 being my second - the pic shuttle, see my previous post for pictures.

Thank you for taking the time to do that, Sherry, you did a great job, both names are very appropriate.

Also I will use this time to tell all my blogger friends that I will be gone April 19 thur April 26. Our daughter, Holly, and I are going to North Dakota to visit my/our family. I look forward to visiting all of your blogs when I return.

Happy Tatting,

Bonnie

#7 of 25 Motif Challenge

To the right is the finished bookmark I showed a teaser of when I blogged on April 2nd about my new shuttle I received from Sherry. I must tell you it is a dream to work with!

The pattern is from Kersit, and is called Floral. I used Marilee's size 30 Deep Ocean HDT. I had a hard time getting this piece to photograph well and I'm still not happy with it, but hopefully you get the idea. And I had to include the shuttle for anyone who may have missed it the first time around.

And now .............................

introducing my second Sherry shuttle purchase. This time it is a pic shuttle.

I used it to make this bookmark. The pattern is called Heart of the Butterfly by Irene Woo. (again I must repeat what I originally wrote, "Although I made it from a picture and didn't have her pattern, so I'm sure the the stitches probably aren't the exact same as Irene's") This was made using Marilee's size 30 Peace HDT . I have done this motif many times in the past and really enjoy it. I made one for my sister Anita for her birthday, and wanted to make one for our other sister, Nancy, for her bday as well. Actually both of these pieces will go to her. Nancy's bday is April 19th, and since I live in NY and she lives in Boise ID, I better get these in the mail on Monday.

These 2 shuttles are great works of art. I enjoy using them. I do feel that as with all great works of art they should have names, though. I hesitate to put more pressure on you right now, Sherry, but would you do the honors of naming my shuttles at some point in the future? Days, weeks, months from now I don't care when. I just feel that works of art should be named by their creator. Thank you.

I am not considering this second piece as another motif for the 25 Motif Challenge, as I have made it a number of times before.

Happy Tatting,

Bonnie

Diane's Tulip, #6 of 25 Motif Challenge

Greetings,

I don't have alot of time today but I wanted to share with you the tulip I made from Diane's Tat It & See. I made it a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to post it.

Thank you, Diane, for sharing your pattern with me.

Happy Tatting,

Bonnie

I forgot to say this ...... It was made with LadyShuttleMaker's size 20 Spring Poppies (one of my personal favorites, and sadly I am almost out of it) and a Flora green from Handy Hands, Inc.

Almost Missed International Tatting Day

Although I didn't know about it until late in the day, yesterday was International Tatting Day.

I looked it up at Holiday Insights and this is what I found out.

I-T-D it is always on April 1st and it has been celebrated internationally for over 4 years now. I have no way of knowing how old that post is to know how long ago it was considered "over 4 years".

I also found out something very important about I-T-D ...............

"On this day, "tatters" around the world have different activities, mostly educational, to celebrate their hobby, and introduce it to others. Often, they celebrate by eating chocolates and making tatted lace."

Did you hear that, EATING CHOCOLATES!! (I knew there had to be a reason why I was so drawn to tatting to begin with!) Sadly because I wasn't aware of this special day, I wasn't prepared to celebrate by the traditional means of eating chocolates :-( Truth be told, I'm quite glad about that part, because that's less time I have to be at the dreaded gym to work it off!

However I did work on making some tatted lace.............

*suspense building silence*

using my new LadyShuttleMaker shuttle!!!

Happy Tatting,

Bonnie

H.D.T.A.

With a sense of relief, I learned there is a name for my condition. It is H.D.T.A. (Hand Dyed Thread Addicts.) Cylde (AKA The Mad Tatter) explained the condition quite well in his Sat, Jan 19, 2008 and Sun, Jan 13, 2008 posts. I am totally addicted. I rush home from work every day to see what Marilee and Sherry may have listed on Etsy while I was at work. I'd hate to miss out on anything!

I just read Sapna's blog and wow did it hit home. I too am a collector of HDT-s, she wrote..... "I must admit though that I have been saving them for God knows what! I think its time I used them… for only then I can do more justice and buy more." It was like a "dah" moment for me. What good are they if I just gaze at them? I need to create with them and only then can I justify to myself getting more. So I'm making a promise to myself to use at least one of my HDT-s this week.

Happy Tatting,

Bonnie

Hand Dyed Thread - #1 Motif

I am addicted to them, now that I have some I am afraid to use them .... my fear is a couple fold.

First, as Gina suggested in her blog dated Thursday Jan 17, 2008, the color choice can make or break a piece. I do not have enough tatting experience to have mastered the right or wrong of color yet.

Next I fear I will have picked out a pattern that is to advanced for me and I will waste "My Good Thread" which is hand dyed thread from Marilee (Yarnplayer) and Sherry (Lady Shuttlemaker) 's Etsy shops. I can tell they each must use a wonderful base thread as it is a dream to work with. (If you haven't treated yourself to at least one of their skeins please do so.) I discovered Etsy about a month ago and since then every day I come home from work and check to see what lovely threads the ladies may have listed while I was at work. I'd hate to miss out on anything! Now to find patterns worthy of My Good Thread.

For my first couple of tatting pieces I did the first one a plan white to make sure I could do it and see how it would look before I ventured into the variegated threads which are my favorite. However then I realized that it is alot of work to do it in white AND do it again in color.

After the bookmark I made for a friend this is the next completed piece I made. As you can see I made the first one in white as a practice piece, it is a size 20 thread. The other one was made using Marilee's Deep Ocean size 30 thread. And I might add that it is the first piece I made where I didn't have to cut and restart the thread.

I did make a variegated teal one to send to my GUF so he could see what I've been up to. It is my pattern of choice right now. It is fun to make and I've really learned to make my picots consitant size. I think I've made 4 or 5 of them now. Everyone I know is going to end up with one.

Sadly I do not know who to give credit to for the pattern as Betty (my teacher) gave me a picture of a finished piece which I looked at it and made my own version of. ****Monday, Jan 21, 2008, Thank you to Sharon for letting me know this pattern is called "Heart of the Butterfly by Irene Woo which was printed in the Official Tat_Chat Pattern Book edited by Georgia Seitz" Although I made it from a picture and didn't have her pattern (so I'm sure the the stitches probably aren't the exact same as Irene's) I'm very pleased to be able to give her credit for a beautiful pattern.****

Even though there is 2 here, I will count this as my first motif for the 25 Motif Challenge.

Happy Tatting,


Bonnie