Time for an update!

We've had a little blizzard at Tatting in a Winter Wonderland! I do apologize for the tiny gap in updates. I had visitors. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law came with their granddaughter (my great niece), Asa. Asa was way too much fun. I'll post a pic shortly.

Hi, gang!

I had the most delightful telephone call today from Isdihara! You know, I think we must have all been separated at birth. I don't think I've ever spoken to a tatting stranger. They just don't exist. Thanks, Issy!

I thought I'd give you another bathroom update. The tile got up on the walls, the fixtures got put in, then I needed to grout. Yes, that was a little backwards, but I had to work with the plumber guy schedule. I grouted the wall where all the fixtures went, then after the fixtures were replumbed I grouted the remaining tile.

You remember Crazy Mom of Crazy Mom Tats!? Well, she frequently writes of the adventures of her children, the Stooges. I have some Stooges of my own, but mine are the furry kind -- Chatty, Stinky and Nedsel. They may be feline, but they want to help just the same.

More flakes today from Anitra Stone and Stephanie Wilson on the snowflake blog.

And some eyecandy. This is a little doodle I did out of some scrap copper wire and a bit of thread left on the end of a shuttle. I used inverted picots in the style of Dutch needle tatting and shaped the wire as I went.

Bathroom update and more flakes over on the snowflake blog. Here's a preview:



When you're doing this tile stuff, you get to cut the tiles to go around little things like this. I like to call this my "Tribute to Mondrian". Of course, my artistry is now hidden beneath the vanity, but I know it's there. Now you do too!

More snow is falling at Tatting in A Winter Wonderland!

Meanwhile, here's a bathroom princess update.

I posted a new entry on the Quilt blog. Here's another picture of the Bathroom Fairy's project.

The plumbing had been replaced, new drywall put up and the monotonous job of taping begins.....



Don't let the smile fool you.

I'm actually contemplating what to do with that broom and the camera at that point.

Heh.

Long time no post!
Bathroom fairy here. I started a little blog to chronicle the snowflake quilt project for the Palmetto Tatters Guild Scholarship Fund. Check it out!

Happy New Years!

Okay - it looks a little rough, but here it is! Noel, approximately 12" in diameter, made in Lizbeth #80 boysenberry dark.

La, la, la, la.....

Back from Tat Days! I've got lots and lots of stuff to share, but not the time presently. I just wanted to show Sherry my version of Ben Fikkert's Noel doily from his book, Floriade. It's really a lovely design, and I'm so looking forward to seeing what this will look like finished and blocked!

I apologize for its wonkiness. It's been wadded up in my tatting bag - I tried to straighten up a bit with a pin or two. You sort of get the idea of what it's going to look like anyway.

Not too much further to tat now.

I have to brag a little here.

I have the sweetest nieces and nephews. Not having children of my own, I live vicariously through them. Heehee!

My nephew, Cozmo, is a guitarist. The group he plays with has just released a new album. They recorded at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock last winter around the time of Snowpocalypse. I didn't really know what to expect when I first heard the album, but I have to say that I'm beyond impressed. I'm extremely very proud of Cozmo, too. He not only got his bachelor's degree, but a master's degree in Business and Marketing Education before he decided to "be famous". Free samples of the album and touring information about the band is available here:

http://www.thedirtyguvnahs.com/Home.html

http://www.thedirtyguvnahs.com/Music.html

They really are a nice group of very talented young men - and I do wish them the best in their endeavors!

Georgia belle says to check out the slide shows of the quilt blocks at http://www.tatdaysscholarship.info

See what all your pals have been up to!

Also, be sure to print out some paper forms for your pals to donate to the scholarship fund. Who knows? They may win the quilt and share it with you!

Those slides are pretty stunning! And so inspirational. I'm so impressed with what everyone did. It's incredible.

Georgia belle says to check out the Palmetto Tat Days Scholarship Fund Donation/Quilt Drawing page!

http://www.tatdaysscholarship.info

Thank you very much!

Oh, how I'm bad. I've been so busy lately -- I've been faced with the choice of taking care of things or blogging. Guess which won out?

Lots has been going on. I'll try to do a "quickie" update. Back in April I was visited by the one and only Hope G. Here she is with two of my favorite people, Mr. and Mrs. Mo, who preside over my favorite restaurant, King Tut's Egyptian Grill. She lived to tell about it, too.

















A couple of weeks later, Raymond got to meet his all-time idol, "Dr. J.", or Julius Erving. Dr. J. was awarded a Community Service Award by WXIA-TV in Atlanta. We not only attended, but got to sit with Dr. J during the telecast (they needed bodies to fill up the tables - heehee!) I thought Raymond looked particularly fetching that evening. Dr. J was such a nice man, too.

















I've been working, working, working on quilt blocks and tattings for Palmetto Tat Days. I have a little sneak peekaroo at something you can do with my little "button mums". This is a little bag I found years ago at the dollar store (it cost a dollar!). It was supposed to be an evening bag, but I thought it looked like a cute little child's purse. I made three of the mums and supplemented the arrangement with a Ruth Scharf-type leaf and a little rings-only flower. The beads were really fun to work with. I used some of those matte delicas. These work up quickly - and a bead spinner really and truly does work!

My very beautiful shuttle was decorated by the very talented and gifted Sherry Townsend. That is real tiny tatting on that electric pink shuttle. If you think it's bright here, you should see it in person. It'll put your eyes out!

No, I haven't fallen off the planet.

I've just sort of been really busy of late. I have a few pics to share, however. Firstly, I had to share these beautiful flowers with you folk. Spring is just around the corner. Can you feel it?


















I will miss those beautiful sunsets we have in the wintertime, however. Here's a sunset from the not so distant past. I love how the silhouette of the trees looks like lace.






















As some of you know, I've been helping one of my dear older pals settle into assisted living. Phyl is extremely craft-oriented -- she hated giving up her home to move into a beige room. She's been craving color. I decided she needed a special something to brighten up her room. This is my first foray into making an actual machine-pieced quilt. It's been very interesting. I'm sure my next attempt will be better.

























Lastly, I've gotten two of my three blocks for the Palmetto Tat Days scholarship fundraiser quilt well underway -- do these look finished? I hope so. I've started on block #3. Georgia still has some needing homes. Oh - these two are my tribute to Tennessee. I can't wait to see this quilt finished!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!


I hope all of you are well and warm. I've been busy, busy, busy preparing for the holidays. And I'm ready for one! I have a few pics of stuff to share. First of all, on Thanksgiving my sister, Amy, spotted this "lurking visitor" in the backyard. That was one of Santa's reindeer, no doubt, checking to see if we were being naughty or nice. We were trying to be nice at the time. It's hard to get into much trouble if one is stuffing one's face with Mattie's homemade rolls. Oh, they're good. We haven't been able to spot the reindeer since, however. I think it must be like Stonehenge where there's one day per year that particular shadow appears. Heehee!

We had a little surprise weekend before last. It snowed! And it stuck to everything except the streets! We seldom get snow before January here. I can only remember a couple of white Christmases ever. Who knows? Perhaps we'll have one this year. Anyway, this is what our street looked like. I love how quiet it gets when it snows.


































I've been busy making it snow inside the house as well. I love taking a pattern and playing with color and beads and such. This is the second snowflake from 24 Snowflakes in Tatting by Lene Bjorn (yes, Gina - I was tatting that snowflake also!). Isn't it interesting how the overall design of the snowflake appears to change with the addition of color and where it's placed. The little blue snowflake was the result of some bead play. The big snowflake is a beaded version of "Connie's Snowflake". We "studied" it in the online tatting class Monday. I put "studied" in quotes as a) my diagram and pattern had some "issues" and b) we were generally pretty rowdy that night. I don't know what they slipped into the tea that night!






















Connie's Snowflake






My sister, Amy, asked me for a painting this year. She wanted a painting of Santa Clause done in the style of Haddon "Sunny" Sundblom - the man who painted the Santas for Coca Cola (and also coined the phrase, "The pause that refreshes"). Dagwood painted one for us when we were kids and of course we all lust mightily for that painting. This isn't as good as Dagwood's, but here is the end result. Apres Sundblom, 16"x24", oil on canvas.

More about Tat Days 2009
On Friday Morning we started things out with a little Trade a Tip session which got everyone's tatting fingers loosened up. The classrooms at White Oaks are really lovely - lots of great natural light from the generous floor-to-ceiling windows. I learned lots of nifty tricks from the tatting borg, plus had a great time just being in the element. There is a certain comfort that comes with being with kindred folk.

















The Palmetto folk think of everything. All that tatting can really tax one's system. The gals saw to it there were always good provisions on hand. This is the glorious "hallway of food and drink" they set up with all sorts of snacks - chocolate, of course, and other sweet and savory lovelies. There was a complete coffee and tea service as well. And water. Don't forget the water. Hi, there, Sherry!



















Tracy Jackson was the "big vendor" - Here she is with her tremendous "ocean of thread". Oh, the colors! And the variety! She had some fabulous sales going on as well. I stocked up on size 70 and 80 cordonnet. Yep - I figure I'll be about 283 years old by the time I run out. Hey, Jane! Quit talking and buy more thread!



















Ronnie and Teresa Woods graciously manned the cash register for the other vendors. It would make my head swim for days to keep all that straight. They're always good for words of encouragement (Erin, this shuttle is so you! You really need to buy it!). Needless to say, I did, and I'm a happy camper. ;-) That's "G-L-O-R-I-A" Gloria with them. Gloria took care of the Silent Auction table which was located directly across from Ronnie and Teresa.




















Meanwhile on Friday morning we had folk still registering for the event. Here are Donna and Katharine hard at work at the check-in table. They also spent a great deal of time putting out the inevitable "little fires" and seeing to it that classes and events ran smoothly.

Tat Days Post!!! Finally!!!

If you read the Tat Days Post at Celtic Dreamweaver Sherry's Blog, then you got to see some of our initial visit. After Sherry got here and we slaved over shuttles and such, Georgia and Richard Seitz arrived. Oh, we had fun! There was much talk, laughter, painting and merriment. For dinner, we went to eat at my favorite South Knoxville restaurant, King Tut's Egyptian Grill. Georgia and Sherry got to be Tut-ettes.














































And Georgia Belle made the mistake of ordering "Chicken to Go".
























We shared the Egyptian and Vegetarian samplers (except adventuresome Raymond who had grilled chicken). Then we had basbousa (a little semonlina cake with sauce over it) for dessert. Yummy yum! Look! I have tatting in my lap!














After a great meal, we went home, slept and got up the next morning to head to Tat Days! Arrival was a blur of hugs, hugs laughter, more hugs, and seeing sweet familiar faces once again!









Oh, and I have no idea why Hope and I were staring at the ceiling. I think we were acting stuck-up. Look at that hummingbird on her derriere!

Before I get into updating things here, I'm posting a "quickie" of the wedding. It actually happened! Raymond and/or I didn't chicken out, the weather held out, we had a legitimate officiant, rings went on fingers and everything!

First photo - a man trudging to his happy destiny. Heehee!














Next - the actual exchange of vows - no one told me I still had my sunglasses on. Whoops. It's probably a good thing, though, since I was on the verge of a migraine. Actually I look sort of like I'm about to throw up here. ;-)

The beautiful necklace, bracelet and earrings are a gift from Sherry Townsend. I felt very glamorous wearing them.
















The big "sealed with a kiss" part...















Whew! It's official!















And the next picture which is self explanatory:














And (drumroll, please) THE BABY!!! Being held by my big brother, Rusty.