Cynthia Tatsaway

a scan of what I have done so far....

2012-01-14T22:21:00.000-06:00

This is my practice piece for the month of January 2012--the stitches included are: Straight Stitch Family that includes straight, fan, Holbien, back stitch and shapes made with straight stitches. The red leaf laying on its side was supposed to look like it had a higher spot but it just looks silly to me. the empty blocks on the right of the square targets are supposed to have pink parts. Yes I didn't get any further before I had to post it for the embroidery class I am taking. I have 2 more weeks to go on this part so we will see how much room I actually use up on this piece of aida 14 count. The empty white space can be filled in and below the line could become the February part. I will post as I get things done...(supposed to do it weekly for
the class) so everyone can see how it is going.

This is the first "block quilt" block that I have gotten done. At least it shows the colors even tho it can't show all the block. My scanner is only so wide. I will eventually embroider over all the seams much like a crazy quilt and add tatting, ribbon, etc to the blocks. So far the colors are lilac, light blue, red, orange, navy blue, azure (aka turquoise), leaf green, pink, and yellow. If I run out I will add more gingham colors..I need 43 blocks like these (12X12) , 44 more blocks that will be solids or prints in the same colors (or 44 gingham and 43 solid/print). Plus the 12 monthly design blocks...(We get to do something with the stitches that were practiced each month) for a total of 99 blocks for an 9X11 (99 blocks) quilt that will cover our bed and hang down far enough to cover the mattress and springs. I am thinking about doing the "practice" pieces somehow to make 2 pillow shams. I am conflicted as they are just "practices" and not meant to be "used" but I don't want to waste the time, thread, aida cloth (Okay Grama Dean don't get huffy I won't waste them...[see previous post]) so I think they may become part of pillow shams as I will have 12 blocks in 12 colors it will look okay from that stand point. Any ideas would be appreciated for how to do the pillow shams--they won't be done for at least 12 more months before I can even think of doing them....the quilt has to come first.

Peace, C

2012-01-13T13:20:00.000-06:00

I have been encouraged to write about my great grandmothers quilt. First off it was made in the late 1800's--probably 1875-1890) from flour sacks...yes cloth flour sacks that she acquired over time. A short--very short--version of the story of her life. Skip down to the next paragraph if you don't want to read it and just read about the quilt...

My great-grandmother was born in Ireland in 1864...She came to the US on a sailing ship in 1868 and learned to write from a woman who asked that she write something every day...She did...at first it was things like "I saw 3 birds today." and as she grew up the journal entries "grew up" too with messages about her life---the good and the bad. She had more than a hundred journals at her death in 1968 just a few days before her 104th birthday. I have had the privilege of reading most of her journals which are now archived and available only to family members or those with a reason to use them for research (I took notes as she was an incredible lady). She lost everything in that house to a fire--the quilt was the one loss she grieved for the longest. I do have her notes about the quilt tho...no pictures.

Now back to the quilt....she, my great-grandmother-Gertrude Dean, was able to occasionally keep 1 flour sack for her quilt. The rest were made into clothing for her husband, children and herself. (Times were hard, money was tight, but as she said in the mid 1960's no one knew times were hard they just lived and enjoyed life as it came so don't pity her or anyone else of that time.) She decided to learn to embroider...she wanted to make something "fancy" and not the plain, utilitarian things that she always had as something for her first "real house" (think walls with windows and a door, roof, kitchen/living room combination and 2 bedrooms--1 for she and hubby and 1 for the kids--all 5 of them) not the dugout shanty against a hill that they had lived in for years. She would make a quilt for their bed. Yes it was still utilitarian but this one would be beautiful and have embroidery on it--she could dream of a fine house. She found someone about 3 miles away and would walk over once every 2 weeks to learn a new stitch. She could not go more often as work had to be done first and weather had to be taken int account. She saved up for "real embroidery thread" by using only half as much coffee (and only throwing out the grounds every other day) in each pot every day so she could save up for for a fine needle, thread and the highly desirable "real" hoop not stretchers made from tree branches. Her quilt was coffee dyed cloth with white thread embroidery. Sewing thread was pulled from the sacks...but real thread or embroidery thread came in a skein and was 2 skeins for a penny. The embroidery would be white on the ecru sacks--double thickness (both thread and sacks) for strength.. She would dye the sacks then boil them in the wash water to set the dye. Each of her blocks (the quilt was 5 feet by 6 feet and her bed barely 4 ft across--mine will dwarf hers) would be a different stitch in a different design with any variations she could think up. Additional blocks would be from what was left after making clothing--pieced together and little designs stitched on each one. We now have names for most of the stitches she used--she just called it "fine embroidery stitches". She would not be pleased with my hand sewn seams..stitches were 10 or 12 to the inch--tiny and almost machine like when she did them even when she was in her 90's! Mine are bigger and not even...lets not go there...

My quilt will have 12 blocks...12 colors...12 months...and also gingham blocks (see previous post for one) and maybe some additional blocks of a soft print in the same colors as the gingham (all the blocks will be 12X12 inches square when finished)...I do need 99 blocks for my queen size bed after all (9ft. X11ft. so it hangs over the edges and hides the box springs too--both sides and at the foot) . I am using unbleached muslin for the embroidered blocks. Embroidery thread ($0.40 each skein) in 12 different colors all store bought just for the quilt...talk about frivolous. I am thinking about using my "practice pieces" as a basis for pillow shams--with tiny blocks of the additional fabric as edgings as needed. I just can't shake the feeling that I should not waste any of the material!! Gertrude Dean would not tolerate waste...use it, re-use it, make do with using it some more--the original recycling concept!

Peace,

playing catch up still.....

2012-01-12T10:02:00.003-06:00

Friends, as you know from my earlier post I had a rough week of driving to start 2012 off...That put me a week behind on my beginner Take A Stitch Tuesday...I am frantically trying to catch up and think by tomorrow I may be getting close...not fully caught up but close enough to not embarrass myself with a picture....well actually a scan of what I am doing...but for the time being...I want to show one of the quilt blocks... It needs to be ironed and is actually 12" by 12" so each of the gingham blocks is actually 4" square when sewn in...and the scanner didn't get all of it but you see the colors...

Yes I will be embroidering the block edges and adding some tatting as well. Now for a bit more info on these blocks...There will be either 87 or 44 or 43 of the gingham blocks. I am doing 12 additional "sampler" blocks of the stitches I am learning in the beginner TAST aka Take A Stitch Tuesday that are plain muslin with the embroidery on it...different color each month and new stitches as well that will be arranged on the top of the quilt. I am considering making 43 or 44 of the blocks the same basic color but with a polka dot or a small design...in the same colors as the gingham blocks. I have looked at the store and can find only 2 colors in the polka dots--red and navy blue but all except orange and navy blue with the a tiny floral pattern that will be a nice change of pace. But I will be working on this project for a full year plus so don't expect fast decisions or postings. I am expected to post progress weekly so I ~will~ do that...LOL. I like the gingham but think a queen size quilt 9 blocks across the bed by 11 blocks long might need some other blocks to set it off a bit more. It is not a crazy quilt but a block quilt. As I said it is a work in progress....we'll see how it goes. I would call the quilt a "Sampling of embroidery quilt" if I had to give it a name.

A quick summary of the blocks as that can make it easier to visualize: 12 Sampler embroidered blocks with 12 different colors (red, red-orange, orange, yellow orange, yellow, yellow green, green, blue green, blue, blue violet, violet and red violet--1 color per block basically with 3 a dark, medium and light of each color to highlight different effects). Next on the hit parade is the gingham blocks. If I don't have enough material of these colors or can't get one (or more) of the colors I will add an additional color as needed to make all the blocks. That is why I am also considering adding a quiet floral or polka dots as 12 inch blocks too. I need a total of 99 blocks (12 sampler and 87 other blocks). Thoughts of others are nice but realize this is "MY" quilt. ( Sorry a bit of ego sneaked in...)

Peace and hugs

2012 Welcome to the New Year

2012-01-06T17:39:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2012 a new year and a new attempt at doing this blog...hopefully better or at least more often than in the past.

In December as I was making bad lazy daisies around all the birthdays and anniversaries in my family (sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews as well as immediate family) on cloth calenders...I made a crazy decision...in 2012 I would learn to do embroidery better and correctly. I joined a group and I must post to them weekly...this blog may benefit if nothing more than duplicate posts...

Each month (yes all 12!!) we will be learning a new stitch and some variations on it. January is Red and the stitch is the seed stitch aka straight stitch aka running stitch. The trick is to make them even and have them look good. I should post again on Saturday...if I get it done on time...I may have to play catch up next week with 2 posts...hmmmm (already behind....sheesh and it is only 6 days into January). The rest of the month is devoted to variations or so I think...

On December 23 we headed to my MIL's for a Christmas gathering with all Doug's siblings and families. It was a good Christmas...a bit non traditional as we did presents on Thursday the 29th and had chili for dinner. Beth was able to join us from Bismarck ND--a long solo drive for her. On Dec 30 Beth headed toward our house in Stillwater OK (She wanted to spend new Years eve with a friend in north Oklahoma.) and we headed out on the 31st. We had awesome weather for driving except for about 2 hours of misty rain right at the start. We arrived home on Jan 1 about 3 AM slept awhile and started helping pack all Beth's stuff from her rental storage into her truck, a UHaul trailer, our truck and brought everything to the house including her 16 ft fishing boat. On January 2 we headed out for Bismarck ND as a parade....LOL Alright make it a caravan...truck with boat (trailer) then truck with UHaul trailer....we made it to Bismarck in time to get the boat to a new storage place, unload the trailer and get it returned to a UHaul rental place, get the paperwork all straight for her apartment and have dinner on the 3rd. We were exhausted....totally EXHAUSTED! We got Beth's bed set up and we (Doug and I) went to sleep. Beth on the other hand...emptied her truck and set up a cot. Energy of a young adult as compared to us older parents--we remember when we could have done that too...On the morning of the 4th we headed back to Stillwater...made it to Concordia KS before getting too tired to continue. Arrived in Stillwater about 2:30 in the afternoon on the 5th. I learned 2 things...First, I am too old to drive that far (5 1/2 days with no days off) and Second, driving past 10 PM is insane no matter when you got up. According to Map Quest it is 3136.79 miles We did it in 5.5 days!!!

The above paragraph is why I am behind with my embroidery class. Life happens...

On a side note the UHaul place had a B-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-D day on the 3rd. At about 4 in the afternoon one of their big commercial trailers came loose from the Semi/Tractor on the interstate and they were busy until well after dark cleaning it up. The only good thing...no one was killed....stuff can be replaced. I actually felt sorry for them. They happened to stop by the office as we were trying to drop off the little rental trailer...5X8 not the huge thing they were dealing with. They said they would do the paperwork in the morning. I hope the rest of 2012 goes a lot better for them! (And for everyone!!!)

Peace, Cyn

trying to make this work again

2011-12-20T16:39:00.002-06:00

blogger and IE are not compatible...trying to add google chrome as something changed at Mozilla Firefox and it quit working for me Peace, Cyn

I am trying to join TAST

2011-12-20T16:24:00.002-06:00

Thank you forallowing me to join the group. I hope I can make a reasonablepresentation...the information I have looked at seems a bit overwhelming tosomeone not skilled at embroidery but when I think back to learning totat...the learning curve is more like a sky rocket going straight up for a bitbefore it begins to curve. I can actually see where it will curve for me inthis group. I have a work email (brasthatfit at yahoo dot com) as well as myhandwork email(and woefully neglected blog)--tattingaway at gmail.com I useboth interchangable and I promise never to send you advertising as my gmail isforwarded automatically to my yahoo account. The subject will have a TASTreference tho. Peace, Cyn

Hi I am going to participate in theTAST

2011-12-20T16:19:00.002-06:00

Thank you for
allowing me to join the group. I hope I can make a reasonable
presentation...the information I have looked at seems a bit overwhelming to
someone not skilled at embroidery but when I think back to learning to
tat...the learning curve is more like a sky rocket going straight up for a bit
before it begins to curve. I can actually see where it will curve for me in
this group. I have a work email (brasthatfit at yahoo dot com) as well as my
handwork email(and woefully neglected blog)--tattingaway at gmail.com I use
both interchangable and I promise never to send you advertising as my gmail is
forwarded automatically to my yahoo account. The subject will have a TAST
reference tho. Peace, Cyn

It has been too long since I posted

2011-12-19T20:28:00.000-06:00

2011-01-08T22:53:00.002-06:00

Tatting Friends this is draft 2 of a letter that I am sending to my local newspaper when I finally get it done. Your thoughts...even after I send it...

The news that Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords was one of 14 people shot and 6 people murdered at a public meeting on Saturday January 8, 2011 emphasizes the reality that civility in everyday behavior has been lost. Hearing such vitriolic words we knew it was only time before a vicious attack of this nature was going to occur. Unfortunately, we all have a part in this atrocity. We did not speak out clearly that the vitriolic rhetoric consuming our country is wrong. It was inevitable that it would lead to violence. We are all partially to blame because we did not speak out against the violence in the language used by the media and talking heads.

We have all failed the people injured or killed and their families by not stating clearly, ‘vitriolic language has no place in a free society’s media.’

We conscript young adults into the military because they can be easily swayed by vitriolic voices to commit horrendous acts of violence. (Look at the useless wars being fought in the Middle East for an example. Our young adults in our military are doing the violence in our name.) It was only time before the same kind of vitriolic language used by those opposing health care for all people was used by someone as a reason to murder. It is a sad time for all people in the United States.

I hope this does not continue and that we can regain the civility we so desperately need in discussions of national policy. We need to have civility in discussions brought back into the everyday conversation from political leaders, media talking heads, and all civilized people. I call on all people to make a pledge of civility in political discussion so this type of violence stops right now.

How many more must die?

PEACE,

bse saves lives

2010-10-07T22:52:00.003-05:00

October is breast cancer awareness month...Ladies and gentlemen...yes I said gentlemen and ladies..I want all of you to give your loved ones a gift that will take you 10 minutes (or less) a month but at the same time give you additional years to love them. Everyone, men included should be doing their breast self exams. Yes the gentlemen should also be doing them...same technique as the ladies use--just less tissue to go over. If everyone did their own breast self exams the incidence of fatal breast cancers would be cut by 90%...The scary information comes next: The different sizes and cure-ability of a tumor found by a doctor at an occasional checkup is the size of a marble and stage V (less than 20% survival), by a doctor at an annual exam-- the size of a small grape and stage IV (about 50% survival), by the occasional breast self exam a pea and stage III (75% survival) but by the monthly breast self exam a small grain of rice and stage I (99+% survival) and this typically is curable by outpatient surgery and seldom even needs anything else but attentive followups by a good medical team.

Are we going to be afraid of something that can be cured without the loss of a significant body part! NO most of us have cut ourselves by accident and have a bigger scar than the removal of a grain of rice--often it is now done as an outpatient and you can be back at work the same day. On the 4th of each month remind 4 others to do their breast self exams. Breast cancer in men is rare but 5 minutes a month can save their lives, too. If you do not know how to do a breast self exam check the Breast self exam site or ask your primary care medical professional (http://breastselfexam.ca/section4slide5.html) and for the gentlemen please check (http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/guys/tse.html) about testicular cancer--no reason to die since it is curable and you can do both exams in 10 minutes.
What a gift to give your loved ones--your life!

Peace and do your self exams!

Had the information been available in 1953 my grandmother might have lived a longer life! She had the first radical double mastectomy for breast cancer performed in Idaho in 1952 and died in 1955 of breast and ovarian cancer that spread from the breast cancer.

TAT Apprentice Phase 1 started May 2010

2010-05-24T13:13:00.003-05:00

Random thoughts about beginning the Tatters Across Time, Inc proficiency program. It has 3 parts or phases. Phase 1 aka Apprentice is an incredible way to improve your tatting abilities--yes I've been tatting 25 plus years and am learning more than I thought I would over the 3 phases. I have done 1 yes just the first pattern and the learning curve is more like straight up--no curve yet!!! As per their request I will not be posting pictures nor patterns to help keep the integrity of they program intact. If you want the patterns or more information it is available from the Tatters Across Time, Inc website.

So far I have learned that the way I have been doing my rings although not wrong; there is a better way that makes them a/look nicer and b/be easier to open when necessary. I've also learned a better way to do picots and joins. Just different and it gives an improved look to the tatting I do. I now have been using the improved techniques for just a couple hours and find myself doing them automatically already. I actually have to consciously think to not use the technique until it says to in the exercise! This program is incredible just in the amount of knowledge it is sharing and pushing me to improve my tatting. The cost of the entire program is less than $200 and well worth it as far as I can see at this point. The first part is the least expensive and after the first exercise I know I've gotten my money's worth! If you are considering tackling this program it is an incredible learning experience. I'd say I started with a tatting high school diploma and the Apprentice phase will leave me a tatting college graduate with graduate school coming--not scary, not intimidating just an incredible experience available for anyone who wishes to try it. You have the time you need to do this so you don't have to tat fast just accurately and with awareness of what you are doing. You think of your tatting skill in a whole new way. Of course I have not, and will not, send anything in until I have it done as per the instructions. You do send it all in at once for 3 evaluators to decide if it needs to be improved and re-tat or it is acceptable the way it is. Kind of scary waiting for feedback after what will be several months of work and then another 2 months of awaiting their decision. I know I tat well but have not had the feedback of others "judging" my efforts. Yes the items I've tatted get raves. The specific techniques I use are just accepted and the entire item is enjoyed for what it is...not how it is constructed. I'll not loose any sleep but it is a new experience.

This is the first post on this subject and I will strive to post at least twice a month and hopefully weekly. Look out Mondays...

Peace, C

computer problems

2010-03-28T14:54:00.003-05:00

My tolerance for computer problems has always been very low and after waiting 10 days to get my computer back, connected it all up. Started it....and it still takes 45 minutes yes that was confirmed by a count up by seconds timer!but is seemed longer! It takes 45 minutes to connect and it took 15 tries and a bunch of white screens and start overs. I promised I will not use naughty words but boy oh boy do I have a list I could put in about now! Dear hubby, Doug, will talk to the tech on Monday and I'll probably take in in shortly (March 29, 2010) after so he can try again. He thought he had the problem corrected--but I have reason to believe it is not fixed because it is still having the same problem! Until I get my computer with win xp on it back I am using Doug's computer with win 7 that is incredibly challenging to use. If someone has a way to make it work easier or explain how to make it work I'm willing to listen and try. Peace and namaste....

posting a picture

2010-03-14T14:41:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have been trying to learn how to add a pic for awhile. My daughter had these pearls but didn't want to put them on a post earring back so I used Nina Libin's Basic Earring Pattern and did a variation that would work for her. My daughter does not like "big" earrings (sorry Nina but she says yours are "big" we can agree to disagree on definitions here...) but wanted to wear the pearls with a black/gray/white dress that goes beautifully with her pearl necklace. I made my own variation on Nina's pattern so it worked for us--a big Thank you to Nina for sharing the pattern! Peace everyone and I will do my best to post more often and add pics on a regular basis too!

Word of the day

2009-11-28T15:12:00.002-06:00

Namaste Verb from Hindi and Saskrit..meaning: the light in me greets the light in you also it has a symbol...and can mean the breath of the universe is in you... I'll try to post the symbol later as right now it will not load I need to modify it somehow to add.

Peace and Namaste

Breast Self Exams save lives

2009-03-31T10:05:00.002-05:00

Everyone, men included should be doing their breast self exams. Yes the gentlemen should also be doing them...same technique as the ladies use. If everyone did their own breast self exams the incidence of fatal breast cancers would be cut by 90%...The size of a tumor found by a doctor at an occasional checkup is the size of a marble and stage V, by a doctor at an annual exam it is the size of a small grape and stage IV, by the occasional breast self exam a pea and stage III but by the monthly breast self exam a small grain of rice and stage I--curable by outpatient surgery and seldom even needs anything else but the more attentive followups by a good medical team. That said many women do not get mammograms often because of the cost. Most Insurances pay less than $100 on a total cost (x-ray reading by a specialist) that typically costs $250. The Breast Cancer site has a program to help fund mammograms for the un- and under-insured. Please click on the icon and follow the directions...Thank you

Peace< Cynthia

learning to tat before the internet

2009-03-26T16:18:00.002-05:00

I learned to tat about 25 years ago...I had a dress that had tatting on the cuffs and collar that did not fit from the time I got it...lol We all have that from our high school days....My mom gave it away!!!!!!!!! long before I wanted to get the beautiful lace off of it! I had searched and searched for a similar lace...no luck...when I asked her to think back to where she had gotten the lace she just laughed and said "Eloise made it." That put in motion a real challenge...Eloise lived in Missouri and we lived in southwest Colorado. Eloise was a l-o-n-g day's drive away. We tackled the drive with a 3 and 5 year old...we left home about 4 AM and got to Eloise's house about 6 PM......crazy way to get instructions on tatting...but we were on our way to Ashtabula Ohio--2 more days in the car to visit hubby's parents. After we took Eloise out to dinner then the tatting lesson began...She did not have any books just a shuttle and thread. Everything she had ever made she made up as she did it but she only had rings and picots...she called them loops and frills. I think I threw out at least a ball of crochet thread learning to tat...but learn I did. Eloise did not have any chains or joins and as far as split rings, split chains, and the host of other techniques she had not a one of them...nada. She did a loop with frills and then a short bare thread and another loop with frills and repeated it to the needed length.

One magical day probably 3 years later and bored with just rings with picots. I discovered / designed / stumbled across a connection aka join...off I went with that joining the picots together that would naturally be side by side...I actually made a wreath! Snow white but it was a circle of rings. The the reason I call it a magical day...I had to refill my shuttle...it may have been a great big Tatsy shuttle ( I'd never seen tatting thread...size 80! I'd have panicked if someone had told me to use sewing thread to tat with! It can be done tho...try the glazed quilting thread makes beautiful angels... ) as I only had crochet thread for tatting with at that time. I picked up a the ball thread instead of my shuttle thread and looped it over my hand and proceeded to tat the next ring....boy was I shocked when I pulled it tight and zip it came out!! try pulling the shuttle thread on a chain that isn't hooked to anything....it was amazing to me at the time. Eloise always used a very long thread to tat with and that is how I learned... The magical moment of discovery...I now had 2 things to put together...a ring with picots connected to another ring with picots and a chain between. I didn't reverse work or anything at the time so it did look a bit odd. Every "pattern" I made until about 2 years ago came from my head. I'm not all that imaginative but that is where I got them....all of them...from my head. I'd never heard of tatting books/patterns. Of course if I had I wouldn't have invented joins and chains...

Georgia's Advanced tatting class was so far over my head...I didn't even understand what they were talking about and I'd been tatting for over 20 years...She suggested without pointing out how little I knew about tatting that I try the Beginning tatting class. I, wisely, kept my mouth shut that first day and was trying to figure out what they were talking about...rings, split rings, picots, up joins, lock joins....you all get the idea. Well the beginning class was such a relief...they started out as if no one knew anything and away we went.

I was back to the advanced class and downloading every pattern I could find before I knew it. I tried to give credit to the designer and list their address but on some I didn't...for that I apologize. I now have three 3 1/2 inch binders with patterns! I download everything I can find!..Now I make sure I have the designers name on it and the blog site or where ever I got it.

Peace, Cynthia

just a reminder about the map

2009-03-26T16:17:00.000-05:00

Oklahoma Map with Counties

I could not get the map to load or show up on my blog so I'm including the url here. Lone Grove where the tornadoes were so bad earlier this week is in Carter County. south of OklahomaCity . Stillwater is in Payne county (look for the tugboat in the upper third of the map about the center)
The word Payne has the center of the Y about where Stillwater is. Now we all know something more than we did about Oklahoma...lol...maybe I'm the only one who learned...
http://www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/statemap.html

A Celtic Snail's Tale

2009-03-25T22:25:00.000-05:00

Ruth Perry made my daughter, Beth--a non tatter, a purple snail when we were at her beautiful home before Christmas. Beth has kept the tatted snail in the back of her checkbook. Beth and a friend, Shawn, got pulled over after dropping an acquaintance of Shawn's who he hadn't seen for several years at a house they had never been near before. The officer asked Beth to step out of her car and proceeded to search the entire car, her purse, and asked Beth to empty her pockets. They took Shawn (a buff college kid) out of the car, handcuffed him and patted him down. Apparently the house they had left Shawn's acquaintance at was a known drug dealers home, and we police were stopping anyone leaving that house. The officer went through Beth's purse and noticed a small, irregular bump on the back of her checkbook and got excited...He knew he had a drug dealer or at least user. That had to be a small bag of drugs!!!!! Alas, when he opened her checkbook all he found was a friendly, completely harmless, clean and sober, purple tatted Celtic Snail! The poor officer really looked disappointed...his drug bust was a clean and sober Celtic Snail...
Now we can all laugh about the event! At the time it was disconcerting to Beth but the poor officer was so sure he had a drug user and it would be a good arrest but alas he only found a snail. No drugs of any kind. They had actually handcuffed Shawn and patted him down. Beth is convinced the only reason she wasn't cuffed and patted down was they didn't have a female officer on duty at the time....purple Celtic Snails are not illegal...
Moral to the story...watch out where you stop and let someone out of your car!

Tatters unite and let's tat up a drug free world that will be safe for Celtic Snails and everyone else...

my lack of picture

2009-03-04T13:30:00.002-06:00

Beth took a picture of some of my tatting. It now is in place of a picture...I'll get a better item--something I'm designing right now--but for now the circle will work. If anyone can tell me where I got the pattern I'll gladly give the designer credit. Peace

100 motif challenge...

2009-02-26T12:53:00.001-06:00

Way behind....but I love tatting and sharing with friends so instead of keeping the motifs to send out later I keep gifting them away....Just will have to do some more....Peace, Cynthia

Oklahoma Map with Counties

2009-02-13T16:13:00.003-06:00

Tornadoes and tatting....

2009-02-12T21:41:00.002-06:00

The recent tornadoes in Oklahoma have had several people worried about how I fared the storms. I'll try to remember when the storms in our area make the national news to put an update on my blog. I'll try to find a map of OK that I can add to my blog and indicate the counties that were damaged by the tornadoes as well as where I'm located. Fortunately, for us, the strong storms were in southern Oklahoma. We did have a moderate storm about 45 miles south of us and a small storm that was within 10 miles of us. Unfortunately there were some fatalities in the Lone Grove area way south of us. Our prayers and thoughts go out to the families who lost not only their homes and possessions but their loved ones as well.

I'm coming along slowly on my 100 motif challenge...I'm behind already and had hoped to be ahead by now. Back to tatting

2009 a tattingaway challenge for myself

2009-01-02T11:10:00.002-06:00

Here is a challenge for my self and others may join in if they choose. I think it can be very fun to see how I progress with all the tatting practice I'll get doing this. I've Challenged myself to make 100 motifs in 2009...Actually by the end of November. I figure it can be done with just a bit more than 2 snowflakes a week in amongst everything else I tat. I've found several patterns for snowflakes that take just 1 or 2 rounds and I think they can be done in a day--I tat s-l-o-w so we'll see how far I get. Check my blog and I'll update as I get them done and include a picture of each different kind (I'll have to figure out how to add then pictures--rotfl).

Is anyone else up to this challenge? It is an open challenge to all tatters who want to try....

My Great Grandmother (died at 103 years but not a tatter she crocheted) used to say "motion is the lotion for my old arthritic fingers". She fell down the basement steps at 102 carrying a box of home canned jelly and broke her hip. She was most upset by breaking the jelly jars! She lost 4 of the 12 that fell out of the box...If we could all be that alert and nimble at 102! Her broken hip she considered just an inconvenience compared to losing the jelly!

Happy Tatty New Year everyone, Peacefully tatting away, Cynthia

Tatsaway land in Ohio...

2008-12-22T18:42:00.003-06:00

Hi from tatsaway land...I got to meet Georgia and Ruth (and their spouses) on our trip to Ohio this winter...Weather cooperated until about 2 hrs from Ashtabula, Ohio then the roads got slick and swirling snow made visibility interesting. We could not see to the front bumper when the snow was swirling. We did continue on as the swirling was intermittent and you could get aways before the next gust would hit. Fortunately we have driven on snowy, icy roads before and found it tiresome but not too bad.

For those of you who haven't seen the new Rozella Linden book "Celtic Tatting A Design Journey on an Ancient Theme" there is a treat in store for you when you do. I won't give away any secrets but I can hardly wait until I get to start something new...

Until I get the brace cover/cuff done no new projects! lol I really want to jump from this dull project to something fantastic and new from the book! I'm not even near 1/4 way done yet so it will be awhile before I can switch projects...more info later and I promise. T'm tired of the velcro catching on everything and making it hard to get my sweater and or coat on or off. The cover/cuff is really a necessary item to get done. I'll get a picture/scan and post the pattern when I do get it done. In the meantime you will get updates on how it is going. The way I design is try it and see then cut and start over...lol not the best method I'm sure but no fancy computer programs so it is design on the go...

Tatting in the car was more challenging than usual--maybe the black thread to blend with the brace was part of the problem. I tat slow...and it will take awhile yet to get it done. I did learn that I am actually using the GR8 shuttle correctly...but I still tat very slow. I did learn a different way tat that might be a bit quicker but it will take some getting used to and does work much better with the finer sized threads...we'll see. More on that later.

Got to run and tat some more. Peace, C

तत्सवय

2008-12-22T15:22:00.001-06:00

Finding my way in Tatsaway Land

2008-12-16T10:03:00.000-06:00

A bit more of my adventures in tatsaway land. When I learned to tat the dear lady had no written or charted patterns all she did was edgings. The edgings were very elegant but used only rings and picots--the picots were not joined and there were no chains. After getting the hang of rings and picots I slowly began re-inventing everything that has been done already--except written and charted patterns.

To me patterns were something you figured out as you went with no two items ever the same even if I was trying to remember how I did it before. Joining at picots was a challenge...my technique wasn't particularly good but it worked--since then I've learned a much quicker, easier, nicer, prettier way to do joins. Chains were rediscovered when I picked up the wrong thread--crochet 10 thread--and began tatting...the ring was a disaster but the chain was discovered.

My next project is to learn how to add a picture to my blog...I have a few scans but they aren't the kind of thing one wants to show off...I used them to learn to read patterns....with more mistakes than anything...maybe I will eventually post them to help others learn the easier way...education not experience...

Peace,

Hi

2008-11-22T22:55:00.000-06:00

I'm just trying to create this blog...it will take a bit of time for me to figure it out...bear with me...I'll be adding information as I go. Peace