Hearts and Edgings, TIAS and Podcasts

Riet has joined the TIAS challenge and it has been twice as challenging because she is translating Jane's page into Dutch for her guild.She has been with other things for her guild too, but she won't post it to her blog because some of her guild speak English too.

Connie has been busy crocheting and working on her international tatting exchange project. Her husband brought home 2 tatting books last week and 3 more this week. Sounds like our kind of guy.

Sapna's father has been ill and consequently she spent a lot of time at the hospital with him. His blood circulation was a bit slow when compared to others but it can be cured by medicine, for which the family is thankful. Fortunately she had her tatting with her and she was able to make all of these coasters. She has decided to used her hand dyed thread to make bookmarks. Bookmarks are quick and easy to do and make great gifts and besides, as Sapna puts it, using the hand dyed threads means that she can buy more of them.

Bob shows us a picture of the glasses case he uses to hold all his tatting equipment and the heart that is his 15th motif. Bob's daughter is out of the hospital although not back to normal yet. We'll keep praying.

Bev has posted all of her first 16 completed motives. Bev's daughter, Lori Elayne, is in the hospital with pneumonia, please pray.

Debbie is using the steps suggested by Rose Deguara in the HBT email list to reduce her UFOs. She's having a hard time finishing this piece and she keeps putting it aside to tat other things.

Jeff has been working on some more Tenneriffe lace and Jane's TIAS project. He also tatted a Pocket Angel using C-Lon thread that he estimates is about a size 10 and we can expect to see more hand dyed threads being used as he has just received his latest order from Marilee.

Aileen is working on a card pouch using a vibrant turquoise Omega thread with matching beads. It's looking beautiful. After the thread breaking experience she re-tatted the TIAS critter and she admits having a serious craving for another hand made wooden shuttle. She's working on a heart for the heart exchange in Opera thread and thinking that everyone else is using the same pattern. Probably not, there are a lot of terrific heart patterns available now like the one's from Martha's new book "Tat's Amore".
C4G is working on this Star of David pattern and practicing split rings. She thinks they will help minimize the cut and ties from the antique patterns. (Will they ever!) She made a wonderful tatting thread find in the second hand store and is really pleased with her discoveries. Bonnie was taught to finish off her work by tying the ends sealing them with fray check. She's wondering how other people finish off their work.

Gina has her rendition of Jane's TIAS done in a thread that took a while to tame.Diane found this heart that had been forgotten on her blocking board. There are things about it that she's not pleased with, but she's decided to use it somewhere anyhow. Don't forget the Tatting Treasures from Trash challenge. You can always add pieces that you aren't thrilled with to a tatted bag and use other bits of tatting to cover up the things you don't like. Pamela has been working on her TIAS challenge and now she's thinking that maybe it's some kind of fork lift truck…

Ruth's second podcast is up, but I don't think I mentioned it before.

Arlene's second podcast is up now. Isn't this wonderful, having these podcasts about tatting?

Mark's brother has been staying with him while they get things sorted out after the flood. While waiting for his brother at the Red Cross relief centre, Mark had the opportunity to design 2 new one shuttle edgings and a cross. Do you like the matter of fact way he puts things, "I got some tatting done"? Meanwhile he has designed 2 awesome edgings and an adorable cross. We should all get some tatting done like this. Don't forget to add Mark's family to your prayer list.

Nothing much happening in my little world except picking up some threads to tat with. I do have an intriguing idea I'm working on.

Snowy, after some trepidation, decided to order Mary Konior's book "Tatting With Visual Patterns" and she's finding out why we all recommend it. In case you aren't familiar with the book, it's in full colour and has a wealth of lovely designs, the book is also chock full of useful tatting tips and tricks. There aren't any split rings or split chains or any more modern techniques, but the book is well worth the $20.00 plus shipping price from Lacis.

Anyone for second helping of "Rhubarb Pie"? Marilee has another 70 skeins of it in her Etsy shop.

Laura has tried out the finer hand dyed threads from New Zealand that Clyde was using and she loves it. Now she's not afraid to order the finer threads form Marilee and Sherry. It's amazing the difference GOOD thread makes.

This is Sherry's Valentine heart pattern and she will have the pattern PDF available as soon as she can find a PDF hosting site. Her "Cirque de Couleur" thread is gone, but she has 2 new colours "Vickie's Lilacs" and "Icicles".