Tat Chat heart

More lace, well...on a small scale.
Here is the Tat Chat heart i tatted to adorn the card i shall give my friend tomorrow.
The scan is wierd and the colors look strange. Hmm...

I have a lot to do before bed yet, so toodles.
love jen

Wedding Bells

Well, i completed the wedding bell ornament, designed by the delightful Terry McGuffin, a few days back. When my sister visited and checked out the bell, she informed me i'd best get cracking on making her one for her upcoming wedding. Yes, indeed. That is how my baby sister told me she plans to wed. Soon.
I'm a little annoyed, i had wanted the time to make a honiton lace handkerchief for her, at least one motif ladden corner! She'll get her bell, possibly a pair. I'll have to see what i can do for a handkerchief, i could tat one facter than work it in Honiton lace, i could do a simple torchon edging, but i promised Judith i'd only work Honiton until i'm through with the course. Sigh.

Here's Debs bell taken with a flash, poor picture i know, and i should have straightened out all of the lace and not just the front.

Here's a close up, no flash.
The pattern is a bit fiddly to work, but at the same time, a lovely progression of the rounds with hardly any 'cut and tying' I need to find more seed beads with center holes large enough to take a tiny crochet hook and thread through them.

The boys on their favorite box, look at those tails! Night and day those kittens are.
I have another post to put up at my live journal about music and then.....to my Honiton pillow. If i get enough worked, i shall do some spinning today as well as pick out a new tatting piece to work on.
love to all
jen

Spokane Tatting Workshop

The workshop was this weekend, and it was darn near a 7 hour drive in. Saw nothing of the scenery going there(we arrived at 3 am friday) but here is what i saw going home....



As you can imagine, some beautiful scenery on the way home!
I took some pictures at the Workshop of the laces on display, but shall not post them, as i have not asked the makers permission- trust me though....Beautiful work!The wonderful Shuttlebirds Tatting Guild really did an amazing job, between the teachers and classes offered,the vendors, the door prizes and the food- All was fantastic. Two days of frenetic energy as we were able to put faces to internet posts, see old friends and build new friendships. All while learning wonderful new techniques, and new ideas for uses of the standbys. Lace was everywhere, and we were given the most adorable little table decorations(i'll need to photograph mine) little flowerpots with tatted lace flowers inside! I was able to maintain a tight grip on my pocketbook, as i really do have so much already in the way of threads and shuttles...books as well. I indulged myself with a selection of threads made in Romania(i'm a sucker for something new!)Also purchased were two books for the classes i took, and a water buffalo horn shuttle. (was busy lusting after the larger engraved one, with Celtic knotwork, but decided on a smaller plain shuttle as i prefer small shuttles to tat with) Oh, and a dozen glass bell ornaments to cover in tatting and beads. I'm a thrid of the way done with the first ornament, which will be a gift for a friend who is getting married :-) I do hope she likes it!
All i can say is if you have the opportunity to attend Workshops,conferences or lace group/guild meetings- DO IT!!! and do it often. Lacemakers are the most terrific of all communities, there are no tatting police, not one person felt snubbed because they did something the 'wrong' way....it was a weekend filled with smiles and hugs.
I was able to meet my MySpace tatting friend Sherry finally, and after our year of online aquaintance we felt like long lost friends:-) I was So impressed by her work, she is definately Not daunted by large tatting projects!
So i'd best be off, we need fresh veggies and i want to get back home so i can work on that wedding present!
Love to all....
And yes, my boys were Showered with attention when i got in last night, look at the super long fur on Normal. (it explains why Jerry calls him fluffy...)

UFOs and Misc....

Here are my tatting shuttles...although,....i do have another ceramic one coming in the mail from Sherry it has a pin up girl on it and i'm stoked to add it to my collection!!! (pictures upon arrival!)

Well this truely fits the UFO description. Started it last spring, haven't worked on it since! Ack, it is meant to be a queen sized quilt,a kindof oxymoron of a quilt though, It's a pieced block 'crazy' quilt. And we have Normal modeling it and the couch for us.

Here is the big project i have on the go...that i am more or less steadily working on, i'm spinning the wool for the scarf, and have knitted up 3 skeins of my yarn, and have a 4rth on the needles. I may have enough to finish it with the 5th skein on the spinning wheel!

Butterflies...Finished butterflies! however i need to make more of them(for my momma!)the bottom right butterfly is an original design from my friend Sherry(yep, the ceramic tatting shuttle goddess!)
I need to start on my tatting homework for the Spokane Tatting Workshop in April. So, if i have enough time tonight after noodling on the net and getting ready for work tomorrow, maybe i'll have a chance to start. (the workshop is one of the reasons i have the pic of the massed group of tatting shuttles, looking at the collection to determine which will be good for the Workshop!)
Oooooh. my Honiton studies. Neglected. painfuly and dreadfully so. I need to wind my bobbins and prepare my pillow for the next lesson(whic i should have done last week :-( work has been tough on my hand- so that's my story!
love jenn

Lazy Friday

Well, i realized that i had not given proper credit here to my lace teacher, and felt i should list her website in case anyone else wished to take part in a distance course for either Honiton, or Torchon Bobbin lace. Click on the link under shopping for International Lace Resources, as that's the place to go to check it out, or enroll. I can honestly say, even though i have not yet completed the course, due to Judiths teaching skills my lace has Drastically improved. And we've never even met in person!
Two nights ago i made my first Navajo plied skein of yarn...Lots of fun!
I've also finished another sample of lace, but decided to not post every class assignment, just when i'm particularly proud of myself.
I have spent many hours today downloading CDs and individual songs from CDs into my computer(and MP3 player) It amazes me, how much room all of this music takes up. Heck, at least they're not 8 tracks....i bet that would have eaten up a Lot more room than my CD collection!
Have a lovely weekend
love jenn