I had been designing some bobbin lace inspired designs again. I tend to design in white thread and maybe later venture with colored thread. But I like to see how the texture of the design works out without color or beads blocking my vision. In these three pieces that I made over the weekend I used Coron Cotton size 160(finest I have so far) with DMC Cebelia cotton 30 for the core thread of the pearl tatting. The base of the design is in pearl tatting with rings thrown off both sides.

This is an 8 petal Bruges style flower that measures 4.5 cm…..

This is a leaf done in pearl tatting on the outside and then tatted clunies(leaf tallies) to fill in the space. The leaf measures 4cm and each of the clunies measure 1cm in length. The core of the cluny is the Cebelia cotton size 3 with the weaving thread in the Coron cotton size 160. Quite the challenge, but after a bit, was no problem. The thicker thread helped create a padded look.

In this leaf I wanted to convey the cloth stitch and half stitch elements in bobbinlace using tatted elements, of course. To represent the cloth stitch I used closely joined rings, turned the corner at the tip and the half stitch was represented by criss crossing long picots using the picot lock join. This leaf measures 4 cm.

I started another 8 petal flower with more solid looking petals and they will be overlapping to give a 3-D look. But in the meantime, I will be continuing my Honiton lace lessons.

I am working this with brown hemp cord and each strand is 2 yards long. I am using the pearl tatting technique. There are 6 center cores and each has their own pair of threads to make stitches on either side and they are woven together by the picots as you work along the line. Because it is worked only in strands with nothing weighing it down or attached to the end, does this make it macrame with lark’s head knot done in a certain fashion. I am sure this has been worked before in macrame. Could this be considered finger tatting ? ? ? ?

OR……if I had attached a shuttle to the long strands of each of the pairs(not necessarily on the center cores), does this entitle it to be considered tatting ? ? ? Yes, that would be tatting with twelve shuttles. Been done before. Just unruly sometimes. Here is a closeup of the stitches.

You can see that I have used two double stitches on each side of the core thread, alternating. And then I weave in the picot before starting the next set of 3 strands. Wondering what this could be? My leather watchband desintegrated and the watch part is still good. So it gave me an opportunity to make my own. It was a cheap watch and I could just get another $10 model. But the watch still works and why spend the money. Plus I get the satisfaction of making another project! So what say you ? ? ? Would like your opinion. ============================================= On another project that I completed I was commissioned to paint a wooden placque of an old school house in Missouri for a family that will present it to the birthday girl who turns 90 and she attended this school.

Back view with my signature…….

We found on the map of a visitor’s center known for its hummingbird population and hand feeding them. So we checked it out and sure enough!

The look and surprise on this lady’s face is priceless….

I did get one hummingbird to feed out of my floral tube, but couldn’t get a picture because I was too close. Arms aren’t long enough!

This concludes my postings of our vacation that happened earlier this summer. Will go back to posting about other things like lace and such.

The engine is making a switchback to take us back the other direction…..

Our final destination on the railway was to visit the histoical town of Robbins Crossing outside of Nelsonville, OH and associated with Hocking College. Students and volunteers demonstrate on the grounds. This is one of the residences…..

A tatted sighting!!!!! It is a tatted edging on the mantel cloth.

Close up view….

These few pictures are still part of the same room as the fireplace. They loaded what they could in one room!

The day was really hot, so there weren’t many demonstrators, unfortunately. But this brave soul was out on the porch making corn husk dolls….

Another residence that has a awesome kitchen. And they must have had money since there is a second floor!

The kitchen inside….

Inside the school house….

The cooper shop…..

The potter. Again, no demonstrators

Yet the hottest occupation, blacksmithing, and there were four students working(not in period clothing I might add, HURRUMPH)

The apothecary….

The General Store….

Top part of falls going down into the Gorge. Taken while on my trail run.

Suspension bridge linking from one gorge trail to another.

I like dragonflies……

Some pictures as I descended on the trail to Castle Rock….

A vertical panoramic view of Castle Rock to show how deep and tall the cliff with little caves is….

colorful and sweeping rock formations at Castle Rock…..

I also made 3 cover cloths(as directed in the book by Elsie Luxton) and a bobbin roll cover. I was anxious to get started, so last night I prepared the pricking of the first lesson in her “Techniques of Honiton Lace” of the three leaf sprig. Here you see I have worked a few passes with 15 pairs. Have one more pair to introduce and then continue.

A closer view of the work

What is nice is the pillow is surprisingly light weight and I have a fairly long lap that I won’t be lacing up close to my chest. It is a good distance for lacing. Can’t do that with most of my other pillows.  Of course I would want it close to my sight since the lacework is so tiny!!

I cut out two 14 inch circles of heavy tight woven navy fabric and a 3 inch by 44 inch long strip for the side. Sewn one circle to the side strip and then the other circle to the other side of the strip but left a 6 inch opening for stuffing. I secured the opening stitches with heavy thread and knotted, because I know from experience that the stitches get pulled really hard and the stress could make them come out while stuffing.

Below are pictures I took of some of the process of me making my Honiton pillow.  I plan on making a full tutorial and add it to my Bobbinburg section of my website.

I found this bag of barley straw at a tag sale and knew that I could make use of it somehow with my pillows. This is the first good project with it.

Then you cut the straw into little pieces about 1 inch lengths. I wasn’t too concerned about the little knots. I have read that they just float in the pillow and don’t really cause damage. So rather than spend months of cutting and making sure I keep the knots out of the good straw, I just started cutting. I did make sure there were the unwanted twigs or rough junk not to be cut and put in the good pile.

After cutting quite a bit of it in the bag, I scooped out a handful and cut it over an empty cat litter bucket I had on hand. We have three cats and we reuse these buckets for other things. The cuttings that go in this bucket are more fine and even.

After a few hours of cutting……..and by the way, I do recommend you wear gloves(use of scissors for that many hours gives you blisters and sores!)…………I proceed to stuff my flat pillow case.

This is how my pillow looks so far after 3 hours of cutting straw and stuffing it in the pillow. And this is only 2/3rds full!! I still have more cutting to do. Have to make it so full that I can’t possibly stuff any more. The saying goes “a very firm pillow makes for better lacemaking” is true!

So far so good! Will post more on my finishing later…………

Just have to show you what the morning dew brought to my attention. A dew filled funnel spider web made by a resident grass spider!

This is the statue outside the store……

This is Guy just relaxing on our bed in the camper…..

Here he is on the floor trying to stay cool…..

One of the many deer that I see while on my morning runs through the trails…..

The A-frame bridge over the Gorge Trail……

Sunrise and mist over the resevoir while on my morning run…….

The geese who almost didn’t let me pass on the resevoir trail….the buggers!

No, I didn’t get a bike. It is my niece’s. And besides, it is broken, so I can’t go anywhere. I just think it is cool!

On the lace front, I have been working hard the past few evenings to get this doily off my 24 inch cookie pillow so i can get on with other projects. I have had this on the pillow for some time. But not as long as most. Probably only a year. I made some mistakes that may be noticeable if looking really hard. But I wasn’t going to fix them. Only one Creator is perfect!

It is from Edna Sutton’s book “Bruges Flower Lace” on page 95 done in Bockens 80/2 linen. It measures 21cm by 15cm(8.25in by 6in). I really like this Bruges Flower Lace type of lace. I may start another or go in a completely different direction. Whatever hits my fancy and creative eye.

On one of our many driving tours we would see quilt blocks painted on the sides of barns. A nice addition to the landscape!

We also found a gem in the woods….Ravenwood Castle, a B&B with a medieval castle theme, south of Logan on route 93. Would be fun sometime to stay in this place. Would have to dress the part, no?

This would be a great place for a medieval faire!  Obviously not a real castle of that time, just built in the style. I like the ivy growing everywhere….

A full scale large model of a chess set out on the front lawn. It was waiting for someone to make the first play…….so I made the first move. Wonder if anyone continued the play after we left???