Tatman's Chatline

Remember that cake I delivered two weekends ago and I said that it weighed a “ton”? Well……it must have really weighed a ton, because I have the pain to show for it. I was fine after the days festivities. Then on Sunday my right arm was feeling sore. By Monday I had pain all up and down my arm and into my shoulder and neck. I thought maybe it would go away after a few days of taking ibuprofen, tylenol and anything else I could find. But it was a no go. Pain still here. By Wednesday I was thinking it might a pinched nerve. So I couldn’t take it any more and called the doc….something I don’t like to do. He said it was a muscle spasm in several places. I suppose from straining myself lifting and holding that heavy cake really did me in! I am sort of laughing about the whole thing and my stupidity and smiling through clenched teeth. Funny thing is I have complete mobility, but my right hand and arm is weakened by the pain and strain. Good thing I am ambidextrious. So I have been using my left hand for a lot of things. Sitting at work is no trip. Hurts more when I sit than stand. WEIRD! And my job requires I sit at a computer most of the day. YEA FUN! So I put myself in weird positions to eliviate the pain shooting down my arm. So the doc gave me naproxin and a muscle relaxer for bedtime. Hasn’t really worked and I still feel the same. So now he prescribed me with pain killers and physical therapy….OH JOY!!!! First off I am one to NOT want to take and be dependent on drugs. Over the counter drugs are fine. But I rather just not take drugs anyways. I will take what the doc orders but this physical therapy thing is going to cost a bundle. Like I really have that in the budget(if I had one). We will see how things pan out for me.

The good news is…….it doesn’t deter me from tatting or doing what I like to do!!!! I don’t have to switch hands or anything. Just have to make sure I don’t lift any heavy objects and I find that even a glass of water is a bit cumbersome. So I join the lefties club for the time being Like I said……I am ambidexterious

We survived the weekend!!!! There was so much going on Saturday it was not funny….haha. Got up at 5:30am to load up the car with Christmas decorations and take them to the theatre to get ready for the “Christmas At The Globe” event that FAPAC put on and starts at 9am. As you can see from the pic on the left, the outfit I made Mrs. Claus fit like a charm. She didn’t have a white puffy sleeved blouse to wear, so she borrowed mine from my outfit I wear at heritage demonstratinos. I was in charge of taking Santa Pictures. We had to take the first shift and leave at 10:30 because we still had to finish the surprise 80th birthday cake for a neighbor we started two nights before and the Bday was to be delivered at 4:30pm that day.
I barely got the cake all decorated in time and we slooooowly rushed it to the building the where the party was. Had to travel 5mph and Greenville streets are the worst! MAN this cake was a heavy one. Must have weighed 200 lbs! I am feeling the strain for the past two days. My right shoulder is out and in some serious pain from lifting and moving that cake. Having a hard time at work typing and keeping the proper position at the computer. Luckily it doesn’t hinder my tatting I will show the pics of the cake later in a post and then you will understand why it was so heavy.
After we delivered the cake we missed a friends wedding because we were decorating the bday cake, so we made it to the reception and ate there and had some fun. Then at 7:30pm we got out of there to make it back to the 80th bday celebration for our friend and neighbor. The cake was a hit!
There were a few other things going on Saturday that we wanted to get to but you can only do so much. Saturday was hectic and fun all at once. BUT I AM GLAD IT IS OVER! Now we get the joy of cleaning up the mess and decorating for Christmas before this next weekend for an early Christmas with some of Kim’s family. I put up the outside lights and decor just in time before a major freeze and storm hit on Monday.

Still gasping for breath until it is all over. Call me Mr. Grinch LOL!

Tammy just couldn’t get enough of the water experience. So she likes to play with the water streaming out of the tub And she bats the stream like it was a ball of thread. OOOOOOO….FUN!!!!

Tammy also likes to help me sew…..if you want to call it that. She likes to bat at the string coming from the cone as it is moving through the machine. Makes for a very uneven stitch!! But you can’t help but laugh and love them.

Guess she got bored with my sewing

In case you were wondering what I was sewing, FAPAC(Fine and Performing Arts Council) that we are a part of is putting on a Christmas event at the theatre. Pictures with Santa, Storytelling by Mrs. Claus, goodie bags, treats, and Classic Christmas Movies. Santa had his traditional outfit, but Mrs. Claus was at a quandry. “I just don’t have a thing to wear to this event…..what will I do, what will I do!!??”

Tatman the Tailor Elf to the rescue!!

Yesterday morning and evening into early this morning at 1am I made up this costume just for her. I think it will make her feel special. I put it on the mannequin who doesn’t have a white blouse. Mrs. Claus will have to provide that. Didn’t have enough time to make that and she has a ton of blouses in her closet. NOT THAT I WOULD KNOW THAT!!!

We got this dark Christmas red cotton fabric for the skirt. I happen to have in my stash some microfibre fleece/fur to trim the bottom of her skirt. I made the ruffled cap with red on the outside and white lining. It is reversible! I had some red fabric left over and made her a ruffled collar…..reversible as well! Last thing to do was the apron which Tammy helped me. Ruffles and red braid to trim off. I must dote that I didn’t follow a pattern. Didn’t have anything like it in our pattern stash. Much easier and faster to just come up with my own. Didn’t even have Mrs. Claus’ measurements! I just threw it together on a wing and a prayer! Altho I do know how tall and a guesstimate of her size and shape. Rudolf told me. Plus the skirt and accessories are adjustable. So no worries.

We had our stocking booth at the Hospital Auxillary Bazarre again this past weekend. Every year they hold an auction at the end of the event with items that were donated. I usually scope out the merchandise before the bazarre starts(perks of being part of the committee) and there was this vintage/antique spinning wheel in the lot. Caught my eye right away. I have always wanted a spinning wheel since I have learned on several types over the years. I have the rovings waiting for me to get a wheel to spin. After a full day at sitting at our booth, the spinning wheel slipped my mind as the auction got under way. Was talking to a friend and she mentioned it. I don’t normally bid at the auction because I just didn’t have the money and things tend to go for quite high. My friend said that the crowd was way down this year and things were going cheap. So I decided to give it a shot. I WON THE BID!!!! What normally is a $260 wheel brand new, I got for $60! WHOO HOO! And by inspecting it and having a spinning friend who was present to help me look it over, it is in real good condition and just needs a bit of oil and a tightening of the cord on the footman. It has an attached flax distaff as well. Think I did pretty good. There was a slight buyers remorse because I wasn’t in the immediate market for a spinning wheel JUST AT THIS TIME. But couldn’t resist this deal. Below is a couple of pics of the wheel.

I need help from any spinners out there who know their wheels. I tried a search online to find out what kind of spinning wheel this is and only came up with something similar to an Ashford Elizabeth. So if you happen to have a better idea of what type of wheel this would be, your help would be greatly appreciated.

While tending to our stocking booth at the bazarre I of course brought my tatting for the down times. I packed some festive red thread and a shuttle to tat some festive motifs. I couldn’t work on the lace for my niece’s wedding dress during this time, because I need full attention and brain power to accomplish that. So I chose some “mindless” tatting. The thread I used is size 30 DMC cebelia cotton. It felt like rope after tatting with the size 160!!

Below are the two motifs I completed and pinned to our shirts. Looked good with the green shirts we were both wearing Also included in this post are quick diagrams of how I came up with the patterns. They are one shuttle motifs. Both feature half rings and normal rings.

	This pattern uses half ring braid. Stitch count is 3 picots sep by 2 ds. Note the long picots at the top portion to help ease the curve.
	THis is what it would look like if joining 4 of these motifs together….with the aid of Photoshop of course!
THis diamond motif features rings and half rings. Start with row #1 with the 4 ring clover in the center. Row #2 starts with a trefoil, RW and then a HR, RW, another ring, RW, HR joining to row #1 ring, RW, another trefoil….and so on around.

MORE THINGS TO SHOW YOU!!!

Some friends of ours had us make a 50th Wedding Anniversary cake for their parents just before Thanksgiving break. We couldn’t deliver it because the lucky couple lived in southern Missouri and we were headed north for the holiday. Luckily they wanted something small and it travelled easily. The cake was well received and they loved it! It is 4 cake layers in size 6 inch pans stacked and rolled fondant, with fondant callas and piping. We found a pic of this idea off the internet somewhere and the friends liked the design, so we made it up.

It slightly snowed last weekend and this is(I suppose) Tammy’s first snow she has experienced. She is 2 years old when we got her earlier this year, but being from Florida where my aunt lives, doubt she ever got to see any snow.

Since we have been working on a lot of sewing projects with fabric strewn all over the place, Tammy really enjoys the many comfy “beds” we provide for her

Some of our projects come well rewarded(not necessarily in cash form). We were commissioned by the Elementary school to make a snowman costume for a Christmas program that will be done this coming Tues(Tomorrow!). It was both a challenge and fun project to do. It is made of white fleece and poly fill to form the body shape. We took an animal costume pattern and I just made up the padded inserts for the belly and legs area. The top hat is made of black felt and stiffened with cardboard. I started working on it last week and last night finished just in time for tonight’s rehearsal. I took it to the school over lunch break so the 2nd grader could try it on to make sure it fit. And it fit him perfectly!!! I couldn’t ask for anything better. We had his measurements to judge, but usually we have to make some kind of adjustments. This fit him so well. He was so excited when he first saw it pulled out of the bag. He immediately put the hat on. We had to take that off him so he could try the rest on. He was so excited after he got the whole outfit on and put together, that he was hopping around and wanted to show his class. So the teacher escorted him to his class while I waited. He came out beaming. I think he wanted to wear it for the rest of the school day LOL! I will get to see him in action tomorrow night because my nephew is also in this Christmas program. Below is Frosty the Snowman costume with the kid inside with a proud grin on his face. You can’t see the top hat too well because of the black board behind.

This was a LONG post that normal. Had a lot to show and tell. Been building up I guess

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. We did. I tried to take in as much tatting time…in between eating too much….. as I could over the long 4 day Thanksgiving weekend and this is what I was working on.