Tatman's Chatline

I just installed a new and improved forum tool I call Switchboard. I had a forum on their for a long time. Not many visitors. Plus it had ads all over the place and looked messy. Wasn’t pleasing format. Since I have upgraded my website, I have a forum tool. So now anyone can come in and talk about anything they want. Clean format and fairly user friendly. It does have a login and registration buttons. You are welcome to become a member and use more benefits that it offers. But I have set it so that you don’t have to if you don’t want to and still receive most of the features. You can add attachments to your posts, talk about them, view who is online, post private messages to each other. Pretty much quite a lot of features!

So I encourage you to pass on to the grapevine and come visit the Switchboard and see who is on the party line!!!

Click on my Switchboard image to join in on the fun

Chainmaille jewelry by Redeye!

Jeff does such beautiful work! I ordered this necklace and bracelet set and is made of stainless steel. Won’t corrode on me and stay shiney. It is a bit on the heavy side if that would bother you. Not me. Weight is just fine! I put it on immediately after I opened the package. Check out his Etsy store!

Tomorrow I will make another surprise happy post after I pick it up this evening. At least it will be happy to me and long awaited.

It was a whirlwind trip for Kim and I! We left home at 7am and got to Paducah, KY at 9:45am. We made it just in time for the doors to open at the HLG lace display and demo at the Grace Episcopal Church on Broadway. We got to visit with the River City Tatting Club out of Evansville, IN and other members of HLG. Lots of friends we haven’t seen in a while! Susan and Jim Groh of Unique Expressions were there as the vendor and they had their entire store sprawled out in the large church library. Lots of shopping done and I got quite a few items. I was bad, but got things I was “needing”. Here is what I got

A pack of “The Blues” Oliver Twist thread, plus two others, black and white 100/2 Brok thread, a pack of pearwood square continental bobbins, a lace roller, a gimp or broken thread clasps that act as a separate bobbin, a size 16 bent hook(manufactured that way and perfect for joinings so you don’t have to struggle), 5 jade midland bobbins waiting to be spangled, a spider separator pin, and an HLG striver.

After saying our goodbye’s(which took quite long) we headed down to the convention center to do MORE shopping. This year the Hotel was renovating some areas and they had to put in a temporary tent to house all the vendors that typically were in the south wing(which consists of about half of the vendors for the entire event). They were in one of those fully enclosed, white vinyl blow up things that I think look like a big slug. Like THIS. It was really nice and lots of room and wasn’t hot inside. That is good both for vendors and customers.
Right away we started in on our buy spree. At the Sulky booth I found some size 12 Blendables thread in several varigated colors. Just got a few but wanted ALL of them. Yes I see that they do tat well as so many tatters tell me. So does the size 30 wt I got a few weeks ago HAH. Here is the thread stashes I got

Top row is this wonderfully exotic metallic thread by the Marathon Thread Co. out of Conshohocken, PA. I instantly saw butterflies and dragonflies bobbin laced or tatted with this thread. It is metallic wrap cord and has an irridescence to it that is something I haven’t seen before. Even other thread suppliers I showed it to were enthralled!
Next row below is hand dyed size 12 cotton by ArtFabrik.com out of Elgin, IL. They are a long time vendor and I just now am getting some of their wonderful colors. Perfect for lacework!
Next row below that is the ever popular Valdani varigated thread. Top four, left to right are O 41, JP 6, O 520,O 559. Bottom foure, left to right are O31, JP 4, P 10, O 505.
Next row of thread below the Valdani is Sulky Blendables in size 12. Left to right is #4002, #4025, #4043, #4109, #4021, #4008

One of my ultimate finds in this show was some wool roving that I didn’t expect to be there. This vendor sold any item that deals with wool. Naturally I drooled over the roving since I am learning to spin. Plus Kim does wool embroidery. So we both went nuts! This is our stash

The roving balls are mine. Kim got hand dyed wool fabric and 4 spools of wool thread. A few other items not related to wool that we got from other vendors are fabric organizers, wallet sleeves, magnet for pins, Little Gripper for rotary ruler, and other fabrics for Kim’s embroidery.

We didn’t get through the last row of vendors in this area. We were getting hungry and went to the food tents and had lunch. Italian beef…MMMMMM…… We proceeded to the main quilt showcase and MORE VENDORS. I am not allowed(by AQS law) to show publically on the internet the pics of the quilts on display or who won. We got a book of all the quilts listed with pictures and details, so I didn’t take much for pictures. Except I did take pictures of the Best of Show. So if you are a fan of LOTR or just want to see, please EMAIL ME. It was a phenominal quilt and well executed. If you like “quilts” that are fully machine embroidered and machine quilted….hmmmm…….

Time for rant! I have been to this show many times and have seen the quilts go from traditional hand quilt art pieces, to just plain art pieces that you wouldn’t put on your bed but confined to the wall, to just everything done by machine and not a stitch of blood from fingers were touched by the fabric. I would guess that 75% of the quilts now at this(or any of the shows we have been to) are machine quilted, machine embroidered. I think I could have counted on both hands of quilts I saw that were hand quilted, hand embroidered, and might I add that they were astonishingly accurate and well executed and I like them better. Many that I talked to at the show said their favorites were the handmade ones. Not because of subject or color(altho that plays a big role), but because I know what work goes into it and the hours. I know, I know, these fully machined quilts have their place in this quilt world. But call me old fashioned or just one who enjoys the process of everything handmade. Many(ok 50%) of the quilts I saw were from Japan and I commend you and thank you. BUT, what was surprising was that the Japan quilts were the hand quilted, hand embroidered quilts!! Come on USA, skip the machine and get back to your roots!!! A growing trend I saw in the Japanese quilts was that they were hand done and actually more beautiful than the machined. So hopefully this trend will come back to these shows. Even the vendors are influenced by this machine era. It was very difficult to find a vendor that catered to those who like to do hand work. It is all about machines, furniture for machines, thread for machines………buhahahahaha.
OK….off my rant!

Because of this lack of handmade oriented supplies, were beginning to panic, because we couldn’t find our favorite vendor that supplies silk ribbons and fabrics that we make this special trip to just see and spend from her. Quilter’s Fancy out of Cortland, OH is our favorite vendor. It was getting late and we were frantically going through the vendors row by row and we weren’t finding her. She wasn’t in her normal spot!! OH NO!!! We finished looking at the upstairs quilts(never did get to the downstairs quilts and antique vendors), our feet and legs were hurting and we had just about ad enough. We rounded the corner and I spotted her!!!!! They moved her from her normal spot! We chatted and browsed and drooled and just had a grand time visiting with her and her newly retired hubby(who graciously is helping her). Cindy is always showing us the newest stuff she gets in and is a real charmer for selling to us. Enough of the drooling, lets get to buying her stuff!!! This is what we got and we spent way too much and my pocket book is crying and SO AM I!!!

Just look at all that silk. Silk ribbons, trims, silk hand dyed velvet, fabrics, cording. She showed us this new book and felting technique using the wide silk ribbon. Had to get that!!!
We closed out the vendor and show and half the lights were turned out and the vendors were covering their booths up. Yes, we need to go and we have spent TOO MUCH. It was a good day and we were totally tired and I had a hard time driving back home. But we made it!

Below is a slide show I made from the pictures I took for your enjoyment.

If you would like to see them individually and I have descriptions with the photos, go HERE

So here is a picture of our wonderful visitors that graced us with their presence came yesterday

Left to right: Hope Green, Georgia Seitz, Kim Myers(my wife)

I arranged with Georgia to have them come over to my workplace so they can see what goes on during my typical work week and what is involved in the factory I work at.  At about 4:05pm yesterday Georgia, Hopie and their husbands got rang in to the lobby and I met them at the door.  It was a joy to show them what I do and how the band uniform factory works.

After they had a tour of the place they followed me home to where we were greeted while walking in the door by a wonderful aroma of food that Kim had prepared.  She fixed Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake, green beens and salad.  MMMMM…..  But before we settle down to eat I gave my tatting friends a tour of our gardens and a bit of the house.  It was a good experience for Hopie to actually see some of her favorite flowers that she can’t grow in FL or AZ.  She especially liked my peonie varieties and bleeding heart bush.  They came at a good time to view my garden because most of it is in bloom and the weather was nice and cool 70?F.

Kim and I finished preparing supper and we had a good feast and chatted and chatted and chatted.  Lots of good stories were passed around.  You know, we didn’t even try to get out tatting or shuttles.  We were just having a ball chatting LOL! It was getting around 9:30pm and they still had a 2 hour drive back to Georgia’s place.  I am sure they were tired.  Kim and I were truly blessed to have Georgia, Hopie and their husbands come visit us!!

Here is a picture of the six of us for a final photo op

Left to right: Rich(Georgia’s hubby), Hope Green, Alan(Hopie’s hubby), Georgia Seitz, Kim(my wife), et moi.

Tomorrow early morning we leave for Paducah, KY to go to the AQS Paducah Quilt Show and also visit Heartland Lace Guild’s lace demo and display. The Indiana Tatting Group will be there teaching and demonstrating as well as HLG members teaching and demonstrating bobbin lace. Kim and I only have the one day to spend, so can’t stay too long at the HLG demo. Lots to see, shop, walk, shop………..shop some more!!! We didn’t get to go last year, so this is a treat for us. We can’t stay overnight like we usually do because we have a diabetic cat, and I will give him his shot early in the morning(before his schedule time) and then have to wait to give his shot real late at night. That is more than twelve hour schedule. But he should be fine. Having a diabetic cat(child) in the family sure puts a damper on life. But we love him and you do what you gotta do!
So I will give you a little report of my findings and fun stuff after tomorrow.

I got an email a while ago from a certain tatter asking if we were available anytime this week of 19-24 of April.  Luckily we were!  Come to find out that another wonderful long time tatter friend is making her way across the country and tat hopping from area to area and visiting her friends!

Well these two tatting buddies of mine(and their husbands) are coming for dinner tonight and I am SO EXCITED for them to come visit and we can chat the night away!  I will post later and reveal who they are   Unless you already know, and in that case, keep your tatting lips shut!

Last night I went to spinning group after a long hiatus these past few months. Life got in the way and I couldn’t go to the spinning group. Now I am back into the swing of things. The group met at one of the member’s home that was out in the country in very wooded acres. There property is gorgeous with gardens and everything! A haven for creativity! I got my first roving off my bobbin that had sat there for months. They showed me how to take it off using a ball winder so I can free up the bobbin and later I can ply it. Not sure if that is what I will do. My spun roving is a bit thick and thin and not nice. We will call it “art” spun They let me try some of their Merino long wool and it spins MUCH nicer and I can get it real thin and even. Thinner for me is better as my goal in spinning is to get it to lace weight quality so I can use it for bobbin lace or tatting.

I desparately need to get my wheel fixed so I can give back the Ashford I am borrowing from one of the members. Had it for too long!!

I had a bit of fun with some little lace projects over the weekend.  These first two I drew up and laced it from the drawing.  It is a lobed leaf shape using CS and WS passes.  I used Lime Sherbert and Chocolate Blendables Sulky cotton thread size 30wt.  I really am having fun with this thread and color!

Also this past weekend we went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and they had a frog and lizard display in the Climatron.  I got inspiration to draw up a gecko and lace it up using the same threads.  I used WS with 3 pairs of Chocolate to create the stripe texture with CS on either side and 4 about the pin edge.  He turned out cute, if I do say so myself

I do plan on diagramming these and offering the patterns on my website.  Be looking for them!!!

I went searching for a leaf pattern to try out the Lime Sherbert Blendables Sulky thread, and really didn’t find what I was looking for. So I drew one up and worked on this last night

It measures 3.7cm(1 7/16th inches). I think it turned out ok. This will become a pendent of some sort. I might do something different if I did it again. I used 6 pairs to make the HS area and then worked two rows of CS in the tight area at the bottom of the leaf. Then worked the other side like the first. I didn’t attach the middle with sewings because I wasn’t sure how to go about it, being that it was a HS edge not WS edge. So after I finished the leaf I whipstitched the hole in the middle and it created a ribbing effect. After making the stem I joined it to the leaf and then braided the rest of the thread and attached it to the other side of the leaf.
Any suggestions on how to work this kind of pattern any better would be appreciated. This is one of many first trials as I try to design things myself. So I use what knowledge I have and resouces and figure things out as I go.

I just got this motif off my pillow last night. It is a lesson in Idrija style bobbin lace. It is made from one of the Blendables Sulky size 30 wt thread I picked up last weekend. It is called “Midnight Sky”. You can barely see the subtle hues of dark blue and purple. Much better in person It measures 6.3cm(2.5 inches).

Now to select another little motif to try with the Blendables Sulky thread. FUN!

Here is the scan of the bookmark I told you about that I worked on Friday night and Saturday morning. It is made with “Heather” Blendable Sulky thread size 30. It really is an itty bitty bookmark done in this size thread. It measures(not including the tail) 11cm long by 2.2cm wide(4.25 x 1 inch). You can see the subtle hues of lavendar and green and how the color changes. No strong color lines and the color change is from 2.5 to 5 inches. I like that!

Now I will have to tat something out of this thread. I am sure it will be tiny but oh so yummy with these color combos!