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So many thanks

April 17, 2014, 8:36 am
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Thank you to all who support creative arts. I have had a strange week, starting with the "Monday from the twilight zone...."

Seriously??? 4 patterns from the same designer on a magazine cover without asking permission??? I still don't know what I should say, but Corina Meyfeldt has written a very good post on her blog, explaining how copyright violation hurts the artist and ultimately hurts everyone.

Well, it snowed here and Easter is this coming Sunday. I don't have any pretty Easter egg tatting to show you - since I volunteer for church music, holy week is the busiest week of the year. Actually, I "volunteered" to play cello to accompany the choir - I got "drafted" to sing in the choir. No, not both at the same time :)

The enigmatic photo at left is just a peek at my current tatting for a "secret project". Not saying more just now, except that the issues with design theft have made me realize that sometimes it's good to have friends in high places.

Greater Milwaukee Tatting Guild meeting was this past Monday the 14th, but only one other person showed up (probably due to the snow). The 2 of us had fun together, but didn't bother to take pictures. I had to leave at 5:15 for a music rehearsal.

Happy spring to all who live in the northern hemisphere, and to those "down under", happy fall!

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Red and Blue

April 26, 2014, 1:47 pm
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The white didn't stay so white, but the red and blue are good, rich colors in my latest batch of hand dyed thread. I tried to keep a large section of white, but the dye had ideas of it's own :)
It could be used in addition to a solid white thread.

Will be teaching a live Beginning Shuttle Tatting workshop at Shake Rag Alley on May 31st:
http://www.shakeragalley.com/may/14a610-beginning-shuttle-tatting

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Hand dyed thread "Campfire"

May 8, 2014, 1:14 pm
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"Time & Again" tatted earrings
 "Campfire" because the warm and smoky colors combined with sunset colors remind me of a campfire at twilight. Just listed in my Etsy shop!

The red and blue colors from the previous dye batch arranged themselves nicely in these "Time & Again" earrings from the pattern in my book "Marilee's Beaded Tatting Finery". 

The blue earrings are also from a pattern in that book.

"Melange" tatted earrings













This handsome guy winding skeins and standing at my display is my dear husband, Jan. His new venture is assisting me with skein winding and twisting, as well as printing off shipping labels. He prepared nearly all the skeins in the Campfire batch for me to dye. I expect that hand dyed thread batches will be listed in my shop more frequently, now that I have an assistant :)
 
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"Parakeet"

May 16, 2014, 1:46 pm
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More vibrant than pastel, these bright greens to medium blue are similar to the coloring of some parakeets. Color idea suggested by the president of the Lighthouse Lacers guild, Sue Anna.

My start on "Boomerang" earrings from the new HDT is seen in the photo above. The boomerang pattern is found in "Marilee's Beaded Tatting Finery" book. Georgia Seitz wrote a very nice review at BellaOnline Tatting. I feel so honored!

By the way, if anyone wants to learn how to shuttle tat in the scenic vacation area of Mineral Point, WI area on May 31st, there are still openings in my Beginning Shuttle Tatting Workshop at Shake Rag Alley, but the class is filling up fast. Register on the Shake Rag Alley website.


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Stonehill Wine

May 22, 2014, 12:45 pm
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"Stonehill Wine" has a grayish olive green which shades into a pale fuchsia, a brighter fuchsia, and finally a dark fuchsia/burgundy.

The tatted sample at left is from this new batch of hand dyed thread. I was trying a necklace pattern by Nina Libin that has beaded, reversing chains.The pattern is found here: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2/libin.html

Saturday, May 24 I'll be going to Tollway Tatters! It's always a fun time when tatting friends can get together. I'll try to remember to take pictures there.
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Tatting Police

May 28, 2014, 8:59 am
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Yes, there really are tatting police. 

An Illinois State Police sergeant stopped by our table at Tollway Tatters last Saturday in the Hinsdale Oasis to see what we were up to, and was cheerfully given a tatting lesson, shuttles, and hand dyed thread! Now we have one of Illinois' finest hooked on tatting!

I want to mention a side note, before I continue posting about the fun times at the Tollway, that I'm feeling sad about the many copyright violations that have occurred recently. The pages of entire books, my own and those of other current tatting pattern designers, have been discovered posted on Google+. Every person who downloads one of these illegally posted copies is depriving the artist/designer of a sale. This is the same as defrauding a laborer of their just wages. This, combined with the shock that a magazine copied my designs without asking permission or acknowledgement (more about that on Corina Meyfeldt's post) has got me feeling a bit down about doing any more designing, but will hang in there.

On to the fun times!
Tatting shuttles were in abundance at the Tollway Tatters! There were Moonlit, Sunlit, Shuttle Brothers, and others, I can't remember them all. Lace-lovin' Librarian - Diane even got me to like the "Bad Boye" shuttles, with the way she cleaned them up, improved their "manners", and "dressed" them properly :)

More pictures of the fun below.

And, coming up, May 31, I'm teaching a beginning tatting workshop at Shake Rag Alley. Diane shared lots of her excellent teaching ideas with me, so I'll be able to get the new tatters off to a quick start.
3 generations of crafters!
Julie

Barbara looking for more patterns



Sue Anna and Lelia

Some of Lelia's tatting. The smallest hearts are Grace Tan's pattern.

Beautiful shopping bags from Lelia!

Handmade project bags by Lelia!




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Dyer's log, "Stardate" 6.5.2014

June 5, 2014, 9:18 pm
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Finished the mission of a new batch of hand dyed thread for this week, with the help of "number 1" (my husband, Jan). An invasion of tangles threatened the "promenade deck" (studio) but we straightened them out without needing to get out the "photon torpedoes" (scissors).

The "planet below" (kitchen) yielded a treasure of rare "geological findings" (polymer clay beads). When viewed under white light emitted from the "nearest star" (sun) they bear a striking resemblance to a previous batch of hand dyed fiber in my collection. The "ship's counselor" (muse) has recommended a creative course of action that will produce a calm, relaxing effect on my brain waves, without the risk of a holodeck malfunction. Future developments will be documented (I'll tat a funky, one of a kind necklace from these supplies, and show you the results later :-)
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Funky polymer clay and tatting necklace

June 16, 2014, 7:07 pm
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Finished! I'm happy with this mix of polymer clay beads and tatting - it's really funky :)

I made up the design as I went. The front of the necklace worked out fairly easily, with only a minor setback of one polymer clay bead breaking. Since I haven't done much with polymer clay, my sculpting skills are still very basic. But, the broken bead was quickly replaced, and I do like how the colors match my hand dyed size 10 thread (Mardi Gras). I also added Lizbeth #685 Evergreen Dark.

I was unsure of what to do with the sides, and my first thought was a quick finish with metal chains, but I wanted to keep an all handmade, organic theme for this piece. Corina Meyfeldt's post on Nina Libin's technique of beaded rings with one shuttle gave me an idea! So, I combined that technique with single shuttle split rings.

I like the results - especially how the colors blend - but next time I may use 2 shuttle split rings, because having 2 threads connecting the rings seems stronger than only 1 thread. Something that probably only matters if the project has some weight to it, as this necklace does.

In between the beaded rings and the front, I added some free-form tatting, using node stitch (sets of 2 first halves followed by 2 second halves). I like how node stitch chains are easy to keep straight, or curve in various directions. (Hmm, now I'm wondering if I should capitalize the names of techniques, such as Node Stitch - any tatting editors out there?)

Anyway, I like my necklace. In the future I may try something similar for the Etsy shop or the next art/craft sales event or exhibit, but if so will try to do a more refined job of sculpting the polymer clay.


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Summer Trail and Melange Earrings

June 20, 2014, 2:33 pm
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 This morning I tried out the new batch of "Summer Trail" hand dyed thread by making a pair of Melange earrings from my Beaded Tatting Finery book. The burgundy color glass beads with the warm pastels of the multicolored thread seem to be a good combo.

Does art, or artisan handmade, get old?

A topic that someone brought up at a meeting last night with local handmade jewelry designers, is that anything that hadn't sold in 2 years shouldn't be displayed anymore. I totally disagree with that attitude. To me, art is timeless. Especially an art piece that has taken a lot of time, care and skill to make, must necessarily fetch a high price, and art pieces don't sell that fast. If we only make simple, cheap things that fly off the shelves, what happens to genuine creativity? What's your opinion?

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MIdnight Oil and Elegance earrings

June 27, 2014, 7:59 am
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 Dark red shading to black is my Midnight Oil colorway in hand dyed thread. I've been advised that I should do a similar effect using dark blue, so I'll think about that. Meanwhile, I played with a sample of size 20, using a pattern that I hadn't tatted for years, the Elegance earrings from my Boutique Tatting book. Actually, many of my own patterns I haven't tatted in years, so...perhaps I've designed too many patterns? ;-)

Well, the "bread and butter" side of the business, hand dyed thread, keeps me very busy with dyeing, rinsing, and labeling, so there isn't much time left to tat. Probably a good thing.

I used a Swarovski 8mm round for the earring center, and a 9x6mm faceted teardrop for the bottom dangle. The dark gray are metal beads that I found at a local bead shop, Eclectica's. The pattern doesn't say how much thread is needed (I wasn't so detailed back in 2008) but just 1 yard on each shuttle is plenty for this pattern. It's tricky, but doesn't take long to do once you figure it out.


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Random Act of Kindness Giveaway

June 29, 2014, 11:44 am
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 To be entered in this giveaway drawing, you need to do 2 things: leave a comment on this post, and do something nice for someone. The world needs more kindness.

The prize package includes 2 of my pattern books, a tatted bracelet handmade by me, an assortment of metal filigrees (aka "doodads"), a Sunlit tatting shuttle, a size 14 crochet hook, and a colorful assortment of hand dyed thread!

I'll draw a lucky winner on Tuesday, July 1.


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The winners!

July 1, 2014, 8:11 pm
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Since there were so many entries, I added another prize package of similar items, and drew 2 winners. They are Chere Edwards and Marion Bartley. Congratulations to the lucky winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.
It was a wonderful surprise to me that so many people actually posted details about their random act of kindness, I wasn't expecting that - but the stories are truly inspiring! You are all so very kind, and helping to make the world a better place!!!
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Visiting Lace-lovin' Librarian's Summer Tatting Class

July 9, 2014, 6:42 pm
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The class took place on Lace-lovin' Librarian Diane's porch. Here Diane is sewing a tatted motif designed by a young student onto a handkerchief.

The view of nature's beauty from Diane's porch is so peaceful! The weather was perfect, with a refreshing breeze.

To the trees! What a surprise to see this magnificent tree-house, built by Diane's husband, complete with slide. When the children are done with their tatting class, they get to take turns going down the slide.
Sue Anna and Diane with the Saori loom that Diane has been busy weaving colorful bags on. Notice the neatly shelved books? Obviously a librarian lives here :)

Diane showing us one of her shuttle cabinets where she stores her collection in style.

Some of the fancy shuttles in Diane's cabinet. I think she said the ones in this drawer were handmade by LadyShuttleMaker.

I am so glad to have been able to go with Sue Anna to visit Diane and her tatting class. The children are so enthusiastic about learning how to tat. Sue Anna brought gifts of a new tatting shuttle for each child, and I provided samples of hand dyed thread. After class, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at a local restaurant and were joined there by another tatting friend, Denise. All in all, a perfect day!
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Exploring techniques, thread sizes

July 17, 2014, 6:17 pm
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My first original cluny tatting design
Lately been playing with techniques that have long seemed mysterious to me, like clunies and maltese rings. Pushing myself to design with these skills helps bring them into my own little world, down from the "interstellar region" of things I've heard of but appeared to be distant and difficult.
My first original maltese ring design
I'm finding that I like maltese rings! They're really not hard. I will practice more as time allows. The blue thread is some of my hand dyed from the "Blue Streak" batch.
Size comparison chart of threads that I hand dye. The knitting worsted yarn at the right is for size comparison only
Someone asked about the sizes of my hand dyed thread, so here is a photo showing the threads next to each other, with a strand of knitting worsted yarn at the right for comparison.
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Deadlines and Roses

July 28, 2014, 8:16 pm
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Peace Roses
The top photo is showing Peace Roses that I marveled at this past weekend at the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners. I'll dye a batch of thread in those colors in August, but this week the colorway in progress is "Olde Rose", a dark red, faded rose, a bit past prime.
Olde Rose

Currently I am working on several projects with deadlines. One of the Stampington magazines asked me to write an article featuring one of my new, never published tatted jewelry sets with step-by-step photos, so am currently working on that.

I'm also working on a project to submit as a teaching proposal to the Bead&Button Show. In previous years I have brushed off the opportunity in spite of the urging of my beading friends, because I didn't think it was the right venue. Expensive, limited time, and all that - but they convinced me that people who like to travel thousands of miles to an event and pay a large sum to take a class, would be thrilled to take a beaded tatting class, too. So, I am attempting to design a beginner level project that sparkles awesomely enough for Bead&Button - hoping to succeed.

Might as well mention an event to come - in November I'll be teaching intermediate beaded tatting at the Tatting Days event at the Thread Corner, using my "Rotation" pattern as the class project.

So, lots to do, but not much that I can show here just yet. I hope to get the "Olde Rose" thread listed on Etsy in a few days, but already there's many colors to look at there.
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Flowers in thread, coming events

August 6, 2014, 8:08 am
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 Flower necklace in progress, with hand dyed threads. New batch of "Peace" thread will be listed by tomorrow. The pattern is in this book.
 Colors of hand dyed thread you may have missed, inspired by flowers.
I submitted a tatted jewelry set pattern to Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine, and have received a reply saying it will appear in the Winter issue, unless they decide to save it for a later issue.

My beginner level tatted earrings class proposal for the Bead&Button Show has been submitted, but I won't hear if it has been accepted for the show until November, since they receive many, many submissions. I do have another project in the works for the Bead&Button Show auction: a collaborative effort with a wire jewelry artist. She is making the wire parts of a series of earrings, and I am making the tatted parts. More on that later.

This coming Monday, August 11, will be the next meeting of the Greater Milwaukee Tatting Guild. Also, rumor has it that the Tollway Tatters will be meeting the following day. If so, I'll be bringing cake. Not saying why :-x
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Peace rose and Craftsy classes on sale

August 8, 2014, 7:04 am
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 Craftsy's having a sale through August 11, and since I'm an affiliate, if people click on the link below and order any of the classes, then I will earn some $$. Thank you for your support!

The "Peace" batch of hand dyed thread is done and listed in my Etsy shop. Apparently blog posts result in more sales than notices on Facebook or Twitter, so I'll try to get each of the colors posted here as I finish them. Below is some "Blue Streak" that was added several weeks ago, that people seem to have missed.


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"Celery" greens

August 16, 2014, 8:00 am
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 It has been a busy week, having fun with friends at guild meetings, trying to design a tatted connector for a friend's wire jewelry collaboration project (no success yet on that), and helping dear husband Jan set up his own Etsy shop. He's just getting started with selling digital photos at his Etsy shop. So, if you have time, do browse through what he's got so far, and favorite the pictures that you like.

I hand dyed a new batch of "Celery" thread, which people have been asking for. It's quite a bright shaded green, like leaves in sunshine. Now listed in my Etsy shop.

Have you seen the new Tatting Central website? It's nicely organized with links to guilds, suppliers, patterns, tutorials, and designers. So far, the designer section features Jane Eborall, Linda Davies, Tat-ology, TotusMel, and me!
Lace-lovin' Librarian - Diane with Carol at Tollway Tatters

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Neapolitan

August 23, 2014, 1:30 pm
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 Neapolitan is here! Strawberry pink, vanilla, and chocolate brown, softly shading together in a pretty hand dyed thread.

I will have to wait to tat something with it, though, until my finger is healed. I was stringing beads onto thread with one of those needles that open all the way down the middle instead of just at the end. Well, I will never use that type of needle ever, ever again! Because the needle is so razor thin from being split into 2 sections like that, it cut deeply into the tip of my finger. The cut was still painful 3 days later and looked black and scary, so I got medical attention for it. Fortunately it is not infected, it will just take time and care to heal.

I did manage to finish the "links" for the collaboration project with my wire artist friend, but will tell more about that in a future post. It's difficult to type with one finger bandaged.
Tatted "links" for future earring project

Trying to tat with a sore finger

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Past & Future

August 27, 2014, 12:25 pm
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With time on my hands, I decided to curate my first treasury list on Etsy. 
I was in sort of a "timey-whimey" mood (to quote Dr. Who).  There are 2 tatted pieces included, from Smaranda C. and Sarah McKee. The rest is sort of a mix of retro-future.

No tatting of my own to show yet today, but my injured finger is starting to feel better, so will get back to tatting very soon! Dye batch this week is expected to be "Roses", and after that I will start in on all the autumn colors.

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