Summer Vacation Part 1

The majority of the thread exchange tatting I did this summer was during a train trip I took with my husband, John, from Fullerton, California to Naperville, Illinois. The trip itself was about forty hours (two nights) each way aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief. Of course I didn't tat the entire forty hours. I took time out to eat, sleep, nap, read, and a few other things. For the fun of it, I did make note of where along the route I started and ended each motif, or at least my nearest guess.

The actual purpose for the trip was to attend a Windjammer's Unlimited Convention. The Windjammers are a group of people dedicated to the playing and preservation of traditional Circus Music (www.circusmusic.org, in case you're curious).

We could have flown in except that John won’t trust his trombone to airline baggage handlers. My French horn will fit in an overhead compartment, but his trombone would have to be checked. Taking the train ensured that the only person who would lay a hand on his trombone was him.

John and I boarded the train Saturday evening in Fullerton, California. I didn't get any tatting done that evening, though. After settling into our sleeper, we went to dinner, then unwound from the hectic days leading up to our trip by just watching the desert landscape go by in the twilight.


I started this piece sometime before I started on my vacation. I didn't finish it 'til somewhere around the Arizona/New Mexico state line. Valery Stewart from Scott City, Kansas gave it to me. It is YLI Silk Floss. I used 3 strands of the floss. The pattern is from the January, 1992 Workbasket.

Margaret Boos from London, Ontario, Canada gave me this thread. I worked on it from Gallup, New Mexico to Las Vegas, New Mexico. The thread is Altin Baesk, size 50. The color is number 365. This pattern is also from the January, 1992 Workbasket.

As a side note, the train arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico early. Albuquerque is the longest stop on the route, but rather than the usual half hour or so, we had an hour and a half. That gave us an opportunity to walk into the old part of Albuquerque and look around a bit. The local historical society has done a wonderful job of putting pictorial plaques on the buildings that either described what the existing building started as or, if the original building had been replaced, what it was and what it looked like.

Margaret also gave me this thread. It is Valdani Size 12, color number 0541. The pattern is from the July 1978 Workbasket. It was tatted between Las Vegas, New Mexico and La Plata, Missouri.

Between La Plata, Missouri and Fort Mason, Iowa, I worked on this thread from Bonnie Peters of Casadagy New York. It is Omega Size 30 and the pattern is from the July 1982 Workbasket.

The last thread I worked on for the trip east was this Flora in size 10, also from Bonnie Peters. I started it in Fort Mason, Iowa and finished it at Mendota, Illinois. The pattern is from the March 1961 Workbasket.

Stay tuned for part 2.

My old dog Winnie(Winnefred) died last night. She was 10 1/2 years old (average for a bulldog). My husband, John, and I think she had a heart attack.

The poor girl was on a lot of meds this past year, so this really was not a surprise. Last summer she was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and Cushing's Disease. She also had to have a bladder stone removed. John and I decided at that time that if anything more happened, we would just let her go. We were giving her a pill to keep the crystals down in her urine, a blood pressure med, a beta blocker, Melatonin for the Cushing's Disease, as well as an antibiotic for a never ending eyelid infection.

The last thing Winnie did was her most favorite thing in the whole world. Go for a ride. When we leashed up our other dog, Sadie, Winnie found enough strength to get up and was right on Johns heels following him to the car. She died peacefully just before we got to the Emergency Vet Clinic. Sadie was with her the entire time, so Sadie knows she is gone.

What a year! It seems like I haven't had time to do anything other than work. I did get the M finished before Christmas, but didn't have time to sew it down, so it will now be a birthday present (Feb 15). The sweatshirt has turned into a tee shirt (I couldn't find any sweatshirts that didn't have anything printed on them).

I have found sometime to work with my exchange threads again. I also have a new scanner, so my scans are much clearer than before.

These next 2 threads were sent to me by Abby Calson of Rock Island, Washington.


The heart pattern is "Small Tatted Heart" by Betsy Evans.

http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/vangogh/235/heartpattern.html

The thread is Oren Bayan, Size 50, color 710.


The 2nd thread Abby sent me is Altin Basak, Size 50, color 3053. The pattern is from the January 1956 Workbasket.

Speaking of thread exchanges, I have started a new one. I'm not going to post the details here since this an open blog (I hope you all understand). The details have been posted to the assorted tatting email lists.

This is the unfinished M I'm designing for my niece, Maribeth. It will be sewn down to a sweatshirt. Never fear, I am dutifully recording what I'm doing so I can post a pattern. I'll post it in January (hopefully - but don't hold your breath.

I went to IOLI this year in Rockford, Illinois. Since I was in the neighborhood, I extended my trip to include visiting my brother and his family in Monroe, Michigan. That gave me a lot of time to work on my thread exchange threads waiting at airports, on planes, waiting at the train station and on the train.



I started this motif in the Long Beach Airport and finished it on the plane to Chicago. It is DMC perle cotton size 12 that has been hand dyed in red, white and blue colors. Krystal Kubiszewski of Minneapolis, MN gave it to me and she says the dying was done by shatteredshardsofme.net. This thread came to me several years ago (I really have to spend some time catching up on my exchanges) so I doubt if it is still available. The pattern is from the November 1960 Workbasket.



This edging was started on the flight to Chicago and finished on the bus to and from Rockford. It was also given to me by Krystal Kubiszewski. It is Olympus Size 40, Color number 221. The pattern is from the August 1967 Workbasket.

I didn't work on any exchange threads while at IOLI. I was too busy working on homework for Georgia's class or learning Romanian Point Lace. Those projects aren't quite finished. I'll post them when I get them done. (If I get them done.)

After IOLI I caught a train from Chicago to Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was a very relaxing trip and I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to ride the rails to upgrade to business class. It will be the best $11 you ever spent. I didn't tat that much on the train, I kinda fell asleep for the first hour of the trip. OK, I did fall asleep. That week of lacemaking was tiring.



I guess this was an edging trip. This next thread was tatted on the train to Michigan. It is Manuella Size 20 in Ecru. The thread was given to me by Dianne Warren of Wichita KS. The pattern is from the November 1966 Workbasket.



This thread was also started on the train to Michigan and finished on the flight from Detroit to Phoenix. It is also an edging pattern but I decided to double it back on itself to make a motif. I didn't realize till I scanned it that I goofed on a join. A little too late, the ends are already hidden. I suppose I can cheat and pull the last ring back into place with a bit of invisible sewing thread. I'll think about it. The thread is Knit Cro Sheen in rainbow colors. It was given to me by Jeanette Hasteman of Canton OH. The pattern is the April 1977 Workbasket.



This heart was also completed on the flight from Detroit to Phoenix. Stacey Houston of Everett, WA sent me this thread. It is Olympus Size 40 in color OL-101. The pattern was designed by Birgit Phelps. (http://www.geocities.com/birgit_ph/sweetheart.html). This is a great pattern and I enjoyed tatting it.

I started one other motif on the flight from Phoenix to Ontario, CA, but it is sitting on my desk waiting to be finished.

Just a quick post of the gifts I received from the Here-Be-Tatters Christmas In July exchange.


Here is everything.

This is the ribbon pin.




And this is the ornament.



My partner is Valerie Stewart from Scott City, Kansas.

I'll put up a few pictures of that intriguing box tomorrow when I have more band width and a photo editor that can cut down the size of the pictures I'm trying to upload.

Whew!! Fair projects are finished, my Guilds Lace-In is over, all the summer concerts have been played (almost) so now I have time to work on my thread exchange threads again. For those who are wondering, I am planning to getting another thread exchange going in mid September before I have to start tatting for the holidays (again).

I have been busy designing for this year's fair. There is a story behind this design. I am a Rat. My Tai Chi Chuan teacher also makes tee shirts. Some years he does one to commemorate the Chinese New Year. I started late last year asking him to design one for this year, but he said he couldn't think of any Tai Chi Chuan move that would go with a rat. So, I decided that if I wanted to have a tee shirt, I would need to do it myself. So here it is.

I do have the pattern scribbled down on pieces of paper, I haven't had time to get them into a word file. I'm not even thinking of how long it will take to diagram them. If you are planning to go to the IOLI convention this year, I will have my scribbles with me as well as a few stray rats.

I also have a few motif entries. All three of these threads were given to me by Brigitte Henneberger of Wurzburg Germany.


This thread is Amann Buttonhole thread. It is stranded silk. I was going to do a different pattern with it that involved onion rings, but the thread split so bad as I did the split chain join (or smooth join as I call it) that I had to give up and find a more conventional ring and chain pattern.

The pattern is from the August 1958 Workbasket, but any resemblance between the written pattern and the picture is purely coincidental. I had to mostly go by visual and tried it 2 different ways, neither of which look like the book. Oh well. You can put this pattern down and one I won't ever try again.


This next thread is Valdani pearl cotton size 12. The color is number 35 and is described as Mango-Kiwi-Papaya. The pattern is from the January 1976 Workbasket.





Finally I have the same color number as above but in the Valdani Quilting thread. This is a really pretty color combination. I may just have to get some more for myself. The pattern is from the November 1953 Workbasket.


I might as well keep going with this monster post, it is likely to be the last for a little bit. My lace guild also demonstrated at the Orange County Fair last week. Part of the requirement is to put on a little stage presentation, so here I am, flapping my gums on stage. They had a big screen TV in front of the stage so the camera man was able to really zoom in on my fingers. I could tell by watching peoples faces that they could see the thread flip.

Surprisingly we had a lot of positive response this year. A large number of people were asking about learning how to tat and make bobbin lace. I'm thinking it must have something to do with the current economy. It isn't so easy to go out anymore, so people are trying to find ways of keeping themselves occupied at home.