Coming Soon!

Hello Lovely Tatters!!  I appear to be on a roll!  This is the third post this week!

In case anyone is interested, I'm going to have two interviews to present soon.  I've already presented some questions I posed to Samantha Melnychuk, author of three books ("A Veritable Tatted Blizzard", "Teeny Tatted Snowflakes" and "The Psychedelic Shuttle") and Gloria Nelson, developer of the Bare Threadspace and Picot Tool, the genius behind Sparkling Light Creation Studio and administrator of "Needle Tatting: for beginners" on Facebook.

Shortly, I hope to have submissions from Victoria Clarke, author of "Brace Yourself" and "Tatting the Stone", and another from Karen Negus, proprietress of the Etsy shop "Tatting for Spirit".  Victoria is from Ontario and Karen is from nearby my old stomping ground in Nova Scotia.  I was pretty excited!

Someone asked why I am endeavouring to interview Canadian tatting artists.  Well, because they aren't as well-known as some of the other artists out there and we (Canadian tatters) are a pretty talented bunch!  Unfortunately, Canadians as a general rule aren't all that great at tooting our own horns, so I decided I would like to try and blow the horn for them.

If you're like me and struggling along trying to learn how to do this on your own, please reach out to someone.  When I learned, as is the case with so many other tatters that are old enough to remember life before YouTube and the internet, we learned from poorly written books, badly rendered pictures, or from grandma or a great auntie that just wasn't all that patient with small fingers anymore, even though they tried their best to impart their wisdom.

When I was learning, I felt alone.  I didn't think anyone did this anymore.  I had certainly never heard of needle tatting, then I got reading some books written a long time ago by some very narrow-visioned people who stated that the shuttle was the only "true" tatting tool.  Unfortunately, I followed that assumption for a very long time and if I've offended anyone by telling them they weren't doing "real tatting", I'm truly sorry.  

I've since met and interacted with some extremely talented needle tatters and I'm proud to say I'm dedicated to doing both.  If I have a skill in shuttle tatting, I do what I can to find a comparable way to make that same technique with a needle.  When I write a pattern, I make sure I can do it with both tools.  If I don't like how it looks, I adjust things so that it can be made with either a needle or a shuttle.  I'm not going to lie; using a needle does cause me some pain so I use a pair of vinyl-jawed pliers to pull my needle through the stitches when needed, but we all have to do what we need to do to finish our projects.  I'm not going to apologize for hurting, but I will try and do something to the best of my ability the way that works best for me.

Which brings me to another thought:  tool choice.  I see so many new tatters ask "which do you prefer, needle or shuttle and why?"  Oh, my, that answer is unique to each tatter.  Just because there are two tools does not mean you have to choose one over the other and be forever chained to your choice!  If you're able to wrap your head around both tools, then do so!  You'll be so much better able to understand what it's like to be in another's shoes if you know how they're using their equipment.

There is no right or wrong way to hold your needle or your shuttle.  If you're making the stitches the right way and you're having fun, then it is no one else's place to tell you whether you're doing it right or wrong?  There are artists in this world that are tatting with one hand!  Are you going to tell them they're holding their shuttle the wrong way?  I'm certainly not going to!  Are you going to tell a blind tatter she isn't holding the thread the right way?  I'm not going there!  i am simply amazed they're able to do what they do, and I hope that if one day I meet a challenge to my art, then I can find an adjustment to how I'm doing it so I don't have to stop!

Watch now as I step off my soap box and stow it neatly under my chair so I can get back to my current project;.

Happy Tatting!

Why?

Hello, Lovely Tatters!  Happy Canada Day to you all!!  Soon it will be International Lace Day (July 5, 2020), so I hope you're all prepared to get yourself to a comfy public place with your current project and show the world what a "dead" art looks like when it's not dead at all!  

Whenever I hear someone say stuff like that, I think of Groucho Marx's quote that went something like:  "The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated!".  It's true!  There are SO many people tatting, and more learning how every day.  Seriously, it's knot a lost art!  My Jeep even says so!!

I have one of these on either side of my vehicle on the back wing windows.  It certainly makes people take note.  It also makes my Renegade easier to find in a parking lot because it seems EVERYONE here drives an SUV of some kind!  (By the way, if you'd like one for YOUR vehicle, email Shawna Wachs at shawna.wachs@gmail.com.  Tell her Shelley sent you!) 

I got asked today "why do you write a blog if you aren't sure anyone is going to find it?"  Well, that's not really all that hard to answer.

No, I'm not sure anyone is going to read my blog.  It doesn't have the reach a great many other bloggers might have, but that's okay.  The reason behind doing it is simple: It's important to ME.  Yes, it is.

I spend a great amount of time on my own.  I don't have many places to travel so I can't have knotty conversations in person with like-minded people all that often.  The last two years I was able to go to Indiana and actually MEET the people behind the names on the virtual tatting groups.  It was amazing.  The one thing that bothered me, though, was how few Canadians there seemed to be in the groups.

I know I spent a good many years tatting away on my own, not knowing if there were other tatters anywhere nearby.  It felt very isolating, and the comments such as: "I didn't think anyone did that anymore" or "I thought that was dead" or "my gramma did that but I couldn't be bothered" really annoyed me!  

Another thing that I found very inconvenient was the lack of places to purchase supplies in Canada.  Yes, there are shops in the United States that will happily help you, but then you're paying the exchange, duties, and higher shipping costs.  That didn't work for me, either.  Not everyone lives in a border town. A ball of thread that's $3.50 USD can end up costing significantly more in Canadian dollars once it arrives to a Canadian mailing address.

Furthermore, I thought it would be a very cool idea to showcase Canadian tatters.  It's always interesting to see where they came from, how they learned, what they're thinking, and where they'd like to see tatting go.

So, I an trying to research and source places or people that would be Canadian, accessible, and willing to cater to Canadian tatters, be they needlers or shuttlers.

That, my dear friends, is what has led me to this blog, and I hope that answers the question I have been getting frequently, "why do you write a blog?"

Oh...one last reason:  I write this  because it's fun!

Happy Tatting!

Surviving a Pandemic

Hello, Lovely Tatters.  Here we are, in full swing with a re-opening after a global pandemic that has seen many of us weather upheavals we really hadn't expected.  Some of us are coming out on the other side of this completely unscathed and our families are unaffected.  Still others are still in a place where health measures are in effect  because they still have actively increasing numbers of infections.  Sadly, there are far too many others that have been directly affected by this destructive virus and have either cared for someone that was ill or suffered the loss of someone close to them.  I offer my very deepest and most sincere condolences.

My husband and I have both been laid off since at least the end of March.  While he has been called back to his job for a few days here and there, there is hope that he will be able to go back to work, even part-time, in the near future.

I, on the other hand, have been advised that my layoff is permanent.  A full-time job we depended on because I had extended health benefits has vanished into thin air.

This break has, however, given me some perspective.  I have to admit that I did NOT like my job.  My co-workers were very exclusive.  I wasn't "into" going to church or making greeting cards, and I didn't know any of the same people they did. Going to work was an exercise in loneliness toward the end because even though I did more physical work and worked hard to learn the new system to make me more viable as an employee, it didn't make me any more comfortable in the office.  They continued to ignore me.

So, here I am, actually thinking about a future where I can do what I want for a change.  What does that look like?

Well, for starters, I've started on a book of patterns.  Yup, I'm finally listening to my tatty friends and putting all my knotty thoughts into a book to share with others.

I am sewing again for the first time in a long time.  I have some lovely fabric I'm going to make into some dress shirts for Beloved for when he has to go back to work (He has to wear a dress shirt to work in summer.  It's miserable, but lighter fabric and a properly fitted shirt will make him more comfortable).

I've started a vegetable garden.  I will actually even look at expanding same next year!  Our potato "condo" looks to be producing between 30 and 50 lbs of taters this time round!  I can just imagine looking up recipes for what to do with potatoes no one else wants.  I'm having nightmares where I show up with potatoes at people's houses and they chase me off because they can't use any more, LOL.

I'm thinking of starting to paint ornaments again, too.  It has been 10 years since I painted an egg or a lightbulb, but I will go see if I can still manage to make something someone might like to have.  I sure hope my paints are still liquid!

I supposed what I'm trying to say is:  Look for the glass and fill it as full as you want.  You don't need to be miserable.  If you have a craft, take advantage of your time away from the stress and strain of having to juggle everything OUTSIDE your home and make the most of the time INSIDE your home and indulge yourself in your craft.  You will be astonished at the quality of your result when you have unlimited time to devote to what you like to do.

Become a better friend to yourself and you'll be surprised how much better a friend you can be to others.  Start something new and take this time to learn about it.  I knew nothing about gardening, but I'm learning lots!  It helps to keep from dwelling on all the nasty outside.  It makes you happier.  It makes you healthier.  It surely makes you more fun to be with!

As for me, I'm off to see if I can figure out a new way to make a Catherine Wheel Join work right after another feature.  Wish me luck, folks!

Happy Tatting!

Online Tips and Tricks by Gloria

Hello, Lovely Tatters!

I've been thinking I'd like to be more pro-active in posting things that aren't so much about MY day-to-day life but more helpful to those of us that maybe don't have access to, or don't know about, resources and information that are intended to help.

There are lots of videos and tutorials out there, and I don't have the time or the space to list all of them, not even in subsequent blogs.  I'm going to post them as I find ones that I find or have found to be particularly helpful.  For a new tatter, this can mean the difference between learning a new technique and using it with confidence or throwing your hands up in frustration and using words that are not knotty, but definitely naughty!

The first resource to which I'd like to introduce you is from an established tatter named Gloria Nelson.  You may remember her as one of the first "interviewees" from a few months back.  She's a self-taught needle tatter and has made it her mission in this art to ensure that artists new to this tool have as much support and access to resources and information as possible.  While using a needle might not be the first tool you  might think of when thinking of tatting, it's definitely on the rise in popularity in the tatting community and many shuttle-tatting folks who SWORE they would never learn to use it are now realizing that to be a fully "rounded" instructor, they need to at least be passing familiar with both tools.  It's definitely worth learning.  This is the link to her Sparkling Light Creation Studio - Tatting by Gloria Nelson Facebook page, where she frequently posts tidbits that prove useful:

https://www.facebook.com/SparklingLightCreationStudio.GloriaNelson/

A complete list of what she has researched and prepared is located here (and she's always adding more):

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1774052256037040&id=724059564369653

She is also an administrator in the Facebook Group Needle Tatting: for Beginners.  It's a closed group and you do need to acknowledge you know what tatted lace is before you are granted entry to the group, but this kind of "gate" is required.  You'd be amazed how many folks think "needle tatting" is some kind of tattooing ink page.  Hmm...nope, sorry, wrong kind of tatting.

So, I spoke with Gloria and asked her how she would prefer to have her information presented.  I asked if I could post references to individual articles or posts.  She asked that I post a link to her page in general, and to her Tips and Tricks list.  Her logic, with which I have to agree, is very sound. Her words were:

"If I update or modify them, then people can easily see the new version on my Page."

If you're looking for advice, especially for needle tatting, Gloria is amenable to answering questions and will answer you confidently and knowledgeably. She is a dedicated individual that knows her stuff and is very happy to share.

Please don't look at this as a "Needle versus Shuttle" discussion. As I have stated before and will continue to state, your choice of tatting tool is your own for whatever reason you choose to use it. I firmly believe there should be no right or wrong tool choice. Sorry, correction: The only wrong tool is one that is not right for you. My reasons for showcasing Gloria's work here is because I happen to know this lady personally. She is dedicated to the art of tatting, she is very well-educated in what thread will work for what project, she is an award-winning designer and artist, and she is very good at explaining what she wants you to know. She also agrees strongly that the only wrong tatting tool is the one that you are having difficulty using. She might prefer a needle, but that's because it's comfortable for her. She and I have lots of very serious discussions about the uses and benefits of both tools, but the discussions always involve lots of laughter, teasing, and all-round good feelings and that is exactly what tatting is supposed to do; make you feel good!

Give her a look-see! You won't be sorry!

Happy Tatting!

And Now We're Both Laid Off

Hello, Lovely Tatters!

Yes, again, it has been a while since posting.  It has been a difficult couple of months here as both my husband and I have been laid off our jobs due to the pandemic situation.  He got his notice three weeks before I did, but my layoff came on a day off, and they called me on the phone by getting me out of bed.  

I've been trying to stay busy with tatting, and it has worked somewhat since I have worked up Jon Yusoff's "Threads that Bind" tatalong.  If you've not tried it, here's a link:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2875798492474362&type=3

It is also called the "14-Day Challenge", so you might see both names floating around.  The link I posted is all 14 days together.

My daughter has requested one of these made in dark garnet red with a touch of pink and mounted in a frame for her wall.  She has decided she wants artwork done by friends to put on her walls.  She asked if I would either paint or tat something for her, so I opted for this.  It's actually easy, just be sure to pay attention to where your joins are.

I've been keeping busy with tatting, making masks for friends and family, and now I've agreed to make masks for my husband's job so they can open.  Well, at least ONE of us knows when we'll be back to work!  My job hasn't even had the courtesy to sneeze in my general direction, so I haven't got a clue.

I've started a vegetable garden, and it's in containers, so let's see how that goes, LOL.  I've even got my husband to build me a "potato condo".  Look it up, it's really cool!  I've not got the greenest of thumbs, so wish me luck, please!

I think the hardest part of all this "isolation and distancing" is the uncertainty.  I don't handle uncertainty and unknown factors well at all.  Cancellation and rescheduling of everything I usually do and count on to add routine that I depend on to help with stability in my life has really been difficult.

If you're having issues with keeping busy, try learning to do a small thing you never thought you'd have time to do.  I'm learning to garden, I'm trying to connect with people both online and at a distance in my community, I've dedicated myself to making things for other people so I'm obligated to at least speak to someone face-to-face so I can deliver them (at a distance, of course). I've decided I want to learn a tatting technique, but I need to find someone to SHOW me because I'm not really good with photos because I need to be able to see what is being done as it's done.  That has been an issue.

Folks, if you're having issues feeling isolated, there are lots of folks in the groups that feel the same way.  Contact one of them and have an old-fashioned knotty conversation.  You'd be surprised at how much good it does for you!

I don't want to get "preachy" here, but if you're finding things aren't as easy as you usually find them and need more than just a few giggles with online friends, there are vast numbers of places you can get advice.  We're all in the same boat, so you're not really alone but some folks need a bit more to get them through troubled times and that is okay!  We all handle things differently, and that's what makes us unique.  Heck, you can even contact me, I've got broad shoulders!

Happy Tatting!

A Shop in Winnipeg!

Hello, Lovely Tatters!!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take some much-needed R&R time and go to Winnipeg to visit a very dear friend.  I haven't see her or her family for a couple of years, and it was nice to just visit someone and take advantage of some of the shopping I don't always get to enjoy.

Which brings me to my reason for posting, which is a NEW-to-ME bead store just near Polo Park!  It's called PoCo Inspired.  The young lady I spoke with, Cindy, knew about tatting and even has her grandmother's shuttles!  I tried to show her how to tat in a few quick minutes, but we didn't have a lot of preparation time.  I'm pretty sure that had we been able to spend more time together that she would have it down, no problem.  She certainly caught on to what I was saying.  Cindy, if you're reading this, don't give up!

I was looking for Swarovski crystals, and PoCo Inspired did not fail.  I got some beautiful Rivoli's that are meant for a very special project (I'll brag on that later).  I also got some lovely faceted rondelles in Alexandrite and a pale beautiful rosy stone called Rosaline.  With all the stuff going on, they've been having trouble getting what they have ordered into the store, but these folks were SO helpful!

The website for the store is https://pocoinspired.com/pocoinspired/ .  Unfortunately, with all the mandatory closures due to the nasty bug chasing us all away from close quarters, they've had to close but assured this is temporary.  

I will add this to my list of places to shop with the website.  They are at 495-D Madison St, Winnipeg, MB, but they ask that you use the rear entrance and park at the end of the building.  There are better instructions on their website.  Apparently they've had some issues with a store directly across the alley from their entrance, so to avoid any more issues, they just ask that we park elsewhere.  It's not a long walk, and you won't be disappointed!

When I called these folks early on Friday morning while I was in Winnipeg, I was very impressed.  They were helpful, friendly, welcoming, enthusiastic and very interested in what I wanted to do.  "Another store" I called asking about specific stones replied with "we only carry precious and semi-precious stones" and basically made me feel like I was annoying them.  Hmm...great way NOT to encourage me to shop in your store. They would NOT be receiving a positive recommendation.

I hope with all the insanity we're witnessing on the news and on the social media that you're staying busy, tatting up a storm if you're forced to stay home, and looking after yourselves and your family.  While the Beloved has been laid off effective this past Wednesday evening and my daughter and her Sweetie are both in the same boat, I'm the only one that's still working.  My office is going to be working from home in rotation, so I'll be starting this coming Wednesday.  Going to be interesting.  I've never been the ONLY one in the family working before.  I wonder how it will go over if I walk through the door and demand a beer as I head for my armchair?  Somehow, I think it would go over like a lead balloon!

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay positive.

Happy Tatting!

Tat Sea

Sailing, Sailing...

Hello, Lovely Tatters!  Short and sweet this time, but something I wanted to be sure you know about.

Have you ever been on a "Tatting Cruise?"  I mean being out in the middle of the deep blue sea on a luxury cruise boat, making beautiful things and visiting exotic places, even a lace museum!

Well, here's your chance!  Look here!

Tat” Sea With Tatting Corner 2021

 

Join us for a Tatting at Sea Adventure!

Feb 21 - 28, 2021

Experience sailing the high seas in the beautiful Caribbean while making new friends and learning from some of the best tatting experts in the industry!

 

Register early for best availabililty!

 

 

 

 

Included In Your Cruise and Tatting Package:

 

- 7 night Caribbean Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas

The ship sails from Fort Lauderdale, FL on 2/21/21 and includes the ports:

* St Maarten * San Juan, PR * Labadee, Haiti

 

- 6 Tatting Classes during our 3 days at sea

 

- All Meals and Entertainment on Board the Ship

 

- One speciality dining included

 

- The opportunity to mix and mingle with Tatting friends and experts

 

- All applicable port charges and fees

 

 

Note that required gratuities, beverages, shore excursions, and other optional expenses are not included. Participants are on own to arrange transportation to/from Ft Lauderdale (see below)

 

 

You must be registered with the Tat Sea group to participate in the planned

classes, events, and any optional TBD group activities.  

 

Non-Tatting Companions are Welcome!

 

 

 

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

TRAVEL PACKAGE QUESTIONS?

 

Please contact your Travel Agent

Marj with All Points Travel at marj@allpointstravelonline.com

 

 

TATTING AGENDA QUESTIONS?

 

Please contact your Tatting Host

Lisa Adams of the Tatting Corner at lisa@tattingcorner.com

 

Let's Get You Registered!

Here's the link! https://fs3.formsite.com/allpointstravel/TatSea2021/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1Dq0wApto6IQFT-4Y-5aRF3S5DI1RvvD6CjobOvEiZ38m0CjnefUe-j64 

I want to be sure to tell you that Lisa from Tatting Corner has worked very hard to get a good "bang for your buck" deal on this.  Even if you DON'T tat, you're welcome!

My husband and I are going! While I'm off doing my "thing", he will be off doing his thing exploring the many, many places and activities on board this wonderful ship!  

Have you ever wondered just what's on one of these massive ships?  Well, the "Oasis of the Seas" has lots to do.  Have a look here: https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=368

I've never been on a cruise, and neither has my husband.  Considering we likely won't get another chance to do this, we've decided we're combining my love of tatting with an item on our Bucket List to kill two birds with one stone.  The value is certainly something we couldn't pass up.

This morning Lisa (again, she's the lady that runs "Tatting Corner" in Indiana) announced the showcase instructors for this cruise:

Headline teachers for our cruise announced!

Arts & Crafts Store

Tatting Corner

3 hrs

Good morning again! I have some exciting news to share with everyone: the first two tatting instructors for the cruise next year are confirmed! There will be more added by mid-summer, of course, but here are our headliners: Ruth Perry (aka Rozella Linden), and Kaye Judt. (In the attached photo, Ruth is on the left and Kaye on the right.)

A bit about them:
Ruth Perry, also known as Rozella F. Linden, is a talented tatter, tatting designer, and tatting author. She learned to tat a ring before she started kindergarten, although she didn’t really use the skill until her teenage years to make Christmas gifts for her family. It was during this time that she started to design tatting – and because no one had a personal computer in the 50’s and 60’s, her designs were kept in written journals. Ruth’s first book, Easy Tatting, however, came into being in 1997, later in her career as an IT professional. She’s authored and co-authored a multitude of tatting books to date, with her major specialty in Celtic tatting. You can find her thoughts and books on her blog, www.rozellalinden.net, along with lots of free patterns!

Intrigued by stationery with tatted motifs, Kaye Judt learned to shuttle tat in the early 1990’s. Shortly after that, she and her mother took a class in needle tatting through the Smocking Arts Guild of America – and thus began her love affair with tatting! Kaye has published five books on tatting: Oh My Stars!, Motifs for Marie, A Little O’ This, A Little O’ Tat, Treasures in Tatting, and More O’ This and Tat. Since the early 1990’s she has taught many times for Tatting Days (IN), Finger Lakes Tatting Days (NY), Palmetto Tatting Guild Tatting Days (SC/GA), and Fringe Element Tatting Days in Canada. She has also taught tatting and other needle arts at The Lacemaker (OH), Lacis (CA), Anderson University Continuing Education (IN), and at the Benjamin Harrison House in Indianapolis, IN. Kaye is a Trained Sewing Instructor with the Sewing and Crafts Alliance and has her Teaching Certification with the National Association of Needlework. You can see more about Kaye on her website, www.kayejudt.com.

Register now for "Tat" Sea with Tatting Corner 2021 here: https://fs3.formsite.com/allpointstra…/TatSea2021/index.html

If you're thinking of a "big ticket vacation" next year and can get the time away, you should consider coming, too!!

Happy Tatting!