Palmetto Tat Days 2013 - part one

A good time was had this year at Tat Days. If you are a tatter and you have never been to a tatting convention, find your closest one and sign up for it as soon as possible. It is SO worth it!

OK - now on to the fun.

Since I live in Hotlanta, I'm usually designated to head to the airport and retrieve some folks from out of town. I'm happy to do this, and I get to have a great visit on the way up to Toccoa GA (the site for Tat Days). This year I picked up Nina and Vicki. Nina came from the Big Apple, and Vicki flew in from Ottowa, Ontario. That would be in Canada, eh.

We stopped at The Varsity, naturally. Moe was very jealous when I told him about it later. He loves Varsity food. Yum!

Nina was very good and had a chicken salad - but that didn't stop her from requesting - and receiving - some of my yummy home-made onion rings. Nom nom nom.

Vicki had me order for her. "I'll eat anything you order!" she declared. So I got her 2 chili slaw dogs, onion rings, and an FO. That's a kind of milkshake flavored like an orange creamsicle. And she ate every bite.

So we headed up the hill and got there in time for the teacher's meeting (all of us taught), and then time to  meet and greet all our friends.

And folks, this is one of the very BEST things about a tatting convention. The people you meet are so wonderful. You make lifelong friends. You think I'm exaggerating, but it's the God's truth.

Another great thing about a tatting convention is Vending. Yessiree, being able to lay hands on thread and shuttles and books and all the great stuff you need - there's nothing like it. And no shipping charges! Here's an overview of vending. Zig-Zag Corner was our main commercial vendor.

And some oh-so-yummy-delicious hand dyed thread sent by the talented Jess of Tat-ilicious. Can't you just taste those colors?

And here's a spread of hand made shuttles, all made by the GR-8 Shuttle Brothers. And Randy was there teaching classes too!

Another fun thing about these conventions is you usually see a display of tatting people had done. This time, it was a competition with a number of categories, like most creative. Here you go....

Love this Godzilla!

 
Gorgeous doilies and snowflakes.

A great collar and more.

More doilies. This was quite large and beautiful.

And this lovely dragon, knight, and fair maiden, all tatted by the lovely and talented Martha Ess! You can tat this if you get her latest book!

But wait! There's more - in the next installment!