My collection is complete

It arrived.

 

My very own copy of Mary Konior's Tatting In Lace. And this copy is really, really pristine. It looks hardly opened, just off the original bookseller's shelf. I found it for a reasonable price at abebooks.com, from the UK.

This makes my collection of Konior tatting books complete. For those who don't know, this book is a rare and elusive find. I have had the other three books - a paperback Tatting With Visual Patterns, and hardback versions of A Pattern Book of Tatting and Tatting Patterns.

Now if I could just lay hands on her little Learn To Tat pamphlet.... Ooo, and a hardback Tatting With Visual Patterns!

Wait - that's greedy. I guess I should be happy with what I have.

Proof that miracles happen - Vader is sleeping on the same bed with Lily.

Other doin's

A bit of tatting has been accomplished.

My old favorite, Mary Konior's Large Cross from Tatting with Visual Patterns, done in Lizbeth 142 (turquoise twist) size 20. My cell phone camera does not do justice to the vibrancy of the colors. I'll block or press it tonight. This is for a church friend, a recent widow.

BTW, if you are considering going to Palmetto Tat Days this year, this may convince you. Take a look at the pictures of patterns here! Some are mine, as I'll be teaching. One of mine is at the top of the list! (I love Dinky the Cat - too cute!)

Larry is doing a bit better, mostly since his demon mother pried him out of bed. I'm taking him back to the orthopedist tomorrow. He's pitiful. 

Things are growing in my yard.

 

Container grown tomatoes. Larry, Moe and I don't like these raw, only cooked. DH adores tomatoes any way he can get them.

Look carefully - those are plums on our tree!

And things are blooming.

Butterfly bushes, planted in front of our dining room windows. That way they become entertainment for the cats. Vader loves butterflies.

The occasional rose is blooming at the base of the plum tree. We have salmon colored ones elsewhere.

 

Some pretty fleurs Mother brought me last year, sitting on my front steps. They survived the mild winter.

Hosta thrives by my mailbox. Hmm, the Stooges need to edge the curb and sidewalk here.

Hope things look good where you are....

 

Tatting history - work of a legend

I'm tatting away on bracelets, Christmas presents for folks.

I made the black one with bugle bead centers and sterling silver findings. The navy one has the little silver middle beads, and some bigger ones I got Sunday at Michaels (I had a coupon for 15% off my order - woo-hoo!).

I have some final Palmetto Tat Days pictures for you. Sue Hanson came and brought some of the late, great Mary Konior's tatting. It seems that Mary's children placed no value on her tatting until she died. Mary had given the tatting to Sue, and Mary's children realized that there was some monetary value to the tatting, so they have demanded it all back. They plan to sell it off piecemeal. Sue was in tears when she told us this.

Sue brought tons of Mary's tatting and displayed it. I was in awe. I have three of Mary's tatting books, and many of these are the originals shown in her books. I've made some of these. None of mine hold a candle Mary's work.

I took pictures, and now I'm sharing.

 

 

See what I mean? Wow. Oh Wow.

What I've been doing

I've been tatting a bit, not much.

This is Mary Konior's Large Cross from Tatting with Visual Patterns.  It's my favorite go-to pattern - I have it memorized.  This one is done in Coral Reef HDT size 20 by TatsKool.  I'll been sending this cross (after I block it! and put a tail on it) to someone from church who is having a really hard time.

I like this color of HDT a lot - it's cheery and fun.  And the pattern looks nice either in a plain color or in HDT.

I've been enjoying watching this video. 



Larry snorted a lot when he saw it.

Things are much the same with Curly.  I fear he is starting to crash - he's been off his anti-depressants for 2 weeks. He's been sending me odd random texts.  And the school just called me and said he's acting weird.  I hope he's ok, but I have no control over this.

This is a something Curly left for us in his room.  He's still living in the tent defiantly.  The guitar next to the sign is broken in many pieces.  So self-destructive.

And now for something completely different: today as I was riding the train, an older lady got on pushing a baby carriage.  I see people with baby carriages all the time - no big deal.  But this lady had an animal carrier strapped to the stroller.

I asked her what she had in the carrier. "A puppy!" she said.  And when we got off at the central station, she stopped so I could look in the carrier.  And there was a little dog in there - a small black terrier type dog with grey whiskers!

I guess there is more than one way to walk the dog.

Bits and pieces

Some tidbits of things going on...

Gorgeous sky on Thursday night.  And I only had my cellphone camera...

It got prettier.

And prettier.

But big weather was on the way. Here's the sunrise on Friday morning.

That's a big storm coming towards the sun, the same storm that dumped snow on OK and TN and lots of other places.  No snow for me, thank heavens.  Just cold rain.

(I know the answer, but do you - what Atlanta attraction is sticking up on either side of the sunrise?*)

I've been tatting, just a bit.

Jon's Chinese Coin bookmark.

And my favorite from the late, great, Mary Konior - her Large Cross from Tatting With Visual Patterns.  Both are done in Lizbeth size 20.

It's been a quiet weekend after a lot of upheaval this week.  I'm very grateful.
Moe was horsing around this evening and sat in this big bucket.

He couldn't get out without help.  Hee.  ("Mom, stop it!  Get me out!" "Let me get my camera...")

There are wierd things in grocery stores these days.  Larry clued me into this funky item.

Baconnaise - bacon flavored mayonaise.  I found it next to the Grey Poupon mustard.  Larry says he's going to get some.  I just can't wrap my mind - or my mouth - around this.

And then I found this little item.  Pretty ironic to find in a grocery store, huh?  Someone could do the store some damage with this.  I wouldn't - this is my regular good store.  But the Stooges would love this, especially Moe.

Here's hoping that my week goes as well as this weekend.  And yours too..


*Answer - some of the roller coasters from Six Flags Over Georgia.

Sky views

I love looking at the sky.  I wish I had a really good camera to show all that I see.  My camera's ok - it's a Canon PowerShot - but it ain't great.  It'll have to do though.

Sometimes I see nifty stuff in the sky going home.  I stopped to pick up pizza for the Stooges the other day and saw this. Pretty.

And I looked the other way, and the clouds were doing the neatest thing.

The clouds were going crossways.  It was too cool, like God was weaving using the clouds as threads.

I'm loving the sunrises on pretty days.  This was today's sunrise as I was driving in.

Yes, yes, yes, that's my dashboard and I'm driving, doing sixty something.  Don't think about that.  Look at that sky!

Sunrise as I'm coming into the city.  Ya'll, it was gorgeous.  (Click on the pictures to see them BIG.)  See the downtown skyline ahead?  Gotta go past it. Many miles before I get there.  I have a hefty commute - thirty miles one way when I'm driving, twenty when I take the train.  (There are no subways out here in the Hot'lana 'burbs, ya'll.  Just malls and trees and deer.  Oh yeah - and subdivisions.)

(Didja notice that I believe in maintaining safe distance when driving?  I do. It saves me.  I had an accident in 2003 - but that was the first one where I was at fault since the summer of 1975.  No lie.  And no moving violation tickets - EVER.) (DH swears I'm lucky 'cause it's well known that I have a lead foot.)

Oh - did you want to see some tatting?  Okay - here's the Mary Konior large cross that Cisco was helping me with recently.  I think Sophie may have contributed some of her hair to be tatted in too.  This is done in Lizbeth's Grape Pizazz, size 20.

I may give this to my sister.  I missed her birthday in all the hoo-haa over my brother's wedding.  But there may be someone who really needs this.  I'll see.

And here's a sample of the other thing I'm tatting.

HA!  That's all I'll show you until it's done!

Prepping for Tat Days

I'm getting ready for Palmetto Tat Days. I went last year and had a great time. I won't be staying there - will be staying up the hill with Mom. Plus Friday is my birthday, and there's nothing like Mom's cooking as a birthday present. The Stooges will be staying home with DH. Woo-hoo! Freedom!

A bit of what I've done recently - I tatted this Mary Konior cross and gave it to my neighbor, who is very ill. Martha just tatted this in white. Her cross is gorgeous. The outside of my cross is Lizbeth Navy, size 20. The inside is done in HDT, LadyShuttleMaker's Fuschia, size 20.


And speaking of LadyShuttleMaker - check out her giveaway! Worth a look - you might win. I want to win! I'm addicted to HDT.

So I'm prepping for Palmetto Tat Days, and I've gotta work too. Last night I was dialed into my office, hunched over an ugly report and some spreadsheets - my favorite! (Not.) But I made sure I took time out to watch Glee! Larry and I chortled the whole hour. For this old musical theater buff, it was so much fun! Plus, it's hilarious and sarcastic. Jane Lynch plays this wonderfully horrible character, the obsessed cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. Here are my favorite quotes from last night:

Sue, giving bad advice to Will Schuester about his glee club (she hates the glee club)," You do with your depressing little group of kids what I did to my wealthy elderly mother: euthanize it."

Later - Quinn the cheerleader tells her Celibacy Club, while they practice intimacy with a balloon between couples, “Now remember: if the balloon pops, the noise makes the angels cry.”

OMG OMG too funny. Watch it online if you missed it.

Soooo.....

I've got to get packing! Can't wait for Tat Days! But first, a look at what I got last year in Tat Days vending. (It's a good thing DH and I have separate checking accounts.)

Hope to see you there!