Pt. Robinson Lighthouse and Lace...

At the beginning of August, we spent a week on Vashon Island in Washington at the Pt. Robinson lighthouse.  We stayed in the keepers quarters...



We played on the beaches, visited the lighthouse, made blackberry jam, watched the sun rise and set, the boats go by...



Enjoyed the wildflowers along the roads and shores...including this beautiful Queen Anne's Lace, so like our beautiful tatting...

I found some time to tat...sitting here looking out the window...

Or here on the porch...

When my little Rosie Posie wasn't occupying this chair...

The house was restored as near as possible to it's 1919 state.  The decor was even in keeping with that time.  I was incredibly impressed by some of the hand work in the home.  There were handmade quilts, crochet doiley's, bobbin lace trim, embroidered dresser scarves, and some tatting...

I was so pleased to see a set of two of these little tatting trimmed doiley's on a dresser in one of the guest rooms.  In addition, there was this little cabinet furnished with the tools a lady of the time would have used to create these beautiful things for her home...

The top drawer housed embroidery threads and hoops, the beginnings of a crochet doiley on the hook, while the drawer that is open had bobbins for making bobbin lace, and a shuttle with a bit of tatting started.  Just an incredible touch that I thought you would all appreciate.  This was and is a truely special place...it was a blessing to spend a week there.

Mary Konior's Large Cross...

Having completed the "Small Cross" successfully, I turned to the "Large Cross" in Mary Konior's Tatting with Visual Patterns book...I really enjoy this pattern.  Since it would be rather "Large" if tatted in a size 20, I have gone with smaller thread for this cross...

This one in a melon and green variagated vintage J&P Clark's size 70 thread was the first I made...my husband has claimed this one...

Then I attempted it again in this beautiful lavendar and yellow variagated J&P Coats size 70.  This was a gift from Michelle from her Aunt Rose-E's stash along with the beautiful lavendar rose hankie I have shown (more to come on that).  It's gorgeous thread, and happens to be in my parents wedding colors.  My Mom still enjoys things in these colors, and this will go to her...

Finally, I found this thread in a bag of mixed threads I picked up at the local Arc Thrift store...tucked down in the middle of a larger ball.  It's gorgeous with the dark wine blending into a pale rose.  It had no label, but I believe the thread to be a vintage J&P Clarks size 70 as well, based on similar balls I have seen on E-bay.  I knew right away that I wanted to make something for myself with this one, so here is my cross...

Here is a photo of all three crosses I have done in this pattern to date...I'll count them collectively as #12 in my 25 motif challenge.

I have now tatted this particular cross three times and I still rather enjoy it...it fits nicely into my handbag so that I have something to work on wherever I am...

I found this little case at the local Dollar Tree that just fits a couple of clover shuttles, balls of thread (the small stuff), scissors, the pattern, and a pin for picking out the inevitible mistakes...a nice little bit of tatting to go.  I am lacking a needle though...

What size/type of needle does one use to sew in the ends on this tiny thread?  I have yet to find one that works without great force and potentially breaking the threads.  Everything I have found is just too big in diameter.  Grandma always just cut and tied a neatly trimmed little knot and didn't fuss about the ends, but I rather like sewing them in as the appearance is just that much neater.  Any suggestions?

As you can see from the contents of my little box...I plan on another of the "Large Cross" in the lavender and yellow variagated thread with the chains in yellow this time...Dad will like that one I think.  Oh, that yellow shuttle has a bit of that wine and rose thread left on it.  I'm thinking earrings...

Completed Mary Konior Small Cross...

I left you all last when I had just started this cross, so I thought that would be a good place to begin again...

This is done in LizBeth size 20 Antique Violet Med. and Ecru...The pattern is Mary Konior's Small Cross from Tatting with Visual Patterns.  I added a tail done with a twisted stitch and repeated the arm motif for the top...I love how this one came out...

 
This is motif #11 in my 25 motif challenge.  I finished it about a week after I started it, but between travel, school starting, and a surgery for my husband...blogging simply has not gotten to occur for a couple of months.  I have completed several things that I would like to share...I hope to share more with you tomorrow.