Brought up the Missouri long ago...

This chest of drawers was brought up the Missouri river by my Great Great Grandmother when that branch of the family settled in Montana four generations ago or so...

 

The tatting that decorates it was done by my Grandmother...

 

Pretty little candle stick doilies in a larger thread under each candle...

 

Lovely, small dresser scarves on either side...

 

...and a matching scarf in the middle.

 

 

This is truely a family heirloom, decorated with what are now family heirlooms. 

 

These drawers are filled with Grandma's linens as well...this is an absolute treasure trove!  I feel blessed to have been allowed to select a few things from those drawers to take home with me...so many things to treasure.

 

Simple beauty...

These two are simple, but there is a beauty in simplicity that is well executed.  Grandma's work was certainly that...

 

These circles are two sided, with the seam inside and the tatting carefully attached to the edge. I don't know how she managed these...they are absolutely perfect circles.

Faded Glory...

This doily is another done by my Grandmother, the red thread is a bit faded in it, but it must have been glorious when first completed...

 

This seems like it may have been an experimental piece of hers (partially based on maybe not using "for best" thread).  I find the outside row intrigueing, it appears she was creating a multi sided octogonal effect with this...very pretty.  I also love the hairpin lace element in this. I have Grandma's hairpin lace tools...might have to give something like this a go someday, I think the effect is really interesting and lovely.  

Sunday Morning...

It's Sunday morning and that seems like the perfect time to share this with all of you.  My Grandma Stella was very active in her church, the United Methodist Church in Sunburst, MT.  She made and tatted many things for the altar and other areas of the church.  I know that she made stoles for her Pastor and sets to decorate the front of the church for different liturgical seasons.  I ran across a photo of one altar scarf she did and thought I would share that...this is a photo of a photo, so the detail is not there, but it is worth sharing regardless.

 

When they built a new church recently, my Father chose to sponsor two of the new windows in the church in memory of my Great Grandmother May and my Grandmother Stella...they are beautiful and a lasting tribute to two amazing women who loved this church and it's congregation...

 

 

This is also where the memorial service for my Grandfather was held...this is a photo of the gathered family between and in front of the two windows...I am close to the middle between my two daughters...

 

It was really special to be in a place that my Grandmother contributed to and was so honored in...it made my Grandfather's memorial service that much more special.

2012 Colorado State Fair Entries...

Here are the entries this year in the Colorado State Fair...some gorgeous work displayed there, I spent many happy minutes enjoying the display and looking at these works as closely as possible with glass between them and I...

Lets begin with a copy of the Lace Division so you can see the categories (only two for tatting, but one might manage to sneak some in a couple of the others) and then I'll show you the tatting entries...

NAJ NAO NAY NASR6 NASR8 NASR9

LACE

DIVISION 10914

A piece must be presented for judging in such a way that any mounting, if used, will allow all aspects and surfaces of the lace,

including the front, back and edges to be closely examined.
 
Premiums: Classes 290 - 301  1st - 15.00 2nd - 10.00 3rd - 5.00 4th - R

Classes:

290. Torchon lace

291. Bobbin lace, continuous
292. Bobbin lace, non-continuous
293. Carrickmacross
294. Mixed Media,at least 51% of piece must be lace.
295. Needle lace
296. Sol/Teneriffe
297. Wire lace
298. Tatting, Thread size 80 and smaller
299. Tatting, Thread size 60 and larger
300. Other laces: Hair, Knitted, Crocheted, etc.
301. Mixed lace: Any combination of the above

NAO OPEN BEST OF SHOW: Rosette by Colorado State Fair

NAY YOUTH (14--18) BEST OF SHOW: Rosette by Colorado State Fair
NAJ JUNIOR (13&Under) BEST OF SHOW: Rosette by Colorado State Fair
NASR6 SENIOR BEST OF SHOW: Rosette by Colorado State Fair
NASR8 SENIOR BEST OF SHOW: Rosette by Colorado State Fair
NASR9 SENIOR BEST OF SHOW: Rosette by Colorado State Fair

Rocky Mountain Lace Guild of Denver offers the DOROTHY NAMES prize, a Special Lace Trimmed Rosette, to the best exhibit chosen from Division 10914 NAO OPEN Lace

 

...and now, onto the good stuff...

 

First up, a tatted mask by an R.J. Scott...

 

 

Then we have an intrigueing square motif by Don Swearingen, whom I recognize as an entrant last year as well...

 

The 1st two entries above also listed Pueblo county as their county of residence on their entries...which I am intrigued by as that is my county...other tatters!!!  Nearby tatters!!!  How does one make contact or find them I wonder...

 

...moving on...

 

The next entry is by Linda Williams with a tatted snowflake motif mounted on a greeting card...she was also an entrant last year...

 

Linda Williams also entered this remarkable doily...done in very small thread.  This was my favorite piece and is quite stunning...

 

...and finally, a tatted necklace done by one Trudy Scholten...and it won the Dorothy Names award this year as well...very exciting! (Last year the tatting was beat out by an exquisite knit lace shawl)

 

There you have it, with the entry in the Heritage category, there were double the number of Tatting entries this year!  I think next year I need to plan better so that I can get some entries in and up the numbers some more, I would encourage any other Colorado tatters to enter some of their own work as well next year...and soon the headlines will read "Tatting is making a comeback at the Colorado State Fair!"

2011 Colorado State Fair Tatting...

Yes, this is the tatting entered in the Colorado State Fair last year.  It seemed like too little to share at the time...but I am very excited to say that there is an increase in entries this year, and to appreciate that I think you need to see what there was last year.

This was a lovely entry...

 

And this was the second tatting entry...

 

I do not know if the entry below was strictly tatting (there is a combination class), it was very hard to see it well against the background, but it appeared to use some tatting and clunies and I include it as they are a technique used in tatting...

...and that was the extent of the 2011 tatting entries for the Colorado State Fair.  I will share the 2012 entries later today...no entry of my own as I was out of state when the entries were due to be turned in, but I am delighted to say that there are more entries this year.

Heritage Tatting at Colorado State Fair...

We went to the Colorado State Fair tonight to see how my lovely older daughter's entries did, and I will share that later...what I want to share with you this evening is an entry I spied in the Heritage class.  I think you will love seeing this one...

 

Two frames of tatting samples above, and the ribbon granted to the entry.  Below, a closer photo of a couple of the bits.  It was all behind glass, so there is some reflection from that...but still so fun to see and share with all of you...

 

Below, a readable close up of the story about these pieces (if you right click on the image and open it in a new window or tab you can enlarge it).  What a wonderful thing it is. 

Rama Wiley is a kind person to share these samples from her Mother, Mollie Graham, with those of us who view it at the state fair...and as it is on public display, I hope that my taking photos and sharing it is ok as I make no claims that the work is mine, simply wish to share something special with the tatting community. It is worth seeing and sharing!

Tatted Piano Scarfs...

There are two of these beautiful scarfs that Grandma Stella tatted for the top of her piano...Such amazing pieces...

 

They rest on either end of the piano's top.

 

Gorgeous detail, I love the clover shapes in the middle of each main motif.

 

Each motif must have taken quite some time to prepare and then to tat around and join to it's neighboring motifs, and then there are two rounds done around the finished piece...42 such motifs between the two piano scarfs...

 

Here, you can see it as it normally appears...underneath Grandma's birds and family photos and things.  The photo is of myself, and my big girl when she was a bitty thing.  It was taken after Grandma passed away, Grandpa probably placed it there later, she would not have seen it...but she did get to hold my baby girl, and loved her...the 1st Great-Grandchild born to our family.  The farm house is filled with her creations and her memories and her life...

Crochet Beaded Rope Necklaces...

These beautiful crochet beaded rope necklaces are also made by my Grandmother Stella.  I love them and actually had run across instructions for making these a while back and had added it to my crochet project board on Pinterest here...along with about a million other projects I hope to get to someday!  At any rate, Grandma's are gorgeous and I thought I would share...

 

Above are two strands, one done in pearls with a variagated pastel thread (the effect is fantastic) and one with silver thread and sparkly beads (just elegant)...

 

This one is pink pearls on lavendar thread...love the tastled ends on this one.  The others are sewn end to end in such a way that you can not tell where the ends are without careful perusal...all three are stunning.

 

I do wish I had a photo of one of these strands on someone...they are truely beautiful on as well.  They do look like luxurious treasures laying in their tumbled piled too...and I am glad to have these to share.  Grandma created so many beautiful things...it just amazes me sometimes.  I hope I leave a fraction of the treasures behind me, for those I love, that she did.

Bohemian Tatted Necklace with Beads...

This gorgeous necklace was tatted by my Grandmother and chosen by my cousin's wife...it's a fantastic sort of Bohemian style with wooden beads added.  I love the style of it, but I know I could never wear this...it looks so fantastic on V...it was fun to see her wear it!

 

 I love how we each got something we will treasure!

Ruffled Edge Tatted Doily...

This is another doily tatted by my Grandmother that I photographed while over at the farm during this recent trip to Montana.  I love the fabulous ruffled edge on this one...it's just gorgeous!

 

Here are two photos of the edge that I hope will help anyone who wants to create a doily with a ruffle like this to determine how this is effected...

 

I have another of Grandma's tatted necklace scheduled to post this evening, but I was going through blog posts on my reader and noticed that Allison was possibly looking for a pattern for a tatted doily with a ruffled edge in this post, or so I gathered from the comments.  So...thought I would post the photos I took of this one in the hopes that it might assist her in creating the pitcher cover she was interested in...and just because I am overly eager to share more of Grandma's beautiful work too!