Mountain Drive and Wildflowers...

We went for a drive in the mountains near here today...headed up to the Mountain Park in Beulah and then over into the San Isabel National Forest.  We made numerous stops for picnics, playing in the water, visiting Bishop's Castle...

...and to take pictures of the wildflowers and wildlife we saw along the way.  These are just a few I grabbed with my cell phone, I still need to download the big camera...

It was a gorgeous day, refreshing to the soul to see so much of God's beauty.  It was so green, everything was growing, blooming, and ever so beautiful!

Memorial Day 2013...

Today was Memorial Day for us here in the United States...

I hope that those of you celebrating the holiday had a wonderful day!

I mostly crafted with the girls today...it seemed like a lovely way to spend the day.  We made remembrance poppies.  I love the poem "In Flander Fields" by John McCrae...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

 The remembrance poppies are something that is not as much a part of the holiday here as it once was.  Most everything has gone to Red, White, and Blue and you rarely see the poppies any more.  Occasionally, I still see someone  from the VFW selling the buddy poppies and always buy them.  I genuinely like and appreciate the sentiment and it is something that I want the girls to know of and make a part of the day...they should know that to wear a poppy honors our fallen heroes and the history of how that came to be.

We filled our bulletin board with a variety of things, some coloring pages we found on line here, and some paper crafted poppies from here.  My favorites where the coffee filter poppy flowers and the little poppy pin I found the time to put together.  

I would have liked more time to play with that pattern and tweak it a bit to my own tastes...but little Rosie Posie required considerable help with her projects and the big girl needed help today working on her sewing for 4-H.  I also saw a little poppy on InTatters that I wanted to play with and had a poppy embroidery I wanted to stitch, but I really need another 24 hours in each day for my own creating whims...

Finished with Monet...

Finally finished with the Monet afghan from this post and this one...

I just made myself sit down and finish that edging today. I love how this afghan looks now that it is done, but I sure can get bored with these things.

Here is a photo of the full afghan...

I finished the afghan while my Rosie Posie was sleeping and took it in to cover her (on the right)...

On the left, she is declaring it "so soft and pretty" when she woke up!

I hope that it will be treasured all her life...

Now, on to one for my big girl.  The yarn has been purchased...pink, grey, and black.  I wonder how long that one will take me to finish!  That will be the last afghan until I'm a Grandma, some far off day in the future!

Crosses in school colors...

Well, it has certainly been a week!  I last posted on Sunday, and it seems like forever ago...so many things going on with the end of the school year!  I spent about 10 hours volunteering at older daughter's school this week, in their school garden and then helping them make ice cream and tie dye some shirts later in the week.  We have been to school orchestra concerts, talent shows, end of year picnics, field days, and I'm not sure what else...it's all kind of a blur at this point.  The last end-of-year family picnic was today though, and these crosses went home with three wonderful teachers...

This first one, I showed when it was almost completed...

This is Mary Konior's "Small Cross" in size 70 vintage thread, the navy is Star, the gold variegated is labeled "Fil Pour Crochet CtB France" and "Cartier Bresson", I have not seen that before, but it is very nice thread and looks superb in this pattern with the navy thread.

This second cross is "Christina" from Tatted Bookmarks ~ cross-shaped by Lene Bjorn.  The thread is Lizbeth size 20 Navy Blue and Golden Yellow Med.    It's a beautiful pattern, as are each of the ones I have tatted from this book.  The photo could be better, but I was trying to get a quick picture after I finished it this morning and before it left my hands...

Here are the three crosses together, the one on the left I showed a week or so ago in this post.

Hopefully, life will slow down a bit now.  Today is my Birthday, I had wanted to get a giveaway together for today...but it will have to wait another day or two until I have caught my breath again.

Antique Edgings and a Doily...

A little bit of antiquing a while back found these...fairly basic edgings, for the most part, but I always get excited when I see some tatting.  The pink variegated edging is my favorite of the lot I think...

...and then I found this...

 

I thought this really a quite nice example of vintage tatting...really lovely!

In this next photo, a better "up close" look at the pattern...

It's all rings, nary a chain anywhere.

Most intriguing really,

and very, very lovely...

Here is the reverse, so that you can see how the linen centre is finished...simply folded over and crocheted round...but it seems to have held quite well...

All in all, a fun day...the doily was the only piece I brought home in the end.  I am just intrigued by some of the design elements in it and wanted to have it for future reference...and to share with all of you!

Playing with Rocks...

My Darling Daughter's and I have been playing with rocks this afternoon...

They started out like this...

The ones that I painted became these...

I used a base coat of sage green acrylic craft paint, then decorated them with metallic sharpies and did a top coat of clear acrylic sealer...

A nice addition to my herb pots, I think!

 

The girls did these...

Older Daughter's on the left, Rosie Posie's on the right...

A fun way to play and a fun way to decorate the garden!

First Stitches and Things...

I KNEW I still had this somewhere...even though I didn't pick it up again, this was something I treasured.  This is my first bit of tatting from probably close to 23 years ago, when I was about 15 and Grandma Stella tried to teach me to tat...

This is the shuttle and practice thread she sent me home with all those years ago...

Very messy, it looks to me like I only "got" half the stitch...I had trouble with this when I picked it up again 3 years ago as well, I actually dreamed of Grandma's hands tatting one night and then showing me the second half of the stitch and telling me it should look like a little boy's pair of pants the second night before I "got" it...  It was like she came back to show me...so I still claim that Grandma taught me to tat...because she did.

I have been thinking of her so much the past few days, since finding this.

Marathon Tat...

So...you all know I have been working on some crosses in my older daughter's school colors for end-of-the-year teacher gifts.  Well, little Rosie Posie has been asking which ones were for her teachers and I've been "I don't know"ing it away, unsuccessfully.  Not that I didn't want to, I just wasn't sure I could get it all done.  She was very insistent last night that her teachers should receive crosses too, and I agreed.  So looked through what I had on hand and found 5 of these Mark-My-Word crosses by Mary Konior.  Those seemed about right.  I thought that would be plenty...

Well, this morning when I dropped her off at school, I asked how many teachers.  There are 8, and I needed 3 more crosses...so I hurried home and got busy.  It was only 3.5 hours before the end-of-the-year party...I managed 2 more with having to make cards and eat lunch too...and found another bookmark (not a cross) to make the 8, it was the best I could do.  It felt like a marathon...but was worth it.  The crosses/bookmark's were all well received.  The program has been a treasure, my little one has learned so much!

Here are the two crosses I tatted this morning...

Size 20 Lizbeth in Sea Scape and Jelly Bean.

Here is the little bit about tatting I included in the cards...

just to explain the bookmarks a little bit...(mostly pulled, hurriedly, from Wikipedia)

I like people to understand something of what they have received when I do give my tatting.

Back to finishing existing projects now (I hope)...

Small Cross Waiting...

Not a lot of tatting happening these past two days, just a ring here and a chain there...but, I have nearly completed this 'small cross" design by Mary Konior. 

There is a missed join that had happened back whenever I initially started this, perhaps that is why I laid it down...but I elected to keep going when I noticed and simply made that the top arm, in order that it should look more intentional.  

Now, I just need to tie and sew in the ends and add a tail...oh and block it a bit.  Waiting for morning when I am less tired and less likely to skewer myself with the needle!

I'm afraid I've spend more time on this of late...

My pretty Rosie Posie received a new book from Grandma and was eager to try it out!  We have had fun playing with our craft supplies and creating princess accessories...sometimes these things are, indeed, necessary you know!

Whiled Away with Workbasket...

I probably should tat first and read blogs later...but, after a busy day that did not involve time to sit, I did the later first and Lace Lovin' Librarian's post today led me to another way of whiling away my tatting time...

She is currently looking for all of the issues of the Workbasket magazine that have tatted cross patterns in them.  I find this of particular interest because I am fairly certain that these are the majority of the cross patterns that my Grandmother had access to and therefore tatted.

I knew I had two patterns, and was able to pull those copies from my stack...one was one (that sounds silly) that Diane didn't yet have...

I KNOW Grandma tatted this one, as I have seen this cross tatted by her...

(aren't the old illustrations lovely!)

It is from this issue...

which I recently acquired at our local thrift store (I paid 1/2 the "sticker price" on one of their sale days).

A happy acquisition for me and I was pleased to be able to share it too...

This is my "stash" of Workbaskets from various sources, some from Grandma (she gave me her duplicates years ago, but Daddy hasn't found her collection at the farm ~ don't know what happened to them), some from an antique store, a few from a friend from Church, and a few from the thrift store...

Now, as to whiling away my tatting time...I can only say that Workbaskets are like potato chips...you can not devour look at just one!

The small pile in front are my duplicate copies...I need to figure out what to do with these, there are certainly some interesting patterns in there.  

I am thinking about a giveaway to include some of these workbaskets and a few other "goodies" for my Birthday next week, 

What do you think?

I have never done a giveaway before, but I have been the recipient of some lovely things...perhaps it's time!

Happy Mother's Day...

First of all, 

I want to wish each of you who are Mother's the happiest of Mother's Days!

My particular Mother's Day found me quite busy and without much time for sitting with my shuttles, but here is the small bit that I was able to finish today...

A pretty pair of hair clips in size 10 white something or other, rather fuzzy stuff but on a shuttle and needing to be used, and the remainder of the yellow that was on the shuttle left from yesterday's cross...I LOADED that shuttle apparently, couldn't even use it all up in the tail.

There is still a bit left.  The picture on the top left shows an itty bitty 3-D style center I did from the remaining white and then the rest of the yellow left on the shuttle.  I was thinking I would get time to try creating a sort of Daffodil style flower with the remaining thread...

But, well...I never got to sit again really (these happened during Church service...no one seems to mind if I tat or crochet, most frequently I work on a prayer shawl or cross...today it was just these...and honestly, I can't focus on what is being said if my hands have nothing to do).

The day as a whole was something like this:

A lovely breakfast, sweet gifts from the girls, got to talk to all of our Mom's on the phone, a very nice Church service, picnic lunch down on the river walk, touring and buying plants at 3 local nurseries, planting all of my beautiful new plants, and an incredible pork chop dinner made by my husband! 

I thought you all might like to see my pretty plants...

The top two here are my herb pots in the back yard.  I planted lemon verbena, pineapple sage, french thyme, chives, chocolate mint, and transplanted 3 small "volunteer" sage plants from my herb bed to fill the remaining pots.  I am rather excited about the lemon verbena and pineapple sage...they are new ones to me and I am intrigued by their possibilities for herbal teas and whatnot.

The bottom two photos are my pots on either side of the front door.  The large pot has a pink geranium, and 3 each of blue lobelia and a deep pink wave petunia.  The terracotta pots have rosemary, which I love and usually bring inside to decorate the stairs in the fall...it lasts through Christmas typically.  The white pots have another sage transplant from my herb bed in the back.

I am looking forward to seeing these plants grow and fill their pots over the next few weeks!

Hope all of you had equally nice days with your loved ones! 

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Two Finished Today...

The first finish is the Mary Konior Mark-My-Words Cross...

but it seemed a little on the easy side as there was only one chain left to tat!

Here is where it was when I picked it up, how silly that I hadn't finished it...

Here it is finished!

The thread is a DMC Cabelia I think, the core looks the same as the others I have but it is missing the label, so I am not 100% certain...has the same feel and look too though, so pretty sure.  I believe it's a size 20.

Since the first finish was so simple, and I had the time today, 

I pulled another from my purse...

This is the Rachael Mohler Flower bookmark I was working on here.

I did four picots on each chain though, and five on the end with the tail so that there was a "middle".  

I tatted another of these sometime back in pink and yellow (I don't think I managed to post about it), and I most often tweak a pattern a little the next time round.

This is what was left...again, not a lot, maybe took a 1/2 hour or so to finish.

...and here it is completed. (25/25 motif challenge, time to start again)

The threads are Lizbeth size 20 Island Breeze and Ocean Turquoise Dark.

Love how both came out...and it's nice to have some finishes and three empty shuttles! (I use the remaining thread to make the tails the way I do, simple I know, but I like them this way)

We'll see if I can keep going and finish a few more!

Monica Cross completed...

Here is the Monica Cross, from Lene Bjorn's Tatted Bookmark's - Cross Shaped, completed...and just under the wire to have a completion to post today (actually, this posted 3 minutes after midnight ~ so not quite, but I finished it on the 10th)!

Here is what it looked like this morning when I picked it up to work on...

Not much progress this evening when I picked it up again...

But, I managed it...

and even a reasonably decent photo.  

I will have to remember that the laundry room light is good for this!

The threads are Lizbeth size 20, golden yellow med. and navy blue. (24/25 motif challenge)  Yes, I used the shoelace trick all over the place to get the chains/rings all one color...but I think it was completely worth it, I love how the yellow chains wend their way through the pattern!  These are my daughter's school colors and this is to be a gift for one of her teachers (It's a catholic school, so this is more than acceptable) 

Now, I need to go to bed I think!

A Look at "The Table"...

I promised you all a look at what's on the table to my right...usually it's piled up a little more and there is a mug of tea too, but I was trying to spread out the tatting bits a little so you could see...

In the center is a shot of the entire mess...

Then, I thought you might like to see the individual projects...in different stages of completion...

Starting at the top left and going clockwise:

1. Babylace edging by Mary Konior (This One)

2. Monica cross by Lene Bjorn

3.  Hankie edging copied from one beautifully done by Frivole last year

4.  Mark-My-Words cross by Konior (The one at the bottom of this post)

5.  Small cross by Konior

6.  Another set of flower hair clips

7.  A hankie being contemplated, but not started.  Thinking Frivole's beautiful tree edging.

8.  Cross by Konior...was done but I broke a thread while sewing in the ends...and I need to fix it, but I'm still grumpy every time I look at it!

What do you think?  I feel like I need an intervention or something here, some are recent starts and others are a year old or more.  It's just out of hand really...I'm afraid I get side tracked by the next pretty pattern I see and don't finish things.  I have no shuttles (that I will tat with ~ there are a number of Grandma's that I don't actually want to use and a few others that I otherwise don't find comfortable to work with) presently that aren't attached to something in some state of completion.  

So...I am thinking I should challenge myself to complete at least one of these a day for the next week.  May not be able to get both hankie's finished, but I could sub another smaller project (this does not exhaust the in progress stuff in any way) and finish one hankie...

If that goes well...maybe a new challenge in a week, Yikes!

Thoughts?  Am I crazy? Are my tatting WIPs out of hand?  Am I crazy?  Doable challenge?  Am I crazy?

I really shouldn't ask that, I'm thinking...

but, I guess I am...

130th Psalm Shawl in Teal and Gold...

Here is the shawl I finished this past week in all it's glory...I love how this came out...

I'll leave you with the namesake Psalm, as I said, it seems appropriate.  The recipient of a prayer shawl is often crying out to the Lord, waiting for answers, suffering in some way, and placing their hope in His mercy:

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
²     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.

³ If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

⁷ Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel
    from all their sins.

Beads and Tea Today...

A little beading today, and a little drinking of tea...

This lemon ginger tea is lovely.

I'm afraid I am just plain tired today and poking beads on a wire is about my speed today...this is an idea I had seen somewhere or another and had to try.  Used memory wire and some beads from my stash...they are pretty and it was nice to play.

Here is the finished bracelet...I like it...

I think I should like a matching set of earrings and some kind of necklace...we'll have to see what I come up with.  Now, I think it is starting to rain and I need to cover the sand box and bring in our pups before they are wet.  We need the rain, but oh how I miss the sun when the clouds are present...must be why I picked that sunny bowl of oranges for a back drop to the last photo!

Use it Up and Make it Do...

Here is a stitch pattern that my Grandmother (yes, the one who was the Tatter) taught me many many years ago...It's a great pattern for using up all those pretty bits of yarn and making something lovely of it...

It's a solid row of 1/2 double crochet followed by a row of three double crochet, skip one/chain one, repeat till end...and then a solid row again.  There was enough of this pretty pastel yarn in the stash to make a prayer shawl as shown here...

I once had enough fall colored yarn bits in the stash and a beautiful variegated yarn for the solid rows to make an afghan.  This is really one of those wonderful use it up and make it do patterns that has endless possibilities...so what can I say but "Use it Up and Make it Do".

Busy Day...

One of those busy days today,

Just now picking this back up...

Rosie Posie was not feeling well last night, her tummy hurt.  This morning, the housework could wait no longer...bletch...a good part of the day spent on laundry, tidying, vacuuming, etc.

Then, helped daughter make these, lovely cherry cupcakes with lemon zest frosting...she is very clever at this, I mostly act as cleanup crew.

Then, at Husband's request, these...

...my favorite flavor though, Strawberry-Rhubarb.  I made vanilla ice cream to go with as well, YUM!

All in all, a good day...the house is clean, ready for a new week, and I am ready to settle into my favorite chair with my stitching and maybe some tatting after a bit if I can finish that dishtowel up quickly enough.

Corsages and Tussie Mussies and Such Things...

I have been playing with flowers today as my beautiful Older Daughter has a melodrama that her class is putting on at school.  We started the day shopping for a "Prom" dress for the melodrama...and found a lovely one at one of the local thrift stores for $14ish...perfect! 

Here is a hint of what that looks like.  We actually found a couple of dresses, but the one on the left is what she will be wearing.  The other is to be used in a "tea party" scene...

We need to press everything and then do a final try on...I'll be sure to take pictures so you can see.  The flowers are a wrist corsage and matching hair flowers to be worn with...ignore all the "stuff" in the background, it is a typical teenage girls room.

We then made wrist corsages for all of the other girls...part of what my Older Daughter offered to bring.  I was willing, great fun for me, I love to play with flowers...I don't think these pictures really do these justice at all, they are much prettier and more "real" looking than these appear here...

We did two colors...pinks...

...and peaches...

...and then my little Rosie Posie needed in on the "Princess" action, 

so I made up a little Tussie Musie for her...

After that, we needed to make the matching hair clips for Older Daughter's dresses...

...and we had an extra clip left and some brown flowers and made this one too, 

just for fun.

Dress shopping and flower play...It was a fun day!