Vandergrift Arts Festival

My Local Library, Vandergrift Public Library, where I work, was involved in the Vandergrift Fine Arts Festival for the first time.  We had Fiber Arts displayed throughout the library and demonstrations going on as well.  There was embroidery, quilting, crochet, spinning and tatting demonstrations going on.  I was of course demonstrating tatting along with my Mother, Peg and my friend Rayanna was there for awhile too!

I was talking to the lady who came in to demonstrate spinning and I realized that I had e-mailed with her before.  Misty joined one of the yahoo groups for tatting and I saw that she was from my area.  I had lost her e-mail address and lost contact with her until I realized when I was talking to her at the Library who she was.  What a small world.  So I hope to get together with her to tat somtime.

It was a very busy day in the Library with people in and out all day watching the various demonstrators and looking at our wonderful displays. This is my tatting display.

This is the quilter's display.

Each group that demonstrated donated an item for our raffle, which was a fundraiser for the library.  I tatted Yarnplayer's  Duchess necklace in Lizbeth thread, dusty rose, from her "Boutique Tatting" book and the earrings I tatted to go with the necklace was Yarnplayer's Carnival Earrings.  I made a bracelet to go with the set too, I just used a basic Rosette pattern. I was very pleased how it all turned out.

This event went over very well and our fundraising for the Library was a success.

Other interesting information about Vandergrift, Pa, if you have seen the movie that was at the theater 6 months ago, I Am Number Four", part of it was filmed in Vandergrift.  Here is a shot of the main character, Alex Pettyfer, in front of Grant Street Music, which is actually Trygar Music.  This is where my son, Cameron takes his guitar lessons.   My daughter, Katrina got to meet Alex and had her picture taken with him.  It was all very exciting to watch the movie being filmed in our home town.

Celtic Tatted Cross and My Prize has Arrived

I haven't been able to do much tatting lately,  I am working 2 part time jobs now.   I'll have more time in the summer to tat as one of my jobs is at an elementary school, so when school is out I'll just be working part time at the Library. 

I did mange to tat this Celtic Cross by Ruth Perry.  I like how the chains cross each other and the celtic center.  I used one of my favorite Lizbeth threads, Wildflower #109 and the solid match, Dusty Rose #621.  I also did this cross in two shades of green awhile ago. 

Also when I have a few free moments, I like to blog surf.  I'll either do a google search on tatting and just go to different links or at the top of the blogs you can hit the button (Next Blog).  You never know what blog you will end up at, but I love to get lost while surfing blogs.  I have found some interesting blogs this way.  Funny, I did some surfing just now and came across a tatter's blog I have never seen before and she has the same celtic cross on her blog.  The Space Between, she tatted her cross in a magenta and dusty rose, very nice!!

Aileen at Aileen's Wicked Tats, had a Birthday giveawy and I was a lucky winner in her giveaway.  I was so surprised that I won.  Aileen sent so many goodies to use for tatting.  Look at those colorful buttons.  I see some tatted brooches from them and one can always use more beads. :)  I also look forward to trying out the tatted rings.  I see on Aileen's blog she has been tatting with these rings and making scissor fobs and pendants.  Great idea!!  Thank you so much Aileen for your generous gift! 

I don't know if you all have been to Lady Picot's blog, but she tatted a manger scene that I think is fantastic!  My favorite parts of this are the Angel in the sky and the Star of Bethlehem... the sheep are cute too.  She also tatted a Gorgeous doily in black, red and gold.  She has lots of eye candy on her site.

Well I'm off to work.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Happy Tats!!

Catching Up

It sure has been a busy summer. I have not had time to update my blog in such a long time. I have been tatting, but have not had time to update my blog. I wish there was more time in the day, just for tatting and reading tatting blogs. I try to tat and read a few blogs everyday. This morning I took pictures of what I have been tatting over the last month. I forgot to take pictures of a few things before I gave them away :(


I did finally manage to add a picture to the top of my blog title. It is the Reversible Motif by Jane Eborall. I loved tatting this motif. I used Yarnplayer's HDT, Tourmaline with matching threads. This is such a pretty colorway.

This is the front side of the motif.

This is the back side of the motif. I don't know which side I like best.


I wanted to make earrings to match each motif and use them as a pendant/earring set. I am very pleased at how each set turned out.

Then I made another Peacock colored motif (see previous post). Using Jane's "Lotus Flower" pattern again. The last one I made I turned in to a pin for my jean jacket. This time I added a ribbon/cord and it is a lovely pendant with matching earrings. I just love the colors in this motif too.






One more picture to post. Jane's new Multi Beaded Earrings. I love how this is made and there are so many possibilities for the bottom of these earrings. Thanks for all your wonderful patterns Jane. As you can see I love tatting your patterns.




I still have more to show, but it will have to be on another day. I need to get out to the garden and pick peppers, basil, and dill to freeze. It sure is hot today, it's about time though. Our summer has been rather cool, which is ok too, but we need some hot days and nights to help our tomatoes ripen.



Thanks for visiting my blog today. I enjoy reading all the comments everyone leaves.



Have a great day!!

William, My Leprechaun

I was catching up on reading the tatting blogs and came across Pamela's Tats a Kool Challenge Blog. I learned about the Leprechaun's she is making for her tatting friends. I was lucky enough to receive William from Pamela last year in a Secret Santa Exchange, and William was sitting with me, talking on his cell phone and having a cup of tea and cake reading all the tatting blogs too. Well.... he got so excited when he read that some of his relatives would be coming over to the states that he jumped up so fast and ran to the next room.......

and headed for the closet and pulled out his suitcase and informed me he was going on a road trip.

I asked him how he was traveling on this road trip and he ran back to the closet and pulled out his bike and was ready to go!

William also wanted to take along my new HDT that I got from Heather - The Tarnished Tatter.

I told him it was too far to travel on his bike, so he jumped off his bike and came back in his mini van.

William had it packed so full that it was overflowing with tatting supplies, shuttles and lots of thread.

I hope he has a good time visiting with all his relatives, so far he knows of Oisin, he is with Laura at Laura's Tatting Muse Blog, then there is Killian, he is with Diane at Lace Lovin Librarian Blog & Cormac is with Gina at Tatting Goddess Blog and Danny is with Martha at Martha's Tatting Blog. William needs to locate one more Leprechaun so he can finish planning his trip. He hopes he checks in and blogs about his where abouts.

Catching Up & Picture of TIAS #4 That I Tatted, Motif #16

I have been absent from blogger world for too long. What's my excuse......I don't have enough time in the day to do everything I want to do. LOL! I can barely keep up with all the tatting blogs anymore. Now this is a good thing, that just means more people are blogging about their tatting, which I think is Fantastic!! I get a few minutes here and there and will go directly to the tatting blogs. But once I start looking at one tatting blog, it leads me to another that leads me to another and so on.....

I have been tatting in my long absence, I just haven't had the time to blog about it. I think I have possibly tatted enough motifs that I will surpass my 25 Motif Challenge. I will try to post one or so a day and try to get caught up.

The first thing I want to post is my TIAS #4 that was hosted by Lady Shuttle Maker. (Thank you Sherry for doing this). I had no clue until the end what we were making. This TIAS has been the most challenging for me so far. I have only done block tatting a couple of times, so this was great practice for it. But I think I still need more practice on block tatting. Plus, I never did the front side, back side tatting either, and I will need to work on this also. I enjoyed trying the techniques and will continue to use them. I did have a problem with the Lighthouse though. After I finished, I looked at my Lighthouse and then everyone else's and realized I left out a whole section. So my Lighthouse is shorter than all the others. But that's ok, I like it anyway.

My Lephrechaun - William

I am one of the lucky ones to have received a Leprechaun from Pam in Ireland. She sent him to me when we had our Secret Santa Exchange. Well, I was reading Pam's Tats A Kool Challenge Blog, and she wanted all her Leprechaun's to check in. I am happy to report that William is having a grand time in Apollo, Pennsylvania. Let me tell you a little bit about William.

I have named my Leprechaun ,William , and he is my lucky charm. He sits by my computer and watches me while I visit tatting sites. Sometimes he sits and watches me tat too! He is a funny little fellow whom I feel so privileged to have.

I was tatting the other day and had to get up to answer the phone and when I came back, William had started tatting on my motif. He reminded me of the Fairy Tale by the Grimm Brothers "The Elves and the Shoemaker". Maybe William will have the motif done tonight.



Then two days ago, I couldn't find William. I wondered where he had gone off to. I searched high and low for him. Then I heard squeals of delight and you'll never guess where I found him. Did you ever see a ball pit at an amusement park? Well, I found William have a grand time with my thread. He dived right in just like a ball pit, only this was a pit full of thread. I had a heck of a time untangling him from the thread.




Yesterday I found him studying a pattern out of Mark Myers Book "Tatted Gathering of Angels". Maybe that is what he is going to tat for me tonight while I'm in bed.



That leads us to today. I came home from work and found him sitting at the computer. He sees all his friends and wants to know where they are and what they are up to. Are they as happy as I am, William asks.







So these are William's adventures for now. Who knows what mischief he will get into tomorrow. Thank you Pam, I adore William......


The reason for naming my Leprechaun William:

Why William you ask, well, I just watched the movie "P.S. I Love You" with Gerad Butler and Hilary Swank & Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Part of the movie was shot in Ireland and one of the Irish characters was William. So I named my Leprechaun after William in this movie. If you haven't seen this movie and like Romantic Comedies, you've got to see this one. I have to warn you that it is a tear jerker. I laughed and cried through the whole movie.

Motif #10 - Partridge in a Pear

Moving right along with the 25 Motif Challenge, I am already at motif #10, which I am very happy about, since I only joined the challenge on March 4, 2008. Here I have tatted Pam Palmer's Partridge in a Pear again. I tatted this one last year for a Secret Santa Exchange that I was in and posted about it earlier and can be seen on the post for February 6, 2008. My exchage partner was Jane Eborall, so she has the first one I tatted, which was tatted in all white. But I did this one a little different and tatted the pear in a beautiful golden color, which was made by Marilee (Yarnplayer), the color is called Golden Fleece, which you can get in her Etsy Shop. The Partridge is still in white. I used a pearl colored piece of heavy scrapbook paper and a piece of gold paper and used a fancy punch in the corners. I really like how this one looks with the golden pear.



Now I am thinking of what I will tat next. So many things I want to work on. I think I will tat a bookmark so I can use more of the HDT that I got from Marilee. I bought some of the beautiful color Nectarine. I think a floral bookmark would look nice in this color. I recently saw a floral bookmark that would look great with this thread. Now I can't remember where I saw it. Someone tatted about 8 of these bookmarks all in HDT's. I think the pattern might have been Kersti's, but I'm not sure. If anyone knows this bookmark, and knows where the pattern is, please let me know.

Tatting at Old Economy Village

Below is a picture of my Mom, Peg. She taught me to tat in 1989. My Mom learned how to tat from her friend, Evelyn. My Mom, Evelyn, and Kathy Nicklewicz and a few other ladies from Beaver County demonstrate tatting at the historical village of Old Economy. I taught my daughter to tat a few years ago, so we have three generations tatting now! I have only demonstrated a couple of times with them and I wanted to post a picture of us at old Economy from 2005. It is a lot of fun to demonstrate at Old Economy, I hope to do it again this summer with my Mom.


Peg, Katrina & Evelyn

Katrina & Carol (that's me)


Peg (my Mom), Evelyn, & Carol


Tatting display that Kathy puts together.
To see more of Kathy's tatting click on her name.

Old Economy Village, Ambridge, PA, the third and final home of the Harmony Society, was built by one of America's ost successful Christian communal groups. In 1804, the Harmonists migrated to America from Iptingen (near Stuttgart) in southwest Germany seeking religious and economic freedom. Nearly 800 farmers and craftsmen followed their leader George Rapp (1757-1847) first to Butler County, Pennsylvania and then to Posey County, Indiana. They stayed 10 years in each, building and naming their towns Harmony. The towns were designed by Frederick Rapp (1775-1834), the adopted son of the Founder.

In 1824, the Harmony Society returned to Beaver County, Pennsylvania and settled in Old Economy. To read more about this restored historical village, click on the link at the beginning of this post.

Tatted Heart - A Workbasket Pattern

I tatted this heart many years ago, it is from a Workbasket Magazine, I'm not sure of the year or month, I can't locate my copy of the magazine at the moment. But this heart reminded me of spring, with the daisies in the center of the heart.

Motif #9 - Bead Tatted Earrings

I just finished another pair of earrings using Coats & Clark Button Craft thread. The pattern is Jane Eborall's, with a little variations that she has added. The colors I used give the earring a southwest look with the peach, turquoise, cream and brown.

I was at JoAnn Fabrics this past weekend. I wanted to get more of the Coats & Clark Button Craft thread, and I noticed they don't have as many colors anymore. They didn't have the peach thread that I like or the Copenhagen blue. I'll have to go to the Coats & Clark site to see if these colors were discontinued. I sure hope not, I really like using this thread for tatted jewelry.

Tatted Parrot

I was going through my bookmarks of tatted sites and came across a link that I didn't think was there anymore. The site is from TatChat and there are still some patterns on that site that some you of may not have seen before. A mini heart by Liz, a heart by Betsy, a bracelet by Debbie, a butterfly by Lenore, three different tatted shuttle patterns and my favorite is the tatted Parrot by Mary Parrott. I tatted this a few times, once for a bookmark for a friend who loves birds, then I tatted it and sewed it on my daughters lunchbox when she was in 2nd grade. I think I still have the lunchbox somewhere. Katrina is 16 now, but I kept the lunchbox because I put tatting all over it. I also tatted the Parrot and framed it. I kept one for myself, which I made in 1998 and the other two framed Parrots's I donated to a bird club for an auction.

I found the lunchbox, I put on it my favorite butterfly by Mary McCarthy, parrot by Mary Parrott, a swan and chicken by Pam Palmer, a caterpillar and ladybug by Brenda Bonnila. On the other side I have a snake (who lost an eye) and turtle by Brenda Bonilla, a mermaid and seahorse by Jane Eborall. I think I will clean this lunchbox up and fix the snakes eye and put some of my tatting in it. I haven't thought about this lunchbox in so long, I guess I forgot about it.

Motif #8 - Bead Tatted Earrings



Another quick item to tat are these beautiful earrings by Jane Eborall. This is my favorite earring pattern. I like to use Coats and Clark button craft thread, which is like a size 30 thread, but gives the earring a firm shape. There aren't many colors to choose from, but your beads can give you the color. The thread comes in white, black, cream, tan, natural, green, blue, red, maroon and blue. At least that is all I can recall right now. You can find this thread at JoAnn Fabrics with sewing threads.

Motif #5 - Tatted Cat Bookmark



I seem to be on a roll with these tatted bookmarks. I always like to have some on hand. I have a few of the Tatted Cat Bookmarks already, this is the latest one I have made. The pattern is by Diana Howe and was in the KNOTS Newsletter, November 2002. I have made this bookmark many times. It is fast and easy and kids love this bookmark. You can also find the pattern in Dianna Stevens book "Animal Bookmarks, A Tatted Zoo" . Dianna turned this Cat Bookmark into a Lion Bookmark by making long picots on all sides of the face. Its so cute! You can find information on the book on her website. Just click on her name and it will take you there. As I was looking up her web address, I see that she has the Lion Bookmark Pattern on her website, along with many other nice patterns.

I didn't get to tat on April 1st, International Tatting Day, but I did have the required chocolate! :) I will make up for the tatting tonight. I'm not sure what to start on. I think I will get back to making earrings.

Motif #2 - TIAS - Tat It and See - by Jane Eborall

This certainly was a fun project. Thanks to Jane for coming up with this idea. Giving us directions to tat something that we had no idea what we were making, until the project was almost finished. It was like making a jigsaw puzzle without the picture. I enjoyed tatting this project.

Jane had more than 100 people tatting this mystery motif. Check out all the Hippos on Jane's TIAS Blog.

I have been doing a lot of tatting lately and will eventually upload my next tatted piece to add to my 25 Motif Challenge.

Bead Tatted Butterfly Earrings Motif #1



I finally did it. I joined the 25 Motif Challenge. This is my first motif in the challenge. I made these earrings as a gift for a friend. This is such a pretty butterfly. The pattern is by Teri Dusenbury. I used Coats and Clark Button Craft thread, which is like a size 30, this is a light peach colored thread.

I am looking for a supplier for these heart beads I used at the top of the butterfly. They are a 6mm Mother of Pearl flat heart bead. If you know where I can find some, let me know. I only have a few of these left and I like to use them with this earrings.

I just starting tatting a bookmark by Jean N. Faeih, Tatted Thistle Bookmark. I love this bookmark and have made many of them. Usually I use Manuella thread, but this time I am going to use the Altin Basak thread, so the finished size will be slightly smaller this time. I'll post a picture of the bookmark when I am done.

I found this really interesting looking shuttle at Morning Glory Antiques. It has a gothic face on the sterling silver shuttle. They have some unique lookng shuttles listed. Its fun just to look at what is available. I like the shuttle that has the Dogwood blossom on it.

Pam Palmer Designs


I am working my way through Pam Palmer's designs. I really like tatting from her patterns. As you saw in my last post, I am tatting from her "Twelve Days of Christmas" book. I have already tatted the Partridge in a Pear and next comes Two Turtle Doves. But in the mean time I will post pictures of some other Pam Palmer designs that I have tatted. First is her Festive Elephant. I enjoyed tatting this one so much. I used vibrant colors for the blanket on the elephants back and shiny gold beads on almost every picot on the blanket, including all the picot joins. The picture doesn't show how truly shiny this piece looks. It still needs framed, I really need to do that so I can get him up on my wall.



I also enjoyed tatting her Peacocks. Again, the picture doesn't do the piece justice. I used a gold metallic thread with the greens and blue colors of the peacock's tail.

Secret Santa Exchange

It has been so long since I updated my blog. I have been tatting, I just haven't uploaded any of my finished pieces. One thing I want to post is a piece I tatted for the Secret Santa Exchange I was in. My exchange partner was Jane Eborall. I tatted a piece by Pam Palmer, from her book "The Twelve Days of Christmas." I tatted the Partridge in a Pear. I framed it using some scrapbook paper and a fancy corner punch. I loved this piece so much that I made an exact duplicate for myself. : )



I also tatted a heart and put it in a keychain, tatted a name tag, and sent a few other goodies like M&M's, Dark Chocolate Cinamon Altoids, notecards with tatting on them and some different flavored teas.





I received some wonderful gifts from my exchange partner, Pamela Myers from Ireland. She sent me a beautiful handmade cloth tree with tatting on it. I still have it hanging in my livingroom. There is room on the back for me to add 6 motifs. It can be reversed and hung with either side showing as there will be tatting on both sides.





Pamela spoiled me with so many nice things. She tatted a beautiful red and white snowflake and made me a Leprechaun with a piece of gold in his hand and he has a tatted sash. He is adorable. There is also a lovely hand made card with a tatted pointsette, and music to my ears, some irish music on cd's. The cute little Ireland Teddy Bear will get some tatting added to him soon, a little coin purse that I can use to put a little ball of size 70 thread and a shuttle to put in my purse, some silver metallic thread and last but not least, some yummy chocolate. Thank you Pamela for all the goodies you sent me!!!

Tatted Horse



It has been a long time since I have added anything new. I have been having trouble with tendinitis in my elbow and ended up needing surgery because the tendons ripped off from the elbow and the tendons had to be re-attached. I was off work for three months and not aloud to tat either. That was so hard, being off work for all that time and not being able to tat. I was in a cast and sling for 2 months and couldn't use it for anything. So I am slowly getting back into tatting.

I tatted this horse from Inga Madsen's "Tatted Animals" book. I think the animal patterns in this book are so realistic. I used scrapbook paper for the background and bought some scrapbook 3d stickers to accent the picture. I think it turned out so cute. It is for my niece, Sarah, for her 10th birthday. She loves horses.

Tatting and Scrapbooking


I haven't posted in sometime, I wasn't tatting much either. My wrist has been hurting lately. So I just started tatting again and I made this cute penguin. The pattern is by Pam Palmer. I wasn't sure how to frame it, but had an idea. I was invited to a friends house to scrapbook, Creative Memories, and I found some pretty paper that would look perfect with the penguin. So I layed it all out and used this really nice oval cutter and on the light blue paper. I'm really pleased at how this turned out. I want to get a medium blue colored 5 x 7 frame and it will be done. I didn't glue the penguin down, but used a photo split (double sided tape) to hold the penguin in place. It worked well and I'm very happy with the finished piece.