One Shuttle Medallion

I finally finished a practice medallion from Frivole’s new pattern.  I need to work on the bare thread lengths, but I have the pattern down!

It took me a couple of re-starts and some running out of thread, but now I feel like I can make a “good” piece.  The directions are perfectly clear; it was my haste to complete this one that made the mistakes.  This is the part of tatting that I find so difficult - practicing a small piece over and over again to get the pattern right - I just want to make whatever it is I’m tatting and get it done!

One-Shuttle Medallion

It is so great that Frivole has the know-how and talent to create a pattern by just looking at this fabric.  I would have never even thought of that - I’m just happy to have a pattern to follow most of the time.  I’m no designer!

Here’s a link to Frivole’s blog post with the pattern.  She has added a link to her YouTube video as well to show how the medallion is worked with one shuttle. Her post also shows several medallions joined together - it’s amazing how the medallions take on a square shape when joined together.

I’m looking forward to doing a few more of these!

Quilt Bus Finds

I was finally organizing my quilt bus treasures last night - boy do I have a lot of “plans”!  Just thought I’d share a few of my purchases for planned projects. (And because Diane wanted to see 😉)  Plans that, of course, will probably get put on hold when something else catches my eye.  Ha!

There was an extra cute rug at one shop, so I had to peek at the pattern to see what all it might entail.  Had to get the pattern - I have PLENTY of fabric to try this!

I was also collecting some background fabric for another collage quilt project I hope to work on this winter to hang in my sewing/crafting cave/studio.  Isn’t this a cute collage for a sewing room?

Reds and florals will not be hard to gather from my stash, but I wanted to collect some plain background fabrics of words or newsprint on white/cream.  Hopefully I can put a layout of these together as a base to start adding the bright reds and pinks.  I’m not sure if these are too dark or not - but I won’t know until I start laying everything out.  Maybe I can be creative enough to keep the darker ones to the outside edges.

I was also collecting a specific color of fat quarters for work on the next 30th birthday quilt.  The one that needs to be a secret for a couple of months yet, but here’s the color scheme I was collecting:

The main reason for the quilt shop hop was the Minnesota fabric.  This is designed each year by a Minnesota designer, and is sold beginning the end of July until sold out.  There are no re-orders, so if you don’t get what you want before it sells out, you are out of luck unless it shows up on Etsy or something.  This year’s fabric didn’t intrigue me as much as past years, but I did get a yard of the most popular fabric - it was selling out quickly everywhere.  Each shop also gave out their own quilt block design pattern with a square from the 2018 line.  

I’m pretty sure I can find something to do with those red poppies - love that fabric!

And last, [but certainly not least!] I picked up a small kit of Kaffe Fasset fabric.  He is a fabulous artist known for his use of color in textiles and knitting.  I will be attending his color lecture here in October, and find it difficult to choose from all of his bright, beautiful fabrics.  This kit helps me have the fabric and eliminates the work of putting it together myself!  I’m sure there will be more of this fabric in my future - probably after the lecture.

Between fabric and thread and IDEAS, I’m set for awhile!  

I Need a Vacation from my Vacation!

Wow - what a busy vacation week!  I always try to cram a little too much into my days off.

Monday to Wednesday - TATTING RETREAT!  We sure had a great time, we have found a wonderful place, and already have our reservation for 2019!

This is our magnificent 8 that have attended our first two retreats, and are signed up for the 3rd Annual retreat in 2019:

Frivole was wonderful to create our special commemorative shuttle again this year.  

These are my absolute favorite shuttles to work with.  Isn’t this lovely?  The Minnesota State Flower (the Pink Ladyslipper) is on the front, and our retreat dates along with the modified Quatrain on the back side.  What shall we do for our 2019 shuttle?

The retreat “house” is beautiful with a nice entry to greet us.  It was a little warm to sit outside, but there is a great area to sit, have a bonfire and even have a short hike.  

We even took a little side trip to a local winery - a beautiful day to enjoy some hors d’oeuvres and wine on the vineyard patio!

  

On Wednesday, I had a funeral to attend, and then made my way home.  Boy, was I tired!  So much inspiration in two-and-a-half short days, and then reliving memories was exhausting. 

Thursday I attended a baby shower for a coworker, and then in the evening I attended a GED graduation commencement ceremony.  My daughter is an Adult Basic Education instructor, and this was her first commencement ceremony with students that she has been working with.  To see them succeed in this one goal was wonderful, and to hear their anticipation for the future was undeniably gratifying. Most graduates were in their young 20’s, but one special graduate was 87 years old.  She had about 70 family members there to celebrate her accomplishment - something she had a passion to achieve.  The circumstances of these graduates, no matter their story, made it all worth attending.  I didn’t know one of them, but I was moved to see their proud event.  Even more proud to see their interaction and thanks to my daughter for helping them with this achievement!

On Friday, I went on an all day Quilt Shop Hop.  And I’m talking ALL DAY.  6:45 am to 7:00 pm.  Exhausting!  But so fun.  I chose to go alone on the bus this year, but you’re never really alone with fellow quilters. We visited 8 quilt shops during the 2018 “Quilt Minnesota” event.  The special fabric created by a Minnesota designer is featured, and I usually try to get some each year.  Because it is limited, it is a rush to get some!  But ALL. DAY. LONG. on a bus is tiring.  At the last shop, we were treated to a glass of wine.  

A great week in tatting AND in quilting!

Sewing for Tatting!

Well?  Haven’t been tatting, but I made myself some . . . wait for it . . . BAGS to cart around my tatting stuff.  Surprised?  Ha ha - I just love making bags, especially bags that zip closed.
This is some fun fabric with tatting on it - a rare find, so of course I hoarded it awhile until the perfect thing came to me.  This was perfect! 😊

Today is Ruby’s 12th birthday.  This is a significant day for her, as boxers usually have a life span of 9-12 years.  She’s an overachiever!  She is such a sweet dog - boxers are loyal, protective (sometimes too much) and hilarious comedians.  My 2 year old in fur - her expression is like a child, hanging on every word.

My daughter LOVES alpacas, and arranged for us to visit a local alpaca farm recently.  The couple that owns these beauties are so very nice, and told us all about showing them, and how each of them has different fiber quality for spinning into yarn.  They are very sweet!  The yarn is beautiful, but I’m really avoiding starting that collection!

This little one was orphaned at only about a month old, so she is extremely friendly after being bottle-fed and handled a lot. I was thinking about how nice it would be to sit in a stall with her cuddled up beside me while I read a book.  (Ha.  I don’t think they are really very cuddly, but it would be fun anyway.)

The answer is no.  I am not allowed to have any! 

June in Minnesota

June is such a beautiful month here - normally we have some stormy weather, but for the most part we have nice temperatures and beautiful sunshine.  We're having an extreme year so far - we just got through another weekend of hot (90's F) along with some ridiculous humidity.  My hair always reacts to humidity with wild frizziness, while some people just have hair that goes flat.

I posted this HAIR forecast on my office door at work:

Ha!

We've also had some nice days in the 70's (more to my liking) and have gotten in some nice walks around the neighborhood with Ms. Ruby.  She has been having some arthritis issues, so we don't go too far.  A few things are blooming, and with recent rain the grass needs mowing often.  (The weeds are especially healthy as well.)  Gotta love Minnesota weather!

Just an interesting weed :)

I've taken a little break from tatting and sewing the past few weeks, and devoured a few books.  I'm really enjoying audiobooks here and there, because I can tat and listen, or go for a walk and listen.  Makes me feel productive to DO something while enjoying a book!  Other times, I love to curl up in a chair and escape the world with an old-fashioned hard copy.  Either way, I get through about 3 books in a row, and then go back to tatting or sewing or whatever else.  (Most likely not housework - ha ha!) 

These recent reads were ALL fantastic:

• The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah
• The Orphan Train, by Christina Baker Kline
• The Lilac Girls, by Martha Hall Kelly

This one was a bit dark and weird, but twists in the writing kept my interest:

• The Light of the Fireflies, by Paul Pen

I wish I could get a job as an audiobook narrator!  I think I'd enjoy that job :)