International Tatting Day 2016

Those of you you've been reading awhile are probably aware that today is International Tatting Day. To those of you who are new this year, it is, I assure you, a real, albeit unfortunately timed, holiday.  The traditional celebration ritual has been established as tatting some lace and eating some chocolate. Clearly this is a holiday that is easy to celebrate. The previous few sentences may also be familiar because I copy and pasted them from last years post. You can only think of so many ways to say the same thing. I also can not promise that I won't resort to that technique again in this post.

My slightly less traditional personal celebration ritual is to design and sell a pendant at a very low price for this day only and more recently the pattern as well. This year I opted to make them two different pieces, though the pendant is similar to the pattern. As always, I hope that by offering a small bit of lace cheaply, it can fly to new people exposing tatting to more places. I also hope that by offering the pattern, those that already practice our art can create something new to share with others as well.

This year's pendant design is a modification of the center of my Black Star piece with the added
elements of a few beads, and your choice of color surround by a black outline giving it a stained glass look. The pattern for sale is my Black Star necklace. Both listings are up in the shop now. They will continue to be available after today, but the price of the pendant will double and the pattern will go up to $4.75 tomorrow, the 2nd. I will be making the pendants to order, so depending on the number of pendants that sell, it may take up to a week to get them all out. I'm really crossing my fingers that I sell a ton of them, so please pick up one or more if you can!

The pendant listing is here or click on the picture above. The Black Star pattern is here or click on the image to the right. The pattern is written for needle tatting, but a bonus shuttle tatting addendum has been included thanks to my wonderful test tatter. I can't really help any further with that though as you know me and the shuttle have a long standing grudge.

So, that's it for me today then. I really hope that you like the pendant and the pattern. I'm always a bit nervous about new pieces. I'd love it if you would share these links around, or at least share tatting with someone new. Wear some lace around or sit at tat at the mall with some tasty chocolate and try to ignore the the other April holiday.

Almost Time

I'm almost ready. I got the pattern completed and ready for listing tomorrow morning. I got a few more pendants made and ready to be photographed. I'll have that part done just after schooling today. Then I'll get that ready to list in the shop as well. So tomorrow morning as soon as I get up in the morning I'll have both my International Tatting Day offerings available in the shop. Just a reminder that both the pattern and the pendant will be offered for a one day only discount, so the price goes up on the 2nd. I'm a little embarrassed that I don't have a free pattern to offer as well. I guess there's a minuscule chance that I'll come up with something today, but it's unlikely. Of course I am also celebrating my 10th anniversary on Etsy in a couple of weeks, so perhaps something free for that event. Time will tell.

In Armenian lace tablecloth news, another day, another round. I'm only making it a third of the way around with any one length of thread, well, except on this last round since it was just the larger loops. I'm also attempting to pull them in tight to get rid of the ripple. I think that it's working, but I really won't know until I get much further along. The waiting while working under the assumption that it will turn out, is the hardest part.

So, today I have a few things to finish for tomorrow. Then I might tackle some house cleaning for this weekend. All other free time will be given, as usual, to knotting.

International Tatting Day

Those of you you've been reading awhile are probably aware that today is International Tatting Day. To those of you who are new this year, It is, I assure you, a real, albeit unfortunately timed, holiday. The traditional celebration ritual has been established as tatting some lace and eating some chocolate. Clearly this is a holiday that is easy to celebrate.

What may be slightly less traditional, is my own personal celebration ritual. For that last few years
I've been designing a pendant to sell at a very low price for this day only and more recently the pattern as well. This year I'm adding a second pattern too. I hope that by offering a small bit of lace cheaply, it can fly to new people exposing tatting to more places. I also hope that by offering the pattern, those that already practice our art can create something new to share with others as well.

This years design is a a simple piece that is my own version of a
classic design. The outer rings create a bit of a swirl around the beaded center, so I'm calling it the Swirl Flower. All three listings are up in the shop now. They will continue to be available after today, but the price of the pendant will double and the patterns will go up to $3.25 tomorrow, the 2nd. As usual, the pendant is available in any thread color I have on hand. I'll be making them to order so, depending on the number of pendants that sell, it may take up to a week to get them all out. I'm really crossing my fingers that I sell a ton of them, so please pick one up if you can!

The pendant listing is here or click on the picture above. The matching pattern is here, or click on the image to the right. The pattern is written for needle tatting, though I'm certain that it can be accomplished with shuttle as well. I can't really help with that though as you know me and the shuttle have a long standing grudge. The extra pattern this year is for my Fenestra pendant. It's a slightly more complex design, though I was planning on offering something bigger as well, I think I procrastinated out of time to do so. The listing for that one is here or click the picture to the left.

So, that's it then. I really hope that you like the piece and the patterns. I'm a bit nervous about them as usual. So, do share these links around, or at least share tatting with someone new. Wear some lace around or sit at tat at the mall with some tasty chocolate and try to ignore the April fooling going about.

Second Guessing

Okay, so I lied about getting yesterday's edging turned into a necklace and into the shop. I kept looking at it thinking it needed something else. So in the end, I added yet another row to the design. As I was working on it, I shared it on my facebook page. Someone commented that the top row, the one on the right here looked "wobbly...and uninspired". At first I was just indignant and annoyed at the comment whose sentiment I thought could have been expressed less rudely. Then it had me second guessing myself right out of listing it. I may or may not change my mind at this point. I could tear out the top row and try again. It absolutely has to have one for structure though, so I guess time will tell.

While I was contemplating the fate of that piece, I decided to finally get on designing the small pendant that I will release for sale on International Tatting Day. I came up with something really simple based on some classic designs with hopefully enough of a twist to make it worth purchasing. Remember I offer the pendants on April 1st for a special one day price. The design might stay in the shop, but the price increases the next day.
 Obviously I can't actually show you the design as it's always been a surprise. By always I mean for the last few years that I've been doing this. The very blurry close up of a small section will have to do for now. It's likely that I will also offer the pattern for it on the same day, so mark your calendars.

I guess today will be all about deciding if that edging really is a necklace or can be with some work. While I'm thinking I'll make more of the new pendant so I have several colors to list, please post any requests on that point! Other than that it's just crossing my fingers for some sales in the shop that aren't just patterns to pay for whatever the mechanic eventually says is wrong with the car. Yeah, it's going to be another one of those days.

International Tatting Day

Those of you you've been around awhile are probably aware that today is International Tatting Day. To those new around these parts, I assure you that while it is unfortunately timed, it is in fact real. The traditional celebration ritual is of course to tat some lace and eat some chocolate. Clearly this is a holiday that is easy to get behind.

What may be slightly less traditional, is my own personal celebration ritual. For that last few years I've been designing a pendant to sell at a very low price for this day only and more recently the pattern as well. I hope that by offering a small bit of lace cheaply, it can fly to new people exposing tatting to more places. I also hope that by offering the pattern, those that already practice our art can create something new to share with others as well.

Both listings are up in the shop now. They will continue to be available after today, but the price of the pendant will double tomorrow, the 2nd. As usual, the pendant is available in any thread color I have on hand. I'll be making them to order so, depending on the number of pendants that sell, it may take up to a week to get them all out. I wanted to design an infinity pendant, but it's rather too easy, so I went for a Double Infinity and wove them together. I also wanted the piece to have a distinct widening shape, and a small focal of beads. No, it's not overly intricate, but I think it makes a nice pendant.

The pendant listing is here or click on the picture above. The pattern is here, or click on the image to the right. The pattern is written for needle tatting, though I'm certain that it can be accomplished with shuttle as well. I can't really help with that though as you know me and the shuttle have a long standing grudge.

Well, that's it then. I really hope that you like the piece. I'm a bit nervous about it for some reason. So, do share these links around, or at least share tatting with someone new. Wear some lace around or sit at tat at the mall with some of that afore mentioned chocolate. April may be fooling folks right and left online, but International Tatting Day has chocolate and lace and I think that might be better.

International Tatting Day

Happy International Tatting Day everyone! As I'm sure I'll have to mention every year, this is not an April's fools thing, just an unfortunately timed holiday. Seriously Google it, it exists. To celebrate this holiday I try to do what little I can to expose tatting to a wider audience, to get a few people off the fence to pick up a shuttle or needle and try this lace making stuff or to just own a little tatted lace and appreciate it as the versatile and unique craft that it is.

To that end I am offering this classic looking pendant in any color thread I have on hand for the today only price of $5 plus shipping costs. You can pick up as many as you like, shipping only applies to the first one. Give them out, hoard them in every color, do what you will, just get one! This is not a limited edition design, it will remain in the shop, but at it's "regular price" after today or more precisely when I change the price tomorrow morning.



But Pam, you say, my name's Pam if you didn't know, I can tat just fine, why should I buy something from you I could clearly make? Even though I'd still love for you to get one, I understand, so this year I went one extra step with my Tatting Day preparations and I worked up the pattern for this motif, the cuff bracelet using it and the derived motif that makes a lovely pair of earrings with. This is also for sale, but at it's everyday price since it's already fairly inexpensive and it will also remain on sale after today. So those you can tat, go ahead, pick up the instant download pattern, grab some thread and chocolate, head somewhere public and tat away. Someone is always bound to ask what it is you're doing and there's another convert right there. Why the chocolate? Everything is better with chocolate.

If you can't pick up the pendant or pattern or even if you can, do me a favor and spread the word. Share this blog post wherever you share things, twitter, facebook, pinterest, tumblr, your own blog, wherever. Let tatting spread as far as it can today as Jane always says, Tatting rules the world!

International Tatting Day

Yes, I know I don't post on weekends. I'd like to say it's because I sleep in, but the cats prevent that quite soundly. I am posting on this very special Sunday for International Tatting Day, not for April Fool's Day I swear. 

This is the deal, this pendant is a limited edition design, available today only for $5 plus shipping in any color thread I have on hand. So click and buy and get some really inexpensive lace in your life. The idea is send more tatting into the world so this deal will also be posted on facebook and twitter to reach more people. Since I know many of you are already tatters and likely need no more lace, share the deal with others or send your own lace into the world. Happy Tatting!

Whorls, Sales, and Other News

The sun was playing hide and seek with us all morning, but I was lucky enough to catch some early in the morning to get photos of the new pieces. I got this necklace listed first and then the earrings and finally the pendant which I didn't add anything to, but I did put it on a nice silver chain rather than the default ribbon. Once that was done I stalled for awhile before getting back to remaking. Of course my stalling was more like doing laundry and cleaning, but still. I know I said that there were more designs in the motif, but I think I'll save all that for some time down the line.

In other news, I was reminded by the intatters twitter feed that International Tatting Day is Sunday, April 1st. Yes, I know that's its a rather unfortunate date to have chosen, but that's neither here nor there. A couple of years ago I ran a special in my etsy shop for the occasion and it was rather successful. The idea was to offer a really cheap pendant in any color to get tatting into more hands. I didn't do it last year because I was just too buy to handle the extra work. The good news is I feel pretty good about doing it this year and the even better news is I decided to put together a special pendant just for the event instead of just knocking the price down on one for the day.

This is the pendant and I will make it in any color for one day only. I will get it listed Sunday morning and take it down when I rise Monday morning. I will also post the link here on the blog Sunday morning so you will have no excuses that you forgot or missed it. So just to recap, this will be a very reasonably priced pendant available for one day only in any thread color I have on hand all for International Tatting Day.

In other, other news, many moons ago I collaborated with etsy friend and jeweler Allison of RockLove Jewelry. She used magic to make some of my tatted bits into silver and gold jewelry. Unfortunately by the time she finished the line, she didn't feel like they fit the direction her business was going so they were never released. Yes, I was a bit sad, but she has decided in conjunction with her annual birthday sale (today only w/code "27thbday"), the sample pieces are going up for sale. You can fine the lace collection here. I can tell you that it is pretty surreal to see something I made with thread turn into fine jewelry.

Other than all that, the weekend will be devoted to preparing for the week ahead. I think I mentioned that the oldest has state testing and the youngest has her fifth birthday. There will be trips to zoos, parties all the cleaning that goes along with that so I'm tired just thinking about it. So I guess I'll see you again on Sunday.

International Tatting Day

Yes, I'm still sick. It isn't like I have walking pneumonia or anything, but I have reached the uncontrollable bouts of coughing phase. So, super fun for me. Today is International Tatting Day. It's not an old holiday, in fact I just heard about it for the first time maybe a year ago. The premise of the event if you haven't heard is to Tat in public thus exposing the art and apparently to eat chocolate all day. Well, I'm going anywhere today, so the public part is right out, but I will eat the chocolate, tat all day and I will make mention of the day in my version of public...twitter and here. So if you've been meaning to try out tatting, today seems a right pleasant day to start. If you don't want to tat, but you have a piece to wear, go out in your tatted goodness and spread the word that way too.

Yesterday was a fairly productive day, I worked most of it on the wrist corset I want to get made up so I can list it. It's still not done, but I should have it knocked out today. I did manage to clean just like I said I wouldn't. That's right I voluntarily vacuumed three fourths of the house when I could have continued to still on my tush. No, I don't know what is wrong with me.

I did get one new piece listed yesterday. I used one of the heart patterns I recently came up with for my super secret project that I still can not reveal. I decided to tat it a bit larger with the hand dyed gray, added a swarovski crystal to the tip and gave the piece it's own long necklace. I got it listed in the afternoon and by the evening it had sold. That sort of thing happens so rarely that it was worth sharing. I will of course get another one made up as soon as I finish the wrist corset that I will likely call a gauntlet or maybe bracer.

Well, I don't think I've got anything else for you today, so go tat and eat your chocolate... oh and avoid those pesky tricks and pranks today. Here's hoping I feel better when I wake tomorrow, or at least by Saturday, yeah that would be just fine.