Christmas Tradition with Wendy

This year I made a tatted ornament for our tree so I wanted to make one with tatting for my traditional ornament exchange with my dear friend Wendy!
You can click on any of the photos to see them closer! This first photo is for size reference it is a small red ball ornament that I attached tatting and beading to.

The pattern is #31 in the book Mini Tats in white size 10 DMC Cebelia thread. The beading is not a part of the tatting but separately sewn on. I glued using E6000 on small spots to attach the tatting to the ball and then took beading thread and needle with the tiny size 15 beads going along the picots. I used pearl white, clear, and gold beads along with some Czech crystal drop beads. I just love how it turned out!

Christmas Gifts: Tote Bag

Here is another Christmas Gift finished! This one I made from reclaimed fabric of dresses! One of the dresses I found was a patchwork design and I thought it perfect! I added a reclaimed wedding dress lace applique and a heart charm to the front of the bag.

Here is the back. The handles are just some trim!

Here is a close up of the reclaimed wedding lace applique with the heart charm that I hand sewed on.
I hope the recipient loves it! I wanted it to be simple, pretty, and useful.

YAY Christmas is coming!

I put up my Christmas tree with all my favorite decorations and my precious ones that my friends have made and some that I've made myself too! Click on the photo to see it better!

This year I made a snowflake for our tree! I used plain ol' white glue to stiffen, this one won't be an heirloom...just a for fun one! I'm planning on topping a little ball ornament with tatting for my yearly exchange with Wendy!

2008 Christmas Gifts: Pink Slippers

Well I was looking for ideas for embellished Christmas gifts when I saw these slippers at WalMart! I thought those are prime for anything I'd want so I grabbed 2 pair!

I wanted to do tatting so I looked in my Mini Tats book and worked up this pattern in a variegated Olympus thread.

I sewed on the tatting to the center of the bows and added gold crystal Czech beads.
I'm still finishing up the green pair stay tuned...

Herb Towels: Parsley Finished

I've finally finished the Parsley Towel in the set for my Dad's Christmas gift!
It was worked mostly in stem and straight stitches! I'm glad that this now completes the Herb Set! One gift down...how many more to go? LOL (and I started early this year)

Update

Well I better give you all an update before you start to worry! LOL
Dr. Dorr said Gerard's surgery went perfectly! He stayed one night and was released on Wed. and we came home that night. He's been doing very well and was able to leave with only a cane to aid walking. He is following Doctors orders and putting his legs up and icing as well as all the exercises and walking they prescribed. He says the hip pain as it was before is gone and he is only feeling the sore muscles and incision pain now and says it's not near as bad as the normal pain he used to feel!
I've taken some photos of projects and hopefully I'll get to start blogging them now that things have settled down.

What's going on...

Well I thought I'd write a little post just to let everyone know what's been going on. I've just been terribly busy busy busy!!! We are leaving today for Gerard's hip surgery and will not be back until Wednesday night. It's way cool because of the new ways they do hip surgery are way better than they used to be, no cutting muscle! Dr. Dorr is one of the leading people for it too so it's way cool that he is doing the surgery. So Gerard will be walking right away, even doing stairs! Since we live so far away from the hospital we will be staying in a hotel the night before (tonight) and come home Wed. If you want to know more info here is the link to the Dorr Arthritis Institute.
I have been working on projects and I hope that after we are home from the surgery I'll have time to finally take photos and blog what I'm up to!

Pink Sleeve Edging

Well, I've again decided to take on a personal project of tatting an edging for my clothing and I had the idea to edge a dark pink shirt that has bell sleeves at the cuffs...have I taken on too much...not sure but the cuffs are around 17 inches each! SO I calculated with size 80 thread in this simple ring and chain pattern that I will need about 60 repeats for one sleeve. In the photo you see is 20 repeats, I am marking every 10 with a piece of yellow thread (size 10). I've worked on it while in waiting rooms but my hands get mad at me quickly it seems. My hands seem to be extra sensitive to thread, the size 80 always feels like it is cutting my skin so I can only tat so long before being sore, but the larger threads are no better and rub me raw! Hate that! I love to tat and I wish it would just be comfortable to tat endlessly! LOL

Purple Heart Necklace

Here is another Peacock Heart by Birgit Phelps for another birthday girl in our small group! I used a variegated purple DMC tatting thread, stiffened with white glue and a bail and chain attached!