Finishing Up 2018

 This was the last "official" meeting of the Greater Milwaukee Tatting Guild for 2018. We're taking a break until February 11, 2019.

Nancy's beautiful project bag was made by Lace-lovin' Librarian - Diane.

A new color of Lizbeth thread, #699 Harvest Gold. I like it!

Many Colors In October

Tatting, chatting, and crocheting, too. We tatters are a multi-talented bunch!

I showed off my new shuttle from The Knotted Vine and gave away another shuttle. Ana finished tatting a heart pendant, Nancy crocheted a scarf, and Becky worked on a bookmark from a book called Tatted Bookmarks Needle and Shuttle published by Handy Hands. There are patterns from several contemporary designers in it.

Khomi stopped by later to visit and tat a snowflake.

Always a good time with these lovely ladies!

Tying Up Loose Ends

Some of us were tatting and I got caught looking at my phone!

The new tatter who just learned last month stopped by (along with her 2 little girls) to show that she'd been practicing! Her first motif (not pictured) looked very good indeed.

We will meet again on September 10.

Warm Welcome In July

 We had a new visitor to our little guild - well, four actually! A passerby who sat down at the next table to watch us tatting for a few minutes. and then later a young mother and her 2 little girls asked if we were the tatting group. Yes, we are, and here you go: thread, shuttle, and a tatting lesson! She was a very quick learner and in less than 2 hours had successfully learned the double stitch, a chain, and closed a ring!

I had less good luck with my own project because the thread broke. Oh, well, I could keep going by tatting over the tails, but since this will be a small earring, I think I'll just start over.

Shuttle and Needle

Becky's necklace in progress (pattern from the Craftsy Shuttle Tatting course; affiliate link) 

Nancy's necklace in progress; needle tatting

Shuttle and needle tatters are both welcome at Greater Milwaukee Tatting Guild meetings! The gift bags to newcomers contain thread and a shuttle, however, since that's the technique I teach.

Khomi arrived later and wanted an easy motif to tat. I gave her a copy of my Tatted Star Motif (instant download).

I forgot to take a picture of  Ana's project. She color coordinated the thread and bead colors perfectly!

Next month, April 9th, I won't be at the meeting (I'll still be traveling back from the Finger Lakes Tatting Conference) but Ana, Nancy, and Becky will be there!

It goes under...no wait, over

Ana, Becky, and Nancy wanted to see how I did the Celtic tatting on my new necklace design. I started to show them...and then realized that I didn't know exactly what I was doing, myself! But, this was a good learning experience for, well - at least for me. :-) 

Eventually, I hope to get it all written down, step by step, with in-progress photos. I need those to figure out my own patterns; always have!

 It was fun tatting and chatting together!

 Nancy was working with a black and white Lizbeth thread that looked like the contrast in colors could be confusing, but I bet the results will be stunning! The pattern was from Tatting With Beads Jewelry. Ana was tatting earrings from the same pattern book that Nancy had. Becky was working on a tatted necklace pattern from my Craftsy class (affiliate link).

Beginner's first tatted ring

 A new tatter named Jean showed up saying that she had been trying to get "the flip" but couldn't figure out how to do it. Well, after being shown a demonstration, she successfully flipped a stitch in about 30 seconds! After that, she kept on tatting! She practiced chains for a while, then went on to close her first ring, then another, and by the end of the evening understood picots, counting, and had joined 2 rings. That is phenomenally quick progress!

 In the meantime, Nancy was tatting a necklace to match this bracelet that she had already finished. Pattern is from the book Tatting With Beads Jewelry.

 Ana worked on a delicate motif in size 40 Lizbeth thread in the color "Herbal Garden". I'm sorry I don't recall where she said the pattern was from.

I tatted another pink square for the Tat A Monument In Pink project. (Click the link to find more details about this worldwide project.) 

I tried using a new Clover bobbin shuttle, and was pleasantly surprised that the bobbin stayed firmly in it's place in the shuttle, in spite of the tight, quick jerks I tend to use when tatting. I'm normally not a fan of bobbin shuttles, but I like this one!