I’m debutting 3 new books in my ‘Fun with Split Ring Tatting’series at the IOLI Convention in Iowa City, Iowa the first week in August.
I have books being printed (as I type) and am hoping that barring any complications, I hope to have my books in hand by the time I leave to drive to Convention.
After convention, I will make all my 3 new books available for purchase through my website (PayPal processing & free shipping to US addresses) or through my Etsy shop (which I am still setting up) before releasing through wholesale outlets.
I’m hoping that a ‘Quilter/Tatter’ can help me decide ‘how’ to name my 2 new Quilt-Inspired Fun with Split Ring Tatting books.
Book Number One is what I might call ‘Patchwork’ designs. They are all square pieces and based upon stacking ‘square-rings’ (4-4-4-4). All designs are based upon historically-named ‘quilt-blocks’. SEE DESIGNS BELOW
Book Number Two is a deviation from Book #1 in that it features a variety of designs that are all still ‘Quilt-Inspired’. Deviations included designs based upon ‘offset-rings’ in diamond shaped based patterns, non-square shapes, hexagon-based, more open-work, and ‘pinwheel’-based designs. SEE DESIGNS BELOW
Any ideas as to how to name these books???? I do want to use the terms ‘Quilt-Inspired’, ‘Split Ring Tatting’ in the title for both.
PS. I am working feverishly to get these 2 books laid out and printed/published by the end of July. They will be debutted at the IOLI Convention the first week in August along with another new book: Block Alphabets in Split Ring Tatting
Today I accomplished one of the ‘to do’ things on my computer/graphic arts/technology list: I INSTALLED A PINTEREST ‘PIN IT’ BUTTON ON ALL MY PICTURES!
This little ‘win’ is bittersweet when I look a my technology ‘to do’ list…..there are sooo many items on it. These things are hard for me….I’m a tatter first and foremost who is forced to find a way via technology to communicate with the tatting world.
I have been ‘sitting on’ this book for over a year now. It has been about 90% done (as in all the details that go into laying out a book, proofreading it, creating preface pages, and creating a cover) for quite some time.
But this weekend, starting Friday night, I started a marathon session(s) to complete it. I was home alone (husband gone for the weekend) and I had the flexibility to stay up as late as my eyes could stay focused (1:15 am both nights).
As of last night, I sent it off to the ‘printer’!!!! YEAH!!!! (I seriously need an emoticon here!)
Today I ordered a ‘proof’ copy!!!! YEAH!!!!
This particular book has been on the back burner ever since I got excited about my Quilt-Inspired Designs for Split Ring Tatting.
But since my Quilt-Inspiredbooks aren’t ready for completion, I decided to test my ‘printing/publishing’ knowledge with this Block Alphabet in SRT book. I decided to apply the skills for printing/publishing to this book with the better experience to know how hard I need to push to get the Quilt-Inspired books published/printed. I absolutely want the Quilt-Inspired books done by the IOLI Convention the first week in August!!!!
For all you ornithologists (aka ‘bird-watchers’) and others out there….Does anyone throw their thread ends/bit outside for the birds to use in their nesting activities????
Somewhere/sometime I got the idea that birds are attracted to colorful things and when looking for soft nesting materials would go fo threads to add to their nest.
Any ideas about this subject? Anyone else throw their thread bit/ends outside with the hope that birds will enjoy them too?
This are the bits of threads that I pulled out of my tatting pouch that have accumulated for the last several weeks. You can see my preferences for colors. Lately I have been working with 3 of my favoritest colors: teal/sapphire, orange, and yellow.
Frontside of my prototype Celtic shuttle. Measures 2 1.2 long x a little over 1/4 inch wide.
I was wondering if anyone who does a fair bit of Celtic-Tatting (the kind where a thin shuttle is used to pass through small loops) would be interested in assessing the usefulness of my enameled Celtic Shuttle???!
Leave me a message in my ‘comments section’ of email me at: k.bovard@yahoo.com
Me & my newly completed Quilt-Inspired SRT motif “Perpetual Motion”. On my hotel patio with Virginia Beach in the background. It was a rainy day—perfect for tatting (while my husband napped).On a sunny day husband (Jerry) & I took a day-trip to the Outer Banks where we saw this lighthouse.
This last weekend I had the joy of going to a Lace-In/Retreat/Workshop in Concordia, Kansas (a 3 hour drive from my home of Omaha, Nebraska). One of the joys of going is the car ride with friends to get there and back, it being a great time to ‘catch up’. This time I traveled with my lovely friend, Jennifer Bartling (seen as the left-most person in the group of 4-ladies picture).
It is hosted by The Sunflower Lacers and includes Lacemakers from all over Kansas, plus a few of us from Nebraska and Iowa. At least 4 states were represented this weekend. There were 30 lacemakers there working on bobbin lace, tatting, Romanian Point Lace and beading projects.
Russian Tape Lace (Bobbin Lace) class project in progressHallway of the retreat center that used to be a hospital. (Note the tile floor.)Retreat center sleeping room that used to be a hospital room
The retreat center is wonderful and unique. It is called the Manna house and is run and operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, a nun sect that has its historical roots as lacemaker in France (centuries ago). The Sunflower Lacers found this place because the sisters had an interest in revisiting/learning bobbin lacemaking as a part of their heritage. Ronna Robertson, the president, founder of Sunflower Lacers helped the sisters revive this heritage of their sect and now The Sunflower Lacers have a lovely place to have a retreat for a weekend. The building is an old hospital. The interior views of the rooms and hallways are reminiscent of that bygone era. (See other photos). We each had a private room that was beautifully decorated with matching sheets, bed covers, and curtains as well as antique furniture and old linens.
The retreat/workshop is wonderfully organized. There is always a class/workshop for bobbin lacers. This time the project was Russian tape Lace in a paisley shape. Saturday morning we could choose between learning how to crochet the tape for Romanian Point Lace, create beaded bobbins or a scissor-keep, or work on our own projects. There was a table full of food goodies such as chocolate. I think I ate my weight in chocolate that day.
Esther Miller and Serena ?—the Des Moines, Iowa Tatting representatives. I’ve known Esther for decades….she is almost ‘tatting royalty’. She is good friends with Pam Palmer, the renowned tatting designer and author from England. These two ladies knew and tatted with Mary Sue Kuhn, a major figure in tatting history for being the first designer/author to make Split Ring Tatting Technique usable (since Anne Orr published the technique) by creating patterns and a book. Mary Sue is the one who named the technique ‘Split Ring Tatting’.The 3 ladies on the left are part of the 5-person Omaha, Nebraska tatter/lacemaker group at the retreat. The gal on the right is Susan Groh from Kansas City…our lacemaking supply supplier for the weekend. These ladies are creating beaded decorations for bobbin lace bobbins.Manna House Retreat Center in Concordia, KansasWe had one big conference room where ‘lacing’ took place. This photo shoe the bobbin lace class in action. They were learning/working on Russian Tape Lace.Madame President–Shemene & Gail (from Omaha) working on bobbin lace projects. In the back you can see the area of the room that the ‘tatters’ and the ‘needlelacers’ hung out in. Shemene is the IOLI President this year.This is a photo of the Saturday morning workshop. The topic was learning to crochet the tape for the Romanian Point Lace classe that will be taught/done at the Fall Lace-In. The two RPL pieces are mine and are ones that I purchased in Budapest, Hungary on my honeymoon trip in Sept of 2013. Romanian Point Lace is one of the needlelaces that I teach and study.This is my ‘Sienna Square’ Quilt-Inspired SRT piece that I completed (the tatting!) while there. This is a photo of the newly-done piece on my lap, threads ends awaiting finishing. I think this will be my cover photo on one my 2 ‘Quilt-Inspired Fun with Split Ring Tatting’ books that I am planning to have published by this summer.Anybody else see a tatting pattern in this tile work???? One of the floors of the hallway of the retreat center that used to be a hospital.2 books that I won as door prizes at the retreat. One of the former members was downsizing her collection to go into a nursing home and donated them to the retreat.
