I've never been one to just set and twiddle my thumbs, I have to keep busy doing something..So, during those 'idle times' I have busied myself with hobbies....
I taught myself how to crochet three or four years ago and during the many hours I spent caring for my father during his long illness, I would crochet....The following is an example of some of the things I have made...
These little 'Bird' Christmas Tree ornaments are about two and a half inches tall... I have made and given away many of them, each dressed differently so that no two were the same.One Christmas I gave one to each of my family members, including nieces, nephews, grandsons, sisters, kids, and anyone else who wanted one... I still have many of them... Here are but a few, to give you an idea of what they look like...
Here's some other Christmas Tree ornaments that I've made... There's a sample of the "Christmas Bells", "Fans", and a few "Hats"...The Bells are about three inches tall, the Fans, the same and the Hats are about two and a half inches in diameter...
Shortly after I learned to crochet, I taught myself to 'Needle Tat'. But hadn't become to involved with it until recently.Although I had become quite accomplished in Needle tatting, I couldn't quite figure out the 'Shuttle Tatting', until I took a class in shuttle tatting a few weeks ago. And though I did finally learn to shuttle tat, I've discovered that I much prefer the needle tatting.
Needle Tatting actually dates back farther than Shuttle Tatting. It was during the nineteenth century, in England, that more people became familiar with Shuttle Tatting and it became more popular because the aristocracy had jewels, ivory, bone, shell and other precious materials mounted on their shuttles to make them more elegent.The upper-class ladies who tatted, found tatting an activity that allowed them the opportunity to show off their skills, their graceful hands and their beautiful shuttles. I'm not sure just when the term "Tatting" came into play, as the original term used was "Knotting". {Probably about the same time as the shuttle}. Knotting is a more accurate term though, because that's what the procedure consists of, repeatedly making double knots to form either a ring or a chain.
The only difference between shuttle tatting and needle tatting is in the instrument being used. The end result is the same. With shuttle tatting, the shuttle moves back and forth over and under the thread to make the knots on the thread itself. In needle tatting, the knots are first mounted on the needle (similar to knitting), and then pushed off over the eye of the needle onto the thread. In my opinion, Needle Tatting is much easier to learn and faster to do than Shuttle Tatting.
Today, tatting has almost become a lost art. Not only do most women not have the time to make their own laces, there is such a wide variety of manufactured laces available on the market that it is much easier to buy their laces.
I am going to be teaching a class in Needle Tatting so as to share my knowledge and skills with others, in the hopes that the art of Needle Tatting will survive. In the link below is a small example of some of the things that can be done with tatting.
My daughter has a snowman collection. I'm always on the lookout for unique or different snowmen for her to add to her collection. I found this little guy in a tatting pattern book. So of course, had to make him. He measures seven inches from the top of his hat to the tip of his toes and three and a half inches at the fullest part of his little body.
I'm not sure when I started making these Designer Buttons, those that are dated, go back to 1987, but I know I was making them before I started dating them...When I drove the mail truck, I had a seven hour layover in Utica, so I had a lot of idle time, much of that time was spent making these buttons..I've probably made thousands of them over the years because I've been giving them to friends and family for years and years...The ones pictured here, (in the first link) is a Valentines button, mounted on one of the cards I've had made to present them with when I'd give them as a gift. (in the second link), there's a sample of the one I made for Jana and Mark's wedding, May 11, 1996, (each of her female guests received one), and two Christmas buttons, one says "The Savior is Born '95" and the other says, "O Holy Night '94"... "Valentine Button" "Three Designer Buttons" A few years ago, I made some little two inch tall Angles to give as 'stocking stuffer' gifts to my Aunts, Cousins, ect... (You will see an example of one with the Christmas Balls)...My sister, Annie, has a doll collection. Mother told me that I should crochet a doll dress for her... At the time I didn't think I would be able to.. But last year, while staying with the folks, caring for daddy, the subject came up again... So I thought I'd try... I ended up making over thirty different doll dresses, no two alike... I'd start with a 'stripped down to the nude' doll and make everything from head to toe, including the shoes in most cases.... Doll #18 Doll #23 Doll #24 Doll #28 Doll #10 Doll #15 Doll #11 Doll #12 Doll #14 Doll #16 Doll #17 Doll #19 Doll #20 Doll #21 Doll #22 Doll #25 Doll #26 Doll #27 Doll #29 Doll #30 Doll #31 Doll #32 Doll #33 Doll #6 Doll #7 Doll #8 Doll #9 The designer Christmas balls in the following links are a project that I started last year, but managed to complete only eithteen of them before Christmas Day. All of which were given to some family members, neighbors and the health care personal whom were attending daddy during his illness.(The actual size is about two and a half inches in diameter).I have resumed the project and will, hopefully, have enough completed by this Christmas Day to give to the rest of my family members.I might mention, the little Angel (top, center in the first link), is an example of the one I've mentioned earlier. She seems to be the only one I have left. I ran across her tucked away in a drawer in my studio. "Christmas Balls" "Christmas Balls" "Christmas Balls" Return to my family page.... "Welcome to My World" Email: "abbylaw@media-net.net" This page was designed by Web Creations
A few years ago, I made some little two inch tall Angles to give as 'stocking stuffer' gifts to my Aunts, Cousins, ect... (You will see an example of one with the Christmas Balls)...My sister, Annie, has a doll collection. Mother told me that I should crochet a doll dress for her... At the time I didn't think I would be able to.. But last year, while staying with the folks, caring for daddy, the subject came up again... So I thought I'd try... I ended up making over thirty different doll dresses, no two alike... I'd start with a 'stripped down to the nude' doll and make everything from head to toe, including the shoes in most cases....
Doll #18 Doll #23 Doll #24 Doll #28 Doll #10 Doll #15 Doll #11 Doll #12 Doll #14 Doll #16 Doll #17 Doll #19 Doll #20 Doll #21 Doll #22 Doll #25 Doll #26 Doll #27 Doll #29 Doll #30 Doll #31 Doll #32 Doll #33 Doll #6 Doll #7 Doll #8 Doll #9
The designer Christmas balls in the following links are a project that I started last year, but managed to complete only eithteen of them before Christmas Day. All of which were given to some family members, neighbors and the health care personal whom were attending daddy during his illness.(The actual size is about two and a half inches in diameter).
I have resumed the project and will, hopefully, have enough completed by this Christmas Day to give to the rest of my family members.I might mention, the little Angel (top, center in the first link), is an example of the one I've mentioned earlier. She seems to be the only one I have left. I ran across her tucked away in a drawer in my studio.
Return to my family page.... "Welcome to My World"
Email: "abbylaw@media-net.net"
This page was designed by Web Creations
