Tears in my Heart tatted bookmark Copyright (C) 2004 Rozella Linden 

Old Glory tatted bookmark with 5 point Celtic knot Star Copyright (C) 2004 Rozella Linden 

The continuing story of my trip to Palmetto Tat day...

I got to observe Karen instructing someone in her Chatelain chains for tatting tools, and later made one for my scissors.

The banquet was exceptional. The food was excellent and the setting perfect for the Very Model of a Modern Tatter - such fun hearing, and singing, a show tune adapted to tatting. Jane and Sue were hilarious, but got the point across that we need to be looking to the future and get young people interested in tatting. Hope's tatted outfit is incredible. If you ever get a chance to see it, do look closely at all the beautiful yards of tatting. Unbelievably gorgeous!!!

Friday night again spent not sleeping much. Martha, my roomie, and I tatted and talked away til the wee hours. The alarm on my cell phone plays revile at 7AM, and breakfast Saturday morning was yummy. Off to teach.

I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated by the 15 excellent tatters in my short class. I wish I could have been a student in all of the classes. There was SO much to learn. We had a good time visiting and most completed the small Celtic Knot flower from my book in the time allowed. The Celtic Knots are more challenging, but the result is worth the effort. A couple of the students decided to work on it later because they thought that they could do better... well, I told you size 20 thread or larger at least for the first one.

Then I got to be in Mark's short class and enjoyed learning the inward tatting rose. I only had one shuttle with me, and only one color so I made up my own way to do his pattern (surprise, surprise, surprise!) However I made a mistake in counting, and haven't finished the rose yet. Mark, thanks for sharing! Your work is outstanding.

Lunch was here all too soon, and I discovered that they had ice cream... thanks Jane!!! The awards were a bit of a blurrrrrr. I did fairly well for the first time entering tatting in a competition. I was very interested in the judges comments, and have learned that they don't appreciate the small contributions from my 3 Pomeranian dogs in my tatting... imagine that. Now I have a bit of a dilema. I may have to consider creating a "clean" room for tatting. I agree with most of their comments on my pieces. I would like to learn this judging system and asked if there could be a class next year. Please?

What I probably enjoyed most about the competition was getting to see everyone else's tatting - even though they wouldn't let us in that room until it was all setup, but everything was presented SO beautifully. I smiled that someone mounted Lepidoptera Celticus as in a real butterfly collection. What fun! There was also an entry of my favorite snowflake from the Easy Tatting book. I didn't write down the names of who created them, but they made my day! Congratulations to all who entered!!!

Afternoon class was a bit smaller, but still excellent tatters. I especially enjoyed the chance to get to know Wally Sosa, and the butterfly she tatted in the class was a beautiful pink with beads and it was wonderful! I called the long class Celtic Wizardry because I wanted to share the tricks that I have learned to make the Celtic easier. We tatted bug heads, and hugs, and butterflies, and had such fun!!! I'd like to see the photos that Hope took of some of the strange ways I do my tatting. I realize that I do things differently because I have not been in touch with others who tat very much. I learned from others, and shared my methods and experience. That is a good thing to do.

By this time I think everyone was tired and since I neglected drinking enough water I was feeling a little poorly. One of my students had to go lie down, but was feeling better later on. We visited, signed books, talked, tatted, and stayed up and watched the video from the Palmetto tatters on local TV morning news, and last year's tat day. For some reason the tape wouldn't play at normal speed when Mark was tatting. It was stuck on fast forward.

Didn't sleep much Saturday night. My brain was stuck on fast forward. Sunday morning it was so hard to bid farewell to everyone, I picked up my treasure bag from Snowgoose, packed up and ate breakfast. Jane and I stopped for the night in Knoxville where I got to visit with son, Jamie, and his wife LeAnne and our grand daughter, Rachael (who just turned three!) Jane was too tired to go eat supper and fell asleep by about 7:30. I wasn't long after.

Monday the weather was a bit dreary, but we arrived in Cincinnati about 1:30 and Jane was glad to see her family again. I stopped by Wilma's to drop off the goodie bags that I got for her and Patti. They registered, but weren't able to attend this year because of the flu, and Wilma had to have a test on the 9th. I had entered a tatted collar of Wilma's without telling her, and she laughed because it was one she had done a LONG time ago. Wilma got through her angiogram fine, and is home feeling better now.

I'm looking forward to next year, and trying to figure out what on Earth to do with a fan... Celtic of course!

Hugs,
Ruth

Celtic Knot Butterfly 

First of all I want to say that I had a WONDERFUL time at Palmetto Tat day! All the Palmetto tatters worked incredible magic for us to enjoy ourselves and I can't wait til next year!

The food was excellent - including the picnic by the lake on Thursday when Jane Eborall and I arrived. Jane was visiting family in the Cincinnati area, so she kept me company on the trip... what fun we had!

I have finally unpacked and done my laundry so I'll try to tell you about my experience at Columbia International University in South Carolina. Why does it take 6 days to attend "Tat day"? Because it should be "Tat week!"

We stopped for the night Wed in Corbin Ky where I met a lady who was intersted in learning tatting - the desk clerk inthe motel!!! Sold her an autographed copy of "Easy Tatting" and gave her some samples of tatting.

Thursday on to Columbia... beautiful weather, not too hot, not too cold. Got room assignment, ate, unloaded, tried to sleep... no luck. I stayed up most of the night preparing for the classes I was scheduled to teach. I wanted to give everyone a gift bag, so I brought little colored paper bags, and filled them with goodies that would be useful in my classes.

Friday I picked out thread I wanted to buy from Snowgoose, and had my treasure bag labeled and put aside. While I was sitting in the vendor room I spied a couple of ladies looking at a copy of my Easy Tatting book, so I offered to autograph it for them, and offered a tatting lesson. The one younger lady was from Kenya and is an incredible cross stitcher! We sat and I taught them tatting 101... how to make a double stitch. They found me on Saturday after their classes and showed me what they made in Georgia's class! AND presented me with a beautiful crocheted mini doily as a thank you for spending some time with them on Friday. (It was my pleasure, really)

Back to Friday... Dropped off things for the consignment table... marveled at the beautiful tatting, and Deb Arnold's bags & such. Turned in my things for the competition. The first I have ever entered. I entered my first iris, a new necklace, the purple vareigated collar, 3 bookmarks, a3 quick quilt squares with tatting on them (dragonfly, roses, and rosebud heart) and a small thread medallion necklace on a gold chain. I wore my first Orchid in a corsage... thank you everyone for your kind words!

It was so good to get to meet everyone who I have talked with on the internet for years. LaRae, Gloria, Hope, Sue, and everyone else... to many to mention. I had already met Georgia in Indy but only for a few minutes.

I elected to teach tatting rather than participate in the tatting contests going on in the downstairs. I saw a video of Mark tatting last year, and I don't know why the tape wouldn't play at any speed other than fast forward. I'll be there rooting for anyone who is brave enough to take him on next year.

I'm getting sleepy, so I'll finish this tomorrow.

TTFN,
Ruth

Small Celtic Flower with Celtic Knot vines