June Crazy Block

June Crazy Block is finished. The top has "Remember Me" and shows up much better in person.

Fabric Post Cards

When you can't have tea with a friend send a card! The "Afternoon Tea" was cross stitched on 14 count waste canvas. The Pattern is by Lynn B at

http://happinessiscrossstitching.blogspot.com 

 Add some crazy quilt stitching and beads and it is ready to send.

On the back I made a pocket to tuck a message in.  I always put them in an envelope to mail, it  keeps them clean.

Tatted Candle and Penny

Marilee Rockley has a new tatting pattern, One Small Candle. One can find the pattern here  http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com .  I have never seen a pattern so well illustrated and explained in writing. Thank You Marilee!!  I tatted the candle base with Lizbeth 657 - Ocean Turquoise Dk, Candle is 623 - Raspberry Pink Lt and the flame 614 - Lemon Lt.

I was looking for a pattern to fit a 2012 penny for a wedding gift. Nancy Tracy had just what I was looking for. A Tatted Medallion  (www.be-stitched.com) works up quickly and the penny fits in the center. A ribbon is woven around and tied with a bow at the bottom.

Our Art League will be having a raffle for different items during the fair. I was looking for a quick pattern and another one of Nancy's patterns, Fields of Clover Doily,  was just what I was looking for. Here is what I have tatted up in 2 hours. It is highly recommend to block it out on each round.  I used a Styrofoam lid but when it gets bigger will have to find something else. I asked Georgia if Picot gauges really make a difference and of course the answer was Yes!!    On a doily like this  one can see it will make a difference. I hope who ever gets it will enjoy this beautiful piece of tatting.  Someone gave a box of material and at the bottom were all these crochet doilies and runners. Filthy dirty and oily, a tatters nightmare thinking that their work will end up like this. I soaked all the pieces in shout and washed them many times.  All of the doilies had to be cut up  and pieces of the edgings used in  CQ blocks.  The linen I have been using on counted cross stitch and it has a beautiful feel to it when working. 

Teddy Bear Vest and Bonnet

Teddy Bear's vest is a pattern by Karey Solomon, Ring Around the Rosy, a Pattern full of Posies 1999. It took 5 repeats, 1/2 of pattern for under arms and sewed together. To connect the front and back on the shoulders I used 3 split rings with picots.  It was tatted with Lizbeth size 20 in 115 Springtime and the chains are 623 Raspberry Pink Lt.

The Bonnet is an easy NIN (newborns in need) by Merry Higby in 2001. The pattern can be found at http://www.tatsall.ca/patterns/MerryHnin.htm  To fit a full size baby head one needs to increase the chains and rings to 18 and the finished back medallion to 21 p in the beginning of the first ring.  It is important to use size 10 thread as stated in the pattern, I used DMC 746 yellow.  Because it tats up so quickly I think I will tat up another with the changes.

Back of vest and medallion for attaching the main bonnet

Top of bonnet. One can see the width is fine but the length needs to be longer.

Crazy Quilt Round Robin

We have started the Cats and Dogs round robin on the Crazy Quilting International Yahoo group. Here is Kristie's block. Something was needed above the horse so a spray of silk ribbon roses and leaves  highlights that area. The horse and lady are outlined with  tatting down the front of her blouse. Wheat Ear Stitch was added to the right seam with a bead in the center and Lazy Daisy Bows with beads separate the lady and back stitched dogie. I used a Fly Stitch down the seam near the dogie and Cretan Stitch on the other side. Using combination stitches of Lazy Daisy for stems and french knots for the grapes helps fill the area. On the top of the Cretan Stitch are Lazy Daisy with beads and below are sequins with beads in center. A Zig Zag Chain Stitch completes the bottom of the block. Kristie's left side material was really bold so I outlined the stems with bugle beads and Lazy Daisy silk ribbon for the flowers. A Cross Stitch was used to fill in the spaces.

Memorial Day

There are many more cousins who fought in the American Revolution, Civil War, WWII and up to the present day. Here are a few who have served.

-John Ernest Spangenberg was in the 1775 Fourth Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line. He took part in the Battle of Long Island where many Northampton County soldiers were killed or taken prisoner. July 17, 1776 John Spangenberg was appointed Sergeant-Major.  (Daniel Shimer Spangenberg (1853 - 1925) from tombstone above is three generations back. He married Emma Baylor.)

 -Catherine Spangenberg married William Snook who became a Captain in the Revolutionary War.

-Abraham Shimer was a Captain of the third Battalion, New Jersey Militia, Army of the Revolution.

-Anthony Shimer was a Captain in the Sixth Battalion, Pa Militia under Col. Jacob Stroud 1777.

-Jacob Shimer enlisted as a soldier under Captain Jacob Arndt and died of smallpox in 1764. His 

  tombstone is the oldest in the Old Saucon Graveyard, Nothampton County,Pa.

-Isaac Shimer was a sergeant in Captain Kichlein's Company and was part of the Long Island battle.  According to history books, Issac Shimer in 1776 joined Washington's army enlisting in Col. Baxter's battalion under Capt. John Arndt, of the "Flying Camp". They engaged the British on Long Island and Fort Washington, 11-16-1776 where Isaac was taken prisoner. He was a 3rd Lt and served

  7 years.

My Mother, Vera Riddle Scott, honoring my Dad, Karl R. Scott, Memorial Day 2010. Dad was part of the B24 Liberators 1943-1945 in WW2. He was a navigator without all these fancy computers with only the stars to navigate by. Both of My Mom's brothers were in the Navy.

Growing up in Truxton, New York we always celebrated Memorial Day and still do. I played the baritone in the marching band, Mother and Father marched with the Veterans,  Flanders Field was read and a gun salute for the fallen soldiers. 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Wedding Hanky

 Wedding hanky for my Niece. The initials are satin stitched and roses are stem stitched silk ribbon. The hanky came with the pulled threads and I outlined them with gold threads.

The pattern for the edging is Ann Wilson's Hankie Edging (Lily's version). Tatted with size 80 the chains are 158 Niagara Falls and the rings are 658 Ocean Turquoise. Following Jane Eboralls advise I tatted 3 repeats and made the corner. It takes 17 repeats for one edge. When one edge was completed I hand sewed it to the hanky. 

Handy Hands Newsletter arrived as I was on the last edge and Kendra Goodnow had a step by step article on joining the edging to a hanky. The first step is to count the number of holes on each side. I did not do this step and thought I had better to count before tatting the last edge. Usually they have the same holes all the way around but there is always that one that got away!!