One done, two to go

Tomorrow is the graduation of the Theological University where mom and sis Letty work. Mom bought a blouse but the sleeves are a little tight. So she had the fabulous idea of asking me to tat some sleeves. But thank God, she change her mind and asked to make just an insertion. She will slit the sleeve in half and add the insertion in the middle of it. So this is what one insertion looks like. It needs hiding the ends and ironing before mom can sew it to the sleeve. It measures almost 3 inches wide and 10.5 inches long. I need to make another for the other sleeve and a shorter one for the back. The back of the blouse looks a little too big, so mom will "scrunch" a section in the back and over this section will sew the shorter insertion.

The pattern of the insertion is actually the center of an oval doily. I added several repetition to make it longer. It's a very simple and common pattern. Now this one have brought some other ideas. I still would like to make a fully tatted sleeve for a blouse but that will have to wait.

I'm using Aunt Lydia's #10 in black.

Just a quick note

Hi all! I'm writing just a quick note because I haven't blog in awhile. I've been feeling really down. Guess it's because doctors are adjusting doses and medicines. Always happens this. I hate this but it's something I can't control.

I have been crocheting a top for mom. Her 60th BD was Monday but we made a surprise party on Sunday. I'm half way through the top.

On tatting... I finished my bookmark exchange, but need to post about it. Received 2 of the 3 bookmarks. Kersti told me that the 3rd is on its way. Also made the motif in this post. I haven't finish it. But got stump on how to finish it, so it's on the UFO pile for now. I love to play with long picots.

Also I have seen that people are interested more in a newsletter rather than a book. I think I'll jump ahead and will do it. Have plenty of patterns to fill newsletters for a few years. lol I have to practice more diagramming the patterns and take better photos of the finished items.

I got a new package of threads. I got the C-lon thread and it's super! I like it. It tats very crispy and the colors are very pretty. Got 7 colors: black, green (light olive shade), 2 shades of purple, sienna, brown and ecru. The size is like a perle #12.

As you see I have plenty of ideas and things going on. What I lack is an uplifting mood... May be a couple more days of resting will help or I'll need to call my shrink to evaluate the "happy pill" dose. *sigh* Thanks all for been there!

Book or Newsletter

I'm not sure if to publish Wings of Hope as a book or include it as a newsletter, published 4 times per year. Books take a long time to get the 10+ patterns, edit, revise and translate (in my case English and Spanish). Once finished is a matter of publish and that's all. While the newsletters are published several times in the year, but each issue includes only a few patterns and can be edited and revised for just those patterns. Also books I don't need to worry about including the people in a list, while the newsletter I have to do a list of subscriber.

I started a newsletter in Spanish and it has been welcome by a lot of people. I'm working on the second issue due in July.

So, what you think? Do you prefer a book or a newsletter?

Vote here

What a day! Tatters recycling!!!

In the Online Tatting Class awhile ago there was a small contest by Mary Maynard. I was one of the winners. But I totally forgot about it until today. I received this cute little box and what a joy when I opened it. It was from Mary.

Inside I found a couple of lovely balls of Anchor #40 in pink and light orange. I like how both colors look together so I'll plan to tat something with both of them. Also several balls of #80 Star and Lilly. Cool shades! But the star of the pack is the picot gauges that Mary made from a recycle bottle of soda. They are really cool! The sizes are from 1/4" to a 1 1/4". Great idea to recycle bottles. Thanks so much Mary!!!


Also I received a great surprise from Venezuela!!! One of my Latin tatter friends, Nancy Hung, sent me these shuttles made by her. Also recycled. She used phone cards to make them. She send me a card so I can make picot gauges.

Isn't it great?! Tatters not only make beautiful laces but also recycle and help the planet. I will be playing with my new toys today. Now I need to find a pattern. Oh wait! The online class is in a few minutes! There I will find the pattern. lol

Thanks girls!!!

Ravelry

I have been member of Ravelry for awhile but I didn't have time or I just forget to go and check the site around. Last night I couldn't sleep so I went to check the site. I had a blast checking patterns and projects. Now I have like a dozen of projects in queued and already making a few. These are the ones I finished last night.


This rose is by June Gilbank and the pattern is here. It's a super easy flower. Took em around 20 minutes and most of the time I used it to sew the rose into form. I used Peaches & Cream in Peppercorn color. I bought a big cone for a gift I made for my sister Letty last year and I still have plenty of it left. So I'm using it for several projects.









This cute small bag is something I made today. It's a pattern by Ivory Herman and can be found here. The bottom measures around 4-5 inches diameter. I need to cut a piece of cardboard to put at the bottom so it can give some support. Took me like 1 hour to make.






Now I'm thinking what to do next. May be some crochet barefoot sandals... Or may be a corset belt. Those are fashionable now in PR. I have an idea of making one in tatting. But not sure who will like to use it. I don't know any goth youth. Naida is in GA again and she's not in contact with goths anymore. Let see what results.... Also have an idea of fingerless mittens in tatting.

A cute hedgehog

Last night Ruth Perry posted this cute little hedgehog. I had to do it. I find hedgehogs so cute!!! i would like to have one as a pet. But meanwhile this will do. It took less than 30 minutes to make and measures around 4 inches.

Made with Lizbeth thread.

What you think?

I just finished making this set. The design is by Aga from Multiply. I'm not sure if I like the look of the variegated thread for jewelry. The thread is Lizbeth. I used some "E" pearly white beads.

Public Apologize

I want to publicly apologize for a mistake I made a few days ago. I posted on my Etsy the barefoot sandals for sale without asking permission from the designer for it. I always ask permission to a designer when I'll sell something that is not my design but last week having migraines and asthma constantly it slipped from my mind to ask permission.

I, myself, am a designer and I know how it feels when someone post some of your own work without permission or without giving credit. I don't pretend to imitate anyone either. I think I have my own style and those of you that have my books can notice my tatting style.

Anyway, I already sent a short apologize to the designer and it won't happen again.

On another note... The Etsy shop is not doing well anyway so I will close it at the end of May. All the inventory on the shop, the sales will go completely to the LFA. I'll keep the free webshop.

Lupus Awreness Month and Sale - Please read and share

This month is Lupus and today in specific is International Lupus Day. Here is a very interesting article about this illness that is not commonly known thus over a million of American (specially women) suffer from it.

Public Lacks Awareness of Lupus and its Life-Threatening Complications - May is National Lupus Awareness Month

May 6, 2009

Most women likely can describe warning signs and health risks associated with breast cancer and heart disease, but according to a recent online survey relatively few are aware of another potentially fatal disease that disproportionately strikes young women between the a

ges of 15 and 44. The disease is lupus.

Although more than 1.5 million Americans have lupus, the public mostly is unaware of the potentially disabling and life-altering health effects of lupus. According to a national online survey conducted for the Ad Council, eighty percent of young women in the United States say they have little or no knowledge of lupus, yet eight in ten new cases of lupus will develop among women of childbearing age.

Lupus develops when the immune system goes out of balance, causing it to become destructive to any major organ or tissue in the body, including the heart, lungs, ki

dneys, brain, skin, and joints. Its health effects include heart attacks, stokes, seizures, and organ failure.

May is National Lupus Awareness Month. Now in its thirty-second year, Lupus Awareness Month is observed to disseminate medically sound inf

ormation about lupus, increase public understanding of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of the disease, and provide support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. As part of Lupus Awareness Month, the Lupus Foundation of America and its chapters, and nearly 100 lupus organizations from around the globe, will observe May 10 as World Lupus Day, to highlight lupus as a worldwide health issue that affects people of all races and ethnicities.

Here in the United States, lupus is two to three times more common among African

Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans than among Caucasians. While lupus strikes mostly young females, males and females of all ages can develop the disease.

What is most troubling about the lack of awareness of lupus is that early diagnosis and proper medical care often can help to prevent or reduce serious health complications, such as heart attacks, strokes, seizures, miscarriages, or kidney failure. That is why public recognition of lupus signs and symptoms is so important to the public -- awareness of lup

us helps save lives.

Recently, the Ad Council launched its first-ever national public awareness campaign on lupus. The campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH).

"The new Ad Council campaign addresses the critical need to raise aware

ness among the public about lupus, and ultimately increase early diagnosis to prevent the life-threatening consequences of lupus," said Sandra C. Raymond, LFA President and CEO. "We are pleased to be the founding partner with OWH and the Ad Council for this significant campaign."

The goal of the new campaign is to improve early diagnosis and treatment of lupus. The disease can be difficult to recognize for several reasons:

• young people may assume that their health problems are temporary,
• symptoms often come and go and change over time, and
• initial symptoms of lupus often are dismissed as nothing serious.

More than half of the people with lupus suffer from symptoms for four or more years before they are diagnosed.

Early warning signs of lupus can include sudden and persistent joint and muscle pain, overwhelming fatigue, skin rashes on the face, scalp, and arms, hair loss, and persistent fevers. The new Ad Council campaign message, "Could I have lupus?" urges individuals who may be experiencing symptoms to ask their doctor about lupus. The LFA

website, lupus.org, has a symptoms checklist that individuals can complete and take to their doctor to help determine their risk for having the disease.

The LFA also has launched a new education series of booklets and fact sheets in both English and Spanish, and enhanced its network of health educators to assist people who are seeking information and referrals to local services. Working with renowned l

upus experts, the LFA has compiled the latest information to answer questions about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. The Foundation’s nationwide network of chapters, affiliates, and support groups also will be conducting outreach activities to raise awareness of lupus within local communities.

Additional information about lupus is available through the LFA website at lu

pus.org. To obtain free information on lupus symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options by mail, call the LFA toll-free at 1-888-38LUPUS (888-385-8787) or contact the nearest LFA office. A list of offices appears on the LFA website.

###

About the LFA

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. is the foremost national nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus, and providing support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. The LFA and its national netwo

rk of chapters and support groups operate programs of research, education, and advocacy.

Also to commemorate the awareness in Lupus I have a special sale on my Etsy Shop and Web Shop. From each sale during this month 40%will be donated to the LFA. Please go and cooperate. Each cent, nickle, dime and quarter help the LFA in the search of a cure. Why I'm making so much emphasis? Well, there is a LOT of awareness and campaigns about Cancer but not about Lupus. If you sum all the deaths caused by heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, etc., you will have the total of people that die and have complications with Lupus.

For those of you that don't know a lot about me. I was diagnosed with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematous) in 1996, having to quit my job as an Oncologic Nurse. But the symptoms of Lupus go way before 1996. For my High School graduation (1988) I already lost most of my hair and strange strong pains in my joins. My Lupus went on remission around 2003 but this spring (feb, 2009) it came active again. Lupus has affected my heart and liver, my hair and skin (though not as strong as with my cousin). In my case Lupus seems to be hereditary because me, a cousin and an aunt suffer of Lupus. In fact my aunt die 2 years ago on Father's Day due to Lupus complications. She was in her early 50s.

RIP 2007

Pretty beads

I love beads! Sometimes I like how they look all together and then when I'm going to work with them I don't know what to do. lol Like the case with this lovely mix. I got these at Walmart. They come all mixed and this mix has mauve, white, cream and dark purple colors; E-beads, seed beads and small bugles.

What do you do when you have mixed beads like this? Do you use them all mixed or do you use a specific color?

I think I'll use the cream seed beads in a work and later use the mixed colors seed beads.

Some bookmarks ready

I signed for the bookmark Exchange on InTatters. These are part of what I'll be sending for my partners. I'll send 2 bookmarks instead of one. These cuties are from Ellen Lai and the pattern can be found here. They are super quick to make and I love them.

A crochet re-make

Today I crocheted a little and did this hat again.This time I used cotton yarn and though it's a little bigger than the other I think I can make it bigger using a bigger hook. �The pattern suggest a "K" but I think next one will use a "L". �My tension is tight. �Here is Renesmee modeling the hat. �

I'm feeling really bad now in the afternoon: sniffles, fever... �The asthma has been acting up for a week now... �I guess I'll just tat something fast and simple and go to bed early.

Tatted Flower

I made this flower using Jon's August Poppy Flower. The center thread is Lizbeth, I think it's Country something and the other is like a dark turquoise DMC Cebelia #29. You can find the pattern here.

I tried to make it a little more of a 3-D and made 2 motifs. The center I made only 2 rounds and the other the normal rounds. Then I stack them and added a big yellow bead one the center. This one is a brooch, but I think it will do nicely as a hair accessory or applique for a shirt. :-)

Pink Bunny

My sister Letty has the cutest goddaughter. We call her "gandulito" (little pigeon pea). She's almost 2 years old and so pretty! Mom bought some t-shirts to decorate and now that I'm here she want me to tat the decorations instead of buying them. Last night I made (for the umph time) Mark's Bunny. I used a darker pink DMC Petra #8. I think it looks cute but mom think that the bunny is not very clear. May be a heart will look better. *sigh* What you think? The bunny will have a ribbon tie on the neck. Also I'm making a simple rings and chains edging for the neckline and probably the edge of the sleeves.







Here is Rosenelly. She's bigger now but this photo is so darn cute!!!

Tatted Barefoot Sandals

I'm a fan of TotusMel's tatting and have been wishing for one of her barefoot sandals but I don't have money to buy them, so I'll make a pair of my own.

Mom is the model. My feet aren't so pretty. I used #10 crochet cotton. I think it's Aunt Lydia's, can't remember now. I shuttle tat, TotusMel needle tat but the results are equally lovely. I think mom will keep these so I'll have to make another pair for me. I'll make them in black. They are pretty quick to make. Took me 2 days, just because I felt lazy sewing the ends.




Here is another view.