sapztat

Lizbeth thread and some grumbles on postal fees

2009-04-26T10:17:00.007+05:30

My parcel from handy hands finally arrived last week but was unfortunately stuck at my post office (yet again) for a couple of days - blasted another USD$10 on it before I got possession. *sigh*

The postal system is literally killing me - I am a great fan of the exotic threads but unfortunately my location is so far away (posting to the moon will not be this exp) that most of the time, my parcels get delayed or lost (yeah - I lost quite a few in the past one year :-(…) Just not liking it esp. at the time of recession.

Coming back to my parcel – these are the lot of most talked of Lizbeth thread and thinking I should have it in my kitty as well I placed the order nearly a month and a half back… and finally after shelling about $80(half of it only on postal and customs) here it is…

Apart from the threads I also received some brocheures of HH and a copy of their newsletter...
I just wish we could have a waiver of postal fees on tatting threads and accessories :-) After all it is our mere attempt to keep the age old art alive!!!!

Perfect Wedding gift

2009-04-13T21:05:00.007+05:30

An old friend of mine is about to tie the knot next month and unfortunately I wont be present with her on her big day. So to make up just thought of giving her something special, which she wouldn’t be able to forget and of course will stand out and will always remind her of me.

Yes – I tatted her some coasters based on Jon’s quantiesque and the Iris's Tias… what perfect way to start a new house – I hope it brightens her new life! Unfortunately she will be relocating to Mumbai which is pretty far, so I won’t be seeing a lot of her.

We have a small tradition in out Indian Hindu culture – when a girl falls into nuptials most of the trousseau she carries with her has to be in the color red. The red color represents and signifies every married girl. Even at the time of her wedding her wedding gown particularly requires to be in red. And so is my new gift to her… :-)

I hope she likes it, I tatted these superfast!!! I am also working on some nice Handkerchiefs for her trousseau... yet to begin and I just have about 5 days more to go! :-0

Gotta get back to work...

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T22:18:00.003+05:30

To all my Tatting friends - Here's wishing you and your families a very Happy Easter.

I remember my convent days... Easter brings back a whole lot of wonderful memories :).

I hope you have a wonderful time today and God Bless!

PS: - I am sending you'll wonderful Chocolate Easter Eggs that I found on the web! They look soooo yummy!

TSS

2009-03-26T22:52:00.006+05:30

You got me right... they are certainly back in business. I just got an email from Erin confirming the re-opening of the online store.

I am most pleased with this, I love their shuttles - and its just not me, am sure most of us own at least one of their creations and treasure them. They are very comfortable to use, hold lot of thread, extremly beautiful and very elegant as well. I admit that I am totally possessed with them and would like to see that part grow in my shuttle stash :) well It’s addictive ;-).

As you can see from the picture that I own just about four of them and now that we know where to find them, I am going to try and get some more. The order in the picture shown is from the first one that I purchased back in 2007 till the recent one just last month. I so love them… Oops there I go again.

Iris's TIAS

2009-03-24T21:43:00.006+05:30

Phew! I managed to tat this up :) - well actually I finished this sometime back but forgot to post it... :-0 and like Marty said - it is addictive!

Thanks so much Iris, you are a genius as always! I love this pattern and love the doily but somehow I like Marty's combo more...

It looks much brighter than the picture and needs ironing/blocking, but I am just too tired to do any of it. Now to match this up with some coasters, ideas anyone?

TIAS #5

2009-03-09T22:24:00.007+05:30

Two months of not tatting has shown the effect, now I am just desperate to catch up with everything…

First I thought I’ll get back to tatting with Iris’s TIAS, I have never taken up TIAS before or rather haven’t completely taken up one before – last I took was Sherry and that too I left it in the middle. So I was much more determined to do it this time.

Like all Iris’s patterns I like the way this winds up, am a huge fan of hers and can never forget that she was so kind to send her books to me thinking that I was a worthy student… I can never thank her enough! Those books mean a lot to me. So here is my TIAS and am earning to complete this one. I tatted this up in Marilee’s Sugar maple and coats size 20 color red.

Looking forward to add this bright doily to my collection.

A Hard one

2009-02-27T08:26:00.002+05:30

Am not sure where to begin, we were just getting back to normal after my uncle’s demise and we got another heart breaking news - my granddad passed away on 14th Feb. I am not sure as to what is happening… my guess is he was too grieved about my uncle’s death and he just couldn’t take it ahead.

It all happened when he was coming to meet my mom and to participate in my sister’s wedding last Friday. Since all the invites had already been sent we had to get on with the wedding, my grandpa wouldn’t have liked to postpone it, in fact he was the one who insisted my mother to continue with the preparations after my uncle passed away. And that’s why we went ahead.

Due to the wedding we really haven’t had the time to mourn but it is really heart wrenching, to think of him. In spite of oldness I cannot forget he traveled all the way from North India to the south to attend both my engagement and wedding ceremony. That is something which I will always cherish all my life! I owe even my wedding to him, he pushed my mother to the alliance…

I spoke to him last on the 12th Jan 2009 and he insisted to come and meet him ASAP. I still go through that conversation even now, I wish I had heard him, at least I didn’t have to carry that thought now.

One thing I realize with all that’s happening at home, Life is too short and unpredictable, it’s better to keep in touch rather than repent later for there is no afterlife and the guilt is tooo heavy to carry.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T10:45:00.004+05:30

Here's Wishing you and your families a very Happy and a prosperous New Year 2009.

Unfortunately mine is on a very sad start. I lost my Uncle (Mom's eldest brother) on 31st Dec 2008.

Just when we were planning on a small get togather at home on 31st, I got to know he passed away that same morning and he was just 58... :-( I loved him so much, he was a good man.

I dont even have a snap of him with me and I hope I never forget his face ever...

My granny's place will never be the same ever again. Never again...

On another note

2008-12-27T21:47:00.000+05:30

Just to break away from the subject of tatting for a while, on Dec 1st hubby and I celebrated our 2 years of wedlock! Phew, is it already? That’s what suprising us even now.

We celebrated it in Khandala also attending a wedding in Bombay… but that’s not the only thing that is exciting – I am to receive a new laptop soon… hubby’s gift and I just couldn’t refuse ;), and while I indulged in buying all the new shuttles and lovely HDT I dint have money to buy him anything… *SIGH* I am counting on my bonus this year...

But he did buy me something else as well – isn’t that pretty?

Here are some pictures of the time at Vacation.

Things that I should have blog'd about but dint

2008-12-25T22:41:00.000+05:30

Here is some on the tatting subject that I missed writing about.

1. Lady of the House! Isn’t she pretty??? I got it out of some picture and tatted it using Marilee's most loved Tourmaline thread.

2. This came in my mail last week - Chris & Erin Hilton's lovely wood shuttles... Oh! How I love them, I was fortunate to order my first one before they shut down their store and then when I wanted more of theirs I couldn’t find them, later I realized that they had closed their shop for good. But then again these were very limited ones... sigh I wish I could get many more to add to my selection.
3. My newest thread addition to my HDT stash! I just hope at the rate I am tatting they don’t remain stash! thats - Sherry's Swamp thing and Marilee's Sugar Maple & Pansy.
4. Some more new shuttles...

Wait there is more to my collection only that they are still in transit :)... in hopes to receive them soon, I leave you guys here.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T15:31:00.001+05:30

Hello Everybody,

Here's whishing you and your families a very merry Christmas.

Spread the cheer and the love and God bless one and all.

Pardon please...

2008-12-14T11:03:00.006+05:30

I dint realise I had a blog to attend to, damn and I was so active into other worldly matters which are non-existent in nature... please pardon me on my grumble, I just couldn’t find a proper excuse this time around.

Well to tell you the truth I haven’t been doing any tatting at all from the last blog! In fact I haven’t even finished the TIAS too... now that’s too depressing.

But I have been crocheting for a while (which I stopped a month back as well) a small baby blanket and a head band for my yet another preggy friend. Here are some pics… Thank god her baby is due two months away, I’ve still got a lot of crocheting left on the blanket!

*sigh* where is this coming from, I’ve become so lazy all so suddenly, can you excuse this? I can’t!

And every time I purchase sherry's lovely thread I get a PS from her asking update on my blog and that would leave me depressed even more :-(. I dint know she was so serious on my blog posts and that leaves me guilty for I swear I dint know she found it was entertaining!

Hmmm now that I know how much you guys look forward to it – I shall make it much more entertaining and Plus be a regular at it. ;-)

TIAS

2008-09-28T22:00:00.000+05:30

I am so excited with TIAS #4, just that I cant seem to make out what it can be - it is quite confusing though.

Well here is what I have finished so far - still doing Step 8. I think I will be redoing this once over - Just dont like how it is turning out... I am tatting so shabby :-(

Long overdue

2008-09-28T21:41:00.004+05:30

Well quite late this time... sorry! Just held up with lots of house work and office work (I keep using this line always to escape the guilt isn’t it :-!) quite frankly I think I am just miserable at keeping my blog updated. Sigh!

Boy I really dint want to start this post on a sad note, not my usual self, so lets just lighten up a bit.:-) There I already put a smile on your face, yippee!

OK here are the few details to share…

The much awaited Margerite is finally over – It still looks a bit clumsy because I still haven’t ironed it out yet, that’s the only blocking I do to my tatted creations. But Oooo I so love the color!!!

New thread additions to my stash and for the hundredth time my answer to my husband’s question – “No I am not in need of new threads but darling, the thread needs me :-)" whatever… I keep telling him – Never question a tatter on the threads and shuttles, it is a very touche affair.
Never mind him, Ignorant souls I tell you. What do they know! Desperate needs call for desperate measures lol.
Left to right – Pamela’s Coral reef, Apple blossom and Sherry’s Rio.

Next in line is a new shuttle that I purchased from Etsy… this is lovely and very pretty. The shuttle is Acrylic, purple in color and the shop’s address is clhuke64’s on etsy. Apparently I was his first customer.
And finally there are these beautiful beautiful shuttles that I purchased from grizzly mountain arts. Pretty aren’t they?

So there you go, so much suspense for nothing... Please do enjoy these while I anxiously try to catch up with all of my fellow tatters blog posts.

Eleanora

2008-08-24T12:30:00.009+05:30

Presenting Eleanora from Iris Niebach.

I finished this two weeks back but was extremely lazy to blog it.

I hate to admit that this is a very tricky doily and I did have a tough confusing start. Throughout the doily I had to un-tat a lot. I must thank Pamela for sending me a pattern print to help me out. But even then I found myself making some silly stupid mistakes.

Man! It was a relief to see this finished. I made this using Flora size 20 variegated thread as well as Sherry's Yummy Grapefruit.

Time for the next doily - I hope I Finish this fast as I have been sitting on it for the past 2 weeks. This is again one of Iris's Doilies Margerite.

This again is done with sherry's Spring poppies, I love the color...I've got to finish this ASAP, cant bear to see it left undone for long.

Beatrice

2008-08-03T12:08:00.004+05:30

There...It's finally finished!

I made this using Y arnplayer's "Lola"... I took more pictures just to show you how the color unfolds. Very pretty and a beautiful doily, at the rate I am making them looks like my every corner at home is going to get filled.

Gina suggested in my last post here that I retake the picture of Cornelia on a white background again to show you the color of the thread. So here it is. Isn't it nice and earthy?
I haven't decided on my next project yet - I guess it is time I revisit my tatting books. Any suggestions???

Postal woes, my next tatting project and a small heart

2008-07-28T20:59:00.007+05:30

This is going to be a long one – I suggest you guys make yourself comfortable before reading it.

I don’t know how to begin and whether to feel sad or happy. You see my story starts this way –

Last month I asked David to make me two shuttles - one of Birdseye Maple and one of Pommele Bubinga. I waited for a month for it to arrive and when it dint I quickly informed David about this. Now having had a bad experience with my parcel from lacemakerusa (which btw I still haven’t received and am sure it must have been lost in some country/ countries!) I was scared that I had lost this one as well.

David very sweetly took the news with a pinch of salt and recreated them for me…. All through out reassuring me that it was all part of the trade, I felt super bad!

Now the mother of all surprises…. Well what do ya know! Both parcels arrived; I received the first one just before 5 days of the next one… Phew! when I saw that parcel at my doorstep, you have no idea how I felt.

So when the next parcel came I dint want to send it back to him cos I was so jittery with the missing parcel experience, I did what I felt right… I bought this pair as well. I felt it was only fair thing to do. So now I have two pairs each.

Both the shuttles are such pleasure to work with… now I know when they say all’s well that end’s well, I had this guilt all along!

Here is an update on the next thing that I am working on, Beatrice by Iris Niebach. I am making this with Sherry’s thread using one of Dave shuttles ( I asked Dave to make one for me from his collection ) from GrizzlyMountainarts., and I love it.

Here is a picture of a heart necklace that I made for a friend of mine. She is leaving India for good getting married next month to a guy from Kobe, Japan.
This is probably the best thing that I could tat for her. I made this with the balance shuttle thread from Cornelia using one of small Dymondwood shuttles which I bought from Lacis some time back.

Amidst all this - I still try to squeeze in time for Nancy Drew! I've gone nuts for sure!

Cornelia

2008-07-27T22:33:00.006+05:30

Ok... I admit I was tempted, but it wasn't my fault - Diane forced me into doing this... Her version with Citrus Lemon is far better and brighter than mine.

I made this with Yarnplayer's "Tourmaline" using my newest shuttle from David Reed Smith.

I should say my picture does not do justice to this thread and I totally understand why Clyde calls this as his fav. Such earthy shades!

Of late I have been busy finishing Nancy Drew series that I forgot to give time to Tatting... I read Nancy Drew so much that my brain is full of her...:-0 now I need a break from her!!!

I have a few projects in mind again falling into temptation... any guesses to what they may be?... :-)

10 question...10 answers...

2008-07-09T11:15:00.003+05:30

I was going through my list of blogs (I start my day with this) and came across this concept. one such blog is of Gina 's(who is into crochet; I just love the name of her blog - monkeybabies ;) interesting isn't it?) and immediately asked her if I can share this with you guys. She was delighted with the idea!

So here is my list of 10 question and 10 answers...
What is your first name? Sapna
What is your favorite tatting equipment? Handmade wooden shuttles and the sing song ceramic shuttles from Ladyshuttlemaker
What is your favorite thread? HDT
What was the first thing you made with tatting? A lace edging
What is your favorite color? Sea green
Favorite handmade gift you have received? Hand Painted Kerchiefs!
Dream project? Table Runner
Favorite notion? Tatted Jewelry
What will you Tat next? Maybe a large Doily
One word to describe your craft. Tatting!
Main inspiration to craft -My Sister-in-law!

There is no tagging here but all for you please do this because this is a very good source for people who want to gift you ;) that way they know what to send! Just kidding!!!
But on a serious note - try it girls! its fun...

Tag me – Not again!

2008-07-09T11:11:00.003+05:30

I am sorry but you guys just have to bear with me… yet again!

Sometime back Gina tagged me to share 6 unimportant things about myself based on these rules:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share 6 unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag 4 people at the end of your entry – have done this in my previous post already.

Frankly speaking I just cannot differentiate between important as well as unimportant things about myself. Let me just jolt down some of the most embarrassing things that has happened to me – I simply put those down as unimportant as I just don’t want to even think about the dim-witted things I have done in the past.

Here goes the list

1. I hate washing cloths – have conveniently transferred that responsibility to the husband.

2. I am a total Gadget freak – I just love to buy new gadgets time and again.

3. I just cannot sleep straight; it just has to be cuddled and on the side ;-)… I have tried many times but it is an impossible task at least to me!

4. When I was young I was under the notion that the sun sets into the sea (ya right!). I was so sure of it that I put a bet to my sis saying I was true… I Ahem still haven’t cleared my dues. :-)

5.While I began walking I used to be so restless that once I walking the whole street ditch. I was apparently missing for an hour or so and when they did find me I was still crawling my way to the other end of the ditch. It took a week for my mother to remove the stink on me… (Yuck!)

6. I used to have my hair really short till my 10th grade. Once in the theatre loo the cleaner lady mistook me to a boy that was extremely embarrassing as there were women in the loo as well. I really had a tough time explaining my gender to her.

So here it is - some very embarrassing situations I’ve been in the past. Whatever it was now thinking back “It was Funny” :-)

As I have said earlier I won’t be linking anyone in this, so my tatting friends don’t fret, but if you gladly want to post more then we are all anxious to learn what you have to say.

Look what came in my Mail!

2008-06-27T16:50:00.003+05:30

Yes, one of Dave’s creation at Grizzly mountain arts. What do you say to this???

I was browsing through their collection at their online store and wanted one from each of their shuttle category.

This was the first to come and now I am just as excited as I can be to receive the rest and Dave has promised me that my next surprise won’t be too long.

I am speechless. Thank you so much Dave and Jo! You sure do make tatting interesting for us.

This is a very fine and a beautiful shuttle. A collectors item for sure. And I just had to show it off. :-)

Not tatting at all!

2008-06-26T21:57:00.002+05:30

It’s been quite long since my last post and so thought I’ll just put up an update. There hasn’t been much on tatting lately or I should say there hasn’t been anything at all on tatting.

My sister was down here with her kids for a couple of months and in my spare time I volunteered to baby-sit them just to pull off her strain! And now I am stressed!!!

Both the kids are big bullies and it is a task. The older one is nearly 5 years old and is an ADHD child… so while my sister would run around him (caution – literally run around cos this guy refuses to even sit for a while – except of course in the night when he sleeps) I decided to take up the younger one. He is about 4 now and full of questions! Phew! Sometimes I would just get exhausted talking to him, and my, they have questions on just about anything and everything. For example, why is the rose red??? Or why doesn’t the terrace be downstairs instead of upstairs:-0

Now since I am not a mother and have no clue as to how to take care of them this astounded me.

Thankfully for me when she finally left for her home my husband had arranged for a 3 day outing with his friends. That came as a boon for I was totally stressed out.

I celebrated my birthday on 8th of June this year. The fear of getting old restricted my celebrations and the day eventually turned out to be a family and a teary affair as my sis and her kids were leaving that very same day. Now I miss them a lot. :-( Sigh!

On tatting front – I have a lot of packages arriving from all the online shopping that I have done. I Havent taken Pictures yet to show off!

I am not sure whether I have some tatting project in mind right now, I am busy finishing Nancy Drew series (crazy or what! I am desperate to finish it) – I guess it’s time I had a look at the tatting books I’ve collected.

I’ve been tagged again!

2008-06-19T18:45:00.002+05:30

I've been tagged by Diane to share 6 unimportant things about myself!

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person that tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share 6 unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag 4 people at the end of your entry.

Now here go six of the few unimportant things about me...

1. I detest sweets and things that are remotely sweet… well except chocolates!

2. I just love the smell of rain on the ground… I remember when I was a little girl I would love it so much that many a times my mum caught me licking the ground… dirty isn’t it! Hehe

3. I am a tom boy even today.

4. I hate snakes or anything that crawl, even cockroaches.

5. My favorite pet is a cat and someday I yearn to get a cub home.

6. I am right now working on my stash… and very soon just like Diane I might have to dedicate a room to my crafting needs, it has finally started to occupy more space and what’s more I ain’t giving up buying them! There are some 10 parcels already in my mail list.

Now who should be next, hmmm…. Well I think I know!
Sherry
Marilee
Clyde
Marty

Scrunchie

2008-05-24T10:15:00.005+05:30

When I saw Tattinchic's post on this I knew I had to tat this out and so I did.

Here is a snap shot at my version of the Hair Scrunchie.

Threads I've used is sherry's Spring Poppies size 20, while the other one in shades of pink is size 10 thread which I got from etsy store. Size 10 I feel makes it look more organised. It took me a while to tat this and I so fell in love with it that I was actually tatting both of these simultaneously. It really does make a wonderful gift.

Mail Call... Finally!

2008-05-01T21:47:00.004+05:30

I cannot express how happy I am. I have finally received the books that I have been longing for a very long time.

I had ordered this book along with others from the lacemakerusa.com sometime in October last year (2007) and I still haven't received it. So instead of waiting around I finally reordered from Lacis this time and it came. Phew! I was scared I'd lose it again. I also ordered a couple of sew mate and boye shuttles as well.

My October order has other books including, Christmas Angels, Tatting Collage, Elegant Tatting Patterns, Tatting Patterns and Tatting With Visual Patterns. I think I lost a few treasures. :-(

I am slowly filling up my library with tatting books and as you can see I've had rot luck in the past. I just keep wondering where the post has disappeared? who'd be interested in them apart from crazy tatters like us?

Well I think that's a question which will puzzle me always. I also ordered a couple more books and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I receive it safely this time again.