Tat Days

It's been two weeks since Tat Days, and I'm just getting around to downloading my photos. Tat Days is an event of The Palmetto Tatters' Guild, and this year was held at White Oak, north of Columbia, SC. The setting was so much more pleasant than last year's site to me that was a college campus, and not nearly as conducive to adults in workshops.

My favorite place to be, besides in the classroom with those wonderfully skilled tatting teachers, was on one of the porch rockers, looking out across the field at the river. It was in the 90's, but there seemed always to be a nice breeze out here.

I took many classes, and can't say which was my favorite, since they were all great. On Friday, the first was a discussion of dying led by Karey Solomon. She showed samples of some wonderfully dyed wool yarns.

Next was 'Folded Rings' with Martha Ess. I also got Martha's new book, Tat's Amor`e, which she cordially signed for me. Somehow I couldn't get the hang of what we were to do, even though I've tatted her patterns using this technique before. After the class, I got it going, and these are a few of the results. The Footprint, an Angel, a Shamrock, and the beginnings of a daisy. I also did the Bunny, but can't find him right now...

Next on my list was the Flower Wreath by Karey Solomon. Still haven't completed this one, but will get it done!

Friday afternoon we had the Tat Off and Tat and Chat. Tat Off is a race to see who can tat the most of a simple pattern. The winner of that was Mark, the TatMan. Evidently, he holds the record of winning this event for years!! The Banquet/Annual Meeting was this evening, with Georgia Seitz as the Guest Speaker. Such a lovely lady, with so much knowledge and skill. Then there was Night Owls, with Riet Surtel-Smeulders, who is a warm gentlewoman. We tatted owls, then turned them in for a project that slips my mind now. We also sang, in round, a song from Holland, De uil zat in de olme, in Dutch! "koe-kock" "cuckoo"

On Saturday morning, I accidentally slept in. I set the clock next to the bed, but it didn't alarm. The first class I made was The Cluny Flower Bookmark with Mimi Dillman. Since I hadn't yet learned to make the cluny, most of my time was spent doing that. Of course a lot of folks may think signing up for an intermediate to advanced class is not fulfilling when you aren't able to complete the project, but personally, I want the exposure and to learn how to do those skills. How else does one learn? I have the basics for the cluny now, but need lots more practice to incorporate them into my tatting.

After lunch time, it was Jane Eboroll's Red Eyed Frog. I consider Jane a master tatter. Just click on the link from her blog to the patterns she shares. I've used many of them, and was excited to sit under her instruction! She's just as sweet in person as she appears online - and a bitty little thing. I expected her to be taller, why I'm not sure!

This frog is quite illusive for me, as her patterns sometimes are. Jane suggested that it was a good thing to keep in mind that they are shuttle tatting patterns. I have since gotten a version of him done, but as he sits on Jane's blog, you will see that mine has a ways to go!!

There were more group activities and the door prizes were distributed. We were set up in groups and played a version of "Let's Make a Deal." If you're too young to remember this, an item was called out, then someone in the group had to have it with them to show a recorder. It was really fun!!

I would be remiss not to mention the "Sales Room," most of which was provided by Zig Zag. A great variety of tatting wares, where I got some lovely threads, Martha's book, and Tatting Patterns by Lyn Morton, from which I've tatted this Beaded Butterfly with one of the new threads.

Finally, most of my photos are of the items in the Competition room. They're not all that were there, by far.

Yes, this was a tatted Palmetto Tree! Must've been at least a foot tall.