Primrose Path

In April I posted a picture of some primroses on Facebook and Karen Parent reminded me that there was a pattern called 'Primrose Path'.    So I went off to find the Mary Konior book which has it displayed on the front cover and the instructions inside and began tatting it.  Because of such a busy life it took a few months to make this very small mat.   I remember tatting it years ago and never was happy with the final result, but thought with more experience and different thread it would turn out better.  There really were too many ends to deal with and in a way it doesn't look complete, there could almost be another row to bring it altogether.  Such a long time was spent tatting this piece (with quite a few mistakes on the way) only to end up with the final piece being such a disappointment.

The real primrose path is much more effective

There are to be more pop-a-bobbins on sale in Jane's Etsy shop soon.

A bit of sparkle!

I was given this metal cross some time ago, it had a ribbon to attach it around the neck. Although I was never happy with the ribbon, so decided to tat a cord using split rings with beads in the middle.  Since doing that I have worn it a lot and somehow it seems to have enhanced the cross and made it more elegant.

You can't see from the picture how the stones glitter, which is a shame.

This is a brooch I bought at a Summer fete last month, fell in love with the sparkling stones and found out that it is a Vintage piece dating from about the 1970s and was sold by Avon the cosmetics company. I paid a princely price of £1 - bargain?

They are not pieces that you could wear together, but separately brighten up many an outfit.

St. Swithun's Day - did it rain?

St Swithun was a Bishop of Winchester who died on 2nd July AD 862 and is remembered for a number of kind, clever and even miraculous deeds. He built a stone bridge over the River Itchen at the Eastern gate of Winchester, to help the poor cross the river to sell their wares in the city.  The story tells of an old woman, who while crossing this bridge dropped her basket of eggs, breaking them all. Her pitiful crying was heard by St Swithun who immediately restored the eggs to her, unbroken.

Basket pattern by Jane Eborall

He was buried, according to his own desire, in the churchyard of the Old Minster (Cathedral) at Winchester, where "passers by might tread on his grave and where the rain from the eaves might fall on it." His reputation as a weather saint is said to have arisen from the translation of his body from this lowly grave to its golden shrine within the Cathedral, having been delayed by incessant rain. Hence the weather on the festival of his translation (15th July) indicated, according to the old rhyme, what it would be for the next forty days:


"St. Swithun's day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
St. Swithun's day, if thou be fair,
For forty days 'twill rain na mair."

St. Swithun's bridge in Winchester

And so did it rain today - well there was a little drizzle and that was all, will have to wait and see if the legend comes true.

Two Bookmarks

Now I made these bookmarks a few weeks ago, and as soon as I finished them Jane altered the pattern slightly, so it may not be exactly like the ones that she has on her blog. Anyway it is another great pattern, a very firm and pretty bookmark which should not get lost either inside or outside a book. 

I particularly like the bead on the end to give it some weight. 

This flower arrangement was in church last week, and I thought it was stunning just love the combination of the blue and white flowers.

Right off to test the next batch of pop-a-bobbin shuttles

At a Snails Pace

At 'a snails pace' is the way that I seem to be going with regard to getting any tatting done at the moment.  I have lots of ideas together with a massive amount of thread and beads but cannot find many slots in my day to sit down and and actually get on with them.  This little fellow came out of emptying some shuttles a few weeks ago.

It is of course Jane's pattern and can be found here.  

Would also like to say that I have plenty of snails in my garden at the moment and they are very unwelcome visitors!

As the winner of my giveaway has only just replied, she was away from home due to family commitments. I used the extra time to sew this motif (already made) on a small bag which now contains the winning shuttle.  Also this is the second time that Mary Beth has been lucky enough win one of my giveaways, just to prove that it is not fixed!