800th Anniversary Magna Carta

The Magna Carta was signed on this day in 1215 between  the barons of Medieval England and King John.  'Magna Carta' is Latin and means "Great Charter".   There are events to mark this anniversary all around the country.   The Charter was signed (by royal seal) between feudal barons and King John at Runnymede. The document was a series of written promises between the King and his subjects that he, the King, would govern England and deal with its people according to the customs of feudal law.  

Enough of the history lesson this is a pattern which I have been working on recently, it does 
not date back to 1215 but to 2008 when Jon Yusoff designed it. Here is the link to her Quantiesque Snowflake

Jon of course did not add beads but somehow I just had to include them and with that reduced the amount of picots and extenuated the points with a few extra beads.  This pattern was very popular when I started blogging and from time to time I still it appear on people's blogs. Thank you Jon a really lovely pattern.

I know that those who live in other countries are unable to see the Google images we have today in England but thought I would treat you all to this one showing the signing of the Magna Carter.   It is so funny especially when the key is thrown to unlock the ball and chain.  

There are strong influences from Magna Carta in the American Bill of Rights (written in 1791). To this day there is a 1297 copy in the National Archives in Washington DC.
Even more recently, we can see the basic principles of Magna Carta very clearly in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - penned in 1948 just after the Second World War. 

So I guess today is a very special day for all of us who live in a democratic country.

Also must remind you that there are still a few pop-a-bobbin tatting shuttles left in Jane's Etsy shop, these shuttles do not have hooks. 

The Trim

So this is what happened to the trim that I showed you in the last post.

It has really added a touch of class to the bag.

More pop-a-bobbin shuttles have been made and they will be on their way to my sisters in the next few days.   This is one of them, I was going to keep it for myself, but it does not have a hook on the end, so decided to wait for another one.

The wood is called 'raspberry jam'

Time

I really should go on a 'time management course' because I don't seem to use the time I have very sensibly and jump from one job to another instead of concentrating on one thing and getting it done.  I am like that with tatting. 

After I had made the earring I got bored so instead of completing the pair I started an edging,  but I do have a purpose for this particular piece so may actually get it finished in the next day or two!

And today is a special day because in 1859 the famous tower clock known as Big Ben, located at the top of the 320-foot-high St. Stephen’s Tower, rang out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, for the first time 

"Time and tide wait for no man"

The call of the sea!

I am still making bags and trying to find time to also tat.  The main aim is of course to try to use up thread and beads, and I am doing quite well in that respect, having reached the end of three balls and the delight of throwing the cardboard inners away!  These little sea horses are one of my latest projects and I am hoping to attach them to cards.

And  more tote bags for the seaside, the right hand side one I attached mother of pearl buttons on the end of the straps,  although you cannot see them very well on this photograph.  

Off to find some more material to make bags out of and to use up my stash of tatting thread and beads!

Bags and Bracelets

I have been given some lovely material, most of which has a nautical theme, so beach bags seem to be the obvious items to make from it.    I really don't get much time to spend on them so it is something I pick up every now and then but really enjoying making something that is big and bold!

And of course I made some more bracelets

A Mahonia

Did you know that Mahonias got their name from an Irish nurseryman, Bernard McMahon, who settled in Philadelphia in the 18th century?  Apparently his business became a centre for American gardeners, where everyone, from Thomas Jefferson downwards, met to mull over the horticultural topics of the day.  McMahon wrote the first book about gardening on American soil, The American Gardener's Calendar, which was a best seller for 50 years.

'Im in the garage' really likes the colour of the Mahonia wood as you can see from these  shuttles,  it is a lovely yellow colour and contrasts well with the ebony and a purple heart shuttles sitting beside it.

This is a Mahonia bush next to one of the churches and this week it got drastically pruned and guess who brought the wood back with them?

You can see the lovely yellow colour already, but of course these pieces need seasoning.

Oh and by the way my spell check wants Mahonia to be Madonna!

Alphabet Bracelets

A few weeks ago I bought a couple of packets of alphabet beads from a supermarket  because they were reduced in price, not by much as they were quite cheap anyway.  Somehow though I could not see them looking so rejected as there were many packets.  Resisting buying too many, mainly because at the time they were just going to be put into my stash, I only came home with two packets.    Amazingly though I have started using them.

The top bracelet I am going to give to my hairdresser and the bottom one is for someone whose birthday I completely forgot in April!   Managed to forget another persons birthday also last month and as her name is June, feel that another one will have to be made before we say goodbye to May, although perhaps I should wait until June!

The main reason for forgetting these birthdays was they were just after Easter and somehow with all the busyness of the season I forgot about them, especially as the people concerned do not live near.

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