Leap year - doves

In January 2015 there was a storm in our area and a huge part of a Cedar of Lebanon tree came crashing down, you may recall me talking about it on this blog.  At that time I showed you a dove that was made out of the wood and some of you were were eager to buy them once they were ready for sale.   Well as you can see they are now available and all proceeds will go towards St. Marks Church Ampfield, Hampshire.

From the tip of his nose to the end of his tail he is 3 1/2 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches tall. Each dove comes with a card stating its authenticity.   The wood is very aromatic especially as it is newly cut.

This Cedar of Lebanon tree stands outside the church where Revd Awdry who wrote the Thomas the Tank Engine book was baptised, he was born in the village and lived in the vicarage.  He knew the church and the tree well as his father was Vicar of the parish, if you want to read about him look here.

The doves are selling for 11.50 US dollars and postage 4.60 US dollars.  Please e.mail me at popabobbinshuttle@gmail.com if you are interested in buying one.

These two doves were playing on a church roof two weeks ago. 

440th Post

I have now stopped making Celtic snowflakes, reached 29 and could not go on any longer, just lost the will to do anymore.  Instead started something else which is coming on nicely and will show you very soon. 

More pop-a-bobbin shuttles have been made and they are being oiled and then the next stage will be the testing, always a tense exercise!  There has been a little break in production since 'im in the garage' started to make wooden lego men.

I bought a skirt this week, so there is a possibility of actually making jewellery to match it.   These are the threads and beads I found and the colours more or less match.

28 and still counting!

That is how many Celtic Snowflakes I have now made, most will be given away at the end of the year.   I have plans for the latest batch to become embellishments on bags - that is when I manage to find time to make the bags!

I bought the colourful beads whilst in the USA and they remind me of glass paperweights and the way the colours infuse together making lovely patterns.  As you see I have one such paper weight.   I am trying to pick up the colours and use the thread accordingly, so the one on the right will be a red centre and black surround.

Just look at all the other snowflakes

Get ready for my next Blog post which will feature another number!

Hand Dyed Thread

I now have a lovely collection of hand dyed thread but rarely tat with them as I am so frightened of using the thread and then finding out that it would have been better to use it for something else.  All this is made worse when you are unable to get the thread again or if the next batch does not come out exactly the same.    These are two bracelets I made recently which really have worked out great using HDT.

Soon I am going to offer a chance for those who follow my blog to win something as it will mark a particular  mile stone.   There are not so many give-aways on tatting blogs as in the past.  I often wonder why that is, could be the expense of postage or just the fact that people are not interested in them as they used to be?   Anyway I haven't decided what to tempt you with yet but please keep watching!

Some Success

'Im in the garage has been trying to make shuttles that will take larger bobbins so that more thread can be wound on them.  Unfortunately the trial did not go too well.   The shuttle with the clear sewing machine bobbin (front of picture) works reasonably well and it will take a little extra thread.  Whereas the industrial machine bobbin which Diane kindly sent me have proved very unsuccessful and the bobbin barely chucks along catching the wood most of the time.  The main problem is that the bobbins are inflexible and together with the wood which of course is completely inflexible, the combination just doesn't work.

The glueing of the broken Aero shuttles has been a minor success, with one operational, well I managed to fit a bobbin in, but now to scared to use it!

I am still making celtic snowflakes mainly because I want to finish off using the beads but also I don't have time to start another project at the moment