Sunday, April 11, 2010

Success!

Disneyland is still there -- so are large portions of my feet. I'm certain I came home with barely-there soles and at least one charming blister. My feet pieces are not all that got left behind, somewhere in the world are at least a dozen butterflies that have found new homes via the lines at Disneyland. Hey, if someone asked what I was doing, in addition to explaining it, I snipped 'em off a butterfly. A lot more people looked, whispered (not too quietly -- Disneyland is noisy!) or talked behind my back. My shuttle and a selection of bobbins with left-over thread went into the park everyday. I came home with 19 empty bobbins and this collection of butterflies and a few flowers (Well, I didn't tat every minute, you know!):

As for my teaching my sister -- that's another reason I'm claiming success. :) I took two colors of size ten thread, plain cream and rainbow (that Bonnie dyed for me). I asked her how she wanted to learn -- right hand holding the shuttle or left hand. She chose right hand, because she tried to learn to crochet doing the mirror-image thing and just couldn't figure it out. She did very well -- she knits right handed, too. She says it's because both hands are doing something, they just have to be trained to do the correct thing. She started with a BUK (big ugly knot) and made a chain, then a ring, then a chain and a joined ring, then a chain and a couple of joined rings and a chain, and ... Well, you get the idea. Then she used just the cream color and made butterflies. She only had enough thread for two and 3/4, though. I think she did just peachy wonderful for a first-timer -- especially for someone that learned to tat standing in line. What do you think?

9 comments:

Fox said...

That pink grabbed me! Pretty pictures - had to visit! Sounds as if you had a great time. Your sis did very, very well! She must have had an excellent teacher!
Fox : )

Jane Eborall said...

Cripes - didn't your sister do well. Congratulations to both of you. What a lot of lovely b'flies too.

Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane said...

I'm really impressed... first timer, standing in line, comments all around... that's a lot of pressure! : ) Congrats to your sister for catching on so quickly! I like your idea of continuously tatting butterflies and just snipping them off when needed. Why didn't I think of that?

Carolivy said...

I think she did an awesome job! You must be one great teacher! Well done to both of you! Some very pretty butterflies!

IsDihara said...

Your sister did famously for her first time! Your flock of flutters are so cheery too.

At Disney I usually journal during waiting periods. (Imagine me scribbling furiously, then inching forward, and more scribbling into my journal.) Tatting would be a whole lot easier.

Thanks for sharing your getaway tatting!

sewmuchfun4 said...

Congratulations to you and your sister! You guys did great teaching and learning in line! That's an awful lot of pretty butterflies!

I tatted at Disney World last summer. Figured clunies out there. I sat and tatted while the baby napped and the big kids went on the big rides with my husband. I was one happy camper because for me there was never a dull moment!

:) Ann

Miranda said...

Well done! You certainly have introduced tatting to the public in a big way. I'm glad you were able to teach your sister, too. I also learned chains first. Most people seem to learn rings first, but I think chains are much easier for a beginner to see and understand what they're doing.

Tatskool said...

Great achievements, all round.

Kathy Niklewicz said...

Wow! Several comments. First of all, how nice that you could share this wonderful vacation with your sister and your nieces!

A funny story about your feet! I know the feeling! (You always write in a very entertaining way!)

Gosh - tatting while in line! I CAN tat standing up, but prefer being seated! And apparently you wound two colors onto the shuttle, for a nice effect. I have trouble tying the ends (antennae) together unless I have the butterfly laying flat and pinned to something! And you have also tied knots at the tips! To me that would be quite labor intensive!

Also - your sister learned to tat standing in line?! With her 'weaker' hand? Amazing! I tried tatting with my left hand. Not pretty!

I'm glad Miranda mentioned the practicality of learning the chain first. I think that should be the norm. It apparently will take another century for that to happen. It seems never to be mentioned in tatting books (except for Janette Bakers "Learn to Tat"), and it's only occasionally mentioned on the internet.