Tat's Heaven

I have been absolutely overwhelmed at the response to my 100th post giveaway, and there is still time to enter! Thank you so much.  As I write this there are 91 entries so there could be 100 or more when it closes on Saturday. The comments are all so encouraging and wonderful and in some cases humorous (StringyDogs).  It is also good to hear from people who know or remember this part of the world (Robert Kent). Those new to tatting who have found "Tat's Heaven", and even those who have not even picked up a tatting shuttle yet! - can you be encouraged to do so? Last but not least to read the comments from those who I have got to know through this blog and are now my "tatting friends".  I wish you could all win, but there are not enough shuttles and boxes to go round for that to happen! Sorry. For those of you who are unfamiliar on how to purchase the shuttles that "I'm in the Garage" makes, this is what happens. When they are made they are put into ...

To celebrate my 100th post and to thank all of you out there who have been so supportive to me and "I'm in the garage" over the past 17 months, we are giving away two prizes, each comprising of a hand made tatting shuttle.  One will be a Pop-A-bobbin shuttle and the other will be a post shuttle.  So there will be two winners.  The shuttles will be put in one of these specially decorated boxes. It is good to win something you really want, and some of you prefer using a post shuttle rather than a shuttle with a bobbin.  So in order for that to happen you have the option to choose which type of shuttle you would like and which box.  So when you comment please put either "Post" for Post shuttle or "Pop" for Pop-A-bobbin shuttle.  However, if you don't mind which shuttle, you will have a double chance to win, as your entry will be put in for both, so in that case please do not put a preference. As for the box, if you have a preference for the colour the...

--> The yew tree wood is ready! This is the first Pop-A-bobbin shuttle to be made from it, only please don’t all rush to order one because Jane will be putting it, and any future shuttles in her Etsy shop soon. There are so many different woods that “I’m in the Garage” now makes into shuttles that it has got too complicated (for the time being), to send in personnel requests, do hope everyone understands. Jane and I will review the situation in the future when perhaps we both have more time and energy!   It is commonly known that yew trees have been traditionally planted beside churches. However, in some cases it seems that very old yew trees may have already been growing on a site before the earliest church building was erected there. I have no idea how long this particular tree has been standing next to the church in our village, especially as parts of the church date back to Saxon times. Last year a few branches had to be taken down as they were hanging over some grave...

First of all to all those who have been enquiring about the Pop-A-bobbin shuttles, due to family commitments which have taken us away from home over the last month, production has slowed down, but it will hopefully get up to speed soon. As soon as more are made they will be put in Jane’s Etsy shop so that everyone has a chance to see and buy, although you will have to be quick!    I can report though that in the little time that "I'm in the garage" has had to make shuttles, he managed to make me a few as he didn't like the fact that I had only one for myself!   So as not to make you green with envy I will post a picture of them another time! He has been experimenting with some new woods and they are fabulous.                                       The dangles ar...

Yesterday the Parish Administrators who work in the parishes of our diocese were invited to have tea with the Bishop.   Afterwards we were given a tour of the palace by the Bishop himself and his wife. It was extremely interesting especially looking at the huge portraits of former bishops going back centuries.  When my youngest son was quite small he said to me that he would like to become a bishop. I asked him why, he said "because they live in a place" - not a bad reason! They may live in a rather large palace but their actual living quarters are quite small compared to the rest of the building.                                                Here is the Bishop standing outside his door. I was intrigued at the pectoral cross the Bishop...

Well I was going to put the Mary Konior book away with my other tatting books, then I thought this isn't right.  I've waited all this time to get my greedy little hands on the book, and so putting it away on the shelf  and ignoring it for a week, a month or even two, just didn't seem right.  So I made this bookmark which in the book is called "Black Magic" because it was obviously tatted in black.  However, decided it would look good in variegated cotton and thanks very much to Sue Anna who so kindly sent me the stardate cotton, the end result is very pleasing.  The piece of wood you saw in my previous post seemed to get some of you guessing, unfortunately you were all wrong! But thanks for trying, so that you can have one last stab at it, here is another picture with the log cut in half by the chain saw, to help you I have taken the photograph with a plant hanging over the wood,  which should remind you of  Christma...

Can any of you identify this piece of wood?     This isn't a competition but it would be interesting to see if anyone can guess what the true identity of this wood is.  It will not be known until the chain saw cuts into it, not sure when that will be, but hopefully soon. In the meantime have a stab at guessing what it is. I Here it is basking in the late afternoon sun in our garden, the only clue I can give you is that it did not come from a forest, but was growing in a large garden.  We have our suspicions but not absolutely sure.  But as you can guess its future is sort of mapped out  - tatting shuttles! Here is a block of wood ready to be made into a shuttle from the previous post.  It comes from a Maacki Chinensis tree introduced into England in 1908 from China by a Mr. Ernest Wilson (you can read more about the species from Fox's comment on my last post). What I particularly like about it is the chocolate colour grain running through it, can't wai...