How it is going

 

Hand dyed thread "Summer Trail" size 3

So far I'm really liking my new online shop, Marilee's Tatting on Goimagine. I've had some sales which have helped me gain experience in how the site works.

It has an "analytics" page for the seller to see charts for how many views their shop is getting and which items are getting the most views. So far the size 20 "Summer Trail" thread and the "Celtic Triangle" pattern have been viewed the most.

It seems that I don't receive an email notice if I've had a sale, so I'll remember to check the shop each day. The seller's dashboard does have a notice there.

All credit card payments on Goimagine are accepted. But, it cannot take PayPal. I don't know if it would take the PayPal debit card.

The seller needs to print the shipping labels using another service such as USPS Click-N-Ship. For me that means I need to copy and paste the customer's address onto the label. I don't mind, it's not hard.

So far I have not had a sale of a digital item yet. I did buy a digital pattern from another seller to see how it worked. Since I have an account, I just needed to click on "Your Account" and select "downloads". The pattern was there. But, a buyer does not need to have an account to make a purchase, so then the pattern would be emailed by the seller. Since I haven't had a digital pattern sale yet, I don't have any experience about it yet.

Just thought I'd share how it's going so far! Keep on tatting and crafting!

Open!

 

Still need to add a lot of my original digital patterns, but all of my current hand dyed thread in stock has been added. Just so you know, you don't need to sign up for an account in order to make a purchase there. Let me know about any glitches, please. The link to my new shop: https://goimagine.com/marileestatting/

Setting up in progress on Goimagine

 

I'm working on it! Nothing is ready yet except the main banner, so here's a screenshot. My new shop will be called "Marilee's Tatting". It's taking me some time to get all my products moved over, but hoping to be ready to open for business soon!

Take a look at the Goimagine main page here: https://goimagine.com/ 

I really like their "Handmade for Good" concept. This seems like it will be the right place for me. 

Where to sell?

 I've put my Etsy shop on vacation until I figure out what to do. For those who haven't heard (and I didn't myself until a few minutes ago) Etsy has become a place where uncaring people are making a profit off of suffering by selling "Alligator Alcatraz", fake "ICE Agent" costumes, and other offensive items promoting cruelty. 

These items break Etsy’s Terms of Use, specifically the Hate and Discrimination Policy. Etsy clearly states that immigration status is a protected characteristic, and content that mocks, dehumanizes, or targets people based on that is not allowed.

Apparently Etsy is not doing it's job to enforce that policy...yet. Perhaps it will if enough people complain and protest, or especially if they start losing significant amounts of money.

I don't know how long this will last, but I may start looking for a different selling platform. Very inconvenient, especially since I just finished hand dyeing a new batch of thread ("Summer Trail") and currently nowhere to sell it!

Ginkgo Leaf

 

Last week I made a "short" (brief video in vertical format) of tatting this Ginkgo Leaf pattern and uploaded it to YouTube. It's also on Instagram and a slightly longer version is on TikTok. 

Since it's a short, it's not a complete how-to, but only a quick peek to get people interested. Although... surprisingly it contains a nice demo of the Catherine Wheel Join. 

My original, longer video of a Catherine Wheel Join is still on YouTube, uploaded 14 years ago. Wow, that old one looks so blurry! Amazing how far technology has come in 14 years. :-)

Harlequin in progress

Where did this motif come from? 

Actually, it's a small design element that I had used in my "Nexus of Joy" necklace, which I was very surprised to find that when repeated, it fit together to form a harlequin diamond shape! So what to do with this? Well, I don't know! But, now that I've gotten past the "all those ends to hide" annoyance, I quite like it and will probably add more in different colors to find out what happens.

Yes, I bought a physical copy of the magazine just to admire my work in print! Well, as a friend told me, "We are at the age where the warranty expires!" so I'm just going to keep going while everything still works, and do it with joy!  :-) 

 To learn more: https://www.artistonish.com/may2025?AW=AW127248630

To read the magazine online: https://www.artistonish.com/may2025

My artwork 'Nexus of Joy' is now published at Artistonish

 

To learn more, please go to:

https://www.artistonish.com/may2025?AW=AW127248630

Read the magazine via the below link:

https://www.artistonish.com/may2025

Giving gentle protest vibes in tatted lace letters

 

"Tax the rich" spelled out in colorful lace lettering on a canvas bag.

For the words "tax the" I used Lizbeth size 10 thread and some of my own hand dyed. 

For the word "rich" I combined Liz gold metallic with a size 40 thread in a similar gold color, since the Liz metallic alone is a little thinner than size 10. I don't often use 2 threads as one, but this combo worked up really well. 

The alphabet pattern is "Funny Alphabet" purchased from FairyLaceAndMore on Etsy. 

After all the letters were tatted and arrangement decided, I painted a thick coat of glue on the back of each letter and pressed it firmly into place on the canvas. The glue I used is called "Aleene's Fabric Fusion" and is described as being permanent and washable. 

I've only just finished and haven't had the bag out in windy weather yet, but so far the letters seem to be stuck on quite well. I was thinking of sewing a few stitches for extra security, but hoping that won't be needed.

I tried my hand at needle lace

 

"Crocus" by Marilee Rockley

The best I can say about it is that the design is original, from a drawing I did of a crocus flower blooming in the snow. I experimented with a few needle lace fillings learned from tutorials posted by Maggie Hensel-Brown - but me being a newbie I just threw them in haphazardly, focusing mainly on the colors. I used size 20 Lizbeth threads, with the shaded green being my own hand dyed.

The idea of finishing with a wooden branch was inspired by the work of  Ágnes Herczeg. I found a fallen twig in my backyard, then cleaned and finished it by following tutorials on YouTube.

It was a good learning experience, and kept my mind distracted from worry. It was very time-consuming so I doubt that I'll do any more of this type of lacemaking, but now I have a better appreciation of it! 

I took only a few in-progress photos, but here they are:

Fun at Finger Lakes Tatting Conference

 

That's me doing a book signing and feeling like a celebrity☺. In my hair is a colorful tatted lace flower. Hand dyed thread is nearby and more tables for classes are partially visible in the background. 

Variations of the pattern project for the class that I taught, "Burst of Joy".

Some needle tatters were in my class and their work was very impressive, as shown here. I learned some new techniques, too!

Plenty of yummy food each day! This photo only shows some of the desserts.

Each teacher received a gift of a personalized stick shuttle.

Here's one of the commemorative Finger Lakes Tatting 25th anniversary shuttles available from "Shuttle By Design".

Some of the really amazing tatted lace items on display!

A trip to the Finger Lakes region is not complete without visiting some of the beautiful waterfalls!

Almost Celtic, sort of

 

I couldn't find my shamrock, so I wore this - and received a compliment! This is one of my free patterns called "Vision Necklace" which you can find on my free patterns page here: https://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com/p/my-free-patterns.html

You'll find shamrock patterns there, too!

An Irish Blessing ♥

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Hearts and Countdown to Spring

 

My first try at the "Strong Ukraine" heart pattern designed by FairyLaceAndMore. It's a very clever pattern! I enjoyed the challenge, and was happily surprised to discover a matching blue crystal in my stash.☺ 

New batch of "Thistle" hand dyed thread.

This picture got a lot of views on social media a couple weeks ago. The thread is hand dyed "Tourmaline", the pattern is my own "Heart Aglow", and the steam engine is from a board game box.

Crocuses are beginning to emerge from the cold ground here in my corner of Wisconsin. A welcome sign of spring!

This Lego set is for building a model of a Saturn V rocket. It actually belongs to one of my kids (who's not a kid anymore) so it's been sitting around several years. I got it out as sort of a calming pastime to keep my mind off of worrying about things I really can't do much to change. 

My artwork is in Artistonish magazine!

 

I'm so excited to share! My artwork 'Leaves of Lace Garland' is now published at Artistonish - January 2025 magazine via @Biafarin portal. To learn more, please go to: https://www.artistonish.com/january2025?AW=AW127356608 Read the magazine via the below link: https://www.artistonish.com/january2025

Reviewing the book Frivolité by Sparrow Kelley

 

The full title is "Frivolité the complete beginner's guide to shuttle tatted lace" by Sparrow Kelley. The book is available from https://www.learnshuttletatting.com/ in both eBook and printed books. 

Here's some of my reactions to this new book:

The step by step teaching method is brilliant! How to shuttle tat the double stitch for beginners is presented in separate lessons: 

    First, the beginner is shown how to make the first half and second half of the double stitch of tatting without flipping. 

    After that is practiced, then flipping the double stitch is taught in the next lesson. 

It's really so much easier to learn one skill at a time instead of several complex skills (the knot and the flip) all at once. (I wish it had occurred to me to teach that way years ago!)

Sparrow expertly demonstrates the classic "slip and slide" method of tatting.

Troubleshooting the flip along with showing common errors is covered. All the basic techniques used in tatting patterns are shown: chains, picots, joins, lock joins, hiding ends, and blocking.

How to read patterns, both written and visual is explained clearly. Sparrow, like most modern designers, has a unique style of drawing diagrams. Those little extras, such as marking the joins and using different colors for shuttle 1 and ball thread/shuttle 2 are helpful references for understanding the pattern.

Here's my tatted piece that I made from following "Advanced Pattern #1: Interesting Edging" on page 33 in the book.

Another thing I like about the printed book is the spiral binding allows it to lay flat to any page, making it easy to keep the page open to the pattern while tatting.

Overall, I'm giving this book an A+ rating as a how-to guide for beginners. 

This is really not a book of patterns that would interest experienced tatters, unless they are looking for ideas on how to teach beginners.

Oddities of the Cocoon pattern

 

The "Cocoon" pattern is found in the book "Marilee's Beaded Tatting Finery". 

Some odd techniques used in it:

It begins with a chain on a paper clip. 

Most of the chains are in "node stitch", as 2 first halves, 2 second halves (of a double stitch). This forms a little ruffle, which allows for the seed beads to face down, below the chain.

It has a large bead held temporarily in place with a paper clip. Normal chains (not node stitch) are used to curve around the bead, and the rings thrown off the chains (also known as "floating rings") need larger picots to fit around the curve. A picot gauge is helpful here (size is given in the pattern).

There is one split ring before the top ring. 

After the split ring, the top ring can be worked as a single shuttle split ring, although the pattern doesn't say this. Also, something else I did this time (not mentioned in the pattern) is to tie a square knot before the top ring, to secure the threads better.

My opinion on finishing: 

This earring benefits from painting some fabric stiffener on the back side (which is actually the side facing you when tatting this pattern). I like the side better that has the smooth lines showing along the seed beads in the middle.

A tatted earring with fabric stiffener being applied to the back side with a brush. Sometimes I just dab the stiffener on using a pin. Although the stiffener dries clear, it does dull the sheen of the thread, so that's why I prefer to put it on the back side only.

What is a ShuttleShip?

 

ShuttleShip model S18 from Stephanie Cervi in turquoise color.

What you're seeing in these photos is just one version of the ShuttleShip, designed and made by StephanieCerviDesign. Click the link to see more at her website!

I've loaded mine with some of my shuttles, a ball of Lizbeth thread, crochet hook, tiny scissors, and a tatting project in progress to show how much the S18 model can hold. 

Both large and small Clover brand shuttles will fit, as well as Lacis Sew Mate shuttles. Handy Hands Starlit shuttles are too large for this model, but there are other ShuttleShips available that can accommodate them. 

It's said to be very helpful for Helix tatting, but I have not yet tried that technique so can't comment about that. What I currently am using it for is to organize my medium-large shuttles so I can find them to prepare demonstration "step outs" for a class that I will be teaching in April at the Finger Lakes Tatting Gathering. 

I'll be teaching at Finger Lakes 2025

 

The "Burst of Joy" necklace that I'll be teaching

Yes! I'll be there, live and in person, along with many other excited tatting people at the Finger Lakes 25th Anniversary Gathering, April 4-6, 2025.

Picture from Finger Lakes 2018. I'm standing on the right.

Hope to see you there!