LaceMistress

Whew, grad school coursework is OVER! Now all I have to do is figure out the thesis, which is on domestic women and the textile industry. I may just focus on tatting for that, since it's such a huge topic.

Onwards and upwards......

Currently I am working on a number of tatting projects. One is a doily for a yarn shop I teach at. The proprietor has been gracious enough to keep up a supply of DMC tatting cotton and shuttles for me! She also carries Lisbet cotton! I cannot ever think of repaying her, so I am making a doily of my own design for her, for on display in the shop. She has all kinds of fabulous knitters and crocheters. But I am the only tatter.

Speaking of tatting, I have been told by the museum I work for that at any event where they have craft shows, I have a free table with my name on it just for my tatting! I am also under orders for keeping my Saturdays free, so that I can sit at the museum and tat. I sat there last weekend and got many people interested, including an Old Order Amish woman who was selling pastries there! So, I am in need of tatting projects now! Just for that, a few weeks ago I went around to the local greenhouses (all Amish run) and picked up some mint, rosemary, thyme, and lavender for nosegays. Nosegays are old fashioned bouquets, often popular amongst the medieval and Renaissance/Englightenment royalty to keep away the bad smells of overcrowded castles. Nosegays might be quite effective with tatted flowers amongst the dried herbs (had a beast of a time trying to find stamens, though--would you believe the local floral shops don't know what those are!!!!), and held together with either tatted doilies or simple tatted edgings. I'm also in love with carolivy's idea of tatted edgings by the yard, so may do some of those as well. For these projects, I'm trying to stay with an 1800s theme as the town the museum is in was settled in 1832.