Long Time Coming

I threaded these beads and wound this shuttle with thread long ago with no particular pattern in mind to tat. I liked the combination of beads and thread SO much it took me until last week to find the "perfect" pattern. I'm working on Tatted Doily (pg 68) from A Tatter's Workbook.  As you can see, I am just getting started. It may still be a long time coming...

At the beginning of summer I dreamed the impossible dream.  As it turns out, I have not gotten much tatting or sewing done this summer.  I HAVE had six helping hands and even eight when Baby Doll folds washcloths, but with all of us in constant company there isn't a whole lot of "quiet" time to spare (you were right, Jane).  I can't complain though because I have had six helping legs, as well as four stroller wheels, who have been willing to go on VERY long daily walks this summer and as a result I have lost fifteen pounds and feel YEARS younger.

I am telling you all of this as a round about way of explaining why I STILL haven't posted a Tatting Press tutorial.  This is the giveaway press I made for Kimberly and posted to her in June.  I had taken photos for the tutorial and started cropping and arranging them when the computer hard drive crashed.  After I got back into the process, I decided a little more tweaking was needed.  Those tweaks were added to Kimberly's press but need to be added to the tutorial.  

I WILL prepare a tutorial and plan to begin working on it again after school starts in a couple weeks.  I have used mine all summer and have been VERY pleased with it, so I want VERY much to share it here.  Hopefully "soon" will be SOON this time!