Thread Wanted--Anchor Mercer Cordonnet Size 20

Even though I have enough thread to last probably 10-100 lifetimes, I am looking for colors of a specific kind of thread:

Anchor Mercer Cordonnet   Size 20

I have found that the  colors of this thread match in size....which is important in my Split Ring Tatting design work where I put different-colored motifs together in one piece.

I have found this thread at Tatting Corner (www.TattingCorner.com) and have bought many of the colors.  I have even ordered from England to get enough on one specific color that I can't get from Tatting Corner.  Plus I have a few balls of thread from the past when it was readily available (ca. early 90's---am I dating myself!?!)

What I am hoping for now is that someone has a stash of this thread that they are willing to part with.  I really love vibrant colors that contrast well with another.  I really am not interested in variegateds.

Contact me at:  k.bovard@yahoo.com

I would be willing to purchase them or could put together a trade....maybe even two balls of mine for one ball of yours of a different brand.  (I have DMC, Flora, and Lizbeth, to name a few brands.)

Back Cover of my new book (more photos of the designs)

 Go to:   www.TheShuttleSmith.com   to order

My new book (MORE Fun with SRTatting) is now available!!!

As of now, my new book  MORE Fun with Split Ring Tatting  is available for purchase.

Go to:  www.TheShuttleSmith.com    

Price is $25.00---I will pay postage to USA addresses. 

Buy both my old and new books for $40.00 (save $10).

Payment is through PayPal--an easy and safe way to make payments.

International buyers add ca. $8.00 for shipping.  Email me at:  TheShuttleSmith@gmail.com and I will send you an PayPal invoice.

For this price you get a 63 page book that features at least 45 patterns and over 400 illustrations types in full color.

All patterns are illustrated so you don't have to understand English to enjoy/work the patterns.

There is a chapter in the back as to how to use and work the patterns in Needle Tatting Technique.

As both the author and the publisher, purchasing the book direct from me is greatly appreciated!!!!

Lace Finds in Budapest Hungary

Kalocsz 'Lace'

This is another posting of my lace finds from my recent honeymoon trip to eastern Europe (Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest).

I will let you in on a little secret....I'm also interested in needle lace in addition to my main love of tatting.  I grew up 'embroidering' and doing every form of fiber art that I could get my hands on (knitting, crochet, macrame, surface embroidery) in rural Nebraska.  I learned to tat a bit later in my childhood years. 

In addition to my Split Ring Tatting Addiction, I also teach and design needlelace in the following types:  Carrickmacross (Irish),  Teneriffe/Nanduti (Spanish, Paraguay), and Romanian Point Lace.

I had two conflicting lace-related happenings to report to you from my trip:

1.  I knew that Budapest, Hungary was close to Kiskunhalas, Hungary where the extremely beautiful Halas Lace is still produced.  I didn't have the time to take a side-trip to Kiskunhalas so I asked around Budapest. The Budapest textile/lace merchants knew about it and said that 'No, I wouldn't find it in Budapest' and that 'It's expensive'.  So no Halas Lace as a souvenir for me.  Even if I had found some, I probably would not have wanted to pay the price they want for even a small piece!

2.  I was quite pleasantly surprised to find alot of lace and textile shops in Budapest.  The big surprise was finding what I know as 'Romanian Point Lace'.  They call it 'Macrame Lace'.  Of course this country is close to Translyvannia (in Romania) where I know the lace to come from.  What I found out is through the ages, alot of Hungarians ended up in Romania and vice versa.  So that is why the lace is prevalent there.

So, I was in Macrame/Romanian Point Lace Heaven for several days, buying and examining pieces. 
Actually it wasn't extremely common.  A textile/lace shop would only have a few pieces of it, some had none at all.  After awhile I started seeing the same design elements in pieces, leading me to believe that the same person(s) created most of the work I found.

My Romanian Point Lace/Macrame Lace/Hungarian Lace Finds--2013

These following two pieces were purchased in completely different areas/shops in Budapest but appear to have the same design elements in both pieces.

Here are some different pieces that I purchased.  The three smaller pieces were of higher quality.

Free Split Ring Tatting --new as of 20 Nov 13

To get the pattern, go to:  www.TheShuttleSmith.com

Find:  "Free Split Ring Tatting Pattern"

Open the PDF file at the bottom of the page.