More update, fewer pictures

 Some stuff that happened in the last month.

I started a linen edging, from some thread obtained in a destash. Size 20, 2 ply (20/2) in natural and realized the handkerchief I'd intended to attach it to didn't have the right color match or complement. So I ordered one and once it arrived, I got a better idea of how much thread I'd need. And realized I had a bit more than enough to do the 1st round, but not enough to do a 2nd or 3rd round. (picture of edging and hanky in last post)

No problem, I'll just order more. Wait, that vendor doesn't sell linen thread anymore. Oh well, guess I'll get it somewhere else. I contacted the thread and yarn stores I know and they didn't have it. I look online and I can find 8 yard hanks (for embroidery) and 1000+ yard cones for weaving. I need 40-100 yards.

I check the hand spinners, but the thread isn't quite right. Anitra suggests I contact a mutual friend who's a weaver. And I think to contact the vendor to see if they'll check for backstock.

Double success! Both the weaver and the vendor have the thread! As soon as they arrive, I'll compare colors to see which matches better or if I'm going to do a tone gradation.

Sad news, my mom's remaining sister passed. That leaves only mom of her sisters adn their husbands. It was a lovely service, the priest actually knew my aunt and the service reflected that (yes, I am still bitter over my granddaddy's service, I think granddaddy was mentioned more in my aunt's service than he was in his own). Plus, I saw cousins I hadn't seen in a decade.

One of my first cousins once removed shared some of my aunt's favorite recipes via email and we shared some stories about my aunt and her sisters. It was very sweet and funny.

I went to see my Dad before Father's Day and gave him a book I'd found. It's The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge, the abridged story of Pvt. Desmond Doss. The one they made the movie about. Dad enjoyed the movie and of course the book has details the movie didn't. He finished it in 2 weeks. Yes, it's not a big book, but still that's fast. Especially considering he was also reading another book as well.

I went to my local library recently and they have a copy of An Illustrated Dictionary of Tatting by Judith Connors. I want a copy of my own now and an ecopy to keep in my tablet (kind of like I wish I could save Jane Eborall's entire page of tatting techniques to my tablet).

I also picked up a book on weaving on a mini loom. It's not the same as a speedweve loom (what I used to mend the sweater in the pictures last post) or the mini frame loom I have, but some of the information will carry over. My 3rd selection is a book on embroidery. I'm doing more visible mending and a refresher on stitches will prove quite helpful.

I had one shirt I got from my mom that has big holes in one of the sleeves. But when I tried to mend it, the fabric is so thin the needle just made more holes. So I cut the sleeves to 3/4 length and now I decide whether hem them or do something else. It's a knit shirt so hemming is not 100% necessary.

On a cheerful note, June 17th, after work, I got a phone call from a dear friend. She had asked me to be her maid of honor (which I had happily accepted). The phone call was to tell me that they had decided to move up the wedding, from October to June 19th. Luckily, even with the late notice, my manager said they could spare me. I went to work in the morning and then we went to my friend's wedding. It was a somewhat casual (8 people total) affair and they plan a reception or something later. It was lovely and I was so honored she asked me to take part.

Wedding and Mayberry

 Saturday was the wedding! We were cutting it close, but not too bad, until we discovered there was a walk (not a short one) between the parking and the ceremony. It was a graveled path (glad I didn't wear my heels), which is not a quiet walk, so we stopped short a distance away. We were waved on by a member of the wedding party. We circled around to the seating and were lucky enough to have partial shade. 

And I was glad to have my hand fan, which coincidentally matched the one they were handing out to attendees. 

It was lovely. They both looked so wonderful. They had a very large wedding party but the bridesmaids were not all matchy-matchy. They wore the same color (pomegranate, which was the wedding theme because they apparently shared one during their 1st date), but in dresses, jumpsuits, sleeveless, spaghetti straps, etc.

After the ceremony, we went to the pavilion for the reception. Still outdoors, but under a roof and with ceiling fans. Waitstaff circulated with hors d'oeuvres; cucumber slices with dill cream cheese and also dollops of bacon jam and pimento on pork rind. They helped stave off starvation until the wedding party arrived (from the picture taking) and food was served, buffet style. 

The music was great and it was lovely meeting some of the couple's friends. There was dancing and laughter and conversation. Guests wore everything from cargo shorts or jeans to full 3-piece suits. There was also a photo kiosk with a table of silly hats and props. Users had the option of printing 2 copies, 1 for themselves and 1 for the wedding photo album. 

I knew my dress was short, but I didn't realize how short until I sat down. I had to adjust every time I stood up to make it reach my knees. At least I looked good. Although I had to hang it up to dry before I tossed it in with the dirty clothes.

We knew we were going to be up late and it's a 2+ hour drive home so we had a hotel room. And since we were 'in the area' we went to Mt. Airy and visited Mayberry Square.

Alas, it wasn't quite noon, on Sunday. Very little was open, including the bathrooms in the park. We did some window shopping but it was ridiculously hot and humid. We made it to the Antique Mall's (lots of individual vendor booths under 1 roof) opening hour (AC!), looked around a little and went to grab lunch to eat in the park. We went back to the antique mall but the $12 jar of buttons was gone, oh well, I missed it. I did get a large jar of sewing notions (mostly thread, but some buttons, scissors, etc) and a hatpin! It's a very plain hatpin, but within my budget. I saw one piece of tatting, on a tea towel (I think). Nice enough but didn't blow my skirt up. I was flipping through 1 of the collections vintage hankies and picked up a nice linen one. Last, but not least, we stopped and got a charcuterie board. We headed home after that but I'd like to go back and see the stuff we missed.

Tuesday was dental fun. More dental fun on Thursday. It's very discouraging. I'm doing a pretty good job on dental care but my teeth are still getting worse. I'd like them to at least stay at this level of ugh. 

I tatted IOLI's tatted note, the one for the 2024 convention. But in crappy thread with crappy results. I'll try it again in better thread.

I finished my sample of method 5 from Rosemarie Peel's Tatting with Beads and the 1st project from Mastering Tatting by Lindsay Rogers (not pictured). Today, I finished (maybe) the Chinese coin based on Jane Eborall's magnet bookmark pattern. On the drive to the wedding, I finished the 2nd row of the hankie Sue Hanson sent me. I made a mistake on 2 sides, miscounted the stitch count. Now I need to decide if I'm going to do a 3rd round. It's all chain so it's not hard. I used two different variegated greens to tat hondu (Japanese turtle pattern) but I can't find it.