Finger Lakes Tatting Group

P.O. Box 9 Hector, NY 14841

607/546-8344

Email here or threads at empacc.net

Gentle knotters,

In our 10th anniversary year we're celebrating Tatting Magic and Mystery. Our 10th International Tatting Seminars in Hector are Saturday April 5 (9-5) and Sunday April 6 (9:30-4:30) - and you're invited. Please read this letter carefully for important and useful information. For some things you'll need to contact Karey (purple sheet), though your main registration stuff goes to Audrey (green). For this reason, you have TWO registration sheets that need to be returned to two different places, both by March 1, 2008. Please note that our capacity for attendees is limited by our space, so if you'd like to attend, please respond early!

As before, we will be located in the Valois-Logan-Hector Firehall at the intersection of Route 414 and Ball Diamond Road in Hector, NY. Lunch and snacks will be provided Saturday and Sunday - conplimentary for registrants; guests may join you for a small extra fee - with provisions for anyone with special dietary needs. Dinner on Saturday and Sunday are an optional extra. Please note the hall is a carry-in-carryout facility, and assistance will be needed to clean up the hall, particularly after classes end on Sunday.

Other activities throughout the weekend will be vendors both days offering a variety of tatting supplies, a Saturday evening program and a Monday morning (non-tatting) add-on. Save your quarters for the raffles and silent auction - these will again benefit the VLH Fire Company Building Fund, this year's adopted charity, and also help support this convention. Think about whether you'll have a special raffle or silent auction item to donate.

This year's extras include a Finger Lakes Tatting Group t-shirt (ordering info on the purple registration form) and a commemorative shuttle made by Georgia Seitz with a logo designed by Kaye Judt to be ordered directly from Georgia (see further on). There's also an add-on Monday morning for a very limited number of people - more about that further on.

Shuttle ordering information: a post shuttle (2 sides) with the anniversary Magic Logo, $12. Add $1 for personalization. Please order as early as possible (no later than March 15) directly to Georgia Seitz AKtatter@aol.com; telephone 217/923-3332 .

Our contest this year is to decorate the small black bag you received last year or a similar one. If you need a bag, we can send one to you for $3.50. (Order on the purple sheet) A Viewer's Choice award will be awarded to the creator of the bag winning the mo. Please bring tatting to display/exhibit and show & tell. The show & tell session will be part of the Saturday night program.

Friday - "Local" as well as out of town tatters and their families are invited to partake in a dish-to-share dinner at the Fire Hall at 6 pm. Please let Karey know (purple sheet) if you plan to attend and if you plan to bring a dish to share. If you come in early, you're invited to stop at Karey's shop, Graceful Arts Fiber Studio (on Route 414, about 4 miles south of the Fire hall, towards Watkins Glen) for tea, snacks and visiting from noon to 5 pm.

Saturday and Sunday - Our schedule will allow all participants to attend three 90 minute classes on Saturday and two 3-hour classes on Sunday. All registrations are logged in the order received. You may find yourself in a different class than you expected. They are all wonderful, so please enjoy the ones you're in. Several instructors will make a limited number of class materials/kits available for a nominal fee to those not taking a class who want the materials.

Saturday classes - unless otherwise noted, each class will be taught twice All kit fees, including pre-ordered extras, are payable to your teachers. Please do not include these with your registration.

1. Gothic Cross - An original pattern for appliqué or add a tassel and use this as a bookmark. You will learn / polish split ring skills. Teacher Sarah Kelly, from Ohio, is 19 years old. She learned to tat from her grandmother. She's also Ruth Perry's niece, and carries on the family tatting tradition of teaching, tatting and design.
2. Double -Bobbin Shuttle Tricks - (try saying that quickly!) If you've always wondered how to use a shuttle with two bobbins, here's your chance to learn the skill. If you have a double-bobbin shuttle, please bring it; otherwise you may pre-order one from Karey (purple sheet). Teacher Sheron Goldin comes to us from the Palmetto Tatting Guild in Columbia, SC, has studied double-bobbin shuttle techniques and taught them in the on-line tatting class.
3. Maltese tatting - Maltese tatting, faux Cluny and chains ornament a sachet, designed and taught by Georgia Seitz. Moderator of Online Tatting classes and one of the sweethearts of the tatting world, Georgia is coming from Illinois. Small kit fee.
4. Magical Biscornu pincushion - Creating the magical biscornu pincushion - an original project by Regina Brummett, the Tatting Goddess and list mom for the online group of the same name. Pre-class preparation /or a $5 kit fee.
5. Tatting a Tin Angel –celebrate our 10th anniversary (tin) with an angelic pin designed and taught by Marjorie Preece, from Ohio. Marjorie is a lacemaker and craftswoman in a variety of media. Class fee $3 payable to teacher
6. Sorting Hat - Harry Potter fans rejoice! Debbie Arnold designed us a tatted two-dimensional version of the famous chapeau with a face. Learn split rings or polish split ring skills. Debbie Arnold, from Colorado, taught here last year and is also known both as a designer and for her DS9 designs tatting bags.
7. Presto! Abracadabra! As quick as that, You can tat a rabbit coming out of a hat. – Block tatting, dimpled ring - techniques galore! Split rings and shoe lace tricks and so much more. When you're done, you can give Presto a new home on a tatting box designed by teacher Kaye Judt. (The optional tatting box, made from fabric-covered cardboard in your choice of fabric, opens in two directions and is finished except for its top, which awaits Presto. If you would like one, please order directly from Kaye by early March (March 15 at the latest) heirloomcorner@hotmail.com or 765/378-5139. Kaye, from Indiana, is the author of "Oh My Stars!" and expert in both needle and shuttle tatting.
8. Magic Blossoms Brooch– one session only - an original pattern taught by Rita Cochrane. Materials will be in a kit ($5.00). Rita, from Ayr, Canada, has taught at many venues, and is an organizer of the Fringe Element Tatting Guild in Canada. Ask her about their annual gathering in late September.
9. Beanile earrings - one session only - Nina Libin designed a pattern for us; due to health concerns, she might not be attending this year (we hope this will change) so she's arranged for Rita Cochrane to teach her pattern. Pre-class preparation or kit available, more information on this later. Nina, the originator and author of "Beanile: Lace of Beads," is also the creator of tatting pieces seen around the world, including in several museum collections.
10. Block-tatted unicorn - one session only - a magical beast with a golden horn - for tatting innocents and students who know the fun of Martha's patterns. Teacher: Martha Ess, from North Carolina, is the designer / author of "New Critters on the Block" and "Tat's Amore."
11. Magic wand - Different chain techniques are used to decorate your own wand - powerful magic to make at least some of your tatting difficulties disappear. Teacher: Karey Solomon is the designer/publisher of Tatting Times, author of 17 tatting booklets, a teacher and an organizer of this conference.
12. Charmed - one session only - a beaded star designed and taught by Sue Hanson, which takes its place on a charm bracelet being taught Sunday. Sue Hanson, from London, England, is known as a designer, teacher and list-mom on Here-Be-Tatters.

1. Mystic Transformation: from Crewel to Tatting – This Jacobean-style crewel motif, designed and taught by Martha Ess, is tatting like you've rarely seen before! Inspired by the Indian palampore fabrics imported to England beginning in the seventeenth century, several colors of size 30 thread are used in a variety of techniques to create a lovely leaf-and-flower motif.
2. Charms for an easy life? - Sue Hanson's tatted bracelet is a place for tatted charms - she's designed more of those, too. Small kit fee for findings.
3. Here be Dragons! – The mysterious beast guarding our hoarded tatting treasures is tatted in two dimensions, resplendent with beads in size 10 or 20 thread. Designed and taught by Karey Solomon.

Most of us are folks of multiple talents and fiber interests, so this is a post-conference opportunity to expand on two more. Because Sue Hanson is staying afterwards, she is available to teach an additional class (beginning bobbin lace); Karey Solomon, designed a modular knitted lace scarf using silk yarn (cruelty-free silk & size 4 needles, available from Karey). These classes will be held Monday morning, 9:30 - 12:30, followed by lunch (included). Class size is limited to 6 in each class

If you need a place to stay, we suggest Chalet Leon, which is closer and highly recommended – call 607/546-7171 for a reservation . Several people may share a room. More upscale and even closer is the Red House Country Inn – (607/546 -8566). Other possibilities are also available.

The charity we’re raising money for this year is the VLH Firehall once again.

Food / Special needs Allergies and special needs (dietary and otherwise) should not prevent anyone from coming and enjoying the weekend. After 10 years, we've seen (almost) everything! Let us know your needs and we'll do what we can to accommodate you

Registrations need to be sent to Audrey Ryder at 596 Tarrington Rd, Rochester, NY 14609. She needs to have them no later than March 1. Confirmations will be sent out by the 10^th. If you need to cancel after March 15, we will partially refund your registration.. You may reach Karey at the above email (preferred) or via telephone if you need more information.

Please share this information with other tatters! Hoping to see you here,