Last (?) installment of thread exchange & Valentine tea towel update

This is probably going to be the last installment of the thread exchange as I now feel that I am very unlikely to get the 5th exchange - it has been over 2 weeks since the last posting date and mail from the USA arrives here quicker than that (even if it is coming from the west coast area of Tacoma, Washington). So, I'll just have to chalk it up to experience and remember in future not to exchange anything with that particular person.

I'll post some pictures of the lovely ones I did receive - I'll do it in the order they were received.

1) A stunning pink holographic thread from Thread Art in colour 8154 was the first to arrive from Libby in SC (with an extra yard of pink Cebelia).


2) Next came the simply gorgeous custom 100% silk HDT (from Sherry) called "Karen's Halo" from Karen in OR.


3) On the same day, the wonderful silver metallic Oren Bayan thread from Jeff in SK, Canada arrived (and a pattern and a postcard).


4) And then last, but not least, the beautiful multicoloured DMC thread arrived from Patty in TN.



I truly have been spoilt and cannot thank my exchange partners enough for their generosity. My offerings in various variegated shades of mainly Coats seem very paltry in comparison.

Next on to the Valentine tea towel exchange that I posted about before - unfortunately I seem to have lucked out on that one also, as again nothing has appeared - I do know that the parcel was going to be late but it is now nearly 4 weeks since Valentine's day (& nearly 6 weeks since my own one was posted to Chile) - it was apparently coming from Singapore but as my numerous emails to the sender are not being answered (either by going into spam or being ignored) I don't even know when (or if) it was posted. Normally, something from Singapore would take around 8 - 10 days to arrive here if posted airmail.

Oh well, I suppose that is part of life, but it does so spoil the whole nature of exchanges.

On a truly positive note I got my Dutch books today and just to reinstate the generosity of some people, I bought and paid for 5 book/booklets and 6 (one being a hardback book) arrived - the hardback book was free!!!! Wasn't that simply delightful and SO generous of the lady - it has gone a long way in increasing again my faith in mankind. I'll post about them in more detail later in the week.

Part 2 of thread exchange

Well, it seems that it is not going to be a two-part post for the thread exchange but a 3 part one as I have only received 1 of the two still outstanding.

This was a gorgeous multicolour size 80 thread from Patty that is very like my most favourite (now discontinued) thread from Manuela but it is finer than the Manuela which is a size 20.

I also thought I would add a link to a pdf of the list of tatting in other languages that I posted before as I know how difficult it can be to print blog pages.

I can't remember who mentioned this great page for printing, particularly blog pages, but I use it all the time to just print what I need and not the rest of the page. If anyone knows who mentioned it please let me know so that I can give them due credit.

Link now sorted

Part 1 of thread exchange

Having participated in the thread exchange, I am now the proud possessor of (at this moment in time) 3 new (to me) threads. Why 3? Well, 2 haven't arrived as yet - this is why I made this part 1. I'll wait and post pictures once all are here. For the moment I'll just describe.

First to arrive was a gorgeous pink holographic thread from Libby.
Then, yesterday I got a stunning 100% silk ladyshuttlemaker HDT from Karen and from Jeff I got a wonderful metallic Oren Bayan thread that I've seen talked about by various people.

Haven't I been spoilt?!!! Now all I have to do is find some extra special patterns to do with these special threads.

I have just bought some vintage Dutch tatting books I found online, so when they arrive I'll post some photos and maybe I'll find some patterns to do in them. I love the patterns in the Finnish book and have done one of them but don't have a photo as I gave it away (the story of all my tatting) to DS's teacher at the end of the school year last year.