What I learned.... and a slide show Tour

I was nervous to finally meet other tatters because I just knew I would learn I was doing everything wrong for the last umpty ump years. My biggest surprise was that I knew more than I thought I did what I didn't know was all the terminology. I thought I needed to learn the Reverse Stitch, encapsulation and wrapping. To my surprise I already knew how to do this and they are all one in the same. I've been calling it split work. Another surprise was watching everyone's hands while they tatted, I saw a few different styles including my own...I didn't see anyone who tats like I do. I tried some of the other styles but I think I'll stick to my own. I did learn some very valuable concepts that I am already implementing in my own designs such as mock picots, the direct method of tatting and split chains and my favorite...clunies!
In one of my classes a couple of the other girls and I proposed the idea of a "TatPedia". It would be a place on the Internet where tatting concepts would be clearly laid out and all the different names we use for that concept would follow. It is something I wish I would have had access to all this time, it would have cleared up a lot of frustration and confusion I have had in the past. I don't feel that I am qualified to do the "tatpedia" given my lack of knowledge on the subject but if you feel you could do something like this please let me know so that I can add the link to this blog.
To my great surprise and delight my "Reflection of a Butterfly" took third prize. It was a real honor considering the excellence of all the other work.
I had a wonderful time with my grandmother. Everyone was so nice to the both of us. I am hoping she might want to come again next year. I finally met, in person, my Internet tatting friend Jen. It feels like we've known each other forever, but now I can finally put a face to her name.
On to the slide show: I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted, I was so distracted by all the commotion, but I think this is a nice little glimpse of the wonderment that was the Shuttlebirds Tatting Convention. I have credited the pieces that I knew who the owners were, and some of the other work was collaborative. If you see something that belongs to you and I didn't credit you, firstly I apologize and secondly let me know and I will correct it!

Please enjoy the show.