Angels in Flight

I put aside my Christmas knitting and sewing for a few angels. In 2001 I got a request via my tatting website for some tatted angels. I was reluctant to tat for money, and so quoted what I thought was an outrageous price per angel. (It works out to about $4/hour of tatting/starching/blocking). Evidently it wasn't high enough, because he writes me almost every year, asking for 2 or 4 angels.

He emailed me a week ago, but I didn't pick it up till Wednesday. By Friday we had worked out his color choices, and I was off to the tatting races. Thank goodness for the snow "event" this weekend, because we put off shopping. I settled in my favorite chair for some speed tatting.

Of all the crazy things, I am almost out of white #20 tatting thread. I have a thread stash the size of Rhode Island, but no white in #20?! I was worried we would have to try to find some locally. There were 2 LYS in town that carried Cebelia and DMC thread, but both have gone out of business.

This morning the angels are winging their way across the country via Priority Mail. I even paid for delivery confirmation. I've learned the hard way he doesn't let me know when the package arrives.

The moral of the story: Make your price high enough so you don't mind making more at the same price; and you can pay for Priority mail without too much pain.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

I like the candle ornament so much, I can't bring myself to exchange it at the Lace Group meeting tomorrow. Instead I tatted a 3D tree, something I've never done before. I've seen 3D snowflakes, where you tat two and fold them together at right angles, but never tried it.
For these trees I tatted Monica Hahn's little tree in size 20 thread. My first effort is 3 little trees without beads. I left long tails and sewed them together, then stiffened. My second version is two trees with beads, and joined together as I finished the second side.
I'm keeping the one without beads. It sits on my piano and is the only tree I have this year.