IOLI Convention

Told you there'd be more on this "soon" -- just didn't know HOW soon, tho. : - )

My classes (both taught and taken) went well. I got the rare chance to learn a tatting project from the one and only Judith Connors, who came all the way from Australia to teach at our Convention! And the knot tying class I taught seemed to be a success. Most of the students finished all three of the "beginning" projects and were well on their way to finishing their major projects by the time the week was over.

Here are a few pictures from the class I taught, called "Oh, So Knotty!" -- Macrame (square knotting, Solomon's Bar, Portuguese Sinnet, etc.) and Snake Knot. (If FOR ANY REASON you wish your photo removed, please feel free to notify me and I will do so immediately!)

One side of the Chairman's Board Room (our FANCY classroom -- SO luxurious!). I'll leave off everyone's names, for their privacy -- I'll add their names later, if they wish.

Other side of the classroom. Everyone's very studiously working on their projects...

She's finished all three of the beginning projects, plus the "Awareness Ribbon" key ring, and made a good start on her Amulet Bag, so she wants to make a Snake Knot necklace, to get that technique mastered, as well. She's making hers with two colors -- a great effect, but also a great learning trick. I like how she's done the white fob with the heart charm -- there were some VERY clever designers in the class!

She's finished all three "beginner" projects and is well on her way to finishing her Amulet Pouch! I think hers got finished before she went home -- all the way back to London! We first met when I was there, two years ago. We chatted with some mutual friends in the cafeteria at the V&A Museum, then went to Fortnum and Mason's for Tea with another mutual friend! THEN, she came all the way to Fareham, to join me at the IGKT Silver Jubilee there! A dear friend for life. Thanx again for coming all the way here!

She already knows how to do macrame, so she wants to get that Snake Knot down before the week is over!

She couldn't be here for the first two days, but for the second half of the week, she quickly caught up (I knew she would) and is well on her way to finishing her Amulet Bag, too.

Beginner projects finished, and the Amulet Bag well underway, she wants to get that Snake Knot necklace figured out, because she has a large collection of BEAUTIFUL charms she wants to use for future necklaces. This necklace got finished, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it. Love the embroidery on her shirt, too!

She's made several extra projects already. See the snake knot necklace in progress, at the top of her blotter (click on the picture to enlarge). To the right of the blotter, toward the top (next to her baby-shoe pin cushion that she brought -- too cute), is her macrame bracelet, with her LONG nickname (I won't even tell that until I have her mother's permission -- she's a minor).

So now she's now working on the beginning rows of the pouch portion of her amulet pouch -- note the finished strap on top of her certificate, waiting to be incorporated into the pouch, as the pattern says.

This young lady excelled in the class. I saw her in the elevator on the evening after we began making square knots and she had already covered her ear-buds for her iPod with square knotting! She even had the foresight to make a little piece at the top of the right one in a contrasting color, so that she wouldn't have to struggle to see that barely legible "R" printed on it. It's absolutely brilliant, and I'm so proud to have had such a prodigy in my class!

Another student was able to finish her necklace. She'd brought the charm with her and made the entire necklace in class. Just smash down those "cord crimps" onto the ends, and the necklace is ready to wear!

A few years ago, after a particularly rough weekend of vending and taking a tatting class at the same time, I vowed that I would NEVER AGAIN vend and take a class at the same time! Well, "Never Say Never Again" (hmmm...good name for a movie...) -- actually, technically, I didn't vend and take a class at the same time -- I vended and took a class AND TAUGHT at the same time -- for a whole week! It was NUTS, but I survived. I won't say "never again" again, but...

Seriously, it was a lot of fun and, like many other experiences in life, we only remember the great parts and not the bad ... sometimes ...

And as any teacher can tell you, teaching a class is always a learning experience -- for the teacher! This is true in my case, especially since it was my first time in teaching at an IOLI Convention. I hope it will not be my last. It was a lot of fun and I'll never forget it.