I collect anything (postcards, books etc) to do with the Romany Gypsies - I even learnt a bit of Romany , their language. They were travelling folk who have no connection with the thieves and tinkers and some travellers of today. As a child I was friendly with them as they went around Wales telling fortunes etc - we ate and sang around the camp fires! Welll, that's my hobby!! Ana xx :aimeeyork

Those are beautiful!

Memories
 

I collect tatting shuttles, salt dips, hat pins and holders, and teacups! Anything that reminds me of my grandmother. She was an angel, and full of wisdom... I miss her. These things bring me fond memories of her and things that I remember her enjoying. I recently visited the old homeplace and when I went inside, I could just see her sitting in her chair in the corner of the living room sipping hot tea from her teacup (which I have in my china hutch) and tatting. Does anyone here know what tatting is? My grandmother has been gone for almost 25 years, but she is still alive in my heart.

Isn't tatting like lacemaking? I think it's so great that you have such a strong bond with your grandmother... and her memory. I am the same way.

My grandmother also tatted. She taught me to crochet. The first thing I croched was a pink doiley when I was about 8 years old. I still have the rest of the ball of thread. It has been a long time since I have seen a salt dip. I wonder now if mother still has one and if she has her mother's?

I am a collector, I collect everything and have a hard time getting rid of stuff. I don't allow myself to go to garage sales any more. I was at my last house almost 20 years, boy does the stuff collect. We moved last year and now my new house is my hobby. Gardening, pool, painting, cleaning, I have painted murals on the walls in the upstairs bedrooms(4 total, a dragon, pair of swords -bigger than lifesize), and I painted the upstairs bathroom in a plank-board look w/rope and fish-hook deco, crackled a desk - oh, the fun to be had. Also, now I have my puppies to occupy a LOT of my time.

Ann
 

Ann..I sold/gifted 200 tea pots when I moved. I kept about 35, the ones that had meaning to me. My mother had a tea cup collection of over a 300..there is just so much one person can care for..LOL
I, also collect rhinestone brooches from the 30's/40's etc. ..and Yorkie jewelry. I picked the smaller stuff to keep..it was very hard to downsize.

Good idea, Pat. I agree, the small stuff is the best - and non-breakable, too.

I have a collection of beanie babies and bells, music boxes, japanese items. I worked for a japanese company; when my engineers and managers went to japan they always brought me beautiful items back. I have several wooden dolls, porcelain and ceramic dolls, chokin art vase, fans, wishing ball.......

With working full time I don't have much time for hobbies. I love to read anything by Dean Koontz. Anyone else a Dean Koontz fan? I've own everything he has in print right now and I've started trying to buy the out-of-print books on ebay and used book websites (very expensive). I used to show Quarter horses before life got in the way and when I had to pay for it myself. My parents still show and raise Quarter Horses. I cross-stitch & play piano and I love to color & collect stuffed animals (I have a child's heart). But lately I haven't done much by follow around my new pup.

Yes, tatting is lacemaking. My grandmother made baby dresses with tatted trim and tatted baby shoes. I still have mine. Before she died, she taught me to tat. I have made doilies, baby shoes, etc. I made a collar, but have never put it on anything. I have her tatting shuttle, which is almost worn through where she held her thumb and fingers. I also like to sew and used to do English Hand smocking for my daughter. My tatting shuttle collection is so interesting. I never knew there were so many different kinds of shuttles...bone, ivory, celluloid, plastic, silver, wooden, metal, mother of pearl, etc. My grandmother would have enjoyed looking at them. The one that she always used is celluloid. She always thought it was ivory, but those were much more expensive. Tatting is almost a lost art now. I have seen tatting guilds, etc. on the internet. Pictured are a doiley I made, my tatting shuttle collection, and my grandmother's tatting shuttle.

My aunt picked up tatting about three years or so ago. She tatted my mom, my sis, and I all cross book marks. She also, I believe started something larger for me for a wedding present(I was married june 1 2004) but I haven't getten it yet, I'm really not even sure what it is or if I'll ever get it for that matter. Tatting it really neat, its very pretty.

Every craft I picked up I did so because noone else in my family did. I was so jealous because everyoen else get these old quilts handed down to them well not me my great-grandmother quilted I learned after I started but noone else. Well after I started I got all these quilt tops that she started and never finished. I guess I take after her b/c I have started so many quilts and have only finished two. I also taught myself to knit about 4 years ago. My mom crocheted and I always wanted knitted blankets so I decided to make my own. I haven't yet though. I also do counted cross-stitch and really love it. I also do stained-glass and collect pez.

Here's some pics of what (cross-stitch) I'm doing now. The first is what its suppposed to look like if I ever get it finished. The next two are of mine. Its supposed to be finished by the first of Aug by the way.

Your doiley is gorgeous. Tatting amazes me. How you use that little funny looking thing, that some might call a shuttle, to make lace like that. My mom and grandmother crocheted doileys. I guess since I've actually seen that done it doesn't amaze me as much. I really just don't see how you can tat lace, doileys, etc. I've watched my aunt do it (tat) just a little bit but not much.

I am addicted to collecting all Bauer & Fiestaware pottery! and EBAY :rolleyes:

I collect purses too! I collect shoes and I like to write poems. :D

I collect pottery and copper.