Heart Picture

Finally I've got my new heart from Mark Myers framed (see below). Well it only took so long because the framing shop were lollygagging (that's my favourite American word)!! The picture will now go in my 'rogues gallery'. This is a place on the wall just in front of me when I'm sitting tatting in the evening. I've got a bell (again from Mark) and a flower which Gina (Brummett) gave me in the gallery too. I'm very proud of these little pieces.
Hanging from the lamp by the side of me are several bookmarks and other tatted pieces that I've been given in exchanges. Also a couple of little 'dangles' from the mad witch in London - love, light and peace!!! Well, we all know who THAT is!!! SueH!!!!! Ah, there's also a tiny witch hanging there too which she sent me - just as a reminder that she's forever watching me!!! Actually, she's more likely to be 'watching out' for me (as in looking after her aged tatting friend when I get myself into bother). She's the sort of mate that even if she thinks you're wrong she'll stick up for you through thick and thin.

Crochet hook

I'm popping a picture of this crochet hook that I bought at Tat Days. It's from Georgia Seitz's fair hands (or maybe Rich's)!!!! I bought two as I'm always losing things!!! It takes up to 7 seed beads at a time and will load them onto a picot worked in number 20 thread. The hook size is 0.4mm.

New Idea

Bad, bad, bad day yesterday with the new and 'top secret' (at the moment) idea. I'm ready to give up designing and tatting. BUT I've lived through these times before so I'll throw this second start at the wall, pick up the shuttles again another day and do what I always do - start again and again and again!!!!
I think the main problem this time is that I've tried to be too organised and have not used the tried and tested 'hit and miss' method. Because of what I'm going to do with it I'm also having to think very hard about the progression.
Oooooh, it's SO tempting to tell everybody about it - but I won't!!! I may make some more giveaways for a few days until I've recovered from this latest frustration.

Ta de dah! Trumpets blowing!!!

Finished. It needed some SLT's and that's made it work a treat. The only thing left to be done now is to re-organise the drawings, check it out again in a week or so's time and then put the web page together. Oh, forgot, I need to make loads and loads more for my Christmas giveaways!!! I shall do those on evenings when I'm not in the 'mood' for designing. I've made a grand start on a new design. This time I'm not sharing until it's done and then I'm going to do it a 'different' way. Not telling you what I'm up to this time but I can promise you it'll be new!!!!!!

Progress and a final solution!

Yesterday I made time to stock up my Etsy store which you can find here. As well as some new tatted items I've added some Aero England shuttles. Now to sit and wait and see what happens!!!! I've sort of given up on Ebay at the moment just to see if I can make a 'go' of Etsy. I've got some earrings listed which are pretty cool and very sparkly. Also a couple of seahorses and a butterfly or two!!!!

Another look at the centre of this motif and I decided (not only to make it faster to work) to change it quite drastically. Instead of small SRs I changed them to larger ones and then left out the round of chains joining to them. This now means I can add beads to the centre which is always a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I'm really pleased with the way the 'odd' sort of split chain is working but I promise to write out the pattern for those who don't like split chains and who are happy with tying, cutting and hiding ends!!!
Don't look toooooo carefully at the scan as you will see that I haven't blocked it. I don't very often block things out relying on a 'perfect' (I know, there's no such thing!) design to make things lie flat in the first place. So I will block this later BUT I'll also look at the stitch count on the lock stitch chains too. Tat'll keep me out of mischief for a while!!! This is, by the way, at least the 5th whole test tat of this motif and I'm still not quite happy with it!!

The motif again!

OK, so this is a fine design as far as I'm concerned and is probably worth putting on the pattern pages. The two examples below are worked in a number 40 (on the left) and number 20 (on the right). The only 'concerns' I have over this being my Christmas giveaway is the amount of time it's taking me to do the centre. As I need to work between thirty and forty of these they have to be relatively fast to make. I am going to have to look at this again carefully. The part that slows it down for me is adding beads to the central SRs and performing a lock join at the same time. Perhaps it's a case of me needing more practise doing this. However I will see if I can simplify the pattern by replacing the chains round the SRs with larger SRs