I think I'm going daft

OK, those who know me or read this blog will probably say I'm already daft!!

I've been making roly poly bags and pouches during the daytime for weeks now (not every day as the Hawthorne and other jobs 'got in the way') and then tatting in the evening.  Well, you know that as I've been blogging what I've been doing!!!

As I sew then I often think about the tatting part of the day and how to resolve 'problems'.  So, by the time we've had our main meal and I've settled down in tat corner it's usually about seven o'clock.  I'm raring to go with tatting by then and have a clear idea of how progress should continue.

So, why, oh why doesn't brain cell # 3 'click in' until nearly nine o'clock?  

Again I tried another couple of versions of the tree yesterday evening and at 9 (ish) decided that I'd just change the start of it and give it 'one last fling'.  

Below is that final 'fling' and I think this is going to work!!!  I can see that the bead count and stitch count on the bottom chains need 'tweaking' and I'll have to mount the trunk onto something to hide the pin but I think it's going to be a winner!!!  I didn't add the star on this one or finish it off.  I think I'll add a large bead to the bottom for the tree base tying off the ends below.

Just played yesterday!!!

The battle of the Hawthorne tree is over at last!!!  A week long battle trimming the tree in the garden has now ended so I can get back to more serious tatting, I hope!!!  

Having said that, I think I will have to make more roly poly tat bags and pouches.  I sold a matching pair in Etsy yesterday - the fastest sales I've ever made after listing.  I was sort of secretly hoping that the red bag and pouch wouldn't sell as I'd earmarked those for myself!!!  Good job I've got some more of that fabric left!!!

Anyway, yesterday evening I managed to do another sequin in colours which I wouldn't normally look at together!!!!  

I also finished off the other small dangle too.  

The blue ring is one of many, many that SueH has sent to me over the past year or two.  I did find time to sort them all out the other day and have now put all the sizes together in groups.  Not an easy task when some are 'slightly' larger/smaller than others.  Many thanks to Sue for all the rings - this blue one was just perfect.

          

I started this in January!!!!

Before I start my morning ramble I must mention that I listed some new roly poly tat bags and poke proof pouches yesterday in my Etsy shop.
OK, that's the sane bit over and done with. Now back to 'normal'!!!!!

Daft, I know but I did start this new idea in January (well Christmas was still in my mind!!!) but then made no progress. In fact this is as far as I got.  It's going to be a Christmas tree brooch.  Well, in theory!!!  What I really, really want to do is make a brooch.  I'm just SO fed up with earrings!!

   

I decided to have another go again during the last few days. 
The first problem, of course, is how to 'hide' the fastening at the back so I set off again with a 'braid' trunk thinking that would do it.

I got slightly further than that in January as you can tell from above, but really gave up as I realised that whatever I did the fastening would show through and the branches were so ghastly.

Then, a few days ago brain cell # 3 suggested a way of hiding the fastening behind the braid. Mind, she hasn't EXACTLY worked it out but ..........

So I've been playing. Below are the results and all worked without stopping too!!! Actually, while I was dropping off to sleep I realised that it might be better to reverse the order of working so - back to the drawing board later today!!!!

Playing with an old motif!

This is a motif I did years ago and it's on my web site. 

The reason for yesterday's 'play' with it was twofold.  I wanted to see how sizes worked out using a quilting thread I bought in America last year.  This thread would be fine used singly for a handkerchief edging but used double it gives a lovely firm result.  In fact, come to think about it, I'd probably always use it double or even treble for everything!!

I wanted to see if the motif would work out for an earring in this thread.  I don't think it does as works out a bit too big.

I've scanned both sides of the motif and then below those pictures is a scan comparing it to an earring worked in a number 80 thread.  (Don't like the colours on that one, though!!!).

      

I wonder how many I'll do before I get bored? 

Yesterday I used another sort of sequin which is a hollogram one. I'm hoping it doesn't look quite so 'grey'.

Just before going to bed I picked up a couple of shuttles and started to play with something that I'd been trying to sort out in January!!! Within a space of ten minutes I'd got it sorted. Least, I think I did. I reckon I'd better play with that today rather than more tat dangles!!!!!

Christmas is round the corner!

Well, not really!! I like to start early on my Christmas giveaways so that I can do them as and when I feel like it!!! This year I wanted to use a sequin as the basis but this has proved a long winded design as the end result has to pretty fast to work or I get fed up!!!!

I finally came up with the idea below. I may add more beads to the outsides of the SR's but that's all.

Oh, do have a close look at the points of the motif. Can you see how every other one is repeated? Having discovered that new way of adding beads to a picot has made this possible without all the hassle of counting the beads onto a thread and working out the other beads to fit in with these.

Life with beads is good in tat land - long live brain cell # 3!!!!!