Needle tatting 1

I can date this picture - it was around the 1970/80's and was done shortly after I'd bought Ed and Selma Morin's new and revolutionary needle tatting book (and the needles too) from America.  In those days I had to buy dollars from the bank and then send them off with a letter to the address I'd found.  This had to go by surface mail as airmail was far too expensive.  It was my first sighting of needle tatting since Ed developed it to help Selma continue a craft she loved.  She was a shuttle tatter who sadly lost her sight.  As far as I can find out this way of making knots may have been tried earlier in the century but obviously didn't 'catch on' for reasons which I can understand!

I quite liked this picture but it never got finished off or framed as you can see.  I was already making the giraffes as earrings in a size 20 thread.  I thought I was going to get on OK with needles - BUT when I tried with a fine needle and fine (as in size 20) thread I realised it was NOT the same as shuttle tatting.  Too 'puffy' for me and not what I call 'lacy' looking.  

Another day I'll show you a large project that I needle tatted but be prepared - it's UGLY.  REALLY ugly.

Tattysaurus

Now I can date the Tattysaurus.  He's around 20 years old and was one of the reasons for me forcing myself to learn how to put things on the internet.  You see, roughly around that time, I'd met up with Nick and we were both learning to use computers and the internet.  

One of the first things I ever did when I learnt what a search engine was was to put 'tatting' into it - this was pre-google from what I can recall.  I found several people (all in America) who I slowly made contact with.  At around that time I'd got the first lot of owls done too.  

Having 'done' the tattysaurus I realised that the pattern was waaaaaay too big to print (ink was/is expensive) and post (also expensive to send abroad) or to email too as we only had (slow to go) dial up in those days.  So I had to learn how to make my own space on the internet.

Fortunately at that time I was temping for a company which made software for the tourist industry and the boys there gave me a ten minute lesson.  That's the truth too.  From that ten minute lesson (thank you, Jon) I worked out how to get files 'up there' and by making many mistakes on the way I finally got the hang of it.  I must mention Mark Myers here who emailed me several times to tell me what I was doing wrong - thanks, Mark.   Tattysaurus lives in a box on the top of the tatting cupboard!!! He's very happy there and now that I don't do demonstrations at shows, he's in retirement!!!!

Coming up over the next week or two

A trip down memory lane!!!!  I decided to go on the hunt in the various boxes and suitcases with tatting in and take photos to show you.

I think I did this about thirty years ago.  I have only the 'before divorce' and 'after divorce' to go on and I know it was 'before'.

Actually I really can't remember except that it took ages and ages.  The underskirt is done in a 20 white and stiffened with PVA glue and the overskirt is in a number 80 with lots of beads.  She's not very pretty and her parasol used to look a lot less 'jaded'  and battered but that's what happens when you've been thrown in a drawer/box/moved house twice for years and years.  Wish I could remember when I did her.  

Before you ask - there is no pattern and she's totally tatted except for the hair. The beads are included in the work too.  

Finished and up

Well here they are.  Done, dusted and actually hung up at the windows.  I'm amazed at that as usually things get put down somewhere in this house and then they disappear.  

So, first of all a picture taken from the outside.  Can you see two jigglies on the sash and my Aunt May plant standing in front of the wall?

Beneath are two pictures taken from inside (just by tat corner).  In these two you can see two of my new indoor plants - spider plants.  One has leaves which curl which I've never seen before.

So, here endeth the saga of the curtains - I never want to make anymore ever again.  Well, not until the next time I feel the urge or need!!!!

What's going on?

Do you remember this little motif?  Well BC3 decided that it could lead to something bigger!!!  

I'm off on an adventure with this idea.  A doily perhaps?  Who knows but one thing I do know is that this isn't the end of it.  Other ideas are percolating in that old brain of mine!!!

Trying not to bore you all!

I don't like to be boring.  That's my biggest fear about regular blogging - becoming a bore!  So, today I'm going to show you a quick progress on the curtains.  These are the narrower side curtains for our front room.

I've nearly finished and have just four rows to do and here they are a few days ago!!!

When I started out on this mammoth task it was so that I would have something to do whilst sitting in the garden this summer.  I'm very sad to report that June is almost over and so far I've spent two afternoons working on them outside.  

Somebody asked how many hours they'd taken and I worked it out.  I reckon it's roughly 86 hours.  Not sure if that's right as my math is pretty darn dreadful!!!  Well each row took about quarter of an hour and in total there were 344 rows.