Another pair!

This time and for a change I thought I'd re-visit this pattern - just to check it out!!!

I've always liked the earrings I made this way and the 'sticky out' parts at the sides do keep their shape. The ones I made years ago have just got scruffy and I'm so, so bored with them too!!!! These are an easy and interesting tat too. Oh, I did actually stick to the pattern too - for once!!!

More books which have to 'go'!!!

I have more books (tatting and crochet) that I picked up for a good price.  If you want them just leave me a comment or email me.  The prices (without postage) are below each picture.  If you're going to the Fringe Element Tat Days in a few weeks time I can bring them with me.

Coats Edgings in Crochet book 772 - price £1.50.

 Coats Time for Tatting - price £2.00

 Coats Crochet Design no. 295 - price £1.00

Gun Blomqvist and Elwy Persson - price £4.50

Hearts and problems!

Now in amongst some beads I was given a month or two ago were two Swarovski heart beads. Least they sparkle SO much I assume that's their pedigree.

They simply HAD to be made into earrings. What else would you do with them?

I went to the Winsome Drop pattern and thought I'd make the second version of that.  Well, 'sort of'!  So, here it is (top picture).

Well a day later and after losing and finding one of them I decided to get the scissors out and chop them up!! I just wasn't happy with the very long picots and the way they didn't look the same each side. 

Back to the shuttles and the bottom picture is what fell off them this time!!! Now I AM pleased with them. They're very difficult to photograph as they sparkle SO much!!!!  I chose the yellow beads as the hearts have a yellowish glitter to them.  It took me a bit to work out how to attach them as there's only one hole (from back to front) in the heart.  Still, job done and onto the next, eh?

The time has come

The walrus said .........

Well that's not true, really. It was BC3 who actually said it t'other day!! 

I was looking at my rather vast earring collection and thought how bored I was with it. It's a few years since I've made any new ones. I have a 'thing' about earrings which I've probably mentioned before. I like them to be 'lacy' but they HAVE to withstand being worn - a LOT!!!! 

If earwigs are too lacy then, even after stiffening, they do tend to bend and that's the end of life as far as I'm concerned. So, I always use a lot of beads!! A LOT of beads!!! This pair also uses the metal rings that I've got left too. 

The technique is one that I came up with some years ago shortly after I'd 'invented' the long beaded picot (that only happened because I'm mathematically challenged and hated adding beads to thread in the 'right' order of colour/size).  This is the way I did these earrings.

I'm definitely now in 'earring mode' so you'll probably see a few more pairs over the next few days!!!

Not quite tatting!!

Many people say to me when they see me tatting - 'oh, isn't that crochet or almost the same'?

Well I gently explain that it isn't like crochet as this is a knotted lace. Anyway, today's post is sort of about crochet. I didn't learn to crochet til I was 32 years old. Almost 20 years after I'd learned to tat. I only tried it because I had an old aunty (my gran's sister, who I learned to tat with) who was, I guess, sort of jealous that I could tat but not do her 'sport' of crochet. So, I got a book from the library and made myself learn to crochet. It's my 'go to' craft when I want to do something different.

While on my walk round the rec (short for recreation grounds) and back through the canal basin on Sunday I spotted a sign on one of the narrow boats advertising crochet items for sale so I took some pictures to show you!!! These show the windows of the boat with the pieces that are for sale. 

That didn't work, then!!!!

Do you remember this t-shirt? Well it looked lovely on and people complimented me on it.

It went through the wash but, as I expected, it failed dismally and came out all limp and horrid.

Next 'stage' was to cut it off altogether but I really wanted to use it. As I was still not happy about the neckline (felt it was a bit too low for a 'lady' in her later years) as it showed up more of my wonderful wrinkles which I'm proud of but not really happy to 'share' with others in case they embarass them!!! Well, that's my story.

So I found a piece of fabric to match the background of the t-shirt, a sheet of newspaper (the Stratford Herald has it's uses!!!) and a pair of scissors.

I cut a pattern out and got cracking with the sewing machine and this is the result!!! I'm right chuffed with it now and it'll certainly survive the washing machine!!!!