More experimenting!

Now this is one of the Catherine wheel motifs that you can find here.

Again I'm looking for something interesting that I could take to a class that has block tatting (the lazy way) as it's a technique that I'd like to encourage. So, I pulled out this pattern and made the one below.

Well it's fine as it is but it involves two rounds which never appeals to me. I like any tatting to work in one 'hit' without ANY cutting tying etc until the whole thing is completed. 

This idea hasn't 'quite' been consigned to the 'not a good idea' folder but I won't be using it as it is. 

Then along came BC3 and suggested that perhaps the general idea was OK and that me (his boss - I think) should think about it a little longer and see what I could do to change the basic idea to make it work. So, that's what I'm doing!!!

Scary spiders with beaded bendy legs!!!

Well here it is. The link that you've both (Sue Duckles and probably one other somewhere in the world) have been waiting for - scary spider earrings or  pendants or whatever you like to use them for!

I'm exhausted now - that was quite a rush getting the pattern done in time for Halloween but I did cheat!!!  I not only used the Terry Nimmer pattern but also used the Tatbead family idea for the legs.  Here's the link to that idea.

Here in the UK Halloween was not heard of until it became an 'American import'. We used to celebrate Guy Fawkes day on November 5th but that's become quite secondary nowadays to the 31st of October!!!

Here's my pair and I'm wearing them today - well, that's when I get dressed, of course!!!

Another commission

I was sitting at the new Thursday group last week and a friend asked if I could make a pair of spider earrings for her daughter!!!

When I got home I decided to look and see if I'd done spiders before and lo and behold there was one that Terry and I had worked on 8 years ago. Here's the link.

Well I decided that that one wasn't going to be an easy tat and I wanted something a bit more 'blingy' so BC3 was brought out of the cupboard and we came up with this - see below.

Now this has been a bit of a challenge even though it's a lot easier to work than the other one. Why? Well somebody told me that it's Halloween next week and I thought somebody somewhere may like to play with it before then and time is running out!!!

It will be available tomorrow when I've done a final test tat.  I do need a pair for myself now!!!

More seahorses!!!

Well after talking to lots of people in the library sale I had several ask for special commissions. 

I'd made some small handouts which I encouraged people to pick up so they'd got my details. I only put on my website and email address - no phone number as I try to remain pretty private if I can.

The first of the commission orders came from a lovely lady who must live locally as once they were done we met up at the end of her lunch break outside Shakespeare's Birthplace!!! That's one of the MANY good things about living in this town - you can arrange to meet people in easy to find places!!! These were for a friend of hers. 

Problem is - I'm now tempted to make another pair for ME with this super thread!!!

Now don't ask me why

The question is 'why did you make this little elephant'?

The answer would be 'I don't really know why'!!!!! 

I was experimenting with making it to offer as a class lesson should I apply to teach somewhere next year. 

Making a pattern for my own enjoyment (or, should that be torture!) is a totally different thing to making (or should that word be designing?) one for a class. 

Why? Well a class has a limited time slot and lots of people expect to finish a project within that class. Now this is almost impossible to design for as every student comes with different skill levels, different speeds of tatting etc so it's a bit of a guessing game for the teacher to get the pattern 'right'. My objective, too, is to get any new design element within the first half hour of the students arriving so they can get maximum benefit from the class. 

The elephant failed my test!!! Well, for now he has and will be put aside.  

While I was working HIM I thought of other ideas and, actually, while I'm typing this I've thought of another one!!!!