When I was over in America I was invited to teach at the Palmetto Tatters guild meeting which was held the week after Tat Days in Lexington Museum. I’m always wary of going to museums in case they think I’m a fossil and need to be exhibited.
Tim (who sadly couldn’t ‘quite’ make it to Tat Days) was there so I plonked myself down next to him (poor man) as he’d been test tatting Juliana for me and I really wanted to say a proper thank you to him.
He showed me a ‘new to me’ trick which I haven’t seen before and which I said I’d draw up and put on my web site. I’ve been using it ever since.
What I particularly like about this trick is that it puts the second shuttle (or ball thread) into the right place for a following split ring which has always been a problem to me in the past. The only thing I’d suggest if you decide to use it is that you cover the shuttle one end with doubles for the majority of that first ring. Reason? Well Tim says that if you sew in your ending ends that first little end COULD pull out. That's not happened to me yet!
Thank you, Tim. Nearly forgot to put the link in!!!
I do it like that too!! I was sure the tip came from my favourite TOG! Wonder where I did learn it....
ReplyDeleteI don't claim to have invented it! I just do it.Especially handy if using 2 colors.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this but haven't tried it I am an old dog it's a new trick😀
ReplyDeleteI 2nd that.
DeleteGood trick. This would work just as easily when starting with a single shuttle (which I've tried) or with a ball thread.
ReplyDeleteGreat trick Tim/Jane.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I do the same. I remember that once Edda Guastalla showed this method in Facebook, can't remember when it was. Sometimes I leave the loop opened till the end and use it to join the last end to the first ring.
ReplyDeleteI hide my initial ends like that when starting a single ring or adding a ring thread. Never thought about doing it as a way to join in the chain thread though.
ReplyDeleteHow does it go when you join into the base of the ring? does the ball thread you added stay where it should?
Liyarra - yes it does as long as you snug up that loop tightly and don't let the second shuttle/ball dangle. I LOVE it for starting off with a split ring as it puts the second shuttle in just the right place. Like all techniques it takes a bit of getting used to!!!
ReplyDeleteNinetta - I must've missed Edda's post but then I don't often spend time on Facebook!!
ReplyDeleteLiyarra, it will work with a ball thread as long as you don't add any pressure on that thread until you have started the chain stitches on the core thread. I wouldn't use it to end off, unless I have secured all threads before pulling the tail in the loop into the ring. (That's my personal choice.)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing. Blessings.
ReplyDelete