Yesterday was a 'play day'!

I've given up on the little tree I've been working on for a few days. Frustration set in!!

My sister's been around this weekend and she gave me some magnetic clasps. I'd bought some in the USA so wanted to test both for myself. I feel better for having a 'play day'. I must do some autopilot stuff today - an order from a friend and then after tat? Who knows!!!

Here are the results of yesterday's play.

Late, sorrrryyyyy

I know that Christmas has come and long gone but time seems to rush by. Something to do with getting older, 'they' say!

Anyway I haven't spoken yet about the gift I received in the Secret Santa exchange that Giina Brummet ran on the tatting goddess list.

My huge jiffy bag arrived about ten days before Christmas and the address looked familiar. Me, being me eventually got curious and looked it up in my address book. Ah, Carol Lawecki. Now Carol's been a great tatting friend for years. She used to test tat my 'bits' in the early days. Now she's working and raising two teenagers she's got a very busy life.

I was very, very good and waited til Christmas Day. Very difficult as it was sat in front of my armchair all the time!

Anyway, what was in the bag?
Inside were lots and lots of goodies. A lovely picture - framed beautifully - of Pam Palmer's partridge in a pear tree. Then there were sweets and chocolates (looooong gone!). The tins are now being used to store things (the emotitats live in one to stop me losing them!).

Also in the packet was a ring pull thing that you have on name tags in offices. On this was a tag with my name beautifully tatted attached. There were also notelets (made by Carol's mum), tea bags (yummy), beads in a dear little sachet, a key ring (with more tatting in the clear part), three spools of quilting thread (which I've already 'test tatted' and found superb especially for jewellery), flossing 'thingies' and finally needle pullers (best things since sliced bread - LOVE them).

Nick and James sat and watched me open each little packet and oooh and aaah. They were quite a lovely shade of green by the time I'd finished!!!

Denim purses

Just before Christmas these two dear little denim purses arrived from Grace Kock - another tatter I've met via my dear friend the internet and our associated passion, tatting. Aren't they cute?

New edging

This is an edging I've been working on for a month or two. It's worked in one pass (no second row to go back and 'do'!).
There is also a corner which could prove useful when doing a hanky edging. Currently I'm using it with a number 30 thread and making neck and sleeve edgings for a new tshirt. I call this my 'autopilot' tatting as it's relaxation when I've finished playing with new ideas!
I'm hoping to add this to my web site in a few weeks time along with the Palmetto patterns for 2007 and one or two other 'forgotten' pieces that I've found lurking on my computer.

Last ring of the season!

I just HAD to find an excuse to use the thread that Carol Lawecki sent me in the Secret Santa exchange so what better 'test' than to make a final finger ring. These need a firm thread and, like the Dual Duty that I showed t'other day, this one has that quality. It's a Coats quilting thread.

I had three colours to choose from. Green, pink and brown. Just lately two of my favourite combinations are pink and brown. I've tried photographs of these but they didn't work too well. These are scans and still don't give a true idea of this stunning colour combination.

Ring in the New Year

Corny, or what? This is what I was playing with last night. Two new finger rings. The pattern is here if anybody wants it. The green is worked with the Dual Duty thread which my friend TatBit sent me. The gold is worked with the 'new to me' Oren Bayan which I got from Tatting and Design. This is a metallic thread which works up beautifully and is easy to use.

Finished the letters!

Here they are in all their 'glory'. Flowered and butterflied with gold threads and Madeira. I will Scotch guard them when the weather is fine (better to spray them in the garden) and then they're ready to go!! Below the individual letters is the final hanging.

Last letter now 'bordered'

Done. That's the last one finished!!! Now to add some butterflies, flowers etc. At least I think that's what I'll do!!!!

Next two done

The next two letters are finished - just one more to go. I'm thinking of adding some flowers and butterflies using gold and silver threads. These letters really look much better in 'real life' than the scans show.

Back to the B again!

This is what I've done to one of the B letters. I will do a border for each of them in different colours. Then - well, I'll show you what I plan to do next in due course.
Well, actually I'm really making this up as I go along so even that may change!!

Next stage

I have mounted my letters onto some pink denim. I will now put a border round each one and then (probably!) put some small flowers and butterflies on each. This is the 'prettying up' part and is the process which I've been looking forward to most - naturally!

Letters finished

I've now completed the four letters I need. I'm now going to mount each separately onto some pink denim fabric which I'll stiffen with some buckram. Heck, I'll not sit here telling you about it - I'll show you as I go along!!!
After this they'll probably need decorating with - more tatting!!!!

Letters - part 3

This is a bit better and I may settle for this one. I shall start on the next one today. I must admit I always start with the hardest thing first so that the rest 'seems' as if it gets easier. Life should've told me by now that this isn't necessarily so!!!!!

Tatted letters - part two!

This isn't good. I know it isn't good so I'll have to have another re-think!!! I don't like the centre where the top and bottom part of the B meets. I'm going to try it again but taking out those two rings and putting in chains instead. OR even a split ring. More thought needed on this. I also realise now that this won't be like Julie's HO, HO design as I'm not going to put chains on the other sides of the rings. I'm going to add beads instead!!!
Back to the start again, Jane!!!!

Tatted letters

I need some tatted letters. None of the patterns I've aldready got were 'quite right' for what I have in mind!! That is until I got my Newsletter from the Tatters Guild of Australia - the New South Wales branch. One of the 'gals' in the group is Julie Patterson and she's got a super pattern in the November issue for a Ho, Ho, Ho wall hanging. It's just those letters but they are exactly the size I need. So I wrote and asked her if she would be doing the other 24 letters of the alphabet!!! I know she's very, very busy at the moment but I thought I'd ask!!! Unfortunately she hasn't done the letters I need so I'm having to muddle my way through devising my own (based on hers!). Here's the first one 'in progress'!! Once I've done the other two that I need I'll send her my notes in case they are good enough for her to use.

Two more emotitats!

I did two more emotitats last night. A wry smile one and a scary one. I've added them to my web page and I'm emotitatted out now!!! Off to play with something else this evening and I don't suppose there'll be much more going on on this blog for a few days.
Well did I just say that? Hmmmm, perhaps I could share the next project!!!!

Emotitats

Thanks to Wally the new name has stuck in the aged brain and I LOVE it.
Last night I played again so I'm going to list the ones done below.
First of all there's a happy face (tweaked from yesterday's!)

Next there's the sad face also tweaked.

This is the kissing face (with the eyes closed!)

Next the sticking the tongue out face!!! Rude!!

Finally this one needs more work but it's going to be the 'wry smile' face. I need to work on the chain for this one.

I'm also going to explore the possibility of making larger versions of the emotitats but naturally these will need more work done in the 'eye' area!!! Should keep me out of mischief for a while!!! I hope to start a web page later today with the completed ones on it. I will add to it as I make them.

Go tat a smile - or not!!!

PS - thanks to Wally Sosa these are now going to be known as 'Emotitats' in future. Great name, Wally.

Last piece finished!

This is the other edging (same pattern as yesterday's) that I needed to finish. This time it's on a low cut round necked shirt and I've sewn it on so that it overlaps the edge which I think it makes it a little bit different. Well, I've never done and edging that way before!! I'm hoping that you can see how I've sewn it on from the picture. I slipped a piece of card underneath it to show it up and I see that there are some fold lines on that. They're not unfinished ends, promise!!!

Edging finished

I managed to finish the edging AND sew it on yesterday! As you can just see on the picture - the shirt was from Walmart (at least I think it's Walmart that sell Faded Glory). I love this brand of shirt as they wash SO well. Tat's another 'thing to do' off my list of WIP's!!!
Oh, this is the pattern I used just in case anybody wants to use it!!!

Finishing off odds and ends

I'm making myself finish off some bits and pieces. This is an edging for a tshirt that I started before our trip to the USA in August. I took it for something to do while we were over there but I then had some stuff to make for a friend instead. Anyway, before I allow myself to go onto the next new design I'm making myself finish them. This is the first one. I need to finish one more repeat and then I can sew it on. I'll show you that when I get it done!!!

What a difference an iron makes!!!

Linda posted a comment about the kangaroo yesterday which made me think and take another look at it. She asked if I'd altered the stitch count as the back looked different. Well I have to admit it did look naff but I'd not tweaked that part. You see when I work a pattern I believe that it should naturally lie flat (unless it's 3D, of course!!). So when I fling something onto the ironing board I just damp and press. I must've flung it down wrongly so this morning I have gently pulled it into shape and pressed it again!!! Looks a lot better now!!

Yesterday I had a good day, a very good day. I got accepted back at blood donor and have now 'done' my 68th donation!!! Simple things please simple people!!!

Now I'm sure!

I'm sure she's finished now. I made the back legs two block rows longer from the hip to the joint. This has made a whole lot of difference. Of course this threw a lot of the text out and that had to be re-jigged too. Maybe one more bit of adjusting needs to be done where the chain from the second back leg to the joey just may need a ds or two less. I'll look at it again in a few days time.

I'm playing with a new 'quickie' idea at the moment. Not sure if it'll get anywhere - we'll see!!!!

A litle relaxation

After the trials and tribulations of the kangaroo I gave myself a day of relaxation!!! I need to add these motifs to bangles before I put them away - or give them away!!!
I did have an idea for another little pattern which I hope to work on AFTER I've finished the kangaroo.
Last night my friend Jules in Ozland wrote to say she has accepted my offer and is going to use the kangaroo in their newsletter. I'm really, really flattered to be accepted by such a talented group. Thanks, Jules and Toni. This is where this pattern will make her debut!!! I do have other 'stuff' ready to upload in January so there won't be a 'gap' and then there's this latest small but (hopefully) amusing idea which is brewing!!!

Kangaroo - nearly, nearly finished

Ta de dah. Thanks to a really, really wet and horrid day here in the U.K. I was able to sit down with the laptop in the afternoon and concentrate on the kangaroo.

I used two shades of brown as I think they look pretty cool. There are a few places that need 'tweaking' but I'm getting quite pleased with it now. The text needs to be checked (along with the tweaking) and the drawing needs quite a bit of work too.
Ah, this time I'm trying another idea with the text. I know that a lot of people like to do 'front side, back side' tatting so I've written the pattern in order to help those people. Let me show you the start of the text for the kangaroo.
R1: 2 vsp 6 vsp 4 - 4 Cl RW
Ch: 6 RW
R2: 3 + (R1) 3 vsp 3 – 3 Cl RW
Ch: 8 RW
R3: 3 + (R2) 3 vsp 3 – 3 Cl RW
Ch: 8 RW
Can you see where I've used italics? That's to show where you start a ring (or chain) using second half of double first followed by first half ds. (Like the second side of a SR).
The kangaroo is worked in one 'hit' so no cutting and tying until you get to the end.

Oh, nearly forgot to add the picture!!!

Kangaroo and trees

My adopted son, Mark Myers, suggested that the joey should be facing sideways. I'm going to try to make him look upwards at his mom when I do another draft. Thanks, Mark.
Last night I made brooches. I started late afternoon and used the Christmas tree earwig pattern. I made the last chain slightly longer and have added small coilless safety pins to the back. I want to give one or two to the ladies who work and smile all the time at the local Post Office. They're always asking me what I'm sending out in my ebay packages and finding me the cheapest way to mail them too. Here they are.

Day 8 - final draft, phewwwww

This is the final draft. I'm so pleased to have got to this stage. I shall now leave it for a few days while I make Christmas tree earwigs and other play stuff.
When I get back to the kangaroo I shall use brown/tan thread and start tweaking it. The mother's head needs to be slightly larger, there are 'issues' with the back legs and tail and perhaps the joey needs a bit more work too. I'm beginning to see that this pattern will eventually be OK.
I think I've also devised a method of writing it down for 'front side, back side' workers which may make it easier for all (WHO WANT TO) to use this method. Personally I don't bother if the item I'm making is going to be seen from both sides but in the case of the kanagaroo I think I shall only sew it onto something (or do what I usually do - chuck it down somewhere in the houselose it and forget it!!).

Day 7 of the kangaroo

I looked at yesterday's start on the front leg with the block tatting and decided that it just would NOT do. It was time to have a whole new start!!!
The main problem with this leg was that the worker would have to remember to do the block tatting in the reverse order from normal. By that I mean that the first chain would have to be second half ds followed by first half. The second chain would then have to be first half, second half. Even I have a problem remembering that so tat's another grand idea down the drain!!!
Below is a whole new start. The tail is slightly shorter but still not right. The joey's head is a little better but still needs sorting. That front leg is going to HAVE to go. It's never going to work like that!!!

Day 6 of the kangaroo

Last night a new kangaroo was born. The first long tailed kangaroo!!! Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!! I'm happier with the new block tatted legs but the tail turned out way too long as the whole thing has been thrown into a new position!!! If you look at the tail it's now coming from further down the back.
Something which could help pull her back into a better position is if I join the chain from top of the second leg to the chain leading to the joey.
Th lower parts of the legs need to be slightly longer and perhaps another two rows of block tatting will cure that - I'll try it tonight.
The joey is by no means right either! The head is too big and doesn't have the 'cute' factor yet. I used a ring for the mouth so that the head appears to peek over the top of the pouch. More work needed on that too. I've a feeling that if I join the head to a later chain so that it overlaps the upper body that might also help. Tonight I'm going to start again on a new tail etc - probably!!!

Day 5 of the kangaroo

Well here we go again. I undid the second leg that I started last time and then did the one below. I really, really don't like the legs at all so went back to the drawing board. This is the drawing I've done for another new start!!! Oh, the agonies of designing. Why, oh why do I do it? Why can't I just be happy to sit and make things rather than pushing myself through these hurdles?

Kangaroo? What kangaroo?

Day off kangarooing yesterday.
I do have some tatting news to report, though. I went to the Lace Fair which was being held about twenty miles away. I'd arranged to meet up with Jennifer and Sheila there which was great. We met up at Lyn Morton's stall (Tatting and Design). It was lovely to see Lyn and Mike again and I soon spotted a lovely pendant she was wearing. She was selling the thread that she used for it which was a gold, sparkly one. The problem was that she had a range of shades so making decisions was hard. I'm a real ditherer when it comes to this sort of thing so find that the easiest way round it was to take three shades!!!
Jennifer and her friends (two Welsh 'dragons' and a Scottish/Welsh one) that she'd brought with her and I all went to have lunch together. Lots of tat talk of course!! Then back to heaven - whoops, sorry, I mean the vending room.
From another place I bought a lovely pouch with clear pockets inside like one that SueH has got. Here's a link so you can see it. They had very few colours and the one I fell for was purple!!!
Also I got to speak to Pam Palmer. Yes, the real Pam Palmer. The last time I met her was about twenty years ago when she was more interested in my back!!! The reason for that was because I had one of my jackets on with one of her designs on it. I'll try and find the pictures she took - I only saw them a month or so ago! I've made lots of her patterns in the past and in those days they went onto my jackets. Now those designs are on hangings round the house! Pam, I might add, didn't look any different from when I last saw her. I asked her when her next book was coming out and she did say she was going to look through her stuff after Christmas and would see how she felt about things then. Keep your fingers crossed, folks!
Well that's about it for yesterday. I'm now going to take a serious look at the kangaroo again. May get something done about her this afternoon as it's persisting with rain today!!!

Day 4 of the kangaroo

Now don't laugh. NO, I asked you not to yesterday too! I shall throw this out of the window if I hear you laugh again! I didn't do much more of the first sample yesterday - for obvious reasons!!! The head is the bit at the top right hand corner. I'd lost interest by the time I got there and also had a few too many interruptions along the way. That's the picture on the left dealt with!!
Now for the one on the right. As you can see - I've started again. This time the tail and back leg are a lot, lot better. I started on the second back leg but that's going to be taken undone tonight as I'm not the least bit happy with it. I'm trying to think all the time about how this would look in 'kangaroo colours' and not the blue and yellow I'm using.

Day 3 of the kangaroooo

Now I beg you not to laugh at last night's attempt. Honestly I'm still making a kangaroo. Sometimes I know it stretches the imagination!!! I've decided to still 'go with the flow' but I've stopped writing down what I'm doing as it will all have to be changed.
OK, let me try and analyse this.
Main leg is OK - just needs tidying up.
The tail is not long enough and is at a funny angle - again it's almost there.
The back at the top of the leg is sagging. Needs a fair bit of attention.
Now the other leg is - well, in the wrong place but I feel that it will be just another matter of playing with it.
The joey (looks like an alien at the moment) is horrid!!.
The arms are sort of OK but the shoulder etc isn't right. I started the face but it really was too late in the evening.
By the way, that's only half a face there!!!
The way the kangaroo is 'hunched over' will correct itself in the final chain from the head to the shoulder - least it SHOULD!!!

Kangaroo!

Well, actually, no kangaroo. Didn't pick up a shuttle all day. Life got in the way!!