New necklace

The first picture here is of a necklace/bracelet which I bought while in America last year. It has magnetic beads so that you can wear it as you like. When I saw it I instantly thought 'tatting' but when I got it home I decided to wear it as it is. Now this was fine for about ten minutes when I realised that the non magnetic beads were sharp little beasties and jabbed into my neck or wrist. You can probably see that in the picture below.

Well I found some more of these in a local hardware store in town. Hmmmm, why that sort of store I don't know. They were in their sale so I bought two more.

Having thought about the unpleasant feelings of being stabbed constantly in the neck by the beadsvvI decided to go back to my original plan and replace the ordinary beads with tatting.
Here's one done and dusted. SO comfortable to wear. I will spray it with Scotch Guard to stop it getting mucky and will try to remember to wash my old turkey neck more than once a year!!!! Oh, the neck really is mine and not a turkey's. I daredn't show the face - too frightening!!!!

Neglecting this blog!

I'm afraid that this blog has been a bit neglected over the past week. I've been ebaying more of the little hearts and realised that last week the prices were probably a bit high. This week I've reduced them. I do hope that some wedding planners will see them as they'd be ideal for place cards, invitations etc.
The 'tat it and see' has taken over my life. That's good news to me as I do hate these winter months where there's nothing but rain, darkness and cold and this has really cheered up my days.
What has really surprised me most has been the way this idea has been so popular. I did think about a dozen people might take it up but ......... The really good thing is the relative new tatters who are also having a 'go'. As they didn't see the completed piece before starting there was nothing for them to look at and think 'that's too advanced for me'!!! I have had a few people ask for extra help which has also been good as I've learnt a lot about how to write/draw things too.
On Sunday after day 7 went out, my mail box just kept filling up with guesses. I've (hopefully) managed to keep up with them and have got a 'summing up' post to release at the 'close of play'. I'm hoping too to be inundated with finished pieces but even one or two would be good.
Finally the only really negative thing that's happened is that progress on a new pattern has staggered to a halt!! I am not really blaming the TIAS but my brain!!!

Tshirt edging finished AND sewn on!

Now it's one thing for me to finish a piece but it's another when it comes to sewing it onto fabric! I made this edging for the neckline and sleeves of a tshirt. I've devised a way of coping with myself in these situations. I will NOT allow myself to start something new until the whole project is complete - and that includes the sewing on!!
This is the edging which I've got almost ready to upload onto my pattern pages. Mary Jarvis has very kindly tested the pattern out for me and given me feedback on it. I will check this out in a day or two as I really would like to use it again to make a handky edging.

I'm very pleased with this edging as it really seems to 'flow' well from the lower to the upper part. I may well tackle something more difficult in the future.

Tatting Talks

Yesterday I went to a small village just outside of town to give a talk on tatting. (Last talk I did was in November - at another village).

I had the feeling that this might be an old age pensioners group and having done a few of those some twenty or more years ago I must admit to not being that enthusiastic. I used to find that the men weren't interested and dozed off and that there was always one lady who 'knew how to do it' and who conducted her own version of the talk in a loud 'whisper'.
Anyway, I arrived with my suitcase to find that we were in a small (and VERY cold) side room off the main hall. Anne, who had booked me, took me in and sorted some tables out for me and put the heating on. Heating in village halls is notoriously 'iffy' but this was magnificent and the room warmed up very quickly.

The 'victims' arrived and were mostly eldery (heck, Jane, so are you!) BUT and this is a VERY BIG BUT, they were very, very interested. I enjoyed every minute and was SO glad I'd taken all my best pieces with me. One lady had brought her own piece of tatting which she'd done many years ago. It was a cream doily in a fine (guess about 40) thread and had been done extremely well.

Another lady admitted that when she heard that the talk was going to be about somebody's hobby she wasn't all that keen to come but had really enjoyed hearing about 'tatting today'! I think they were most surprised at how many people were doing it worldwide.

Oh, I told them about the 'tat it and see' and I told them it was going to be a £$^%&*"!£%^&£ but I'm not telling anybody who reads this blog!!
One of the group was talking with me afterwards about being nervous of her computer and the internet. I told her about a scheme that the local library runs for 'silver surfers' to have an hour with a volunteer tutor. She may well go and ask for an hour and as I'm one of the volunteers we may well meet up again. I do hope so as she was such an interesting lady.

After the talk they had sandwiches, cake and tea. I was very good and only had a cup of tea - until I saw the chocolate cake!!! Now how many calories is that?!

Another little heart

Yesterday I decided to make another little heart.
Sadly I appear to have upset a dear friend with the other design which she says is very like one she designed some years ago. I have apologised and have been very upset to think I inadvertently upset her. This is the new one.
Having ordered lots more of the crystal hearts for the centres I felt I needed to use them when they arrive. I think these hearts would make very pretty accessories to wedding place settings, cards etc.
I have revised my listings on ebay and do hope that this will resolve the matter. I lost a night's sleep over this as I hate to think that I upset somebody that I respect and admire so much.

Hey, ho, a quiet day

Yesterday was a quiet day so I sat and made a few more of the hearts I showed on this blog yesterday. I got four done to list on ebay. I also listed four more Aero shuttles too. I must check the bag to see how many I've got left as I need to keep a few to replace mine as they break - not that they do very often. Perhaps I lose one every year or two but they certainly put up with a lot of wear and tear from me.
Here's one of the little hearts I listed today. They're here on ebay.

An ancient pattern!

I remembered that some years ago I did a heart pattern. The two intertwined ones below are what I made for my youngest daughter's wedding. We used them on the place settings.

A few weeks ago when I was out at the local garden centre (they also have a craft department on site) I found some very pretty heart shaped beads. They have a hole at the top and one at the bottom which go from back to front (or, front to back!!). I took a guess and found that they fit the little heart.

I'm wondering if I ought to put this pattern on my site. I must go and check to see if anybody's done it before!!!!

Well I've checked with one of my tatting gurus - Georgia Seitz (didn't want to bother Sue Hanson as she's so busy with HBT at the moment) and she's not seen it before. So, now I must put a page together and get it into cyberspace!!! Tat'll keep me quiet for an hour or ten!!!

Been tagged again!

Two people have now tagged me for the 'You Make My Day Award' so I'd better sort out my ten favourite blogs.
I love Teri Dusenbury's The Lover's Knot
I love her wacky sense of humour and her fantastic commitment to whatever she's doing at the moment.
Another of my favourites is Gina Brummett's Threads from a Tatting Goddess
I like this one as Gina always has something to say most days and it's always interesting to see what she comes up with.
Next is Pamela Myers as hers is just so pretty. I love her animals especially the camel. Can't wait to see more.
I love the 25 motif challenge and am forever grateful to Sharon for all the hard work she does on this. I've never joined in but do follow the progress of all the participants.
I did have another favourite which was walkingthestreets which has now dissapeared. This was an account of the daily life of a traffic warden. Wish he'd come back online.
There's another blog which I go to every so often but I'd rather not list the url as it's a family member (though not related). An interesting insight into a modern young mother's way of life.
Mark Myers blog makes me nearly pee my pants when he posts. I can't believe what he does with 'bits of string'.
I've only got seven so far so will come back to this later. There are way toooo many to choose from and I love them all.

A lovely motif

Yesterday morning a small packet arrived from America. Always great excitement when packages - or anything arrives for me that isn't a bill!! When I opened it there was the dearest little motif that looks SO like bobbin lace it's amazing to think that it fell off a shuttle!

Guess who it was from? Nah, too easy - just take a quick look and you'll know straight away. It's from my adopted son, Mark Myers.

Well I had to adopt him as I'm way too old to be his mistress and, sadly, he's far too happily married to Kim anyway. Sigh, sigh, sigh!!!!

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.