Another form of play!!!!

Re-visiting another old pattern of mine to make things to sell I've come up with further ideas.  This is the original pattern here.

Interestingly in the 'olden days' I didn't used to put dates on my patterns so I spent a long time researching to find out when I first did this one.  I had to use the wayback machine to find out!!!  It was in 2003 that I first uploaded this pattern - that seems a LONG time ago! 

It's pretty simple but you'll see that there are now other options to the original.  I guess this could be a dangle to hang off a handbag or a phone.  It works really well with the variegated threads, I think.  The top two are my first 'attempts' at this and below are the second variations.

More to come, I promise!!

Seahorses next!!!!!

I thought a few seahorses like this might be another thing I could 'make and take' to the medieval fair!!  I've got a few in my Etsy shop and they are pretty popular there.

This design always makes me smile.  Back in about 2001 (ish) I had a phone call from the crafts editor of a weekly magazine here in the UK.  I'd done one or two things for them before but this was 'urgent'.  Could I do a seahorse for them?  Could I do it within a few days?

Fortunately I'd done this seahorse a few years before so the 'mini' one sounded easy. 

I'll admit that my love for the mini one does somewhat stem from the fact that it did fall into place over the space of a few evenings!!!!  It was published in the magazine about eighteen months later - hmmmm, urgent, eh?  


I've been reading some interesting talk on the lists lately about copyright issues. I can tell you in all honesty that when a design is 'used and abused' by somebody else (the person added PICOTS and missed a ring out) AND it was then published in a tatting magazine it hurts.  


I'm not a worrier about this sort of thing usually but when I'd spent time working on something which I considered innovative then it's 'not on' that a person who'd bought the magazine off the shelves and made a few seahorses should think that they then owned the rights to reproduce it and call it theirs!!! 


OK, I understand that the lady who did this was elderly and didn't understand and it was all sorted out very amicably but there again I feel we should 'research' our new designs as far as we can to try and ensure we don't hurt anybody.  I'd HATE to hurt another tatter. 


OK, off the old soapbox and into the shower.  Looks like we may have warm weather here today!!!!!!

Pigs galore!!!!

As I've mentioned before (I think!) I've been invited to participate in a medieval fair in the town next month.  

I've never been to one of these things before to demonstrate and certainly never to sell things.  The lady who contacted me said I could sell things and that they'd like a 10% contribution on sales to give to a charity.  Not sure which charity but I hope to find out in due course.  

This was the reason for designing the earrings (Winsome ones), the button flower AND a.n.other which I'll tell you about in a few days time.

The patterns for the button, earrings and mystery will soon be ready to put on the web page.  I work on drawings etc during the daytime but life here has been hectic just lately so I've not quite finished!

Anyway, I wanted a break from making the aforementioned and decided to make pigs!!!  These aren't the flying ones - just walking ones!!!!

My most winsome yet!!!

Thanks to those who commented on the 'not netting' doilies yesterday.  All information very gratefully received.


Now back to the Winsome drop earrings.  


I think these two are the best yet.  

I haven't put the hooks on yet as I thought it might be easier to scan rather than photograph them.  BOY, do they sparkle.  


Sadly they sparkle SO much that it's difficult to get a good photo or scan!!!!  Hope these will 'do'!!!!!


I am working on three new (well, sort of new!) patterns at the moment and just need to check them out before I let them loose in tat land.  Keep with me, folks.  I'll get there in the end!!!

Last Friday

Last Friday I went to a coffee morning along the road.  The friend (and I do count her as a friend although I don't know her very well) who hosts these regular events is a Macmillan nurse.  Now so far in my life I haven't needed to contact anybody within this charity but I've always thought that the work they do and the caring way in which they do it is amazing. 

So, there I was drinking my coffee, eating cake (well, you simply HAVE to as they're all homemade and delicious) and talking to other neighbours and friends when suddenly I spotted these two small doilies.

They are netted.  Now I've got netted doilies hanging in my side windows instead of net curtains.  I made them and mounted them in brass lampshade rings a few years ago.  I self taught myself how to do netting some thirty or more years ago and really love this craft.  Somewhere I've got some small earrings made using this technique.

Anyway, what caught my attention was the fact that these two sweet things were so small.  The top one measures only 5 1/4" across and the bottom one is 5 1/2".  Can you imagine the size of the meshes (and, therefore, the needles) needed?

The doll's cot

This is the final word on the cot - I think!!!

We delivered it on Saturday.  Poor little lass had been poorly last week so this seemed a good idea to cheer her up.

When it was time for her afternoon nap she went to bed and told her mum she wanted the cot on the bed - hmmmmm, not very practical.  In the end a compromise was reached and here is a picture of her fast asleep with all the linen from the cot piled on top of her!!  Under her head is the tiny pillow.  

One happy new owner!!! I wonder if this cot will pass down to another generation?  

More earrings but another version!

So, I'm back on the earwigs again!!!!  You must've realised I'd get bored with the buttons after a few days!!!

Here are two more pairs of the Winsome Drop earrings.  

You'll see that I've added two long beaded picots this time BUT these are not joined to the next SR.  

I've taken them and joined to the 'space between'.  This has taken a bit of 'working out' to make them sit right.  I'll work on the pattern over the next few days too.  Off to deliver the doll's cot today in spite of the miserable rainy weather!!

More buttons with another version

Three more of the little buttons and one slightly different one!!!!

Well, actually that's not quite right!!  The only 'normal' one is the bluish one at the top of the group of three.  The other two in that group are the size 30 HDT wound with the sewing/quilting thread.  Not only does it make an interesting combination colourwise BUT it also makes it work up 'as' a number 20.  

So, the formula is 1 size 30 HDT (or any 30 thread!!!) + 1 size sewing thread = 1 size 20.  Even I can work that out and math ain't my favourite subject!!!

Do you like the one at the bottom?  I'll add this to the pattern page.  VERY simple adaptation but worth the extra effort.  Well, I think so.

The mini button flower again!!!

I'll have to confess.  I'm addicted to making these for now so you may see more!!!!

I'm going to experiment next with a number 30 HDT and a sewing thread wound together.  What will happen I hear you ask?!?!?!?

Maybe a nervous breakdown?  Maybe a lot of bad language?  Maybe even a success!!!  Just watch this space.  That's the space between my two ears where brain cell # 3 lives!!! 

For those who have just found my ramblings (common word usage is blog), I would like to point out that the above 'grey matter' (brain cell # 3) lives within the space where most people have a brain!  

He works hard for Tat Land - coming up with the 'oddities' in life!!!  He also has the most perverted sense of humour which gets his owner (or is HE the boss?) invariably into trouble from time to time!!

  

A butterfly brain - but not a butterfly!

Somebody once told me I'd got a butterfly brain and I'm beginning to think they're right!!!!  I never seem to get one thing finished before I start another!!!

I bought some wee four hole buttons off ebay - they're just under half an inch.  Actually it was Sally who showed me hers which 'forced' me to buy off the same seller.

This is what I'm doing with them.

I am using some of the Lizbeth thread that Sue Anna gave me and also (to follow!) some of my HDT too.  This one is SO pretty on the white pearlised button.  


There is a technique in this which I have used before - on the Lotus Flower brooch.  This is a teensy bit fiddly on this smaller button but it does 'anchor' the second round (and the first) to the edge of the button.  If you look at the second picture (the back) you'll see how well this works.   The neatness doesn't come about through me being 'fussy' - it just 'happens' that way.  I've nearly got the pattern finished to share too.


This is a rings and chains only design with a few beads added - 'just because'!!!!!  Well some of us round here can't tat without beads, can we?!?!?

 

Finished

Do you remember this project which I started on a few weeks ago?

Because of so many interruptions I didn't get a chance to finish it until this weekend.  Here it is in all it's 'glory'.  

When I think that the metal frame for this is almost as old as me (ancient!) then I'm astonished that it's still around!!!  It could be older than that, even!!!  I suppose in this day and age the whole project could be classed as 're-cycling'!!!!

Here are some pictures taken out in the garden (it wasn't a warm or sunny day as you can see).

I made a mattress, pillow, removeable pillow case, bottom sheet, top sheet and a throw for the dolls.  Really pleased how it turned out.

Monday again!

Well the beginning of another week.

 

Must say I learnt the odd thing from doing the giveaway.  Here are some thoughts about it.

I noticed t'other day that I've got nearly 200 followers so sort of guessed I'd maybe get around 120 participants.  Now that amount of followers might sound darn good but I wonder what it really, really means!!!  I know I'm an old cynic but I always question things in life.

I follow lots of blogs and always keep my dashboard open in one of my tabs (which I refresh regularly) so that I can see who's updated their blogs almost as soon as it's happened.  I wonder if others do the same?  As I have all these people who have at some time put me down as somebody they (bravely!) decided to follow I was somewhat surprised that 'only' 74 folks signed up for the giveaway.  Perhaps it was bad timing.  I only announced it on the blog.  Interesting, eh?

Ah, I didn't advertise the giveaway on any of the tatting lists.  Why?  Because I rarely go to them nowadays!!!  I belong to lots on yahoo which I 'dip into' when I have new patterns to announce or if I see a question that I can help with.  In that case I usually write to people privately.  The intatters forum is another that I belong to but find it too 'challenging' for my small brain!!!  I DO wish it had a 'daily digest' email option as my life would be complete if it did!!!!

Another 'thing' I didn't do was stipulate more options to the signing up procedure.  I find that (personally) I can never be bothered to join in these games if I have to 'jump through hoops'.  It's the thought of having to put 'buttons' on my blog, mention it and almost grovel to sign up that made me 'not' put any rules to joining in!!!!  I'm not a 'rule' sort of person!!!

Another point - nobody knew what 'it' was so that couldn't have put them off.  Perhaps a blind giveaway wasn't a good idea!!!!

Whatever else - it amused me and I was SO happy to give something away that was really worth having.  

The winner of the blind giveaway

It's Sunday and I NEVER blog on a Sunday!!!  

Well, today I am but just to tell you the results of the blind giveaway.  Using a wee app on the itouch which has a random selection part, I put in the numbers on my spreadsheet that I've been keeping.   There were 74 on the list and the winning number is 32 who is Wickedtats.

Oh, I'll also show you what she won.

Here you go!!!  A motley selection of pink!!!!

Don't get bored!!

Before I start my morning's ramble I'd like to remind those who read this that the giveaway ends soooooon.

I think this may well be the last of the earwig phase for now!!!!  I'm getting over it and will shortly be moving onto something else!!!

Did I hear somebody say 'where's the ejector seat'?  

Dear reader - there isn't one!!!!  I'm me, here and as always - just talking to myself.  

More of the same

There must be something wrong with me as I seem to get stuck on one thing for a while!!!  I'm enjoying these easy and relatively fast earwigs!!!

Carol Lawecki mentioned the pattern and I challenged her to think of a name for these.  She's come up with 'Winsome Drop Earrings' so now they're named they'll have to be shamed into becoming a 'real' pattern!!!!  ONE DAY!!!!!

Now for another earring phase!!!

First of all thanks for all the comments on the 1000 post.  Just one person didn't leave their email address - Corina if you're reading this could you let me have it, please?  In answer to tattingmarie's question - the first post was on 8th May 2006.

I need to do a few 'quickies' for a 'do' that I'm demonstrating at in June.  I've been told I can sell items too but from past and bitter experience I do know that this doesn't mean anything will sell!!!!!

Here are two pairs of earwigs!!!  I do like this pattern as it's very adaptable and easy to make!!!  Mind, not sure if it's new and not sure if anybody would want it!!!  

1,000 today!!!

No, no, no, NOT my age!!!  It's my 1,000 blog post today!!!

I'm going to do my first giveaway BUT you're not going to see what it is until the end!!!!  It's a 'blind' giveaway. So, get out the guide dogs and the white sticks and make a comment - or not!!!!   


No need to add buttons or anything to your blog, no need to tell anybody, no need to even comment on the blog either!!!!  You could just email me.  Just let me know your name and your email address.  Simple - just like me!!!!  I won't publish comments either as then you'll not even know how many are taking part - part of the 'blind' bit!!!!

Comments will be taken up until 8.45am British Summer Time on Sunday 2nd May and the winner will be announced the next day.  

All I'll tell you is that it'll be PINK!!!  Pink in all it's parts!!!!

I'll use a random selector thingy to choose the winner and will keep everything on a spread sheet until the giveaway is over.  

When I announce the winner I'll show you what he or she has won. 

HOWSAT?!?!?!

Guess what this is!!!

OK, here's a puzzle for you!!!!  No prizes as it's really rather easy.

Guess what this is?!?!?

Sometimes, just sometimes!!

Sometimes an old git gets lucky!!!  Not sure why but they do!!!!

Remember this post and the hearts?

Yesterday I was looking in a part of my wardrobe that I rarely venture into.  Not because there are gigantic moths living in there (they don't frighten me) but because - well I don't know why but I rarely do!!!

Anyway, look what I found.  Sadly I only spotted two of these in that shop so bought them straight away.  Aren't they going to look pretty - WHEN I put hearts in them?

I now have a '3 piece'!!!

This is the final piece using the tiger eye beads that Ridgewoman so kindly gave me. 

I think I'll have to wear the whole set when I get an invitation from the Queen to pop round for a cup of tea!! 

Seriously I'm as likely to get an invitation to one of her garden parties as a flight to the moon!!!!  

Here are links to the necklace and earrings. 

More lost and found!!!

For days now I've been panicking about these beads!!!  Ridgewoman sent them for Sally in her last package to me and I put them 'safely' away until Sally came up to town!!

I'm currently working with the last two tiger eyes that I was given (by ridgewoman) and last night I had the most dreadful feeling that I'd used Sally's.  So this morning began another frantic search.

Guess where they were?  On the stand in the hall - where I put things when I've got to give them to somebody or take to the post. 

BOY did I feel stupid.  


OK, who was that who said 'well you are stupid, Jane'?  Stand up and be counted!!

Nothing to do with tatting!

Nope, nothing AT ALL.

But the title of this blog is 'not a lot else' so that's my excuse!!  It's also craft work too - sewing in fact!!!

Now for the story.  I was given a doll's cot when I was a wee girl - about 150 years ago!!!  I can't remember now what it looked like then and as we didn't have a camera I have no pictures (oh, how things have changed, eh?).  My sister (Sally) remembers playing with the cot and loving it too.

Well, when I produced two girls of my own (poor things - but they survived!) I still had the cot and re-covered it with the fabric you can see below.  Horrid, isn't it?  Since then it's been stored in several lofts yet again and has gone through some trauma living in those on it's own during the past 40+ years since my kids outgrew it!!!

Two and a half years ago I was lucky enough to be granted my first granddaughter after three delightful grandsons who are 'real boys' and wouldn't have been interested in dolls!!!!  I then rescued the cot and brought it home just over a year ago.

Now is the  time for it to morph into another era of it's life.  I suppose it's an antique (like me) but it's valueless (also like me) as it's not got the original covering (heck, nor have I!).  I've never seen anything like it anywhere else.  The second picture shows it in it's 'raw' state.

Found them

Why is it that when I put things away tidily I can never find them again!!!

Remember the shop I was telling you about that's closing down in the town?  Well these are some small dangly brass hearts I 'rescued'!!!!  I found them in my tshirt drawer - no, don't ask cause I've no idea why I put them there!!!

Not quite sure where the other two are which had 'stands' but I'm sure they'll turn up.  All I need now is a suitable heart to put in these.  

Darn - will I start a new one or find one that fits!!!!  

That's the million dollar question.  OR million pounds question - not sure which!!!!

Another pressie

A parcel arrived last week from Paula with more goodies inside. 

My first thought was that it couldn't be tatting related because it was heavy - but it was and in the most fantastic way.

About three/four years ago I found a very small tube of this cream in Wally World and bought it because of this story.

When my brother first started work as an apprentice farmer one of his tasks was to milk the cows.  He had an ample supply of udder cream and when the tubes were nearing their ends he used to take them home for mum.  She'd squeeze the bejasus out of them milking them (scuse the pun!) down to the last drop.  She said that the cream - which was pure lanolin - was the best she'd ever used.  So, when I saw what was obviously the same substance I bought a small tube and brought it home.  

Paula's lovely gift gave me not only the cream but made me remember that story.

What I love about this cream is that you need just a little and it sinks straight into the skin and I can tat straight away without waiting for it to 'sink in'!!!

More Earrings

Having made the tiger eye earrings to match the necklace I simply HAD to make the earrings to match the beads that Teri sent me - see this link and this link.

Here they are.

New earrings!

Do you remember this necklace?  Well I used up all the tiger eye beads that Ridgewoman sent me on this necklace but was very happy with the result.

Then she sent me another package - see here.  In amongst this surprise there were some more tiger eyes which I thought I'd use for a bracelet.  BUT earrings were tempting too.  I'm very parsimonious so after a good deal of thought I realised that I could 'have my cake and eat it' if I was careful.  SO, here are the earrings.  Not quite sure when the bracelet will get made as I'm in 'earring mode' at the moment!!!!  I'm using the new display thingy that I showed you yesterday but need to experiment with it further.  It's ideal for hanging them from too - if they need stiffening!!!


Very simple pattern which I'm sure that nobody would want written down.  Just two rings, really.   Honest.

A clever buy!!

There's a shop closing down in town - the recession is the reason (so they say) and they've been selling off all sorts of stuff.  It was a gift shop which had been in the same place for many, many years.

Anyway, I was wandering past on their last day and spotted odds and ends which I thought might be useful so I bought this!!!  I'd bought some other things over the previous weeks which will be useful to put tatting in - eventually.

It's a display 'thingy' for earwigs.  I hope to have some to show you on it soon.  What a buy - it cost me a whole round pound!!!

More about the jacket

I  found time to take photographs yesterday so here it is in all it's 'glory!!!!  

I found a very patient model for it too - a chair!!!  Prettier than me wearing it and easier than asking Nick to take photos!!! Also it STOOD STILL!!!!
This is the front (obviously)!!!

One sleeve

T'other sleeve

The rear view - when I'm wearing it it will be my 'best side'!!!!

What I'm working on at the moment!!!

Do you remember this jacket?

Well I HATED it and hardly ever wore it.  Not sure if it was the colour, the fabric or the design but I can tell you I was never ever comfortable in it.  So it's confined to the bin (trash) or the local charity shop.

Hang on, who shouted about the animals?

They're fine, promise.  I'm currently sewing them onto another DENIM (oooooh, I LOVE denim) light blouse weight jacket which I found in our local Debenham store on Saturday.

I've been searching for three years for another similar to the gecko jacket and have 'haunted' our local Edinburgh Woollen Mill shops from where the original came.

I'll try to get a photo of the finished item later.  Nick says there are too many animals on this one but I couldn't make up my mind which ones to put on and which to leave off AND there are a few newcomers since the last jacket was made!!!!  

Why I've not shown you

This is why I've not shown you anything new for a while.  I've been asked to do more strips of random tatting for Nicole - see this link.  

As you can see there were three strips needed of roughly 4 cms in width.  Each strip had to be 65 cms long.  Now in a number 80 tatting thread that's a lot of work!!!  

There are two things about random tatting which are worth noting.  Random IS random and it's hard not to repeat yourself.  Also the stricture of the width means that you have to constantly check which direction you need to be going!!!!  Nonetheless - it's fun!!!


These will go in the post today and wing their way to London.  That's the London here in the U.K!!!!!!!!

Now back to more 'normal' stuff and I will have something to show you soon.

2 close ups below

The cow again!!!!

I've had such fun reading all the comments on the cow and the suggestions for her name.  Thank you SO much for popping by.  Some of the remarks made the cow's milk curdle with giggling!!!

I rather liked deanna7trees suggestion of Jaisy as it's my cow (AND I'm a silly moooo too as Tatskool and Maureen both said) but then I also loved Daisy too.  

Anne hit the proverbial nail on the head when she said that she looked like a Jersey cow as it was a picture of a Jersey that I worked from - thanks, Anne.


The unusual name of Iphigenia suggested by timneh's offspring was a close call as it was so very different.  

In the end I've decided that she will remain 'nameless' as then anybody who has the courage to make her can call her what they like!!!  

If anybody's got the time do read through the comments on the previous post - they are SO funny.