More about the book.

Some time ago it was pointed out to me that I rarely tat other people's patterns and looking through the new Shuttle Brother's book it dawned on me why. 

First of all most of the time I've thought of a new idea and want to try it out. Then I spend a lot of time going back to old patterns that need updating.  Finally it occurred to me that the reason I don't tat many other patterns is cause I do love to challenge BC3 and I don't see many that would!!!!

As I said in my last post on this topic - I'd tried the bauble/bobble tatting many years ago so I decided to skip the preliminary 'training the brain' patterns and dived straight in with the one I'd fallen instantly and utterly in love with - the mouse!!!   

Now tatting the mouse was really easy once I'd got into the swing of it. The pattern is beautifully notated and simple to follow especially when you realised that there was a 'proper' way to make it.  This where I realised I should've refreshed the brain first so I did go and make a small purple bauble first!!!

The only real problem I had was the little giggles that kept coming from me as I was making him!!! To say I loved every minute of tatting him is an understatement. In fact once I'd finished him I immediately started a second one. Here is mouse number 2.

So yesterday they both came out with me to see friends.  They were totally entranced with them.  I also took their new friend but you'll have to wait to see him tomorrow!!!!!

Book review - part one!

Some years ago I had the pleasure of working with Bobbie Demmer on her idea of bauble tatting which you can find on my technique page.

I made a bobble or two at that time and then as ever got distracted and left it again. 

A few weeks ago I had an email from Randy and Gary Houtz asking if I'd mind reviewing their new book with baubles included. Well, what does an OG do except say YES PLEASE. I love their work at the best of times and it was buying their revolutionary first book on the Self Closing Mock Ring when it was published in 1999 that brought my tatting out of the doldrums. They claim it's not their idea but at least they revived it to become what it is today - an integral part of modern tatting designs. 

To sidetrack slightly - I met Gary many years ago at Rosemarie Peel's house and in the space of perhaps twenty minutes he'd made me think LOADS about my own tatting and what I'd been happily doing for so many years. Gary showed me the daisy picot technique and the advantages of front side back side tatting too. He did NOT convince me to start using the magic thread trick as I'd had so many failures with that in the past!!!! I'm a stubborn old git at times. 

In 2012 I had the great pleasure of meeting Randy at Palmetto Tat Days and believe me - that was as good as meeting his udder brother. Try asking either of them which one is 'shuttle brother 1' and you'll get the same answer - confusing the issue even further!! 

Anyway the book duly arrived and I started thumbing through it. I'll tell you more tomorrow - need to build up the excitement for you that I felt looking through it myself!!!!

Not a lot

Well all those who read my blog will probably be relieved to hear I've not got a lot to say today!!!! 

One thing I probably need to do is remind those taking part in the TIAS that the boats not in would be very welcome to sail into harbour at any point. 

There were 102 starters that I know of (I didn't get time to go and 'harvest' from blog posts) and have 74 finished ones in the docks. I know there's no time limit and I know that it's not the point to try and beat records but it's nice for everybody to know who else is taking or took part.  

If this game is becoming 'old hat' and needs to be dropped then I'm happy to do that but I'll keep going as long as I get at least 50 taking part each year!  After all it keeps me busy when I might just fall off my perch with boredom during January/February each year.

Another day - another square!

This has become my 'go to' project when I'm just not in the right frame of mind to play with new ideas. OR when BC3 has taken a holiday!!! 

As you can see - I've now got 3 motifs joined together and things are looking good.  

I must admit that I am working on something else which I'm VERY excited about.  I'm going to do a bit more on it before I start to blog it.  It's NOT mine and it will be available to everybody soon but that's ALL I'm going to tell you.

Another two necklaces!

These were a beast to get right when I found the rings. Getting the stitch count right is always time consuming but really worth it in the end.

Not sure if you can see but the centre motif (in the middle of the metal ring) is actually a daisy picot flower. The two on the sides and between the chains are also made the same way. Fiddly to do but soooo pretty.

Listed these two late last night - just in case I forgot to do that this morning!!!

A small amount of progress!

Time to move on with my hall shelf runner. I'm now thinking I MAY stick to dark and light shades of the same colour on each motif. BUT an old git is allowed to change her mind - particularly if she can't think or find two colours that 'go' together!!!

Starting out on one of these ventures is always easy. Easy because it's initially obvious which colours will sit next to each other. When I've done this sort of project before I've found that it becomes harder and harder to make decisions but that often what you think may not work sometimes just do!!! Anyway here are two motifs together.

Life after doodads!

I LOVE doodads and have loads of them to play with. BUT I also have rings - no, not rings for your fingers but rings. Ordinary rings. 


Last week I had a Spring clean of my tatting cupboard yet again. This time I was REALLY tough on myself and found odds and ends in there which had been around for about twenty years. A lot of the 'stuff' had to go. A lot was bits that I'd worked and were not good enough to keep or good enough to give away to card makers either. The bin men got those!!! Then there was an assortment of bags I'd made two decades ago too - again they went.

BUT I found rings and thought they'd be great for something and this is what happened!!!

They will be listed in my Etsy shop as soon as I finish this post. I know - I don't often mention my Etsy shop but it is still there and 'ticking over' nicely I may add!!!!

The END

Sadly today is the final part of the TIAS. Here's the link.

For those of you who haven't started and those who are a bit behind - don't worry the game continues until the next one starts in January 2015.

Please remember to send in your country when you send in day 16 and any details you want to - including thread used, skills learned etc.  No need to thank me - I've enjoyed it as much as you have!!!

Later today (when BC3 remembers!) I will upload the whole pattern onto my pattern site - into the 'odds and ends' section.

Just a few thoughts on the design of this little sailing boat.  It wasn't an easy one!!  First there were many images that I looked at - taken from google images.  Then I had to learn a bit about boats/ships and then after that decisions had to be made on 'what sort' to design.  I then had to decide whether to show the whole hull (the part which would normally be under water) but I thought that a design without would be more useful for using on children's clothes, etc.
I'd like to thank the person who asked for many years for me to design a sailing boat.  It may not be exactly what you wanted but it's the best BC3 could do for now!!

Day 15

Well this is the penultimate part of this year's TIAS. 

Day 16 will be out on Monday or Tuesday. When the last part is published I will be asking you to send in where you live so we can all see where the @%&*$*(@!*^s are coming from!!! I will number each one as it comes in too so we can all keep a tally of how many have taken part this year. Last year the total was 127.  I wonder if it'll be more or less this year.  Whatever happens - I'm hoping to host another 'event' next year too.

A fresh start!

Tomorrow will be day 15 (the penultimate part) of the TIAS. 

My runner which I showed you here is no more. 

Well I wasn't happy with the variegated thread that I used so I decided to start again with just two plain colours. So this is the first of the second start!!! I wonder whether I'll like this when I look at it again tomorrow?

If this works out this will become my 'relaxation' and 'go to' piece which I pick up when I can't be bothered to work on something new!!!

Day 14

Here is the link for DAY 14 of the Tat It And See.

Please take a moment today to remember a dear lady who used to test tat the TIAS's for me but who so very sadly died two years ago today.  Who?  Gina Brummett the original Tatting Goddess.  

If you have time do take a look at her blog as she was an inspired tatter and such a dear friend.  Her battle with cancer was going well but sadly her body gave up on February 13th two years ago.  Miss her dreadfully - specially the winter she went through before her death.  Such a brave lady.

The little hearts.

First of all - day 14 will be out tomorrow.

I got these little boxes with the hearts put together sooner than I thought I would. I must thank the person who sent them to me (her name is anonymous!) very much as they were a pleasure to make.  I couldn't 'wangle' a needle to sew the tatting on with so I used PVA glue and 'painted' it on to the backs of the tatting using a knitting needle. It needed a lot of patience and a VERY steady hand. Not a job to take on if you have been drinking or have a hangover. Not that I would, of course (drink, I mean) - cough, cough, splutter, splutter.

I'll be either giving these away (there are four of them) or selling them. Not sure which. They're ideal for putting a pair of earrings in and giving as a present. So, they may well go in the Etsy shop. 

Oh, they came to me with THE most delicious chocolates in them - a single praline (I think that's what they're called) in each. Now you may well ask if I shared them with Nick. Well, I did. He got one!!!! Sadly the others got eaten by MEEEE!!!! Well it was hard not to. 

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!

Being old and ......

Well, past my 'sell by' date but not yet at my 'use by' date celebrations like Valentine's Day pass the two OG's here by.

Actually I remember getting only one Valentine's present in my whole life and that was from my ex in the first year or so of 'wedded bliss'!!! OR is my imagination and memory playing me up and that didn't really happen either!!!

Anyway, I ramble on. I wanted to show you these little hearts which I did last week. They're the 'Flurry Heartache' which you can find here. A very kind TIAS'er sent me something a few weeks ago which inspired the hearts - four of them and all worked in a size 70 thread. They're to go on a plain, deep red velvety surface so that's the reason I made them in white.

More to come on these!!!

Day 13

Today it's day 13 and the link can be found here.

Day 13 tomorrow

Quick post to say that day 13 will be tomorrow.

Fandango coaster

Well while you guys have been tatting the TIAS I've been working on all sorts of 'stuff'!!! 

I was looking round our dark, narrow hallway the other day and decided it needed cheering up. We've got a loooooong radiator shelf there which looks as dull as ditch water and which we're always 'dumping' things on!!! I decided it needed cheering up so a runner to go on it would be the answer. 

The Fandango Coaster is not wide enough to 'do' but it's a good start as I can put a border round it when the length has been achieved. If I did two side by side then it would be wide enough but too wide for a border. I think borders finish things off - simple ones!!!

Anyway - I went into my threads and came up with these two together. Soooo pretty but I'm not sure I like the variegated on this design. I've got to get hold of BC3 but he sometimes tries to have the weekend off!!!

Day 12

If you click on this link you will find Day 12!!!  Have fun!!!

Finished and uploaded

I've just 'stolen' this from an email which was sent to me from a good friend in Singapore so I thought I'd pass it on.

She said - it's renri (人日), birthday of humans, today. So to everybody in Tat Land - happy birthday to you.  Here's a link for you to look at.  Nice to know that all us humans share a birthday.  What a GREAT idea.  What shall I give myself, then?   Ooooooh, I know - a cup of tea!!!!

Well that was fast for me!!!  I had a relatively quiet afternoon yesterday so managed to finish off and re-upload this motif.  Here's the link.

I did find a date for it after much searching around the computer so that's a weight off my mind.  Well, it would've been IF it had worried me.

In this version of the 'new/old' motif I have changed the stitch count when using the size 20 thread and changed the text too in several small ways.  I've also done the notation to reflect front/back sided tatting - not that I feel it's important to tat that way but because I find it useful myself when I'm 'in the mood' to use it!!!  

Tomorrow will be day 12 of the TIAS.  

Another look

Another look at an old pattern.  This one, in fact.

This is a design that I did way back in the dark ages or Tudor times or somewhere equally dim and distant!!!  Not sure when as it isn't dated.

I was really proud of this one when I did it as it was revolutionary at the time - well, I think it was.  I chose these colours but they don't really do it justice.   I'll work another up in better colours to show you.

The 'cleverness' lies in the fact that the coloured thread is a size 80 (Lizbeth pink cocoa) and the plain is size 20.  It took some working out and it does look better in real life as the textures give the motif depth.  Well I think that's the right word for the effect.

I'm currently re-writing the pattern so will upload and replace the original one when it's done.

Day 11

This is the day you can find Day 11 of the Tat It And See.  Where, did somebody ask? 

Well, it's right here.

More progress on the hanky edging

First of all - tomorrow will be day 11 of the Tat It And See.

Right - time to start on the 'real deal' with a hanky and number 80 thread.

Well I started and then found that just wasn't going to work as it is on this post!!!  Why?  Well the rings looked fine in a size 20 but became too small to have clarity when worked in an 80 - they looked 'squidged'.  This meant re-jigging the stitch count throughout!!!!  A pain in the proverbial but it had to be done!!!!

Below is part of a side with the original count and underneath a the new stitch count and a corner.  Life with this hanky should now be pretty straightforward as it's got good depth (¾") and is fast to work up too.

Day 10

Today it's time for me to give you the link for DAY 10 so here it is.

More adventures with an edging!

Tomorrow will be Day 10 of the TIAS.

Following on from this post the next time I returned to it I realised that I was no longer in 'block tatting mood' so I just carried on playing.  You can see in this experiment I ran out of yellow thread on the one shuttle and was too idle to look for the thread again so added another 'sort' of red to it instead!!!

Now this is looking a bit better!!!  

The bottom picture shows an experiment with a corner too.  Now this should be fine when worked in a finer thread for a hanky.   We'll see!!!! 

Not a lot else

As you know from it's title this blog is purely about tatting but just once in a blue moon I do have something else to say.

Some of you know that I volunteer in our local library on one morning a week teaching other old people (like MEEE) to use computers, laptops, tablets etc.  

A few years ago a lady joined us one Wednesday saying that she wanted to know how to use a computer as she wanted to write a book.  Well she was positive that that's what she was going to do even though she'd no experience with computers and I'd none with writing books.  

Time went on, she bought a computer and we struck up a friendship (as you do!!!) and when she moved into the town I was able on one or two occasions to walk over to her place to help with small things she needed to know.

Just before Christmas Joan came into the library one Wednesday morning with - a signed copy of her book for me.  YES, she did it.  Well I'm not a great reader of biographies but once I picked this one up I got so interested that I read it right through with more and more admiration for Joan as I finished each chapter   What an interesting lady.  WELL DONE, Joan Inglis - I'm SO proud of you and feel honoured to have met you during my journey through life.  

It's now been published as an ebook too and here's where you can find it.

Day 9

Time to play again!!!  Yes, today it's day 9 of this year's TIAS.

Here's the link.

It makes you laugh.

Day 9 tomorrow.

Although this is serious, I must tell you about a hilarious 'conversation' (I use  the word conversation with reservation as it did get heated) that I had on Monday with a 'person' who had stolen my work.  She doesn't merit the title of lady!!!

I noticed she'd taken this image and put it on her blog.  Not a problem as it was linked to my site.  BUT underneath that was the pattern to go with it.  It had been taken and somehow converted from the original pdf file with my name and copyright notice removed - NO link to my site.  Now that IS naughty.  No mention of the designer at all.  I originally noticed this blog last October but found there was no way to contact on her.  Time went on and I put it to the back of my mind - as you do.

Then on Monday I noticed she'd added another picture that was a copy of a new idea on another tatter's site.  I contacted the other tatter and she wasn't too worried but would probably have contacted the blog owner if there'd been any way to do that.  

Later that day my friend came back to me as she'd found that the blog owner had now (within the past week) set up an Etsy shop.  EUREKA.  Etsy have a convo link so off I went and 'asked' her to take my pattern off her blog.  She said she didn't think she could as she wasn't sure she knew how to get into the blog.

That's funny, I said, when you managed to put a picture up there the day before (same one in her Etsy shop)!!!  So our convo got a bit heated and I had to really laugh when she said she didn't even LIKE my patterns and I was to stop harassing her or she'd report me to Etsy!!!!  The pattern has now been removed but if it hadn't I would've taken further action - in fact I'd already contacted somebody about it who knows how to handle those situations.  There's also a whole book up there on her blog which is still under copyright.  

So, what I want to know is why you'd steal something you don't like?  

Answers on a tatting shuttle (or make a comment!!) to me, please!!!

Edging 1

Now I wanted an edging - a block tatted edging.  So in my inimitable way I just got hold of two shuttles and some thread.  

I've 'chopped up' the trials so as not to overload you with too much 'tat'!!!!!  There really is quite a lot to see in this!!!

This picture shows my first start before I put it down in disgust!!!  

The 'problem' with designing a decent edging is (in my opinion) that the most important criteria is having sufficient picots on the 'joining edge' to be able to sew it on easily.  The fewer  you have then the more difficult it is to get it evenly onto the item.  

The second consideration for me is that the edging should have sufficient depth to be made in one pass.   I remember doing one once many, many moons ago which had two rows.  First row - easy peasy but getting motivated for the second one was a nightmare.  

Day 8

Good morning on another miserable day here in England!!!  I know we probably needed a bit of rain but this is just a bit toooooooo much. 

Anyway, here's the link for day 8 of the Tat It And See.

Before I leave you today I want to tell you the very, very bad news that I had last Friday.  I was just checking my emails last thing before going to sleep and I had one from my good friend Crazy mom tats who lives in Atlanta and with whom Sally and I stayed in September 2012.  This was her exact message:-
The subject was 'Our House'

Burned down this morning, gone by 10 am. No one was inside, but house is total loss and we lost all pets. 

We are ok. Have check in hand from insurance, and are staying at Hampton Inn locally. Now to find a place to stay and much shopping to replace things. 

I'm a tough cookie, I'll be ok."

Here is a link.  

I managed to FaceTime with her on Saturday and when I got an email from her on Sunday (saying could I blog all this) she'd managed to get shuttles and thread.  Moral?  You can't stop a tatter from tatting.

Can you imagine losing everything, but everything you own within the space of a few hours?  All the pets (we met most of them) and - well it's haunted me ever since and Friday night I just didn't sleep for worrying.  

Thankfully the two boys living at home still are fine and Crazy Mom (who isn't the LEAST bit crazy) is going to get through it all too.

Ros's birthday pressie

Now today I've got a funny thing to tell you.  Well, two, actually.

My friend Ros has a birthday just after Christmas and the first funny thing to tell you is that she loves my tatting.  She's a pleasure to make things for as she likes it loads.  Admittedly I usually make her jewellery and she always gets one of my Christmas designs too.  She gets 'just because' presents mainly, though.

Anyway, just before Christmas she needed help with re-hanging her curtains so I wandered up to her place and fixed them for her.  I decided that I'd make her a runner for her windowsill so tatted the set of motifs below to match her colour scheme.

Well, I couldn't see her on her birthday so took up the present the day before and told her not to open it.  Next day she rang to say thank you and I asked her what she'd done with it.  Second funny - she said she'd put it on her windowsill!!!!  Well we must be able to read each other's minds!!  In case you wonder - this is the motif.

Day 7

Ready and waiting for you right here is Day 7.

Tomorrow is

Tomorrow is Day 7 of the TIAS.  Nearly halfway now so keep going, please!!!

Yummy

Now that's what I say about these three skeins of HDT which came in the post on Monday.  Well, they simply are 'yummy'.  

Now you're wondering where they came from - they came from America.

Yes, America is a BIG place so now you want to know where from in America!!!

So, I'll tell you - Maryland.

Oh, go on, I give in.  They came from Monica who has a shop full of threads here in Etsy.

Can't wait to try them but I MUST finish off an on-going project before I do.  Steady old girl - one thing at a time!!!

Day 6

Good morning world!!!!  Well I suppose I should say good morning Tat Land!!

Here's the link for Day 6 - have fun!!!

Something different

Before I start today - tomorrow will be day 6 of the Tat It And See.  

I wanted to show you this set which was a custom order through my Etsy shop just after Christmas.  The pictures don't give the bracelet and earrings full credit but blame the lack of sun around here!!!!  

There's something very satisfying about doing a custom order.  It's good to know what the customer wants and be able to discuss it with them before making.  Making is, of course, the best bit for me.  

I'm happy to report that my customer was pleased with her order and I breathed a big sigh of relief!!  

Oh, my Etsy shop is here.

Day 5

Good morning, world.  

Here is the link for Day 5 of the TIAS 2014.  

There is plenty of time to start from the beginning if you've only just found the TIAS.  Links above this post will give you the introduction and all five days.  

We're not yet halfway through yet so let the fun continue!!!!

Not a lot else

Well I don't have a lot to say today - did I hear somebody say 'thank goodness'?  I will tell you, though, that tomorrow I'll put day 5 up on the blogs.  

The instructions for what you'll need are on the day 4 page but I'll put them here too just in case you've 'done a Jane' and lost them!!!  I could get medals for losing things!!!

For the next stage you will need two shuttles using the same thread as before with 3 yards on Sh1 and 3½ yards on Sh2 - again wound CTM (continuous thread method).

Finally the Catherine Wheel motif

The end of the line is here!!!!  Below is the final, final version and BC3 is now heading for retirement!!  

Top is 'just the middle' which makes a nice enough motif on it's own, I think.  I may well start with this as the beginning of another idea soon as once the block tatting idea wanes it could be the basis for something else!!!  

Next are two made with blue as the basis.  There's the one done in plain colours and the bottom one done in plain and variegated.  I know which I prefer!!!

Right - out with the sunglasses, book, bikini (YIKES) and the deck chair.  BC3 is heading for a long and happy retirement.  Wonder how long it'll last?!?!?!   Five minutes or fifty years?  Ummmm, doubtful on both.  Certainly the second as I ain't got fifty left - tat's for sure!!!!

Day 4 - TODAY

Here is the link for Day 4.  

As usual I will put it above this post too - just to make it easier to find if anybody new stumbles across this blog.

At a rough guess I think there are almost 90 people taking part that I know of.  I keep all the photos in folders for each day and occasionally count them.  I'm a very happy old git!!!!

Trying colours and changing stitch counts!

First an announcement - tomorrow will be Day 4 of the TIAS so keeeeeep watching!!!

So, there is a difference now between the purple/pink one here at the top and the brown/cream one below.  Just a matter of moving the ring slightly to the left.  When I got to this stage I felt I was almost there but it still needs further checking.  

Am I annoying you now?  Well with a bit of luck today I'll get the links and things done and ready to upload.  All these things take time and the full concentration of BC3!!!  

Yet another!!!

Lots more TIAS's in overnight - please bear with me while I play catch up this morning.  An OG has to eat sometimes, you know and I've also got to post all the shuttles this morning too!!!

The Tat It And See has almost 80 people taking part - well, that's the number I know about!!!  I'm thrilled with the numbers and delighted to see not only old friends but new ones arriving daily.  Thanks everybody.

I thought another colour may do the trick and make me like it but it didn't and I don't!!!!  It still didn't twirl enough for me but I carried on working on it!!!  I'll show you more and get the pattern up soon. 

Day 3 of the TIAS

Here is the link for Day 3 of the TIAS 2014.

Two announcements

Two things to tell/remind you of today.

First is that Day 3 will be out tomorrow morning.  Thank you to those who have kept quiet about my 'bad day' on Thursday when my main computer was having a meltdown!!!  Neither Nick or I could understand what was causing it and it took him most of the day to sort it out, bless his cotton socks.  During that time I accidentally copied day 3 link into my announcement post!!!  I was told by a tatter about it so quickly fired up the laptop and sorted it.  Things can only get better, can't they?

Also today I need to remind you that there are a few shuttles (see this post) that will be going into the Etsy shop later today.  The link to the shop is here.

I think Sunday is going to be a very busy day with blogging day 3's and any others that come in and sorting and packing shuttles too!!!  No mischief for me tomorrow!!!

One last thing which really, really made me megga chuffed was to notice on my dashboard here that I now have 500 followers.   Thanks for keeping an eye on me - nice to know that people care about my ramblings on here.  Really great, actually for an old git to know that there are people who are out there reading my blog.

More on the block tatting motif

Another go at the motif but I'm still not happy with it.  As you can see on this version I've replaced the outer picots with rings but they're not right.  Least I don't like them yet.  

Not sure what gets into me when I'm designing but it's like artists - you never know when to stop on some designs!!!!  Least that's what BC3 tells me.

Day 2 of the TIAS is progressing well.  Not sure whether there will be many more 'starters' but it's keeping me well out of mischief!!!

DAY 2

Day 2 of the TIAS 2014 is now posted here!!! 

It's NEVER too late to join in so if you haven't started yet - please think about it!!!

Also I have news today of more Pop A Bobbin shuttles.  The following will be in my Etsy shop on Saturday at 20.00 GMT.  That's eight o'clock in the evening in my time.

3 COCOBOLA ROSEWOOD  $33.60 each

3 PURPLEHEART $32.70 each

3 ZEBRANO $32.70 each

1 AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT $28.00 each

2 IROKO $28.50 each

2 OREGON MYRTLE $28.00

Block tatting motif progress.

Tomorrow will be day 2 of the Tat It And See.  Keep your eyes open at the top of this blog or the TIAS one.  I will announce it on a blog post on both blogs too and also on Facebook.  

Well today I'm showing you the next progress on the motif.  The whole thing was completed a few weeks ago so it's almost ready to put on the pattern site!!!  I just get a bit behind with linking everything up.  Also I do like to keep you all in suspense sometimes too!!!!

Fantasy Flower is finally finished

Thank you to all who have sent in day 1 of the Tat It And See.  It's a great start to this year's game.  I've got quite a few more in overnight so will get those uploaded after breakfast and a walk to the supermarket to get bread and milk.

Today I'm going to show you the final test tat of the new instructions for the Fantasy Flower.  Although it was OK as it was before I felt it needed bringing up to date and as I had to re-draw the diagrams (the originals were done in my PC days) I thought it was a good idea to check the wording.  

Now this is no easy task when dealing with BC3 who often doesn't concentrate on the job in hand and/or is easily distracted!!!  Still we finally got our act together and I finally managed to upload the finished amended copy yesterday.  Here's the link.

We're off - Day 1

Today's the day!!!  The start of the Tat It And See 2014. 

Here's the link for Day 1

For those who missed the introduction - there's a link above this post.  That's where I'll be putting all further links as well as announcing them on this blog and the TIAS blog which is here.

If you would kindly send pictures as jpg, gif or png format that will save me having to 'sort out' word docs and pdf's which I can't upload.  Thanks.

Progress - part 2

So this time I decided to ditch the ring in the centre idea and try something else - a naked centre.  

This proved to be another horrid start but a few ideas were slowly developing as you can see.  When I got to this stage I started thinking along the lines of swirling and twirling this motif but I wasn't not sure - yet!!! 

You can see on this version that I've given some thought to the placement of some rings at the end of the block tatting on that row.  They weren't there before.  I'd also started a 'possible' second round too but time will tell if that will actually 'happen'!!!  

As I said in yesterday's post - the completed pattern is done but I thought you'd like to see some of the doodlings  I did to get it there.

An experiment in block tatting!

So, here we go on my block tatting adventure!!!  Day one saw me starting with a motif I'd done years ago called the 'small motif'.  Some people (like MEEEE) have no imagination over naming designs!!!

As you can see something wasn't right about this attempt so it stopped where you can see!!!  Another lot of thread destined for the bin!!!  

I use yards and yards of thread when designing and that's why I keep a look out on Ebay for threads just for that purpose.  I won't use my lovely Lizbeth or other 'good' sorts for designing. 

Last for now

So, this may be the last one as I've got into another project!!!

This is in Rainbow Splash by Lizbeth.

My new project has taken me over.  The reason I got so 'into' the geckos was because of the new way I discovered to make a neat join on the return chain using the 'easy block tatting' method.  

It's not easy to design anything with block tatting as you always land up at the wrong place.  Yes, you can do a slip stitch type of way to get back to another point (like in the gecko pattern) but it's not always where you want to be.  

So with this next project I decided to 'go with the flow' and see where I landed up.  As it's nearly finished in 'real time' I will show you the progress and how I 'got there' over the following days.  Well, of course, that's if I can find all my rejects!!!!

Tat It And See

It's tat time of year again!!!  Time to play and get through the dreary month of January (and part of February) if you live in the Northern Hemisphere and time to chill from the heat if you live 'down there'.

The Tat It And See (TIAS) will start on Monday 6th January - when I'm up and about in the morning (that's GMT morning!).

Here's the link to the introduction so you can source threads and prepare shuttles.  

Let the fun begin.

Did you want a sneak preview?  OK, here it is!!!  Now that didn't help, did it?