I declare it finished!!!

It's finished with the trimming on the back too!

I took a trip to visit my daughter and family a week or so ago and my son in law took some photos of me wearing the silk top.  I can 'see' this over a black top with black trousers so I may eventually wear it but I'm not sure I'll ever attend an occasion where I can!!!  

If not I'll wear it to scrub the kitchen floor!!!  I'll miss it as it was an enjoyable upcycle.  Now to look in the charity shops for another project.  I'm realising after almost 78 years on this planet that it's not as hard as I thought it would be to mess around with altering clothes.  Mind this was a big alteration from an oversized man's shirt to a wearable top!!!

Beads assembly continues

The best laid plans of mice and Jane never seem to work out!!!  If you'd have seen the mess I got into with trying to assemble this with the invisible thread you'd have laughed your socks off.  It was so, so frustrating and in the end I gave up.  It was fine (well ish) adding the invisible to the beads and then onto the piece of dowling I found BUT when I picked the wood up the whole thing instantly tangled and it was impossible to sort out!!!  

The air was blue around me as I spent a good few hours trying NOT to give in to the problem but in the end I had to declare it 'NOT a good idea' and abandon it.  Now the problem with invisible thread is that it is truly invisible but when tatted with it does become sort of 'not' invisible and doesn't produce a pretty result.  Well,  not in my opinion.  

This was 'after the invisible' and before another decision was made but more about that later!!!!

This looks so much better

Now that I’ve added the ‘shadow hiding’ edging this looks a lot better.  I’m really beginning to like this project a lot.

The back is a bit plain though so I may do an edging along the yoke at the back.  I’ll ‘wait and see’ about that, though!!!  

Starting to pull it all together.

Back to the beads again.  Now I’ve got almost 20 covered beads it’s time to decide exactly what I’m going to do with them!!!  

I’ve got it in my mind that they’ll dangle in the living room window as a sort of decoration.  They need to be sparkly so I’ve added lotsa beads to the bottom of the big covered beads - well to dangle from them.  The original pattern which can be seen here also shows how to add beads to the actual tatting around the bead - well, on the largest one but it does take a phenomenal amount of beads to do that.  None stringed onto the thread before starting, though.

In this photo you can see some of the beads assembled but I don’t like the thread showing.  I need to get into the tatting cupboard to find my invisible thread.  

Top of the day to you!

Just thought I’d use a silly title today!

BUT I do have a closeup of the top of the silk top I’m working on today.  

These two buttons are really pretty and complement the top really well.  What I’ve done since is use a short length of round elastic and have anchored that to one of the buttons.  A loop of the elastic can now be taken over the other button to fasten the blouse/top together.  I’ve tried it on but need somebody to take pictures of it.  Now which neighbour is in at the moment?!?!?

Shirt progress again

In the photo below you can see why I was concerned about the ‘shadow’ of the facing but having done one edging I decided to sew it onto the edges of the top to see what it looked like!  You can see that I took it right round the neck too and also you can see that I definitely need another strip to hide the shadow although I think that when it’s being worn it won’t ‘show’.  

Anyway I thought I’d pin on the buttons too just to get an idea of what it’ll look like!!  I also found some VERY pretty buttons that I was given years ago that I’ve added to the top as fastenings - yet to be decided on, though!!!  

If you look VERY closely you’ll also see some black showing at the centre of the back.  That’s the label saying ‘Thai silk’ which I’ve sewn back in.  

Yet more!!

Beads!!!

I’ve only done the top two - the other smaller ones were found when I tidied the tatting cupboard up last week!!!  I’d obviously done them with a project in mind but that must’ve fallen by the wayside as these were in a project box all on their own!!!

I’ve been ‘avoiding’ yet another project that I’ve been working on for weeks and weeks so I think I may go back to it soon.  I’m not happy with how it was working out so I think it might be yet another design that never gets into the public domain!!!  Maybe going back to it with a fresh mind will help but I’m not very optimistic!!!  To give you a clue - it’s a square pattern.

Carrying on with the shirt

Well the facing for the neck and front of the shirt went really well.  I am taking things very slowly as I don’t want to spoil the silk in any way.  

I’ve machined it to the body of the shirt and then ‘stuck’ it down on the inside (rather than stitching it) with some of the ‘wonder tape’ hemming stuff.  I’ve seen it called all sorts of names so here’s a link so you know what I’m talking about!!!    It’s one of my favourite sewing ‘accessories’ and seems to last forever too!!!  I've used miles and miles of it over the years!!

Now to hide the ‘line’ where the edging sort of shadows through to the front I’ve decided the top needs some more tatting so I’m doing a very, very simple edging for it using the same thread as the buttons.  I’ll probably do another strip on the edges of the fronts too.  Here’s the start of the edging which I took a picture of a week or more ago.  I can work on the sewing part of the top in the daytime (well, afternoon) and the edging in the evening so progress should be fast - unless I fall asleep, of course!!!

Monday moan

Before I start my usual curmudgeonly Monday moan I’d like to add to last week’s post.  I totally forgot to mention the bible of tatting written by Judith Connors.  Here’s a link to this book which should be in every designer’s possession.  If only it was then last Monday’s moan may never have happened.

Today’s moan is something I picked up from a comment by another tatter somewhere else.  Probably during a flying visit to Facebook which I avoid as far as possible.

Signing and dating patterns and also adding contact details are today’s moan.  When I started putting my patterns out on the internet in the very, very early days of it’s existence I didn’t date mine but did add my name!!!  It was pointed out to me that it would be a ‘good idea’ to add the date so I started doing that immediately.  Nowadays there are a lot of designers who aren’t dating or sometimes not even putting their names on either.  This can prove very frustrating if there ever becomes a copyright question on the pattern and could be an impossible thing to prove who’s came first.  

It’s also important to put a contact email address on each pattern simply so that the person who wants to work it can get in touch to ask questions.  Sometimes I get questions about patterns I did almost 20 years ago - that really does ‘strain the brain’ (poor old BC3) sometimes!!!

Although I played with Dorset buttons many years ago this is the first I’ve done since then!!!

Just two more!

There's something so relaxing about making these large bead covers!  Must be because BC3 can work mainly on 'autopilot'!!!

I have two other design projects which have now been abandoned for a while and which I really ought to get back to now I've forgotten them so I can tweak and 'get rid' of them out of my aged brain.  BUT the appeal of the beads continues!!!  My apologies.

Today it's all about buttons!!

As you all know (least those who follow my blog or visit my website) I do suffer from a mild obsession with buttons!!!  My tatting cupboard overflows with them (well, not quite but I do have rather a lot) and my favourite are the tiny shirt buttons which I make into earrings or bracelets.  

So the silk shirt has (or rather, had) 12 buttons on it which included those on the cuffs too.  Now what to do with them!  Add them to the stash or use them instead.  I decided I'd use them and on the shirt too.  As they came off it they should then go back on!!!  There's logic in there somewhere but please don't ask me where!!!

Now I don't 'do' plain very often but I did want something very simple so that they don't deteriorate from the gorgeousness (wow, that's a real word!!) of the silk.  

Here's what I've come up with.  You'll see that I've used a slightly creamy thread in order to contrast with the whiteness of the silk.  BUT now what do I do with them?  Or rather, where do I put them?!?!?! All will be revealed!

Beads are 'in' at the moment!

Well with me they are!!

I seem to have got quite a collection of the large beads and if I'm not careful they're going to multiply even further and cause me more 'grief'.  I'm an odd sort of person.  I don't like too much in my stash as it sort of overwhelms me and I feel as if I ought to be using it or 'getting rid' of stuff.

After a couple of months of trying to downsize on the amount of things we've accumulated throughout the house I'm feeling the need for more decluttering so using up the beads is one way of dealing with it all.

Here are two more!!!  

The silk shirt progress

So the shirt is progressing slowly.  I'm showing you closeups of the neck today and the possible length of the sleeves.  

You can see that I've turned the buttonholes in and am about to add a facing to go down the front and round the neck.  I've scooped the neck out a bit too.  

I was really drop dead lucky in that I found a lovely piece of fine cotton fabric in my stash which is going to make the facings.  Well that's after I've made a pattern for them, of course!

Monday moan

Sorry if you're bored with these moans but they're probably useful to somebody somewhere in the great 'scheme of things'!!!!  

Today I'm moaning about abbreviations in patterns.  

When I started tatting in 1956 (yes it was shortly after the demise of the dinosaurs) everything was written in longhand which was a big struggle to follow.  No diagrams were in the leaflets and booklets I could afford with my pocket money.  

Nowadays we have excellent diagrams and shortened notation too.  Abbreviations are the 'normal' in patterns and are very welcome, believe me.  But there's one thing that I'm noticing more and more and that is new designers inventing new names for the simple things that we 'oldies' know by the original ones.

I was looking at a pattern yesterday and I saw tp.  Now what is tp?  I looked for the list of abbreviations and there wasn't one in that pattern!!!  I guess that tp is vsp (very small picot).  Or it could be 'talking point', 'top picot' or even 'try picking' (your nose!!!).  I had a guess in the end that it was vsp.  

I do wish new designers would check what the 'normal' method of notation is instead of inventing their own.  Don't ask me where I saw this pattern as I haven't a clue but there are many out there using 'new' names for what are already acceptable instructions.  

Thankfully the practice of calling 'abbreviations' 'legends' has on the whole been lost as that really did annoy this aged old git.  A legend is a story of olden times etc and not a list of abbreviations.  Still, that's history now in Tat Land!

Back to the beads again

Two more of the beads covered.  Wonder if I can keep this up!!!

Back to the 'day' job!

Now this is progress over the last week since I started on the shirt.  I'm going very, very slowly with this as I respect the silk very much.

You can see on the top photo that the collar has gone and on the second photo I'm opening up the front too having, of course, removed the buttons!!  I've also cut off the cuffs as well.  I'm also wondering what length to make the sleeves but that decision doesn't have to be made for a good while yet.  

I thought working with black was bad enough but working with white sewing threads while deconstructing this is a LOT worse.  The silk shines so much and it's a case of slowly, slowly, catchee monkey!!!!

The evening 'job'

We've got sash windows on this old house and where the top window slides down there's a little 'shelf' where my solar jiggly things sit.  I've got crocheted curtains (I did them years ago) below the shelf for privacy and I'm bored with those but still need to leave them up.

So I've decided to make some sort of 'dangly' thing to hang between the crocheted curtains and the glass but I wanted 3D too.  Out came the big beads!!!

I'm using this set of patterns.  Here are the first two.

A shirt

During our massive tidying up session over the past six weeks or so we found a shirt in Nick's wardrobe.  

It's MASSIVE and he said I should take it to the charity shop.  I don't think it's ever been worn and it's shiny and gorgeous as it's made of Thai silk.  I'll add the photos I took in the sunshine (a rare thing) although they've come out with a blue tinge.  The shirt is actually a gorgeous white.  

I'm going to make this my next project!!!  This will be the 'day job' as I'm playing around with tatting in the evenings.  More on that tomorrow!!!!

Monday Moan - please save the planet

So today I'm going to moan about patterns.  

So what really, really BUGS me is the people who are producing pages and pages of 'paper' to write down their patterns when the same thing could be done in 3 - 4 pages at the most.  

Then they charge for the pattern and leave the customer to have to pay out even more to print out all those pages.  Lots of patterns I see for sale are many pages long (often into double figures) with HUGE font and waaaaay to many pictures.  Please, please, please let's resolve this 'my pattern has got to be big and fancy so people think they've got value' mentality and aim for clear, concise instructions.

Remember, people, a pattern is merely instructions on how to achieve the finished piece and NOT a tutorial on every step taken to get there.  Those parts are techniques and not the pattern.  It can also confuse the person working the item because they've learned another way to do certain techniques.  

I suggest that before buying a 'digital download' you check how many pages you are committing to printing out (contact the seller and ask for a sample page too) and whether some of those pages are merely 'headers' with nothing more than the designer's and pattern's name on.  

Can we please try to save the planet for our kids and grandkids.  I'm so looking forward to your comments on this moan.  

Now for a picture to cheer you up!  A Motmot bird.

Final post on the jacket

As promised yesterday - the inside of the jacket!!!  As you can see (or rather NOT see) there is no patchwork stitching showing on the inside!!!

Decisions made!

So to put the whole jacket together I started at the bottom!!!  As I knew the original denim was straight I cut the patchwork fabric to 'match the length' measuring and checking several times.  I then added a band which I could then turn over to the inside and stitch to the denim.  

Next I did the same for the two fronts.  Made a couple of strips of fabric slightly wider than the original as I needed a little more width.  This was then sewn on with a stiffening to turn over to the inside.

Then I needed to 'strain the brain' (aka BC3) on what to do next!!  I decided to cover the collar and at the same time incorporating the denim and the patchwork.  That was a bit fiddly but worked really well.  Fortunately I'd cut a newspaper pattern out before I started putting the whole thing together.  I added magnetic buttons (which I'm still not totally convinced about) to hold the fronts together.  I may one day change those out into buttons and buttonholes but will test try the magnets first.

Finally I turned up the sleeves using a strip of fabric as I did for the bottom and fronts.  So here are some pictures of me in the jacket and tomorrow I'll show you some of the inside too.  There is a pocket on the left side of the jacket which holds my phone.  Can you see it?

Starting to put it together

I've missed a few stages out so you won't get bored to death with this and will try and finish the whole process off this week.

The pictures below are showing the side seams, shoulder seams and the sleeves inserted.  A certain amount of panic set in at this stage as these photos show the denim undershirt with the patchwork outer just worn separately.  

My lovely neighbour, Jo, (who's kitchen we're in) kindly gave it a good looking over at this stage and passed it 'fit for purpose'!!! 

Now, what should I do next?  Hmmmmm.  

Two sleeves and a foot!

The top sleeve needs a bit more work but it's 'nearly there'.  

Now what would a jacket need a foot for, I can hear you say?  Well look closely at the second picture and you'll see my foot crept into the frame!!!  It's a good foot (I luckily have a second one to match) and it does a lot of hard work too!!!

Moaning Monday

Today my moan is going to be about tatting videos.  

I've seen some pretty dreadful ones and some really good ones but there are videos that I feel are going a 'step too far'.  Now what do I mean by that?  

I appreciate (and use) the videos that show a technique and there are many of those which are very helpful particularly to new tatters who want to learn the 'dreaded' flip etc.  

A slight digression here as I don't know why I call it 'dreaded' as to a mere 13 year old (a looooooong time ago) the flip was so obvious.  Anyway most of the videos 'out there' on the interwebs are great and it gives the viewer many angles on how to do certain techniques.

What I'm most concerned with is the new move towards videoing and posting patterns.  First of all the designer of the (probably) originally written pattern needs to be asked for permission or it could be called a copyright theft if no permission is given.  

But that's NOT what concerns me most.  I'm wondering that if this method of sharing patterns becomes a popular  way of passing them on - won't it make us lazy?  Just sit and do what's on the screen?  No thinking required?  The only thing against this method of pattern sharing is the constant need to drop shuttles to rewind and replay.  

Let's face it we've all got a BC3 which needs regular exercising and stretching so if a pattern is written and illustrated then surely that shouldn't need to be made into a video - it'll make us all lazy if that becomes the norm. 

Just a picture to cheer up the blog post!!!

I have two fronts!

No, not weather fronts or anything else - simply two fronts for my jacket.  I THINK!!!!  

As you can see they’re very ‘roughly’ the shape of two fronts!!!!  The armholes are sort of ‘there’ but not really ‘there’!!!!!  Beneath the top picture is an ‘in progress’ picture of the right front which is hanging on a chair.  So far, so good - I think!!!!

Another progress picture!!!

This is another picture about the patchwork jacket!!!
You can see from this picture that I have a lot of fabric and a relatively small area to work in. I’m not very tidy either!!! This is the table in the conservatory where I sew. You can see some denim that I cut off the original garment to make the hem straight.
As the only ‘pattern’ I’ve got is the original denim jacket and not a clue how to progress this crazy idea I’ve decided that the first thing I need to do is make the ‘fabric’. More next time!!!

Slowly getting back to the blog.

The main reason for me being absent has been a massive tidy up of the house.  It becomes a bit unnerving when the guys (and gals) at the tip (dump) great you as a ‘long lost friend’!!!!

I’ve now done six trips to the tip which is, fortunately, just outside town.  I’ve also been lucky enough to have been able to park my car outside our house.  This is unusual due to the fact that we only have on street parking and it’s a busy road.  Anyway, I digress.

During my period (which is not yet over) of clearing, tidying and cleaning I’ve also managed to snitch an hour or so to do a bit of crafting.  Mainly I’ve been working on two sort of secret projects but sewing on the patchwork idea has also had small amounts of time spent on it too.  This is where I left it when I last blogged.

Here’s another progress picture - bearing in mind that I’ve only had odd moments to get on with this!!!.

I will be back

I’m gradually working through a few hiccups here in hot old England but I promise that once they’re over I’ll be back on track.

I recently spotted the light at the end of this very long tunnel so may soon be back boring you all to death. You have been warned!!!!

Meanwhile a picture I took when I managed to escape the hiccups for an hour or so!!!

Moaning Monday

I know I’ve been absent from this blog for a week or two but it’s due to circumstances that need to be dealt with. I’m hoping to be back soon but it could be another week or more due to the extreme heat we’re suffering at the moment as well as the other hassles.

My Monday Moan?  Well it’s about losing things. Why oh why is it so easy to lose things that you’re actually using?  I sit in my chair tatting away and without moving a muscle my hook/bobbin/scissors are gone.  Vanished completely. I have to get up (putting down the iPad I’m working on and search the chair. These ‘things’ usually turn up pretty quickly but I still ask why, and how they go missing so quickly.

I took this picture yesterday as it tickled me that I could see my earrings!!!

Well this is small progress

My crazy idea for the denim jacket is taking on a life of it's own.  Not necessarily a 'good' life but it's started.  Let's say it's at the 'just been born' stage!!!

You can see that I've just pinned the pieces together here.  I think the next stage will be tacking them roughly too.  The iron is being put through it's paces as well as I need to keep checking and checking.

Meanwhile evenings are for tatting and progress is being made on another new idea.  I think this one will make a good lesson so I need to start thinking about where I'm going to offer it!!!!  

Yet another

This time I've used size 80 thread instead of two strands of sewing thread.  

I love these two colours together but was surprised to see how much smaller this pink brown one was compared to the previous motifs worked in two sewing threads wound together.  You live and you learn!!!

I had an idea!

Well it's been percolating in my old brain for ages!!!  Do you remember my gecko jacket?  Here it is.  I also did another with animals all over it too.  This one.

I decided to look through my wardrobe the other day and found another plain denim jacket that's been hiding in there for years!!  I know why I've never worn it - the sleeves are too long and it's BORING!!!  So I'm off on another adventure - a patchwork one.  Not a 'planned' patchwork but one that evolves.  Whatever THAT is.  I honestly don't know about this project but it'll be fun playing and the scraps I'm using will only get thrown away one day.  Save the planet, says I.  

As usual I'm not quite sure how it's going to proceed or how I'm going to do it but it'll be fun trying and I do have a lot of scraps of fabric.  I'll keep you updated!!!!