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!!!