Patchwork - tumbling blocks

Jane sent me this picture of her diamond patchwork mat.

I must admit I hadn't fully explored the extent of how this pattern could be used.

Thanks for letting me share this, Jane.  I MUST make time to have a go at it again myself now I've seen yours.

Hearts aplenty!!!

I was playing around the other evening and wanted to do some hearts to go on the purple buttons I bought a few months ago (again from the shop at the tip!).

I started off by using this pattern but changed it drastically as I didn't like the original very much.

Wonder where brain cell # 3 was at the time, eh?

Anyway, here's the result of my 'playtime'!!!!

Playing with earrings

Now this has been one of my all time favourite earwigs!!! Ah, that's the brown one below.

The number of times I've made this one and in so many colours and bead combos I'd not dare to count!!!

But there comes a time when an old git like me needs a more exciting pair!!!

The pink pairs below are my first 'real' attempt.

Well, I say 'real' because three or four others 'hit the bin' before these were made!!!

Actually these are the reason I found the new way of adding beads to a ring and a split ring - there's one of each in this pattern so that you can practice if  you choose to make this earwig.

The pattern is now on my web site here.  I've written it slightly differently so that it reminds you to add the larger beads BEFORE starting the ring or split ring.  

I did that for myself really as I kept forgetting!!!!

The final piece

I still had a few beads left so a brooch was the next thing in the 'ensemble'!!!!

Won't I be a 'Bobby Dazzler' IF I ever manage to wear them all at the same time?

Earrings to match!

First the necklace, then the bracelet and now the earrings!!!

Whatever next, I ask myself?!?!?  

Good find

Next to our local tip there's a shop. This is run by a hospice and it's where you can take things that you no longer need but are too good to throw in the skips.

I regularly go past the entrance to the tip so pop in to see what's there.

Occasionally there are beads. Necklaces and bracelets. I buy these if I like them and then cut them up to use in my tatting. The lanyard was made using bracelets found there.

One day I found a sweet little necklace and my friend said that the beads are actually cornelian stones.

They were quite pretty as they were and I nearly left the necklace to wear as bought. Then I decided to cut it and see what the dear little beads would look like in split rings. I'm very pleased with the results.

Thoughts on addiing beads

I'd like to thank all the kind people who have written to me both in comments on the blog and privately.

There has been a lot of interest in the latest two ways of adding beads to rings and split rings and I'm only too pleased that people find the two pages useful.

The thing that constantly surprises me is that this hasn't been shown before. I can't believe that it's an original idea.

OK, so IF it is then that forces me to ask another question. Having played with beads for the past (must be roughly) thirty years then why oh why didn't I think of it before?!?!?!? I can't understand why and how I came across this while fiddling around AFTER designing a new pair of earrings which needed these two techniques.

I suppose it was partly because I wasn't happy with the results I was getting. This isn't to say that the ways I was using before (making the ring or split ring and then pulling the core thread down) meant an untidy result - it really means that I just wasn't very good at it!!!!

I wonder if there's anything else that I need to fiddle around with to get a better result?

OK, I know the answer to that. Housework!!!!! FORGET IT!!!

Isn't this strange?

If you go to this link or this link you'll find two links to my blog!!!

I'm honoured that whoever owns these places thinks my 'not really original' lanyard is worth linking to.

The strangest thing of all is that I've now got hundreds of free original patterns out there but this rather 'silly' simple one that's been done thousands of times before by hundreds of people has been picked out!!!

I guess the reason is that it was put on my blog and not on the pattern pages.

Ain't life strange?

Yet another brooch!!

Before I start rambling on about the picture below can I say that I added another way to add a bead to the centre of a ring onto my page yesterday. I added a note about this later on yesterday's blog but those who had read it in 'early UK' time might have missed it!!! Here is the link.

Now this is a story of a pair of earrings that have morphed several times!!

After wearing these motifs as earrings on a few occasions I decided that they were a bit too heavy and 'bulky' for my liking. Four flowers on each ear? A bit O T T!!!!!

I took them off the hooks and 'linked' them with a safety pin to wear. as a brooch. That's 8 flowers to one brooch!! What a fiddle getting them on and off clothes!!!! So, while I was making up the last brooch I decided I'd 'finish off' this one by adding the 8 flowers to a proper brooch finding.

First, of course, I had to find the darn thing. It'd gone missing!!! While I was searching I also found another small flower that was in my 'box of completed bits' and added that to the 'ensemble'. Now I'll wear it!!! So, here we have a '9 flower' brooch!!!

Oh, NO!!!!!

I was reading comments on my posting about adding a bead to the centre of an SR on intatters yesterday evening and realised that people were talking about it as if you could add a bead that way to a ring.

I was just about to point out that this couldn't be done with a ring when who should pop out but 'you know who'.

YES you can use this method (sort of and upside down!) to add a bead to a ring too.

I will draw this up later today and let you know tomorrow when it's ready to go. Meanwhile here is the orginal way extremely well shown by Jennifer.

I'm not sure that the new way will be better but it'll be an alternative!!!!

Later the same day!!!!! Here's a link to the other method!!!!

Lanyard with beaded SR's

Now that I've found this easier way to add beads to the centre of split rings I felt it was time to make my lanyard for Tat Days!!

All I did was work out how many doubles I needed to surround each of the 2 different sized centre beads. I did this by doing a practice run - just to be sure.

Then I added the small beads (alternately) to both threads and started.

The knack, I feel, when doing something like this is to attach each SR to the previous one to avoid twisting. So, this is the way I do it. Well, actually this IS the pattern I used to make the lanyard. I made it in pink. Perhaps you noticed?

R1: 1 vsp 3 - 3 vsp 1 Cl (I left the picot on this first ring so that when I return to the UK I can add a motif to the lanyard thus converting it to a necklace)!!!!
SR2: 1 + (last vsp R1) 5 B 5 vsp 1 / 1 + (1st vsp R1) 5 B 5 vsp 1 Cl
SR3: 1 + (vsp last SR) 3 B 3 vsp 1 / 1 + (vsp last SR) 3 B 3 vsp 1 Cl
SR4: 1 + (vsp last SR) 5 B 5 vsp 1 / 1 + (vsp last SR) 5 B 5 vsp 1 Cl
Continue like this for length required finishing with another ring like ring 1 but joined to previous SR.

I wonder if this is new?

Thanks to the arrival of my dearest friend (brain cell # 3) I've found a new and neater way of adding a large bead to the centre of an SR.

I say it's 'new' but I know from 65 (and a half!) years on this planet that there's nowt new under the sun!!! That's my sister's sun, of course!!!

I've always found that the way I've done them before (by pulling the core thread down and adding the bead) made it fiddly to close the SR - AND didn't give me a totally tidy result.

So I fiddled around the other evening and I think I've found a better way.

So, here's what I do now!!!!!

Things that go on behind the scenes!!!

You're probably all bored out of your brains at hearing about Palmetto Tat Days but you're about to hear more!!!

A few days ago all the teachers were asked for a bio about themselves (one with a few unknown facts about themselves if possible). I said that I was going to look for brain cell # 3 and then I'd be back with the results.

Shortly after Riet thought she spotted the missing cell in her garden!!! He was reported to be looking pale and ill. WHAT was he doing in The Netherlands, I ask myself!!!

Martha Ess then said that if she saw the missing brain cell she was going to keep it!!!!

Erin's solution to her brain cell problem is this -

"I keep my extra brain cells in a bottle of chloroform under the bed. Raymond picks them up at Hobby Lobby for me about twice a year. Unfortunately I go through them rather quickly, and apparently mine are not the same quality as Jane gets over there in England. I hear they have them available in bulk at Walmart, as well."

Then Martha found a brain cell of her own and managed to get it to sit still long enough to be scanned!!! Here it is below!!!!

Meantime Riet is still wondering if they can be grown on trees in the garden - if so she'd like a cutting!!!

I'm wondering if we're all sane enough to be teaching at Palmetto!!!

From earrings to brooch!

Remember these earrings?

Well it's time for a confession!!! I'm always a bit 'ambitious' when designing and I did an extra round on this motif. One too many to make it into an earring!!!! So instead of throwing it into the bin I decided a brooch would be a good idea instead!!!

The flat motif at the top on the brooch finding is one I found in my 'box of bits' and didn't use. For this (and the earrings) I used Dual Duty thread.

I must find more of this thread when I'm in the U.S. of A. It's a joy to work with.

Last one - I promise

I'm in limbo with designing at the moment. Don't all cheer!!!

I do have one quite exciting one on it's way but I want to add more to it so it'll not get finished til September/October.

The other is barely started but it's buzzing well with brain cell # 3.

During this period I'm test tatting some of my older patterns and 'modernising' them. Thanks to the 'wayback machine' I've managed to track this pattern down to it's approximate birth in 2002.

I've also updated the pattern on my site too - see link in the side bar to my home page. It's called 'Celtic Motif 1'. I unpacked the new thread from my suitcase to make this one. Sadly the scanner doesn't do this thread justice. It really, really sparkles.

Silver and Gold again

This is a bookmark I've made using the silver and gold together again.

The pattern is here. I love the way the picots stand up so well with this thread. I'm not a 'picoty' sort of person but I added an extra one to this pattern 'just because' of the thread!!!

You really need to see this thread to appreciate the way it sparkles!!

3D earrings

I just love earrings BUT I'm fussy and like them to be very robust and not bend!! So I tend to stick to the same tried and tested patterns!!

This time I thought I'd try something different and here's the result.

Couldn't decide which photo to use so I'm putting both here!! The pattern is really easy and one day I'll get round to putting it on my pattern site. IF anybody wants the 'text only' pattern then do shout.

There are three rounds (after a SCMR) on the upper motif and two rounds on the lower one. The rest is just playing with beads.

Which reminds me - there are only 25 beads added to the shuttle threads. The rest are 'added as you go'. Makes for a fast earring. Of course you may want to make them with just the one motif too!!!!

Ah, before I go!! My sister pointed out to me that there was an enormous boo boo on yesterday's motif. Thanks, Sally, I hadn't noticed. I'll just use that one to show people the thread - it will never go to a new home!!!

Another motif

I've now played a little with the silver and gold together (see, Joanie, it does work!!!!).

Here is a small motif worked with them.

This pattern for this motif can be found here. I may find a bangle to put it in as it sparkles so much in the sunlight. That's IF the U.K. ever sees the sun again!!!!

A true story about a naughty lady!!!

This is a true story about a naughty lady!!

First of all you'll need to know her name but I'm going to get you to guess until the end of this post!!!

This lass sent me three spools of thread about two weeks ago. I've so far tried the one out (that's the bronze metallic I've been waxing lyrical about) and as you've already guessed - I LOVE IT. So, I ordered more.

Now as this lass lives in the UK I rang her up to ask for more thread (silver and gold). First of all I had the usual 'silly' conversation with her DH first!!! I then spoke to her and said that I intended to take the bronze spool with me to Palmetto Tat Days in September so that anybody and everybody there could take some and try it out for themselves.

The spools I ordered duly arrived on Saturday morning. The reason I call her a 'naughty lady' is that she'd put yet ANOTHER spool in for me to take to Palmetto as well!!! So, if you want to test tat this thread then stop me and take some at the Palmetto Tat Days.

The lady's name? Bet you've guessed by now but here's the link!!!

Thanks for the help

Just a quick post today as I've nothing really to show. Now that doesn't mean that I've not done anything but it needs 'assembling' so you'll have to wait until tomorrow!!!!

I want to say thanks for all the ideas and comments on yesterday's blog.

LadyDoc - many thanks to you. As a result I did get out brain cell # 3 and found my login and password for site meter and reinstated it on my pattern pages.

To be perfectly honest I was very chuffed when I first put it on years ago but when it stopped working some months ago (thanks, Gina for pointing out that it might have been an upgrade or something that caused it to stop working) I just didn't bother to look into the 'whys and wherefores'!!!!

My weekly reports kept coming in saying nobody had visited the site!!! Heck, I didn't believe that!!

Oh, news on my janeeborall.com url!!! It's not a sex site anymore!!! It's now giving links to tatting and other lace related pages. This is still NOTHING to do with me!!! The plot thickens!!!