A visit to the hospital

A few days ago I  offered to take a friend to the hospital for an outpatients operation.

The silly moo worried and worried that I'd be bored as it was going to be for several hours!!!  Silly girl.  During my wait I did a great deal of this edging.  It looks a bit odd at either end but I promise you those are true, square corners that will sit beautifully when they're pressed.

I found it here and did take a few 'liberties' with it and also added the corners. I do like something simple like this to do when I've got to wait around.  It drew a lot of attention so through that a few friends were made!!!!  Well, passing friends.

Starting again!

Top news for those in the UK.  You might have missed the comment on my Ez Bob ramble about a supplier in the UK so I'm adding it here.   OK now back to today's post!!!!

Do you remember this pattern?  Here's the link. 

Well I daredn't think how many of these small diddly things I've made over the years since I first put the pattern on my site.  Whenever THAT was!!

So a few weeks ago I was desperately wanting to make this into an earring.  First of all let me say I don't like butterflies which are dangling from a feeler picot from an ear finding.  To me it looks as if they've been put there as an 'afterthought'!!!

That's just me, though so please don't get offended by that remark.

So, knowing that this was a cracking little pattern I set off trying to get the 'look' I wanted.  Here's what I came up with and here they are in my Etsy shop.

Naughty, naughty Jane!

True, totally true.  I've been naughty again.  I got carried away with sparkles!!!

Now these aren't 'real' Swarovski crystals but I defy anybody to know that.  They were on sale just next to the 'real deal' but I couldn't tell the difference.

Wwwwweeelllll, that's not strictly true - the difference was in the price.  These were half the price for the same sparkle!!!  Now you know why I class myself as really megga naughty!!!!!

This is where it happened!!!

 

Ez bob sizes

A week or two ago Sandy in the USA asked me a very valid question about sizes of Ez Bobs for putting HDT on!!  Actually this is what she said:-

"I've searched for hours to locate the EZ Bobs that so many speak of.  They are nonexistent in my area but I can find them on the internet.  I'm wanting to organize my HDT and have no idea what the bobbins are like.  Can you advise me on the proper size to purchase to accommodate Yarn players, Krystle Dawn's, etc. HDT threads?"

So I thought I'd show you how I've organised my HDT.  They are on two sizes of Ez Bobs.  Both those shown below have one full skein of number 20 thread on (order the larger sizes if you want to put two skeins on one 'bob').  The top one measures 1 3/4" in diameter and the bottom one is 2 1/2".  You will see that I've written a brief description telling me the size and the name of the thread.  I figured I could 'trace' the dyer from the thread's name!!!  I've written those with a Sharpie.  

This reminds me - I first met a Sharpie when I was given one by the Palmetto Tatters.  I guarded that wee treasure with my life - Nick had to apply in triplicate three days in advance if he wanted to use it!!!  Why?  Because at that time we didn't have them in the UK.  Now we do!!!!!

Ez bobs or Ez-bobs can be ordered from here in the UK.  

I ♥ ♥s

I love it when people send me pictures of something they've made from my pattern pages.  VEry reassuring that I can be 'understood'!!!  

Always a risk when writing down patterns.  

So when I got this from Jane I was a very happy bunny!!!

So the Flurry Heartache is launched - well I consider it a success now that I know one other person in Tat Land (apart from me!!) can make it!!!!

Playing with the floating chain

I know that Terry's playing with the floating chain too and we've discussed the  problem of 'how to' write it down.

We came up with this pattern which is just really experimental - well the way I've written it is!!  Any comments or suggestions are welcome as usual!!

Just in time for Halloween if anybody is tempted to explore this technique.  I think it's fun, fun, fun.

Following on from yesterday!

So, now you've recovered from the Terry way of doing the split chain - here's a development from that which is a floating chain.

Again this has evolved from yesterday's single shuttle split chain and I think (personally) that this has a LOT of potential for designers.  In fact you'll have to wait til tomorrow to see a 'fast and easy' pattern using this method.

Dear old brain cell 3 also has several other ideas up his sleeve.  Oh, just realised - brains don't have sleeves, do they?

Another 'taster' for you!!!

NEW - Single Shuttle Split CHAIN

A few weeks ago I had an email from Georgia who forwarded a message from Terry Nimmer.

Terry had been struggling with the usual ways of making the split chain and had come up with a really, really clever way of getting round his problem.   So, between the three of us (sorry, that should be four as brain cell 3 HAD to get in on the act!) we've come up with this page!!!

Now we have three ways of doing the split chain - the original way, Marie Smith's 'Fast and Easy' way and (ta de dah, roll of drums and trumpeteers trumpeting) we now have Terry Nimmer's way.   

Thanks, Terry for letting me get involved in this - I've really enjoyed the experience.  Here is one of the diagrams to 'get you interested'!!!!

Oh, don't miss tomorrow's blog post - something else that's new about to hit Tat Land!!!!

Changed the blog!!!

I know I drive you mad but I've been playing with my blog and have now lost all the posts I'd set up for this week!!!  I've no idea what I was going to put on here today so you'll have to wait for brain cell 3 to wake up!!!!!

I'm still 'messing' with the blog so please don't get upset!!!!

 

Introducing the pattern for the Flurry Heartache

I've finally got it done.  Here's the direct link for the Flurry Heartache.  

On Saturday, despite it being classified as a 'silly' day, (things went slightly haywire for a few hours) I did manage to list some new stuff in my Etsy shop.  No bags but a few new tatted things.  Then I fought the pattern once more and made two more pairs of the dragonfly earrings again in the evening.  They're now in the shop too!!!

I've got two new ideas here (butterfly and dragonfly) but the little dragonfly earring you can see below is my real favourite.  To make this is a major fiddle!!!!  I'm not sure it would be very easy to write/draw how I did it but I will try!!!  I just ADORE this little critter and he looks even better now I'm using delica beads.  

I got nearly a third of the way through on one of the red ones and pulled the wrong thread.  Guess what?  A number 80 thread doesn't like a lot of tugging!!!  Result - I had to start again!!!!

Karey's HDT

As a MOG (miserable old git) who wouldn't give house room to HDT threads for ages I must admit I'm totally and utterly reformed and addicted - as you have probably gathered over the past year or so!!!!

When Sandra sent me her wonderful surprise t'other week there were three skeins of HDT in it.  Of course these HAD to be 'tried out'!!!  So (me being me) this selection of HDT also had to have a new pattern too. - thus the Flurry Heartache (see below).  These threads are from the dyer Karey Solomon.  Now, this lady is an expert at this craft - well both crafts tatting and dying (not to mention many, many others too).  I once dropped in at a lesson she was teaching about dying down at Palmetto Tat Days a few years ago - fascinating presentation and SO interesting.  I've asked her about her tatting threads and this is what she said.

"I’ve got any and every range possible.  I generally dye threads in dyelots of about 10 skeins each.  Unlike many dyers who dip-dye threads, which means regular, sometimes long repeats of very few colors with little to no blending, I hand-paint “prints” on the thread, so they’re more calico and more colors because they are intended to blend.  I’ve got a huge investment in dyes, for both wool and cotton – because they’re different dyes and very different dye processes! - more dyes for cotton, as it happens.  So I can produce quite a range.  You could, for example, request particular colors if you like, I’m always open to suggestions. I’m experimenting with limiting the blending by thickening some of the colors before applying them.

People can always email me for information, and I can send a current photo of what’s available.  Each dyelot is different.  And I’ll send them anywhere, the shipping cost is only the actual cost of mailing.  Please ask more questions!"

So, there you are.  What is Karey's email address, I hear you ask!  Here it is.

The final results!!

Finally I got it sorted!! I think I've given this design a very apt name - the Flurry Heartache.  That's because it gave me a LOT of heartache and was based on the Flurry Snowflake!!!  Ooooh, I can be SO clever sometimes!!!

Tomorrow I'll tell you all about the HDT thread that I used and show you one of these in the brass heart shape. 

I shouldn't tease!!

OK, here's what I'm aiming for.  Remember these?

Well I decided it was about time to do something about them!!!  Here are the first experiments.  I thought it was going to be easy!!!  Cough, cough, splutter, splutter.  

I thought I could just use the Flurry Snowflake, a few 'alterations' and 'Bob's your uncle'!!!  Silly, silly, silly Jane!!!  Life ain't that easy when it comes to designing!!!  Well not using my 'hit and miss' method!!!!!  Perhaps I should just settle down and 'plan things'.  Like ornery people do!!!

Nah, that would be boring in my book!!!!

 

What's THIS?

Now, go on.  Guess what this is going to be?  OK the thread is old thread and I always use two colours on two shuttles when starting something new.

More will be revealed as time goes by!!!!!

Definitely last of the season!!!

As I said yesterday I think these (and I promise they are here this time) will be the last of the season.

I sew in the conservatory where we get light.  The problem with living in an old terraced house is that there is little light anywhere within the house itself.  The conservatory gets toooooo cold in the winter and would cost a fortune to heat!!!  That's what makes my sewing 'seasonal'!!!!

So, here are the promised last three sets.  One set, like the cats, will shortly be on it's way to Crazymom as a thank you for the fabric and this set (below) is NOT hers!!!

Last of the season!

I only sew in the summer or warmer 'parts' of the year so roly poly bags only get made then!!!

Autumn is now here so I'm slowly finishing off odds and ends of sewing - BUT I couldn't resist trying out some of the fabric that Sandra sent.  Here are three bag sets made out of her fabric and which will get listed in Etsy over the next few days.

Having said that this is the end of the season's sewing I have one more project on the table at the moment but you're going to HAVE to wait for that for a few more warmer days.   Here are the three finished bag sets. 

Oh, hang on - I haven't taken the photos yet!!!!  I'll do that later.  Sorrrreeeeeyyyyy.

I do have one or two more exciting projects to show you over the next few days so don't go too far away, please!!!!

I thought I'd do an experiment!!!

With all these absolutely fantastic HDT's (which, by the way, can't be put away as I keep 'needing' them) I simply HAD to experiment.

 

I decided that I'd do the Flurry in all sizes starting with 20, then 30, followed by 40, 50 and 60.  Not a problem and a fantastic relaxing way to spend several evenings.

You'll see by the scans that I used a contrasting thread as usual.  The reason that each snowflake had to have a different contrast was because I've only ever found 20, 40 and 60/80 easily available over the years.  There's always been a bit of 30 and 50 around but not always very much choice until recently.  Well, not for me down my 'neck of the woods'!!!!

So I present - a mass of Flurry Snowflakes!!!  I still need to make more as they're my Christmas giveaways but am slowly learning that if I start too soon then I give so many away before Christmas that I need more and more and more!!!!  Keeps me quiet, though. 

Oh, more surprises on Monday - I hope!!!

Mumbling on about Etsy!!!

I was thinking t'other day - I do that sometimes on my own and without the help of brain cell 3 or the benefit of a safety net either!!!

My question to myself was 'why do I sell on Etsy'!!!!  I really didn't have to think too hard about the answer, though.

I started the shop when I had a 'good idea' and thought I'd make a fortune selling online.  DUH!!!!  Now a few years later I can tell you that I'm not rich out of the proceeds of selling but it does help feed my addiction to thread, beads, buttons, zips, etc.  Notice, I say 'help'.  I am a lot richer for the friends I've made through doing it which is WAY more important.

I do know why I do it, though.  Do you want to know why?  Well it's cause I enjoy making things.  That makes for a lot of 'artifacts' around the house so I have to keep selling or giving it away to keep some spaces for us to move about in.  Do you remember Mr Trebus?  Well our house could well become like that if I didn't fight my own gremlins and keep trying to 'move things to other locations'.

I often wonder about my pricing.  I see a lot of tatting being sold and some of the prices asked are out of this solar system!!!!  WAAAAYYYY too much for very simple and only slightly beaded jewellery.  I cringe and hide my head in shame.  I mean, how long does it take to make a pair of earwigs without anything added?

Then there are the sellers who see what somebody else is doing and copy them.  Thankfully I don't need to do that (thank you brain cell 3) and nobody's done it to me - as far as I know!!!  Mind, my style would be hard to imitate - mainly cause I don't have one!!!!

I have a policy statement on my pattern page which says to ask me if anybody wants to sell anything made out of my patterns.  That's simply because I like to use my own designs to sell online myself but I don't mind who makes what to sell 'offline'.  As if I would ever find out anyway!!!!  Can you imagine me lurking around all the small shows, fairs and craft shows round the world looking to see who's using my patterns?  Wouldn't that be funny?  Also I wonder who would want to make them anyway as there are so many tatting patterns now available online.

Well, that's enough from me today.  Yesterday I cleaned all the windows and got the geraniums in ready for winter.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, Grrrrrrrrrrrr, etc, etc.

Fringe Element shuttle

You know you've 'arrived' when something like this happens to one of your designs.  Can you see the heart on the picture?  That's MINE!!!!

I made this pattern for the Fringe Element Tatters when they first set themselves up and am delighted that they asked to use a copy of it on their shuttles which they had at last weekend's Tat Days.  What an honour.

I must go and re-visit this pattern again as I'm currently working on a heart for a reason which will be revealed - eventually!!!!

Done it!!!

One thing I HATE doing is not finishing things off as soon as they're done!!

When I finish each part of my tatting I sew in ends.  When I've finished anything I try to tidy up - well, except tat corner!!!

SO when I've finished a snowflake or an earring if they need findings or need to be put in a ring then they HAVE to be dealt with straight away (or the next morning).  If they don't get finished I get angry with myself!!

Here are two that hung around for days waiting for the 'finishing off'!!!