Pondering on which way is 'best'!

Before I start - did you notice MY HDT on yesterday's post?  Only Lily and Ridgewoman commented on it!!!  It made me giggle as it was done at the very last minute before posting.  Little things please little minds!!!


First of all - news for those who are interested in the Pop a Bobbin shuttles.  There will be more in my Etsy store on Wednesday.  10 pm GMT.

Here's a list of shuttles which will be available.  Elm – 3, Oak – 1, Cocobolo Rosewood – 2, Iroko – 3, Purple Heart – 2 and Cedar – 4.  All have hooks BUT I met up with 'im in the garage at the weekend to fell some apple branches and I've asked him to make a few without hooks for the next 'batch' AND two more of the very large post shuttles with hooks.  

I'm also hoping to have something really novel to put in the store soon too.  I'm not telling what it is but I've not seen anything like it tatted before!!!!!

A few days ago I needed something relaxing to be doing in the evening so thought I'd make two flurries using the contrast colours in the opposite way!!!!  

Can you see what I've done?  Here they are!!!

Never on Sunday!!!!

Except THIS Sunday!!!!  Well I suppose old people should never say 'never'!!!!

A brief update after yesterday's (rather late!) post!!  Why late?  Because I forgot to check that it had gone out!! I'd set it to go out but didn't check the time!!!

Anyway since then I've had the following from Jane:-

"Hi Jane, hmmmm, there's a difference alright. Actually, the thread wasn't bought in South Africa, my daughter Penny bought it for me in Australia.  (Proper cotton thread is difficult to come by in the small towns here, though I'm sure you can buy it in bigger centres). I suspect that the standardisation of sizes just isn't as good as one would hope for. DMC is a well known brand, so it's surprising. I suppose the implication is that one shouldn't mix brands? The flurry looks great. But all this does have implications for pattern writing and what not, I think. Interesting, as you say!!"

Here's the label that was on Jane's thread.  Oh, do you like my HDT message?!?!?!?  That's Hand Dyed Text, of course!!!

Pretty, pretty, pretty thread

Now these didn't come from the USA!!!!  No, nor from the UK.  They came from Jane in South Africa who is doing her own HDT.

Aren't these just DDG?  Oh, you want a translation?  Drop Dead Gorgeous!!!!  First thing I did was to wind them onto my last two Ezbob's.  The green is waiting for one to become 'vacant'!!! 

The second thing I did was to tat up a flurry with the pinky one.  This is it below.  What I found most surprising was the size it turned out.  Jane says the thread is Cebelia number 20 but look what happens when you put it next to another flurry worked in Lizbeth and another HDT in 20.  If anybody can shed any light on this mystery then please do tell us!!!  Is it the dyes that have done it or is Cebelia 'different'?  OR another thought occurs to me - are the threads re-labelled when they go to South Africa.  There's food for thought!!!!

 

Look what arrived yesterday!!!

Woweeeeee, look what arrived yesterday! 

Thank you SO much Ann - I'm thrilled to bits, lass.  I know I'm a bit of a plonker at times but it's good to know people seem to like that!!!!!  Poor Nick tolerates it - he has to live with it 24/7 unless he throws me out with the dish water!!!

I now need to load it up with my pop a bobbin shuttles and my ongoing project and put it in my 'just going out' place.  Do you have a 'just going out' place?  I've got two.  One is the top of the bookshelf in the hall where I keep my itouch, sunglasses (that's a joke at this time of the year in this place!) and my 'on the go' tatting project. 

On the FLOOR in the hall I 'file' packets to post from sales in the Etsy shop or other 'things'.  Oh, things like bits and bobs to go to the charity shop.  Why?  Because if I didn't put them there I'd forget!!!!  We usually go in and out of the front door so anything 'on the way' to the front door gets 'seen' and dealt with!!!!

One thing I've learnt over the past few years is that all my friends in America are just SO lucky when it comes to craft supplies and particularly fabrics - pretty, pretty ones. Here are the fabrics that Ann put into the packet along with the press.  I will certainly be making a bag set or two with these next Spring.

Teri's turtles

Teri Dusenbury - there's a name to remember as an icon in tat land.

Teri has been making turtles and now has lots and lots to sell.  Her blog is here.

Now if you'd like to see her list (with pictures to drool over) then please drop me a line and I'll send you a copy of her inventory with all the prices, contact details etc.  My email address is in my profile.

I have a turtle that Teri kindly gave me a couple of years ago. - the pink one below and I've 'captured' one of those she has for sale too (that's the turquoise blue one) and put him underneath my necklace.  This necklace has travelled back to the USA with me to be shown off at Palmetto!!!!!

Terri has a wealth of tatting knowledge and has known of a lot of the famous, sadly now parted tatting icons.  It's worth putting aside some time to read the pages at the top right of her blog too.

Earrings

Following on from the 28th October I present a pair of earrings!!

Now the reason for these are the pretty red heart beads that Ridgewoman sent me for my birthday.  They have holes going from side to side which I thought was a little more challenging than usual!!!  Thus I had to pull out brain cell three to come up with this idea!!!

This is again using the floating chain but adding the beads as you go.  Whoops - I see that I've got the one heart bead 'twizzled' upside down on the scanner.

What do you think?  Is it worth going any further with this idea?

Look at this!!!!

It's always very reassuring to find out that people actually make up some of the patterns that are on my pattern page - or elsewhere!!!!  

Elizabeth sent me this last week along with this comment:-

"Here is my first leaf.  I will tat some more to put on a shirt.  I ordered the Palmetto CD just to get your leaf and bird.  It is a very good CD.  Lots of nice patterns."  

Well I left the last sentence off cause it made me blush!!!!

A start on the Victorian purse

Now you saw my post (or maybe not!) last week (or it could've been the week before!!) over the purse in the Mrs Beeton's Book of Needlework so, after that I'd said all that I, thought 'why not'.  Why not what?  Why not another try!!!!!

Back when I did the black and white version we didn't have computers or such like so everything had to be 'jotted down' on paper.  This made sorting out this pattern back 'then' almost impossible as it's not easy to understand in the first place!!!!  Also I was about thirty years younger, with young kids, teaching full-time and all the complications that brings to one's craft life.

This time round I realised straight away that the centre of the black and white one is wrong but I sort of remember thinking that it wouldn't work so did it 'my way'.  Well it doesn't 'really' work but I used the instructions this time round and followed them to the letter (no, sorry, number)!!!!  Of course the fact that it doesn't 'sit' right could be down to the thickness of the thread or the size of the beads - not sure.

Then onto round 1.  Softly softly catchee monkey!!!  I did this exactly according to the written word too. 

Looking closely at the picture in the book it does look as if it's OK but I'm not happy with the way some of the beads have turned towards the inside of the rings.  Still 'upwards and onwards' and all that guff!!!!!!

More eye candy

Gosh, here I am 'Americanised' again!!!!  I'd never heard of the expression 'eye candy' before the www came along!!!  

Just LOOK at the colours in the flowery bookmark.  This is another offering from Jane who says:-

"Hi Jane, I've just made your flowery scmr bookmark. I thought the 'tail' would work to attach to the heart. I thought you might like to see. I used three dimple rings instead of the flower at the end. The colours of the flowery bookmark are really brighter than show on the computer. Part of my latest dyeing efforts. I'm pleased with the results. Happy tats, Jane"

Well I had to use pink for her message, didn't I?!?!?!?!?

Another Winsome brooch!

Here's another one - didn't take as long to do as the first!!!!  A shorter evening!!!

This one is going to be worn on my brown heavy duty winter coat.  When I find it!!!  The coat, I mean.  By the time I've found that I'll probably have lost the brooch!!!!

Don't you just LOVE that big bead on the middle section at the bottom?  I wish I could remember where it came from but it's been 'flaunting' itself under my nose now for years.  I've finally managed to find a way to showcase it.

Back to the floating chain.

It's such fun to play with new ideas.  This is based on the floating chain idea which Terry brought to my attention.  There's been an ongoing discussion between Terry, Suzanne and I about improvements in working this technique but unfortunately I've not been able to give it my full attention.  I've had a touch of 'something or other' and haven't been too sparky for a few days.

Here's what happens when you've finally got a bit of time, though!!!  I can't think of another way you could get this effect but I'm sure somebody will think of an alternative!!!

Now to make something pretty out of this!!!!  You can't call the spider pretty, can you?

Last week

Last week I had the following message from Elfriede in Germany:-

"Thanks for the description of the Snowflake Flurry.

Attached please find a picture of my Snowflake Flurry.One more question:I do voluntary work in the Deutscher Occhi-Ring and would like to publish my Snowflake Flurry with the instructions translated into German in our brochure "Shuttle Information" in the fall of 2011. I will use your name as a designer. I hope that you allow me this. Many thanks.

Kind regards 

Deutscher Occhi-Ring"

Now this is what I call long term planning.  So next autumn the Flurry Snowflake will appear in German.  I hope to start a section on my website for my own patterns in different languages.  I have a few already translated but haven't quite got round to sorting them out.  It's really flattering and rewarding to think that people are prepared to spend time doing this for others who can't understand English.  Thank you Elfriede - and even more important asking and letting me know.  Below is her Flurry Snowflake.

Winsome brooch finished.

Here's the brooch finished!!  I've now sprayed it with fabric protector as it will be worn on a thick winter fleece.

I'm not very good at hanging clothes up - well, that's not strictly true.  I DO hang them up but usually on the floor!!!!  Also as this is going to be worn on a fleece - if that 'pills' then it might start to discolour the threads.

Well, Jane, does that really matter?  The whole thing can be 're-cycled' in an evening.  Hmmmm, a long evening!!!

I actually do re-cycle my beads if they're big ones like this.  Let me see.  The beads on this brooch all came from America!!!  I think some came from Sue Anna, some from Crazy Mom and there maybe one type there from Ridgewoman!!!  I love these beads - they really, really sparkle.  They should cheer up a dreary winter's day when I'm bumbling round the town.  Now, how about earrings to match?

Another 'take' on the Winsome!!!

Before I start today - I must draw your attention to two links resulting from Saturday's post.  These are both from people who are more knowledgeable than me about beads!!!  The first is from Gina's blog where she gives a lot of very practical info on what beads to use and where.  I'm also putting this link to a post by Bree's Way.  I've also put a link (top left) on my page so you'll be able to find it easily in future.

There's something about some patterns that keep calling me back!!!!

I bought these safety pin things a few months ago with a brooch in mind.  I wanted something that would be bulky but 'light' in looks to wear on my winter jacket.  Anyway, this is the start of the 'effort'.  It really, really does sparkle!!!   I hope to finish it tomorrow so keep watching!!!!

Bead talk!

An interesting question popped into my inbox a few days ago.  It was from Sandy who is a relatively new tatter. She asked me this:-

Hi Jane, long time no e-mail, I have been reading patterns and have noticed that with patterns that have beads  no one says what size of bead  or type to use of course the thread has to be considered but a little help with the beads would be nice. I can tell a seed bead I think but after that I am lost. Being new at tatting really new all the information would be nice.  I don't even know what the beads are or size to buy. Please help I am sure others have the same question but might feel it is to stupid to ask. Not me, if you could put it in your blog that would be great. I am only able to order from catalog's and I can tell you there are thousands of beads in all sizes. Please Help

Beads are something that I've always 'taken for granted'.  I started using them in tatting about thirty years ago.  Believe it or not I was making earrings back then with beads!!!!  Only a few and mainly for eyes but they were 'there'.  Since then I've learnt a lot about them!!!  

Seed beads are my main core purchases.  Size 11.  This is one of many links which help to explain a lot better than me about sizing them.  Also another here.

Perhaps this chart will help too.  Actually if you read the note under the seed bead chart you'll see why this becomes a difficult question to answer!!!

When it comes to 'other beads' of varying sizes I tend to buy and then later decide what to use them for.  One of my main sources is Ebay where anything and everything can be found.  This is another source for many very pretty beads!!!!  The shop that the Hospice runs at the local tip!!!  Sally and I always pay a visit there when she's in town!!!!

So, to sum up, Sandy, I think if you buy size 11 seed beads they will become your 'core' bead.  They sit nicely on most threads.

A century apart (or more!)

A couple of days ago I saw this on a blog and it reminded me of the neck purse I'd made over thirty years ago!!!  They are so different yet both have have the same purpose in life, although I guess the value of the coins they are meant to hold has changed beyond measure too!!!    

Goodness knows where mine is now but it's lurking somewhere in this house!!!!  

I'd seen the pattern in the Mrs Beeton's Book of Needlework (I finally inherited an original gold edged pages copy from my gran which was published in 1869 or thereabouts) and wanted so desperately to make it.  From her 'odds and bobs' around the house I was given the clasp.  I wonder if she ever had it in mind to make it?

You can now find this pattern here - number 42.   I had to jiggle it a bit to make it fit the clasp and I also added beads a little differently from what I can remember!!!  As you do!!!

I lined the whole thing with a tiny piece of black silk fabric.  I intend one day to re-visit this clasp again (when I find it!!!) and replace the tatting.  Meantime I have a yen to make neck purses again and will (hopefully!!!) be re-visiting this pattern shortly to see if I can improve on it!!!!

After considerable thought and still being intrigued with this pattern I have now decided to try it again!!!!  I'm going to 'translate' the pattern into 'Jane' and will share it if it ever gets done!!!!

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.