Happy or sad?

That is the question!!!  Actually a mixture!

These are a few of my ezbobs.  They're naked and need clothing in thread!!!  Does this make me happy or sad?  I'm not sure to be honest.

The ones outside the bag are really the only naked ones as the others inside have never been 'dressed' in thread before.  Let me explain!

I store all my precious HDT and sample threads on these little gizmos and the newly naked ones are as a result of the ongoing diamond project.  That's the happy part of it as it's been amazing to have been given the opportunity by generous friends to use these.  


The sad part is simply that they are now naked - BUT it does give me a whopping BIG excuse (and hopefully with a healthy Paypal account) to order more.  I'm going to start a list over the next few weeks and will then order (mostly, I think) when I get to the USA.  That will save me on postal charges, I hope, as I'll have them delivered to Cincinnati!!!  Am I crafty, crazy or what?

Old earrings - part 2

Here are some more of the earrings although there are a lot more which I can't find!!!  Gracious - I'd forgotten all about these!!!!  I've still got the old exercise book somewhere in whicih I wrote down the patterns.  In fact I saw it recently!!  I'll have a look around for it.


Seems like I've lost an 'old bat' somewhere (middle towards the bottom)!!!!  


Do you recognise the giraffes?  That pattern was re-done and is on my site under 'doodles' and is right here.  


It was doing these and using some of the white school glue (PVA) to stiffen them which led me into other experiments in stiffening.  Actually this still works best for me - mostly I dilute it with a little water first as it's easier to 'squidge' into the tatting with my fingers.

Is the end near?

Maybe but maybe not!!!

Further progress but my dear old brain cell 3 is dying to try out new things he's thought of several other ideas whilst this is progressing.  I'm a determined OG and will continue!!

The figures are stacking up for me now as I'm over half way through this round.  I've worked out that I may get it finished in another week or so and will then put it to one side.  Why?  Well because I have gifts to make before we go on holiday.  

When I've finished this round I'll have to work out if I've enough of the infill thread to do the 'bits in between' the points.  This should prove easy as I know that a full Aero shuttle does four diamonds with the lighter colour.   The darker shade is a tad less.

What I did for this round was fill the shuttle and then unwind onto an Ez-bob until I knew I'd got enough 'fours' to finish.  I'll do this for the outer infills too.  If I don't have enough then I have two similar but slightly darker shades which will work.  There again I may just use the darker shades anyway!!!  I then have to decide if this travels with me to finish off on holiday!!!  IF it does it will go into my carry on luggage as I'm not trusting it in the hold of the aircraft!!!!

Old earrings part 1

I'm a bit excited about this find!!!  Why?  Well this is probably the start of my trip into 'doing my own thing'!!!!  I don't claim to be a 'designer' as really I just get an idea and then stumble around until I get what I want!!  The earrings became a 'need to save money' thing.

Anyway, these were made when I was teaching and I was made redundant from that when I was 48!!  I taught four/five year olds as they were admitted into school.  To 'help' in the process of settling them in I took to wearing totally ridiculous earrings.  NO, not pretty ones - just stupid ones.  Tea bags, clothes pegs, dog biscuits (dangerous near dogs), audio cassettes, sweets and anything imaginable that could be hung from my ears!!!  The kids used to come to school to see 'what teacher was wearing'!!!!  Some of them even made earrings for me from toilet roll middles etc.  VERY embarrassing when I forgot I was wearing those and went shopping - I'd realise what had happened when people stared at me!!  

After a while I realised that I could make tatted earwigs so these are some of the ones I 'invented'.  Don't forget - these were in the days before I knew about split rings!!!!  Before the Mary Sue Kuhn books.

Woweee

Now I'm not sure whether to thank Kelly or cuss her for tempting me off the straight and narrow (even if the straight and narrow is diamond shaped!)!!!

See what she sent me yesterday?  That's the temptation!!!  I did a small favour for her and this was more than ample reward.  HDT from Sherry, findings to 'play' with and other threads to try out too.

See the maple leaf and butterfly?  Well they're needle tatted and are the first pieces of needle tatting I've knowingly seen that are as firm as shuttle tatted pieces (apart from Rita Cochrane's).  Having tried needle tatting (albiet only for a few days) I now realise this is down to 'fine tuning' the needles to the threads.  Part the reason I'll never take it up as I'm too lazy for that and also I found it waaaaay too slow for an OG like me.

Thank you, Kelly - this gift was above and beyond the call of friendship.

Looking through old work

I found some more things in an old file that I did years ago - so over the period of the next few days (or as long as I don't get bored - or you!!) I'll show you.  


I put a lot of my work into files so that I could take it along to shows when I used to belong to the Ring of Tatters.  I'm going to try and sort things out in my tatting corner (the one in the back room - next to the tatting cupboard). It really needs doing!!  One of my tasks will be to pare down my newsletters by scanning what I really 'want' and then re-cycling the rest.  Nobody in my family would want them, I'm sure.

Again I'm not sure where this pattern came from but it's worked in an 80 Coats thread!  Actually it's probably a Mary Konior pattern.

What the Royal wedding did

This is what the Royal wedding did for tatting!!!  

It gave me the wonderful excuse to sit and tat most of the day!!!!  I got sucked into the wedding before it started and sat through the lot - even the boring bits of hymns and stuff!!!   We even watched the highlights last thing at night on the news!!!

Anyway this is the progress from before that and since.  I'm about a third of the way round this round now but I'm flagging!!!!  SO pleased I've 'hidden' the threads I'm going to use in the shoe box.  I won't allow myself to peep until I need the next batch of threads!!!  Does that sound silly?  Maybe, but it works for me!!!!

The psychology of a large project!!

OR am I in need of a psychiatrist?  Send for the men in white coats!!!


Now the diamond mat isn't my first large project by any means!!!  If I remember rightly the sewing thread weight sleeveless jacket I made when the kids were little was probably the first.

Lately I've got sick of the quick to do projects as each time they're done I have to think of something new to do.  Then there's the problem of what to do with them all!!


Now the way I deal with these larger projects is quite simply down to self trickery.  


First of all I NEVER set myself an end target - that's fatal for me as the end would be too far away and totally unacheivable.  I therefore start to vaguely 'think' I'll start on something but never tell brain cell 3!!!

I start with smallness in mind.  The 'project' sets out (at the back of my mind) to be a small item.  The waistcoat was originally going to be a glassmat.  Then it's easy to make another small mat 'to match'!!  These can then be joined up with a third (if still in the mood) and sometimes a whole set can be made before joining them up and getting an 'instant' large project.  Another 'trick me' strategy I use too is to make lots of 'middles' and put them by.  Then when the outer edges are done and joined a 'large project' emerges.  Real brain trick is that!!!

The diamonds have been a lot more interesting as there are colours involved.  If it had been two plain colours I would probably have given up ages ago.  This time I have found another way (see Thursday's post) of keeping the excitement and anticipation going!!!   Again trickery is the answer and NEVER let brain cell 3 know!!


With this project I had decided it was going to be the size of the previous one before I started but then I thought I'd fill in the spaces between the points - just to see what it would look like!!!  


One day when most of the way through that last stage - which I called round two I had the brilliant idea of making a wall hanging for our bedroom.  I showed it to Nick who then said he thought it would be a bit small.  Eureka - another round (and a larger project!!!) was 'birthed' in my brain!!!  Problem is now - do I show him it again when this round is complete?!?!?

So?

Were you really expecting a post about TATTING today?  I'll continue my ramblings tomorrow!!!

I'm not a follower of our Royal family and their antics but I do get 'sucked in' when it's a wedding!!!  I'm proud of my heritage and acknowledge what the Royal family do for our tourism industry.  I love the pageantry and doubt any other country could do it as well - there's a challenge!!!!

My kettle's full of water, the teabags are ready, the telly is tuned in so bring on the celebrations!!


Oh, I'll be working on diamonds too!!!!  Darn it - tatting had to creep into this post!!!!

The answer!!!!

The first guess in was right - from Maureen!!!!  

This was the start of round 3 of the diamond 'mat'.  What I did was lay out the completed centre two rounds and then 'raid' the tatting cupboard!!!  It's easier to do it this way for me.  


I start with the HDT and variegated threads and match them up to appropriate 'plains'.  The next stage is to place them next to where I think they're going to be best in the next round.  OK, this sounds simple but there are lots and lots of changes of mind over placement and 'guesses' as to what the finished motifs will look like but an hour or two of messing around and brain ache gets it done.

Then I tie the balls/ezbobs together (or put them in bags together) and 'mark' with a safety pin and a piece of card where numbers 1 and 2 start.  All the balls are then numbered and put in a shoe box with the highest numbers at the bottom (there are 18 on this round!!).  It's then part of the fun picking out the next paired number over the following weeks to see 'what comes next'.  


Tomorrow I will 'discuss' (or mutter about) the psychology of such a large project!!!  It may consist mainly of excuses for my mental instability!!!!

What IS the old bat up to now?

Don't worry - I'm talking about myself - the MOG or the daft old bat (DOB).

Here you are - a conundrum, puzzle, quiz, tease or whatever you want to call it.   Maybe just a bit of fun!!!!  No prizes here but can you guess what this is all about?  Two pictures below.

Yes, it's a shoe box (I bought some new sandals a few weeks ago).  First picture closed (well, almost!) and the second open.

Go on, humour me - have a guess!!!  What am I doing and WHY?

Abbi's blanket

First of all thanks to those who missed my blog post yesterday and who wrote to see if I was OK - I missed it too!!!!  I thought it was Sunday!!!  DUH!!!!!  Today's post brings back supposed 'normality' in my corner of tat land!!!


I have one little granddaughter aged 3 (and a bit) who loves pink.  Don't all little girls?  Oh, and OG's like me too!

My daughter spent hours cutting up her old baby clothes into small four inch squares.  She showed me them last year when we visited and she was about to put them altogether.  Well the other weekend we were visiting them and she mentioned she'd got a favour to ask me and brought them all out.  'Mum, could you put these together for me, please?' she said.  I didn't dare tell her how my fingers had itched  to do it last year so of course I said 'yes'!!!!

Here's the result!!  

If you look closely you'll see a heart and a butterfly on there too - tatted, of course.  When Abbi and Nathan visit they love to go home with a piece of tatting and I usually keep something for them.  They go into their 'treasure' boxes, I think but they do play with them which I think is GREAT.  Tatting should be played with!!

156 down - how many to go?

OK, this is where I got to on the original mat before 'calling it a day'.  There are now 156 diamonds here.

This time, however, I've decided to 'fill in the spaces' between the pointy bits so will be trudging along with those.  

Meantime here are two pictures of 'where we're at' so to speak!!!!

The other ancient doily!!

This is the other doily I promised to show you.

Again worked in silk sewing thread simply because of my frustrations at not being able to find coloured number 20 threads back when dinosaurs roamed the earth!

Sadly I can't tell you the pattern source as it was so long ago and I've no idea where it came from except probably from a scrap of paper given to me waaaay back then.  But I can tell you that it measures 9" by almost 7".  Ah, maybe somebody will recognise it?  


Do you remember those days when to make a photocopy of something cost shed loads of money and was frowned on because of that?  I remember when we had the first ever photocopier in school and how guilty we were made to feel each time we used it!!!  To do worksheets for the tiddlers then was a costly procedure so most of us didn't bother!!!

Thanks so much for all your comments on yesterday's post - all were appreciated. I hope to show more progress on the diamonds tomorrow but we'll see if I remember to take a photo!!!

I never ever realised.

This is nothing to do with tatting but worth reading, I hope.  

Yesterday I attended (accompanied by 'you know who') a special and lovely dinner and presentation.  I was given an award.  Something I'd been working towards, despite a few hiccups, since I was about thirty two ish.  Even though I'd been on this 'campaign' for all those years I didn't realise quite what I'd achieved!!!

You can see me in the picture BUT the bravest and most courageous people were standing either side of me.  They stood up and spoke about their children (one a teenager and the other in his early twenties) who had died tragically of leukemia.  I tell you it nearly made me cry to hear them speak and to hear how much help they'd needed to gain an extra few months (for one couple) and a year (for the other couple) of life for their children.  Sadly they both died.

Please, please PLEASE do help people like them as it's so easy to do.  All you need to do is donate a unit of blood regularly.  Not a lot to ask - it doesn't hurt and it's a good health check for yourself (that's a bonus and one which I was grateful for a few years ago).  If you know ANYBODY and particularly teenagers who are eligible then please encourage them to donate wherever you are in this world of ours.

Oh, I got a badge, a glass crystal plate, a big clap and the photo below as well as a stonking good meal and all I did was lie on a bed 75 times, bleed into a bag, scoff tea and biscuits and trot off home.  See how easy it is.  


Oh, by the way, here in the UK we do it for free too.  I believe that in America people are paid for their donations so even more of a reason to donate!!!

A looong time ago!

Selling off the leaflets last week brought back memories.  When I was young the only booklets with patterns that were easily available were the Coats and Penelope ones.  I had little choice (like most of us 'back then') on what I could make.  I used to buy them with my pocket money as a teenager.  I did actually use some of the doilies I made but wouldn't ever put one out now as I'd have to find room for them (IF I still had any!!!) in all our 'clutter'!!

Penelope book 4 on page 11 was perhaps the only doily I ever 'took to' and I remember making it many times.  I certainly must've made it in size 20 white as that was all I had available but I do remember making it in a fine silk sewing thread too - for the sake of working in colour.  Do you want to see the pattern?  Here's the picture in the booklet.


A few days later and a miracle has occurred at Chez Eborall - I found the silk doily still backed onto a piece of manilla card!!!  It must've been done about 40 years ago at a guess (certainly a looooong, looooooooong time ago!).  Not bad for it's age, eh?  Remember that I'd never seen or heard of picot gauges or blocking in those days either.  


Now I also found another doily in silk but that'll have to wait for another day!!!

Seven motifs second round

Well, not strictly true but seven and one 'bit' on the second round!!!!

As I said yesterday that photograph was taken at the Buzz last Friday.  I've made a bit of progress since then as you can see.  Back last Friday it was 3 motifs and two 'bits' of the next on round two.  I've also added a few infills too since then.  

Next time I take a photo it won't be on our grubby flagstones on the patio!!!  I'll find a cloth to put it on first.  


I think this should be a lesson to all those in tat land who don't sew in their ends as they go along!!!  Can you imagine how tedious it would be to sew in all of them on this project once you'd finished?  


I must add also that to start each diamond I use this method (scroll down the page) and this to get the closure (I use the way with the extra part where you get no blip).

Further progress!!!

Well here we go again!!!!  More boredom for you all!  

This is where I'd got to when I was at the Buzz Cafe.  Since then I've done a bit more but haven't got round to taking a photo.

I'm going to revise my timing on this as I think I must be getting faster!!!  I reckon it's now down to 40 minutes per diamond.  On this picture I guess I'm almost a quarter done on this round and the end is still not in sight!!!  Still enjoying it, though, which is a bonus!!!!

I also drew up some idea of what this will look like when the round is finished.  I can now use this to count and keep track of where I've got to!!!!  This is only a very rough drawing!!!!!

Buzzing along

First of all thanks to those who helped with my problems yesterday - I'm not telling Nick how long I've spent so far on the diamonds!!!  He MIGHT insist I do some of the 'H' word instead!!!!


Yesterday I did a 'stint' of demonstrating tatting at the Buzz Cafe which is in the centre of town - about five minutes walk from where I live.  This is a new venture and a brave and forward looking one too.  Here's a link for more information about what happens there.  I thought you'd like to see some pictures of the cafe so that when you visit the town you'll know exactly where it is and where to pop in for a stonking good sandwich, cake, cuppa tea or anything they've got on their menu.  

So, the first picture is the outside.  The second picture is taken from exactly the same spot but I turned round about 45 degrees and zoomed in slightly.  Can you see that old building over there to the right of the tree? Well, that's Shakespeare's Birthplace.  

The third picture and the fourth pictures were taken inside the Cafe. 

Fretting about things!

Some people think I've got a good 'eye for colour' but it's not really true as I've never studied colour at all.  I use that good old fashioned thing called instinct!!!!

So, first today I'm going to ask you to look at the original diamond mat I made a few years ago.  See how the 'flowers' repeat in the rounds?  Now look at the one I'm working on this year.  I've repeated the flowers in this first round.

So here comes the BIG decision.  I've decided NOT to do the repeats in the next round.  No, no, NO!!!!  I'm just going to 'go with the flow'!!  The main reason is because I have so many drop dead gorgeous threads that I want to use and in some cases probably not enough to do 3 repeats.  Part of the reasoning for making this whole thing is to use the threads I've got and NOT order more (the temptation is always there, though)!!!!  

Now, can you see in the third picture where I've paired them up?  I've got a variegated for the centres and 'plains' for the outlines as usual.  I've also numbered the pairs so I know which should sit next to each other.  BOY, is this going to be fun?  I just need to finish the in fills of this round and then I'll be off on the next!!!  


When all the infills are done there will be 66 diamonds.  Each diamond takes roughly three quarters of an hour!!!  This means that I've already spent a long time over this - can anybody work it out for me?  Now the next 'round' of flowers will be made up of 90 diamonds but I'm not going to work anymore out as I'm hopeless at maths even at the best of times!!!  


I would love to know how many more days, hours etc this is going to take but there again perhaps it's best NOT to know!!!