Not about tatting - not really!

I just wanted to apologise to those who thought I'd stopped easy commenting on the blog.  I took the Captcha thingy off some time ago to make it easier and then found that the comments dropped off AGAIN recently.  I've now realised what caused this.  

What happened is that I linked blog comments to google+ and that made it impossible for those who aren't using google+ to be able to comment - it's now back to what it was before.  Hope this will help you - Maureen and Fox!!!.  

You know what I'm like - I love to try all and everything out.  Do many people use google+?  I rarely if ever go to it.  Now I've taken off the link between the blog and google+ we should be back to 'normal' which is actually almost impossible in my corner of Tat Land!!!

Oh, I'm also roly poly bag making again too and slowly listing them (and poke proof pouches) in my Etsy shop.  Only another 7 sets to make and I'll retire again!!!

Another of the new motifs but without a button in the middle!!!  Today I will choose one of the suggestions for a name and (with a bit of luck) get the pattern up on my site.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Just when you think it's safe!!!

Just when you think you've heard the last of this pattern - here it is again!!!

BUT this time it's got 8 sides and has a button in the middle!!!  I've done two to see how it looks when they're joined so I think I'm going to stick with this idea for a while.

Of course there had to be some alterations to the pattern from the original - quite a bit, actually as you can probably see.  Not sure WHAT I'm going to call this one so any suggestions would be VERY welcome, pretty please with sugar on the top!!!!!  

Still messing with images

So after many, many hours I can now show you a comparison between the before and after!!! Least I hope I can.

First at the top is the 'before' I started out with Pixelmator - see yesterday's post.

Can you see the grey backgrounds to the motifs?  This is what has annoyed me for years and which I promised myself I would 'get round to sorting one day'.  

Now look at the second logo.  The grey bits have now gone.  I'm such a proud old git but now I have to get them on the blog and also then work on the Etsy shop logo too.  All takes time and then I get distracted by other things too - like the sewing machine!!!

Messing about with images

Now my images aren't the best.  In fact they're pretty poor at times.  I'm really only interested in the tatting so making pretty pictures just bypasses me.  

A couple of weeks ago another of the volunteers from Silver Surfers came round to my place to look at a web site he was working on.  He wanted to see it on another type of tablet which Nick had.  Andrew and I got talking and I was bemoaning the fact that I had grey backgrounds to my images (scanned and photographed).  He recommended something called Pixelmator which is available from the App store.  Thus began another 'adventure'!!!!  

This software allows you to eliminate the parts of an image that you don't want (there was originally a grey background - see the top image).  By 'zapping' the pixels in the image you can make the parts you want to 'get rid of' go transparent (see the next picture).

In the third picture I've placed it over a plain colour so that it shows through where the pixels have been removed.  Clever, eh?  Yes, clever and time consuming when you don't really know what you're doing!!!  However the pair of us (myself and BC3) got stuck in and here's one of the results.  

Obviously I'm in the 'early stages' of learning how to do this stuff but it's keeping me quiet and out of mischief for a few hours a day.    

More Twirly's!!!!

I'm not going to bore you with this design any longer.  Well, not for now as I've headed off on another 'track'!!!  Still to do with this one - sort of!!!!

So, here's the pattern in case anybody wants it.  

I'm sure it would make a lovely coaster or something.  I'm hopeless at knowing what to use things for or even giving them names but I thought 'Twirly' was a goodish one for this as it sort of 'twirls' in and out!!!!

Twirly Hexagon motif

First today is a note to tell you that there are two new roly poly tat bags now in my shop.  YES, Spring is here for a few days so it's warm enough to sew in the conservatory - whoooopppeeeee. Hopefully more to come too.

So, this is my next experiment.  I really, really liked this one.  I intended it to be a 'joinable upable' motif but wasn't happy that when several were made that they would join successfully with the 'right' sort of negative space between each one.  If you follow my ramblings!!!

I tried all sorts of different ideas including throwing off SCMR's but none really worked as well as this original one!!!  There will be lots more about this motif over the next week or so.  

Oh the trials and tribulations that I go through with BC3 are unbelievable - especially when he/she decides to forget things too!!!

Another design

First today - two more TIAS have arrived - look here to see them.

Now this is another 'experiment' with the lock stitch block tatting.  I'd sort of forgotten about this as I finished it a month or more ago!!!!  I have a version with a button in the middle too.  One day I will get round to working it with the button in - then I can finish off the pattern.  It's sooooooo nearly 'there' but I've gone off to do other things now and have lost interest - as OG's do!!!!

Practical Crafts

Here are two more of my patterns but this time they were published in Practical Crafts - February 1994. 

The really interesting point here is the way I worked the pearl drop earring.  Again bearing in mind that I already knew how to do split rings myself I was very aware that most tatters probably wouldn't know so I used an 'old fashioned' method to achieve what would now be easily done with SR's.

Edging to six motif mat

Well I knew it 'needed something' so this is what the 'something' turned out to be!!!!

I used the same colours as I did on the middle motif.  With beads added, of course!!!  I didn't want the piece to be round either so decided to 'go with' the dips and dives of the total shape.

Now it can go in the box in the cupboard!!!!

Practical Crafts January 1994

Well, well, well.  Another magazine that ran my patterns back in 1994.  These earrings came about when I found it was becoming too expensive to buy earrings to amuse my reception classes!!!  This was obviously a long time ago and nowadays I'd probably use different techniques to make them.  In fact some of my doodles have developed from these early beginnings.

No, that's not me - either on the cover or modeling the earrings.  Mind if it was a black cat it might've been me in a previous incarnation.  Oh, on second thoughts - I would've been it's owner.  A witch!!!  Probably still am when you're not watching me!!!

Jess threads 7

Here it is - the final motif.  So, that's another project over with - or is it?  No, it's not.  

I've now got to wake up BC3 to see if he/she can help out with an edging for this.  Why?  Well because none of the outer picots have beads on so they look really naked!!!  They need 'dressing up' with something or other. 

So how do I go about that?  Time will tell.  

I like the negative space on this mat/doily or whatever you call it!!!

Yet more of the 'whatever it is'!

First of all - there are now 113 prams on the TIAS site here.

So today I've got more of the thread fun to show you.  I don't honestly press these as I go along so they may look a bit skanky.  Aren't the colours fun, though?  Just one more to go but I'm not going to ask for guesses as to which colours I'm going to use for the last one!!!!!  

Well, WHAT a surprise

When I got home on Thursday after handing the kids back to my daughter I found a box on my chair in Tat Corner.  I rarely get post - let alone a box!!!  It was just SOOOO exciting.  Even better it was from America.

Now I knew that BC3 hadn't been ordering anything from over the pond so I was totally puzzled.  I managed to get my coat off before I opened it - just!!!

Inside were all the goodies shown below and they came from Terry who I've met online and through the pop a bobbin shuttle sales.  Thank you SO much Terry - you really know how to keep an OG happy!!!

The lighter variegated thread is Manuela - now sadly out of production.  I loved Manuela.  The blue is, of course, the wonderful Lizbeth.  Then there are doodads and twirly whirly thingies (BC3 is hopping around at the sight of those), fabric (when WILL the weather get warmer so I can sew?) and two VERY pretty shuttles as well.  Thank you again, Terry.

Two more added

This time I've got two more motifs to show you.  I like the subtle plain light colours together. 

I suppose I really should've stuck to the one plain colour for all but that wouldn't have gone down well with BC3 who loves to experiment!!!  Really wonder where this is going to end up!!

Kids have gone home - so very quiet again here but lots of sleep needed to get my brain straight again!!!!

Not a lot else

Another 'not a lot else' post!!!!!  This is just a quickie to say I've not picked up a shuttle since Sunday so the odds and ends you've been seeing are from last week or the week before!!!  

This is what has kept me busy the past few days.

A visit to the theatre - not for a show!!!

BUT for the mirror maze - this one's for you, Sherry Pence!!!  We've been three times in two days!!  It finishes on Sunday and a costumes exhibition arrives after that.

 Also a trip up the tower to see Stratford from the top of the town!!

 

There's been a trip to the play centre called Henry's Castle, an afternoon in the rec playground, two trips to the library to get more and more books, two round the town quizzes to do, ice cream to eat (brrrrrr) and a trip out to the supermarket to buy a birthday cake because today is a young man's tenth birthday!

Finally a picture of the devastation at home - isn't it wonderful?  

Jess threads - part 3

Another of Jess's threads with another colour to 'show it off'.  I always have megga doubts at this stage as I never know if it's all going to 'work' or not.  Mainly, I'll admit because I don't have a final plan in my head anyway!!!  Makes for an interesting life, eh?

Two days gone and not a shuttle even looked at.  Why? Have I given up tatting? 

No, the answer is I'm too, too tired.  Looking after young grandkids is sooooo tiring!!!

Jess's threads - another start

OK, so having abandoned the last idea here I decided to start with another pattern (slightly modified) and another colour for the contrast. I'm hoping that when I join this one to others (notice the missing bead on the second ring of the clover!) that I'll get an interesting pattern emerging from the negative space.

This was going to be my summer project but I've got a sneaky feeling that summer has been cancelled yet again this year as it's still very cold here.

The beads are gold glass ones which really sparkle.  I bought them in America and they're truly pretty.

Skunking around

So another day and another pattern.   Yesterday I totally forgot it was Easter and couldn't fathom why, when I wanted to shop, the darn shops were closed.  Hang on - I don't celebrate Easter along with a lot of people so why can't I shop?!?!?!?!  No worries - the cat didn't starve in the end and neither did we!!!!  I found one shop open which sold milk so we could continue drinking tea and we found food in the store cupboard!!!!

Here is the pattern for the skunk that I did for Tat Days last year.  

Actually this wasn't particularly done for Tat Days.  It was done for a lady who wrote and asked me if I could make a skunk for her daughter!!   I can't remember who it was who asked and I seem to have lost touch with her.  I'd thought of a skunk before but they've got such a bad reputation I didn't think ANYBODY would want a tatted one.  So IF you do want one then you've now got one.  May the smell be with you!!!!

The original giraffe

So when I did the doodles last year and tidied them up I deleted one or two that I didn't think were particularly good or important.

I've had a ticking off from my friend Marie in SC for deleting 'her' little giraffe!!!  I'd put what I thought was a 'new and improved' one on instead but Marie wrote the other day to tell me that 'her' giraffe was missing and would I put him back!!!

So, specially for Marie - here he is!!!!!!  My humble apologies, Marie.  Are we still friends?

New instruction pages

About a year ago Georgia or one of the Palmetto tatters contacted me to ask if I could do a simple page or two that they could use for handouts at Tat Days.  They wanted something to help with teaching brand new tatters.  

I had a firm word with BC3 (brain cell 3) who said he was 'up for it' so off we went into unknown territory!!!  Now you must bear in mind that it was well over half a century ago that I learnt to tat along with my gran who was learning too.  So to go back to that mind set was quite hard.

I did a few pages for them and it seemed a good idea to add a small pattern or two for beginners to try.

I remembered these pages a week or so ago and have been playing with them ever since.  I will add more when I next feel the muse.  Meanwhile I've had a lot of help from people checking them out and telling me what was wrong or coming up with great suggestions.  I know they're not 100% yet and probably never will be.  Let me know if there's anything you spot or if you have any suggestions for more pages.

Things can easily be changed but at least they're there (on the internet) at last.  I've had to change round the front page of the web site too slightly to accomodate the link to the links to the links!!!!!  Sounds as if I'm playing golf, doesn't it?