Day 4

It's Friday so it MUST be time for Day 4 of the TIAS.

Here's the link. 

Day 5 will be available on Sunday so keep those shuttles on standby!!

About the TIAS

First of all tomorrow will be day 4. It was going to be today but it's going to be a VERY hectic day for me so I can't give it the time it needs.

Just thought it was worth sharing a few thoughts about this year's Tat It And See and the progress so far.

Firstly it's going really, really well from what I can see/feel. 

I see a lot of people taking part on my odd visits to Facebook but who don't send pictures to the blog. That's FINE. 

I'm also learning about the 'secret' TIAS tatters who never get publicly involved or ever make contact with me. Again - that's fine. Hope they are brave enough to join in publicly one day.

Another pleasing thing is the guffaws of laughter that the game generates for the two of us back here in our part of the world. Thank you to those who go the extra mile to cause that with their pictures and comments!

From being a possessive parent of this daft idea - nowadays I'm becoming a proud parent who honestly is enjoying every minute of it's growth during it's teenage years. Because of this I'm looking forward to doing another next January. 

Maybe I'll use the idea I had for this year but changed my mind about!!! You'll hear why at the end.

Another day and another link!

That's right - another day and another link. 

Here's the link to day 3 of the Tat It And See.

More playing with baubles

Tomorrow will be day 3 of the Tat It And See.  The link will be on this blog and the TIAS blog too.

I'm back playing with baubles which isn't easy while dealing with BC3 and his lack of memory as to 'what did I do last time'!!! 

The problem with these is the difficulty of taking pictures. Not easy. I normally tend to scan rather than use the camera. Still here's one of my experiments.

I'm interested at the moment in how to add beads to the edges of the finished open baubles. I think I've solved the problem now but it's hard to explain how I've done it. I'll try, though one day. The top picture below shows another row added after the beads. 

Day 2

We have just over 50 people now taking part in this year's Tat It And See. Of course there's always time to start so if you haven't then just follow the links at the top, left of this page or the TIAS blog.

So, here's the link to Day 2.

Patchwork finished.

Tomorrow will be Day 2 of the Tat It And See.  Links will be on this blog (top left of the day's post) and on the TIAS blog too.

Why oh why do I yearn to finish things and then (a) forget I've done them (b) immediately want to start a new and similar project?

I finished this project over the weekend and promptly forgot to tell you!!!

The top photo shows the finished piece before I put the border on. Then below is the totally finished cloth. The backing is the same fabric as the outer rose diamonds. It's now on Nick's table and he's dead chuffed with it. 

Now I've got to decide whether to start another patchwork or not. I fancy making some placemats using just the hexagons and the same sized ones as this cloth. It'll give plenty of scope to play with each mat as the pieces will be relatively small - unlike those in the large throw. Which reminds me - wonder where I put that too?

We're OFF

Day 1 of the Tat It And See 2016 is now available on this link.

Any comments or photos you want to send in then please send them to this email address - love to tat @gmail.com (take out the spaces)!!!

All links will be available at the top left of this page and on the Tat It And See blog which is here.

Bauble earrings

Sometimes I just HAVE to play and this is one of the ideas that stemmed from the bell the other day. I've jotted down very rough notes on this but need to get them properly written up - mainly so I can understand them!!!

From tomorrow onwards this blog may become a little quieter. I hope to be busy with the Tat It And See (TIAS) so won't have a lot of time to tat!!! It'll give the old hands (and BC3!) a rest though.

Count down.

It's Monday - the first IN January.  Um, I suppose you all know that already. 

BUT did you all know that the Tat It And See starts on Wednesday 6th?  That's two days away?  If not then you've not been reading my blog lately!!!  If you haven't then you'd better go and stand in the naughty corner or sit on the naughty step!!!

For those one (or maybe two) people on planet earth who haven't heard - here are the links.

First of all to the Tat It And See (TIAS) blog. Then the link to the introduction.

So, if you want to join the fun and mayhem then please do. No sign up, no rules, just tatting fun with a bit more knowledge to add to your repertoire!!! I hope!!!

Ah, also it would be lovely to meet new tatters to the game. 

Bell flower bauble

Don't forget January 6th and the start of the Tat It And See.

So, did you miss me yesterday? Did you think I was suffering a hangover after the New Year's Eve celebrations? 

Well if you thought I had a hangover then it would only have been because I was suffering from too much sleep!!! What I LOVE about NYE is going to bed REALLY early and reading for even longer than usual and then falling into a deep, deep sleep. Sometimes we're woken by the neighbours singing the new year in along the road and sometimes by fireworks but it's lovely to lie there and hear (very briefly) the revellers and think what they're missing by not being cosy in bed!!!  Am I a MOG?  Perhaps I am.  MOG?  That means 'miserable old git' in Jane language.

So, today I have another bauble to show you. Yes, worked all in one 'hit' and ready to 'go'. Not sure what I'll use it for but it's given me ideas for earrings. IF I'd written down what I'd done then I would've made another to match but as I didn't (write it down) I'll have to work another one or two or three or ........ Well - you get the gist!!!  Patience, Pigmini, patience.  You know it takes time for me to get things properly 'sorted'!!!

Further progress on patchwork

Every time I finish a round on this patchwork I think to myself (and BC3) - well, that's nearly done now. Then I look at it and think about clearing up all the fabric and bits and bobs and I find I can't let it go - well, not yet!!!

So, here's where I am now and I'll be adding more to this!!! I think it will only be one more round or it'll become too big for the table it's supposed to be used on. It's not a big table!!!

Bubble gum bauble

The urge came upon me a few days ago!!! I realised that I'd been suffering withdrawal symptoms due to 'lack of baubles' in my life!!! Sad, isn't it?

So, what to do about it? Well, obviously the answer is - make a bauble!!! 

To really understand and come to terms with a technique I can't 'sit and study' the written word or pictures. I have to simply 'do it'. So, that's what I'm going to do - make baubles to understand more about them.

You'll see that in this one I've started making it on a split ring finding. That means the knots don't have to be hidden inside and it also gives me something to 'hang on to' while starting. By hooking all the ribs round the finding (and the ball/shuttle thread) it means no knots!!!

The bottom is interesting too. First I added beads to each rib (and the ball thread) and then took each thread back through the beads (except the bottom one which remains as the 'anchor') to sew in or 'lose' (tied in a knot in the middle).  The final shuttle thread was taken through a last group of beads but then taken through each of the bottom beads of the other groups and back through it's own group leaving just the one end to sew in.  

Tat It And See - 2015

Ah, bet you thought I was going to be talking about the upcoming TIAS!!!! Well, no, you're wrong!!!

I'm actually talking about number 116 of this year's game which arrived - well, not going to tell you anymore as you'll have to go and see it over on the TIAS blog which is here!!! 

I'll show you the picture, though - just to tempt you to click!!!

Don't forget - start date for TIAS 2016 is in roughly ten days (January 6th).

Just saying!

I'm going to take a few days break from blogging. Least, that's the plan but whether it works or not remains to be seen!!

The reason? Well, not run out of ideas as I can always talk tatting but need to get the ancient head sorted and other 'stuff' settled too.  Baubles are the main thing on my mind at the moment when I ought to be thinking of new stuff!!!!

I thought this might be the time to remind you all that the TIAS starts in less than a month. The link is here to the introduction and explanation of what it's all about.  In fact, (YIKES), just a couple of weeks or so!!! I'm SOOOO looking forward to it.

Please don't forget me (and my blog) or I'll feel mega lonely. I need y'all (as those folks in the south of America) would say. I'll be back with the TIAS shortly and hope you all have a lot of fun.

Even MORE!

Just when you thought you'd been spared from MORE snowflakes here they are again!!! 

Now interestingly the top two or three are using a thread I was given by Edda Guastalla.  The thread actually has a glittery element in it which is well twisted with the main thread which could be polyester or cotton.  

I must admit I wound it onto the shuttles in great trepidation as I was sure it wouldn't be easy to use.  Wrong, wrong, wrong.  It was really really easy to tat with and gives a lovely sparkly effect too.  In fact when I offered this selection of snowflakes to friends to choose from the red ones went very quickly.

New friends and a new shuttle

Look what arrived a few days ago.  All the way from Australia.  A beautiful shuttle.  The flower is the Cooktown Orchid, the state emblem of Queensland, so Judith told me.  It's much, much prettier in real life.

The shuttle came from Judith Connors who I had the pleasure of meeting in Canada.  I must admit I was nervous about meeting her as she's such an iconic person in Tat Land.  A true expert whereas I dither at tatting, Judith has become a guru on the craft.  AND you should see her work.  WOW.  

Now, the ladies in the picture below the shuttle are Terry, Judith, Ruth and (the dozy one on the far right) - me!  I can't tell you how wonderful those three ladies were.  I'll never be able to thank them enough for their hospitality and the truly wonderful time I had with them.  Can't WAIT to go back.   

Look what I found!

When I was tidying up my tatting corner the other day I found a nearly halfway finished Rachel (a pattern in Rosemarie Peel's Tatting for Pleasure book) here in a bag!!  I think I must've started it before my trip to Canada and left it behind cause I was using beads and I DON'T TRAVEL WITH BEADS!!!

Well by that I mean - I don't tat with beads while travelling!!!

I think this must be my favourite colour combination of colours and beads for this design - so far.   I say 'so far' as I'm bound to do more of these dear little mats.

A sunflower

I saw that Janemactats had been making this pattern last week and then actually saw Amanda's mum the next day wearing the one I'd made her way back in 2003.

This pattern was made for her (Amanda's mum) as her daughter loved sunflowers. I'd met her out walking one day and she was telling me that it was the one thing she and her husband collected in memory of her daughter.  So that day I went home and designed the sunflower.

Over the past weekend I spent time making the pattern a little more 'modern' and updated it. You can find it here and then I took this new one round to Jacqueline yesterday.

Fancy scarf thingy

When I was out and about in Canada with Kelly we went to a Michaels. Well, I think it was Michaels but it was a great shop with lots of beads and interesting 'stuff'.

Kelly spotted a ball of yarn which she said was great to knit with and so I bought a ball. It was really weird (but easy - ish) to make up into this scarf. The colours are gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of making it up. Thanks, Kelly for prompting me to buy it.

Patchwork progress

The top picture is where I am at the moment. Well it was until I changed my mind over those two little triangles sticking out at the top!! They've been cut off now.

The bottom picture is what I'm now planning to do - although I may change my mind several times before it's finished!!

I've got a feeling that there will only be two more rounds after this to fit the little table. I may well be wrong, though. I really admire people who can plan this sort of project in advance. It's well beyond my capabilities!!