Previous Tat It And See designs.

Before I start wittering on - tomorrow will be day 7 so get ready!!!!

Christine sent me a message earlier during this year's TIAS showing me these two pieces which are on my pattern site. The pram which is here and the sailing boat here.  I just LOVE the colours she used and asked her if I could share them with you all. This is what she said. 

"I recently finished tatting the pram and sailboat and thought you might like to see them.

They were fun to make, and good practice for split rings and SCMRs.

Thank you!

Have a great weekend!"

As you've probably realised, over the years, I LOVE bright colours but these really, really appeal to me big time.  Thank you for sharing, Christine.

Heart bookmark

This is one of the things I've made with the Abbi Heart pattern. A simple bookmark. 

My problem is I keep making these little hearts and don't know what to do with them!!! 

I've been truly amazed at the response to this pattern. Perhaps I ought to remember to post in the groups on Facebook (not a place I'm comfortable in!) more often!!! 

The strategy (if that's what you call it) of posting in the tatting groups did lead to an 'interesting' discussion with a Czech tatter who tried to 'strongly persuade' me into putting her copyright on the way the beads were added in the beaded version.  She claimed that in 2007 she'd put this idea on her website and it was therefore hers. I did send her the link to this pattern which was uploaded in the same year but even that didn't convince her. Least I don't think it did. Very difficult to discuss such matters when neither party speaks the other's language. Anyway I heard no more yesterday so it must all have blown over!

Day 6 of the TIAS

Today it's time to get back to the shuttles because here is day 6 of the Tat It And See.

New pattern out today

Tomorrow will be time for day 6 of the TIAS.

Well this should actually have been out loooooong before Christmas but I've only just remembered it!!!! 

Thanks to somebody somewhere on the internet yesterday selling a heart pattern it woke up BC3 to the fact that he'd never got round to uploading this one!!!! I've several patterns which need to be finished and put on the site but I tend to go wandering off on a new idea before the links and other 'stuff' has been done!!!

Anyway, enough rambling - here's the link. Oh, and here are some pictures of the heart. It's actually quite good value for money - except there's no money involved, of course!!!!

Come dance with me

Look what arrived a week or so ago in my inbox. Isn't this cute?

This came from Elizabeth - least I think it was her but stupidly (I 'do' stupid very well, I might add) I've lost the email with the name.

I love this because I'd never have thought of putting pink tatting on a pink background but it works - and works well in my opinion.

Oh, the pattern is here if you should ever want it.

Day 5 now available

Here is the link to day 5 of the Tat It And See.

Remember to read the instructions carefully!

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.