Something I've been thinking about.

Back when I started tatting in 1956 the only patterns I could get hold of were the old Coats (well, of course, they were new then!) and Penelope leaflets. 

The patterns in there were what I assumed tatting was all about and they kept me quiet for many years. Occasionally I would do a large project and the amount of thread needed was always stated as 'one ball' or 'two balls' of thread.

Sixty years on and people now want the exact amount of thread needed given in the pattern. This is soooooo annoying to me as it does take considerable effort (poor old BC3) to work out how much is needed and then to remember that people's tensions may vary and they may need more or less.   Even more frustrating as thread now costs much the same as it did 'back then' but was to me very expensive when I had to save up pocket money for it.

I struggle to add this to my patterns as I honestly don't see the point of this unless there is only a small amount of thread left on a shuttle or ball. 

I find, personally, that I get more leftovers that are too small to use by using stated amounts and would far rather not have the hassle of feeling I need to give quantities on a pattern. Having said that - I will do my best to continue to provide this - unless it's a doily!!!!

This is, I suppose a contradictory post but that's how discussions between myself (the semi rational part) and BC3 go!!!!  Happy Tuesday, folks!!!!

Fandango butterfly doily sorted!!!

Well I think it's sorted!!! I like the finishing round which is simple but holds the whole thing together.

Now I really, really 'need' to get the pattern done and uploaded. That, as you know, takes a lot of doing - not that it's hard - it's just fiddly remembering to put in all the links and to put the images in the right place!!!! 

Instead of talking about it - perhaps I ought to just 'do' it!!!

Another bauble!!

This time (and with the same thread) I've added beads to the ribs. In this case there are only six ribs and I've finished it off with beads too. 

This is a slower process - adding beads to the ribs but I do like it. Maybe I'll try a bell with ribs on the beads (I mean, beads on the ribs) next time. 

Now for a bauble!

Still using up the odds and ends and now playing with one of my favourite techniques. The lovely bauble which was originally 'invented' by the late Bobbie Demmer and taken to new heights by the Houtz brothers as most of you will all know. Am I teaching you to suck eggs like you do to grandmother?!?!?

This is a ten rib bauble and at the moment I'm undecided over how to finish it off. I'm 'thinking' beads on the ribs which is, I must admit my favourite way to finish these off!!!

A heart and a motif

More using up of the threads on the EZ-Bobs and I just LOVE the top one although I've no idea who's HDT it is!!!! It's a lovely colour way to work with too.

The bottom one is back to the last of the snowflake HDT from Yarnplayer. 

The patterns are the recently updated hearts (3 of them) which can be found here and this little motif which is here.

Back to the Fandango butterfly

I wanted to see the Fandango butterfly as a mini doily so I started back on the 'butterfly adventure'!!!

First of all the design needed a flower for the butterflies to sit on. So, here is the mini doily - so far!!!!  

Naturally, and being me,I'm not happy with it one bit. OK, the stitch count works but it looks sort of 'bare' round the outside. I've got an idea for that 'on the shuttles' at the moment. Just hope it works out!

Updated hearts pattern

While I've been playing with 'odds and ends' of threads I also thought it maybe a good opportunity to check another of my 'old' patterns out. 

This is the one I've now sorted into my more 'modern' method of annotation. I've now added the instructions for those who like front side tatting too and actually changed everything except the stitch count which would've been dangerous as the design worked well as it was.

Anyway, this is the pattern I'm talking about.

A bauble

As I mentioned yesterday I found another EZ-Bob with Yarnplayer's HDT on so that had to be used!!!! I decided that if I used a plain thread for the ribs then I'd probably have enough for a bauble. 

When I got halfway through this one I decided to make rings using the chain thread.  The rings give the design a sort of 'skirt'.  It's very hard to take photos of these baubles so I apologise for the pictures. 

Anyway, the adventure didn't stop there as I ran out of thread on the chain shuttle but still had plenty left on the shuttle shuttle (core thread). I wound some off that and onto the chain shuttle and, using a knotless join, continued on my merry way. I'm really pleased with this little guy and it would've made a lovely earring - IF I'd written down the stitch counts!!!!

Oh, I still had enough left to make another SCMR butterfly.

Leftovers

Actually there are three butterflies (one escaped the scanner) but then I discovered another EZ-Bob with some more Snowflake HDT on it!!! So, I have another project underway which I will show you soon.

These little butterflies (along with any others that may happen) will go to a very worthy cause. What's that? I hear you ask. 

Well I know that the Palmetto Tatters take a pitch at the South Carolina State Fair in October. They collect butterflies and other small tatted items to share with the thousands of fair goers. There can never be enough to give away so these will help out a bit. If you've got any little tatty bits then they'd be glad to have them. Contact details can be found here.

More 'bits and pieces'.

Well after just three of the Fandango hearts I got bored so started in on the Tiny Star pattern.

As you can see below - that top one is the original but I got fed up with that and decided to play with stitch counts. The next one down just didn't work - too cramped so that little star is going nowhere except the bin!!!

The other two are much better and the last one is, I think, the best of all. Now I've got just over a yard of thread on each shuttle so you'll have to see what I make with that tomorrow - I do NOT waste thread!!!!

Oh I do know what this thread is called too - it's 'Snowflake' from Yarnplayer.  Least that's what it says on the EZ-Bob it's come off so I hope it's right!!!

Bad news

After the tatting doldrums (which are slowly lifting) I have some bad news. 

I'm not sure how to tell you this but I don't think BC3 will be quite as good in the future due to his loss. Sad, but true.

Now I expect you're wondering what's happened.  Well, due to me traveling over the pond shortly and also having found I'd got a loose tooth I took myself off to the 'tooth fairy' yesterday.  Some people call them dentists but I call mine a tooth fairy.  I'm afraid she's partial to collecting MY teeth. 

Anyway between us we decided that this loose wisdom tooth had to go into her collection.  I'd benefited from this particular tooth for many, many years (the old body is now 72¾) so parting with it was such 'sweet sorrow'.  This will mean that BC3 will be losing a bit of his power due to another piece of wisdom being stolen off him.  Good news is that I still have two wisdom teeth left so he'll have to rely on them for moral support!

Actually I think my lovely dentist (Sally - NOT my sister!) must love my teeth as she's got a fair few of them now and I have a 'nearly naked' part of my mouth. 

Playing hearts

Did you miss me yesterday? I missed me!!! I'll tell you what the problem is - confession time!!!

I'm in the doldrums. I've got another Fandango square started but that's strictly for traveling with. I tat in the airports - not on the plane - so I'm not 'allowing' myself to do anymore of that. I have the latest one to finish but that will be shown soon.

Over the weekend I decided that I know BC3 pretty well now and his propensity of ignoring my statement that I don't need more threads!!!! I'm sure there will be thread at Tat Days so I thought that IF I was tempted I'd better have a look at my stock to see what I need or don't need. 

I then realised that I couldn't buy anymore thread as I don't have ANY spare EZ Bobs to wind HDT onto. So I reckon the answer is to empty some of those JUST IN CASE I was 'forced' to buy more HDT. That's what I'm doing at the moment.

As I've quite a few EZ Bobs with just a few yards on them I decided I'd empty them and make little things to give away as gifts or to give to people who make cards. Here are just three small Fandango hearts.

Onwards and onwards.

Looking a bit as if it's drunk at the moment but this is round 3 of the Fandango doily that I'm working on. 

This is in between working more on the butterfly idea but I'm not telling what I'm 'up to' at the moment!!!! That's partly because I'm not really sure myself.

The reason for the butterflies

Well here you are - the reason for the two butterflies I showed you yesterday. I bought this top from a big chain of shops that are closing down and I love it. Of course with anything new I usually add a bit of tatting to it somewhere!!!! Very pleased with the result.

Now for the pattern. Here's the link to the Fandango Butterfly - hope somebody somewhere will enjoy it.

Another Fandango butterfly

More butterflies but for a reason. Once I've got them added to the 'reason' I'll show you!!!

I read somewhere the other day that somebody had used this Lizbeth thread with some trepidation. It's not one of my favourite colour ways but I must admit that when worked up it looks a lot better. I was a bit disappointed in these two butterflies UNTIL I put them to their designated use. Hopefully I'll get that finished today and then the pattern should be done too. 

Monday had me chasing my tail trying to organise lots of stuff which has to be done soon. In the MIDDLE of this something urgent cropped up that also had to be dealt with immediately. Now 'they' say women can multi task and I think we'll all agree about that (even men). But there are some days when even that is stretched to it's breaking point!!!

So glad there won't be another Monday until next week!!!

Colour crisis!!!

Still messing with the Fandango butterfly and am almost ready to put the pattern on the site. Hopefully it'll be ready by the end of the week.

I don't like these colours - must've been a 'bad Jane day' when I chose them.  I've normally got quite a good 'eye' for colour combinations but this time I failed dismally.  

Got there in the end!!!

I finally finished Mimi's square and this time it actually turned out square which is great progress!!!  Perhaps BC3 is back on form again and is now reading patterns properly!!

I'm still not happy with clunies but am now ready for Mimi's improvement class at Tat Days - that is, if I haven't forgotten how to make them again by then!!!!  Must thank Bernice properly (without teasing) for inspiring me to make this journey.  If she hadn't blogged about the clunies here a week or so ago I would STILL be 'thinking' about doing some before I meet Mimi.  I didn't want to be in the situation of having to do mind boggling things like this mid Atlantic in a panic!

Mine aren't very good even though I did them (as I thought) very, very carefully but at least they're done. Not being a 'fan' of picots I took them out of the outer chains. Didn't want to detract from the sheer simplicity of the pattern. 

The birth of an idea.

Well, not quite the birth as there were a few labour pains getting this far!!! 

This is the Fandango butterfly. Will it ever end - this obsession with a 'bit of a pattern' that I designed a few years ago? 

I'm hoping to get a few more done to test the stitch count before I put it on my site. So far, so good but there's always room for improvement!!

Grumbling along

Well the reason for my minor grumble is somebody I'm about to 'name and shame' for getting me involved in the clunies. Not just Mimi (see yesterday's post) but also Bernice from Knotvortex. 

It was this blog post a few days ago (by Bernice) that caught my attention. I thought - well, if Bernice can do it then surely I can too!!!!! 

Well, how wrong, wrong, wrong can you be!!!! It all started off well - but finished quite badly!! I only realised things were going haywire when I noticed I wasn't heading back towards the first cluny!!! That's why mine has turned out to be an inferior rectangular shape instead of a square!!!  Ah well, there was only one thing to do - finish it and mark it down as a 'lesson learnt'. What lesson was that? I can't read patterns.  So, the only thing to do now is kick BC3 up the backside, tell him off and start again!!!!

Least I got lots of practice with the wretched clunies!!!

While I was slogging my way (badly) through this piece I was thinking of all the tatters I see on Facebook who are always asking for quick, simple patterns.  Loads of people only do small things which take an hour or three.  Why do I INSIST on tackling huge projects which sometimes take days, weeks or even months?  Well I think I like the challenge and the pride in something that takes a lot of time (and patience).  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!!

About Clunies or whatever they're called.

Personally I've never been attracted to tatting with clunies or tallies. 

Many years ago when I was out and about with Rosemarie Peel we talked about this tatting technique and I remember what she said. She said (and it's stuck in my mind ever since) that clunies belong to bobbin lace. I tend to agree with her and have never been that bothered about trying them.

That is until a magical time in South Carolina about ten or more years ago when I was at a Palmetto Tat Days. I managed to sneak into a lesson by Mimi Dillman on clunies. I was so impressed with the way she taught the lesson so gently and clearly that I 'got' the cluny down. Well, as I said, that was around ten years ago and my last foray into them. 

A few days ago was the day to try them once more. Not a pretty sight, eh?