Anybody want this?

There's a dear little town near us (well, about 8 miles away) called Alcester. I went to my secondary school there - the grammar school, not that I was really grammar school material. I was definitely NOT clever. Anyway, I survived and so, incidentally, did the school!!!  I think I spent more time sitting outside the headmaster's office than I did in classes sometimes!!!

On a Friday afternoon a neighbour and I go to Alcester library for Crafternoon. There are around 6 to 9 of us who meet, chat, laugh and do different crafts. The session starts at 1.30 but Louise and I go a lot earlier so we can browse the lovely shops (mainly small and privately owned) and have lunch. 

Our main 'shops of interest' are the charity shops and we sometimes find the odd bargain which simply HAS to be bought!!! Last Friday I found this book in an excellent condition in one of the charity shops. Believe it or not - I bought this with my pocket money when I was in my early teens so I have a copy. I 'had' to buy this one as I'm always frightened that a shop may throw it in the rubbish. So, what I really want to know is - does anybody want to give it a good home? I'll charge what I paid for it - £2.00 plus postage which I'd have to work out according to where the person lives.

Of course, if you happen to live in Canada I could always take it with me to the Fringe Element tat days and give it to you there.  

Another idea for the rings

Now I know you'll remember this necklace that I got from a charity shop and the bracelet that I made with just one of the 25 rings which is here well I got fed up with the bracelet idea so I decided to try another one.

This is really a trial of the idea below. I'm not happy with the stitch count on the central motif so it will have to be done again. Also I didn't like the tiny beads added to that motif when the outer part was joined to it and the ring. So, some minor adjustments will keep me busy next time I tackle it!!!

Finally and finally!!!

I've finished my Mochila bag. 

About halfway through I was already planning another one. Now I've finished this one I'm not sure. It's been one HECK of a learning curve and I'm not really happy with the finished item. I'm going to take a 'rain check' on whether I do another or not. 

Meanwhile the crochet 'bug' is still with me but I really need another idea or inspiration. All suggestions are welcome!!

Black bracelet

Do you remember this necklace that I vandalised? 

Well it gave me a HARD time when I wanted to dismantle it!!!! I sat and cussed on the floor wriggling the pliers (two pairs) backwards and forwards. Must compliment Marks and Spencer's for a well made item!!!!

I finally got it apart and then set out to try and decide what to do with it!!! Below is the first result. Sadly the photographs of my ancient wrist wearing it didn't come out too well. You can see from the background that it was a wet, wet and grey, grey day. I've no idea what I'm going to do with this so if anybody wants it they're very welcome. It's pretty sparkly but sort of elegant too. As you can imagine - I don't 'do' elegant!!!!

I have ideas for the other 24 metal rings so watch this space!!!!

Another pattern done.

I thought it was about time I showed you the other pattern I've submitted to the Fringe for their Tat Days in September. 

This started out as another idea but ended up like this!!! I'm quite pleased with it and will share it on my pattern site when I get back home in October. Well, I will if I remember!!!

Mochila progress

Now you would think that using colours like these you'd automatically know which ones go where as you progress.   Well, most people would but I had to take out around 3  rows as some of the second (brown edged) diamonds were not brown but were green on the edges!!!  Least it was only 3 rows or so but boy, did BC3 get into trouble!!!!

I did it - I'm 100

No, you daft moos. Not 100 years old although I've felt like it this past week. 

What I mean is we've reached 100 Crinoline Lady TIAS's finished and on the TIAS blog. Thanks everybody - I'm truly delighted.

I'd still welcome more and my next 'me' target is 110!! Well you've got to have aspirations, haven't you?

Today's the day and this is the reason!

Later today I'm going to let the Pop A Bobbin Shuttles go 'live' in my Etsy shop which is here. The reason for this is because our local Post Office opens on a Sunday so I can get them on their way that day. Tomorrow (Saturday) the Post Office stops sending parcels out at 12 noon so I may get a few on their way before then.  It's lovely and quiet this time of the year in the Post Office - particularly on a Sunday. It's not far from 'THE' Birthplace so it does tend to get very crowded each week day.

Also in the Etsy shop is a large selection of button brooches, a few butterfly pins and some bags which are very useful for tatting supplies. 

I've added these as they're small articles to add to the packet if you should so wish. They're bright and (I think) beautiful and I've added a few 'taster' pictures below for you to see.

A new necklace

Well it was a new one when I bought it from a charity shop. It's a Marks and Spencer's Per Una one and I got it for almost £4. It's drop dead UGLY but the rings are really solid. The construction of the necklace was really well done with very good metal used.

I've taken it apart (it was a heck of a struggle) and now have to decide what to do with the 25 rings I've salvaged!!! I've got an idea but I'm waiting for BC3 to decide what he thinks is best.

More Mochila

Finally progress but it's not been plain sailing at all!!!! 

I'm pretty pleased with it now, though. It's sloooooow work as the tension of the 'hidden' threads has to be adjusted every few stitches but that's fine.

More shuttles and more

Well I'm in a strange 'mood' at the moment!  Sort of down in the dumps. I spent a lot of time yesterday taking proper photos of the brooches I've been making and packaging them. When I'd finished I got so down as they didn't look as good as I imagined they should. DARN IT - I know what's wrong - I should've used REAL diamonds instead of beads.  

Anyway, I'm going to take BC3 in hand and get him through these dumps and will list some of them in the Etsy shop. I'm hoping to have the pins I've made ready for listing too. Butterfly pins. They look (like the brooches) fantastic in real life but I'm not sure how they'll look when I've taken photos. 

Oh, I've also got a lot of Pop A Bobbin Shuttles to put in the Etsy shop too. Below is a list of what I've got.

2 EBONY £22.50

3 COCOBOLO ROSEWOOD £20.50 

3 ZEBRANO £20.00 

2 PURPLE HEART £20.00 

1 PURPLE HEART £20.00 without a hook

3 SPALTED BEECH £18.00

1 APPLE £18.00

2 CHERRY £18.00

2 OREGON MYRTLE £18.00

3 AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT £18.00

Brooches - again

Once I start these I easily get addicted!!! They are fun to make and not too hard but they do involve a certain amount of beads - which I LOVE.  Also the joys of playing with colour interests me too.

I had a visit yesterday afternoon from 'im in the garage' who delivered more Pop A Bobbin Shuttles. I'll try and get them listed in Etsy as soon as possible but that will take me a few days.  I'll let you know when they're ready to go.

Just to whet your appetite!

Here are pictures of two of the patterns I've submitted to the Fringe for their Tat Days in September. The first one is worked on a button and the one at the bottom (also on a button) is somewhat based on a technique that I found in the Dora Young book. 

I've put them onto pins and even I have to admit they're pretty stunning.  

I'm going to make some more to sell too as I LOVE making them!!!!

Actually (a bit of self analysis coming up) I don't care about selling things too much except that the finished items tend to add to the household storage system (AKA clutter!!!).

The money does come in useful to put towards more thread, buttons, beads, shuttles etc etc but my real pleasure is in making.  There's rarely a day goes by when I'm not making something.  If I'm not making it's because I'm on going through some sort of personal problems.  

More about the Mochila bag

Before I start - just to let you know that we now have 88 Crinoline Ladies over on the TIAS blog.

You're just going to HAVE to suffer just like me!!! Here are more pictures of the bag which I started showing you here.

These are more of the trials and errors. If you look at top picture you'll see that I'm still having 'blips' of colour showing through - this is BAD cause they're on the right side of the bottom. Actually you shouldn't see colours showing through on either side!!!  Second one down is another of the 'back side' taken before another rip out!!!

The bottom one is a lot better but still room for improvement!!!

Dora's pineapple

Here it is - finished. The picture at the bottom is the first one I took but I decided it just didn't show the glorious pattern up properly so I cleared the bed in the spare bedroom and laid the doily on there to take another. 

I'm going to buy a copy of the re-printed book as soon as it comes out as I want to give a copy to my daughter. Why? Well it may just get her back into tatting again although it's at least 14 years since she last picked up a shuttle!!! Kirsty did learn at a young age but I'm not sure if I ever taught Lucy as I would only teach people or kids who were genuinely interested.  They probably got bored watching their very strange mother tatting at every spare moment she had.  After all - they knew nothing else and were born into a home where shuttles ruled!!!  Oh, and the sewing machine!!!

Preparations!

Yes I know my trip to the Fringe in Canada is a LONG way off but I HAVE to do things when I'm 'in the mood'. 

I'm going to make around 20 brooches to sell in their vending room which helps with the cost of the trip. Even though I'm 73 and on no medication (long may that last!) the cost of insurance is expensive. So, I like to take things to sell when I get there so that the organisers can be sure they'll get rid of me back on the scheduled flight!!! Well, that'll happen anyway but you know I'm teasing again.

Here are two to start with and hopefully more will come over the next few weeks. You know me though, there will be other things 'happening' on this blog too.

Another new crochet project

I'm going to 'name and shame' Pigmini here. She got me into this fine mess!!!! 

Sue told me about Mochila bags and of course my nosiness got the better of me so I had to go and look.  There are quite a few links on Google to help you with more research and there's a great group on Facebook who have been very helpful - along with Pigmini too.

The technique is tapestry crochet and involves 'just' the double crochet (or single if you're American). Easy you'd think but it isn't!!! The number of times I started and pulled it out just to 'get' the base done was beyond a joke!!! 

Before I could start I had to choose some yarn. It can only be a cotton yarn as others just don't work. You can see my collection in the top picture. The other three pictures are from one of my many 'bad starts' and all got pulled out so I could start again. I can be so stubborn over learning new skills. Thankfully the Facebook group are really helpful and in their files section are some useful links and some terrific videos.

My secret!

OK well you're going to get the answer to my secret whether you like it or not.

OK. The secret is ............

Wait for it .................

That I'm going to the Fringe Element in Canada again this year.  I'm SO excited.  I've already got my flights booked (the event isn't until September!) but haven't started packing yet.  A bit too soon even for me!!!

Another Crinoline lady - just to cheer up the page.

I've got a SECRET

Yes, I have. It's a BIG secret too. 

Does anybody want to know what it is? 

Shall I tell you? 

Trials of a TIAS!

Just a few of the pieces of tatting that I ditched while designing this year's TIAS. 

As you can see I had many changes of mind and landed up going in several directions and sometimes all at once!!!  

There were a few more of these 'trials' in the early days but they got thrown away. These are now all in the bin too!  

I'm finding that the way I design changes slightly over the years.  I still use the 'grab 2 shuttles and go' method but nowadays also resort to drawing rough sketches on my computer too.  LONG gone are the days when I did anything on paper as I spent so long looking for those bits of paper the next morning that it just wasn't worth it.

I type up the text as I go and then copy, paste and change it all in the same document so that I have a record of what works and what doesn't.