A new experiment

Remember this ring and how it turned out? 

Well, as I said in one of my posts - I got really bored with the Ring A Ding Ding design. As anybody knows - a finished design isn't the first time an OG has tatted it and it's probably been a pain in the 'whotsit' for many weeks before the final version gets put on this blog and even then it takes longer to get it on my pattern pages.

Well, here's the first of a new 'start' using those same rings. They're the size of a curtain ring (cabone ring) and measure ¾" in diameter. A lot of people use them in necklaces as features although those are usually made of much nicer metal. As the metal ring is covered in tatting it doesn't matter what the metal looks like - to an old git like me!!!

I'm not happy with this first heart so will work on it more.

Whooooppppeeeee

Another TIAS has arrived in my inbox. 

I'm not going to tell you who it is or what she says as I'm making this a teaser post!!!!  You'll just have to take courage in both hands, click on this link and go and see for yourself!!!!

I will, however, let you have a preview of this really, really lovely lady with her pet.  Before anybody asks - I don't know who the owl design belongs to  but I really, really, REALLY wish I could say it was mine.  

Well done

Well done to Kathy who guessed exactly right!!! I'm working on Teri Dusenbury's wonderful Forever Young pineapple doily.

Like Dora's patterns it's a bit of a learning curve and I'm not really happy with what I've done so far so am treating this as a trial piece which I may abandon and re-start.

Part of my problem is I'm not that happy with my choice of thread. Nothing wrong with the thread really but I've sort of fallen out with it's softness and the colour!!! Typical me. Even after well over half a century I still find it hard to choose colours. OR is it just that I'm a tad too fussy? Who knows!!!

A guessing game

Now I've started something new. 

This is NOT my design but it's one I've wanted to do for many, many years. Any guesses as to who the designer is?

In case you're not bored!!!

I did do another Ring A Ding Ding before boredom totally set in. I'm now playing with another idea for the smaller ring.

Finished and on my site

I finally, finally managed to get my aged act together yesterday and did a final proof read of the Ring A Ding Ding motif. My main problem is a total lack of interest once a design has been done and I wander off and start on something else and forget it!!!

This time round I decided I really MUST get to grips with Pages. I've tried that software time and time again and got totally in a mess with it. Now it's my FAVOURITE. The only thing I can't seem to do is add hyperlinks to the images but I'm hoping some kind person who reads this will be able to tell me how to do that.

The last major problem I had with it was blurry drawings. Really strange as I couldn't for the life of me work out what I was doing wrong. So, the other day I forced BC3 to just sit at the computer until he'd found out how to solve this major hiccup.

I tried larger pictures, smaller ones, standing on my head, getting drunk (not really!) and then the light bulb went on!! Well, more a small candle, really. It occurred to me that throughout my time on the internet and putting 'stuff' up on the internet I'd always used jpg files for images and drawings. So I experimented and within a WHOLE five minutes got the answer!!! The thing I now have to do is to export from EazyDraw as a pdf and NOT a jpg!!! Just have to remember that and the whole world starts turning again. I'm a very happy bunny. I rewarded BC3 and carried on.

Whoops. Nearly forgot - here's the link to the motif.

Another task done and dusted

Well here it is finally. I'll get the pattern sorted and onto the pattern pages over the weekend. 

I doubt many people will use it as it does mean two sizes of rings need to be found. The inner ring is easy as it's a standard sized curtain ring. 

This leaves me now bored with this project but still with more rings left to 'use up'!!!!! I wonder what BC3 will do next?!?!?!?

Dora finished - again!

Finally!!! Done. Am I fed up with it? No. Will I do this pattern yet again? YES. 

I had no idea how it would look using two colours before I started but now I do know!!!

My Dora obsession continues.

Tim's Ring A Ding Ding

When I met Tim in Georgia at last year's Palmetto Tat Days I was most impressed with his dedication to tatting and Tat Land. He kindly gave me a cluny loom which I haven't yet used on a project although I have had secret playtimes with it.  A friendship was started.

Anyway, we were talking about something tatting related a couple of weeks or so ago and I mentioned this motif to him. He kindly offered to test tat it. 

I really must recommend you read Tim's post about it (and follow his blog too) as I just LOVE that bright pink ring he made.

What a SHOCK

A lady arrived at Crafternoon with a blouse that had a tiny hole in it and some marks. She'd been recommended by a lovely 91 year old friend who'd had a hole in a garment which I covered up with a tatted butterfly a month or two ago. 

The blouse is a beautiful silk one and so I first had to find some thread to work some 'magic' with. I found some silk sewing thread that I've had for years and years. Deciding what to tat was also hard but in the end I did a tiny flower like motif and a couple of butterflies. The pictures are below.

After I'd finished the project I decided to look up the designer's name on the label.  I nearly fell flat on my face when I found out that it's a VERY expensive range of clothes.  Glad I didn't know before I started or I'd have been even more nervous.  Just hope the lady likes it but if she doesn't I can easily snip it off.

Ring a Ding Ding - another episode

The wavy piece I showed the other day has now been woven into the centre and the next round is now complete.

I actually like these colours and by the time it's finished I think it'll look OK.  

After yesterday we have today!

This is the part that will be woven into the part you saw yesterday!!!

It's really good fun choosing colours for this project as you can be very brave, take risks and sit back and watch the consequences!!!

Well, that's what I do!!!

Ring A Ding Ding

Well I really need to try out this pattern a few more times before I'm sure it's ready so I'm off to another start!!! Just love these colours together.  Bet you recognise them from yesterday's post!!!

The title of this post? Well that's what I'm calling this as it involves two metal rings!!! Well, I thought it was clever - ish. 

To me the hardest part of any new idea is thinking of a name for it. I struggle and struggle and have decided in the end that the sillier the name the better!!! Least I'LL have a chance of remembering it if it's silly!!!

Further progress

This is now heading outwards again with the next row of chains. Again this needs careful attention which BC3 seemed to be unable to give it at first!!! I sometimes wonder why at my ripe old age I can't count!!! 

Anyway, I think I've got it sorted now. Silly really as I've done this pattern twice before.

104

One hundred and four.  No, that's not my age but it is the current number of finished TIAS's that I've received!!! I hope some more will soon come trotting in too. 

This one is from Dee but you'll have to go and visit it on the TIAS blog which is here!!! 

I know - I'm a horrid tease. 

Finally decisions have been made!

I've dithered and dithered over this design. In the end I used another metal ring to finish it off and thought about the suggestions made in previous comments but decided that they wouldn't work as adding anything else to the chains would then make the motif too big for the ring.

I simply worked rings and chains on the next round joining to the picot on the chains and the metal ring when necessary. I'm really chuffed with this now which is surprising for me.

The 'right' side is on the left and the 'other' side is on the right of the two pictures below.

The last three

Here are three more of the pillowcase dresses. This makes six that I've made and they'll be the last. Why? Well I'm easily bored and also my friend down the road and others have made them too so I think we'll have enough for now. Having said that and having put away my machine and all the mess I tend to make, I'm now beginning to wonder if I will make more!!!

Back to experimenting

So, this is where I've not got to with the motif I abandoned to go off on another Dora adventure.

This is where I'd got to. The top picture below is (probably) the front and the bottom one is - well, you can guess!!!

Actually it doesn't look too bad in the pictures but I'm not happy with it in 'real life'. 

I've now decided what I'm making - it's a sun catcher 'thingie'. Least that's sort of progress!!! 

I liked the idea before I added it to the ring but it's that last round of chains joining to the metal ring that really doesn't please me. Back to BC3, I guess!!!

Another sewing project

On a Tuesday morning we have a craft group in our road - well, not in the middle of the road but in a large house which is run by a charity and in which we rent a room for two hours. The group consists mainly of people who live in our road and the next one.

We got together last year to make bunting for the street party to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday and we all enjoyed getting together to make things that we've continued. Recently we had another party (midsummer was the excuse this time!!!) and we made a patchwork quilt which was raffled. The money we raised was donated to the new local hospital. We've made fiddle muffs for the dementia units in and around the town and blankets too. 

Our next project is going to be more bunting for another hospital towards their new midwife run baby unit. Work started on that this Tuesday. We're also making pillowcase dresses to send to Africa via another charity and this is what's been absorbing me in the afternoons. It's an interesting project as they are very simple to make but once you start on them you (well, I do) start to think of what the little girl who gets the dress might like on it. I've done one with flowers, one with hearts and another with balloons. It's great fun to do but I'd love to see the kiddie's faces when they get a little dress made from a pillowcase.

A little progress

This is probably the most complicated part of this pattern but once you've done it once it's really quite straightforward. I puzzled and puzzled over this for ages as it's incredibly clever. 

I'm also working on that new design I showed you but this Dora pattern keeps tempting me away from it!!! I MUST have a word with myself and get back on track with it!!!!