How I've been spending my time lately!

While everybody's been doing TIAS #3 I've been sewing!! Remember the roly poly tat bags? I sold a couple through ebay and two from my Etsy shop (there are still two left there!). I've also had other enquiries from friends round the world too.

One friend asked me to put in a tag saying 'made by Jane Eborall'. What a brainwave!!! So, off I went looking for ways to get these made. I snurged around the internet to no avail. It suddenly occurred to me to try ebay. After considerable searching I found what appeared to me a grand little shop.
By this time it was about four o'clock on Monday afternoon. I emailed the shop owner who put me onto another type of label she sells. We discussed the layout and format (very simple - just like me!!) and I went and paid her. First thing on Tuesday morning I had an email to say my goods had been despatched. GREAT, I thought. I'll hopefully get them on Wednesday (Royal Mail permitting).
About an hour later the letterbox rattled and Nick called out that my labels had arrived!!! I honestly didn't believe him but there they were. EXACTLY as I expected and just what I needed.
Ah, now who's going to ask me how to find this amazing supplier? Don't worry, I'm definitely sharing the url with you!!! Here it is - just click here.

Miss World 2008 - and onwards

OK, I know it's way too big - the dress I made. But, isn't the model a real poppet?

Yesterday

What a day. It rained all day but I went out for my walk and then hung myself up to dry when I got back!!!

What I did manage was to re-price my Roly Poly Tat Bags on Etsy. I had put them a little high in price as I didn't really know what to pitch them at. Now I want people to buy them as I'm finding mine just SO useful. Here's the Etsy shop.
I also got myself sorted and listed two more in Ebay along with a brand new bag of embroidery floss which a friend gave to me and which I'm sure I'll never use!!!!
So, that was a wet day in the UK. Today looks like being the same too!!!!

A little bit of tatting

I know this blog is about tatting but sometimes I digress a little. No excuses this time, though, as there is a little itsy bitsy bit of tatting involved here!

It is a loooooong, loooooong time since I've made a little girl's dress and I'm going to brag about this one! I bought the pattern about two weeks ago and had forgotten the thrill of taking out those flimsy bits of tissue paper to sort them out. I remember this as being one of the highlights of dressmaking when I used to make all the family's clothes.
Way back when my two were tiny (the oldest has recently turned 40) I used to work at a playgroup every Friday morning. The pay for this was the princely sum of £1.00 ($2.00). With two tiny daughters in a double pushchair I used to dash back through the town, after playgroup, to the Friday street market where Cliff had a fabric stall. I spent my £1 on fabric to make clothes for the 'females' in the family.
Even when I was back in full time work (teaching) I would try to get to the Friday market for my fabrics and remember occasionally dashing back to school, putting the children's tiny tables together and pinning out a pattern on the fabric - much to the amusement of colleagues.
I can't tell you how many times over the past week or more I've taken those pieces of tissue out of the packet and put them back!! I was almost afraid to start. Anyway, I did!!! I tried to follow the instructions but soon went back to my old ways of 'instinct' and the little dress has worked up a treat. I found some thread that exactly matched the flowers to finish it off with three tiny tatted motifs.
Tomorrow I will post it to my daughter as it's for my six month old granddaughter. After three grandsons it's good to have a little girl to make for. She received her first (pink) tatting shuttle on the day I met her for the first time!!

Here are the bracelets and earrings

This is what I've been up to while everybody's been playing with the TIAS!!! I've got 'stuck' on making these!! I'm now working on a necklace to match the purply bracelet and earrings. Don't know what it is about this design but it's become addictive!!! If you click on each picture you'll get a closer look - I hope!!!

More of the same thing!!

I've not been idle while the TIAS has been going on. I've become totally addicted to these earrings and the matching bracelet. I can't get enough of them. Here are the earrings that I've made and tomorrow I'll post the others plus two bracelets. The reason I can't post the matching sets is because they've been 'mislaid'!!!

Not the Tat It And See blog!!!

While everybody's having fun (I hope!) with the TIAS I'm playing too!! Remember the earrings? Well, there had to be a bracelet to match!!! Here it is.
I'm going to work one more to check the pattern out and then I hope to put the whole thing together. I just hope it hasn't been 'done before' as it's not too hard to make. Just found the matching earrings - in the stupid place I'd 'filed' them. (For filed - read lost!!!).

Spot the mistake in the one and the design improvement in the other!

OK those earrings were pretty yesterday, I guess but I was still not satisfied with them completely. I thought about it during the day and in the evening set off on another 'adventure' with the thread and beads. This is what I finally settled on.
Now there is a reason that the single one hasn't got a partner. That's because there's a mistake in it. I was so cross with myself when I saw it as it'd been made right at the beginning. Bummer. After looking at it closely again I realised that here was an opportunity for a 'design improvement'.
Can anybody guess what the mistake was and what the improvement is? No prizes - just a humungous pat on the back!!!
I'll tell the answer tomorrow!

Success which I will build on

At last a pair of earrings which I can and will wear!! I finished off the blue ones from the other day and then decided that blue had stopped the creative juices. (What nonsense I talk!).
I went through my stash and decided it had GOT to be green's turn next. Here are the completed earwigs. I've found a lovely easy way to put the bead in the centre and have it held by the two rings. I put it on the core thread of the ring but allowing it to hang below with a safety pin to hold it in place until I joined in later to a SR. This is probably not a new idea but it was 'new to me'!!!! Wonder if I should draw it down as a technique?
The thread I used is a sewing quilting thread (I'll look it up later and add to this blather) doubled and with a single strand of Madeira sparkly.
OK, later in the day and I've got the details of the thread. It's by Coats & Clark and is a 100% mercerised Egyptian cotton. It's called 'Star Machine Quilting and Craft' thread. The spool holds 1,200 yards which should keep me out of trouble for a while!!! Especially as I've got lots of bright colours too!!! I got it from a sewing machine shop in Blue Ash, Cincinnati but I believe it can be bought anywhere. Here's one outlet I found online and a few of the colours are at the top of the page.

What a waste of time!!

I can't believe how many hours I wasted making this. It was going to be an earring but I doubt it'll ever have a partner!!!
The metal outer rings are fine. The motif (well, the central part) is fine but once the two are put together with a chain and a wing and a prayer - it's not fine!!!! Well, I don't like it at the moment but perhaps it'll 'grow on me'.
The only good thing about this experiment is that I've found a way of putting that central bead into place. The rings are all facing outwards but the bead is integral to the centre.
I've had another inspiration while I was going to sleep last night so I'll work another motif up using this idea of the bead in the centre and then draw up how it's done.
There should be a place for all these 'bits' that I experiment with. Somewhere in tatland where they can go to live. A place for 'displaced' odds and ends.
Actually, perhaps I should go there cause at times I feel at odds with the world!!!

Playing with earrings

I'm still playing with earrings!!! The one on the left (below) I made using 3 strands of quilting machine sewing thread that I got in Amerrica last year. It's a bit tooooo thin for using singly - unless, of course, your name is Mark Myers!!! I like this little motif but it's too ugly for an earring IMHO.
The smaller one is again using the same sewing thread with two strands AND a strand of sparkly Madeira. Now this is a lot better as I've reduced the stitch count! Since working this one I've found a way of adding beads to the centre as I go along (not between the rings as the one on the left) . I will add one spectacular bead to the middle of the next one. I will also put another round on this motif as I want it to fit in the larger metal ring on the left! These rings I again bought in America and have been longing to get to play with them too. Joannie also gave me a packet so I've been waiting for another 'earring urge' to hit.
These are going to be the 'best ever' earrings. I always say that, though!!!!

Bad, bad day

Yesterday was a bad and frustrating day. I went to do some drawings on my computer and found that the previous few days were lost! I'd been saving them every time I exported a picture but they were gone. Three of us tried to find them but they appear to be lost forever. Ah, well.
Then my laptop played up.
Again 3 people had a 'go' at it and finally it started to behave.
I made these earwigs yesterday evening as a 'consolation' to myself. The ends need 'snipping' off when I get downstairs and the findings need adding, of course. They really didn't turn out as I wanted as I expected them to be larger. I used the Dual Duty Plus thread and a Madeira. It wasn't until I was settled down that I realised that this DDP is thinner than the other ones that I've been given!!!! They're still pretty but they don't fit what they're meant to fit!!! Still, I've had another and better idea so this evening might see progress!!!

Mystery Motif

Finally I had time to work on Gina's May mystery motif yesterday. Lovely little motif, Gina.

The only problem I had with this is deciding which is the 'right' way up!!!!!

Butterfly edging

Today I'm showing you an edging and sharing a message that Jane McLellan sent me. She's used one of the simple SCMR butterflies for this project. Anyway, here's what she says.

I thought you might like to see this edging, done with your SCMR butterflies. The thought process goes like this: on the 25 motif challenge, I saw a bookmark with butterflies and flowers. Lovely. Then I thought how I turned your flowery book mark into an edging. Could I turn that one into an edging? How about just butterflies? Didn't take too very long to work out that they would have to face different ways to get a straight edging! Voila. I think it worked well. I've also successfully used your squares to make 'corner decorations' for a teashower, rainbow dyed cotton in the middle and yellow round the edges.

Twins!

This is a picture which Maureen Lawrence sent to me. I'm just green with jealousy as she's expecting twins. Well, not her exactly but they are due or have arrived in the family.
Having taught several sets of twins over the years (I had four sets in one class one year) I've always found them fascinating. Anyway, here's her explanation.

Hello Jane - an over-burdened stork! At your suggestion, I decided to leave the heads and feet out as I think they would all have got tangled up - the pink and blue slings look fine on their own.
John did the scan, and he wasn't terribly careful about positioning the legs, but he is a very nice stork indeed, and I really enjoyed tatting him. I've put the stork on a card mount, on one side of a double picture frame, which I will give to Nicola - she can either put a picture of both babes on the other side, or remove the stork and use both sides of the frame.
Thanks so much for your help - the Big Day is tomorrow, and I know I won't sleep tonight.

Maybe this time, I will be able to join in the TIAS - we'll see!

Let the fun begin

I'm happy to announce the start of a new TIAS. I learnt a lot from doing Diane's so this time it will be presented on a web site rather than a blog. This means that 'late starters' will be able to join in at any time and won't be able to see what's ahead of them!!!
Completed pieces will be put on the Tat It And See blog here and then a 'bonus' will be sent to those who get it finished!!! That's not bribery - it's just a thank you for taking part.
OK the first page with a list of what you need is here. The first 'installment' will be released on Saturday 17th May.

Phewwwww

I'm going to get the bonus done for the TIAS and then hopefully announce the start date in a few days time.
I managed to get four of my roly poly tat bags listed on Etsy on Sunday. The other two haven't quite made it yet. Oh, here's the link!
Yesterday was a VERY busy day with the aged nose glued yet again to the computer - this time doing drawings for somebody else. An exciting new book coming out shortly (or even lately!!).
Just remembered this morning that I'd fogotten (remembered/forgotten!!) to add Lai Ellen's clover sequin to the site. Just need her to check it over then it can 'go'.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr, swear, cuss etc

I got all the TIAS pages done yesterday by early afternoon.
It was trying to rain but I needed to get out for a walk. I'd just set off when I suddenly thought - darn, grrrrr, cuss.
I'd put all the pages up on the internet and had used the same 'format' for each day. This meant that anybody who knew how my brain worked would easily guess after two days what all the other pages were called and would be able to race ahead!!!
So, when I got back I had to change the lot!!! As pictures are embedded (or something like that) it isn't possible to just change file names in explorer and hope it works. Each page had to have all the pictures removed, re-added and then 'saved as' .
Then of course, they all had to be uploaded again!!! Well, that's one way to keep me out of trouble!!!! All I have to do now is work on the 'bonus'!!! Not telling what that's going to be either!!!
In the evening I did a check through and found one picture missing and several silly little things that needed altering. I'll do another 'tat through' before deciding on the start date. All suggestions welcome!!!

Glued to the computer

For the past two days I've been glued to the computer building pages for the TIAS. The weather has dragged me away to clean windows (didn't know there was a world out there until I'd cleaned them) for a couple of hours but all the rest of the time has been spent sitting here. Looks like rain is coming this way so maybe I'll get all the pages done today.
I've still got a lot of work to do on the 'bonus' but that's not going to be half as hard as doing the basic TIAS!!!! I hope!!!!
Also hope to get to list the roly poly tat bags today. I'm an ambitious person! ANYTHING to avoid doing my tax return - even if it is a lot easier online!!!

Whoopeeeee

I finally got the six little roly poly tat bags finished yesterday. I'm really pleased with them too. I got to try mine out on Wednesday evening as I waited for the Jodi Picoult reading to start. They work really well. What I think is best about them is their size and the fact that you've got the removeable handle too. Hope Green gave me a tiny specs case when we were in SC last year and that holds both shuttles which are quickly pushed into it and then that goes into the bag.
I will get round to popping the bags in my Etsy shop when I've got a little more of the TIAS completed. I now face the problem of parting with them! I like each one and when this happens it's a wrench to let them go - but I will!!!!
I worked on the TIAS yesterday evening and today I will do the alterations and drawings to go with those changes.