I think I'm going daft

OK, those who know me or read this blog will probably say I'm already daft!!

I've been making roly poly bags and pouches during the daytime for weeks now (not every day as the Hawthorne and other jobs 'got in the way') and then tatting in the evening.  Well, you know that as I've been blogging what I've been doing!!!

As I sew then I often think about the tatting part of the day and how to resolve 'problems'.  So, by the time we've had our main meal and I've settled down in tat corner it's usually about seven o'clock.  I'm raring to go with tatting by then and have a clear idea of how progress should continue.

So, why, oh why doesn't brain cell # 3 'click in' until nearly nine o'clock?  

Again I tried another couple of versions of the tree yesterday evening and at 9 (ish) decided that I'd just change the start of it and give it 'one last fling'.  

Below is that final 'fling' and I think this is going to work!!!  I can see that the bead count and stitch count on the bottom chains need 'tweaking' and I'll have to mount the trunk onto something to hide the pin but I think it's going to be a winner!!!  I didn't add the star on this one or finish it off.  I think I'll add a large bead to the bottom for the tree base tying off the ends below.

Just played yesterday!!!

The battle of the Hawthorne tree is over at last!!!  A week long battle trimming the tree in the garden has now ended so I can get back to more serious tatting, I hope!!!  

Having said that, I think I will have to make more roly poly tat bags and pouches.  I sold a matching pair in Etsy yesterday - the fastest sales I've ever made after listing.  I was sort of secretly hoping that the red bag and pouch wouldn't sell as I'd earmarked those for myself!!!  Good job I've got some more of that fabric left!!!

Anyway, yesterday evening I managed to do another sequin in colours which I wouldn't normally look at together!!!!  

I also finished off the other small dangle too.  

The blue ring is one of many, many that SueH has sent to me over the past year or two.  I did find time to sort them all out the other day and have now put all the sizes together in groups.  Not an easy task when some are 'slightly' larger/smaller than others.  Many thanks to Sue for all the rings - this blue one was just perfect.

          

I started this in January!!!!

Before I start my morning ramble I must mention that I listed some new roly poly tat bags and poke proof pouches yesterday in my Etsy shop.
OK, that's the sane bit over and done with. Now back to 'normal'!!!!!

Daft, I know but I did start this new idea in January (well Christmas was still in my mind!!!) but then made no progress. In fact this is as far as I got.  It's going to be a Christmas tree brooch.  Well, in theory!!!  What I really, really want to do is make a brooch.  I'm just SO fed up with earrings!!

   

I decided to have another go again during the last few days. 
The first problem, of course, is how to 'hide' the fastening at the back so I set off again with a 'braid' trunk thinking that would do it.

I got slightly further than that in January as you can tell from above, but really gave up as I realised that whatever I did the fastening would show through and the branches were so ghastly.

Then, a few days ago brain cell # 3 suggested a way of hiding the fastening behind the braid. Mind, she hasn't EXACTLY worked it out but ..........

So I've been playing. Below are the results and all worked without stopping too!!! Actually, while I was dropping off to sleep I realised that it might be better to reverse the order of working so - back to the drawing board later today!!!!

Playing with an old motif!

This is a motif I did years ago and it's on my web site. 

The reason for yesterday's 'play' with it was twofold.  I wanted to see how sizes worked out using a quilting thread I bought in America last year.  This thread would be fine used singly for a handkerchief edging but used double it gives a lovely firm result.  In fact, come to think about it, I'd probably always use it double or even treble for everything!!

I wanted to see if the motif would work out for an earring in this thread.  I don't think it does as works out a bit too big.

I've scanned both sides of the motif and then below those pictures is a scan comparing it to an earring worked in a number 80 thread.  (Don't like the colours on that one, though!!!).

      

I wonder how many I'll do before I get bored? 

Yesterday I used another sort of sequin which is a hollogram one. I'm hoping it doesn't look quite so 'grey'.

Just before going to bed I picked up a couple of shuttles and started to play with something that I'd been trying to sort out in January!!! Within a space of ten minutes I'd got it sorted. Least, I think I did. I reckon I'd better play with that today rather than more tat dangles!!!!!

Christmas is round the corner!

Well, not really!! I like to start early on my Christmas giveaways so that I can do them as and when I feel like it!!! This year I wanted to use a sequin as the basis but this has proved a long winded design as the end result has to pretty fast to work or I get fed up!!!!

I finally came up with the idea below. I may add more beads to the outsides of the SR's but that's all.

Oh, do have a close look at the points of the motif. Can you see how every other one is repeated? Having discovered that new way of adding beads to a picot has made this possible without all the hassle of counting the beads onto a thread and working out the other beads to fit in with these.

Life with beads is good in tat land - long live brain cell # 3!!!!!

I think it's finished - the horseshoe

I went down the town yesterday in yet more rain (our roof's leaking even faster!) and bought some ribbon for the horseshoe. An exact match to the gold thread I used.
Then I sewed some more of the gold beads into some of the spaces on the outside. Now's the time to put it away for a few days and then take another peek!!!
Next I'll probably play with some earring rings that SueH sent me a couple of weeks ago and also play with the sequins again too. I want to make something pretty fast for the sequins so they will be my Christmas giveaways. I have to do roughly 30 so they do have to be FAST!!!!!

Talking about tatting

Before I start talking about my tatting talk at Loxley I've been asked what the W.I. is so here's a link.

What a hoot the evening was!!! I arrived and immediately found myself in a time warp!!! It seemed that nearly every lady who arrived was a face from the past!!! There was the lady who'd bought a 10 year old freezer off me twenty years ago who took great pleasure in telling me that it was still working!!!! Then there was the lady who's hubby had taken a garage away for us on a 'free to whoever will collect' basis and then converted it into stables. Next there was a friend I was at school with and another lady who's kids went to the school I taught at! Aileen was also there who is a friend from the past and who I help nowadays with computer stuff.

I started the talk in a 'serious mode' but this soon developed into the usual hilarity that seems to accompany me wherever I go. I think it went well and out of about 15 people I got two started on the basics and they will hopefully get in touch for more help.

Ooooh, there was supper afterwards and THE most delicious lemon cake - homemade, of course.

Horseshoe - nearly done!

Well last night I thought it was done but now I'm not so sure!!
Obviously it needs some ribbon to carry it or even a tatted cord but now looking at it today it still needs something more.
Nothing will get done today as I've a busy morning followed by (hopefully) some more sewing on the bags this afternoon.
This evening I'm giving a talk out in one of the villages to their local W.I. group about - guess what?
'How to plant your potatoes'.
No, seriously, tatting!!!

Horshoe again

Simply MUST tell you about yesterday.
During the morning my neighbour came round to use our internet connection (she's having trouble with hers) and I put on my laptop where she sat with it on the sofa. I was pleased that the horseshoe wasn't lying around and whispered that to Nick. After a while she said 'darn' and I asked what the problem was. She'd generated something which then told her to print off the email receipt. No probs, says I - we can print it off from the main computer and I toddled off upstairs followed by neighbour!!!
Fortunately I got into the 'office' before her and noticed that I'd left the scanner open (remember the black background to yesterday's picture?) and quickly closed it before she noticed the horseshoe lying there on the platten. Phewwwww, a narrow escape!!!!
In the afternoon I went to give my 70th donation at blood donor. I kept getting the feeling that one or two of the staff were watching me while I was donating. Afterwards I sat and had the usual cup of tea (darn, no bourbon biscuits this time) and then went to leave to walk home a few minutes later. As I was nearing the door three or four of the staff descended on me. Was I still doing that ........ you know, making butterflies?
So out came the tatting again (I'd had a quiet tat as I was waiting for my 'turn') and away flew a few more butterflies. I made my next appointment and left. When I got home I started thinking about what to do instead of 'boring butterflies' and have decided that next time I go (in November) I'm going to take them some beaded hearts like these.
I finished the outer trimming to the horseshoe last evening and started on a narrower one for the inside. This is definitely a 'make it up as you go along' project!!!!

Horseshoe in progress

In case anybody was thinking I'd packed my bags and left tat land well, no, I haven't!!! I'm giving brain cell # 3 a break at the moment and just 'playing'.
We're going to a re-wedding in September and I wanted to make something special for the bride (our neighbour) so I'm making a horseshoe. This is it 'so far'. I want to decorate it lots and am currently working on a gold (beaded, of course!) edging which I'll show in a few days time. Meanwhile here it is mounted on fabric and stiffened.
Oh, this is the reason I found the way of adding beads while working - too lazy to decide ahead which ones to load onto the shuttles!!!
Ah, so does this make it truly a lucky horseshoe?

Katie's man and turtle!!!

This is from the bonus button family and came from Katie. I'm going to share what she said -
"I wanted to send you also the man from the button family that I made. When our little tatting band met at Janie Armstrong's for Mark's workshop, we all brought some little tatties to make a b-day and thank you card for him. I took the red-headed man with a shuttle and Mark's turtle. I don't have a scan of the final card."

Results brought by my visitor!!

Remember my visitor? Brain cell number 3? Well, she's finally fulfilled all her promises!!
I've been playing around with the idea that I showed last time when the visitor arrived. I wanted to have beaded picots on this design but just couldn't work out what colours I wanted or where I wanted them. I thought I'd have different colours on each picot but working out how to thread them onto the shuttle or chain threads was more than the other two brain cells could cope with!!
So I played and eventually came up with another way of doing it without having to add the wretched beads to the shuttle thread first. Everybody knows what a pain it is to have so many beads on a shuttle - not fun.
So I devised a way of 'cheating'. I've run it past the tatting gurus who live in tat land and neither have seen it written down anywhere. So, I thought I'd do it. Here's the link to this technique.
I'm just so pleased with it as it's going to save a lot of trouble in the future. I do hope brain cell # 3 stays around a bit longer or even invites friends to join the others!!!!

I've had a visitor

Yes, it's true. Guess who? OK, I'll tell.
It's brain cell number 3. Don't think it'll stay long and I'm very excited about what he brought with him. Actually, make that a female brain cell. It could only be a woman that thought this idea up!!!!
I'm actually not going to share it today as I'm running it past a few of the gurus in tat land to see if they've seen it done before. It's certainly revolutionised my tatting.
Ah, before I go. Another puzzle for you. What AM I making now? Below are the rough and first attempts.

Roly Poly Tat Bags

OK, here's the new 'range' of integrated tatting accessories which I'll be listing shortly on Etsy. Least I'm hoping some of these (there are only the three so far) will make it to Etsy as I've been selling privately now for weeks and nothing has got into the shop!!! First of all there are the 3 new bags.

These are followed by the 'poke proof' pouches (no hook or pick will get through these!!!) with separate bobbin holders which fold into the pouch.

Another sequin idea

I finished off this sequin design yesterday evening after a long day of sewing.
I'm not sure yet if this one will be the final idea for the Christmas giveaways but it's nearly there. Probably a bit complicated and intricate but I do like it.
The next thing I really ought to do is put these ideas on a web page for anybody who might want them but I've a bit of a concern at the moment. My friend Jennifer wrote yesterday evening and gave me a link to Bev's Dillon's tatted coin bracelet as she wondered if what I was doing with the sequins might be the same as Bev's idea. Well, although I've used more SR's and a different stitch count, it is in essence the same. I've written to Bev to ask if she's OK with me using this idea - even if it did occurred accidentally. OR (another thought) was it one of the two brain cells retaining the idea if I saw it once before? Now, there's a mystery. All answers on a postcard to the comments section of this blog!!! Please send a stamped addressed envelope if you want a reply!!!!!!!!!!!
It's been said before but it's going to happen that great minds keep going down the same avenues of thought!!!
I've taken some photos of the new 'range' of roly poly tat bags and shuttle pouches and will blog them tomorrow by which time I'll (hopefully) have finished a third set.

It works!!!!

Well, I said watch this space so here we go!!! The new pouch is fabulous (with hook/pick proof bottom) and I've also got bobbin holders that I'm pleased with!!! What a relief. Suddenly the second brain cell woke up yesterday afternoon and reminded me that I should try 'fitting' the bobbin holder inside the pouch. Not sewn in but placed in. This now means that if people want to buy a pouch off me then they'll get a bobbin holder too - whether they want it or not BUT if they don't use bobbin shuttles then they can just throw it away!!! Two problems (or more) solved. Here's the pouch.

Here's the bobbin holder (I know they're different fabrics but that's so it shows up what I'm doing!)

Here are the two together before the pouch is closed with a velcro fastening.

My two favourite brain cells

Well, they're my two favourite cells because they're the only ones I've got!!! They were both working well yesterday!!!
I've been trying to design a shuttle pouch for my Aero shuttles. I want it to be suitable for shuttles with picks too and also to have spaces for spare bobbins. Well the actual first attempt did all that but needed some tweaking. Then I decided that it still hadn't solved the problem of hooks poking through the fabric. This has been nagging away at the two brain cells for a week or more now with no luck so yesterday I went down the town to try and resolve this problem.
Oh, before I say more - I'd already tried to resolve this by cutting up plastic lids and inserting those but they were way too bulky and didn't lie well.
So, off I trundled down to the town and I decided to annoy the fabric store first. In the dress fabric section Mrs Miserable was on duty so no luck there! I then wandered into the curtains section and with much joviality was pointed out that probably a certain tye of cloth would do the trick! This shop is SO expensive and I only needed about 3" by 3" to try it out. So, 'girding my loins' (whatever that means!) I decided to annoy the curtain shop on the way home.
EUREKA. The man there has a sense of humour and when I told him I'd come to annoy him he 'rose to the occasion'. I finally bought about half a yard of this type of cloth for a pound!! He said he was glad to see the back of it (it was the tail end of a roll) as I left!!! Actually I reckon if only I'd have been a bit quicker I could have asked him to pay ME to take it away.
Point is, it looks as if it does work. This means that the production of shuttle pouches will soon be underway!!!! I've decided not to make integral bobbin holders but to make separate ones exactly like those I've been using for years!!
Watch this space!!!!!

The difference one double makes

I'm intrigued. After all these years of tatting I still don't know the answer. Perhaps somebody can help?
As anybody who's been following this blog will know I've been struggling with a decent way to enclose a sequin within two layers of tatting but with the proviso that it must be worked in one 'hit'. Years ago I made them by working two rounds and joining them with the third one working outwards from the sequin.
I finally managed to do this in one round a few months ago and was pleased with myself!!! I went back to this again a few days ago and was bitterly dissapointed because it didn't work so well this time. However much I tried the sequin was loose in the tatting.
While out walking the other afternoon I thought about the problem so then sat down two nights ago and tried doing it another way - again in one hit.
Now, the question is that on this final and utterly fabulous attempt in each SR there is a total of 7 ds. YET in the version before which was loose, there are only 6 ds. Can anybody explain?

Time after time I find anomalies like this. When I work on animals something done a few days/weeks previously can be knocked out of shape by one join meaning a re-think or even re-start on the whole thing. It's absolutely no good drawing it out first as this still happens.
Anyway, this is last night's outer round.

Eureka!!!

Well I'm sure that anybody looking at yesterday's post would've thought that the sequin design was OK. Well, let me tell you it wasn't. I wasn't happy with the fit of the sequin in the centre of the two sides of tatting. So I suddenly had a brainwave.

Yup, one of the two brain cells had a growth spurt and came out of hiding. Sometimes this happens in my little corner of tat land!!! It's meant re-writing the centre part again but it's still done in one 'hit' and it gives a fantastically snug fit to the sequin.
With these particular sequins there are two holes and it's possible to join through those if you want to. Personally this is such a good fit now that it's not at all necessary. Ooooooh, I'm SO pleased with myself.
Next I want to do another one or two outer parts and also work on Martha's idea of a smiley sequin face which then will be added to my web pages. The two I have just done are fine but they don't give much opportunity to use beads and you know how much I love my beads!!! I want something that will be my Christmas giveaway so I want something sparkly and fun and which will fit in a bracelet to hang on the tree.
I'll take a few more days to play with this and then I must do something for a wedding we're going to in September. No, we're not getting married at last - no time for all that!!!