A wonderful dragon.

I was honoured to be asked to test tat this pattern by Martha Ess.  

When I test tat I really, really concentrate on the pattern so that I can give it the best feedback I can.
Well, I found two VERY, VERY, VERY tiny typos which just proves to me what a fantastic designer Martha is.  This is an easy pattern but it also keeps the tatter interested the whole way through.  No cuts and ties except for the wing or changing colours which makes it even more fun (the changing colours, I mean)!!!

That reminds me - must do a technique page on a way I've found of adding in new thread or changing colours.  Keep nagging me for that!!!!  It's probably not new but it's one I use now all the time.

I know that Martha blogged her dragon yesterday so I thought I'd show you mine too.  Like so many of the comments on her blog said - I'm dying to see the book finished too!!!!

Target met!!!

First I must announce another pram which makes 119.  Here it is.  

Well I did it.  I put both hands round my old chicken neck and squeezed hard until I gave in to myself and found the camera etc!!!  

After ALL that I then decided that a scan would be better.  Here's the bracelet AND a matching pair of earrings which are all going into Etsy in a few minutes!!!

Bracelet pink green

Finished and up and running - the bracelet page.  You can find it here. 

The picture is of one of the bracelets I had in my Etsy shop but I'm delighted to tell you that it's sold and is off to Belgium.  In fact it's probably arrived by now!!!

I've got another one to put in the shop soon.  That's when I find the inclination to go and take photos!!!! 

Perhaps that should be my 'target' for today - force myself to take photos.  I'll make a promise to reinforce that 'target' - I'll show you tomorrow!!!

Decisions made on the final round

Part way round my final round!!!  These are the colours I decided on.  I just need plenty of long evenings to get round this round - if you follow me.

Oh to change the subject - I was walking through the Sunday market outside the theatre on Sunday (obviously, Jane - wouldn't be any other day) and I spotted the guy who was selling these with his pitch of all sorts of gift things and the 'jigglies'.  I stopped to tell him that I'd blogged them and that one of the comments I'd had was about animal 'jigglies'.  Ah, said Tom (yes, we're now on first name terms) I'll be getting animals in August.  

Bang goes my pocket money again so I'll start saving up now!!!!

Serious stuff - please read.

Now this is really serious today.  It's about a tatter in Canada.  Sadly, a needle tatter.  

As a lot of you will know I am not a fan of needle tatting.  I'll repeat myself here as I know I've said this before but needle tatting isn't 'real' tatting (IMHO) as it was only invented in the 70's although there is some small evidence of it being around once or twice before that.  I suppose that people realised even back then that it wasn't giving the same results as the shuttle.  Anyway, tat's enough of tat!!!!  Off my soapbox and on with what I really wanted to say but you needed some background first!

Some of you may have realised that I've been a bit sneaky lately.  I've put two lots of shuttles in the Etsy shop without warning y'all (as my friends in SC say), but only because I've had so few of them.  Imagine my surprise when an inveterate needle tatter who hasn't YET dropped the disgusting habit, ordered her second shuttle.  Well, I thought, this is it.  She's finally had an epiphany and has seen sense at last!!!!

So on Saturday I had a message from her.  In fact I'll copy and paste it here:-

"Morning Jane

Just wanted to let you know that the shuttle arrived Friday. I found it in the mail on my way to work!!!

The shuttles are nice and smooth to the touch!!! I thought I would see if I could give it a try........but I am not sure if I am holding it right. Have a look at this picture and let me know!!

Thanks

Kelly"

Well when I look at emails first I see a very small picture of the attachment - a thumbnail.  I glanced at Kelly's and thought 'how on EARTH is she holding that shuttle'?  Then I opened it up and LOOK at what I found!!!!!

Sadly I fear that dear Kelly hasn't yet taken the plunge - come on, Fringe Tatters, get her over to the shuttle, please!!!  Oh, on second thoughts, I'll not be able to tease the socks off her if you do!!!!!  Perhaps I'll have to come over there one day and really nag her into it.  Meantime could you send the men in white coats round to 'have a word with her' and explain how to hold a shuttle and tell her it's much less stressful on the hands than a needle.

Kelly has a blog here which I'm sure you'll want to see.  

Pretty toes, Kelly.

A history lesson

Aha, ya boo sucks - betcha thought this was going to be about the history of tatting, didn't you? Sorry but it isn't!!  To be honest the history of our craft is a mystery as is most history!!!!!

When I was at Palmetto Tat Days last September (registration for this year has opened here) a certain Pam Freck was in my (think it was the first) class.  She kindly presented me with a 'jiggly'.  Now I'm not sure what these little 'sillies' are really called but I'm calling them that!!!  They have a solar panel at the front which, when the sun's out, makes them dance.  So, Pam gave me the one on the right in the movie below - she even tatted a ladybug to sit on the middle daisy.  This got BC3 wanting more but sadly the local  dollar stores near Joanie had sold out while we were in the USA.  I came home with the one that Pam gave me in my carry on as I didn't want it getting squashed.  

Well, Nick asked why I didn't get more and I explained that they were selling as fast as the dollar stores could get them and bringing them home would be a problem anyway as my suitcase was so full!!!

Imagine my delight when I found a penguin and a snowman in Poundland at Christmas.  Since then there's been no sign of anymore.  Last Friday I was stumbling through the street market and found a stall with loads on.  That was my downfall!!!  I came home with two last week (inflation has set in big time!) and two this week.  In the movie you can see them dancing on the top of the sash windows in our front room (don't worry - the neighbours already know we're bonkers) and you can see the reflection of the houses opposite.

More decisions!

So this mat really, really needs another round.  I'm hoping it will be the last round as I'm beginning to tire of it!!!  

Today I'm showing what I think it may be.  I have to work a considerable amount to be sure that the stitch count will allow it to lie flat.  

I will NOT be using this pretty boring and faded green - I'll look for something better for the 'real deal'.

Again the photo is taken on the grass outside as the sun is still shining and it's quite warm.

One and a half curtains!

Here they are - just to prove I am on the second curtain!!!  I folded the completed one in half so I could get it in the picture!!!  The second one is over halfway now and I'm hoping to finish it by the end of the week.  Also (with a bit of luck) the Ferris Wheel mat may be completed too.  

Then what will I do with myself?  Who knows but something will spring to mind.  Perhaps a bit of test tatting for Martha?  I'm SOOOO excited about her new book that she's working on.  It's going to be a 'must have'.

What do you think?

This row of the mat is now finished but I think it needs another!!!  In fact I think this is worse than when it was naked!!!!  Do you like my background?  It's the grass in our garden.  I say 'grass'  as opposed to 'lawn' as we don't 'do' posh and it's a bit raggedy in places.  I'm fighting the dandelions at the moment too!!!

So, off to find another row somewhere inside my tiny brain!!!  I'll give it a whirl and then ask for opinions.

The weather has turned out really well at the moment so the filet crochet curtains are progressing at a good rate.  More on this another day.

Earrings page

It's finished at last.  The page for the earrings that I showed you here is finally 'up and running'. 

This is the link.

Bracelet orange and yellow

First of all - another pram has arrived.  Thank you, Kristen.  Here it is.  Number 118.  I'm trying to collect ideas together for TIAS 2014 and any suggestions are always welcome.  So far - two things on the list!!!!  That's a start!!!  Meanwhile I'm still working on the filet curtains during the day - and yes, twice I've been able to sit in the garden and do it which was the real reason for starting it!!! Long live the sun!!!!  In the evenings I'm plodding away at the Ferris Wheel mat too.  Would somebody add another 24 hours to the day, please?

This is another of the bracelets that I made and put in my Etsy shop.  I go through phases when I get addicted to making things (bit like the Ferris Wheel mat) and then I've no idea what to do with them!!!!  I've added this to the shop as I've only got one wrist (the other wears a watch!) and far too many bracelets!!!

Etsy shop

Here is another of the Starry Button Bracelets.  

I actually put three of them on Etsy yesterday along with some Pop a Bobbin shuttles.  I didn't tell anybody ahead of the listing for several reasons.  

First - I'd only got 12 shuttles and I didn't want people to be disappointed if they couldn't get them in the 'race to buy'.

Secondly I actually forgot that they were in my draft listings!!!  I'd done them on Monday and then totally forgot!!! DOH!!!

Thirdly - it's a bit easier for me when they go into the shop quietly and people just 'find out'.

Anyway, I was going to mention their presence today but they've all gone!!!  Just goes to prove that some people look at the shop from time to time!!!!

New technique page

I thought that as I was working on the Starry Button earrings I'd better put up a technique page on 'how to' add the beads on top of a button.  

Here's the link to that page.

I had a message from an online friend on Wednesday saying that she'd only got six balls of size 20 Lizbeth thread left in her online store.  She's closing down and retiring in a month or so.  By the way, this is NOT Lyn Morton's site at Tatting and Design but another supplier.  Lyn is trading as strongly as ever, bless her cotton socks, even though rumours have been going round to say otherwise!!  

Anyway, back to what I was talking about.  I looked in Karen's shop and thought that I'd better help a friend out - that's MY excuse!!!  Well, must admit they were half price too!!!  I bought the final six without checking if I'd got them.  When they arrived yesterday I realised that only one of the balls was a repeat.  I'm a very happy bunny!!!  

One Finished Curtain - with attitude!

So my plans to sit in the garden to make this curtain have proved a washout so far.  One afternoon is all I've managed.  Instead I've been sitting inside (avoiding the cold and/or the rain) watching iPlayer on the laptop in Tat Corner.

That's allowed - sitting in Tat Corner to crochet as I checked with BC3 first!!!

Now, it's really hard to know what the finished size will actually be when you're doing something like this.  Well, it is for me!!!!  I spent hours doing the maths on it and doing trial pieces but I find that hard so in the end just got on with it.

So when I'd started out, the curtain was meant to run from bottom to top (or, t'other way round!) as in the top picture below.  BUT when I laid it out on the floor I realised that the width was slightly too much.  It would give too much of a 'ruffle' effect.  I'm just SO lucky that it works t'other way round as in the bottom picture.  PLUS a big bonus is that I think the design looks better that way too!!!

Ferris Wheel motif mat - AGAIN!

Having finally come to a halt on the mat I now have to decide what sort of edging to put round it!!!  This is HARD!

Below you can see three attempts to make one and two of these failed dismally!!  I knew they were no good and thankfully Sally confirmed that for me when she stayed last weekend.  Here are the three attempts.  

The first one (excuse the colours but I used manky thread) seemed to be OK apart from the stitch count.  The second one was sort of OK but Sally thought it ought to be in just one plain colour which I agree with totally.  It also proved to be too 'wavy' even if I'd put on another round after.

The third one is what I'm working on at the moment - again a thread which is very old and which I'm just 'using up'.  This one MIGHT work but I really want to tat a bit longer on this just to be sure.

I've yet to decide but I will get round to it one day soon!!!

The bracelet has a name!!

Having made a bracelet for Ros I decided I really, really 'needed' one for myself!!!  

So off I trotted to my thread drawers and as so often happens to me, Rainbow Taffy smiled at me so I smiled back and hoiked him out of the drawer.

I'm (as regular readers will know) hopeless about naming patterns but this simple name has stuck with me throughout so it's going to be called the Starry Button Bracelet.  Least I SHOULD be able to remember that!!!!

I'll soon have the original earring pattern ready and will shortly start on the bracelet one.  Text is done but finding time to do the drawings seems to be the problem!!!

The end - nearly!!

So, 36 motifs finished of the Ferris Wheel motif.  The outer round motifs have no buttons in the centres - just because I wanted to make sure the pattern worked with and without!!!!  

Now I want/need to work out an outer round as it just doesn't look finished.  In fact it looks disastrously naked!!!  Naked tatting?  YIKES.  Send for the tatting police!

Sally was up here over the weekend - this is her blog.  She brought up a dozen pop a bobbin shuttles - all with hooks.  For those who have never met a pop a bobbin shuttle - please visit the tab at the top of this page for more information.

As there are so few of them I'm just going to list them when I have time.  It'll be a case of whoever sees them and wants them - gets them.  I did that a few weeks ago with the last batch and they went within a few days giving those in other time zones the opportunity to see them and me a lot more exercise trotting up and down to the Post Office.

No, that's wrong - in my case it's down and up to the Post Office as there's a slight incline down into the town!!!

My Weekly March 2003

I thought I'd finished with these but I was WRONG!!  I found another!!!

Now there's quite a story behind this article!!!!  Are you sitting comfortably?  Then I'll begin!!!

It all started with a phone call from the arts editor at the magazine (My Weekly).  We'd obviously become friends over the previous few years.  Elena asked if I could please do a seahorse pattern.  Well, of course I said 'yes' and asked what the deadline was.  'Tomorrow' she said.  Oh, she might've said next week but I know it was a very, very short time.  This must've been in 2001 that the call was made.  That's (duh, come on out BC3) 12 years ago when my life was megga busy.  So I made a seahorse.  This embarrasses me now as the tail is really the wrong way round!!!!  Neither I nor Elena noticed at the time!!!!  

So the pattern was completed against all the odds in just a few days, submitted and accepted.  I was as ever, dead chuffed.

Roll on a couple of YEARS and it was finally published!!!  

This seahorse  (although one of my favourites of all time) has caused me a lot of upset as a few years after publication somebody 'stole' it.  They changed it (NOT for the better) by putting in some picots and missing out a nose ring!!!  In fact I've put a picture of the 'damaged' seahorse below.  This was published in a tatting newsletter under another lady's name and the editor of the newsletter said it was 'fine to do that as it had been changed by more than 10% so the copyright now belonged to her'!!!  That's a myth as we all know!!!  I queried the amount of changes anyway!

I finally spoke to the 'designer' who was a very, very old lady who'd seen a picture of the seahorse and copied it from that.  She'd no concept of copyright issues.  I couldn't be cross with her but I was with the tatting newsletter people as, if they considered themselves 'experts in tatting', they should've checked and double checked the pattern.  By the time it was published it was already on my web site.  

Anyway it's all 'water under the bridge' now but it's worth a mention that by taking other people's work you can damage their health and temper!!!!!

A new bracelet for Ros

So, after the earrings that I showed you here I can now present the bracelet to match.  Well, not quite a match as I didn't have enough of the beads that I used on the earrings!!!!  

My stash of beads is quite considerable but finding the 'right' ones each time means I tend to use the same favourites!  This eventually leads to a dearth of the favourite colours - time for another look in Ebay, I think!!!

I'm going to start doing the drawings for this soon and once I've made a few of these bracelets (with adjustable clasps) I'll put some in my Etsy shop.  They'll have to be a tad more expensive than my usual 'stuff' as they take ages to make (nearly two evenings which is about 6 hours) and are (as you can see) 'bead hungry'!!!!

Question is - how much do you think I should price them at?  I find it SSSOOOOOO difficult as I rarely sell stuff - it gets given away or thrown in a box!!!!

Curtain at 22 inches

First of all - number 117 pram has arrived here on the TIAS blog.  Thank you, Ray.

I thought it was about time you all suffered an update on the filet crochet curtains.  Well, that should be curtain at the moment.  

This is still an interesting afternoon project and one which is still slowly progressing in spite of the 'grand tidy up' that is ongoing in the house.  Don't you just HATE having to do that?  The tidying up, I mean.