An invasion of mice!

This will be my last post until next week. Mainly because I'm feeling lazy and also partly because I really don't want to start showing you other things until after the festivities are over. 

I have, however, got these mice to show you.  Just couldn't resist this little pattern I found on the internet!!!  

I love making small quick things occasionally although my main love is to be stretched by the craft of tatting - either by designing or by trying to understand and work some of the older patterns.  Dora Young - you ROCK.

Hope you all have a good Christmas and don't eat or drink too much.  I'll be ignoring my own advice, I expect!!!

Another pinwheel

This is the same pattern as the one I showed you here.

Heidi Nakayama (the lady who is getting Dora's book re-printed next year) showed me her version of this design worked in two colours and my poor old BC3 was blown away. It was STUNNING. She taught it as a class and I bet the people who were in that class were also amazed to see how it worked in two colours.

In this pattern is a technique I've never seen before and one which I am currently exploring for myself. Dora certainly gave a LOT to Tat Land when she was designing. I'm in awe of the woman.

Another rabbit

Today I've got another rabbit to show you. This is from Geraldine who has combined her rabbit with - well, I'll let her tell you!!!!

"Got there at last, finish him today. He's feeding his carrot to Rudolf. I've made 56 Rudolf's this year for friends and family. Merry Christmas."

Thank you, Geraldine - just in time for the next TIAS!!!!

Here's the link to the post on the TIAS blog.

Just when I thought it was all over

I found another pattern lurking on the computer. This time it's a Flipje. 

Now WHAT is a Flipje I hear you ask!!! Well this next link will explain it all. I hope you can translate it via your browser. I've got a google plugin on my browser that allows me to translate most pages to English so I'm hoping you can too. It's an interesting read. 

You'll see from the date at the top of the pattern that this was done a while ago! I'm not sure who asked for it but I know I'd never heard of a Flipje until then. 

This is one of the reasons I LOVE Tat Land. I learn all the time.

Pinwheel

This is another of the patterns from Dora's book. It's called the Pinwheel. I've been working on this for a few weeks but didn't have time to show you until now. 

It's a pretty straightforward pattern to follow and to work BUT it does have an intriguing technique that I'd not met before. 

Be assured - you'll be seeing more of this technique if I can get BC3 to work on the idea!!!!  I can 'see' myself using it in something I'm quietly looking into designing and between starting yet another pattern from 'the' book.

I have had one or two people ask for copies of the patterns but, as I've explained, I can't share as the book is under copyright to Dora's family and I wouldn't dream of breaking copyright laws.  

Yet another!!!

Not so bad this time as it's only been forgotten for a while!! 

Today's pattern is based on this original diamond that I made for a patchwork type theme some years ago. A little adaptation and it's become a matching pendant and bracelet set. Obviously this would also work for earrings too!!!

I think my backlog is now clear but you never know what I'll find somewhere on my computer!!!!

Here's the link for this pattern.

Another missing pattern and thoughts .....

It wasn't until I got a comment on the TIAS blog on Sunday that I realised that I'd never put the completed TIAS 2015 pattern up on the pattern page!!!

I'm hopeless I know. Finally it's here.

I also got thinking yesterday over a comment that Diane made on her blog about Facebook. It was interesting as a few weeks ago I stopped receiving any notifications from the tatting blogs on there. 

My main reason was because I found it so repetitious. Somebody would ask a question and people would answer. Everybody has different opinions and ideas and that's fine but it was the constant repetition of the same comments and opinions on the SAME thread because nobody read back through previous comments that really 'got' me. 

I also found I was beginning to spend very precious tatting time on skipping from comment to comment and seeing and hearing the same old things. I haven't 'left' any of the groups and am still available but I just don't get notifications. Actually I must admit I don't often go onto the site after I've posted a blog link in the mornings. I LOVE MY BLOG!!!

Finally the six point star

I've finished another Dora pattern (this one) which I'm really pleased with. Pigmini suggested doing it in two colours but by the time I got her suggestion it was well under way. 

I'm not sure it would work with two colours as the stars would get 'lost', I think. Can you see how cleverly Dora uses the chain sections to make the stars stand out? Those chains then become a design feature in themselves. 

I'm off on another pattern now and will start to show you that shortly. Are you getting bored with hearing about my adventures? If so then I'll just carry on quietly. There's no way I can give up working on this book just yet. I'm making notes as I go along too as a reminder for myself and they may come in useful for others too.

Using a picot gauge

As you know I bought a set of picot gauges last Saturday when I was at the Lace Fair. 

Of course, as with any new toy, a person HAS to play as soon as they can!!! I'm working on another Dora Young pattern (not telling which one yet!) and thought they'd be darn useful. BUT I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

They may well work for 'normal' picots but for those being followed by lock joins they're not good. Well, that's my opinion.  Or, rather, that's what I think right now.  

I struggled to get a decent picot to sit properly or stay the same size as it's next door neighbour. I've put them to one side for now but will have another 'go' when I'm doing 'normal' picots which aren't followed by lock joins!!!  

OK

So you've had the sun, the moon and now you're going to get (whether you like it or not) the stars. 

Based on my original ancient star this is what I offered as a lesson to Palmetto this year. I've now added the pattern to this page and it can be found in the jewellery section.

Sheeeesh

I missed blogging yesterday because I didn't have anything to show. Least I thought I didn't think I had until I was looking at my photos last night and realised I'd got some of the Lace Fair that I went to last Saturday.

So here they are. The person standing in the photo is Sue (commonly known as Pigmini) who blogs over here. The lady behind the stall is Lyn. 

I have met Sue several times before but didn't realise how dangerous it is to talk to other tatters when there are supplies being sold nearby!!! I'd come back well stocked from America but temptation (neatly egged on by these two) got in my way yet again.

It was a good day and thankfully not as crowded as it was last time I went which was a few years ago.  

The 6-point Filet Star

Do you remember this post?  This is the Filet Star on page 18 of the All New Knotless Tatting Designs book by Dora Young.

Well I managed to do one of these little motifs (no failure this time!) without using a picot gauge and it looked pretty darn good!!! So, off I went on another motif. The reason why I made another one will become obvious when I've done another five!!! The effect when you've got a lot joined together is a bit like the first Dora motif that I did. VERY, very pretty. 

So, back to the tatting shuttles and upwards and onwards with my Dora work.

Pendant and earring pattern

I've had two good days at getting these patterns up - long may it last!!! Here's the star pendant and earring which didn't make it to Tat Days!!!

Introduction to the TIAS

I've just added the introduction to the TIAS on the web site. I hope many of you will have the courage to join me again in my rather ridiculous little game!!!! 

For those who haven't heard about this game before - it's simply a pattern which is 'chopped up' into small parts and each part is given out every few days. The fun part is that you don't know what you're making. Guesses, pictures and anything goes in the four to six weeks that it takes to complete the uploading of the links. There is no time limit and there are no rules either - except I ask you to make it as fun as possible. 

If you need help at any point please ask although I can't help needle tatters. Before I forget - I'd better let you know where the introduction can be found. Here's the link.  There are also links on  Riet's blog to her translation (Dutch) and Julie's translation is here (French).  Julie's link maybe wrong but I'll update it when I see it appear!!!  I'm also putting links on the side of the TIAS blog too.  My thanks go to these two for all their hard work on this and the upcoming game.  They will be translating all the TIAS as it happens.

Just to pretty up the blog post - here are a few pictures of past Tat It And See games.

It's Monday - let's all start the week

with a smile!!! The next pattern on my list that needed to be uploaded is the one that I did for Tat Days. I did this as a sort of 'instead of' pattern as I suddenly realised that the sun would be tooooooo long a project for a lesson. Thus the Sunny Smile was born!!!

I suppose he's almost another emotitat too!!!  Ooooops - forgot to put in the link!!!!

I will NOT be beaten!!

Off on another Dora adventure!! I've now decided to return to the one I tried (and failed with) earlier - this is the post where I was mumbling on about picot gauges!!!

This time I'm tatting it 'naked' without one of those wretched objects!!! Bet that made you sit up and notice when I said naked.  If I was tatting without clothes on it would frighten the local residents!!!  Result (so far) is faster tatting and a pretty neat motif. 

We'll see what happens over the next few days/weeks!!! I'm going to try and stay focussed on this without wandering off to other things. Well, that's the aim but the best laid plans of mice, men and, of course BC3 etc!!!!

Another project is

FINISHED.

Isn't this delightful? Actually I take back what I said the other day and once again I cannot believe that Dora Young was such an innovative tatter and I've missed getting to know her for all these years. I just envy those who knew her  'back then' but also wonder if her talent was recognised when she was alive as much as it will be once her book is again available as a re-print.

Somebody told me the other day that they'd been looking for a copy of the original book but I explained that it was like hen's teeth. I still can't quite believe that Patti Duff gave me a copy of the book. I have the proof, though, and am slowly working through it but not in any particular order!!!

I started with my favourite and then went onto the next - which I then realised was going to be my new favourite!!! So each new one that I tackle becomes 'my favourite'!!!! Told you before - BC3 doesn't make sense from time to time!

Next new pattern

Here's a little sunshine for your life. Don't get too close or you may get burnt and don't look directly at the sun as you'll harm your eyes!!! 

Well I thought I was going to get these new (ish) patterns sorted sooner than this but sadly time seems to fly out of my hands lately. I'm not sure why, really. I'm not doing anything spectacular apart from keeping the aged head above water and continuing my addiction to Dora Young!!

This is a pattern that I didn't really offer to Palmetto - mainly cause it's too long for a lesson and we'd all have fallen asleep by the time it was done. In fact it would've taken probably 3 or 4 lesson periods!!! There will be an 'off shoot' of this one (when I get round to it!!!) which I'll put up another day. 

I found that I was getting into a horrendous muddle if I tried to do them all at once. In one way it would be easier to do the 'lot' at once as it would mean one login onto the server but dancing around from folder to folder on the server (which is more like a tortoise than a hare) gave gaps of time in which BC3 (brain cell 3) wandered off to do something else and then got lost!!!

So sweet

Before I forget I want to give a plug to a lovely young lady's new Etsy shop. Her user name is thestrugglingactor which is exactly what Gemma is. She lives along our road and has just started up her Etsy shop while she waits to get her foot on the first rung of the stage ladder. She'll take custom orders too. Please visit her new shop.

I've just added another bauble to the exclusive club.

This time it's a bee with flowers from Bev. She's already got a mouse and is therefore an exclusive member of the exclusive club!!!! 

She sent this in specially for Gary. This is what she says.

"Hi Jane I'm already in the Exclusive Club with my mouse, but here is a bee and some flowers to wish Gary well. Bev"

Isn't that the sweetest thing?

Patterns galore

This week I've told myself (along with my sidekick) that we're going to get all the patterns I took to Palmetto this year up on the pattern pages.  Of course you can still get them (and all the other AMAZING patterns from the other teachers) from Palmetto Tatters. Here's the link.

It's a long job getting the patterns ready for the site as I have to put on the abbreviations (Palmetto use standard notation for everybody's work), re-size things, put thumbnails on, upload images, add links etc. Not easy when you get multiple interruptions!!!!

This time I've deleted the mobile of the 'sun, moon and stars' which has been on my site for eons as the new versions are in this batch of patterns. They will be on separate pages to make it easier for downloading. Also I've added the star which wasn't 'needed on voyage' to America!!!! It's - well, I'll tell you more when I 'get there'.

So, today I'm introducing the first one. It's the moon and here's the link.