Lazy blogger, busy tatter (motifs 14 and 15)

Hi to my tatting friends!  I spend my evenings scouring your blogs to see if there's anything new to look at.  So -- maybe I ought to help out and give YOU something to look at too, although I don't think my work is quite up to level of what I see out there in tat-land!

Yay me!  I finished one languishing WIP that has been sitting around for a year.  It's a design by Patricia Rizzo and I have trouble with her patterns, got sick of working on it, etc.  I used the shoe lace trick to swap colors before I knew what it was exactly, and I was not an expert at it.  A year later, finishing the final round, I note that my technique is much improved.

The color is odd on this picture.  Phone camera, whatcha gonna do?  In size 10 Lizbeth, it's ecru and I think purple splendor but not sure.

I finished it for the sake of doing so, but I have no idea what do with it now.

Below is the Tudor rose by Rosemarie Peel.

Rosemarie's version

My version

Three new motifs (11, 12, 13) AND teacup update

OK, first things first:

Not too shabby!  On the left, the original teacup; on the right, a test of a new design to make it larger and add my own touch, and the bottom center is my attempt to enact the prototype in the final colors.  "Real" cup (the white/pink/blue one) was rippling outward instead of curving upward, so I cut off the colored round and will try again.  I still think it will work.  Quite pleased with myself, and I got to go patronize my favorite local shop again, Heindselman's in downtown Provo.  

 Here on the left, we have a shamrock pattern I was trying out, and on the right, my adaptation of it to add a bead to the stem and have the stem end tatted in and not knotted at the end and cut off as I usually see them.  I hoped to make them into earrings, but time got away from me and I didn't get the next generation with decorative beads and picots made before St Patrick's Day.  These are made in size 40 Christmas Green and Christmas Green variegated in Lizbeth thread.

 And finally, below, my own tribute to Renulek's spring napkin/doily, which is intended as a pendant.  This is size 80 Lizbeth.

Update 3/22:  sold the pendant!  Woot!

DAINTY = TEENSY WEENSY

Isn't this cute?  I made this from a vintage pattern I bought on Etsy.  My mom collects teacups, and I thought a cup and saucer set for Mother's Day, tatted by Yours Truly, great gift, right?

It's absolutely darling!  The pattern describes it as "A dainty little cup and saucer to use for favors or as a little something for a shut-in friend."

Notice something I didn't notice?  The repetition of the word "little" is a bit of a clue.  

If you're having a tea party with Barbies, this is the teacup for you.  That's right--those are normal sized shuttles and a soap dish-sized container and your normal tomato pincushion.  

GRAH!  It's cute, but it's not what I had in mind.  At all.  *snort*  I am having a bit of a think and *may* incorporate some Cluny leaves to make it a bit bigger.  I tried them extensively a few weeks ago when Georgia Seitz' online tatting chat/class was working on them, and they are HARD.  But Clunies popped right into my head when I was having my Winnie the Pooh *think* about this cup.  

Mum says, "Is that my Mother's Day present?"  No, Mum, it's the prototype.  Bah.  Sooo irritated.

Still, I'm counting this on my 25 motif challenge and when I rework it, I can count the new one as another motif.

Here's the Ann Orr, finished.  -->

The Anne Orr motif on the left shows the color more accurately.  I am counting this as number 9 and the teacup as number 10 in the challenge.  I have more items to post, but my rant about the cup will have to suffice for today.  :D

Birthday gift

Quite impressed with my creative success, I keep looking at the photo of the pendant/necklace I made for my sister's birthday.  Shipped it off today and fingers crossed she receives it by Thursday.

This is the same cross from a couple of posts ago with jump rings and neck cord and crystal attached for weight at the bottom.  I haven't worked with the findings before, and I am ever so pleased with the result.  Hence I keep pulling up the picture to preen a bit and pat myself on the back once more.

Here's the picture posted previously before I added the jewelry findings:

I initially made this pattern without the beads, and what I noted is that the beads gave the shape more definition, almost creating a border and guiding the eye in viewing the piece.

I have thought entirely too much about this dollar coin-sized scrap of pretty, so until next time!

I have taken a short lace hiatus--attempted some clunies and very disappointed with the results.  Hope to have SOMETHING completed soon to add to my 25 motif challenge count.

Thoughts on Tatting

I have found several new tatting contacts and friends through the 25 Motif Challenge blog, and found that I had quite a bit in common with Kristen, who has been working on block tatting and rose motifs.  (She also had trouble with a size 80 Lizbeth thread breaking every time she closed a ring.....GRRR!  But I'm off topic...)  So, Kristen, here are my recent pieces using these elements.

This Marguerite motif went blotto on me, so I ended up cutting off the outer petals and stuffing it away to retry later.  I tried a new block method IN the motif--should have practiced on its own before sticking it in the work.  BOO!

Here's a little practice piece (left) using Jane Eborall's block method.  It was easier than the method in the Marguerite book, but again, DON'T try something new in the middle of the work!


On the right, my completed bookmark using the rose and pearl stem from my last post, attached to a gorgeous heart motif I found online by Tina Neudorf.

Another example below (Motif 8 for challenge):

I truly love the cream and red version of the Rose Heart, because to me this heart is the epitome of Victorian elegance, and the cream color is very Victorian to me.  Above, right, this partially complete motif from Anne Orr's No.13 tatting publication circa 1918 also speaks of a bygone era.  The actual publication date is unknown in the sources I checked.  This motif is worked in size 40 Lizbeth, while the Rose Heart is worked in size 8 perle cotton (left) and Red perle cotton and size 40 Lizbeth for the green (bookmark above).  I increased the stitch count in the green to make up for the size difference in the thread.

Kristen, as you can see, I fell in love with the rose motif too!

Motifs 2 through 7

These lovely little earrings are an adaptation of Ruth's heart pattern made in Red Burst size 80 Lizbeth.  This ball was very very frustrating as it broke repeatedly and had little flaws/nubs on it.  I have had no trouble with any .other ball of thread from Handy Hands, but this ball drove me to distraction!  Gorgeous color!

I made the larger set by adding double stitches to the rings with no other changes to them.  I love tatted earrings.  They are lightweight and so fluttery, moving with any slight adjustment of position or the tiniest breeze.  

Made this last year but only just sewed in the ends and stiffened it.  Made in Vineyard Harvest in size 80.  What a lovely seahorse pattern by Debbie Arnold.  A gift for my sister in law.


Below, this lovely little dainty is Celtic Cross by Lindsay Rogers in Tatting Collage.  I added beads for definition and sparkle.  Planning to send to my sister for her Irish/March birthday.  This is Christmas Green Mix size 80 in Lizbeth thread. I enlarged the picture so the beads would show up better, consequently losing definition.  The actual size is about the size of a US dollar coin.

I am counting this as two motifs:  A rose motif and pearl tatting.  I saw the pearl tatting in an old book by Mlle Riego but couldn't figure it out until I looked up a tutorial from Mark the Tat Man.  Have since attached to a larger motif as part of a bookmark.  I think this is medium sage size 40 Lizbeth and size 8 perle cotton, Finca brand, which is a dream to work with.  Gorgeous color and weight/body, but still has give as a perle cotton should.  Preferred to DMC of the same size.

Tatting Sanity: Motif 1 for 2014

I've been BLUE BLUE BLUE the past 2 months.  Winter saps my spirit.  Moody, angry, tired, and mostly sad.  So...lots of tatting.  Crafting is the only thing that keeps me going during winters.  So LOTS of tatting.  :O

Lovely rose motif bobby pin I made for my niece's confirmation.  The center is of Lizbeth Honey Drizzle size 40 with a gold blending filament and Mill Hill beads in honey.  The flower is Lizbeth size 80 Vineyard Harvest.  I sewed the stamens on after finishing the rose and tacking it to the Aida cloth.  

Time for work... more later.