Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone has a safe holiday and I wish kindness, prosperity, and friendship be your lot for the coming new year. God Bless you all, especially for being supportive in helping me learn to tat. I don't feel that I'll ever know all there is to know and you'd think something as simple as a ring and a chain would be a snap. Those rings and chains connect more than just thread in this tatting community and I hope to get to know you all better in the coming year.

My sister and I always had our own way of signing off. I always ended my letters (to everyone) with God Bless! She signed with Godspeed. Now that she is no longer with us I have gotten in the habit of signing God Bless and Godspeed in memory of a woman who was/is/forever my best friend. This time of year I get a bit quiet because I miss her so much. She has been gone for 5 years now and one would think it would get to be easier. It doesn't. So, I'll get a bit more active again in a week or so, I do need to post some pics and get busy doing more tatting. I about have a small Christmas tree done, so I'll be posting soon- and God Bless and Godspeed.

Friday the 12th of December

I have some pictures that I want to put up here but I need to re-take them using more light. Now the trick is to try and remember to do that before the sun goes down. Once I have that mastered I'll have it made!

First killing frost for Autumn last night

I've been trying to do a snowflake pattern by Laura B. and so far mine looks nothing like hers! I tried making it several times then went on to something else. Laura encouraged me to try again and this is what I made. The first pic in blue is using size 10 thread. Not good. I thought that maybe a smaller thread would work so I went down to size 20. When I got to the next to the last ring and chain I saw it wasn't going to lay flat even with the smaller thread so I left off the last ring and chain.

The bottom pic is the snowflake after adding second row to it. I'm waiting for advice from Laura before continuing on.

Autumn Colors

This pattern came from same old booklet, Tatting Book no. 183. It was supposed to be a flower spray but I made an abbreviated version of the pattern and kind of winged it through the stem part. The thread is awful thread to work with. It's Clea 9258. I love the colors but it's a 2 ply thread and when I was tightening the stitches on another piece I was making, the thread broke on me (first pic. I don't seem to be able to remember to post the pics in the opposite order so that they're in the right order!).

Tatted Motif

I've been tatting away but I haven't posted for awhile so I thought I'd try to get caught up. This is something that I made from this old pattern book. I'm showing 2 pics of it because it might be hard to see against the book, which is an old Clark's booklet no. 183. I think this might be the best thing I've made so far! LOL! I've seen this pattern a lot actually, this is a simple little pattern that can be used alone, or made into an edging. I used Flora thread but I seem to have misplaced the thread. Anyway, it's size 20 thread. I'm still not comfortable using thinner thread yet.

Small Rosette

I'd forgot about this little bugger. This is neither red nor purple. It's made from a skein of DNC pearl cotton. Pattern from Workbasket Magazine. If anyone would be interested in having the pattern I could probably scan it and share, if that isn't imposing on any trademarks and such. I've never shared anything before because I've never had anything to share! lol! Everyone else is so generous with their things I'd like to return the favor to anyone interested and if I'm not breaking any rules. So can someone tell me how this works with the Workbasket Magazine? Am I allowed to share the pattern privately?

Edging- red and white using Flora size 10. I used this metal shuttle on this one and kinda liked the way it felt in my hands. But, getting the bobbin to let go of the thread was an absolute bear. Then you pull too much out struggling with it and here comes one of my famous messes! I am so awkward still, feel like an adolescent all over again. Well, maybe not quite that bad. Pattern came from another old Workbasket Magazine. I want to continue making this to put around a collar. Any advice on how to sew it down?

When I took this picture I hadn't realized that I missed a spot towards the end. I see ALL kinds of weird mistakes!! lol! Aw well, practice makes perfect.

9-04-08

Hello Bloggers. I scorched my hand about a week ago, not bad, just enough to smart. I was picking up a whistling tea kettle with my right hand and when I went to turn the burner off the blasted thing shot boiling water on my left hand. Made tatting a little uncomfortable so I've mainly been looking at patterns the past week and catching up on reading. I'm one of those people who HAVE to read, just have to. Now, it seems like there's a transference of a lot of the time that I was using to read, to tatting! I just HAVE to tat! lol! I'm not complaining believe me, it feels like I was missing something I wasn't even aware I was missing until I started tatting. I have some pics to share of the things I was working on before the scorching incident and last night I started tatting again. I'm just thankful it didn't blister, I evidently got the cold water on it soon enough to halt the process. The little dance that went with it, well it just wasn't pretty!

God Bless and Godspeed!

8-18-08 Purple Blob

Have you ever worked on something until you're having trouble seeing it? lol! Now my applique is a purple blob, not quite finished yet. Not even close!

8-18-08 Blue Snowflake

Another from Rozella F. Linden's book "Easy Tatting," and It's still not quite right. One more time!

8-16-08

I have been talking to so many wonderful people about tatting. Thank you all for sharing from the wealth of your knowledge about tatting and all the encouragement that you have given me.

I started tatting this last night from an old, old Workbasket magazine I found, where else? . . . at EBay. I haven't bought but one thing before this but criminey, I do believe it could become an addiction. So many things, so little precious room, and even less money, sigh. Back to tatting, this is a picture of what I'm making, it's a flower appliqué, and I noticed at about the third round that I was doing it wrong but I thought it looked pretty cool anyway, so that's what that is above. I couldn't capture the color, it's Cebelia 210-size 10 thread. I can't believe the contrast with different background and lighting. This is using my cell phone camera so I can't take any far away pics!

Today I received a copy of "Every Woman's Complete Guide to Tatting" edited by Barbara Foster. I read the entire beginning and looked at all of the patterns and pics, I think I'm going to really like this book. I am drawn to square motifs and I saw several that I'd like to try.

I'm off to finish my appliqué!

Google Olympics- 8-14-08

Have you guys been watching the Google Olympics?

www.google.com

10-13-08 same tatted snowflake

Ok, snowflake #3. I think I am making the middle picot too big. I was having trouble seeing it after awhile so I tied a pink/red thread around it to keep better track of it. I think the only thing wrong with this one is that I am making all of the picots too big. I'm hoping to get some of the picot gauges from Georgia Seitz soon, hopefully that will help me.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Last night I used a pattern from Rozella F. Linden's book "Easy Tatting," and haven't quite succeeded in mastering it. Here are my first two attempts, I'll have another go at it later today.They're actually in reverse order of when I tatted them. The pink one was tatted first. I didn't understand how to join them all in that one middle picot. I obviously STILL don't understand, lol!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Shamrocks

I still haven't found out the author of this pattern so for now I'll just say author unknown. If anyone recognizes the pattern, please don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks.
Here's my attempts at that pattern.

Shamrock pattern

I'm making a shamrock and I copied the pattern into a Microsoft Word doc. I don't remember where I found the pattern or who created the pattern so I've been hesitating to put my progress down. It's a very simple pattern and it's driving me bonkers trying to find where I found it at. I think I might go to the pattern detectives and see if they know it . . .

I finally gave in . . .

and started a blog! I have been to so many wonderful blog spots and I dearly love looking at every one's beautiful work. Although I'm a beginner tatter, I want to learn to make the lovely things that I see all of you making. My Word program is already busting at the seams with all the free patterns offered by generous individuals. I want to thank each and everyone of you for your caring useful tips, tutorials, videos, and all of the lovely patterns.