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?