Sunday, August 15, 2010

Not Guilty!


This is tatted with (Czech) Perlovka #8, a perle cotton I received from  Ice Princess, in Germany.  The thread is soft, a wee bit fuzzy and a 3-ply twist so, in spite of the great colours, I was sure I wouldn't like it, but I find it to be lovely to tat with.  Soft, yes, but there is something very nice about the way it feels both while on the shuttle and also in the finished product.  Thanks, Ice Princess! You were right.

If you want to try this thread you can visit The Thread Exchange and get in touch with Ice Princess yourself!

Here is another - I love the colours...

 #4 Motif Challenge

These patterns were from this book, which I am in the process of rediscovering.


Next:  Crazy Mom sent me wonderful, tiny Miyuki Rocaille #15 beads, and suggested I use #80 thread with them.  I have very little #80 and not good colours for the beads, so I tried them with some T.T.E. #50 Omega thread and this worked very well.  I used this book:

I found a pattern that I thought I would love, but I am learning that my taste does not run to the very intricate and very fiddly!
Not my cuppa !

 

I tatted enough to feel that I had given it a valiant attempt, but decided to be complete with this particular experiment that finished only about an eighth of the pattern . I am enjoying a new attitude of being honest about my preferences, even though it may be only to myself!
 

Crazy Mom also sent me a package of "threaders".  Using these things was the only way I could get those beads onto the motif , as my little hooks at size .05 were way too large!

I used one of these gum things, but pulled it all the way open first, so it was one long piece of plastic, and then threaded it through an individual picot and threaded it back on itself, pulling it through the picot  to make an opening into which I pulled the motif thread, using a crochet hook.  How's that for obfuscating dialogue!















Never did it that way before, because I did  not have teeny, tiny beads!

Now I do!  I will save those luscious beads for a worthy motif and use the threaders, and will probably tat with #40 or #50 thread, which works just fine!

Thanks to my tatting buddy, S.M.,  I was able to figure out a pattern that had absolutely flummoxed me.

With the puzzle solved, I proceeded to tat the motif and quickly ascertained that I did not like or enjoy it at all, so again, I said farewell, and jettisoned the project with absolutely NO GUILT!  This is indeed progress.  Would that I had learned how to do this DECADES ago!


Now to a crocheted piece for The Boss's Brother.

Cute and boyish, right?

This is a prototype for The Boss's new fall hat - her mom's request.  
Brown with a big, pink,  lacy flower on the side.


I think my DDL imagines a crocheted flower, but my creative path runs more to this sort of tatted beauty...


What do you think?  
How am I going to attach those three pink motifs?

At work, we have some three ply cotton - perle, in shades of pink.  I think it might be very like the Perlovka, so I am excited to see what different pinks I can find, and I might try it as it is also #8 - but an unknown brand....

 Last, but not least:
 This purchase, an absolute must-have, is entirely Elizabeth's fault!
It arrived this week from LaCossette.

Sweet!

Don't forget about Tat Days with Fringe Element Tatters, 
in September, in Cambridge, Ontario. Check it out!


 One last question...  Where are we with
?
Anon,

10 comments:

  1. Wow I just love all of your eye candy especially the shuttles my favourite being the Pansy one. Love the colour of the motifs,and a cute hat!!!!

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  2. I've been doing a lot from that very same Lyn Morton book lately. Glad to see I'm not the only one. Beautiful work! I still haven't figured how how to use beads in my tatting, so I'll keep an eye on what you're doing.

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  3. Love your shuttles!! I'll accept the blame for those anytime ;-)

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  4. Congratulations, Fox, on 'No Guilt!" as well as on some wonderful explorations. That attitude increased my joy of tatting a long time ago. If I don't like it, why do it? After all, I tat for my personal pleasure. The joy it brings others is a side benefit. VBG

    I just learned that a nearby library has Lyn Morton's book. I'm so excited to get a good look at it! Soon!

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  5. Hey, I have the very same book in front of me now and tatting from it. Turn to page 52. How do you like your new shuttles?

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  6. umintsuru,
    I really like them. Same as the regular Aero, but the lack of the winding end makes them light and easy to use, and they now fit snugly, right into the palm of my hand. And they are so pretty! They feel very much like...more!
    Fox : )

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  7. Elizabeth,
    They are great, you enabler you! Unfortunately, there was little choice in pattern, as SOMEONE got there way before me!
    When the new stock arrives, I shall be prepared! I love the idea of having a bunch of them at the ready.
    Thanks for your post. I had seen these a while back, but it was reading your words that prompted the payment!
    Fox : )

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  8. Goodness Fox! There's lotting of LOVELY tatting here! The first motif, tatted with Perlovka, is a STUNNER - LOVE those colors! The thread is intriguing - my tactile self wants to reach out and see how it feels because it looks sort of like chenille stems, but from where I sit it just feels like glass. :)

    Congratulations on your NO GUILT philosophy! You have lots of pretty starts there, but what is that worth if you are not enjoying it. Picking tatting patterns seems like picking recipes. You have to try quite a few to figure out which way your tastes run.

    I like Brother Boy's hat very much and am sighing with relief after reading that part of your post again. I missed the "prototype for The Boss's fall hat" part and thought Brother was getting those pink, frilly , possibly tatted flowers! Shoof! BOTH hats will be SO cute and they will make an adorable pair together.

    BEAUTIFUL shuttles by the way!

    :) Ann

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  9. Ann, Another guffaw inspired! I just edited the post - I can always count on you to see where it is probably going to be confusing to others... You make me laugh with your quirky take on the world!
    ♥Fox : )

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