Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Into The Garbage - And Out Again

At two in the morning last night I could not sleep because I kept seeing the contents under my kitchen sink, in the garbage, to which  the tatting had been condemned.




Before this development, the blue-green thread version that was so pretty turned out to be IMPOSSIBLE to tat with.



It was sticky, floppy, fuzzy and breakable - every bad thing that thread can be, all wrapped up in such beautiful, saturated colour.  I could not go on, even though I had prepared to do all four squares, having even completed all four centres.

I had seen Frivole’s absolutley gorgeous 4-repeat square, and was inspired to try it in the blue/green, and then in frustration switched to Lizbeth.


Ultimitely, I got so vexed with the pattern and made so many mistakes that I thought, “The hell with it,” and was ready to call it quits.  No longer was it fun.  Into the trash it went.

Perhaps, you all know me well by now.  I could not be beaten down by a mere tatting pattern…could I?  So, up out of bed and mucking about in the garbage, I decided I would finish it any way I could, mistakes and all.


The challenge this time was simply completion. That’s right.  No perfect picots, well formed chains.  Just a finished motif times four.


That was not easy to do.  I make such a point of trying to tat as well as I can that blitzing along just to get it done goes against the grain - badly.  But there was something to be learned and so I persevered and finished.


Although the thing is a mess, I am glad I finished it, stuck with a design I got to hate, worked through my dyslexic difficulties in the joins and get to look at something that is complete. Ah, what we learn about ourselves when in Tat-land... 


I learned something new with this next piece as well.This is from the pattern for the bookmark that Ladytats sent me and I seem to recall her writing something somewhere a while ago about not making knots in the mock picots, because you don’t have to.  I believe it was Ladytats…


At any rate, it all made sense to me as I began this piece and I did not do a ds, but simply left a length of thread as the mock picot after a split ring and voîla!  It works beautifully!  A new trick under my belt!

AND, my new scissors arrived.  What a joy.  For anyone curious, Gingher are terrific still, and also relatively  inexpensive Though they are now made in Italy and have lost some of their previous prestige, I think they are as good as they ever were.  My opinion is based on these:   : )


13 comments:

  1. ...Good for you! Perseverance! Followed through! YOU did it! You go girl!!!

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  2. I drool for the scissors. And your cat shuttle.

    Any chance of you coming down to Tat Days?

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  3. As an individual motif, I think it's prettier in a variegated thread, but when joining multiple motifs it works better to use a solid, at least in the outer round as you have done. The solid allows you to focus on the interesting patterns and negative space that form at the junction of motifs. So having an untattable thread has actually resulted in a more attractive piece overall since it forced you to switch to the Lizbeth.

    Regarding mock picots, I've never made a knot if I'm going into a split ring. However, if I'm going into a chain I will convert the first stitch to a lock stitch because otherwise the core thread can pull through.

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  4. you have more patience than I do, my project would have stayed in the trash.

    I can say, it did turn out wonderful though, good job.

    Bri.

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  5. I am sorry it gave you a sleepless night.

    The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook ~William James~

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  6. congrats on the perseverance Fox, and the motif still looks good.
    your bookmark also looks good and for such a simple piece is does use several of the more technical methods.

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  7. My congratulations that You've finished this motif. It turned out very pretty.
    Petra

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  8. Well done on your perseverance and you got there in the end, I think it would have stayed in the bin with me and I would have started again.
    I hope you enjoy your sissors, mine are lovely and would not be without them, woo be tide anyone using them for anything other than thread.
    Margaret

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  9. I tatted that motif once. It was enough for me though I love your colored centered and it is very pretty with four of them together. I just didn't like tatting it but it's so pretty on the front of the book!

    Like Miranda, I only do a lockstitch if the mock picot leads to a chain and I even skip that sometimes but I shouldn't.

    My little stork scissors are losing their sharpness (after nearly 12 years)so I need to sharpen them or use my other scissors. Don't you love the crisp clean cuts new scissors make?

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  10. That's the way to hang in there, Fox!
    I like the end result, too. The design shows up well on the solid-colored thread.

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  11. I like your header, too. Very delicate with a hint of tatting.

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  12. Now see... aren't you glad you couldn't quit?

    I'm glad... it turned out lovely!

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  13. Good for you, you didn't let it beat you. It looks good. I made that motif, I think in a mat of some sort. I'll have to try and remember what I did with it.
    I think the quote I had at the end of my post this week fits your fight to finish this piece. Congratulations on finishing.

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