Tuesday, November 12, 2013

One Round Wonder

Milena, by Iris Niebach


Well, I can hardly believe it; I actually finished one of the doilies from the little publication Tatted Doilies

that I have had since I began tatting. It has taken me five years to work up the courage to try this one and I must say it came out rather well! Worth the wait. : ))

The end bit had me predictably baffled. I played with the last join for HOURS, trying to figure out what to tat next, till I realized it was finished! I was done! All I had to do was join the first to the last ring... Duhhh! 

While tatting this I thought of Iris and how she comes up with these patterns, which are repeats of a motif in a circle. They are uniquely hers and once you have the idea in your head, not that difficult to follow - said she after YEARS of frustration! Her talent astounds.

Much as I like and admire the design of the piece, I know that this kind of tatting is a bit “leggy” for my taste, as I am not fond of long chains, or large snowflakes. 

Also, as I learned from tatting the Mystery Doily, I do like tatting to be a bit dense - either due to the addition of beads or because of an inherently bulkier pattern.

This measures about 7 inches across tatted with... amazingly... Sulky! That is the thread I had so much trouble with here, with the thread from Stephanie.... I just could not get the pattern right.


The tatting muse is languishing and I do not really have a goal at the moment.  The next thing will probably be tatted with small thread which I enjoy at the moment and the pattern will be for something smaller .

Oh, I wish I liked tatted jewellery. That would make things much simpler!

33 comments:

  1. very nice doily, the long lengthy parts does give it style though. You can almost tell who made the pattern, like with all art.

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    1. Almost?? Always!

      I agree - the chains give it her trademark look, but I do not really enjoy tatting them, thought the patterns are all wonderful to look at.
      Fox : )

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  2. Congrats Fox. So rewarding. Enlarged the photo to see if you used beads but you left it pristine. It was the thread colours. Iris Niebach's patterns are so much fun. I love them too.

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    1. Thanks, umintsuru,

      I love the thread and realized it was quite enough!

      The variegation actually works well in this intricate pattern, adding just enough detail. Anymore would be distracting, I feel.
      Fox : )

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  3. Your doily is gorgeous!!!!! :)
    I have that book and will be marking that pattern as an "I have to do" project!! :)
    You can always make tatted jewelry for family and friends. :)

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  4. It looks beautificent -- nice job! Iris Niebach is my favorite designer. All those intricate, lovely pieces completed in one round fascinate me. There's one design in that same book I must have started 'leventy-dozen times before successfully completing it once. Keep the book around -- when I don't know what I want to tat next, I pull out "Tatted Doilies" and start a new one.

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    1. Marty,

      I thought of you often as I wrote this, as I have loved the patterns of Iris’s you have displayed over the years.

      I was hoping you would have kind things to say about my efforts...Thank you!
      Fox : ))

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  5. I agree, it's not that much fun to tat long chains, but sometimes it's the only way to get that nice open look. To me those chains look like they're outlining a lovely flower in the center. The tension on your chains looks great, too. They look very nice and even the way they should. It's that tension difficulty that makes the long chains such a pain, but you did a fabulous job with them.

    I love the contrast between the open center and the more dense outer sections. I always think the designs that have a little of both are the prettiest.

    I never would have guessed that was Sulky. I was sure it must be a HDT. You're right, a very gently variegated thread like that is perfect for the pattern, but one with sudden, bold color changes wouldn't work at all. If it's 7 inches across in Sulky, I wonder how big it would be in a larger thread-- big enough to really be a good sized doily, I would think!

    When I can't decide what to tat next, I usually do a bookmark. They are small enough to finish relatively quickly, and they are good for an impromptu gift. By the time I've finished a bookmark, I usually know what I want to do next.

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    1. Miranda, you made my day!

      Having struggled with the tension on chains for a very long time, I feel I have made some progress - it shows on this doily and you saw the improvement. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the comments!

      The Sulky is am amazing thread. I do not know it it is just this colour - all take the dye differently and that affects the thread quality - or if all Sulky Blendables are so easy to tat with. It is the absolute best of the “skinnies”, in my experience.

      Good idea - bookmark. I do have lots of patterns...
      Fox : )

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  6. I really like how you match the thread to the design!

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    1. Hmmm.... all unintentional, Marta! It just went to the right places by itself! Great thread.
      Fox : )

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  7. This very pretty. I think you did a very good job on the chains, they look very even. I agree about the thread needing only a small bit of variation more like an ombre to set this pattern off.
    A bookmark would be a small project, easily finished, perfect for a transition. How about a Bookworm? the pattern link is on my blog a couple posts back. My grandkids love my bookworms.

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    1. Good idea. I have already downloaded the pattern. Thanks!
      Fox : )

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  8. Very pretty! I love the open look myself but the denser patterns like that mystery doily appeal too!

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  9. I understand that this DOILY was composed of MEDAILLION-like MOTIFS.


    ROFL

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  10. It came out very pretty in those colors.... I really like the subtlety of the color changes. I really must try some Sulky for tatting rather than quilting! It is surprising that it is only 7" across.... So delicate! I agree with you about tatting the long chains, and I don't really care much for the open look if it isn't balanced with some close tatted areas... This piece seems to be really well balanced.
    I'm currently working on a piece that has a LOT of long chains and semi-open areas and it is driving me nuts! A real struggle to get through it and will go in my 'give away' pile as soon as it is finished just to get it out of sight and mind!

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  11. I hope the Mystery Doily hasn't burned you out! The Lace Mat has all those long chains as well, but in that pattern they don't look quite so "leggy ".

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    1. I did tat this! And if I recall it seemed pretty ‘leggy’ to me, both tatting it and viewing it. Pretty, but definitely ‘leggy!’
      Fox : )

      p.s. Contemplating another Iris doily... perhaps I require an intervention?

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  12. I love how this came out! The color, the pattern . . . everything! It is just so pretty and feminine looking! :) If you plan on doing more, I say no to the intervention! ;)

    By the way . . . that Mini Tats book on ebay ended up going for over $150 US! :) When I get more serious about learning to tat, I'll check out In Tatters as you suggested!

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  13. Hi Fox

    Lovely doily, I like the colour. I have not had time to try one of her patterns yet, They look so lovely and of course the long chains can make any pattern harder.
    Well done of tatting a lovely doily.
    Love to Gian
    Margaret

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  14. lovely, I agree that you always have a great taste choosing colours that fit perfectly with the pattern! and congrats for the Mistery Doily, it came out so beautiful, bravo!

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  15. I'm not overly fond of long chains either, but sometimes I cave, especially when it comes to Iris's patterns! You did a fantastic job!

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  16. Io love Iris's patterns. Your doily is wonderful!!!

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  17. What a beautiful piece! It looks so intricate it's hard to believe that it's really only one round. If other pieces in the book are similar, I must dig out my copy!

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  18. You did a beautiful job,I really love Iris's Doileys but they are a real challenge to figure out where to go next.But once you have figured it out the result is so satisfying. I cant remember if i finished this one! I still have to colour in each element on my chart as i do it so that I will remember where i was when i pick it up again.

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  19. I agree with Tatskool, these are such satisfying patterns to work out, the equivalent of a crossword or detective novel. I am worrying away on Delia even as I write. :P
    The finished look of Milena encourages me, although my choice of the Pansies thread was probably a mistake. I will have a bash at something in Sulky thread next.

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  20. Oh My Goodness Fox..... Milena is STUNNING!!!!! Well done.

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