I wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season,
whatever holiday you hold dear.
whatever holiday you hold dear.
While in NYC, I had a dreadful tatting time. Everything I touched went wrong. I did more un-tatting than the good stuff, and I have NOTHING to show for all the hours!
The above was to be the first part of a bauble decoration that I intended to finish in New York.The night before my early a.m. flight, I spilled the bottle of beads all over my apartment floor!
Although only half the container escaped, it felt like I had dropped a milk container of little, red beads; I thought I would never be able to pick them all up! Took well over an hour to clean up....
Needless to say, I was so disgusted with the project after the midnight mess that I left it behind.
I packed this pattern by Mary Konior, taken from an early book that had only written directions - no diagram.
Can you believe I wasted a whole skein of beautiful HDT - Himalayan Poppy by LadyShuttleMaker, trying with absolutely NO success to tat this?
I haven't the heart to post pictures of the rejected bits and pieces that I have since thrown away. Sigh..... I should have put away my shuttles till the dark cloud passed, but no, I stubbornly kept on trekking - creating one atrocious disaster after another, laying waste to all Sherry's lovely thread.
The only bit of that thread that remains is the centre of one of Jon's snowflakes that I have managed to almost finish, after much retro-tatting.
Those chains that lead in and out of the cloverleaf had me baffled for ages. I just cannot ever do the directional thing correctly the first, second or even third time around. I always have such difficulty with this.
However, it is nearly done and I will tell you I will never use this thread again: Oren Bayan Salmaz #12. Loathe it! So soft and floppy and difficult to undo. Yech!
Anon,
Oh, my heart goes out to you! I just had an entire week of just what you described! I don't know why it was so distressing, but I was beginning to feel hopelessness steal in. I finally just rode out the storm & didn't look at the wreckage of pieces gone bad. Thank goodness those times do pass, & I picked up the shuttle tonight & made progress with only minor mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI think it's just the general rushing of the holidays that made me feel rushed while tatting, then the mistakes, the untatting, well you know...
May tomorrow find your shuttle flying with beautiful trails of lovely lace!!
Oh dear, I am hurting with you. Have you tried hoovering up the beads using the nozzle with a nylon stocking held over the nozzle to catch the beads.
ReplyDeleteThose change of direction designs that aren't adequatley explained are a pain, I agree. IT usually takes a second try to get it right. My advice is don't use your best thread until then. Even a small trial will help.Coloring the drawing beforehand doesn't help me much either as i still can't always say which shuttle I will use.
That's what's giving me problems as I am trying to get these snowflakes right first go and you are seeing SOME of my mistakes.
Any pattern that I have tatted, If you have the book I can probably help.
So sorry you had such a 'downer' trip, although I always find it 'comforting' to know that others have goofy days like that. The bead mishap was just icing on the cake!
ReplyDeleteHowever - you have made ME a happy camper, with your quick response to my inquiry about Iris' pattern, PLUS some info about your kitty! Back in the '70s my brother and his wife 'showed' their himalayan cat at cat shows, and I was amazed to see how many breeds of cats there were back then; and there are even more now! I see the burmilla is rather a new breed - very sweet!
Your beautiful beaded wreath motif was certainly successful; and I really didn't notice the cat hair! I was more focused on the crisp knots and the right-side tatting, not to mention the beautiful HDT!
I now have the printout of Iris' pattern! Thanks so much for the link! I've been concerned that Iris hasn't been posting on her blog lately, and I hope she's okay. She is an amazing tatter and designer.
Hope you have a great Holiday!
Uck, I hate bad tatting days like that. We've all had 'em. I know that doesn't make it any better, but you are not alone. Your motifs are lovely, and I mean this in the nice possible way, but you are being way to hard on yourself! You have many happy tatting days ahead, I am sure of it. Yes, Oren Bayern is a Perle Cotton and Perle Cottons are not the best for tatting, especially when there is a lot of unpicking going on. They are best used in a pattern done so many times, that the unpicking is minimal due to the familiarity of the pattern where the tatter is confident there will be very little unpicking...blah blah blah! LOL! I'm rambling!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy Tatting to you!
Thanks, Katie! I know I am not alone in this grumble! Happy Holidays and Lovely Lace to you, too! ♥
ReplyDeleteTatskool, I KNOW I should save the good stuff, but sometimes it is just too tempting!
Thanks for your help in advance... I am sure to need it sometime soon!
Happy Holidays! ♥ : )
Kathy, You are so welcome! Thank you for helping me solve the problem. I still do not know where i got the pattern originally. It is printed and in a plastic sleeve in my file folder with no credit... Now, it has a credit, thanks to you and Martha! ♥
Yes, Burmillas are kind of new, but recognized - for what that's worth - by the Cat Associations that be out there. He is a 'rescue' as I found him online, advertised as a stud cat that had recently been neutered. He was 31/2 and lived all by himself for his whole adult life and sired 2 litters. His offspring were disappointing I suppose - shush, I don't want him to know this - so the kennel wanted to sell him off.
I got the best bargain of my life for he is an amazing animal. Usually, I have gone to the pound for my pet (3 cats over the years) but, I felt bad for this one and fell in love with his photo. Another successful computer-love-match!
Happy Holidays! ♥
Oh, Chiclet! You are so sweet, for you always take me seriously! Don't you know by now that I LOVE to grumble! I am not THAT unhappy with my tatting and am always delighted to receive such lovely comments - like yours! Thank you for your ongoing support! It means a lot.
Hope you have an amazing holiday and a Happy New Year! ♥ Fox : )
Ahhh...I've had times like that too. The fingers turn into boomarangs and NOTHING works! It's especially disheartening when you think you're going to make something really special for someone (including one's self) and it doesn't happen at all the way you think it will. I started Mark's tree last night and am a complete moron, it seems. I think I will wait a few days to try again. LOL!
ReplyDeleteAnd I HATE spilling beads!
Wishing you a WONDERFUL holiday!
Oh, HA HA HA! OH, FOX!!! YOU are so very hilarious! Perhaps it is YOU who always takes ME so seriously! LOL! SO cute what a doll you are! So darling! HA HA! Happy New year! and big (((HUGS)))
ReplyDeleteGina, I love that you called yourself a complete moron! I haven't heard that one in ages, but have certainly felt like it a lot! Hope your tatting is fine now. My boomerang days seem to have passed for the time being!
ReplyDeleteYah, spilling beads is definitely for the birds! There are many, tiny, little, rolling bits of glass all over my place! I find them everywhere, in spite of vacuuming and sweeping and picking.... LOL!
Fox : )
Chiclet! You are so naughty! I send {{hugs}}
right back at you! LOL! ♥ Fox : )
Really. ♥
ReplyDelete