These activities did not fare well together! I have been busy and also paying attention to my new “do not rush” promise, resulting in not much to post.
So, little to talk about today, but thought I’d show you where I am in the Spring Doily: Row 7.
Lizbeth thread, #80 has been a miserable repeat of all my previous usages. Thick and thin inconsistency, knots, slubs and the red is a horror.
Now, I know red dye is problematic, but I have had absolutely NO problems with reds of DMC or Altin Basak. Or Cèbèlia, for that matter. This thread is awful.
The beginning of the ball is fine and consistent thickness, and then about a quarter of a ball in it gets fine, slubby and inconsistent. I am into the second ball of it and it was a repeat of the first.
This is upsetting because I have whittled my stash right down and ordered several balls of #80 Lizbeth, since the #80 threads are now my threads of choice. Thought I ‘d start amassing a stash of colours... What now? Lizbeth palette is great. Too bad the product does not hold up.
The colours I picked for this second try of the Renulek pattern are also disappointing. I am not sure why I have a green and red thread in my thread box, as these are not colours I like at all! I do not remember ordering this mix, but perhaps I did not see a good representative photo online.
The red in person is a bit more burgundy, but still not a preference. Oh well, it is nearly gone anyway.
Well it photographs well and looks beautiful! But I know what you mean sometimes I wonder "what was I thinking" this looks great you manage to pull it off :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your report on the size 80 thread! I am working through my stash of vintage size 80 and thinking about replenishing with Lizbeth size 80. But now I feel I must seriously rethink this idea. I've already found a slub in the first few inches of a newly-purchased size 20 ball of Lizbeth. I hope this is not an experience that we'll see repeated frequently with this thread. It appears that some quality control needs to be improved.
ReplyDeleteYour doily looks very good.
ReplyDeleteIt is Spring, didn't you know he he he, hope your weather has been fine.
sorry you haven't found the prefect thread yet.
Hi Fox
ReplyDeleteYou might not like red but your spring doily is looking beautiful, I think you are doing a great job, it's a pity about the thread, are you going to complain about the thread, if no one complains they will not know there is a problem with it.
Keep up the good work
Love to Gian
Margaret
So glad for your comments on the Lizbeth thread. I was thinking about buying a bunch of the size 80 Lizbeth, but if it's as inconsistent as the other sizes, I'll look elsewhere for thread. The Lizbeth colors are wonderful, just gorgeous, and the variety of color choices is terrific, too, but I've just about quit buying Lizbeth thread because of the many slubs, knots, and irregular thickness of many of the balls of Lizbeth thread I've purchased and used -in most of the sizes available.
ReplyDeleteStephanieW
Your doily still looks amazing!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThe report on Lizbeth size 80 sounds disappointing, indeed. Have you told Barbara Foster of Handy Hands tatting what your experience has been with the thread? She will work with the manufacturer to make a better product if she hears that there are problems. For now, it makes me glad that for size 80 I'm hand dyeing DMC instead of Lizbeth. As for the colors of your doily, they look very pretty in the photo!
ReplyDeleteMarilee, Poor Barb has had an earful from me several times. She has also been gracious and generous and sent me replacement thread.
DeleteI cannot be the only one so dissatisfied; others must have complained as well. Were that the case one would think the thread would have improved by now - I started ranting at the very beginning of the Lizbeth reign... Still, the quality is very bad, in my opinion.
Good for you that you are using the DMC. It is a wonderful thread that just lacks a colour palette.
I seem to have most trouble with the size 40 - knots, slubs etc - but I absolutely love size 80! I think your doily is looking good, maybe you just need to have a few days away from it because if the thread has been causing you problems, that will cause negative feelings towards your work.
ReplyDeleteHey, Fox, you are ahead of the game! With the red and green in your doily, you will have a Christmas project completed before the rest of us even begin thinking about that holiday!
ReplyDeleteYour doily looks great.
Try Olympus threads. Unfortunately, they don't come in the finer sizes, but they are of superior quality, with a pretty good color selection. I do wish DMC would expand their color range. I usually am willing to put up with the Lizbeth because I love the colors, and for some reason I seem not to have quite as many quality issues with it as some do.
ReplyDeleteI think the doily looks great. One thing I have learned since I started tatting for my parents' sales is to find color combinations that complement each other well, even if they're not colors I really like, because somebody will like them. And the colors you've chosen for this project look great together.
Miranda, I used to like tatting with Olympus very much, but find it way too heavy now. I agree with you; it is a superb quality thread - one of the best on the market today.
DeleteFox : )
p.s. I find it difficult to enjoy tatting in colours I do not like! Maybe I am too self/absorbed, but colours that are not pleasing to me result in a bad tat- or a new toy for you-know-who!!!
DeleteBizarre! The Lizbeth 80 I had trouble with was red too. Hmmmm. I haven't contacted the company because it is the only ball I hated so far--but I have had unexpected knots in my thread. :(
ReplyDeleteI hear an uncharacteristic disappointment with your current project, but it looks great! Miranda's point--pick colors people like and not necessarily YOU like--is valid, unless you are tatting only for yourself.
So pretty. Keep your chin up. Look forward to seeing how the next rounds turn out.
Grace, all fabric dyed in reds can be problematic. Red us the mist difficult and unpredictable of the colour dyes. It is the fastest fading colour in the spectrum as well. : 0
DeleteI would seriously let Barb know. That is just not on. can you send her back a few strands so she can see what is happening?
ReplyDeleteMaybe you ordered those as Christmas colors?
The doily looks good regardless!!!
I use Lizabeth size 80 exclusively and haven't had any problems.I even made one of Renulek's doily in Victorian Red and din't have a problem. Strange...
ReplyDeleteYou are indeed most fortunate! : ))
DeleteI have not yet tried Lizbeth size 80 and now I am reluctant to do so! Your doily is lovely though! I understand it's difficult to work with colors you do not like - color plays such a big role in the finished piece. With all the work you are putting into it, I hope you like it more as it progresses.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to hear so many have had issues as I tat almost exclusively with Lizbeth (and have a huge stash) and really haven't run into any major problems. The Size 80 especially has been very nice to work with. I have had some rare issues with size 20, but I can't think of any with 80, maybe a knot or two, but it's really very rare.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking everywhere including Renuleks blog and can't find the pattern for the spring doiley. Can you email it to me? My email is. dbrant2009@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteDenise, there is no written pattern for this. Renulek’s photos contain the numbers you need to tat the pattern, Look closely from the first picture she posts and you will see what you must tat. each photo contains the next row of numbers. Hope you can figure this out.
DeleteFox : )
Ok thank you. I did see the numbers but I wasn't sure about it. She did say something brief about the pattern being in the ebook Prisillas book number 2 and I do have the download but I couldn't find the pattern. Ok I will see the numbers.
ReplyDelete