Watching Tatting Dry...

I had to dampen the edging in order to get ready to join the end elements. While it was drying, I started a very small motif from a Georgia Seitz book, a design by Doretha Albee.

I used a sample thread, sent to me by Liyarra. Size 12 Finca. I am not impressed with this thread as it is way too soft, and very difficult to un-tat without shredding it to bits. Pretty purple colours, though. : )

There are 12 repeats in this pattern, so I won’t be able to finish it in this thread. However, I like it well enough to tat it again in a firmer thread, now that I understand the pattern better. This is the second time I attempted it.

Someone was not impressed with either piece.

Gearing Up

... for a more interesting tat. 

Just have to finish this up. I am looking forward to a new, challenge.

Also, there is still one row left on the Renulek Summer Doily, I believe.

In tne meantime, I am here with The Little Brother's hankie:

Effortless Edging

Taking a break before tackling a new challenge. 

This border is designed by Robin Perfetti.

Cute, or what!

#80 DMC

Refusing To Re-design

What an ordeal! Hours and hours in this piece. I really had a rough time with it.

I had to cut off the last row, which is the penultimate row in the pattern, because it was too tight and cramped, perhaps because the original was tatted in a larger thread and I used # 80. Also, it was very ornate and dated looking, in my opinion.

If I were to change it up, I would simplify the last two rows to emphasize the beauty of the inner wheel, rather than drawing the eye to the outer edge. Just a thought.

There are so many errors in this piece, including how I attached the centre bit, weaving it with gold thread to the outer piece. I had messed up the picot count throughout the joining row! 

So, I am done. It looks pretty, but is one botched tat! Into the drawer it goes!

Glad I gave it a go, but this is definitely not a pattern I enjoyed one bit. Too fussy for me, unless I modified all the chain rows. I am NOT about to tackle that. : )

Burdened By Burda

 Yes, I am lumbering along with the Burda pattern; nearly there.

In the meantime, here are today's lilacs, snitched from a neighbour's tree while on my run this a.m. Shhhhh. They sit atop the pattern of Liyarra's I tatted last year.

See! I put it on my table so I could see it under the flowers. Maybe I'm learning? Maybe.

Gian was not overly excited about the lilacs. Good - he won't eat them. ; )

 

He does love the welcome sun.

Not My Finest Hour

#80 Venus, DMC and Lizbeth

I had so much trouble keeping my mind concentrated on this last round; it is a right mess. 

Cut, fix, cut, fix all the way around. I became too bored and disgusted to just cut it off and start again; I  absolutely could not imagine it. I wonder what comes next.

Someone 

was interested in the Savannah smells...

Stitching In Savannah

To date:

(NOT attached yet! Just placed for photo op!)

Headway

Finished row #7 and wondering what comes next! 

Sounds as if there may be two more rows...

Renulek’s Lato (Summer) 2014

#80 thread
7" so far

XXXXX

You know I don’t display my tatting, nor do I wear it. So, I surprised myself. Here is what happened.

In the elevator, the other day, a woman I was chatting with thrust these pretty blooms into my hands. She had rescued them from an event and just gave them to me, saying, “Happy Mothers’ Day!"

I grabbed the Lucky Clover, and placed the flowers on top. Pretty! 

Cavorting With Courage

Oh, ya! 

This is something I have been VERY fearful of tackling! But I took the plunge and am amazedly getting along fine - so far.

I have been following the diagram in a book sent to me by Elena ( monedido at InTatters). Her work totally inspires and fascinates me. I even bought the kind if shuttles she uses to see if her magic travelled with them.  (Sadly, it does not. )

Last week, I realized this very pattern is on the cover of the Burda magazine that Tally Tatty sent me. How wonderful is that! The tatting muses must be encouraging me to go boldly where I have never gone before.

It is in #80 thread, some Lizbeth and the white (VERY difficult to keep clean) is a vintage thread sent to me by Mad Cricket, from InTatters. 

So, you see, this is very much a globally collaborative effort.

At the same time, I am still slogging along with the wonderful Renulek Lato 2014 piece. Nearly done row #7. Loving it. 

A new project and a big challenge is around the corner. I am going to use an unknown thread that I bought at the little Portugese crochet shop I visit from time to time. 

I like the owner a lot and we communicate well. She supported me in the tatting of that huge Renukek piece that won first prize  last year.

I took the red ribbon in to show her this week and to tell her of my triumph. She was so delighted; it was fun.

While there, I saw a new thread- a huge ball of it. It is rather like a #30 Cèbèlia, I think, though it says #20.

I have sent a sample to Umintsuru, to see what she thinks if it. I do believe it will be good for the piece I am contemplating. More about that, at a later date.

Anybody know it? The ball is the size of Aunt Lydia thread and cost $11.50. There are about 1000 metres on it. It is a bit soft, being a crochet thread.

Lastly, at the crochet shop, I picked this up:

It is a sweet little hankie and I am going to do a yellow and blue border - the one by Robin Perfetti.

Then, I shall give it to to The Boss's little brother who wants me to give him something! He wonders why his sister gets all the tatting bits for her art.... I told him I would tat something special for him. I think this will be perfect.

It’s Gonna Work!

Yes, my mistake is going to be just fine. : ))

Thanks to Mad Cricket at InTatters for the terrific purple thread! See it there at the top right?  She sent me an amazing, generous package a few weeks ago, loaded with tatting goodies! Thank you, Mad Cricket!

Wrongly Revising Renulek

There I was - tatting away on that EASY, SIMPLE, UNCOMPLICATED and especially STRAIGHTFORWARD sixth row of Lato 2014, and this is what happened...

THIS is what Renulek designed: 

Hmmmm. I don’t feel like cutting it off and I rather like it, so my tendency is to just leave it and see if I can incorporate it properly with the 7th row. What do you think?

*********************

In a moment of boredom, I decided to practice things I have not touched in a while, namely clunies and Maltese rings. I should have left well-enough alone!

The cluny pattern is by Marie Smith.

Tatted by Marie Smith

Completed and Completely Charming

... if I might say so myself!

Lucky Clover 

Pattern by Blomqvist and Presson

Thread #80 DMC thanks to Tatty Tally!

#11 Delica Beads

Measures 9”

I must thank Stephanie Wilson, who supported me in

tatting this and many other patterns, offering lots of advice along the way.

Her #80 thread tatting was a catalyst for my switching to tiny threads.

This is the kind of thing she tats:

Tatted by Stephanie Wilson

Ben Fikkert Pattern

Can you can see why I was inspired? 

: )

Anchors Away

Anchor Perle #12 is a pleasant change. Thanks, Liyarra!

Taking a break from the Lucky Clover, I tried a sample of this thread and had just enough to tat this:

Though it is a thicker thread than I usually chose, it is smooth, shiny and consistent. No tangles or slubs. No knots. A pleasure.  : )

The pattern is from the Tatting booklet by Myra Piper.

Luscious Lovely Lato 2014

Serwetka Lato 2014

Row #4 Complete

It is a pretty pattern. Of course: it is Renulek!

I have run out of the pink Venus thread. So, I added the green Lizbeth and will have to see what happens next before I figure how the colours will develop. You just never know with these row by row adventures, do you?

A new plant? A bud? No. More Lizbeth slubs - and uneven thickness - and knots. Grrrr.

This is a brand new ball of #80 and I am totally disgusted with the quality. Again! I don’t know why I bother.

Yes, I do. The colours, the colours and nothing but the colours. Otherwise I would not give you two cents for this awful thread.

Because of the large open spaces in this pattern, Lucky Clover is becoming a bit awkward to handle, even though it is not terribly large. There is a lot of manoeuvring for each element, slowing down the process considerably.

Double Zinnia Flower Petal Motif

That is a mouthful, but that is indeed the name of this pattern by Karey Solomon, which appears in the May edition of Tatting Times.

Karey does have her own unique way of designing tatting patterns. For instance, here, the ring of  small circles is not done using split rings. 

Her patterns are easily recognizable and distinctive, once you are familiar with her style. I enjoy figuring them out, as they can be a bit confusing at first glance. The first go‘round ALWAYS has mistakes, as you can see.    : )

It is tatted in #40 Lizbeth, and measures about two and a half inches across. Although the pattern calls for a button, I did not have one that was appropriate, so I found a doodad instead.

I also got a few more elements finished on the Lucky Clover. It is very slow going and difficult to keep the pattern straight in my head if I am watching a movie or even listening to the radio. It demands a lot of attention.