A Letter, A New Tat and A Corner

 Progress:

 

Followed by my new--found ability,  obsession to multi-tat:

I hope it is all right with  Miranda to share this, because I want to tell Tat-land how touched I was to receive her wonderful letter.  It was a great comfort to me and I was delighted with the surprise that was enclosed.

The beads are beautiful and you know I will find a use for them  - I just have to wait for the right idea to strike!

Also, I wanted to share the sweet tatting at the bottom of the letter.  So tiny and perfect.  

 Thank you for all your kindness and support, my friend. ♥

Never Tat 'Til Two...A.M.

Not a good idea.
I thought I would finish the ring motif... lots of blunders there...

My son ran into an old friend of mine, who, a decade ago,  taught me everything I know about colour.  I took a three month colour course she taught, and have never looked at the colour spectrum the same way again.

Anyway, I have not seen Stephanie in years and my son  gave me her greetings and her card.  So, in preparation of a good chin-wag, I thought I would give her my latest experiment, which just needed a bit more tatting to be complete 

Obviously, it was too late to tat.  The last row is all wrong, but I did not see that till this morning.  Strangely, I still like it and will probably give it to her anyway, as it has character!

(Is this a BAD thing to do? Tatting justification?)

All weekend I puttered around with edgings, because I must be a glutton for punishment. I thought I would make another border on one of my mom's hankies (there are a few left) for my niece, who adores pink.

She has done some amazing cross-stitch, and knows all about the patience and hours required to produce something pretty!

 I tried a bunch of things and nothing gelled:

I really like the border I saw on Nancy's blog, here. It is Clover, one of Mary Konior's more challenging patterns (for dyslexic moi) so, with all the beads and colour,  I thought I'd take a pass. It sure is sweet though.

Then I remembered Frivole's "Iris", which I was planning to tat before. This hanky is small and plain, except for some cutwork and hardanger, so this should work.

#19  Motif Challenge

Tatting the border might take forever, as that little snippet took a LONG time.  Mind you, I always start out very slowly, till I am used to the pattern and find a rhythm.  Also, there is a bit of a struggle when the directions change. That always throws me for a lengthy loop!

Forgot the thread info: My friend Suneeti sent me this thread - Altin Basak #50.

Edge's End

 #17 Motif Challenge

That's done.  

Good news - sis received hers in the post yesterday and loved it!  That is indeed good news, because in the beginning , I don't think she liked tatting much, though she has always appreciated the time and effort  it takes to tat something, and she has always encouraged my tatting mania.  But, when she called me, she sounded so surprised and genuinely  thrilled. Yah!

 

I received something from her in the mail yesterday by chance! ( How strange is that?)  Look at these Valdani threads...

 Of course I just had to try something:

#18 Motif Challenge 

The threads are doubled as I cannot bear the real skinny stuff at the moment.  Too small. I rather enjoy this thread doubled and have made tatted motifs in the past with it rather successfully, here.

Of course, this is one of Jon's patterns (Mehur)s from her book "Tatting with Rings".  I LOVE this book. ♥

The Heart is Blue

For Misha

#16 Motif Challenge 

Well, I've got to say, this is mighty appropriate!

In the design course, we were to take a snowflake pattern and come up with a heart from the pattern.  So, I looked at what I had dome with the pink motif and it was derived from a snowflake shape until I had to remove two of the repeats to make a square.

Using the square, I modified it furthur and this is what happened. No doubt this is beginner's luck, never to be repeated, as I knew exactly what to do and skipped the software stage entirely, going only to my shuttles to produce the heart.  Sorry Sharon!

The software I have - for free - is for a PC and I find it too time-consuming and difficult to use.  Until I a) get an Apple or b) find new software, I am going to have to use photos blown up or hand draw patterns.  I just cannot take the time I need to use the existing programme, and believe me, I am NOT a quitter!  I have given it my best, gung ho effort! 

On looking at this design again, I think I might try it with the silver do-hickey in the centre at the top of the heart  instead of so low... I think that would be better....

Miranda suggested I tat something in memory of Mish.  Thank you, my friend, it did indeed  help a lot.