Hearts, Flowers and an A Big Thank You to Sharon

 Go have a look at the pretty tatting on Kathy's blog,  Look for the February 14th post in the middle of the page.  I have been looking forward to tatting this, and it is a free Lyn Morton pattern, also linked to Kathy's site.

The pattern is supposed to look like this (half done):

But, when I started tatting it, I did not like certain aspects of the design

and so have changed it to :

The difference:

Thread is Bre-Aly Threads #30 by Snappish

 Then I realized why I like the pattern and where I had first seen it.   

Suneeti gave me this months ago:

Her tatting is immaculate, and if it is the same design, she has changed it also.  So, I looked at what she has done and fiddled with Lyn's pattern. 

This is a new step for me - venturing into the realm of design.  I am beginning to get inklings about what try pleases me and what I actually dislike about certain facets of shapes and designs.  These things I have recognized for a while now, but I am only now comfortable following my hunches and am slowly
becoming okay with my skill set to experiment  - a very little bit.  Whoo hoo for Fox!

Interesting that this motif is #25 of  (I think it is my fourth) Motif Challenge!

Sign me up again Sharon!  The Challenge is a constant catalyst for me and so many others.  Thank you, Sharon for all the dedicated work you do to keep us all tatting and participating!

Anon,

Calamitous Chaos of the Recalcitrant Cluny

 Must be the heat.  Everything I touch with a shuttle turns to ....   Bad Reader!  What did you just think you read!  LOL!

Honestly - I have NO patience -  I am tired and frustrated.  The clunies have not been conquered.  This is all I have to show for HOURS of intensive tatting.  Made mistakes one after another - often repeating the same error many times over!

Gotta take a break till the weather cools. No air-conditioning in my life had me tatting tonight in a coffee shop.  Poor kitty was left melting  in my oven of an apartment.  Because the cat was ill - possibly because of the weather, says the vet,  we have 2 new fans, but this heat wave was not radically affected by cross ventilation.  Right now, thank goodness,  I can feel a slight drop in temperature.  Hopefully, the cooler air will tone down my temper as well.

Anon,      
         The Cranky 

Glutton For Punishment

Man, it is HOT here...  I managed to get the motif done.  Pattern from TATTING PATTERNS AND DESIGNS,. by Blomqvist and Persson.

Then, feeling confident and positive, I thought I'd have another go at clunies.  Nothing - but NOTHING went right.  The thread got tangled; the Lizbeth black split and twisted, and I was so hot my hands were sweaty.  So I put it aside and met up for the afternoon with a friend I have not seen in thirty years!

She actually really liked the covered ring motif I brought along for her.  Refreshing!

Then, when I got home I picked up the tatting and the Lizbeth  was impossible - it went in the garbage.  Don't worry - it was  the end of the ball of grief,  that, believe me, no self -respecting tatter would use.

I replaced the black with Cébéblia and carried on until I made too many mistakes; then I cut off a picot...
I am going to have to do it all over again.  When it is cooler.

Anon,

Twelve Yards Goes Pretty Far

#24 Motif Challenge

Susan K Fuller's "Heart's Desire"

I tatted this in Omega #30 thread , which I received in an exchange from Martha ( I hope that is correct - I mixed up Jeff and Is'Dihara  in the previous post!).  I have never used this thread before and it is a great find for me, since I will not be getting Lizbeth again any time soon.

Martha had a good post on how far the twelve yards used in T.T.E. lasts.  Here is what I have done so far: the heart, a mess up of a motif and the motif in the process - and I have enough to finish the motif and then some. 

Oh yes, as usual, when tatting this pattern, I get about half way through and discover a fatal error - happens every time and not at the same place either.  That used up a bit more thread....

 

Received in the the mail today from Poland, after a LONG wait for the mail delivery:  Jan Stawasz Shuttles!

They are three inches in length (7.6 cm) and 5/8 inch wide (1.5 cm).  They will hold a ton of thread and a lot of beads - big ones if I chose!

I have been lusting after these for a while - since I began tatting with beads so often.  Is'Dihara was the catalyst.  Thanks Is'DIhara!

Inside the envelope there was this lovely tatted motif of Jan's.  I feel honoured to have it.

Anon,