Can't believe it is December already!

I haven't managed to tat a stitch since I finished the little bits and pieces for the Palmetto tatters. College classes have kept me very busy. I did find ways to get a little tatting play into my work though. One of my classes was a Microsoft Applications course. When I needed to create a database in Access, I started one for my tatting patterns! When I needed to create a Power Point presentation, I featured tatted snowflakes with "Let It Snow" playing in the background. I'm looking forward to shaking the dust off my shuttles during the holidays. I'm eager to finish that doily I showed you in my April 14 post. Can you believe I got that close to being done and it still sits unfinished?

Happy Holidays, all!

Tatting for South Carolina State Fair is ready!

I counted them just for fun. My personal goal was 100 pieces to mail to the Palmetto Tatters to be given away during their state fair next month. Drum roll, please........104 pieces! I'm afraid that if I postpone the mailing much longer I'll wind up missing the deadline. So they are ready to go out in tomorrow's mail. I love doing little projects to empty my shuttles or to just fill the time when I want to tat and haven't any particular project in mind. I give them away, but often wind up with more than I can use. This is a worthy project, reduces the stash, and resulted in a rather nice pile of empty shuttles. I had been wondering where all of my shuttles were. Now I know!

Tatting & school

No pictures for you today. So sorry! But I have gotten a few things done.

My classmates and I delivered our first prepared talks tonight--a personal introduction with a visual aide. My visual was a quickly framed collection of some of my bookmarks. There was plenty of laughter as I told them about the morning my "I love tatting" t-shirt inspired a man to flag me down to ask me if I was a tatoo artist.

Georgia Seitz's request for mini tats to be given out at the South Carolina State Fair was a good excuse for an "empty those shuttles" challenge to myself. I have close to a hundred pieces ready to mail--many of which were already done. I'll try to get a group picture for the blog before I send them off. I've still got quite a pile of shuttles that need to be emptied so I can use them for something else.

Happy tatting, my friends.

Fall Routine

I started college this summer! Biology and College Algebra are out of the way and more adventures await me. But my tatting really suffered as did this blog. There just wasn't time for all the things I wished to do. As I'm getting ready for the new routines of Fall, I'm also printing off my Online class notes for tomorrow in hopes that I can work that into my schedule. I so hate to miss one of Georgia's wonderful classes. And there is to be another 25 motif challenge! Much of my tatting this year will probably have to be motifs and the challenge will help to keep me motivated.

I encouraged a new tatter this summer. I showed her the shuttle tatted double stitch, but can claim little more than that in her education. She was highly motivated and used the wonderful internet resources available to all of us to move right along. I can't say enough good things about those resources and I thank every one of you who make them available.

Happy tatting, everyone! I hope to have some goodies to share with you real soon.

Busy Summer

Summer is always a time to get those projects done than I just can't find time for during the school year. My big plans for completing some of my tatting patterns and mastering some new techniques has been pushed aside for some college courses and home projects. I'm pleased with what I've accomplished and excited about what I hope to have done before school routines begin again in less than four weeks.

But with the return of routine, I'll also have more time for tatting. So I'm going to get back to work on my home projects and I'll be back here in a few weeks.

More patterns using the Valeire square

The online class will explore two more patterns using this square tomorrow!
Note: There seem to be some problems with the links to these patterns. So sorry! I'll see what I can do.

Valeire Square

Patterns based on a square motif from Tatted Yoke No. 4 in Fifteen Tatted Yokes and Camisoles Finished on Satin, Book 9, by Anna Valeire, published by E. C. Spuehler in the early 1900s.

Valeire Square Instructions
(Shuttle and Ball)
Diagram

Round 1: (Note that there are NO joins in this round.)
*R 8-8, cl. R 8-8, cl, rw.
Ch 5-5, cl, rw.*
Repeat from * to * until you have 4 pairs of rings and four chains.

Use the alligator join to climb out of round 1 and into round 2.

Round 2: (Note that you are joining adjacent rings together by joining into the picot of two rings at the same time.)
**Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join two adjacent rings together)
Ch 2-2-2-2-2-2+(join into the space at the base of the next pair of rings)**
Repeat from ** to ** until you have joined back where you started this round. Finish as desired.

Missed the class

Well, I missed both sessions of the Online Class today, but I had a wonderful day with my husband. A tire went out on the trailer we were towing and that put us much later getting back than expected.

I got some good tatting done on the way home though! I was working on a bookmark pattern by Julie Patterson when I was struck with another idea using the Valeire Square. Thanks, Julie, for the inspiration. I got the design worked out on paper and had the test piece almost finished when daylight finally gave out. My picots are not as even as usual because of the bouncing around of the vehicle, but you'll get to see it as is when I get it finished. I want to test it in a smaller thread as well before revealing the results.

By the way, I just read the log from the class sessions. I love the ideas that were floating around for the ice cream cone and look forward to trying some of them myself. I can hardly wait to see your ice cream cones as well as your responses to the design challenge.

New Pattern & Challenge

It's up! Georgia has posted the challenge and the instructions. I can hardly wait to see what changes and designs result from this. So go tat one of Anna Valeire's squares and make yourself some calorie free ice cream.

Works in Progress

I haven't had much time to tat in the last couple of weeks, and when I did, I just wasn't in the mood to work on the doily. So I have no progress to report there.

I've almost completed a cross for my youngest daughter in her favorite colors of the moment--red and black.

And I've been working on a design challenge for the online class. Georgia has the first lesson and it is on the schedule for next Monday, May 8. The class will be presented with instructions for a design element from an old pattern and a challenge to create a new design using it. I'd really like you to share the projects you produce for future classes. That will keep us all tatting for a few weeks.

The element is one that has fascinated me for years. I return to it often and have used it in several designs of my own. One of those patterns will be shared in the May 8 lesson. Just what it is will be a surprise, but I think it will appeal to many of you. I'm even withholding the images from my blog until it is revealed for class. I have at least two more patterns to share using this same element.

So whether you like to play with design, or would love to see how some of the rest of us come up with new patterns, or would just like a few new patterns to tat, I hope you'll register for the class and join us next week.

Cecelia Doily, Day 21

Well, the image is a bit dark, but you see that the doily has gotten larger. Forty of the planned 48 motifs are almost finished--one corner left to tat on number 40. A sick child kept me home this evening so I didn't get my coffee shop time to work on the TAT proficiency projects. But that meant additional time to work on the doily while we watched movies together.

Online Class Homework

The challenge to tat today's Online Class homework in two colors with two shuttles obsessed me so I didn't get a single knot done on the doily. I was watching a movie with my girls as I tatted and missed several of the joins in my first piece. This is sample number two of Tina Frauberger's Edging published in 1913, tatted in size 30 crochet cotton.

Blog Changes

I've reorganized my blog space. The list of blogs I like to follow was getting really long, so I've moved those links from here. At the bottom of the page, you'll now find a list of links for those learning to shuttle tat, needle tat, or for those like me who are working on new techniques. I reduced the number of posts visible on the main page so that it won't be so far down to those links. That means that the most recent of my images is about to get moved to "old posts." Sorry! I'll try to get an updated image posted today or tomorrow of the Cecelia Doily. It is coming along nicely.

Cecelia Doily, Day 17

33 motifs completed!!! I obviously missed my original estimated completion date of April 11, but I'm not unhappy with the rate of progress.

Cecelia Doily, Day 16

Motif #30 of 48 is finished. Obviously I haven't accomplished much on this project lately. I tried to tat when I got off the computer last night, but I was doing more untatting than tatting and gave it up! The shuttle was moving smoothly this morning during the time I spent with my dad at his doctor's office though. So three more motifs were completed. I'm over half way there!

Nothing for Show, but a little to Tell.

Life has been extremely busy and a bit stressful--much of it good stress, but stress nonetheless. The Cecelia Doily has been neglected for several days. I plan to pull it out for a little while when I get off the computer in just a few moments.

Part of my good news is that I've signed up for Phase I (Apprentice) of the Tatting Proficiency Program offered by Tatters Across Time, Inc. My notebook arrived Monday and I took a long (5 1/2 hour) break from the stresses of my life to play with the first project. I spent yesterday afternoon (3 1/2 hours) tatting at the local coffee shop. After dropping my teen off at an activity last night, I returned for another couple of hours. The same young man was working the counter and he was surprised to see me back so soon. Though I don't use all of the techniques covered at this level on a regular basis, I'm familiar with them. The tatting challenge for me is producing an error-free piece that is consistent throughout. Of course, the tatting projects are only part of the tasks to be completed. The program seems well designed to make sure you understand the different techniques and their uses. I'm very impressed and look forward to working at the various tasks they've assigned me. And did I mention I've been assigned a mentor? It is a confidence booster to know that another tatter who has successfully completed this level is available for advice and encouragement.

Well, I'd better go work on the doily while I can.

Happy tatting!

Greeting Card Idea

Scans of some of my favorite pieces of tatting (especially my own designs) are sometimes used as the artwork on my own greeting cards. I use a computer program to add text like "Happy Birthday", "Happy Anniversary" (that one used to have a scan of a bobbin lace bell), etc. When I'm ready to use the cards, I can add some tatted flowers, a tatted cap, a balloon sticker, etc, to personalize the card and it is ready to go. A search of my card collection turned up one teddy bear birthday card. It is obviously time to make some more cards.

Cecelia Doily, Day 10

Twenty-seven motifs done, at least twenty-one more to go. You are seeing the work in progress so it is a bit wrinkled. I took a 24 hour tatting break yesterday to rest my left hand. Somehow I strained the reach of my pinkie. It is much better, but not yet up to several hours a day of tatting. It is a bit stiff after 3 motifs this evening.

Ruth Perry shared her Tatted Bullion Stitch Cross pattern in the Tat Calendar for March 31 and with the Online Tatting Class on Monday. Here is an image of my first effort. The technique has lots of possibilities, I think, and Ruth's instructions are good.

Cecelia Doily, Day 6

It was a lovely day to tat and I celebrated by making a long distance call to wish a Happy International Tatting Day to the woman who first taught me to tat. Then I settled in to work on the Cecelia Doily. As I packed up for the day, I count 20 completed motifs and the beginning of number 21. After our small group Bible study tonight, I did a bit of show and tell and whipped out my tatting bag to display the doily in progress. Having no tatting history in my family that I know of, I really love the tatting stories that others share about their relatives and tonight was no exception.

Cecelia Doily, Day 5

Twelve motifs finished. I'm a bit behind schedule, but tomorrow is International Tatting Day and I plan to tat all afternoon! Happy Tatting Day!

Cecelia Doily, Day 3

Plans are that the finished piece will measure 8 motifs by 6 motifs--48 total. I am in the middle of motif #9 already so that I'm averaging 3 motifs a day. The first strip went fairly fast, but the second strip requires more joins and it is a bit fiddly (is that a word?) to keep the finished part out of the way as I work. It is an enjoyable piece to work on though. I haven't tired of that little "X" yet. Each "X" is worked in one round, too, which is a real plus. If I can continue at this pace, it should be finished in 16 days from the start. That would mean the tatting would be finished by the evening of Wednesday, April 11. I'm dealing with the ends every few motifs so that I don't have a lot of "finish" work to do at the end of the project as I HATE that part. Many of my UFOs are completely tatted and awaiting the finishing touches. I don't consider them done until the final blocking and I can put those last few details off for a very long time.

Busy Shuttles

Doily Progress: My doily design is in a folder for another time. My daughter decided she'd really like one made with repeated motifs instead of in rounds. Not feeling like designing a square at the moment, I let her choose between Cherie Wheeler's Cecelia Doily (square on left) and Roger aka Freedman's square (on right). We agreed upon Cherie's doily and I'm eager to get it started. The X's work up quickly and easily in one round each.

Mini Cross Variations: This cross makes a nice little bookmark all by itself, but I also want to use it on the end of the "tail" of other bookmarks. It turns even a little strip of edging into a nice cross bookmark when you tat a tail and put the cross on the end. And since I need a lot of them in a hurry, I thought I'd simplify the pattern while rewriting it to climb out of either end. The result is 3 variations on the same basic stitch counts making the pattern much more versatile for me.

More Flowers: Dancers need an appreciative audience so meet the "Applause Flower" sitting on the sidelines with lots of enthusiasm. And lastly, there is "Justa Flower" whose leaves were formed by making a double picot and then "turning" them in opposite directions.

More Dancing Flowers

I'm still currently fascinated with Dancing Flowers. Reproducing the same pattern over and over again rarely appeals to me, but so far interest is still holding. I've experimented with joining the blooms at different picots, trying a different color. The pile of flowers is growing nicely though I haven't bothered to count them. I'll quit when I'm tired of them and move on to something else.

Ruth is going to put the pattern in the Tat Calendar soon. Irfanview proved perfect for creating a visual pattern for you and she has the written instructions as well. Until someone else tats a pattern, it is hard to anticipate the problems. I'm counting on you tatters to alert me to any problems you find in the instructions.

Happy Tatting!

Dancing Flowers

Mini tats were on my "to do" list for yesterday's waiting time--some things to drop in cards of encouragement. Grabbing some thread and my shuttle bag, I dashed out the door to pick up and deliver my family members. When I pulled out my supplies at the hospital, I had everything I needed except the little set of patterns I had put on small cards the night before. A tatter with a shuttle and thread is never fully defeated though. We know how to make rings and chains and connect them together. Right? So I decided to try a flower on a stem. Jan's beautiful flowers (previous post) were my inspiration, but my goal was something much simpler and quicker. I want to make a lot of them fairly quickly. After a few starts and stops and a small pile of wasted thread, I managed to produce two flowers. A thorough search of my car, my purse, my tatting bag, my pockets, etc. couldn't produce those two flowers last night. These three were the results of trying to recreate them from memory. It was my oldest daughter who described them as looking like they are dancing. Tatting over ends and leaving the tails to form their little dancing legs means no ends to finish!

25 Motif Challenge

Appointments for various family members have provided me with a lot of waiting room tatting time in the last few days. Since that isn't my best design time, I've been getting some of my own patterns written up, new samples of some of them tatted up, and been playing with some of the patterns I've rediscovered while organizing my pattern collection.

Motifs 21 and 22 are variations on the Flowers on the Vine Bookmark pattern that Katie Verna sent me a long time ago. The original pattern begins with a SCMR and was done all in a variegated thread. I wanted to try two colors so I dropped the SCMR, began with a ring followed by a split ring and then used the shoe lace trick to get the colors where I needed them. She used a series of half stitches for the tail, but I decided to practice my Z-chain. Does it look like a snake crawling out of the garden? I thought so, so I started another version with more picots and a slightly different end before I began the "snake" part.

Motif 23 is a variation on Mark Myers patriotic bookmark that was posted on the internet as his pattern of the month in June 1999. The original version has the blue laced through the bookmark, but I got tired of making twisted chains and opted for one strip down the center.

Are you beginning to wonder if I ever complete a pattern as it is designed? I do, but I confess that I make changes often. Sometimes I get tired of an element or technique as I did this time or I just make a mistake and would rather adapt and move on than go back and fix it. In the case of Katie's bookmark, the designer's idea triggered other possibilities in my mind that I just HAD to try.

Motif 24 is Kim Millar's Laced Bookmark. I wanted to produce something very close to the original look, but the only threads I had in a variegated blue were a size 10 and a size 80 and I opted for the size 10. I followed the pattern exactly. (You see! I CAN do it.) The size 10 makes a much bulkier piece than I would prefer but I really love the whole look. Maybe I should try it again in that size 80. Kim's original was laced with a bright yellow. After working Mark's patriotic bookmark, I was still in the mood for more red, white, and blue and the red thread was close at hand.

Motif 25 is Betsy Evans Small Tatted Heart designed in 1998. I had Betsy's written instructions and a diagram. I made this tatted sample to store with the pattern to remind me what it should look like. Betsy's instructions and diagram were very easy to follow. It is definitely a pattern that I'll use again. In fact, all of these patterns were a pleasure to tat--definite keepers.

I believe that finishes the 25 motif challenge for me, but there is still plenty I want to get accomplished this year. So check back now and then to see what I've been doing and drop me a note. I love to read your comments.

Motifs 19 & 20

I've made great progress on getting my pattern collection into my computer. And in doing so, I've rediscovered so many exciting patterns that I've never used. The heart motif shown is one of them. It is designed by Heidi Nakayama and was published in the September 1995 issue of KNOTS! Ring only patterns are great for emptying a shuttle and I practiced directional tatting as I worked it up. The hat motif is a simple pattern of mine that will be shared in the TatCalendar some time in the future. You've seen the motif before in a bookmark.

Have a great weekend!

A New Tatter

What is the best thing to do when one finds oneself on a bus full of teenagers headed to a concert? Tat, of course! I carried along those shuttles that needed to be emptied and started making butterflies and other small items as soon as the wheels started rolling. One of the other moms had watched her grandmother tat and wanted to learn, but had never been able to get it right. I handed her the shuttle with the varigated Manuela size 10 and had her flipping her knots in no time. She was making some pretty picoted rings when she gave up the shuttle. The concert was great, too!

Eggs

Motifs 12-18: I took a break from the doily to tat up a few Easter eggs.

The start of a new doily.

When my oldest daughter was in her early teens and still a fairly new tatter, I participated in my first doily round robin. Sarah really wanted to get in on the fun so I suggested she and I do a little round robin of our own. The lavender and white doily is one of our finished pieces. Using size 30 thread, it measures approximately 6 inches. Now many years later, she has asked me to tat a rectangular doily for her and I thought it would be rather special to use some of the elements of the doily we made together in this new piece. It would be very easy to turn it into a square, but she needs something a little wider than it is tall for this particular table. Here you see the original piece and the new center for the rectangle. I really like the mask-like appearance of the new center.

Motif #11 and doily in progress

Motif #11: My daisy picots are looking better! I still have a bit of trouble with the last if those picots closing up tighter than the first, but this heart looks much neater than my last. The link to the pattern is in my last post.

Doily Progress: My oldest daughter has been wanting a slightly rectangular doily for over a year and I decided to finally get busy on it. I'm reworking a circular roundrobin pattern she and I created when she was in her early teens. Split rings and rings off chains made it possible to do the first three rounds all in one CTM round (that is, if I hadn't run out of thread on the shuttles!). Problem solving is so much fun to me. Making this round doily into a rectangle is offering a nice challenge--so much more fun than just working a pattern! Our original was done in lavender and white, but this one is in ecru and white.

The dog I was working on is in the UFO pile for now.

Happy tatting!

Trying new techniques and refreshing rusty ones.

Motif #6 and #7: I finished the green bookmark I mentioned in a previous post and completed another of Jan's flowers.

Motif #8: The Meshed Heart by Wally Sosa was a fun pattern to work up and great for practicing directional tatting. I'd become very rusty at that technique, but working Jan's flowers made me want to experiment a bit more and this heart was perfect for the task.

Motif #9: My first attempt at Daisy Picots with Ruth Perry's version of Jon's Daisy Picot Heart. I had a bit of trouble keeping some extra thread from appearing between the daisy picots so I definitely need to practice. That is scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Motif #10: The only tatting I could find in Madame Worth's New Manual of Fancy Work. A Guide to the Various Kinds of Kensington Embroidery and Painting. Embroidery, Drawn Work, Lace Work, Knitting, Tatting, Crochet Work, Net Work, Etc., Etc., Etc. Including Practical Directions for Making Wax Flowers and painting on Silk, Etc., Etc. 200 Illustrations (what a name, huh?) was a picture of a ring only edging with no instructions. It looked rather intriguing though and this button cross was the result of my play. This was also my first attempt at tatting around a button. Placing the button was a great deal harder than I expected. My first effort was cut off and thrown in the trash can! This 2nd attempt came out a bit better. I found Madame Worth's book in pdf form at Antique Pattern Library

Happy Tatting!

February 23 update

I've been spending a lot of time at the computer getting my tatting patterns organized in there. The goal is to save storage space here at the house and so far I'm enjoying the changes I've made. My husband has been encouraged by the trashbags full of paper that have been going out of the house. I've even learned how to save a text file into my ipod (a Christmas present from my daughter) so I can carry some notes of a pattern with me for quick reference without worrying about losing the paper copy.

I've completed two bookmarks and almost finished a third in the past week. Not a tremendous amount of tatting, but loads more than this time last month. I've also been tatting Jan Stawasz flower. I found his diagram to be wonderfully easy to follow. It was very helpful for this tatter who rarely does directional tatting.

Motif #4: The white bookmark with the roses is an adaptation of the Rose Van Dyke Edge that I found in a sample Helping Hands Newsletter. This was a reprint from Boudoir Negligees by Adeline Cordet, Book 3. This project was a testimony to the need to concentrate! I got one motif facing up and the other facing down! Ugh!

Motif #5: In going through my paper patterns I've found quite a few that I've gathered with text but no images. The green and yellow bookmark is an adaption of one of those patterns. Dolly Hollander called it an "Ear of Corn Bookmark" when she shared it back in 2001. I changed the ends a bit to produce this one. I enjoyed the counts enough to start another adaption all in green.

UFOs: I got a few more UFOs pressed and put away. The ones that are original designs are in a notebook awaiting pattern writing. I'm not very prolific at creating original patterns that are worth writing down, but years of neglecting that part of the task has left me quite a pile to work through.

Well, I think I'll take a few minutes to check out some of your blogs to see what YOU have been up to lately.

Happy tatting!

My Tatting Basket

Rosemarie's Heart Pattern

My UFOs










I'm so excited about putting my tatting basket finally in use. It is a Singer sewing box that belonged to my husband's aunt and I'm SOOO thrilled to have it. All of my beads, rings, and other baubles fit nicely in the big bottom and the small "drawers" on each side have all of my other supplies including my favorite small threads. When you lift the small handles near the middle of the top of the basket you are lifting the lid on the two top compartments. Lifting more and pulling outward you expand the "drawers" outward so that every compartment is exposed in a sort of stacking V-shape.

Motif #3: The red heart is one of the patterns we covered in the Online Tatting Class on Monday. It makes up really well and is easy to do. Rosemarie suggested that connecting 2 back to back would make a nice little bag (sachet?) I hope to find time to do Mary Donahue's Heavenly Heart today, but Wednesday is a very busy day for me. It may have to go on the "to tat" list. I spent over an hour working on one of Jane Eborall's Tatbead family, but I had to give it up. I need another trip to the optomotrist before I'll be able to manage those lovely patterns successfully or I'll have to give in and buy larger beads and threads.

UFOs: Kersti of etatters challenged us to tackle those UFOs. So last night I pulled out a pile to work on while we watched some Sherlock Holmes mysteries. I tackled the smaller, easier UFOs first, but did some blocking on several projects while the iron was hot. I believe the yellow bookmark on the left is a pattern from Mary Konior's Visual Tatting Patterns and the white snowflake is from Vida Sunderman's book, Tatted Snowflakes. I'm sorry to say I can't remember anything about the source of the variegated blue flake. The green bookmark was inspired by a square motif from an antique camisole pattern. I've been playing with that little square for years. The remaining items are all my own. What do you think of my hat bookmark? I was just playing around with ball and shuttle one day when I wanted to tat but didn't have any particular project I wished to do.

New Blog Elements

I've added a few new elements to my blog today. Now I'm off to get some tatting done.

Scrap Bookmarks, Cats and Dogs

Now we shall all see whether I've managed to do this correctly!

I've been doing some tatting in front of the television. The bookmarks on the left are not made from a pattern. I was trying to empty some shuttles and renew my supply of bookmarks at the same time. I keep a pile of simple bookmarks on hand for use in library books, etc. I get to enjoy using my tatting as I read and if I lose one, someone somewhere gets a treat.

The cat is from Tatted Animals by Inga Madsen. There are a lot of projects in this book that I plan to do. I'm well into the dog right now, but my children want it to look more like a chihuahua so I'm editing as I go. I'll let you know how it comes out.

This snowflake is a variation of Vida Sunderman's Ruffle-Edged Snowflake (page 11 of Tatted Snowflakes). I changed the center so I could do it in two rounds instead of three. A complete double stitch after each picot on the ruffled round seems to help the picots lay better.

Getting this done has put me behind in reading my email, but it has been lots of fun. Thanks for the encouragement to do it, Jane!