Motif 8 for 25 Motif Challenge

It always feels good to finish a project, and especially so this time as it was such a challenge. I attempted to use some tips from Nina Libin's Beanile tatting to create the jewels for the top center of the crown. It isn't perfect, but I'm very happy with my first effort at this type of use of beads in tatting. I used Gale Marshall's pattern for the Queen Mom Memorial Crown and substituted lots of different beads and made the changes necessary to make them work. So that's motif #8 for the 25 Motif Challenge.

Lastly, I had to revisit the eyes of my brown-eyed sock doll. I brought her eyes closer together, and I think she looks better. 

Almost done!

With the crown, that is. It is really coming together nicely. Just one more section to go.

And I managed to get a few more inches done on round 1 of the Benporath Mystery Cake Doyley.

More Time Than Usual to Tat

A drive to Memphis with my daughter for a day at the Memphis Zoo yesterday meant that I had more tatting time than usual. I worked on the Norma Benporath Mystery Cake Doyley during the drive, then loaded beads and tatted another section on the modified Gale Marshall Queen Mom Memorial Crown when I got home. The zoo was wonderful in spite of the wind. It was a fantastic day.

Progress on the Crown

I made some progress last night, completing the next section. I'm having some problems getting it to curve as I wish, but I'll just have to see how it does after I add the center piece. I haven't attempted to block anything yet.

The teardrop-shaped beads in this upper section are actually a very soft pink, though they look rather brown in this photo with the black background. This is an adaptation of Gale Marshall's Queen Mom Memorial Crown.