Resolutions old and new

I think any resolution worth making is worth renewing as needed. If I find myself sidetracked as so often happens, my desire is to pick up where I left off and keep on going. I don't have to wait until the beginning of the next new year to get back on track, but New Year's Day is a good time to reassess, to review how I've done and what I yet want to do. I may decide that some goals just aren't as important to me as I thought they would be, while I may need to renew my commitment to others. The goal is progress rather than perfection. The only one of these goals that is relevant to this blog is my Y18 UFO Project.

See pages 36-37 of Tatting With Visual Patterns by Mary Konior

Size 20 Lizbeth threads

Completed during 2018

I’ve decided to abandon the filet tatting project for now. I thank Mandatory for showing me the possibilities of this technique though. At some point I would like to collect her notes from Craftree for later exploration. I’m also abandoning the Starflakes with blending filament. I really don’t like the yellow thread I was using for this project. 

Here is what remains in the UFO bin:

• Dillman cluny motif
• Hollander Christmas camels
• Needle tatted bookmark (one of my old designs)
• Ankle bracelet (my design)
• Baby booties (design in progress)
• Tatted bags needing linings (I’m a major procrastinator when I have to pull out a sewing needle.)
• Chiacchierino Concentric Doily
• Renulek WIOSNA 2016 in multiple colors of size 80 thread
• Several Valeire Square projects (centers tatted)

Having just finished a Renulek WIOSNA doily in size 20 for one of my daughters, I have felt inspired to work on my size 80 version again. I finished round 10 and I’m halfway around with round 11. Perhaps I will have some photos for my next post.

So the Y18 UFO Project has been modified and updated to become my Y19 UFO Project. And it feels so good to be tatting and blogging again.

Happy tatting,

Y18 UFO Project Update #3

Flowerpiece (in progress)

Tatting with Visual Patterns

by Mary Konior

pgs 36-27

I've only been able to tat a little on the go, so I haven't worked on the 'monster edging' project. Instead I started the final round of Flowerpiece. Because I chose to use the variegated thread for both the rings and chains of this round, I can use some split rings to move from medallion to medallion and tat the round continuously. 

Making progress, slowly but surely.

Happy tatting!

Y18 UFO Project update #2: progress

Diane's colorful versions of the Concentric Doily has been my inspiration for tatting my own, but somehow I started thinking that I had to have a variegated thread in the mix. That's probably because that's the way I did my first. If I told you that this is my third year to commit to "tatting from my stash" you would understand my dilemma when I found none of my variegated threads look good with this red! I was ready to call this one done as a bookmark.

However, as I was reviewing Diane's lovely doilies in preparation to adding a link in this post, I realized that I CAN finish it. I will use solid colors! (Don't laugh at me. Sometimes my thinking processes are a bit sluggish, I know. LOL) Result? This one is NOT finished as I shall continue to turn it into a doily.

I've also completed the second set of chain rounds on Flowerpiece by Mary Konior (pages 36-37 of Tatting with Visual Patterns). I'm ready to start the final round of 12 joining motifs.

No new pictures of this one, but I'm one repeat (about an inch of tatting) from completing one long side of the 'monster edging project' (Konior's Clover from the same book). I've been working on this edging off and on since October 2017. There are 54 repeats in one long side. I'm enjoying this edging now that I finally noticed some details in the repeats that have meant I no longer have to refer to the diagram two or three times in each repeat. There is a running theme here, I know. Those of you newer to tatting who still find that you must refer to your diagrams frequently should take note. I've been tatting about 25 years and it took me about 40 repeats in this edging before I 'figured it out.' And it really isn't a complicated pattern. 

Thank you all for sticking with me as I work my way through my UFOs. Sharing them with you like this helps me to stay focused. I hope that some of you find some encouragement from my ramblings as well.

Happy tatting!

Y18 UFO Project update - 1 down, 14 to go

I promised an update on the 'monster' doily edging, so here it is.

Mary Konior's Clover

from pg 36-37 of Tatting with Visual Patterns

size 80 thread

I can't remember when I started this one--October or November? I do remember telling my sister that it might be ready by Christmas 2018. My last post contained a closeup of the edging (bottom right corner of the collage). It really is a beautiful edging made of rings and chains. As you can see, I'm about 3/4 of the way down the first long side.

But this one is finished!

Ann Bruvald's 

Minidrager English Dragon

Flora size 20 thread

It was wingless, but now it can fly. I had to tat a dandelion blossom for her.

Let me tell you about her resting place. My mom sewed this up for me. It is a little larger than a placemat, white on one side and this lovely floral design on the other. It protects my clothing from getting caught in my tatting hook, it keeps items from rolling around the table, and it also works great for quickly gathering everything up so I can handle something else. I just use the side up that provides the best contrast to the threads I'm working with. It gets used a lot!

Now I return to the monster edging for a few more repeats before bed.

Happy tatting!

Monster Edging Project

You wouldn't think an edging for a table runner would be a monster project, but this one qualifies. It's a simple pattern, Clover by Mary Konior that was published in Tatting With Visual Patterns. The problem? The only thread I could find that matches the fabric in color is some Coats and Clark from my vintage stock, color #61. It is size 70!

It's a project that I can't work on very often or for very long, but it is going to be gorgeous when I finally get it finished. My sister chose the fabric and asked me to tat an edging for it. This is a picture of the sample I tatted for her to pre-approve. I'm actually about 1/8 of the way around the runner now, and I've only been working on it for about 3 months. I told her that she might get to use it at Christmas next year. :D

Latest WIP Wednesday Project

Kersti's Craftree WIP Wednesday challenge is great incentive to pull out some UFOs (unfinished objects). Just committing to working on the last one every Wednesday kept it in my mind so that it got picked up more often than that.

The piece I've chosen as my next WIP Wednesday project is a handkerchief edging that I started back in the middle of 2011. Diane the Lace-Lovin' Librarian gave me this beautiful handkerchief. I started Mary Konior's Beaded Braid, Tatting with Visual Patterns, page 9. Tatting went into hibernation for a good while and, by the time I was puttering at it at least, I had misplaced the project. I found it again just a few weeks ago.