Plans and packages

I have been waiting for my new tatting supplies to come in the mail so patiently...well, not so patiently! But they arrived today!! I ordered size 30 DMC thread in red and green (one of each), size 20 Lizbeth orange, dark brown, and teal. I also ordered three books--"Here be Dragons by Karey Solomon, "Glass Christmas Balls" by JoAnn Stearns, and "Tatted Doilies" by Iris Niebach. 

I can't wait to start more ornaments, I am refreshed and ready to start the new ornaments! I have to finish these bookmarks first. Pictures to come, I've been super busy lately. 

Also very excited to begin a doily called "Amanda" to give to my sister.

Seagruene choker

My wonderful husband and I are headed to Gruene Texas for a fun get away!! On the way, I am working on this little choker. We shall see how it turns out! In using the pattern "Black magic" from Mary Konior's book Tatting with Visual Patterns.
Ate at Taco Casa on our way out of town, I am a happy camper!!

"Mother, she tats!"

So I find myself in Hobby Lobby, scrutinizing and deciding, trying to color-match this size 20 thread in Seagreen to a pendent. Of course, I have little color coordination skills, so I ask a lady nearby. She told me they match and wanted to know I plan to crochet. I said no, I tat. Then I hear a resounding "Mother! She tats!!" She points to a woman near the end of the aisle. They were so excited to find someone who tats, because the grandmother tatted. Apparently they have a shadow box with an antique metal shuttle and some edgings she was notorious for making. So I shared with them pictures of my tatting. They wanted to know how I learned. Well, they were so surprised to hear that I taught myself but I don't know anyone who tats! I have a picture of a snowflake in progress, sitting next to the X-Box controller. They told me how proud of myself I should be--- and in fact I am! I wish I could teach myself other, more useful skills though!
It was a neat experience :)

"Fancy Snowflake"

Currently working on this snowflake from Rozella F. Linden's book Easy Tatting.  This is the third one of these snowflakes I've made so far. This one is made from Perle Iris thread size 8, color 5068. It may be a little light for Christmas colors, but I didn't want to waste this thread. 

I bought this thread at Joanne's Fabric I think in a package of 6. I was so excited to find new colors (variegated red, brown/tan, green/yellow, blue, pink, and yellow) for cheap. When I got it home and made my first shamrocks, turns out I hate working with this thread! I thought maybe it was just the way I was tatting, or the shuttle itself. So I switched to this shuttle. I still don't like it! I think it just has to do with my thread preference. I am used to using Lizbeth thread, usually size 20. To me, Lizbeth thread is easier because it pulls tighter, looks more crisp and picots keep their shape. This new thread unravels easily, (untatting messes up the neatness of the thread or unravels it!) and it's so soft, it doesn't seem to keep shape as well. Seems flimsy. But it is very soft and much shinier than my usual thread! Maybe it will turn out pretty. I wonder what it will look like when it's starched though. 

Also, I was so proud of myself for starting this piece without a knot, and threading all 36 beads, that I soon realized I started tatting without keeping the beads on the shuttle side!! Oh well, I did not start over or trash it like I would in the past, just kept going and figured out how to add bead in the join. So, although its beads are not uniform, I continued! I have no idea why I am a perfectionist in my tatting, it's like I tell my step daughter, "why do you expect to do something perfectly the first time?" Until this year (with the gentle nudging of my husband) I never finished anything because of mistakes. I'd rather finish something with minor mistakes or inconsistencies than scrap it these days. Maybe I have my mom to thank for that too, since she wants so many snowflakes! I'd never finish this year if I scrap each one with mistakes!! I don't think she'd appreciate that :)

Knotgarden

The Knotgarden is a neat pattern I found years ago and never attempted til now. I thought with all I've learned so far, it would go more smoothly.... 

This is a paused project due to technical difficulties! I have no idea how to go from here. I emailed a more experienced tatter and even posted on InTatters, a tatting forum to figure out where to go. They helped, but I am confused by the diagram and it's just on the back burner for now. I started this about a week ago, and meant to blog but it got saved to draft, and I just saw it while posting easter eggs. 

This is the progress so far.

This is an up close and personal view of where I am stuck on this pattern. 

The original pattern is free, and I found it here:  http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2009/heatherprisemanknotgarden.pdf

And here is a picture of the original....

Tricky right! I think it's really neat and different than anything I've seen. I've been on a celtic kick. Instead of spending lots of time looking for celtic patterns in between ornaments, I thought I'd just make this real quick, not so easy! Oh well, I'll most likely just email Jane again :)

Easter Egg catastrophes...

Well, I tried! I attempted twice to make an easter egg but I am not impressed with either! As my step daughter said, the top chain on one is too long so it's a funny shaped egg, and the other is just wrong all over! I have no idea where I went wrong with the second attempt! The pattern is from Tats Heaven's blog:


http://tatsheaven-churchlog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/easter-button-eggs.html

attempt #1

Attempt #2

I thought you're supposed to get better with practice! I was less distracted the second time around even.

I may try again, but I've moved onto my ongoing project----Christmas ornaments!

Finished 3-d parts

Tonight I finished the 3 parts of my 3-D snowflake! I was on a roll, and finished the last 2 parts just while watching a few shows on Hulu! It took about an hour per snowflake, but really all night because I was distracted watching tv! 

Here are all 3 parts together. Tomorrow after work I will have to investigate how to starch the pieces. The directions say to starch then fold 2 of these into "V" shapes and glue on each side of the middle flat one for a 3-d effect. The problem is, I had to put some nail polish on 2 of these, in bad spots where it either unravelled or I was trying to prevent an unravel. 

This one is the first piece I have ever created without having to use a knot anywhere, or use nail polish to seal an end!! I am so excited to have learned a new trick! 

Well, off to bed to start a new creation tomorrow and finish this one. I will then have one less Christmas ornament to make by the end of the year!

Snowflake part 1 finished

Snowflake part #1 is complete, on to part 2! 

Start of the 3-D snowflake

Quiet Saturdays are the best! So far we have slept in and did nothing useful! Got up and made Midget breakfast and Stephanie (my father in law's girlfriend) came over to say hi, but that's about it!

Later I'll go to work for a few hours for evals. Friday I was told we are getting 3 new residents so I would rather get the new residents seen today than spend 10 hours at work Monday. Mondays I pick up Midget from school and take her to tumbling so no time for a 10 hour day at work!

Here is what I have so far on this snowflake! I started this morning and maybe put an hour into it so far so I'm happy it's a quick one. It takes 3 of these snowflakes glued together for the full 3-D effect!

Snowflake # 5 I think

Well I finally finished this silly snowflake! I admit I messed it up, just wasn't paying attention! When I realized I hadn't joined the center picots it was too late. It is bigger than the last snowflake I made of the same pattern. 

The snowflake ornament on the right is my next victim! It calls for 3 of the same snowflake so hopefully it will come out right! I will use size 20 thread in white for the first attempt. Tomorrow I will start this one though. It's getting late tonight. 

So today is the first day of my spring break for my 8 year old :) 

Snowflakes continued!

Finally got some time to relax and continue with my snowflake project! My husband helps me stay on track...even when I want to veer off onto start a new project! I really wanted to start one of several new snowflake pieces I've been drooling over lately. I started this purple snowflake a few months ago and of course have lost interest in it as usual. Unfortunately, I sabotaged myself by adding these beads in the center joining picots. They are not convenient to place and I'd rather take longer to finish than be lopsided and discontinue the beads. 

I was hoping he would say "sure, start a new project!" but he knows I need a little push to finish projects so he nudged me, and I got 1/2 way done tonight. I would have gotten further, but I watched Hulu and caught up on some of my shows from the week. It was a nice night with my hubby:  dinner, WOW, xbox, and tatting!

I am ready for work tomorrow, and the start of the weekend. Also it's the start of spring break for our 3rd grader, so that will be fun! 

unfinished business

This piece took forever for me to get this far! I was working overnight as a caregiver for a child with CP. That little girl had a sad story... This one is from Mary Konior's book Tatting with Visual Patterns. I like it but it was very difficult for me to remember my place on the pattern, while tatting. I also wish I used only white thread, but I had just gotten this really fun pink/white variegated thread so it HAD to be used!

 This is my very first attempt at a doily! It was done with needle tatting, with way too long of picots! The pattern is from my first tatting book Traditional Tatting Patterns edited by Rita Weiss. Apparently that book is one year older than me! I have never gone back to retry it and of course lost interest and it never got finished. 

Reminiscing on past projects

These are a few pieces I have started over the years, at least 4 years ago actually. I have a knack for not finishing things, these are great examples of my procrastination.

 I started each of these and either did not know how to hide the ends at the time, or lost interest, or found a more appropriate thread size to fit the needle. 

I think all of these were needle tatted, but I can't remember. I will cite these later, I just wanted to post them while I was thinking about it!

Daydreaming

Today was a great day at work! About 1:30 the day started to drag, and I was ready to get home! I am ready to finally get some tatting time- I have new snowflake patterns!
But then, all of a sudden, it was 3pm and my friend was waiting on me to take her home! Originally I had planned to be finished by 3 and get home but I wasn't ready to leave work. So I took her home and came right back ( we both live close to the nursing home )

Quittin time is almost here though, about done with paperwork. I am excited to start on one of Jon's tarted snowflake (I made that one before a few years ago, but now I have no idea where that is)

Also I have noticed I am jealous of the other blogging tatters- they seem to be in tatting groups and get to tatting classes and meetings. I am so far away from any tatters I think, or at least I don't know of any! Poor me :) I would also love to find a store with materials and new thread but so far I am limited to finding references, patterns and materials online.

I am so looking forward to tonight, our house is clean and quiet and that leaves plenty of time for tatting and hangin out with my hubby!

Last night was a wonderful night, we cooked dinner for my hubby's grandmother. She is an interesting human being and extremely kind.

I can't wait to see my little chicka-dee tomorrow when I pick her up from school. I hope she makes good choices at school as next week is spring break!

Butterfly piece

This is a butterfly I found in Marilee Rockley's book "Boutique Tatting." 

I made it for my step daughter and she loved it! It may be silly to spend so much time making something for a child but she seems to truly love everything I make for her. Of course when she is older she will keep them and maybe they will mean something more. I wish I knew someone who tats or had family that used to tat so I could have things handed down. My mom, and grandparents have never seen tatting or learned before I found it. 

Every time I go to a consignment store or antique store I look for tatting pieces to have something made at the hands of someone who shares/shared a love of my same hobby.

So about the butterfly... I made this last year and I love her pattern! I changed the beading work a little, I found these neat stars and I thought it would be cute! 

I ended up adding a black outline, I'm not sure which I prefer!

What a day...

Today went by really really slow, but it is now relax time with my husband. He had a really long day.  


Tatting news...no actual tatting was accomplished today. I did get more ideas for snowflakes today, and a really cute doily from another blogger. 

Tomorrow is a new day, and I am ready for it!

It's Monday...

Well, today is definitely a Monday! I've had new patients to evaluate, treated all my residents and checked on diets. Typically I'd be waiting for 3pm so I can go pick up my 3rd grader (step daughter) from school and call it quitting time for the day! Today, however, I am so busy and have so many residents on the caseload, I will have to come back to work later today and finish up!

Luckily for me, her father is a wonderful daddy and he will take her to practice tonight and I can finish up work! Then hopefully get back to work on my snowflakes tonight!

This is my new favorite snowflake! It is super fast and easy. I found the pattern in this book, my amazing husband ordered it for me online :) 

This is the first snowflake I made using this pattern. Next I wanted to try some beads, so here is what I started next. We'll see how it turns out!

This is the book I used. 

Ring project

This is a ring I finished a few months ago. It was fast and kinda cute to make :)

I would cite where I got the pattern from, but I can't remember. It may have been one from Marilee Rockley but I can't remember. 

New to blogging....

Tatting is a stress reliever for me, and lately I've had no time to sit down and continue my projects. This weekend was the first quiet, stress free, weekend we have had to ourselves, mainly because we specifically did not commit to any plans! 

So... I started on my usual search for tatting ideas, and patterns, and I realized I want my own blog! I hope to upload pictures of past projects but for now I'm just keeping my eyes open! 

First priority is my Christmas project. My mom has asked me to make 35 ornaments (now that i think of it, i cant remember exactly how many she asked for...). They are coming along, I've got 5 done so far. I hope to keep up steady progress, and avoid my usual procrastination!