Thursday, November 24, 2011

Dandy Handy Hands

Barbara Foster of Handy Hands rocks. She cares about quality, stands behind her products and is dedicated to  customer satisfaction. Because of her, I am embarking on blazing a new Lizbeth trail.  Me! Stay tuned.

In my cleaning/organizing/weeding frenzy I have decided I do not like the Finca much after all. Told you I was fickle!

So, I will share some of it in the next giveaway, that I have mentioned previously. Someone out there in Tatland no doubt really likes it!

I suppose this could be way of celebrating my 600th post, which I realized I just recently passed.  Worth celebrating, I think. Time sure has flown by fast!

Since I have been ruthless in de-stashing. I now find myself with a very limited supply of thread, but have it in my head to tat with some very basic colours for a while. (We'll see just how long that recent kick lasts...)  I think I am bored  -  *gasp*  -  with tatting and find I am needing something different... Etsy? Selling? Designing? Something. I do not know what, but I am antsy and have become frustrated in just tatting one motif after another...  Hmmmm.

Here is the latest endeavour, red as promised:

#23-100 Motif Challenge 
Orsi's Pattern tatted with Finca #12

19 comments:

  1. I love Lizbeth. I've rarely come across slubs or knots in the thread and on the odd occasions I have I remind myself that this has always happened in any thread I've used. To be honest I think it's a small price to pay for a terrific colour choice which (thanks to Barb) is always expanding. I bet HH have risked a lot commissioning and buying this range for us. Long live Lizbeth is what I say!

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  2. You have done so much with tatting I am amazed that you have kept going for so long. I can get phasse of wanting to tat all the time, but then I get long "dry" phases as well. Have you looked at other types of lacemaking?
    Bobbin lace, knitted lace and needle lace are all worth investigating via google images. I also love blackwork as a different way of occupying my hands.
    I am not overly enamoured of the Finca...it's a tad soft and floppy, however the colours are lovely and bright. I have used worse thread, I am with you on the Valdani stuff, while I like the fine stuff the thicker one is like WOOL! Also I find Venus to be the most appalling twisty stuff EVER. :) It works for Bobbin lace, but I prefer my lace to be black, cream or white.

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  3. I love Lizbeth, and it's almost all that I use. I seldom have ANY trouble with it at all.

    Hope your next experience is better.

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  4. I do like using Lizbeth... the colors available are beautiful, and the price is right. However, I do prefer the more expensive hand-dyed thread. I think something in the hand-dyeing process improves the quality of the thread.

    Although there are pretty colors in the Valdani and Finca, I'd much rather work with the Lizbeth!

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  5. The snowflake looks awesome! It would be a perfect addition to a red/gold/white Christmas tree (Yeah, I 'm all about a uniform tree, LOL... Not that I ever put on up, LOL).

    Ya know what I did today, Ms. Fox? I actually made stitches with a shuttle!!! *squeals* Perhaps you should try needle tatting! ;-)

    Honestly, though, I think you should try designing! With how you are able to deconstruct them to understand them, etcc... I think you constructing your own patterns would prove incredibly self-satisfying and give you many prideful moments --and some frustrations, but that's life, I guess... :-/

    Well, whatever you choose, you know you've got my full support, doll!

    <3,
    Stephanie Grace

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  6. Your red snowflake is gorgeous. True red is always a knockout! Happy Tatting...

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  7. 600 posts?! Congratulations Fox!
    I must admit I do like Lizbeth 40 threads...the colors....the reasonable price......and the feel of size 40. I do tat with perle cottons, Valdani (I'll have to check your post on it) and DMC, as well as beautiful HDT's. I use different types for different effects, but I do prefer the feel of 40 to 80 size threads, especially for more delicate work.

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  8. Hope you keep up with some tatting. I enjoy seeing what you're tatting and reading your clever wording. You inspire. Whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be good. I periodically have slower times when I wonder why and then can't go without creating something.
    I do enjoy and use lots of Lizbeth and have only had one small slub in one ball. HDT is a favorite and I've not used Valdani or Finca. If it splits easily i'm better off without it as I do my share of retro tatting!
    Karen in OR

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  9. I'm in two minds about finca... I like tatting with it, but it does get a but fuzzy. I only have one ball, which i really like the colour of, but as I'm in the UK i find DMC 80 or 100 is the thread i use most. I did just order some size 40 Lizbeth though, as sometimes i think the things I make are too small! We'll see how i get on - size 20 feels too big.

    On the boredom front, what else do you like doing? I'm not surprised you feel the need to do something else! I crochet (usually when i watch TV) which is kind of nice - because you can make things that are a bit more useful. I'm teaching myself not to be scared of sewing machines at the moment too - by making a patchwork quilt. Or there's regular lace, needle lace, embroidery, weaving, knitting... juggling... Having something else is good, then you can tat when you feel like it and *want* to - not because you can't think of anything else to do :)

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  10. Hi Fox,
    Beautiful, thanks for your lovely comments, will be back online on the 6th

    Margarets Designer Cards
    Margaret

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  11. I am intrigued. What are you doing or planning to do with Lizbeth?

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  12. You not only have an AMAZING 600 posts, you must have tatted at least 400 motifs - or more? It makes my head spin! You continue to educate and entertain us with your tatting adventures AND your clever writing and excellent photography skills!

    I can't believe it's been only a few years since you learned how to tat! Do you ever wonder (as I do about myself) what you would have been doing if not for this obsession with tatting? I want to do more tatting, but I find it difficult just keeping up with all the tatting blogs on a daiy basis! And I can't seem to write posts as easily as others do.

    Congratuations on achieving this BIG milestone in such a short time!

    AND - Love the beautiful red snowflake!

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  13. Wonderful comment and loads of suggestions. Truth is - I love to tat! I just want to do something different with my tatting and I do not know what that would look like - bit of an impasse...

    Thanks for the input, Everyone.
    Fox : )

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  14. Hi Fox,

    congratulations for your 600th post.

    This snowflake is truly beautiful, same as everything that you do! You make so many different works (all beautiful)

    Bye

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  15. Well it is the holidays, how about stationary (stationery?)? Or covering things with tatting like beads or ornaments.
    Right now I'm making snowflakes which are intended to go in the Christmas cards this year as ornaments. I'm excited :o) Then I'm also getting into embossing, so I'm making the Christmas cards as well.

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  16. 600 posts?! Wow... yes, something special is in order!

    Hey, we could always use more patterns and since you have an 'eye' for detail (among other things), I think designing could be your forte.

    Oh and btw, I'll gladly take the Finca off your hands... :-D

    LOL, I went in to a thread store the other day with my shuttle-tatting student (as she needed new thread)... I told myself I wasn't going to buy any... as soon as I saw the variegated green I broke... I'm so weak!

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  17. Oh, Lily, you are so weak!! Love it! Fox : )

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  18. Love the red!
    I'm a fan of Lizbeth thread: it's easy to come by, nice price, lots of colors and sizes to choose from, and I've had only a minimal amount of trouble with any of it. I used to tat a lot with DMC Cebelia for some of the same reasons but I like the Lizbeth better.
    Bored? Hmm... Lots of things has been suggested already. Hope you find a way to get excited again - and we'll all follow along on your journey and see what you come up with :) Good luck!

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  19. so your the infamous fox aha! I love your work!!

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