Saturday, April 30, 2016

Getting Done As it Is Posted

I have too much on the go and get anxious if I spend to
 much time on any one project. Ah, OCD! 
Who made up THAT rule?

Seven inches. I exaggerated in the last post; 
it is not any larger than that - yet.

Friday, April 29, 2016

It's Going To Be BIG!

So far... over 7"...

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Today's Tatter Talk

Weird But True - today's comments to Jane by Fox:

Me: Honestly, human brains, at least mine, are so unpredictable. 

I read that you had a secret and IMMEDIATELY had the thought, " Wow! Jane's pregnant!" I'm still giggling at the stupidity of that! Can you believe it!
😂😂😂😂😂😂    

Jane: That's SOOOOO funny and exactly how I'd have thought too!!!!!  You could blog that for a laugh too.  If only I was young enough to get preggers!!!!!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Who says tatters are a boring lot!

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Bring It On!


I am not used to working with such a thick thread and these two combined fibres are a bit bulky for my taste. I suppose this is a way of saying that I really do prefer the #80 threads after all, though I do complain about them on occasion!

However, though it is a wee bit rough in texture, and a bit thick, this piece is sturdy and has presence! And, it is now six inches across. This seems to indicate that it will be very large when Renata is through with it.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Bull-Headed?

Two done. Eighteen to go. 
Where's that red flag.....

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Frankenshuttle and Dracuthread

It is a tale of horror, that only a dedicated tatter can fully, truly appreciate. It is a story of stitching certain to smite a lover of lace with great despair. Beware! Read no further if you be sensitive to tatting loss and dismay. Turn away if picot pain and stitching sorrow wring the heart, causing unbidden tears to flow when words of shuttle woe oppress the spirit. Hear my tale of doily distress, Dear Reader, only if your heart be strong and true, for my story will surely wrest all calmness from your thoughts, only to replace them with foul images of lace in the making gone terribly awry...

Gone! 
Disappeared!

Missing 



I was at my daughter's home in NYC. I was tatting. I put the bag with the border, (with that Australian thread that took so very long to arrive - remember?) the trusty Tat-Pic and the LaCossette shuttles down for a minute and...poof! The project and tools vanished without a trace!

We are all mystified; there was really nowhere for the plastic bag with all my stuff to easily disappear to. We turned the apartment upside down as the family searched for the missing project. Nothing.

I am convinced that whole pattern, thread and process was jinxed from the beginning. So, into the cupboard goes the centre part, which luckily remained at home. I shall give it away as it is. I'm done with finishing it. Sad, because there were only 4 more repeats. : ( 

On to the Renulek. : )

Sunday, April 17, 2016

White's Not Right

Blue is better... Cut the white off as it was just too bulky and felt very stiff compared to the relative softness of the Japanese threads.

I do like the look of these two blue threads together and there is a slight sheen to this thread.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Friday, April 15, 2016

Renulek!

Renata has done it again. 
Here is the centre of the new 2016 Wiasna Doily! 


I am using thread from Japan, which is very fine, more like a #100, so I am using both together, rendering it more akin to a #50. I rather like the effect.
Great blues:


Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Getting There, Continued


Also, I saw this on Carollyn's blog here, and thought I'd try it:


I do love bare threads, however this would have been a more successful attempt had I used the same size threads. 

Happily my stash is very low, but that situation is not very beneficial for "grab and tries!"


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Sunday, April 10, 2016

No Match

I see there is a big difference in the colour of the thread I received to finish the piece compared to the original.

Oh well. Everything about this pattern has gone wrong from the beginning, so why not dye lots as well?

There are twenty hearts in the round. It should not take me too long to complete them. I'll be very glad to move on.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Back At It


After all the waiting for thread, grousing and complaining,  it was with chagrin that I realized I did not want to finish this piece. No interest. I just wanted to faggetaboutit and move on!

Thankfully the moment passed and I've completed nearly three of the twenty repeats on the penultimate row. Whew!

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Small and Satisfying

This is s lovely little pattern; very relaxing. 
It is so well balanced, making it a pleasure to tat.


The thread is Lea's HDT, #50. I do enjoy this weight as a change from all the #80 I used for the majority, if not all, my tatting  last year, representing 98% of my small stash!

Monday, April 4, 2016

Small Pleasures

I just can't face all those hearts on the Land of Laces piece just yet.

So I am amusing myself for the moment with this pattern from a lovely book that a dear tatting friend sent to me:


 
Soon, I'll finish the doily... Maybe. 

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Surprisingly Fine


I had not expected that the substitute thread I used when I ran out of the planned variegated to be a successful colour blend. But it turns out that the #80 Lizbeth I added to the #70 HDT was pretty good.



As it is on the backside of the hankie, the pink and green thread is not that obvious. Not that I would give this to anyone as a gift, but for me, it is perfect! I will enjoy the hankie, usually used to clean  sunglasses and regular specs.  I love cotton, not tissue or paper towelling, for glasses.

Now on to this piece that I barely remember! I will start the heart row and then there is just one more after all the motifs that joins the border to the main work.