Hearts

Just in time for Valentine's day, I am working on this hearts bookmark.

All I have to add are some split rings at the top and a little something to hang outside the book.  I love this heart pattern because it is so versatile and tats up really quick.  If you can manage a Self Closing Mock Ring and a ring thrown off the SCMR, then it's an easy pattern to master.  The pattern is by Anne Bruvold and you can find it here.  If you haven't looked at her patterns, it's well worth a trip to her English pattern site here.  This bookmark is tatted in vintage Coats and Clark size 70 tatting thread in white (yellowed with age) shades of pink, and pink.

In other tatting news, I was inspired to do a little baking from Carollyn's blog.  She posted a cake recipe with tatting as the decoration. Inspired isn't really the right word.  I copied her instructions exactly and here is the result.

The cake was delicious and got eaten very quickly. It's a great recipe when you have nothing in the house.  It requires no eggs, milk or butter.  Perfect if you're snowbound.  The tatting decorations were a little rough in my version.  Next time I will use motifs that use a larger size thread.  I believe all these motifs are tatted in size 30 or 40 thread.  But it was a big hit all around.  Thank you Carollyn.  You always post such great ideas on your blog!!

And finally, progress on the TIAS that Jane Eborall is hosting.  Here is the motif after day 7.

And here's what it looks like after day 8.

I think it is starting to take the shape of a face with a beard.  The two flowers at the top look like eyes and the triangle at the bottom looks like a beard.  It could be a gnome, or maybe a character from Duck Dynasty (a reality TV show in America where the main characters sport long beards).  It could even be one of the guys from the band ZZ Top.  Or it could be none of the above and I am just seeing things.  It's fun to tat these and try and guess what you are making.  It's not too late to join.  Check out the official TIAS web site here.

Yet another tea set

After Christmas, I was so looking forward to some leisurely tatting with some new patterns I had recently downloaded.  The big Christmas rush, with numerous snowflakes and bells to get done and gifted before Dec. 25 was very stressful, and on Dec. 26 it was time to relax, right?  Wrong!  My next door neighbor reminded me that I had promised to tat an entire tea set for her to give as a wedding gift in mid January.  Said tea set has 5 different pieces, so it takes some time to tat.  So I put away my new patterns and colorful thread and got out the boring old white and blue.  I was very sick of white thread after all those snowflakes.  But I must admit, the tea set turned out beautifully after my neighbor mounted the pieces onto silver card stock and framed it.  Here is the result.

 This is Martha Ess' Maltese Tea Set done in Lizbeth Royal blue and white.  Here it is with the frame.

And now for my TIAS.  This is how it looks after day 4.  I'm using Elderberry Jam, one of my favorite colorways.

Any ideas as to what it could be?

TIAS 2014

I'm so excited that the Tat It And See for 2014 has begun.  We have only gotten the pattern for day one, so it is not too late to join.  (It's really never too late to join.)  Pop on over to Jane Eborall's blog here to read the instructions and get the pattern for each day.   The fun part is you don't know what you are tatting until near the end, so we all have a great time guessing what we're making.  Here is my day one:

Right now it just looks like a little flower, but who knows what it will morph into in the coming days.  I'm using Lizbeth Elderberry Jam in size 20, one of my favorite colorways.

Keep checking back to see my progress, and you can follow others' progress on the TIAS blog here.

Last of the Christmas Tatting

I promise this will be my last Christmas tatting post.  I just have to get these last couple of projects done and stored away for next year.  It never hurts to have a couple extra Christmas motifs in the back pocket for that unexpected gift or when you run out of time.

I finished the Christmas wreath and the outer row was very ruffled.  If I had left it like that it would have made an excellent candle frill, but I don't use candles in holders, so I don't need frills.  Blocking did straighten out the ruffles, but only by force.

  Next time I think I will adjust the stitch count on the chain in the first round and see if that helps.  My other dilemma with this motif is what do I do with it.  It won't look good as a stand alone decoration on the Christmas tree because it is green.  I could put it inside a brass ring and make a sun catcher or door knob decoration out of it.  Any suggestions?  It measures about 4 inches across.

And my last snowflake of the year is the lovely "Le Flocon" by Frivole.

And now on to Valentine and Spring tatting.