I am not a Professional Tatter!

Why do I let myself get talked into tatting items to sell?  It all started when I gifted a earring/necklace set to my friend. This is the pendant.

  She wore her tatted jewelry to Square Dancing (yes, some people still square dance in Texas).  All of her friends complimented her on her accessories and asked where they could get a set.  My friend then approached me with a proposition to make and sell them.  I was so flattered that people would pay good money for something I made that I agreed. I was also still very enthusiastic about the pattern and wanted to try it out in different colors.  Well, for the last month, I have been doing nothing but tat pendants and earrings in the same pattern, and I could just scream.  I have gone down this path before with the same result.  I get all excited about earning money from my tatting, then get bored with the project(s) before the obligation is over.  I think that is the problem:  the obligation.  I tat for fun and enjoy the freedom of moving from project to project at will.  I have a lot of obligations in my life: work, family, housework.  I don't want tatting to be just another obligation where I can't choose the pattern or colors that I want to work with.  As soon as I get stuck with a project, the tatting Muse leaves and all inspiration goes with it.  For this reason, I will never become a professional tatter.

Okay.  Now that I got that out of my system, let me show you some Christmas tatting that I have managed to squeeze in.  This is a snowflake by Renulek.  The pattern is here.

And this red beauty is from Jon Yusoff's  book "Elegant Tatted Gem's."

And finally, one completed Christmas tree earring.

This is a pattern from Jane Eborall and can be found here.  My version of the pattern has a variation without the button, which is what I did here, but her current pattern only has it with a button in the middle.  I wonder where the button-less version went???  (Update: Jane sent the link to this pattern.  I don't know why I couldn't find it.  Here it is.  Thank you Jane!!) 

And to all my American friends, have a Happy Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends.

Working on Jewelry

I have made several more pendants and earrings based on Ewa's pattern found here (with my modifications found here.  These are the earrings

that match this pendant:

The thread is Perfect Quilter in red and beige.  I really liked how it came out in the smaller thread, so I make another set in size 70.

The purple set is done in vintage Coats and Clark purple size 70 and Oren Bayan color #4433 (the dark purple).  I love Oren Bayan threads.  They are very smooth and easy to work with, not twisty at all.  I also added silver seed beads to this set, but they don't pop on the scanner like they do in real life.

And finally, this lovely pair of snowflake earrings.

The pattern is called Mirabelle and I purchased it here on Etsy.  It is designed by Joelle Paulson, aka Frivole.  It's done in size 80 Lizbeth thread in white.  (I know there's a boo-boo in the left earring.  I missed a join on the last ring, but it's not very noticeable when I wear them).