Heart Picture Frame

On a visit to Hobby Lobby to look for small tins, I found they had picture frames 50% off. I spied a heart-shaped frame that looked like it might fit that little heart I tatted the other day. Brought it home, & sure enough, it fits!

Katie

Lady Shuttlemaker Shuttle

When Lady Shuttlemaker announced she had new shuttles in her etsy shop, I zinged right over, because I know how fast they sell. Oh, was I surprised to find a few left. Here's a link to what she had made. Mine is the 2nd from the left on the bottom.
http://ladyshuttlemaker.blogspot.com/ I'd post a pic from etsy, but I don't know if that's ok to do, so I'm just sending you over to her blog to have a look.
Katie

Motif #3 of 25 for the Challenge & Tatting Tea Tuesday HDT Sampling

This is officially Motif #3 in the 25 Motif Challenge. I only had enough time to sample one of my HDT's. I tried to be very careful about getting dye under the threads securing the skeins, but I saw a few eentsy white spots, so that's something I'll work on next time by loosening my choke ties a bit. Still, though, I'm liking this thread. Here's the sample - not blocked yet. The pattern is Sweet Heart by Birgit Phelps.
Katie

Tatting Tea Tues & What's In Your Stash?

Ah, another Tatting Tea Tuesday! Love them! Ambitatterous asked us all to respond to What's in Your Stash? She wanted to know particularly about HDT. We must be tuned into one another! My Tatting Tea Tuesday was going to be about my latest HDT experience.

Now, I love buying other people's HDT, but I learned how to dye warps for weaving many years ago, so it was just a matter of doing it on a smaller size thread. I just couldn't resist the call of the dyes! I will continue to purchase from you well known HDT dyers, so no fear there! My HDT stash isn't nearly the size it needs to be!! LOL!

Today I'll be tatting samples from the results of my own dye pots. Here's some of what I did on Sunday. I started a dyeing journal with my formulas & samples, so I can do these colors again in case I like how they tat up.

Antique Mall Find

We went to the antique mall yesterday. I always look for tatting shuttles while I'm there, & always come away disappointed. Not yesterday!! I scored this little beauty. It needs some work as the ends are separted, but other than some scotch tape adhesive, it's in excellent condition! It's a lovely beige on brown pearlescent celluloid shuttle circa 1920.

Next Project

Here's the Crinoline Lady for my next project. I'll use one of my new size 40 Lizbeth variagated threads & a matching solid for the hat.

New Book

I did a search on Crinoline Lady patterns, & found the one referenced in this book, so since I needed a size 15 crochet hook for size 11/0 seed beads, I ordered the book & hook from Handy Hands.

Tatting Tote Almost Finished

Woohooo! The Tatting Tote is almost finished! I have a row & a half to complete the tote, then the handle to do. Then, I think I'll take it to the fabric store to find a lining fabric for it.

Tatting Tea Tuesday

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I'm enjoying a cup of my favorite tea. I still had some left from my trip to Seattle. It's a spicey tea that tastes like cinnamon candy.

Here's what I'm working on today. It's the little tatting tote by Sharon Albers. I'm using Lizbeth size 20 in a variagated color for the rings & a solid for the chains. I'll be working on this for a while-it's slow going. I wish I'd added some picos to the rings, but I'll do that on the last round & on the handle. I've been using my Laci's shuttle which holds way more thread than a Clover. Everytime I hide ends, I'm kicking myself for not taking the time to learn what I need to to jump out from one round to the other. I've learned split rings, now I just need to try split chains (which don't look very difficult) & mock picos. Why do I hedge on this? (shaking head)

Tatting Related

Although, I tatted all week-end, I'll post about it on Tatting Tea Tuesday, because for certain I'll still be working on that project!!

I did manage to get some cleaning done, & I worked on putting together some items for an exchange. While I was shopping at Hobby Lobby on Friday, I took notice of the felted pieces. You can purchase individual, already felted parts to make flowers, or entire, already made flowers for purse projects, etc. I've been in need of a tiny pincusion, & when I saw packages of these tiny flowers, & packages of leaves, I thought, "Oh, tiny pincusions!!!" Each little flower is sewn together & even has seed beads sewn on them.

Now, this was an easy project.
Instructions:
Glue flower to leaf. Let dry. LOL!!

Now, I have a tiny pincusion for each of my tatting boxes. They're about the length of a Clover shuttle, & if I'd had my photographer hat on, I would've thought to include a shuttle in the pic & added some pins.

Motif #2

Whew! I finally got Motif #2 finished. I, apparently, am not very adept at visual patterns yet. I started that motif 4 times, & really worked to get it right. I kept reversing where I wasn't supposed to. Well, I did finally work through the pattern once, & took notes, so the next one should be much easier. This will be my first attempt at joining motifs, too. I hope I can figure that out without getting it all twisted or something.

OK. Motif #2 is from Tatting with Visual Patterns, & I used Lizbeth size 20 in Spring Garden (I love this new color.)

New Blog Look

My blog has a whole new look. For some reason, the graphic parts of my original template disappeared.

So, I chose a different template. I had to recreate my Blog List. I knew that in advance, so had jotted down everything. I had to add all the Widgets again - sigh. I love the new template, though. It's so pretty!!

While I was at it, I changed the name to something a bit more keechy.

Yet Another Pendant

I'm just joing the 25 Motif Challenge, well assuming I did it correctly, so here's my first official motif. I really love this Lizbeth color! It's one of the new colors - Spring Garden. I've started a doily from Visual Patterns in this color 3 times, & I'm about to start it again today.

This is Yarnplayer's Keyed Up pattern again. It's a really easy pattern even new tatters can do. The pattern uses the 3 seed beads in the center & key charm on the bottom ring, but I subbed the 9 beads for the charm - didn't have any charms on hand. My photography skills need improving!

Steampunk Time Traveler

Happy Halloween!! I'm time traveling this Halloween! Here's me as a Neo-Victorian time traveler. I did manage to get some tatting done this week-end, but it's very late, & time traveling wears one out so.  I'll post a pic of yet another pendant tomorrow. I'll just say, "Goodnight Halloweenies!"

The Lucky Collar

This was my first large tatting project. Large projects since this one have been, well, disasters. I keep trying to start a doily pattern from Visual Patterns, & after 3 failed attempts, I guess I'll try it again this week-end.

So, here's my 1 large project. Oh, I'm calling it my "lucky collar", because at almost the 1/2 way point, there's one clover with 4 leaves. Purely accidental, but I'd done so much retro-tatting (retro-tatting = undoing stitches) by that time, I just decided to leave it. The pattern is from Lynn Morton's Tatting Patterns, & it's done in sz 30 thread.

Monkey on My Back - Tatting Container Acquisition

Now, this isn't my fault. I lay the entire responsibility of my jonesing for yet another tatting container at the feet of my friend Jan.

Jan called & really wanted me & my pooch to go with her & her pooch to Petco's costume contest for dogs. Ok, so I dressed up Widget, my Chinese Crested, & away we went. Jan & her angel dog, Kudjo  had wandered off, so we trecked off to  find them.

There Jan was digging through a clearance bin. She joyfully held up some decorative tin containers. "Hey! Look at these! I'm giving them for Christmas gifts to the angel dog owners!" I asked her if there was one for me. "Nope! I have them all." she laughed. I whined that I really wanted one & went on a search for more. None to be found, so I whined some more. When we got back to my place, she gifted me with one, because she said I whined so well.

Here are the dogs. Jan's Kudjo the angel dog in wings, & my Widget in her So Cute It's Scarey costume, & my new doggy treat lunch box transformed into my newest tatting box.

A Flurry of Threadwinders

While visiting various tatting blogs, I saw some threadwinders that had been pyrographed. They were made from those wood blanks you find at hobby stores.

The tool acquisition monkey was on my back, so I jetted over to Hobby Lobby. SCORE! I found 2 sizes of snowflakes - perfect for threadwinders. The larger ones were already painted. You can see I've already filled one with my new size 40 thread from Yarnplayer - Midnight  Oil.

There's an upcoming thread exchange in the works. I'm thinking my exchange partners might need one of these.

New Tatting Shuttles

All my new tatting shuttles have arrived!! They are all so beautiful! I have my tulip wood Silent Tatter, my David Reed Smith east Indian rosewood & the Shuttle Shop tulip wood with the engraved Celtic Knot. I love wood tools, & these are all exactly what I was hoping they'd be.

I find the David Reed Smith one to be lovely, but it's very thin, so I'm afraid of breaking the tip. It tats wonderfully, though because it's light as a feather!

The tulip wood Shuttle Shop shuttle is soooooooooooooo beautiful! I put just the lightest coating of my beeswax & oil polish on it, & the grain just popped!! It's has a solid, sturdy feel to it, but is still feather light!

My favorite is the Silent Tatter. Again, the grain in the tulip wood is just so stunning! I love being able to adjust the tension so minutely, & the brass pieces really add to the beauty of the shuttle!

My Christmas list is made out & ready to hand to hubby. Yeah, another Silent Tatter, & one of those Opal Shuttle Shop shuttles, please Santa!

Here are my new shuttles:

Online Tatting Classes

Cynthia invited me to join the Online Tatting Classes a while back, so I did. I came in on Lesson #3. So, here's the beginning of a class assignment - Rings on Chains:

The Tool Tin

I needed something to put all my tatting tools in. I have the wee dowel for winding bobbins, scissors, bobbins, a needle, crochet hook & screw driver for my Silent Tatter. I found this little tin, lined it with wool, & everything fits into it perfectly.