Friday 23 December 2016

Fairy and Tardis

This Fairy, pattern by Jane Eborall, found its way to another's tree as part of an ornament exchange. I used Lizbeth 101 Spring Flower size 20.  The legs are added separately.  I really liked how the beads gave this pattern sparkle. The exchange partner has a little girl and I thought she would like a fairy. 

I also sent along this Tardis.  The Tardis is made with Hakelgarn 20 navy blue. I made it right after the US election but sadly it's not big enough for anyone.

The Tardis is designed by Anne Bruvold and a free pattern is available here. This pattern uses split rings  to move on from one row to the other. and a split chain to finish.

 As it turns out the recipient  of these ornaments is very interested in tatting and wants to learn, sadly she is many miles away but I'm here to help in any way I can.

Sunday 18 December 2016

Vintage Lace Revisit

Many months ago I received a few yds/m of vintage trim.  I blogged about it here. It sat for some time all crumpled up in a bag.  I measured the smallest tablecloth I have and there was not enough trim to go around and I was positive I would not be adding to the piece I had.

This week I was looking for something to make my Christmas pin a bit more fancy for a community dinner.  I took the trim and carefully cut through the joining picots and then blocked the six joining hearts. Once dry I joined the point of the hearts and put them ruffled behind my brooch.  It made the pin fancy and I even got a few complements at dinner last night.  

That project worked so well I took another six hearts and put them round the skirt of an angel I put on the top of the tree. I still have lots of trim and I keep seeing uses for it all over the house. 

Wednesday 14 December 2016

Unicorn

This Unicorn is a Martha Ess Pattern found in her book "Flights of Fancy". I added a few sequins for a saddle and a bead for the eye.   It has arrived at a new home through an ornament exchange organized on Instagram.

It is tatted with Lizbeth 101 Spring Flower in size 40, it measures 5 by 4 inches or 12 by 10 cm. I used two shuttles one continuous thread. The gold horn added later is done with DMC metallic Diamant embroidery thread. 

I love Martha's patterns and although this one did test me I really enjoyed how it all came together. I made the mane picots quite long as I wanted more of a fantasy look. 

Sunday 11 December 2016

Simple Star

This is a quick one shuttle pattern, Helen Stammers Simple Star.  The pattern can be found here.  I have used a vintage Coats 30 thread so it does not show up  super white.  The stars  are tatted with silver, gold and blue beads, I used a diluted white glue to stiffen.

Put 40 beads on the ball thread and take about a meter off the ball and wind a shuttle.  The pattern can also be done without beads on the picots. 


Wednesday 7 December 2016

Paprika the Dragon

This baby dragon is done in a vintage Coats and Clark's size 70 thread color 26 a 1.75 inches (4.5 cm)  long and 1.5 inches ( 3.5 cm) wide.  I think if I incorporate a throw ring instead of one of those picot ears he would make cute earrings.

The two shuttle pattern is designed by Martha Ess and was available on her free pattern page. I put the black eye bead on shuttle 1 and all the others on shuttle two.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this pattern but overall a very enjoyable tat.  My plan is to add this to the front of a card. 

Monday 5 December 2016

The Exchange Stars

These two stars were sent off to the land of Oz as part of an exchange and I have heard word that they have arrived. The yellow one is designed by Joëlle Paulson  called Crystal Star. The pattern can be found on her Etsy site.  It is tatted with Pineapple Parfait Lizbeth 170 and light green 4 mm crystals were used. 

I didn't know the size of my beads but I had a knitting gauge. I used the gauge to determine that these were 4mm crystals.  

The lower  star is by Jane Eborall and can be found on her pattern page. I tatted this star with Sunkist Coral Lizbeth 706 and used some  silver seed beads at all picots and joins.  


Additionally I sent off some  hand dyed thread for my exchange partner to try.  If she sends a picture of her tatting I'll be sure to share. 

I used my pop a bobbin shuttle which has the perfect hook to work with beads and can also accommodate the beads on the bobbin.  Be sure to take a look on the techniques page to know how to do those beads in the center.