Hair bun holder is finished!

It is done! Ready to wear on our trip. Pictures when I return.

Now on to finishing other projects. Maybe I’ll get back to the Monster Doily. Maybe I’ll complete an earring or two. Oh! And there’s the Bach Fest Piece to design and tat.

So much to tat! So little time!!!

Almost there with another bun holder

I’ve finished Round 7. I’m creating the backing and working towards adding the hair tie.

This is what happens when you try to hide ends using a SSSR (Single Shuttle Split Ring) while tatting with thread that doesn’t like to be tied into knots:

And corrected by snipping out and completing a normal ring tatting over the tails:

Oh, and before you ask, when you clip a ring like this, clip between the first and last DS. That way you have enough thread coming from the previous Element to tie a knot.

 ‘nuff said!

On a more positive note, I received word that my Bach Fest Art Raffle application was approved. Now to create something people will love enough to buy LOTS of tickets!

....But.....

I am a Geek……But…..

I love tools……But…..

I love using my hands…..But….

It’s music whether it’s on the piano or organ.

It’s lace whether it’s tatted with needle or shuttle.

It’s salad whether you slice or tear.

[sigh]

Let’s just enjoy creating! Ok?

[rant finished]

I’ll be turning in my application to help raise funds for Carmel Bach Festival with a piece of tatting in their Art Raffle. I already have ideas. I must finish the bun holder before I finalize what thread and color and if there will be bling or beads or……

So, I’m off to the beach to exercise with a walk while listening to the fugue just one more time!

Oh, and Geeks Rule!!!!!!!!!!!

Successful Workshop

Well, my idea worked: 

That was satisfying to discover.

Also satisfying:

Successful Ice Drop workshop. 4 of the 8 participants finished the pattern. I find it easy to teach stitchers who are experienced in reading charts, visualizing the finished piece, and comfortable with thread. All of the ladies chose to work with needle. I’m hoping they enter some needle tatting in the Fair.

My application to teach at Palmettos Tat Days was chosen. I’m waiting for the details before I can commit to other projects. One of those projects involves the organ, so I may have quite a conflict to resolve! Hope to hear soon……

Clipped the Climbing out

I’m always interested in finding ways to avoid hiding ends by climbing out from one round to another. 

As I finished Round 3 of the bun holder, I carefully worked a split chain and started on what I thought would work for row 4. I decided it didn’t work. 

So, out came the scissors and the split chain disappeared (After the sun came out the next day!) And ends to hide……

I think my idea will work, but I want to measure to make sure the row will lay flat and not cup or ruffle. When I figure it out, I'll let you know.

On to Row 4

Spencer doily Row 3 finished

It’s taken a month or so, but I’m finally to row 4 of the Pearl Bun Holder.

I’m using the same center as this one, and adding fresh water pearls. After sorting through my thread stash, I settled on using Gutermann 40 weight cotton sewing thread wound with Sulky Metallic in Prism White.

Hair Bun Holders

I’ve begun wearing my hair in a bun again. Muskaan and Winkerbill both have tatted up something to use and gift to others. The pattern is very, very simple. I like to add a covered elastic like they sell for ponytails. Just tat over it while completing the final round. What I also like to do to dress it up is add beads!

I do love to wear the tatting. I’ve decided though that I need to tat a bun holder with pearls. I’ve never been much for sparkle, preferring the soft glow of the pearls. That means a trip to the store to buy more (pearls) beads!

2 more goats needed

Whew! What a day!! I had fun, but I’m whooped! I need to concentrate on the chores I’ve ignored over the past few days. The laundry has piled up and we’re low on milk and bread. So, what have I been doing?

Sharing the Hair Bun Holder pattern with the OnLine Tatting class. The pic and link is in the previous post. I really did enjoy the experience…..even though I was nervous and spent a lot of energy preparing. That meant that I had way more material than prepared than I used, but that’s OK. I’ve started a file for it all along with a pattern file and a designing ideas file. Speaking of, it’s time I spent some time on those design ideas. Maybe this afternoon.

If you have some time, I encourage you to help a venerable tatting designer reach a goal she set: 100 goats.

That’s right, goats. Jane E. has created for several years a “game” she calls TIAS (Tat It And See). This year’s pattern created a goat. She only needs 2 more pictures sent to her. So, if you didn’t join in but have an hour or two, tat a goat, scan or photograph it, and send it to her. Details with pattern on her blog: Tatting Patterns with the added ‘fun’ Factor http://tatitandsee.blogspot.com/ .

TIAS Day 9

Did I miss yesterday? Well, you'll see why in a bit....I was working rather diligently.

The sky had just enough fog in it to catch the sun and turn brilliant red this morning. My favorite kind of sky at sunrise. It represents what I like in life: just enough troubles to make it interesting.

Well, this is why I missed yesterday. I’ve finished diagramming the Hair Bun Holder. Before you ask to see it, I must tell you: I started with rather small objects as I wanted to make sure I had enough room on the “page”. I think I started too small. When I added the stitch count numbers, I needed size 4 font to fit inside the rings. Too small…..

So, in consolation, here’s my Day 9 of Jane’s TIAS:

TIAS 2012 Day 9

I recognized him immediately. He's the thief of my ball of thread that dissappeared the other day! And I was blaming my kitties!! I caught him in the act of snooping in my cabinet this morning. He was looking for more I think! Now to pen him in and figure out his name....I KNOW it's a HE!

Wednesday already

Sun is out again. After a couple of foggy mornings, it's nice to wake up to bright skies. I'm still working on my diagram for the hair bun holder in Inkscape ( for photo, see previous post on Monday). And I’ve got ideas for Solid Rock pattern to try. And my new binder for TAT came. So many choices of things to do. Housework will just have to wait!

Hair Bun Holder is finished! Whew!!

I finally have finished a rather involved project. It all started last summer.

I got the idea to make a hair bun holder for myself. I decided to base it on a doily pattern attributed to Anne Orr. I first ran into this pattern published in Tatting Doilies & Edgings edited by Rita Weiss for Dover Needlework Series. It’s listed as measuring 8-1/2 inches worked in size 50 thread. It looked all too complicated for me to attempt. After the OnLine class studied it last June, I was more intrigued by the pattern. Here’s what Gina came up with for us: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2011/anneorrdoilyrewrite.html

After we all signed out of the classroom and went about our summer, I kept coming back to the idea of using this pattern. Then I wandered into a quilt shop recommended to me for colorful tatting thread. They had a glorious collection of thread in all kinds of yummy colors. Now, I’ve not had great success working with tiny thread before this point. But, I couldn’t resist the colors! I really couldn’t decide which one to use…..




Cocolatte

Teaberries

Charcoal

Woodlands

So I asked on Intatters for ideas. What a great group of people! They had several ideas that I really liked. The question remained: how to execute these ideas? This is what I decided on:

top of hair bun holder in teaberries

Based on how I worked a  different beaded hair bun holder, I decided to make the back simple mignonette with a final row around an elastic hair tie.

back of hair bun holder

I can’t wait to try it on!