It's a.....

 Pair!

Lace Day earrings designed by Muskaan

I like this pattern a lot. Thank you Muskaan for taking us down a rabbit hole curtesy of Frau Endrucks. The beads add just enough to the design, don’t you think?

In the metallic thread, with the pearl drop, it’s a bit large and heavy for earrings on my face. I know I have a big mouth, well at least large teeth, but I’m more of a petite earring person. Ears are not the only thing I decorate with thread tatted into lace, though…..

It was popular to decorate with lace, macramé, and quilts at the time when our house was originally built. I don’t succumb to the siren call of all things frilly, the wood work is rather plain. There are quite a few touches of lace and airy fabric. So, could I use these Lace Day Earrings in the home?

Yes!!!

We need to replace window coverings in several rooms. How about a very neat, tidy and practical blind that allows us to open the transom for air circulation? And just because I can, decorate the blind with this wonderful Lace Day creation!

More later as the blinds arrive…….

Biscornu finished

 I finished my tatted biscornu.

Tatted biscornu

biscornu tatted with beads

Thank you Muskaan for the pattern that inspired it all: Hidden Rose. I have ideas for more pieces!

How do you block a 3-D tatted piece?

 That was the question of the day yesterday. Here’s my solution:

More next Tuesday……

More beads hiding in rose buds

 I had some other ideas that I just had to try out:

Out of context

 That was my life yesterday. 

I worked the last two days to make sure all the “must do” tasks got finished before I received my 2^nd jab. (All is well so far, thank you.) So, when I created the post on the Hidden Rose square version, I was so focused on getting things done, I didn’t put off anything! The post went live when I had planned to schedule it for this morning. Out of order, context, focus, whatever. I’m just happy to have the vaccine in me. 

I can’t wait to gather again in person for music fun and tatting fun!!

Oh, and yes, the second side did create a nice two sided something. Now to figure out how to load the beads onto the thread so they end up where I’d like them to appear in the pattern. Perhaps I should wait until I’m back in context?

Proof of concept

 Remember this wonderful doily pattern? 

Thank you Muskaan for inspiring us!!! 

I wanted to create a square version. So far, so good:

To be continued……..

Fantasia idea almost done and dusted

With the coming of Easter, and securing a vaccine appointment, I have been able to return to the design folder. I began this pattern idea in 2020. The center fell into place nicely. The middle section is sketched out. The outer round needs a bit of tweaking. Now to tat a sample with all 3 ideas connected into one piece of lace.

I think I’m closer to performing the piece than completing the design!

Honing skills in 2021

I’ve been on an adventure in fiber lately. Nothing new, I know, but this adventure is designed (pun intended) to stretch my tatting skills. I prefer tatting in tight twist cotton. I have tatted in paracord, and boucle yarn. I decided to tat using a silk/bamboo yarn.

That’s the larger butterfly. The smaller butterfly is size 10. I tried several different movements of shuttle with the yarn. Some paths worked better than others. I tried tatting using my trusty size 5 needle. That worked, but again, I needed a different technique.

Now, if I channel Muskaan, I would meticulously post about it all. I’m not up to that task. Muskaan, you have the stage.

 I’ve decided to pull together my thoughts, observations, and recommendations for a future class. If you’re signing in to the Tatting Tuesday group, you’ll get the preview. If you are interested, but not part of the study group, watch the class listings on the Lace Museum website. I hope they’ll be interested in sponsoring a class exploring these fiber options.

Finding the Hidden Rose

 Last year, Muskaan floated the idea of Hidden RoseSnowflake.

I was very tempted to tat it, but totally intimidated by the suggested path for working this beauty! Not because of the lock chains. I have mastered them and I really like the effect. What stopped me from grabbing the shuttles was the thought of digging out clips to hold the picots for later use. I know how to use picot holders, I have managed patterns that use the technique, but keeping everything sorted never turned out well and those clips were stressful to tat around. Not something I could do in the car or watching tv. But, I really liked the design. So, it went in the to-tat pile for “later” and continued to draw my eye.

Well, 2020 has been a year of finding a different path. I was thinking about what I’ve learned this year while sorting through the to-tat pile to find a snowflake pattern for a friend. I thought to myself, “what if I started at the outside and tatted in?” What do you know, it worked! At least for me. Anyone else want to try?   

Hidden Rose Snowflake ready to block

Here’s the short story:

Tat outside ring of R: 5 – 5 .

Tat the 3 lock chains leaving a mock picot at the start of the first lock chain of 7 DS. I also found it useful to use a lock stitch to create a very small picot between the two longer lock chains to use for joining before the inner ring.

Tat the regular chain towards the inner ring, join to that very small picot, then tat the inner ring of R: 5 – 5 . This inner ring will be joined to during the next repeat.

Complete the rose bud with the other regular chain joining to the first ring. Tat the outer chain with TOR and you’re ready to begin the next bud.

These very sketchy directions are not complete. I will get back to tatting this more completely to determine which element is tatted holding shuttle 1 and which is tatted holding shuttle 2. Or for that matter, are the repeats tatted with the shuttles changing positions? Could color emphasis of parts of the piece be easily accomplished? How to place beads on thread to end up where you want them?

A worthy project, but alas, I cannot make it a higher priority than preparing for the classes next month, preparing music for Christmas, or completing several challenges. I will place it in the to-solve pile.

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!

Chords

No, that not a misspell. I know, I know, I have difficulty spelling in English! I’m not talking cord as in heavy thread or twine. I’m talking music: a group of notes. This is a long post (for me), so get out the velcro you use in class. There’s links to go to, concepts to think about…..

The pattern I’ve been playing with designed by Marilee Rockley uses curled rings. Muskaan has several excellent posts on this technique. Ninetta also has posted excellent tutorials: http://www.georgiaseitz.com/2016/ninettaalternatemethodsofcurlingrings.pdf  Both of these fabulous tatters have freely shared material and patterns with the OnLine Tatting Class. Thank you ladies! And a huge, awestruck Thank You to Georgia for all her work over these many, many years!

Back to Curling…. No, not the sport. Rings.I tried working up the examples in Ninetta’s tutorial many moons ago *2016*. The fault wasn’t Ninetta’s. I just didn’t really try. I claim too much on my plate. Not a good excuse! The truth is I was still in the first blush of having an organ to practice on whenever I pleased!!!

Marilee’s book caught the eye of one of my advanced beginner tatters in the Tatting Tuesday Study Group. Zanie, as we call her, has produced wonderful jewelry with beads in a class at the local Community College. We worked through a couple of the patterns, but nothing really grabbed us. I kept gravitating to Dazzling Debut. So, there was nothing for it but to try it out again! I’ve had success this time!! This is the size 10 version sitting beside the size 40 version.

Back to chords…. If you scroll down to page 5 of Ninetta’s PDF, you’ll see what I wish to use: stacked curled rings. I see chords. I hear music. I’ll let you decide if I’m crazy! No wait….I know I’m crazy…about tatting AND the organ!