Motif Diagram

There's no written pattern, but for anyone that can work from a diagram -- here ya go. Join to the next motif at the picots on the 8ds, p 4ds chains, at the small joining picots on the 2ds, p, 2ds, p, 4ds rings, and at the center picot (which is a larger picot than the other small joining picots) of the 4ds, p, 4ds, p 4ds, p, 4ds rings at the corners. I hope that is more clear than mud. Oh -- if you click on the image it should get you a larger size image. If it's not large enough to see, will someone flag me, please?

Better Thread

There. Yes, it does look better in a solid color. It might be okay in a multi-colored thread, but the thread would have to be very carefully selected. This is back to the rest of my DMC Cébélia size 30 stash for a nice plain purple. I like the spot where the motif's join, even though it is very dense (sometimes I am too, so that's okay). Next step is writing out the pattern for this one. I didn't do that. I like working off a made piece -- must be something I got from my Gramma. She crocheted beautiful things, but couldn't read a pattern. She just used made pieces and duplicated them. Still, if I'm going to share, I'll have to write it down. I just don't have time to make everyone a pattern piece to work from (as if "everyone" wants to make the same thing!). I thought about making this bigger, so I've left the joining picots on all the edges, and this is just lightly pressed, not really blocked or starched.
At any rate -- this was really a good lesson in being careful of the colors I pick!
I've been asked to share the pattern. I'm happy to do that, as soon as I get some time to actually make a pattern. Right now it's just the original motif that I keep following.

Thread Selection

This is my second homework motif worked into a little mat. It is 4 inches (about 10 cm) square. The thread is size 20 Lizbeth "Desert Bloom". I think the motif turned out really well and makes a very nice decorative mat. However...

The thread was a severe mistake -- especially for this piece. The colors are wrong and change in odd places worked in this pattern. Purple, orange, and gray-white might make something really pretty, but I can't think what. I do believe this thread was a mistake, for me, and I won't be buying any more of it. Of course, if I had picked a different pattern to make with it, I might be feeling better about the thread.

I need to try this motif in a nice solid color and see how the mat looks.

Francesca, Finally

"Francesca" from Tatted Doilies by Iris Niebach has been a real challenge for me. I've been trying to work this pattern for very nearly five years. Ummmm...not constantly, mind. Every time I've started it I've gotten hopelessly lost somewhere before completing the second repeat. I've unpicked and re-tatted and decided that was wrong, too. I've unpicked and broken the threads. Finally, I've cut the bit off and chucked it out in disgust at my absolute inability to follow instructions. This time, I decided to outsmart myself. I scanned the pattern diagram then, using my PaintShop program layered the bit of the diagram over and over until I had a larger diagram showing the progression through three repeats. That seemed to work (not that this doily didn't undergo an ample share of retro-tatting) I managed to get clear around and actually finish! I used some of my new Lizbeth size 20 to work this pattern. The color is "Caribbean" and is actually much more defined purple, navy, and turquoise than I can get my scanner (or my limited ability with color brightening) to show. I probably should have dampened this one and stretched it out on the starch board before showing it -- but I just trundled it off to the ironing board for a quick press. It can go on the starch board later.

International Tatting Day

Here I am, sneaking in to say "HI!" for International Tatting Day.
Am I tatting? No. (I'm working -- yes, really, I am!)

However, I do have a picture of my original homework motif with some little computer assisted SCMR modifications suggested by Sharon Briggs. This would allow the motif to be connected to others of its kind to make a rather interesting looking mat.

Okay, I didn't tat today (YET!) but I have thought about it!

P.S. I DID tat at my niece's indoor soccer game. I made little blue butterflies and gave them away. There -- tatting in public, and giving it away -- that works for celebrating! :)

Varied Homework

I played with my homework motif based on some group suggestions. It turned out that I liked my original motif best, but created a whole new one that I like as well. If I add just a few joining picots, it will make a pretty mat. I tested it out using a computer rendition, but I might actually tat this one.

PS...I've started. I'm using a size 20 Lizbeth thread called Desert Bloom -- I'm not certain I care for the purple and orange together, but we'll see...

Back to School

I'm involved in Sharon Brigg's Design-Tat course, and am thoroughly enjoying it. We have homework! First time in my life I ever really, really liked homework. The first two lessons were back to rings and chains -- building blocks. How to get different configurations of rings and chains by changing the stitch count or where and how connecting picots are used. It's not something I consciously think about when working someone else's pattern -- but how essential to making one's own!
The third lesson was to take a round 8 ring and 8 chain center and build a second round with some interesting negative space connected to only 4 chains. All of this cream-colored Opera size 10 thread was just crouched under my bed waiting to grab an unwary ankle. I wrestled some into submission and wound it onto a couple of shuttles (that size 10 stuff is big and tough!) and came up with this:
Hey, I like it (but you should have seen what I threw out!). Today I had to go get the oil changed in my car so I took a bit of thread and a couple of shuttles (well, of course!). These bits of orange and blue ombre size 80 went meekly into my bag and onto the shuttles. It looks different in two colors, doesn't it?

Interesting scale as well. These pieces were scanned side-by-side. Maybe I should have posted them the same way -- or how about this:

Iris TIAS Doily

I finally finished the whole doily. It's an amazingly gorgeous design. We're so lucky to have Iris share it with us! I have to make another one of these (one? maybe two or three or more; it's addictive).
I didn't complete it in the original pink and maroon that I started with. The center picots weren't joined and I didn't want to do some kind of retro-stitching at the end. That piece will be a decoration instead. Ha. The whole truth is that I got all this new Lizbeth thread and had to try it out. It's so much smoother and more crisp to work with than the Cebelia. Really. Now I have lots of size 20 thread! These two are Leaf Green (the variegate) and Christmas Green.
It seemed appropriate to post this bit 'o green for St. Patrick's Day.

Blog Queen?

Sherry Pence gave me this shimmering bit of recognition. According to her blog:

The "Blog Queen" award recognizes female bloggers who are:
SEASONED; She has blogged for at least one year.
PROLIFIC; She writes several posts each month.
FUNNY; She make us smile with her witty humor.
ADDICTIVE; She keeps us coming back for more.

You may accept this award or not.
There are no rules to follow.
You may pass it on as you please.
This is just to let you know that you make my day!

I'm not good at this sort of thing, so I will accept with gratitude, but decline to pass it on. I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings by leaving them out or annoy anybody who doesn't do awards by including them. How's that for totally wishy-washy. Okay, I'll admit it. sigh. I'm just greedy. Look at that crown! It's covered in jewels. I'm not sharing -- they're shiny and they're all mine. Oh, wait, Sherry already shared it with a number of more worthy people. I guess I'll have to make this one just mine, like so:

Right. That's so not funny.

Thank you, Sherry. You've just made putting all these words on this electronic page worth the effort. :)

Another Ornamental Cornelia

Yes, "Cornelia" by Iris Niebach from Tatted Doilies, again. This is such a beautiful pattern! This one is made with one strand of green ombre cotton quilting thread and one strand of dark green rayon embroidery thread on one shuttle, and corresponding threads of red of the other shuttle. There are red or green beads matching the threads at each picot. Because of the size of the threads, this one has only five pattern repeats, and I changed the number of small rings at the tip of each repeat from five to four. It curves around the ornament better that way. The bottom is just simple rings and chains, but that's what fit best. I'm working on a companion ornament with the colors reversed. They'd make a nice gift as a pair.