Design Challenge 3

Late in January Sharon Briggs posted a new design challenge -- to make something based on a rose center. I've never made any of these rose motifs before. They always looked like a lot of bother. It surprised me to find they're not all that difficult or fiddly!
It took me this long to think up something. I'm not certain this is recognizable as a shamrock, because when my dad saw it on my lap desk he said he liked the "little green thing." Okay, it is a green thing and it measures 2.25 inches (5.5 cm) across which isn't very big. It's made with DMC Cébélia size 30 thread.
This is the first time I ever tried pearl tatting, too. I'm not certain I have it right, but if not, it was ...um... intentional, yes, that's it.

Starry, Starry Night

Motif number 36 from Tatting by Myra Piper is a star instead of a snowflake. Stars just cry out for gold metallic thread, don't they? It would be nice if gold metallic thread scanned as pretty as it looks -- instead of scanning as a weird mustard yellow. Still, the pattern is a pretty one and very simple.
I'm posting this because I've reached dither-point. There are too many things I want to do! I was having such a difficult time deciding that what I actually did was another "Cornelia" by Iris Niebach in KingTut quilting thread. I left out two repeats so that it curves around a satin-covered styrofoam ornament. Now, I'm trying to make something for the bottom that will match.
Once that's done, I've got an idea for Sharon Briggs' latest challenge...

Stella Alpina and TIAS Day 2

"Stella Alpina" from Fantasia by Iris Niebach. Made from one strand of Sulky machine embroidery thread and one strand of white quilting cotton, it measures 5.25 inches (13 cm) at it's widest part.
Working Iris's patterns is rather like having comfort food for me. When I'm feeling fussled, unsettled, worried, or grumpy -- there's nothing like a nice doily from Tatted Doilies, Fantasia, or Fantasia 2 to make me feel much, much better.
That's why working on Iris' TIAS is such a wonderful thing -- a little dose of reason every couple of days. That's gotta be a good thing! This is what I have so far. It looks like a good match for what others have done, so I think I'm on the right track. I made my picot gauges just a tad smaller, because I have to use size 30 thread (I don't seem to own any size 20), and it looks just a little crowded. Maybe at the end a bit of blocking will not come amiss. As for a guess about what it is -- I have no idea, but isn't it going to be pretty?

Cornelia and C-lon

"Cornelia" from Tatted Doilies by Iris Niebach. This is such a pretty pattern! As it is all worked in a single round, it's also a fun pattern to watch develop. Of course, you have to pay attention. There were too many places that I had to unpick (retro-tat is way too nice for what I was doing). There's one chain with 12 too many ds and an extra picot that I didn't notice until I was 8 rings and 4 chains further along. Nope, not unpicking that! This one will probably end up hidden on a shelf.
I tried out a new thread. After reading Teri "TATBiT" Dusenbury's blog and her statements about C-lon Microbeading cord, I went looking. I found some of that and ordered it. However, I also found C-lon beading thread, so I got some of that -- it came first, so I used it. When it first comes off the tiny spool it is flat and shiny. It doesn't work up that way, but it is very crisp to work with -- as long as you don't make goofies you have to pick out. It really is picking-out with this thread; it's unforgiving. The thread separates into micro-fine threads if it is worked too much. Then one of those tiny threads might decide to fray and wrap itself around any thread close by. Okay, so this little doily was the wrong thing to make with it. I do believe this stuff will be absolutely wonderful for earrings! I'm really, really going to have to make some with it, because I got some very pretty colors -- but no more of this teal color because it took the entire spool to make the doily.

Iris TIAS ... oops

It's so exciting that Iris is doing a TIAS! (That's "Tat it and See" for all you acronym-challenged folks.) What would be even more exciting is if I had done it right. I think I have the elements in the required configuration, but that large clover on the end is in the wrong color. Yeah, that's was comes of tatting until 2:00 AM. I don't have enough sense to go to bed -- what makes me think I have enough sense to pay attention to directions? It's okay. I'll start over tonight...before the wee hours.

Has it Stopped Snowing?

Three more from Tatting by Myra Piper. These are No. 23, 34, and 37. All have been done in Coats "Button Carpet & Craft" thread (I can't figure out why they leave out the comma...unless there is such a thing as a button carpet?). I liked all of these, but think I would start somewhere different for No. 34. I did No. 37 with a split ring exit in the center rather than do the center as a separate row. Less cut and tie and hide is always a good thing. These measure 3" (11.5 cm), 3", and 2.75" (11 cm), respectively. That's a good, respectable size for a tree decoration. I might hunt up the invisible thread and make hangers for them. They would make good gifts or they might end up in my own decoration box.

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is more than half over, and I very nearly forgot to post these. The three white ones are "Heart's Desire" by Susan K. Fuller. The large one is Coats "Button Carpet & Craft" thread, the small one at the top is two strands of polyester machine embroidery thread, and the other is DMC size 80 tatting cotton. This is a really great pattern. It looks so complicated and I kept wondering how I was going to get the last part joined without being a contortionist. Ta-da! It just worked so smoothly. That's why there are three them -- how fun!

The pink heart is Nancy Tracy's "Clover Drop Heart" with a little variation. The first one I made according to the pattern, but my chains were too tight and it was oddly misshapen. For this second one I added beads and a couple of extra stitches to the chains. That worked for me.
Hmmmm...perhaps I should have made some flowers to go with those hearts. Maybe next year...

Still Snowing

Motifs number 14 and number 5 from Tatting by Myra Piper. These are nice substantial snowflakes as they are made with Coats "Buttons Carpets & Crafts" thread. It's a cotton-covered polyester with a glace finish and works up nice and crisp. These just required a bit of a press under a slightly damp cloth, no real blocking. I'm pretty certain I can find a home for them -- I've already had volunteers.

It's Snowing

...at least it was this morning. Making these two was certainly more fun than shoveling the real stuff out of the driveway (which is long enough for five cars). These little snowflakes are items No. 1 and No. 2 from Tatting by Myra Piper. In the book, they both have nine points -- but I wanted them to be snowflakes, so I only made six. The first one is made of size 12 DMC cotton perlé and the second is machine embroidery thread (one strand of white and one of blue ombre). They are both really small, No. 1 is only 1.5 inches (4 cm) and No. 2 is a bare 1.25 inches (3 cm). These are both going to my niece's school for the silent auction on Art Night. They'll probably be combined with some of my other snowflakes rather than auctioned by themselves -- they're so little, they'd get lost wandering around by themselves.

Quantiesque With a Twist

Jon Yusoff's Quantiesque Snowflake again -- but this time with a twist in the chains leading to the outer clovers. I had to make the chains almost double length to do the cross-over for the twist, and I think they should have been still a bit longer. This twist makes the outer edge look more round with sticky-outy things. The original version has a nicer flow, but I think this is interesting. I used size 80 DMC tatting cotton in red and green, but to get it to shine added one strand of white rayon machine embroidery thread. I made another one with a green center and outer round but, somehow, got the twists backward on a couple of the ends. It looks odd, so I'm not showing it off.