Eleventh Motif

Another bookmark...this one is Kersti Anear's "Tatted Bookmark" except I put a different top on it and left off the tassle. My 5-year-old niece saw it at this point and said "Oh, pink! And beads! Can I have it?" 5-year-old girls don't need tassles, but they apparently do need pink and beads. It is made with two threads wound on each shuttle. One is a pale pink varigated polyester machine embroidery thread and the other is a dark pink cotton sewing thread. It worked out -- the cotton seemed to lend enough body to the polyester that it didn't fray. Of course, I was very careful to tat a lot looser than I usually do.

Tenth Motif

At the end of last year someone posted a file in the old Yahoo Groups etatters of an Ice Crystal with an explanation and diagram to help with some of the difficulties in the pattern. I've never seen the original pattern, and don't know whose it is, but I kept a printed copy of the explanation.* These two Icicles borrow the main arm of that Ice Crystal. The first is DMC size 20 cordonette with crystal seed beads. I added the chains and joined rings at the top, then decided maybe that wouldn't be really useful for hanging, as it was intended to be a Christmas tree ornament. The second I made with DMC size 80 tatting cotton and gold seed beads. The split rings at the top make a much better hanger. The gold beads are interesting, but the crystal ones are more in keeping with the icicle idea. Now I need to make more. :)

*"The original Ice Crystal design is a doily from the Blomqvist and Persson book." -- Information from Sharon at http://25motifchallenge.blogspot.com/ THANKS -- And now I own the book!