County Fair

The County Fair was different this year -- like it was only half there. Fewer entries, fewer vendors, fewer animals...you get the idea. The database with previous exhibitor names and addresses was either lost or ignored, so nobody got a postcard reminder of the fair dates and entry times. The Fair was also held earlier than usual, by about a week. Apparently, the people in charge of the exhibitor areas (not animal exhibits) are not the people who have been in charge for the last fifteen years. Those people decided to retire. They apparently either didn't train the new bunch, or the newbies decided they had better ideas. (Nah, I don't think they were really better ideas.) There were no comment cards this year, either. I miss those! It's always good to know where someone thinks your work needs improvement.

Anyway, I entered ten items and received three second place red ribbons:

Konoir edging, Original pattern ornament, Morgan Mouse Bookmarks

and seven first place blue ribbons. 

Renulek's Spring Doily, Original Pattern Doily, Halloween Card, Flowergirl Headband, Time & Again Earrings

Baby Afghan

The little crocheted stuffed animals I made from  the book Edward's Menagerie (#edwardsmenagerie) also got a Judge's Choice ribbon.

Edward's Menagerie Elephant, Zebra, Rhino, and Hippo

First of the Year

Marilee Rockley (Yarnplayer) has a new tatted jewelry book finished. (Hooray, hooray!) It's available as an e-book and in print. I couldn't wait for the printed version. These "Time & Again" earrings are the first things I've finished from the book. Of course, they're more interesting in the book -- Marilee designed them in two colors. I couldn't resist the silver and clear beads though. The way the large beads are put into the center of the ring is the easiest, cleverest way I've ever used. 

These are made with Oren Bayan silver thread, clear size 11 seed beads and two sizes of faceted glass beads.  The earwires are nylon instead of wire. I think the clear hooks look good with the silver. I can actually see covering these with lots more beads -- but it would change the delicate look.  These already have beads on the joining picots that weren't in the design -- really I'm almost as bad as Fox when it comes to beads!

Ribbons from the Fair - part 14

Jubiloso* by Yarnplayer is an incredible pattern. It looks really complicated -- but it's rings and chains, and well within the beginner's grasp. It's the wonderful way she's put all those rings and chains together that makes this such a beautiful piece. I chose Lizbeth size 20 in Light and Medium Sea Green. This is what I worked on in the car while on vacation this July. No beads to fuss with, nothing so complicated I couldn't enjoy the scenery -- it was a pleasure to work on. My only beef with it is the dozen single motifs. Effective, very effective -- but all those thread ends! I used magic threads throughout, even going to far as to cut off part of one row and start over, because I'd forgotten to put them in. It turned out really well and just over 10 inches in diameter. It also got a high blue ribbon. I'm entering this one in the State Fair, too!

*Anyone interested in obtaining the pattern for Jubiloso should go to Yarnplayer's Etsy shop, and inquire of her if it still available for purchase.

Ribbons from the Fair - part 4

This is my sister's Christmas jewelry set -- made from a Yarnplayer pattern called "Dream".

I originally entered it in the "Creative Arts" section of the fair as "Jewelry - mixed media". Well, that's what it is. After we were all done, the person taking in the entries decided that tatting didn't belong in creative arts or in the jewelry. She took it all over to the "Home Arts" area and they just wrote in new tatting categories for it. *sigh* Mine was the only tatted jewelry entered, so I competed against myself. I do wish it had been left to compete with the rest of the jewelry. It will be in creative arts as mixed media jewelry for the State Fair, because they don't just write things in if they feel like it.

Bonnie used to have an inexpensive necklace with these little bells on it that she wore at Christmas. One of the girls decided that the bells would look better used another way and ...well... chopped it up. She rescued the bells, but no longer had any jewelry. With as many bells as she had, I was able to make her two sets: one red and one green.

Good thing I entered the red set -- the only green ribbons they give out at the fair are those big sweepstakes ones! Of course, red ribbons with the green set would have just looked even more Christmasy, wouldn't they?

I suppose when I give the set back to her I could give her the ribbon, too. She could tie it over her ear. ;)

Oh...I apparently need to practice my chains to because they judge said they are all inconsistent. *sigh* Actually, what I read on the note was that the "chair types were inconsistent". I looked at it blankly and thought "What chair?" Rest...I need rest.

Rhubarb Crisp Milena

This is Iris Niebach's "Milena" from the book Tatted Doilies made in Yarnplayer's size 80 "Rhubarb Crisp".

Whew! This bit got dragged from pillar to post in the last few weeks, but finally got done. It only took me another week ...or was that two?... to get it blocked. The blocking was actually a damp cloth, the iron, and a bit of finger manipulation. It behaved well, didn't it? The first time I made this pattern (about 4 years ago), in size 30 white thread, I made an extra pair of rings at the outside of one repeat. I never noticed it until I tried to block it. It's sitting in a box somewhere. I tried it again while I was on vacation in blue variegated size 80 thread. However, I didn't carry the book with me, just kept looking at what was done -- and repeating the same mistake over and over after the second repeat. If I'd made the same mistake from the beginning, I would have finished it to see if it would work. It looked too weird though, so I threw it out in disgust. Determined to get through it at least once, this one has seen a lot of unpicking and redoing. This just isn't an autopilot pattern for me.

As for this beautiful thread, I think there might be enough left to make a pair of small earrings...maybe.

Decisions, decisions...

What to make with all this beautiful thread...no decision yet. I did use a little bit of the "Lazy Daisy" for a special project (but can't talk about that yet). This first picture is all cotton, and the second all silk. I left the silk picture really large. If you click on it, you can see how shiny and smooth they look. Both come from the Etsy shop of LadyShuttlemaker (Sherry Pence). I've got to get my hands softened up so I can touch the silk. Some of the silk will probably end up as jewelry, but I need to find some nicer and smaller beads for the really fine threads. That's all just in the thinking stage right now!

I also need to hunt up some more thread holders. I am considering rummaging in the basement (still with just a little bit of horror -- gotta get over that first) to find my embroidery thread winder and those little cards that fit in the sorting box. I should be able to act as the thread holder and convince one of my nieces she really, really wants to turn that little handle.

The collection of beautifully bright cotton thread, the Purple Punch and Rhubarb Pie are from Yarnplayer Arts on Etsy (Marilee Rockley). Isn't is pretty? I'm going to have to use those brights all together -- like a rainbow! But what sort of rainbow do I want to make??

I'll have two weeks to consider it, and a good place for inspiration. I'm leaving for Alaska on July 27 for a "land-tour cruise." I think that means "If it's Tuesday, this must be Talkeetna." There's just no way to see everything, but I want to try!

A Bit of This and That

Marilee Rockley's "Dreams" again -- this time in purple DMC Cébélia size 30 with a button closure for my 12-year-old niece. As I had so much trouble counting to 5 to make a zig-zag chain, this one is made with spiral chains of 25 second half ds separated by small split rings. I put the beads on picots off the split rings. That seemed to work pretty well for keeping them on the outside of the chain. The drop beads are just clear teardrops, but they are what she liked best.
Using that same purple and some mint green Cébélia with some shades of purple and green seed beads I'm making another bald doily. I like the center of this pattern really well. It's when I get to those three rows of chians that I choke on it. They just don't work for me. This one is now in the "thinking stage" -- I figure if I think about it long enough, I can come up with something that will suit me, and let me use the outer row -- which I find very attractive.
Finally, I've got Jane's TIAS3 up to Day 9. Poor, sad thing -- I think it's waving me off with a little misshapen hand. I do believe the beads were too big and inconsistently sized. I'm not too certain about the colors either. That pretty pink button is starting to look orange to me.
Now, I have to leave town for almost the entire month of June -- and my little old laptop doesn't have any capacity for wireless or high speed internet connection. I'll have to see if I can catch up on the weekends -- either that or start over. That would work, because now I know where to put in at least one set of magic threads! I'm wondering if three strands of quilting thread might equal size 20 thread (since I don't have any size 20 this one's all done with size 30). Maybe better thread and bead sizing would get it to shape up a bit.

Dreaming of Christmas?

The other day my sister discovered her Christmas jingle-bell necklace had ...um... mysteriously disintegrated. She had all the bells, but nothing else. Ooooo, golden opportunity! I had been wanting to make Yarnplayer's "Dream" necklace and earring set, but didn't have any drop beads, and couldn't decide on colors, or threads or anything else. For Christmas, it was easy -- my sister's favorite color is green and the bells were red and gold. I had to use size 30 DMC Cébélia thread instead of size 20 (because I don't own anything larger than 30). The bells look somewhat oversized for the thread, but it's lots prettier than the string on which they used to hang! The cord gave me some fits because I have a great deal of trouble counting clear to five -- or remembering if I'm on first half of ds or second half of ds. Still, it works, and she likes it. :) I just wish the photograph did it justice. I have to be braggy and say my tatting is better than my picture taking.

Oh -- for anyone that wanted to see my sister's dragon on Anemone Blanda, this is the picture that turned out best. I made her put a bunch of different dragons on it then choose the one she liked. This one represents her two daughters.

More Fantasia 2

The yellow stuff stood me in good stead as a test working. This is "Anemone Blanda," the little oval doily from Iris Niebach's Tatting Fantasia 2. It is made by joining two of the triangles from the beginning of the book and surrounding them with two additional rows of tatting.
Although this piece measures just 6 by 3.25 inches (15 x 8.5 cm), based on its intended use as a resting place for one of my sisters collection of dragons, this is, indeed, a doily. I suppose to some folks it would be a coaster, but I'm not letting my sister put a clammy glass on it -- just a dragon.
This is my first piece done with hand dyed thread ("HDT"). After hoarding my HDT stash for so long I started to wonder what I was hoarding it for? What use is beautiful thread if it never gets used? This one is Yarnplayer's size 80 "Forest" with so many subtle shades of restful green. There wasn't enough to do any more on the little doily, but not wanting to waste any of it, I also made this "Primula" motif from Iris's book. It's an interesting little triangle made in one continuous round, with the aid of a split ring. It measures 2.25 inches (6 cm) on a side. It would make an interesting doily if joined together. I didn't have enough thread to do that. Still, there was more thread and I couldn't imagine just leaving it sit or (heaven forbid) throwing it out. I used the last of it to make this little next piece. (Of course, because Blogger is more technologically advanced than I am -- it looks larger than the triangle). This is actually the "Hiding Thread ends" exercise at the end of Tatting Fantasia 2. (Only Iris could make an exercise in "magic threads" this beautiful!) I just did it twice and joined them together. My sister thought it would make an interesting brooch, if I could figure out how to hide the fittings. I think it would need some beads, too. Maybe lots of beads would hide the fittings. It's something to think about.