Fourteenth Motif

Motif? Yeah, I'm counting it. This is the square doily from Jan Stawasz' Tatting, Theory and Patterns. It's not difficult to tat -- most of it is simple rings and chains. It's his use of negative space I find so beautiful. I didn't do it in the size 20 thread he recommends, and I didn't use his method (which essentially is front side / back side tatting), but I think it turned out nicely. This one is again made with two threads wound on each shuttle (getting addicted to that!): one thread of Coats hand quilting cotton thread in variegated pastel shades and one thread of Signature polyester machine embroidery thread in variegated bright shades. It makes the pastels brighter with just a bit of sheen here and there. The cotton thread gave the polyester enough support for it not to fray. Now that that's done, I guess I'll try some smaller things next.

Thirteenth Motif

This bookmark just grew when I was trying to use up the thread on my shuttles. I started with a split ring and added the horizontal set of rings when it was looking a bit boring. The little pink one was the trial, but had a couple of places in the center that I didn't like when it got done. I redid it with the larger purple thread (actually purple size 12 DMC pearl cotton and a strand of variegated purple Coats hand quilting thread). It still doesn't look quite right where the tail joins on -- goes from thin to thick too abruptly and I think there are too many Josephine rings. I had to pin it out on the starch board to keep all those little bobbers from overlapping. I look at it now and think, "Hmmm...widen it out in the center and it would look something like a stingray. Or, maybe figure out a cross arm for it." It has possibilities.

Twelfth Motif

Okay, it's not exactly a motif. It's thread pieces made into bits of this and that. Everyone can recognize the little butterflies (at least I hope they're recognizable!). The square is the center motif of a pattern from Jan Stawasz' "Tatting, Theory and Method" but, as it's missing a picot on one of the center rings, it's just a bit of used up thread now. The other two purple things are ...um... things. Fingers just wandering around doing whatever. I might have to do 26 motifs to make up for having actually posted this one ...er... six?

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!

Ninth Motif

I didn't run out of thread on the shuttles this time - but stayed up last night ... er ... early this morning until 3:00 to finish this. It's the same varigated thread wound with white, but this time I used Design 39 from Tatting 60 Original Lace Treasures for the main body of the bookmark. The top was created by turning the first and last repeats backward and closing the end with another repeat. The tail is four threads encapsulated in two threads with two split chains at the end. I rather like this blue denim look.

Eighth Motif

Teresa in the Tatting forum at eCraftWorld mentioned using two different threads wound on the shuttle to make bookmarks. That sounded like an interesting idea, so I gave it a try. This little bit was the result. It's made of one strand of white DMC Size 80 tatting cotton and one strand of Coats hand quilting thread in varigated blues. I think the color combindation makes it look just a bit like denim. It stopped being a bookmark when I ran out of thread on one of the shuttles. Now it is going to be a bit of decoration for my niece's dark-blue t-shirt so it won't look so "boy". ;) The pattern is "Design 43" from Christel Wiedmann's Tatting, 60 Original Lace Treasures.

Seventh Motif

About time I had something new to post! I did something werid to my shoulder, but the therapist has given me the okay to tat again. Another Iris Niebach design from "Tatted Doilies" -- this one is Graciella. Unlike the others I've done, this one is worked in 4 rounds, instead of one continuous round. The thread is Coats machine quilting thread in varigated greens. Hmmm...don't think I'll use this thread for anything but leaves in the future. It just looks too busy and detracts from the design. I'm giving it to my sister. Her favorite color is green. She's going to put it under one or more of the little dragons on her collection shelf.

Sixth Motif

Inspired by Eleonora, I borrowed the center motif to create this bookmark in shades of purple. Again, in Coats hand quilting thread. My niece is delighted, because I've promised it to her.

Fifth Motif

Again, dipping into Iris Niebach's "Tatted Doilies" -- this one is Eleonora. It is made with Coats hand quilting thread. The colors are muted pastels and prettier than the scan shows. It looks especially washed out and pale next to the machine quilting "rainbow" varigated thread. I'm not really satisfied with it, as I stressed it too much when I blocked it. I'll have to try this one again!