Tatted Bag Trial and Error

In July I started a Round Robin Doily through Craftree.  I tatted several of the centers for my doily trying to come up with one I was happy with.  The last sample that I made before I did one 'for real' is almost the same as the final except it has several places where I changed stitch counts which I didn't go back and change.  It was a trial.  But it still looked pretty good.

So I thought I'd use it for another sample. I thought this center would look good as the bottom of a tatted bag.  At least as the bottom of a trial tatted bag.

Round Robin Doily center as the bottom of the bag.

The first few rounds went very close to my vision except for a few changes in stitch count.  As this is a trial and the stitch count change very minimal I didn't go back and change them, just left it as tatted.

Tatted bag sides

For whatever reason I made the split ring round a bit too big.  I had even started with smaller rings and changed my mind - I'm not sure what I was thinking.  I like the idea, but definitely need to change the counts there.

The bare thread sections at the top are a little too long, Well, they might not be when I finally get a material lining made.  That is material around a larger ball of thread inside the bag, filling it out so I can see what works and what doesn't.  If it was the actual lining I suppose the tatting would be stitched to it and it would work/look better. 

I had a lot of fun making this.  I'm not sure when I'll get back to it to finish all the details and make a lining for it as there are a lot of other things waiting to be done.  But when I do I will already know a few places I need to change.  It should go faster and easier then.

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely."

Henry Ford

I've been to the fair

"Martha" doily © Wanda Salmans

Tatted by Wanda Salmans

I almost didn't enter anything into the Kansas State Fair this year but at the last minute - the first day you had to pay a late entry fee -  I decided to.  I didn't have time to make more than one item but I found two places I could enter tatting.  There is only one tatting class and then there is a class for holiday decorations in any fiber medium.  For the tatting class I entered the Martha doily I made back in February. I am excited that I got first place but very disappointed in how very few entries there were.  A grand total of three.  

Judging is done against a standard as well as against other entries, so they do not have to give out ribbons if the items do not meet those standards - finished nicely, clean, even stitches (though the judge might not know tatting they probably know knitting and crochet or other lace-making techniques.) It is subjective to a point.  But the judge still liked mine enough to give a blue. That makes me happy.

My pumpkin holiday decoration came in third.  Considering there were more entries and they were in different mediums I'm pretty happy with the result.  

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers

Wall hanging by Wanda Salmans

Here is a picture of the other holiday entries. I'm not sure where the blue ribbon - 1st place - item is, I didn't see one with anything.  Maybe they got a best of class or show and was put in a different place. (My granddaughter wouldn't get out of the way for me to take a picture but wouldn't hold still either.)

Holiday Decorations at the Kansas State Fair 2015

My granddaughter did like the second place entry, a crow holding a basket with a watermelon theme.  There was another similar crow with a sunflower theme but I couldn't tell if they were supposed to be together or if someone else had a similar entry.  They were both cute.

Overall I was disappointed in how few entries there were throughout the domestic arts categories.  The last time I was there I seem to remember quite a few more of about everything - quilts, crochet, knitting, all of that.  I have told myself that I must enter more things in the fair next year.  I did go to another building that had categories that I think I could find a way to enter with tatting - I'll have to give it some thought over the year.

"It is nice to have valid competition; it pushes you to do better."

Gianni Versace

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TARDIS Bookmark

TARDIS bookmark © Anne Bruvold

tatted by Wanda Salmans

One of my nephews was a big Dr. Who fan - a Whovian - I thought would really enjoy one of these bookmarks, one of Anne Bruvold's patterns.  I tatted these in Lizbeth #652, Royal Blue, in size 20.  I had meant to give one to my nephew for his birthday in a few months, but sadly I can't do that now.  Instead I am giving one to each of his sisters as a little remembrance of him.   

"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."

Author Unknown

Autumn Pumpkin

At the beginning of August I realized that the Kansas State Fair was coming up and that this year I was not going to be on vacation while it was on. So I got the bright idea to enter a couple of items. You know, get a little more tatting out there for people to see.  The fair only has one class for tatting and you can only enter one project but they have a couple of other categories that tatting could fit in if you do it right.  

With the fair so close I thought I would take something I've already made for the tatting category.  I looked through the pieces I haven't given away or sold and decided on the Martha doily I did back in February. The rules state the items must be made within the last two years, so it works out okay.

The other category I thought I'd try is the "Holiday Decoration other than Christmas".  This is the same category I entered the spider in a few years ago.  But what to make?  And for what holiday?  No idea just jumped out at me so I made a list of holidays and what was associated with each. Then I searched for patterns that looked interesting or fun.  I decided on Mark Meyer's "Autumn Pumpkin".

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

with stem tatted by Wanda Salmans

The entire pumpkin is tatted with one shuttle, no chains.  It's not really hard, just different.  The outside is done first then you fill in the center piece by piece, then add the stem, then the leaf.  I think I started each individual piece at least three times. The start of the pumpkin at the top still doesn't look that good.  When the stem was added per the pattern the rest of the pumpkin puckered a bit so I added one more ring to it.  Now it lays much better.

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

with leaf added tatted by Wanda Salmans

The top part of the pumpkin still looks a little off but with the leaf added it disguises it a bit. Maybe the judges won't notice ***fingers crossed***

Of course, that doesn't mean it was done as an entry.  The category is "holiday decoration" not "tatted applique, finished" so the next step was to decide how to finish it as a decoration.  While at Jo-Ann's the other day (before the actual tatting had begun) I had purchased some brown material with this in mind.  When the pumpkin was done this material was too dark, completely hiding the brown stem.  With time getting short a quick trip to Walmart saved the day.  They don't have nearly the fabric selection as Jo-Ann's but it was the closest place available and did have a something that would work.

Just having a background material wasn't enough - the pumpkin by itself just didn't look like a finished decoration.  So further tatting had to be done.  The day before it had to be taken in I thought it was done, but when looking at the picture I had taken of it there just looked to be something not quite finished about it.

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

almost finished tatted by Wanda Salmans

A late night was in order to add a finishing touch.

"Autumn Pumpkin" © Mark Meyers 2009

 ready for the State Fair tatted by Wanda Salmans

I think this looks a bit more finished.  I didn't have time to take a picture in better light as a friend offered to take it to the fair with her as she was taking her quilt in, so I let her (with many thanks!)

This category has all types of textile mediums entered and, from what I've seen in previous years, a lot of people put in a lot more thought and time into their entries than I do.  I'm hoping for a ribbon but not really expecting one with all the marvelous competition.  But this will get tatting out there in front of people in a way that isn't a doily or an edging (which I like, by the way, but some people aren't interested in them so much).

I'll be going to the State Fair next week to see how I've done and to check out all the fabulous things people have made.  I'm hoping there are a lot of tatting entries - wouldn't that be cool?

"If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair.  Because five minutes a the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty..'"

Jeff Foxworthy

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It's not what it looks like

My first thought was 'this is a book of tatting'.  The doily on the cover is what caught my eye.

Nope.  It's a book on making felt dogs.

I didn't buy this book.  I didn't even think to check if the doily was credited to someone.  I was tickled that there was tatting on the cover, though!

I was at a Jo-Ann Fabric store looking through the books when I saw this.  I had just got the text with a 20% off everything coupon so was checking to see if there was anything I really, really needed there.  I did pick up another package of shuttles (who doesn't always need more shuttles?) and thought I'd check if they had any books on tatting.  I didn't notice any, just this one.  The dogs in it were very cute and I thought about buying it.

That's just what I need, another project.  I'm in the middle of about four projects right now and having trouble knowing which one to pick up at any given time. I'm very excited about all of them!  There just isn't enough time in a day to get done all that I want to.

That felted dog on the cover is really cute though....

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.  Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx