Bits and Butterflies

I’ve been doing a lot of practice on different techniques lately.  Some of it is for Tat Days in September and some is just because.  I haven’t gotten all of them right yet, but I’ve had fun working on them.

Tatted bits of practice

The Clunies on the right I’m working on because there are a couple of classes I’m taking that call for them.  After a lot of practice they are getting easier.  I’m looking forward to learning hints and tricks about making them while at Tat Days.

Those funny looking flowers in the center?  I was trying my hand at Daisy Picots and Dandelion Picots.  Jane Eborall has instructions on her tips and techniques page.   Of course I rushed into making them before I looked them up.  My flowers came out okay and I had fun making them, but they aren’t made per Jane’s instructions.

I also played around a bit with pearl tatting – to remind myself how it’s done – and with using fancy embroidery floss.  I’m not too happy with the results with the floss.  If I really needed to use it for a project I’d work with it more and do better.

Tatted butterflies for Tat Days

Part of my getting ready for Tat Days is emptying the thread from a bunch of shuttles.  I’m going to be needing them for new projects!  What better way than to make butterflies and donate them at Tat Days?  They give them away at their State Fair – isn’t that a great idea?  I’m sure I’ll have a few more for them before I get there.

I’ll be taking my entries in to our State Fair next week.  They are not what I would like them to be but I’m taking them anyway.  Over the last several years there have been fewer and fewer entries at the fair and I don’t want the category to disappear.  I’ll be taking pictures of them soon (I hope) and sharing them later.

I’m getting ready for the Kansas State Fair and Tat Days.  What are you getting ready for?

“Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.” Henry Ford

Denim and tatting

Back in May I made a couple of denim wrist cuffs for my daughters for Mother’s Day.  I was so delighted by how they came out that I decided to make one for myself.

Of course, it had to be a little different.  Instead of tatting around buttons I edged a small piece of material instead.  I planned the material to be white with white tatting.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my white thread.  (Can you believe I couldn’t find white thread???)  My solution was using Lizbeth #602 Natural in size 20, sewed to a corner of an old tea towel, then stained in coffee.  The lace bits I had were different shades of white/off white which worked well with the material piece.

Denim cuff with buttons and tatting

I have a jar of old buttons that I sorted through to find accents for the cuff.  I tried newer buttons as well, trying to find just the right ones for the look I was after.  It’s amazing how hard it is to find just the right buttons and just the right places to put them.  I also added randomly placed seed beads over the whole thing.

You might notice that the ends don’t have the obvious stitching like my daughter’s had.  I used invisible thread this time.  It gives a nicer, finished look to the cuff, but it’s a lot harder to use than regular thread.  Instead of using a hair band for the closure I braided thread to make the loop.

Wearing my denim cuff

I’m tickled pink at how it came out. I probably won’t wear it much until the weather cools off, but I’m already planning what I’ll wear it with this fall.

I’m still working on my clunies, but also a few other techniques that I don’t use often, like split chains.  I’ve done split chains before though only rarely.  I had to go on-line and refresh my memory.  I have a very strange-looking piece of tatting where I practiced this over and over.  Maybe, maybe, I have this down a little better.

My biggest concern right now is not what I need to know at Tat Days but what tatting should I take with me to do on the plane?  Something not too complicated, without beads, and easy to put down and pick up.   Hmmm.

What do you take with you to do when you fly?

“Denim has always been an everyday symbol for style” Ritu Kumar

Practice and the fair

Earrings based on Lanyard pattern

I have been enjoying the Lanyard pattern so much I tried making earrings with it. I know there are other earring patterns that are very similar to this but I made these the same as the ends on the lanyard.  Each of these have a couple of mistakes but I will wear them any way.  The next pair will be better.  Unlike with the bigger beads and bigger thread I had to use a floss threader to get the beads on the picots.  It takes so much longer than using a crochet hook!  These were made with Lizbeth #646 Purple Iris Lt in size 20, which is a very similar color to the DMC I used for the lanyard and the bracelet.

Speaking of which, I entered the bracelet in the county fair.

Bracelet made with Lanyard 2016 pattern

My bracelet was the only entry in its class.  It’s great to see a blue ribbon on it as they do not have to give ribbons or top place to any entries even if they have no competition.

Doily with ‘Harper’ tatted edging at the fair

Doilies have to be mounted on cardboard to enter the fair.  My ‘Harper’ Edging looks good on the black background, doesn’t it?   It, too, was the only item in its class.  I’m glad I decided to enter both bracelet and doily so they don’t eliminate the classes.

Now I’m back to practicing cluny tatting.  I am taking one of Mimi Dillman’s classes at Tat Days in September and need to be a bit more comfortable with them.  I’m not trying to be perfect yet, just able to do them well enough that I can understand and learn any tips she teaches in the class.  Then I’ll practice what I learned 🙂

“To practice any art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” Kurt Vonnegut

Lanyard 2016 Pattern as a Bracelet

When I made the lanyard a few weeks ago I was too impatient to add beads, as well as tatting it in the car.  I had thought beads would be nice if I would make the effort.  Sandra (Crazy Mom) commented it would look good with beads, too. I happened to stop in at Hobby Lobby last week and found some pretty beads.  I was trying to think what I could use them for when my husband told me to just get them.  He’s a wonderful enabler!  When I got home and saw the lanyard I realized that the purple thread would work well with the beads.

I noticed right away that the picots would have to be longer to accommodate the 6/0 beads.  Which also meant that the stitch count would need to be adjusted also.  I actually did a little planning before I started, so the beads would end up where I wanted them.  Putting two beads on the top picot it changes the look of the pattern, too, from concentric rings to leaves.  It came out well.

Tatted bracelet based on the Lanyard 2016 pattern

Before starting I went hunting through my stash of findings for the ends.  Because I was looking for gold findings all I located were silver or antique bronze findings.  This was frustrating as I didn’t want to add them after, I wanted to incorporate them from the beginning.  Luckily, the local Wal-Mart carried gold lobster claws.  Finally I could get started!

Tatted bracelet with beads

I added a little extra piece on one end.  This helps to keep the bracelet closure on the bottom of the wrist instead of moving to the top.  Don’t you just hate it when your bracelet shows off the closure instead of the pretty parts?

Tatted bracelet with clasp assist

This little piece helps when you put the bracelet on by yourself, too.  Hang on to this little dangle and it will hold the end in place while you clip it with the lobster claw.  I can put it on by myself without fighting with it!

The bracelet was made with DMC Cebelia Lavender size 10 thread and Bead Treasures 6/0 glass beads Metallic Turquoise.

The county fair is coming up soon. I’m debating if I should enter something, and, if so, what.  It is fun entering items in the fair but you have to enter them in a certain time frame and pick them up at a certain time.  I need to check my schedule.

“Let’s do what we love and do a lot of it.”    Marc Jacobs