30 October 2006

First part of my Secret Santa done

This is the first part of my Secret Santa done. Do you like it? I'm VERY pleased with it. I hope my partner likes the colours and the beads.



Did you REALLY think I was going to let the secret out yet?

29 October 2006

Gone Fishing!!

I was also asked by the same lady to make her three pairs of fish earrings. I immediately thought of Martha Ess's dear little fish in New Critters on the Block but found that once made it was too big for an earring. Then I decided that I was just being downright lazy and that I should make one of my own. The first picture below is the progression of how the fish developed on Friday (after the booties were finished!).
The next picture is Saturday's progression and the third is the finished results. I used a no. 20 thread with a sparkly filament added and tiny seed beads for the fins and tail. The eye is a slightly larger bead.

28 October 2006

Booties finished

Just finished this pair of booties for a lady in America. The pattern is in Tatting by Cathy Bryant. I wonder how many times I've made these? Hmmmmmm

26 October 2006

Odds and Ends

I had an evening off yesterday and made the starfish below for a customer. Yes, I will put the pattern on my site (eventually) although it's really a bit of a 'steal' from another pattern. No copyright issues here, though, cause it's one of my own I've stolen!!!!!!! Underneath that is a birthday card I made a while back for number one grandson. I used Martha Ess's wonderful little 'New Critters on the Block' designs. Thanks, Martha for the 'boy orientated' patterns - just right for Callum.

24 October 2006

Handkerchief Finished

I don't like doing handkerchief edgings but was asked for one so did this!!! It's the pattern on my site - One Pass Edging and works out about 1 1/4" when I used Finca Bollilos linen thread. I'm actually quite pleased with it!!

23 October 2006

Antique Lace

Antique lace - some of which I need help with in identifying. Please contact me on lovetotat@gmail.com if you can help.

5 above are crochet and measure 6"

Above is Irish crochet in a fine thread - possibly 60 - 80.

Irish again above measures 15" perfect.

Crochet above measures 12" perfect.

This may be bobbin 19" across and perfect condition.

Not known - help needed 9" perfect.

Knitted - I think.

Possibly bobbin 7" across perfect

No idea - 13/14" perfect and I have two!

Think this may be needle - it's spectacular perfect and 16"

22 October 2006

Why I've been quiet lately!

This is why I've been quiet!! I listed some tatting on ebay and orders for more stuff has been coming in. I've still got a hanky edging in white to complete and a pair of babies booties. Then there may well be a pair of seahorse earrings too. Another lady wants a starfish but the idea's still in my head!!!
Just to show you some of what I've been up to!

15 October 2006

Commissioned Work!

This is what I was commissioned to make for my DP (dear partner!) who is modelling the garment. Honestly, promise - he asked for it and he got it!! I used the letters from Mary Sue Kuhn's book 'The Joy of Split Ring Tatting' and 'stuck' them on with 'Wonder Web' which is the stuff you use for making hems when you don't want to sew them. Fiddly but ......... That's why it looks a bit mucky when you click on it and see the larger version - it was still damp when I made him put it on!!!

13 October 2006

Cherry's Birthday Card

I'm off to a little birthday party on Monday for the lady along the road who will be 95! Her name is Cherry!!! I made this little card for her.




10 October 2006

Eureka!!!

Finally and at last - the bookmark which is done in one 'hit' is almost completed. All problems solved and I'm pleased with it at last!! Just one or two small 'problems' with the text and a way of overcoming too many SLT's on the second side which occurred to me in the middle of the night and I can soon start to put a web page together. Also I'll be able to start something NEW!!! Yippeeeee. I shall work a final bookmark this evening and then maybe explore the possibilities of making a corner on this to turn it into an edging. I can never see the point of having an edging if it doesn't have a corner!!!!!

9 October 2006

I thought that I'd try and 'resolve' the second side as a rest from worrying about the ends!!! I think that the second part with the two rings joining to the flower is about right. I'm going to re-do the ends this evening - if I can drag myself back to it!!!!

8 October 2006

More progress on the bookmark

After a long morning listing some more tatting and other stuff on ebay (my ID is janeeborall if you want to take a peek) I've finally found time to show the progress on the bookmark.
I don't like the ends and will not be using those I don't think!!! They look very clumsy to me. Quite pleased with the new look flower though. I took on board several suggestions that said it would be better without the green on the one side. This has meant changing the SR to a SCMR BUT this then needed a chain to take the flower away from the start point in order to work the SCMR back. An interesting new idea which I feel I may use again!! The other side is now going to be a challenge as I don't want to do any C & T's!!!

6 October 2006

My Personal Tatting History

It's now about 50 years since I learnt the craft of tatting.

When I was eleven years old I was allowed to go on the first ever school trip run by Broad Street County Primary School to Belgium. I remember that it cost my mum and dad the tremendous amount of thirteen pounds and ten shillings. I knew I was very lucky to be able to go as I had a younger brother and sister who would also be going in future years. This was probably my very first lesson in 'how expensive' things are!!! A lesson which was well learnt and has stayed with me throughout the rest of my life!

We travelled to Bruges and one of the things I saw was this lady making lace.

This made SUCH an impression on me that for the following two years I nagged and nagged about learning to make lace. I must have been a real pain!!!

In 1956 my gran then aged about the age I am now, decided to go to tatting classes at the old Technical College in Henley Street here in Stratford upon Avon. She wasn't really sure whether she wanted to learn or not! Gran was an extremely good artist but never did a lot after her marriage.

Anyway, after her first lesson she asked if I'd like to learn. Woweeee, nearly, nearly bobbin lace!!! I went to her house and we sat down to try this new fangled craft out. Oh dear, gran had forgotten about the flip!!

To this day I clearly remember seeing what should happen and together we got it under way. Many, many hours we spent together swopping ideas, patterns etc. My pocket money was spent on the only threads we could get hold of - white and ecru (Coats) and the old Coats & Clarkes books and Penelope Books were our only source of patterns at that time. We did manage to borrow a Norma Benporath book from the library (they had found one in a library up north somewhere) and this was very inspiring.

When my gran was just into her seventies she decided to take a trip round the world to meet her brother whom she hadn't seen for fifty years because he'd emigrated to Australia. Whilst she was over there with him she advertised on TV and radio asking for copies of the Norma Benporath book and she managed to get one good copy. I now have this and an original Mrs Beeton's book (also gran's) in my possession.

In later years I learnt bobbin lace, knitted lace, crochet, netting and filet but throughout I have always, but always tatted!!! I've done a lot of sewing and patchwork too in the past.



4 October 2006

Back to the bookmark!

Back to the bookmark and after the very constructive comments after the initial attempts I've managed to 'get rid of' the green colour on the centre 'flower'. This meant running a chain forwards and then going back and instead of using a SR with rings thrown off I've used a SCMR. The two other SR's simply have to have one side of green!! The problem now is the second side (oh, and the ends!). I wasn't happy with the original ends as they didn't lie flat enough so I shall 'fiddle' with those. In the scan below I need to remove one SR following the end (on the left) and before starting the long chain. Now I really, really need to resolve this second side. Up til now I've been putting the shuttle through the gap so that the chain and shuttle thread can do a SLT around the gap between the two SR's but I now think that I'll probably use an OTT join instead to give me more scope to play with this second side. All comments would be VERY welcome. I shall now have to leave this again for a day or three as I've an 'out of ebay' order to fulfill!!!

2 October 2006

If you have ever noticed this butterfly on my site http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~nickeb/butterflyring.htm then you'll see that the following are the same but with a tatted centre. I will amend the pattern in a few days. First of all I want to work this again but without all the picots as I think it might give a clearer outline - all comments welcome!!! Oh, these haven't been pressed yet!!!

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Happy Beaks

Happy Beaks
I beg your pardon? I didn't quite catch what you said.