Return from Travels

Oh, it was lovely to be away and spend time with my family and friends.  I hope you all also had a nice Easter?

I didn't do much tatting during my holiday but I was able to make one quick egg to decorate our Easter table and also to complete Renulek's spring doily.  I stopped at round 8 because my father liked it as was (and I was giving it to him) and didn't want it any bigger.  I managed to complete the last few repeats about two hours before my flight was due to depart!  I didn't get a chance to take my usual photos myself but here are a couple sent by my Dad.  The doily is on their dining table.

 My little Easter egg

where it ended up as a decoration

in one of the pot plants!

And here's the doily.

My father likes bright colours!

The photo below shows the 8th round

in the first colour I had tried which turned

out to be too dark and too "blue"

for my liking.

I cut that out and did the 8th round again in

a colour that better matched

the rest of the doily.

Renulek's spring doily has been popular and there were many examples of it being tatted (and still being tatted) all over the world!  I think that's great.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Unintentional Re-Design!

This is what happens when you're not paying attention.  I found a nice motif on Jennifer Williams' Website and decided to tat it last night.  I have made some of Jennifer's designs before.  She has some lovely ones, including the gorgeous beaded fan I made a while ago.

Anyway,  I was watching TV and got started… then once I'd done the first repeat I thought I was fine and didn't need to look at the pattern again.  I soon realised I'd gone wrong but decided to complete the motif anyway rather than start again.  This is the result.

It was quite a tight fit to get all the little rings in but I managed to make it lay flat for a scan.  I particularly like the centre with the overlapping rings.  This morning, I decided to re-tat it, as per the pattern!

This is what it should have looked like!

Quite different, isn't it?

I actually like the look of both versions.  But the proper, green version, does behave better as there's not so much tension between all the elements.  

Best wishes,

Frivole

Thought I was done but...

I wore my new coat for the first time today.  Definitely liked its new purpleness!  Pleased with the sleeves too… but it was still missing something.

At the 6th attempt, I finally got the shape I was after so that it would fit neatly onto the corners of the collar.

Yes, I think it's more complete now.

I even found some spray to re-proof it, which I have now done and it is drying on the washing line outside.

Best wishes,
Frivole

Old Coat Refurbishment

I have this old Mac.  I've been wearing it for years.  It was purple and I liked my purple mac.  But after all this time, it was all faded and looking sorry for itself.  I thought it was time to bin it and buy a new one.  Then I walked past a display of fabric dyes in a shop and saw a box of purple.  Aha!  Why don't I try to dye my lovely old coat and see if it revives it enough to keep wearing it a bit longer.

The original purple was a bit "bluer" and this one is a bit "plummer" but I was really pleased when it came out of the washing machine all richly coloured again.  I should have taken a photo before because the colour was really washed out and faded.

The sleeve edges were frayed.  So of course, I thought I would hide them with some tatted lace.  Yes, that's the size 10 purple edging I showed you two posts ago.  I thought size 10 would be more hard-wearing for the sleeves.  I still edged them with ribbon first so they wouldn't get worse and then attached the lace on top.

Sad old frayed sleeve edge

Freshly re-hemmed with ribbon

Ta-dah!  New old coat!

And a close-up of the sleeve lace

Best wishes,

Frivole

Mothering Sunday

It is Mothering Sunday here in the UK.

I am so grateful for my wonderful children.

Happy Mothers Day

Best wishes,
Frivole

Next Project!

Here is a glimpse of what I'm currently working on.  I don't like working with size 10 thread very much but it's what's needed for this particular project.  I modified a Starlit, cut the nose and added a hook so I could use it with the size 10 thread.  This is one rare occasion where I'm willing to forego my beloved Aeros because you do need to fill the bobbin just too often when working with thicker thread like that and I didn't want to have joins.

I always love purple and green together!

I should be able to show you the finished item very soon.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Rose & Crown

* * * UPDATE * * *
(29.03.14)

I'm going with Megan's suggestion (thank you!)
and will call this motif

Rose & Crown

I originally tatted this a while ago when experimenting with interlocking rings.  There was renewed interest in the photo which was in my In Tatters album and some ladies were keen for me to write the pattern.

I decided that although they are doable with a shuttle, interlocking rings are much easier with a needle!  So this motif is for those who are happy to needle as well as shuttle tat.  Of course, for needle tatters, you can do the whole thing on a needle but I'm sooo much quicker with my shuttle that I'm happy to switch back as soon as I've completed the central rings.

Using size 20 and a suitable needle:

R11-2--2-11 (-- denotes a longer picot)

Before making the next ring, pass the tip of your needle through the ring previously made and then make the stitches.

(please note that my rings in the photos are 11-1--1-11

but 11-2--2-11 does work out better, I just forgot when I

did this sample for the photos!)

Repeat until you have four rings.  

The last ring is the trickiest.  When you have pulled the stitches off the needle, do not close the ring straight away.  Pass your needle back through the first ring from front to back.

In this next photo, my needle has gone through to the back of the

first ring, and you can also see the loop that you need to put

your needle through to close the ring.

Here's the important part:

You must put this loop to the back in between the two rings,

THEN pass the needle through the loop to close the last ring.

That way, all your rings will have the same over-under look.

This is a little bit fiddly to do and you must adjust your threads

so they fall in the right place in the centre of your interlocking rings.

Here's the last ring closed.

The thread from your needle is at the back of your work

but you will find that the thread from your ball is still poking

through the front of the last ring.

You can now cut the ball thread,

take it to the back, tie, and hide ends.

You can then attach one shuttle and ball

to the left of the three picots on your ring

and continue with the second part of the motif.

You don't need much thread on your shuttle

as the rest of the design is all made with chains.

C5-5, join to third picot

C3-3, join to first picot of next ring

Repeat all the way around, join back at the beginning.

C9+C1-1-1-1+(in same picot), C9, join between chains below

C3-1--1-3, join between chains below

Repeat all the way around.

Join back at beginning.

You're done!

You may find there is some tension when you complete the design,

I find this is mostly due to using a chain instead of a ring

at the tip of the arms.

It will also be better with the 11-2--2-11 count

which I did not use on this sample!

But just a bit of finger pressing is all that is needed

to bring it into shape.

I hope you like it!

Oh, and can anyone think of a pretty name for it?

Seems a shame to have it "nameless"…

but sadly, inspiration hasn't struck yet...

Best wishes,

Frivole