Quatrain Project Finished

It's done!  This is the project I'd been working on for a while (though not continuously as you know I like variety).  So for a break from the Jan Stawasz doily, I picked up this one again and finished it this afternoon.

Maybe some day I will make something even bigger with the Quatrain motif (Michelle has inspired me and I shall follow her progress with great interest!) but for now, this more modest project will do.

Best wishes,

Last Round!

Well, I'm cheating a bit...  I've run out of silver thread,
five repeats from the end of the 10th round
(there are 32 repeats).
So while I wait for another ball of silver to arrive,
I thought I would make a start on the 11th and last round.

Hurray!

Best wishes,

Wrought Iron

I'm still beavering away at the doily but that doesn't give me much to blog about, does it!  So I thought I would take a little break tonight to make something else for a change.  I've just participated in the Bookmark Exchange at In Tatters and received a lovely bookmark from Tatting Margaret (a click on the link will take you to a photo of the bookmark) - Thank you Margaret!  It was one of Mary Konior's design which I had not really noticed before though I have the book.  I think it has a very interesting shape so, inspired by Margaret's, I decided to make it.

I chose this colourway (Lizbeth "Autumn Spice"), as I thought it could be a very old, very rusty Wrought Iron, with moss growing on it...  That's my take on it anyway!

I made a mistake near the beginning (second trefoil on the left has one picot too many) so the join to the next small ring is at the wrong angle and those "onion rings" are quite hard to make really even but overall I'm pleased with the result and still think it's an interesting design which I might well re-do.  Perhaps in a nice dark steely blue?  Oh no, I forgot, I'm trying to stay away from the blues for a change!

Best wishes,

Marching on... 10th round!

Just started on the 10th round of the Jan Stawasz doily.  I'm so pleased to have made it this far that I had to post again although I posted only yesterday!  This round won't be a quick one.  Will no doubt work on other things on the side to bring variety.  But enthusiasm hasn't waned yet so it's a good sign.  I'll get there, I'll get there!

Best wishes,

Quatrain Bookmark

I decided to take part in the Bookmark Exchange at In Tatters.  So had to take a break from the doily to make one.  Is it okay to show my finished bookmark here before I send it?  I was given the name of a man.  So I was trying to make something a bit "masculine" which is not easy really as I think tatting is pretty feminine.  But don't get me wrong, I think it's absolutely great that there are men who enjoy tatting.

Anyway, I thought Quatrain might be suitable adapted for a bookmark.

Still not sure it's very "masculine".... but I think I'm happy with the result.  Apart from spotting a mistake right at the end after I'd finished my tassel!!  I won't tell you where, maybe you won't notice.  And hopefully the person I'm sending it to won't either.

I'm really into the blues and greens these days... Definitely my next project won't be blue (that's after I finish the doily, the project with Quatrain and the hanky... so a while yet with the blues!).

Best wishes,

Making Progress

I'm now on the 9th round of the Jan Stawasz doily.  It's coming along nicely.  I've got to take advantage of "doily fever" to get as much accomplished while it lasts!  I'm going back to it now.

Best wishes,

P.S. The colour is not so good on this photo - I prefer the photo from the previous post, it's more accurate.

Jan Stawasz Doily

I always thought I would eventually like to tackle one of Jan Stawasz's doilies.  I really admire the perfect execution of his work.

So I started on this one:

I nearly stopped after two rounds as I felt there was two much contrast between the silver and the blue.  Then I did one more round to satisfy my curiosity.  I asked advice at In Tatters and I think many people agree there is too much contrast but others encouraged me to keep going...

So I tatted the fourth round and added another blue to the mix (it's the same family of blue as the dark one "Country Turquoise", but the light shade of it).

So that's where I'm at now.  Far enough that it seems a waste to throw it away... but still not convinced my choice of colours was wise.

Also not very happy with that second bit of dark blue, that row of rings is really hard to make perfect as there are three unattached rings between the ones that are attached to the previous row and they tend to move out of place.  I guess I need to pin it down and steam it to get the right shape.  

On another note, I want to thank Diane for the lovely parcel she sent me when I won her giveaway: 

Thanks Diane!

Best wishes,

Sneak Peek - Work in Progress

Sometimes I'm just too impatient...  I was only going to show you this when it was all finished but as I had no other tatting to show you (been a busy week), I'm giving you a sneak peek of what I'm doing with my Quatrain pattern.  I had run out of thread but just received some in the post yesterday so I can carry on now.

It's a bit crumpled because I keep putting it in my small tatting bag to take it with me, it will look better after a light pressing when I'm all finished.

Best wishes,