Tuesday 5 March 2013

Engineering Improvements & Butterfly Doily

Still happy with my home-made swift and how much quicker I can now wind my HDTs, I did make a small improvement to the design though.

I wanted my swift to come apart so it wouldn't take too much space and I could store it away easily.  So I wanted the two blades to stay as two parts and I had just pinned them together when in use.  Today, I used my swift again and thought I could improve...  I added some pieces of cardboard so that the top blade can now slot down into the bottom blade.






I'm happy now.
Works well and stores away neatly.





And an update on the butterfly doily.  Inspired by Fox's perseverance with her own large project, I am now working on row 14 which is lots of small split rings so it's a bit slow-going.  The doily now measures 19 inches across (or 48cm).  There are 4 more rows left after this one.  I only work on this project here and there, not continuously,  so it may be a while yet before it is finished!


The next round is also lots of small split rings and the doily is now so large that it does take a long time to go all the way around!  And it's starting to frill at the edges again so it will need a bit of pressing soon.  I have to admit that I don't like tatting designs that require a lot of coaxing into place like that!  The long chains are troublesome because they need to be flattened into a sharper arch than would be naturally achieved.  Not one I'm going to want to be washing too often - too much work to iron it flat again afterwards!

Best wishes,
Frivole

7 comments:

  1. It's looking magnificent! I have to say too that I really, really like the bobbin lace edging that I saw in your album on intatters. So delicate and beautiful.

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    1. Thank you Jane. Do you mean the handkerchief edging? I did enjoy making that after a long hiatus in bobbin lace-making. I saw it at a Craft Fair and liked it so much that I asked the lady where the pattern was from, got the book and made it!

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  2. Your swift is very much like the yarn swift I own. I haven't taken it out to see if I can adjust it for HDT. I'm still winding my HDT slowly, sometimes just so that I can think about what I want to do with the thread!

    Large projects do take an incredible amount of time, but I do enjoy watching the progress of large pieces. It helps me stay on track with my larger projects!

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  3. Your swift is a great idea looks a invention.

    Your doily is looking lovely, hopefully I can get back to the tat along and then start something new I have lined up
    Margaret

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  4. Absolutely stunning doily!!! :)

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  5. Your swift is so clever!

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  6. Although I have too many started projects already, I am tempted to start this doily whenever I see your post. It's beautiful!

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