Céleste

I've been out of shuttles for a week or so.  Awaiting delivery, hopefully soon.  But it's been a good thing.  It's given me time to work on a new pattern.  Here is what I have been up to recently.

I liked the look of bare threads and double picots in the Banashek motif I recently tatted.  It makes for a light and airy look which appeals to me.  Inspired, I wanted to make a new motif that had those qualities.  I have called it "Céleste".

This is the motif as it comes off my shuttles,

not pressed or blocked in any way.  If you wanted sharper angles,

you could pin the picots and bare threads but I like the softer look.

The motifs above are made with seed beads (size 11) and larger 4mm beads for the join between petals.  I have tried it with small Swarovskis bicones on that join for extra sparkle and that's great too.

You can play with the long double picots to get the look you want but I like the delicate, more free look of leaving them slightly uneven and floaty.

Céleste can also be tatted without beads if you wish and this is what it looks like without (purple motif below).  In that one, it's the inside thread of the double picot inside the petals which I have pulled longer (the picots are adjustable) for a different look.  See how this gives a cross-over look?  I think that's nice too.

Then I thought I'd try it in Christmas colours below in Lizbeth Jungle Greens with red seed beads and silver lined 4mm beads but no beads on the end of the large rings.

Right.  Now I'm happy with the shape, I better get down to pattern writing!

Nearly forgot to say (well, actually I forgot so the first few readers who commented won't have seen this), I will be having a draw for free patterns as I like to do when I publish a new one.  Three winners will be picked at random from the comments made on this post.

Best wishes,

Frivole