Look What I Found!

I was tidying some stuff away and found this edging - slightly crumpled in its bag - all completed and ready to sew onto the handkerchief! I'd even started to crochet a border around the hanky to attach the lace to... and I'd completely forgotten about it!

It shouldn't take too long to get that finished.  A nice surprise.

I've done the draw and the random generator gave me numbers 3, 35, 27, 13, and 6.  If people are trying to count to see that I'm right, I've not counted Muskaan's second comment but counted the anonymous comment that was below hers.

So I am sending the pattern to Bernice, Johanna, Christina, Bozena, and God's Kid.  If you have an email address attached to your blogger account (the account you used to write your comment) I will send it to that address.  If not, can you please contact me with your email so I can send you the pattern.

Thank you very much for all your contributions with the names, some great ones in there but there were also quite a few votes for "Crystal Star" so I may keep it.  Your suggestions are really appreciated and could well be used on the next design!  I already have some ideas which I hope I'll be able to turn into workable motifs (but to find the time as always!).

Muskaan, I'd already used "Stellar" for one of my free patterns but I did like that one; "Twinkle" was also used for another free pattern but I also really liked Alpha, Rising Star, Starlight, and Crystalline Star.  So again, many thanks for your lovely suggestions.

And to finish,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

to those who celebrate it.

My favourite thing is always the carved pumpkins...

Best wishes,
Frivole

Lacking Efficiency...

I don't know what's the matter with me at the moment but I seem to struggle to get things done! Everything is taking too long and I'm not accomplishing all that I want/wish.  Do you have times like that too?  Even my blog is suffering a bit at the moment.

This pattern for example... has taken me aaaaages!  I think I'm getting there with it but it's been way too long in the making.

I kinda like the fact that the little crystal star in the centre

sits inside a star made by the chains around it,

which in turn is at the heart of the larger star.

A star within a star within a star!

It helps to look at it from further away to see this I think...

Still, I never quite got to the "YESSSS, it's done now, I like it!".  I kept fiddling with it and fiddling with it...  Not completely satisfied but I think this will be it.  I've made so many samples already that I should have enough to send to family and friends and hopefully it has given me ideas for other designs.

Look at that lovely stack of stars!

... and more have been made since.

Anyone has a suggestion for a name?

I've called it "Crystal Star" for now

which is not very imaginative.

There were some questions on the original post about how the crystal centre was made...  I was trying to avoid using a loop-tatted ring as I think many tatters may find that technique a bit daunting. What I ended up doing is making one really large picot and adding all the crystals to that same picot and making joins into it.  It's just a matter of getting the right size of picot and manipulating it as you add each new crystal.

Oh, I just noticed...

the yellow thread inside the crystals

make yet another tiny star!

I will draw 5 names from the comments to this post to receive a free pattern.

And don't forget, if you have a better name suggestion,

it would be gratefully received!

Best wishes,

Frivole

And the Random Number Generator Says...

And number 31 is...  Beth!  Please contact me with your information so I can send you the shuttle.

Thank you to everyone for all your comments on the previous post, I didn't reply to comments to make it easier to count when it came to the draw!  I particularly liked Andrea's poetic one.  To Jane, I will talk about how to make the centre with crystals soon.  Michelle asked how long it takes to make the star snowflake... I will try to time it when I next make one but I would say 1.5 hours?  A very approximate guess but I will try to confirm soon.  To Muskaan, yes, there are stitches between the beads on the sample I showed in the previous blogpost but the new method looks different.  I'll post a photo soon.  Happy Dogma:  thank you!  You reminded me how much I like apple butter!  I think I'll have a go at making some.  Ancolie: Paris n'est pas loin du tout!  :-)

Again, thank you to all who contribute to this blog with their comments.  It's always lovely to read you all.

Best wishes,

Frivole

Autumn Giveaway

I thought it was a while since I held a giveaway...  I'm offering one of my shuttles.  This one is called "Oriental Blue".  It has a slight flaw in the finish and couldn't be sold so I thought I'd give it away instead.  I must have been working too late one night when I was making that one because I didn't notice the flaw until the shuttle was completed, and no longer "fixable".  Anyway, the shuttle is fully functional and the flaw is not very visible.  I hope someone will enjoy using it.

It was perfect autumn day yesterday so I went outside to take the photo.  These are apples from our tree which we are enjoying eating at the moment.

Please leave a comment to be entered in the draw which will take place on the 11th of October.  I will ship it to the winner anywhere in the world!

Meanwhile I'll carry on working on my star design.  I want to come up with a nice way of making it without beads too so I have a bit more work to do on it yet.  AND, I'm excited that I've found a new way of placing the crystals in the centre, one that doesn't require the use of a "loop-tatted ring"!  I'm pleased because I know that loop-tatted rings are probably a bit daunting to many tatters and I want everybody to be able to make this lovely crystal centre if they wish.

These are still prototypes

but I'm making progress.

Best wishes,

Frivole