New Pattern - Viola

It was a friend's birthday last week.  I was just going to send her a card... then felt I needed to enclose something with the card.  I didn't have a lot of time as I wanted to send her the card straight away.  So I came up with this necklace (the one in the main photo), and off it went in the post.

The second version, in the oval insert, is one I made afterwards and which I modified slightly from the first.  You can add a pendant to it or not.  In the second version, I added beads on each side instead of a pendant because I find that tatted lace does required a bit of weighting down to stay in place as it is so light.

Then I had another idea and thought it would look nice if the motif was repeated all around but I wanted to find a way of making it in one pass - definitely didn't want to cut, tie and hide ends on each repeat, that would spoil the fun! - so I beavered away some more and here's the third version of this necklace:

I liked the look of it so much that I carried on and made earrings... and then found that it also looks great as a hanky edging.  Because of the way it's constructed, the edging "bends" around easily, making it a very versatile edging which can be used on squares, ovals or rounds.  You can turn the corner on the motif as I've done below or even in between motifs works too.  Here's a small sample which I tatted in size 80 thread:

The shape reminded me of violas...

But wait, wait!  That's not all.  Just when I thought I was about good to go with the pattern, I found I could also make a great little square with this design.  And you know how I love squares!  So I've been frantically working away the last few days at writing this new pattern with all its variations.

I'm just not happy yet with the centre of the square... it feels just a bit too big to have nothing but all the variations I've tried so far were not quite right either...  This latest pink one has a little circlet of tiny flowers; thought it would look like a little wreath to go with the violas...  mmmmm....  I'm thinking some more...

All five (six even!) versions of this design will be available on the pattern.

I hope you like it!

Best wishes,

Frivole

Update: Les P'tits Oiseaux

From the comments, the French name seemed to appeal so "Les P'tits Oiseaux" it is!  I dithered and at first called it "Les Deux Oiseaux" but I preferred the idea/image of "Les P'tits Oiseaux".  I've now finished writing up the pattern (fingers crossed, everything is accurate in it).

The green version below I made for a good friend of mine last year;  she wears it regularly and says she often gets comments on it.  

Right, I'm supposed to be tidying this morning...  Not writing more blogposts!  The sun's shining and it's another glorious spring day, time to also go put the washing on the line.  I hope the sun shines where you are too.

Best wishes,

Frivole

December Motif - New Pattern

It is New Year's Eve.  I want to wish everyone a wonderful and creative New Year 2013.

I have just written up a pattern which will be my last creation of 2012 and it's available for free to anyone who would like it.  I was thinking of a simpler motif with beads since making Ice Queen and here it is.  It is made in one pass.  It would look pretty and sparkly as a snowflake too with the right colours.  It is quick to tat so would make a nice little gift when you don't have much time.

Clicking on picture will take you to pattern.

I am always drawn to blues so I really made an effort to pick a different colour.

... Although I couldn't resist and had to make it in blue too!

... and in green...

sorry, one "arm" is a bit droopy on this one,

bad blocking!

Happy New Year

Bonne Année!

Best wishes,

Frivole

Thank You!

What wonderful people you all are!  Thank you so much for all the lovely suggestions and poetic descriptions.  It's made it really hard to make a choice!
                                                                                                        Motif 12 of 25-motif challenge
Here are all the suggestions:

Minuet
Twisted Chain Snowflake
Locked Wheel/Locked Steering
Mariner Star
Royal Starburst
Splendor
StarFire
Viking Star
Nautical Nuptuals
Enola Star
Ferris Wheel/Ferris Flake
Viking Wheel/Viking Helm
The Moresque
Catherine Wheel
Starburst Snowflake
Nieve del Mar

Aren't they great?

I tatted the motif three more times today in different colours and with slight variations.  I agree with many of you that in the dark purple and gold, it has a nautical feel so I wanted to see how it would look in other colours.  I think you would agree that it doesn't look so nautical in the pink and green for example.

And how about in black and white?

Now I must re-do it in reverse (white in the centre

and black for the round with JKs).

And lastly (for today anyway)

in lime green and turquoise

I changed the tips on this one

and I really like the look

so this alternative version

is included in the pattern.

So the name then... there were honestly many I liked but I loved Julie's description.  Her suggestion was the first and as soon as I saw it, I liked it.  But then I thought, no, wait, and see what everyone else comes up with and many were great.  There were also "votes" for Julie's suggestion within the comments of others so I decided to go with that one.

it is.

Best wishes,

The Heart Within

I finally made it to the end!  It's taken me AGES to write this pattern up with all the variations and all the diagrams!  I've looked and looked and looked at it, trying to catch all the typos, all the mistakes - phew!  I also had the help of my test-tatter (thank you Carol!) but it's still quite worrying that something might have escaped my attention and you find out after you've sent it out in the big wide world!  So fingers-crossed, all is good with it - and you like it!

Motif no.8

I was particularly pleased with the little heart that forms inside the big heart...

hence the name of course!

This pattern comes with three variations:

So you can choose which one you like best.

I had one more version which didn't make it onto the pattern

as it was getting rather large (it is four pages long

with diagrams and photos)

Just one more to show how nice

it looks on a card:

I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day as I will be away until the 23rd of February.

Best wishes,

Happy Heart - A Gift for You

This is not the pattern I was talking about in the previous post (I'm still working on that one, hopefully to appear soon in my Etsy shop) but I got side-tracked (as I so often do!) by this other idea for a smaller, simpler heart.   

I knew the Catherine-Wheel Join (CWJ) would come in handy in one of my patterns and this is it!

A small heart (3cm wide in size 20) that's quick to tat

and which would look nice on a card.

Forgot to say that this is motif no. 7 for the 25-motif challenge

Happy Heart with 3ds chain at bottom and the ends
just tied around the SR for an easy, no-sewing-in-of-ends finish.
This one is tatted in Lizbeth size 20.

So if you've been putting off trying the CWJ, now is your chance!

As the outer edge of this heart is all done with CWJs.

If you need help with "how to start on a chain",

there is a video on that in the Techniques pages of this blog.

If you need help with the Catherine Wheel Join,

Yarnplayer has made a great video of this technique.

You have to be very careful not to let the threads twist as you make this join or it won't work.  It took me a few goes to get this right but now I can do it quite quickly, so as with everything, just a bit of practice is needed.  I also find it quicker doing this join with an Aero as you can just put your shuttle through the loop in one movement which avoids giving the loop a chance to twist if you let go of it to put down your hook down and pick your shuttle up.  It's a great join!

This one has the ends sewn in
and is tatted in DMC Babylo size 10.

This one I added a few strands of thread and made a small "tasselly thingy".
Also tatted in Babylo size 10.
This one is a bit "wonky" at the tip as I was still working on the stitch count.

On this one I just added a bead and tied a knot.
This one tatted in Lizbeth size 10.

I hope you like it.  Here is the link to download the pattern :  

Best wishes,