More Jennifer Williams

Two more motifs from the Cariad Tatting website.  Jennifer Williams' patterns are very well written with precise instructions and even the length of thread needed to be wound on each shuttle!  What a luxury.

This first one didn't work out completely right.  Although it calls for a 1cm gauge for the long picots, I found them too short to be able to get the pointy shape as per the photo on the pattern.  It meant I had to pull on them a bit too much thereby distorting the shape of the rings slightly.  I may re-do this one with a longer picot gauge.

This second one I really like though I'm not happy with the colours I chose.  I think it definitely calls for being re-done in different colours as it's very pretty and I like how the second round overlaps the first.  Also, though not a regular FSBS tatter, in this case, I think it is well worth it but I only decided to do so on the second round.  So there, two reasons why I will need to re-tat this motif as well.

Best wishes,

Specially for Debbie

I have been exchanging messages with Debbie at In Tatters and as I'd mentioned Jennifer Williams in my previous post, she asked if I might have a go at her Small SCMR Mat as she was finding the centre part a little problematic.  I had it printed so I thought why not make it next.  Here it is:

Tatted in Lizbeth "Charcoal", size 20

What's unusual about this motif is that she uses self-closing mock rings (SCMRs) in the centre.  I did wonder why as it would be easy to use two shuttles, reverse work and make a normal ring.  The advantage is that you can work this motif with just one shuttle and ball thread.  And really a SCMR is not difficult to make at all and it made me think that I might make more use of them in the future.  But now I'm curious and will have to make the centre part again using two shuttles instead to see how it affects the look.  Will be back soon to show you the second version.

Best wishes,

New to Me

Just a quick post before a busy weekend ahead.

Thank you to Evelyne of Le Blog de Charlette for enabling me to discover some new patterns.  They are designed by Jennifer Williams and her blog is called Cariad Tatting.  She has quite a few free pretty patterns there so do go check them out.

This is the first one I tried but I will be making a couple more.  Next to it is the small butterfly I modified from Handy Hands' pattern.

This is not a difficult pattern but I think it has an appealing shape.  The thread which I have had for a little while but never used is from Jess at Tat-ilicious.  I don't think it had a name (maybe Jess can put me right on that).

Have a great weekend everyone.

Best wishes,

Beaded Butterfly

This is Nina Libbin's Beaded Butterfly Bookmark.  I did it a couple of weeks ago but never got around to making a blogpost about it.  I was attracted to this pattern when I saw it and fancied giving it a try but I'm still undecided about the bead work...  I find that, for me, I loose all rhythm when I work with beads.  You have to stop after nearly every stitch in this pattern to slide the beads along.  And for a small butterfly, there are still 244 beads!

Sadly, I'm a bit disappointed with the look of the beads and thread (size 80 by DMC).  The beads look prettier in real life - they are actually all different shades of copper but it's not coming through on the photo.  Anyway, altogether not really my colours but there you have it.

I'm starting to wonder if I'm a glutton for punishment though...  every time I conclude I don't really like tatting with a lot of beads and still, every once in a while, there is a pattern I just have to try!

I have not decided what sort of finish to give on the end of the tail...

so I'm not showing it you!

And another, small butterfly to conclude this post:

This is adapted from Handy Hands' Butterfly, the one they use to show how their thread colours work up and which is on the back of shuttle packets (I kept the shape but just changed the stitch count a bit).  I made it to use up a bit of thread that was left on a shuttle and which was too nice to waste!  The thread is Jess's Chilled Mess and I was just happy at how the colour changes happened (quite by accident!) symmetrically.  Nice little butterfly, really quick to make.  It went on a card I gave away this afternoon.

Still working on the hanky edging from the previous post.  I slowed down a bit because I'm not sure which hanky to use so I have to wait before getting to the next corner as I don't know what size I'll need!  I may have to compromise as I don't think I'll find something to match the thread as well as I would have liked...  could be it will have to be white...  though I'm sure I had a turquoise hanky somewhere... but then even if I find it, it's likely the shade of blue won't be quite right... oh well!

Best wishes,

Pomegranate Corner

I'm still not sure I made the right decision with this edging - meaning was it the right choice for the thread?  Something simpler would have probably been better but for some strange reason I felt compelled to keep tatting the pomegranate edging (slightly modified from a pattern by Anne Orr) and now I've done too much to stop as it would be a waste of some lovely thread (Chilled Mess, size 60, by Tat-ilicious)

So then of course comes the issue of THE CORNER.  In a daring move (I love daring... when it works out anyway!), I "winged" a corner last night.  I was just sitting tatting in front of the TV and pictured a corner in my mind, thinking, "yeah, that should work... really I should test it first with some other thread..., nah, can't be bothered (what a terrible admission!)... let's just have a go and hopefully it will work out"...

Not bad?

No doubt it could be improved on.  But for an un-calculated, just have-a-go, spur-of-the-moment corner, I think I'm pleased with it.  Too late now anyway, the others will have to be the same.

Now I'm on the search for an appropriately coloured handkerchief to attach this edging to!

Best wishes,

Tat-ilicious Deliciousness

It might be obvious to some by now that I am a fan of Jess's threads (Tat-ilicious on Etsy).  "Chilled" was one of my favourite colour ways.  A little while ago I told her that it would look good done in her "messy" technique...  So she did.  And it's lovely!  Just received it this morning.

I love the gentler, more random colour changes that she achieves using this technique.  Wonderful.

I bought it in two sizes this time:  size 20 in the motif above and also in size 60 for a change.  And now looking at this lovely fine thread... I feel a hanky edging coming on...

This is one edging I've tried.

It's called Pomegranate (modified just a little)

and is from Anne Orr's

Classic Tatting Patterns book.

Not 100% decided yet but it's a maybe.

I don't know if the variegate calls for a simpler pattern.  As a general rule, I think "keep it simple" when there's lots of colour in the thread and use plain colours for more complex designs.

Best wishes,

More Jan Stawasz

Here is another motif from Jan Stawasz's book "Tatting Theory and Patterns".  Again, lots of decorative picots.  This motif is part of a large table runner which is really beautiful.  I might be tempted to make it... though not sure if I'm quite ready for another large project just yet.  And I still have the Burda Butterfly Doily to finish which I've not worked on for a while.

I think I might have to adjust the stitch count just a bit as mine cupped (see image below).  Also mine doesn't quite have the same curve in the outside chains that Jan's has.  I prefer the look of his.  So I would have to play with this a bit before I started making many for a table runner.

Looks like a tiny crown.

Best wishes,