Saturday, December 16, 2006

Christmas Cards


Christmas cards aren't really available here in France, they send cards at New Year, and they are fairly small and specific. This year I've been using up all those motifs that I've been making, so here are the results. (I'm using recycled paper, of course.)
Although you've already seen the tatting, I think it looks different when the background is changed.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Showing the threads


These little squares are a variation on the round motif from last time, and a good way to show off the pretty colours. The pink motif is from the Vida Sunderland Snowflakes book. I make that 18 all together... I wonder what to do next?

Sunday, November 26, 2006


This isn't part of the challenge, because I made a mistake...(or design modification) in the pattern from the Blomquist and Persson book, but I have posted it because this blue is
lapis lazuli from the King Tut range. Isn't it a beautiful colour?

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Next three motifs




On Thursday I received some new threads from
ds9 designs
They are beautiful, one is Valdani "precious pansies" the others are from the King Tut quilting thread range. The little yellow motif above is in shekels, and you will be seeing the other colours next time.
The two small motifs are from Blomquist and Person, and the green and pink one is from Rozella Linden's Easy Tatting. I really enjoyed making that.
I also bought some filament loops to try and make hiding the ends easier, but either I tat too tightly or I am not doing it right because I couldn't get the end to pull through.

Thursday, November 09, 2006



I finished the edging and it has a mistake in it...so now I have to decide if I am going to try to insert the missing ring, or not. The new Ring of Tatter's newsletter turned up this morning, and I really fancy having a go at the square doily thing in there, but I need to be a bit more meticulous about finishing off my work. The winning hanky edging is on the cover, and now I wish I had sent mine off, only I never did the corner motif...This year's competition is a star in a bangle, which isn't my kind of thing. Ah well, maybe by the year after I'll be technically a bit more proficient.

Sunday, November 05, 2006




These two motifs aren't very exciting, one was from 25 Years Of Tatting and I couldn't get the outer ring to work as in the pattern. It is true that trying to decode all the different ways of noting patterns is part of the fun, for me at any rate! None-the-less, sometimes I just admit defeat and tat my own version just to finish it. The other is a snowflake from Vida Sunderland's book.



Then I picked up this edging again, because I thought it would look pretty on my daughter Polly's dark pink debardeur. She wears a lot of black, and so it would tie in. The pattern is from A Tatter's Workbook. I am not counting it as a motif, but just sharing it anyway.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Motif 12


I enjoyed making this one, the thread is valdani, but I have lost the details. It's quite fine, and I find that so much easier than the thicker threads.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Slow progress



It has taken forever to finish this red motif, it's full of errors and I'm fed up with it!!
The books have at last arrived...3 weeks after I ordered them. Where were they? I reckon I could have cycled here in the time, although I dug my bike out yesterday to exercise Bessie and realised that I am a lot less fit than I would like to be...(note to self, must cycle at least three times a week...)
To celebrate the new books I made an easy snowflake last night, and following a suggestion of Wally's, I think I'll try to tat at least a dozen as cards for friends for les fetes. I won't count them in the 25 motif challenge, as I want to do all different for that, it keeps me motivated. (sorry for unconcious pun...mmm)
All the work done by other tatters, creating original designs, and showing how to do it has been fascinating, and although I am not feeling inspired by anything to make my own design as yet, I am analysing the designs that appeal to me as I look at the amazing abundance, and may yet take the plunge!

Friday, October 06, 2006

another motif





The books haven't arrived yet...and I wondered whether David had hidden them this morning, knowing that once I had opened them there would be nothing done for hours! He promised me it wasn't so, and so I finished the green medallion as I watched over Raphael, and his friend in the skate park at Puy l'Eveque this afternoon. It's from the Julia Saunders book, and I like the lacy middle row. I am running out of hand dyed thread, but I still have enough red, I think, for one more.
I'm not counting the little purple thing, it was just done to use up thread on the shuttle, but I quite like it just the same!

Sunday, October 01, 2006

I finished it


In the end I used some green to finish the motif, and I think it looks ok, even if it doesn't quite match!
I've treated myself to a couple of tatting books via the Amazon marketplace because I've run out of inspiration for the moment...but they'll take a week to arrive so I'll have to keep experimenting for the next few days.

Friday, September 29, 2006

Back again


The computer has been away again, and even now I'm a little worried about it...but meanwhile a couple more motifs, plus one where I ran out of thread! I felt like the tailor of Gloucester..."No more twist!" That is the drawback with these threads, there isn't very much of each colour, and it is so difficult to work out if there is enough for a design beforehand. I am wondering if I might finish in another colour, I have a yellow and a light green that might match... otherwise it will all be wasted.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

snowy's tatting

snowy's tatting
I have been without a computer for a week due to a virus, but haven't done any tatting either! I'll get back to work soon!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006


This motif was done while at work, so I wasn't giving it my full attention, and miscounted twice on the outer chain! It should have had six repeats but I was running out of thread...which is part of a batch dyed for me by a friend. I love her choice of colours!

Sunday, September 03, 2006

today's motif/s


One thing I have enjoyed about joining this challenge is being able to follow the links and gaze at other people's work. I feel quite humble when I see what people are able to do!
I have also appreciated the kind comments left here, thank-you, it's really encouraging to know that my work has been seen!
I haven't thought so far to give credit for the patterns I have used so far,
No 1 Lynn Morton, Tatting Patterns
No 2 A Tatter's Workbook
No 3 An old french booklet Cartier Bresson, Frivolite
No.s 4 and 5 are from A Big Book of Tatting
More details supplied on request....

Saturday, September 02, 2006


this is my third motif. I'm not that pleased with it, I'm having a problem with concentrating...

Wednesday, August 30, 2006
























I have started this blog in order to be able to join the 25 motif challenge. Although I taught myself to tat when I was thirteen I didn't do much until four years ago when I met my new mother-in-law who also tats. I discovered patterns on internet, and I was hooked!
Anyway here are my first two motifs, although they are neither of them perfect...but I'm hoping this challenge will motivate me to improve my technique.